INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE / MARCH 7, 1989

 

 

e B.C. Centre for Curriculum
and Professional Development

Opens

The British Columbia govern-
ment has given the province’s
colleges a boost of support by
forming a new centre to help the
institutions improve teaching
techniques and course content.

The Victoria-based Centre for
Curriculum and Professional
Development was established
by the Ministry of Advanced
Education and Job Training, and
will be largely funded by the
ministry.

Its primary goal is to work
with teams of college instructors
to update courses taught at B.C.
colleges. Stan Hagen, advanced
education and job training mini-
ster, says that all colleges need
to revise courses all the time to

 

keep up with changes in the job
market.

In effect, the centre moves
many of the decisions relating to
curriculum and professional
development back to the col-
leges themselves, explains
Douglas College president, Bill
Day, who is one of six members
on the centre’s board of direc-
tors.

"It’s an interesting model and
it’s really worth trying," Day
says of the new centre.

The centre also offers educa-
tion for the educators. It will
fund courses and workshops to
help college instructors enrich
their teaching skills.

 

Day says Douglas College
can benefit from the centre - as
other colleges in the province
will - in several areas. It’s a
source of funding for curriculum
and professional development,
and it will develop projects to
which the college will have
direct access.

As well, with the centre
operating under a board largely
comprised of college presidents
(only one member was ap-
pointed by the provincial
government), it will have a good
idea of the needs of the colleges.

"We’re hoping the centre will
be more responsive than a
government department to the
working needs in the field," Day
says.