What's New at BC Colleges: July 4, 2012
Message from Jim Reed, President BC Colleges
After an extremely busy spring, the final celebrations and convocations at our 11 member colleges are beginning to wind down. It's been a fabulous year for the college system with many new programs introduced and collaborations forged to ensure our students receive an education that meets the needs of today's evolving economy. An education that is both accessible and affordable and ideally, earned close to home. An important component of our commitment to access relates to access for Aboriginal learners.
On June 21st, Aboriginal Day, BC Colleges role in post-secondary education for Aboriginal learners was demonstrated. At Vancouver Community College college members, the Ministry of Advanced Education, the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and other key stakeholders came together the make a renewed commitment to improve post-secondary opportunities and outcomes for First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples with a new framework and action plan. Vancouver Community College President, Kathy Kinloch said, “VCC is an active player in Aboriginal education in British Columbia, and I believe that there is great potential to increase the numbers and improve the experience of Aboriginal learners at VCC. We want to make sure that we understand the unique needs of our Aboriginal learners, so they can readily access our programs and services and achieve their goals all along their educational journeys.”
Aboriginal Day was celebrated at colleges throughout the Province. Camosun College celebrated the day but noted that year round, the college connects with Aboriginal learners at all points of the educational journey—either on campus or in community, from foundations of literacy right through to advanced college credentials and exciting careers. After twenty years of Aboriginal education and powerful community connections, Camosun is a welcoming educational hub for learners from across the Island and across the country. This is true for so many of our colleges.
At College of New Caledonia the Aboriginal Service Plan (ASP) received a $542,000 boost from the provincial government. CNC has committed $200,000 of its own funding this year, making its total ASP investment $742,000 in 2012/13. “We are delighted the government has funded Phase II of the community-driven ASP program, which will have a tremendous impact on Aboriginal learners and their communities,” CNC President John Bowman said. “
Selkirk College is the most recent of our colleges to open an Aboriginal Gathering Place. On May 24, 2012 Selkirk celebrated the official opening of the facility with over 100 invited guests in attendance. According to Selkirk College President, Angus Graeme, “The Gathering Place project was initiated over three years ago with a successful proposal to Government. The project has always been grounded in the vision of a better college for Aboriginal learners, about the connection between celebrating culture and access to post-secondary education. The Gathering Place is critical to building and strengthening relationships in the wider Aboriginal community that the college serves including partner governments, Aboriginal post-secondary institutions, and community service providers. Today was a very important day for Selkirk College. We’re so honoured to be working with our partners to support more meaningful access to post-secondary education.”
BC Colleges wants to acknowledge and celebrate our current Aboriginal learners and graduates at our 11 member institutions located in almost 70 communities throughout BC. At BC Colleges we are proud to be part of the educational success of all students, helping to put them on a path to a successful future.
To read all of the news from our 11 member colleges please check out "In the News" and please read on to discover this month's college news highlights.
All the best for a wonderful summer - assuming it arrives soon!
Jim Reed
President, BC Colleges
NWCC vehicle fleet gets critical addition thanks to donation
Northwest Community College Media Release, June 29, 2012
Northwest Community College (NWCC) has used a generous donation from Callinex Mines to purchase an Emergency Transport Vehicle (ETV) that will support and enhance the mobile, field-based training offered by its Smithers-based School of Exploration & Mining (SEM). "Northwest Community College's School of Exploration & Mining specializes in relevant, field-based training that replicates real work conditions and teaches skills needed by industry," said Tlell Glover, Project Administrator with SEM's Workforce Exploration Skills Training (WEST) program. "Replicating these field-based conditions means having all the health and safety nets that are standard practices in the industry. This donation is a huge boost to NWCC's abilities to offer field-based training for the minerals and natural resources industries." Read more.
Experience Fine Arts Like Never Before in NIC’s new Program Video
North Island College Media Release, June 28, 2012
Learn to turn a lump of clay into a stunning vase, create sculptures, or fire your pottery in an ancient kiln in NIC’s new Fine Arts and Design video, officially launched this week.Watch as students learn to operate NIC’s large-format parallel screen printing press, create wall sized murals, and curate their own student-run art events.“There’s a huge sense of pride (at NIC) because part of the program is not just producing art, it’s getting it out there,” said NIC diploma graduate Courtney Binns. Every year, fine arts students develop their style and portfolios in the Shadbolt Studios, home to 7,520 sq ft of separate ceramics, painting, and sculpture space.The college offers fine arts on a course-by-course basis through the University Studies program, a two-year diploma, or a four-year Emily Carr Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, offered at the Comox Valley campus. Read more.
Douglas College to launch international sales institute
Douglas College Media Release, June 28, 2012
Douglas College is launching a sales institute programmed to become an international leader in sales information, research, training and education. The Peter Legge International Institute for Sales Excellence, named after Peter Legge, CEO of Canada Wide Media and inductee into the international Sales Hall of Fame, will be up and running by late September.Developed by the Douglas College Marketing Department, the institute will offer a wide range of educational programs and industry services, events and activities, such as customized industry training, research, seminars, conferences and sales aptitude testing. The aim of the institute is that it become the premier destination for professional sales knowledge and training. Read more.
Awards keep coming for College’s Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence
Okanagan College Media Release, June 26, 2012
Design awards from around the globe are stacking up for the Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation at Okanagan College’s Penticton campus. The eye-catching and energy-efficient building earned the building the International Architecture Awards’ Green GOOD DESIGN Award from the prestigious European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design. “The jury selected outstanding examples of Green Design from 27 nations,” said the Centre’s chief operating officer Kieran Conlon. Among those examples were the tranquil Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, the futuristic Stacking Green House in Vietnam, and the swooping glass Glasnevin Trust Museum in Dublin, and Okanagan College’s newest building, which is among the most sustainable buildings of its type in the world. Read more.
