A College craves ereTe end 0s campus Carving » Carving part of larger Indigenization strategy Atiba Nelson Staff Reporter Wee the hopes of honouring the traditional people of the lands its Coquitlam campus occupies, Douglas College recently advertised for an Indigenous artist to craft a piece of artwork for the institution. The request for “expressions of interest” went out on September 5 on the Province of British Columbia Provincial bid marketplace website. The call, titled “REI-1193MR - Expressions of Interest for Indigenous Carving,” requests submissions for creating a work of art that can be displayed in the atrium of Douglas’ Coquitlam campus. Douglas College has acknowledged that both campuses are located on the unceded ancestral territories of the QayQayt (New Westminster campus) and Kwikwetlem (Coquitlam campus) First Douglas College presents Nations. The College hopes that the piece will “..reflect the Indigenous students and communities that we serve and work with...,” and requested that the carving be either a directional post, carved cedar river canoe or welcome post. The selected artist can choose to work on-campus or off-campus and will be supported in either work choice according to the advertisement; however, before being selected they will have to navigate a three-phase process. In phase one, brief written expressions have been solicited with all proposals being reviewed. Three artists will be selected for phase two—which calls for a detailed description and costing of the proposed art. After phase two, one artist will be chosen to create the selected piece for the Coquitlam campus. The advertisement states “...the College's selected representatives...” will choose one submission (out of the three). There was no mention of the sizable new award » A donation to the college reveals an award for nursing students Jessica Berget Editor-in-Chief O: October 2, Douglas College announced the presentation of the largest annual financial student award at the college, the Mary Gordon Nursing Award. This nursing award was created from a donation to the Douglas College Foundation and is valued at $10,000 a year. The sum was donated to the college by Mary Gordon, a former registered nurse at the Royal Columbian Hospital Nursing School and BC local. The award will first be presented in 2020 to a Douglas nursing student who demonstrates academic excellence in the Bachelor of Science for Nursing (BSN). This is the largest financial award available to BSN students in British Columbia. The donation stems from Gordon’s nursing history and her passion and support for nursing training and education. “Tm very happy to join my Royal Columbian Hospital School of Nursing alumnae and friends to support nursing students in British Columbia,” said Mary Gordon, as reported by the Douglas College website. “l hope my gift assists in highlighting the importance of nursing education and encourages the dedication, extensive knowledge, strong commitment to caring, and gracious character that nursing requires.” The Douglas College BSN isa rigorous four-year, 94 credit program— not including electives. The first year consists of academic foundations which have 30 university transferrable credits. The second, third, and fourth year are concentrated on the study and practice of nursing. The roughly estimated cost of the program is $16,000 including fees, textbooks, resources, and equipment—but that price varies for reasons such as the cost of each individual course and the fact that it is subject to change. Given the cost of the program, the Mary Gordon Nursing award will hopefully Have an idea for a story? Mi news@theotherpress.ca composition of the selection committee, or whether there will be Indigenous voices at the selection table. Furthermore, there was no indication that members of the Kwikwetlem First Nation would be involved in the process. The Other Press contacted senior leadership at Douglas College regarding the composition of the committee, and the involvement of members from the QayQayt and Kwikwetlem First Nations. “The selection of artists and art will include representation from Indigenous staff, our Elders and hopefully Indigenous Students. “Once the request for proposals closes, we will identify the committee,” said Sarah Dench, Associate Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, in an email response to our questions. The asks fits into Douglas’ larger desire to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Call to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). help out those nursing students who may be struggling financially, and could also serve as an incentive to bring more students to the nursing program at Douglas. Canada is facing a nurse shortage. According to the Canadian Nurses Association, in 2007 Canada needed 11,000 more nurses to meet health-care requirement needs. The CNA reports that if no new policies are put in place to bring back more nurses into the field, Canada will be short almost 60,000 full-time equivalent registered nurses by the year 2022. However, there are signs that the shortage is getting better. In a 2018 report from the Canadian Institute for Health, there was an increase in the amount of nursing graduates in the years 2008 to 2017. In 2018, there were 431,769 regulated nurses with a license to practice—12,283 of ¢ Global Engagement Days * Car-sharing company leaves Calgary ¢ Transit workers strike for better wages ..and more Photo via EVENT Magazine The TRC and UNDRIP recommendations led to the creation of a Douglas College Indigenization Strategy, with a stated objective being to visibly celebrate the history, settings, and knowledge of the Coast Salish people and lands that the College inhabits. Currently, both Douglas College campuses have Indigenous artwork situated in their respective Aboriginal Student Services Centres, with recent artwork purchases by Douglas being prepared to be displayed on both campuses, according to Dench. However, only the New Westminster campus features Indigenous artwork prominently displayed—albeit not in the main atrium. In the Aboriginal Gathering Place (Room 4650, New Westminster campus), there are four directional posts and a welcoming figure which were installed in 2012. Photo of Simran Bir by David Denofreo via Douglas College them were registered nurses. The nursing work force grew by 1.0 percent between 2017-2018. However, the annual growth rate has decreased since 2014—when it was growing at arate of 2.2 percent. The award will also serve as an encouragement to nursing students to do well in their studies. “Douglas College is so thankful for Mary Gordon's gift that will encourage future BSN students to excel in the studies, at the same time as exemplifying the essence of the nursing profession: caring, compassion, professional competence, and empathy,’ said Dean of Health Sciences at Douglas College. “This award recognizes the critically important role of nurses in providing excellence in healthcare to the residents of British Columbia.”