-INside

The Douglas College Newsletter m New Westminster Campus, David Lam Campus & Thomas Haney Centre

 

May
gme 1998

Equity process moves ahead

It's still a bumpy road, but
Douglas College continues to
travel in the direction of pay
equity implementation.

After a process of data
collection, job analysis, rating,
evaluation and verification, the
Joint Pay Equity/Job Evaluation
Committee circulated
individual results last month.
While appreciative of the hard
work done by committee co-
chairs Triena Marples and
Marian Exmann and others,
many staff members raised
concerns over various aspects of

the equity process and its
results.

Two staff forums were held—
with BCGEU representatives,
Vice President, College
Development Mia Gordon
and President Susan Witter
also in attendance—in order
for the committee to reiterate
the purpose and principles of
pay equity and the joint job
evaluation plan, and for
BCGEU members to air
specific concerns. At the
meetings, Marples also
tendered her resignation from
the committee.

“There are things we could
have done better,” says
Exmann, “such as providing
more information prior to
distributing individual letters
or getting through the whole
process sooner. Our goals were
to deliver pay equity to female-
dominated classifications; and
to evaluate, classify and
compensate all BCGEU jobs
objectively.”

Staff members who believe their
job classifications are not
accurate must have filed an
appeal to the Joint Job

Douglas College Library

Douglas College

Evaluation Committee (c/o
Personnel and Labour
Relations) by April 30, 1998.
This committee will review all
submissions and make a final
decision on each appeal as soon
as possible.

Additional information on pay
equity at Douglas College has
been available at the Library,
Senior Administration and field
bases since April 20. “We are
now in the process of setting up
who will sit on the committee
reviewing the appeals,” Exmann
says.

 
  
   

“T have received a great deal
of feedback from the College
community over the equity
process,” adds Susan Witter.

“And Iam listening to the
many excellent points that have
been made. But we do need to
remind ourselves that this
particular process is to deal
with pay equity, and not with
issues of superscales,
compressed pay scales or
marketplace comparability—
issues that must be addressed
through formal bargaining.”

 

Herbology program branches out

Trust the herbalists to get
things growing! A popular
component of Continuing
Education's Natural Health
and Healing Alternatives
program, Herbology is
expanding again this spring—

to BC's beautiful Gulf Islands.

For the first time ever, the
program is offering a work/
study experience in
cooperation with a holistic
learning centre on Cortes
Island. “We’re calling it
‘Douglas College goes to
Hollyhock,”” says programmer
Geraldine Murphy. “We’re
really excited to be working
together to offer this unique
option.”

Peer Support wins

Angel Jenkins (centre) of
International Education won
half the proceeds of a 50/50
Draw held last month to
benefit Peer Support's
Emergency Aid Fund. Sarah
Bertin (left) of BC Benefits
and Darryl Flasch (right) of
DCSS will use the other half
to buy food vouchers for
students in need. Thanks all!

Already fully booked, the
eight-week spring intensive
gives students an immersion
experience in the healing
properties of herbs. Whether
they’ re studying for reasons
of personal healing, health-
practice enhancement or
professional certification, all
participants receive a solid
grounding in herb
identification, traditional
Chinese medicine, nutrition,
organic gardening and herbal
health-care.

But these students, all of
whom are new intakes for the
College, also benefit from
living at Hollyhock as they
learn. In addition to

classroom study, they will
work 15 hours per week
outdoors, gaining hands-on
experience with the ocean-
front grounds, orchards and
organic gardens of
Hollyhock, while
contributing to the
community’s daily life.

“We already have enquiries
for next year,” says Murphy.
“So we’re going to keep
exploring on-site, flexible
learning options for
Continuing Education
students and our community
partners. It’s a true
partnership opportunity for
all of us.”

 

 

 

Douglas College Herbal Certicate Program instructor Don
Rost explains the healing properties of Oregon Grape to a
Winter '98 Continuing Education class. Spring '98 work/study
instructors are Sarah Orlowski, Nori Fletcher, Stacelynn
Caughlan and Elaine Stevens. Contact Geraldine Murphy at
527-5046 for more information.

Greenwood seconded

Susan Witter announces that Peter Greenwood, Vice President of
Finance and Administration, will be taking a year’s
secondement from the College starting in June.

Greenwood will work with the National Research Council at
UBC’s Innovation Centre, implementing and coordinating a
new venture capital lending program for technology
companies that have developed prototypes and are ready for

production and the market.

The College wishes him all the best for a year of learning and
leadership, and will announce his 1998/99 replacement May 14.

 

Quote of the Month

Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.

John Dewey