Camosun College celebrates National Aboriginal Day
Camosun College Media Release, June 21, 2012
National Aboriginal Day is Thursday, June 21 but in many respects, every day is Aboriginal Day at Camosun. Year round, we connect with Aboriginal learners at all points of the educational journey—either on campus or in community, from foundations of literacy right through to advanced college credentials and exciting careers. After twenty years of Aboriginal education and powerful community connections, Camosun is a welcoming educational hub for learners from across the Island and across the country. Read more.
New action plan to benefit Aboriginal learners
Ministry of Advanced Education, Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation June 21, 2012
The Province honoured National Aboriginal Day in British Columbia with a renewed commitment to improve post-secondary opportunities and outcomes for First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples with the introduction of a new framework and action plan. The post-secondary education and training policy framework and action plan introduced today at Vancouver Community College was developed in partnership with Aboriginal leaders, educators and students. The framework was designed to help Aboriginal learners succeed in an integrated, relevant, and effective British Columbia post-secondary education system. Its goal is to enhance participation by Aboriginal peoples in the social, cultural and economic life of their communities, the province and global society. Read more.
Government gives $542,000 to CNC’s Aboriginal Service Plan
College of New Caledonia Media Release, June 21, 2012
The College of New Caledonia’s Aboriginal Service Plan (ASP) received a $542,000 boost from the provincial government Thursday. CNC had committed $200,000 of its own funding this year, making its total ASP investment $742,000 in 2012/13. “We are delighted the government has funded Phase II of the community-driven ASP program, which will have a tremendous impact on Aboriginal learners and their communities,” CNC President John Bowman said. “During Phase I of the ASP, CNC saw a 147% increase in Aboriginal enrolment to 1,839 learners in all programs in 2010/11, up from 744 in 2006/07. This funding will allow the great work, partnerships and community engagement to continue.”The provincial government announced Thursday that it approved more than $4.2 million in funding for ASP projects at 11 post-secondary institutions in 2012/13. Read more.
B.C. leaders gather at VCC to introduce Aboriginal education action plan
Vancouver Community College Media Release, June 21, 2012
B.C. is taking important steps to improve post-secondary education opportunities and outcomes for Aboriginal students. A policy framework and action plan was introduced by the provincial government on June 21, National Aboriginal Day. The announcement took place at Vancouver Community College’s Broadway campus, inside the Aboriginal Gathering Space. VCC President Kathy Kinloch said, “VCC is an active player in Aboriginal education in British Columbia, and I believe that there is great potential to increase the numbers and improve the experience of Aboriginal learners at VCC. Read more.
NLC, NVIT sign Memorandum of Understanding
Northern Lights College Media Release, June 20, 2012
Northern Lights College (NLC) and the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote cooperative ventures between the two post-secondary institutions. The three-year agreement will allow NLC and NVIT to work together in a more structured framework, based on their common interests in numerous academic and educational fields. The agreement was signed on June 19 in Merritt. Read more.
College of the Rockies Kinesiology program prepares students for challenging careers
College of the Rockies Media Release, June 18, 2012
College of the Rockies' Kinesiology program provides students with an opportunity to earn either a certificate or diploma which can then be transferred into degree programs throughout Western Canada. Kinesiology is a very exciting, and increasingly important, growing field that offers a variety of career options.New to the Kinesiology diploma program is the ability for students to become certified personal trainers. Learners are offered all of the necessary course work to be eligible to take the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Certified Personal Trainer (CSEP-CPT) practical and written examination to become a CSEP Certified Personal Trainer. The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology is the principal governing body for physical activity, health and fitness research and personal training and is the gold standard in Canada. Read more.
Langara Recognized as a LEED®-er in Sustainability
Langara College Media Release, June 13, 2012
Two “green” building complexes at Langara College were awarded special recognition for sustainability, it was announced today. The Library/Classroom Building and the Students’ Union/Building C complex, both at the College’s main campus, have been awarded LEED® Canada Gold Certification by the Green Building Council of Canada. The accolade is an internationally respected benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of green buildings. The pair of structures were designed by Teeple Architects, and opened in 2007 and 2009 respectively. The buildings feature an impressive series of innovative green elements, including the incorporation of wind energy to provide ventilation and the use of fly-ash-infused concrete in construction. Read more.
Selkirk College Celebrates Teck Metals Ltd. and Art
Selkirk College Media Release, June 8, 2012
Selkirk College celebrated Teck Metal Trail Operation’s contribution to the Aboriginal Gathering Place, Thursday May 31. Carol Vanelli Worosz, Communications Manager for Teck Metals Ltd., in Trail, accepted a hand crafted metal art sculpture commissioned from BC Aboriginal artist, Clint George, in recognition of Teck’s $50,000 donation in support of the completion of the Aboriginal Gathering Place on the Castlegar campus. Read more.
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BC Colleges is a consortium representing BC’s 11 public, community colleges serving more than 200,000 students annually with campuses in close to 70 communities throughout British Columbia. BC’s colleges offer a comprehensive range of programs from university studies and baccalaureate degrees to career, technical and trades education. All of BC’s colleges offer programs that are designed to be accessible, affordable and responsive to the evolving needs of BC communities and industry. For more information, visit our website . |