Vancouver Island University (formerly known as Malaspina University-College) is a comprehensive, four-year, postsecondary institution serving Vancouver Island and coastal British Columbia. Established in 1969 as Malaspina College, it has grown into an institution that plays an important role in the educational, cultural, and economic life of the region. The main campus is located in Nanaimo, and there are regional campuses in Duncan and Powell River, as well as a campus centre in Parksville. The university press, The Navigator, is a member of CUP. Vancouver Island University was founded in 1969 as Malaspina College, named after Captain Alexandro Malaspina, who explored Vancouver Island. Following a 1988 government initiative designed to increase access to degree programs in British Columbia, five community colleges in BC were granted authority to offer baccalaureate degrees, and these five institutions — Malaspina, Fraser Valley, Kwantlen, Cariboo and Okanagan — were renamed university colleges. Initially, they offered degrees through one or another of the three provincial universities. Malaspina College had regional campuses in Nanaimo, Duncan, and Powell River by 1990.