The Douglas College Newsletter N Cd S : e December 2001 m New Westminster Campus, David Lam Campus & Thomas Haney Campus Conscious use of College Values encouraged Now that Douglas College has new Values statements to guide us in our decision-making and everyday actions, the Values Task Group wants to encourage all College employees to think about our Values and incorporate them into our work. To stimulate the conscious use of the Values, the Task Group invites you to write a short description of how you are using or plan to use them. How do the Values mesh with your current practices? How do you think they will influence your work in the future? Is there a specific value you like or find especially useful? Please tell us why. Submissions will be printed in upcoming issues of the INside. You need not take a lot of time writing your description. In fact, about 100 words is all we're looking for. Please e-mail or send your thoughts by inter-campus mail to the Values Task Group, c/ o Jennifer Kirkey, Douglas Development or kirkeyj@douglas.be.ca. The Task Group asked President Susan Witter to start off with her thoughts on the Values. “When I sat down this past September to write the first draft of Douglas College’ response to the Provincial Governments Core Services Review, I knew that I needed something to ground me, guide me and give me focus. Ofcourse I had the College Strategic Directions and Policies approved by both Education Council and the College Board, but more importantly I now had the recently Celebrate the holidays at seasonal social The December 2000 seasonal! social was a big hit with (from left to right) Tana Frie, CMO; Michael Laycock, ex- CMO; Dave Seaweed, First Nations Student Services; and Laurie Drukier, CMO. Staff, faculty, administrators and members of the College Board are invited to a celebration of the holiday season Thursday December 20, 4-6pm in the upper cafeteria, New Westminster Campus. Finger food, punch, coffee and tea will be provided; no-host bar. approved College Values that definitely helped me focus my thinking. Lam quite confident that our new Values influenced my response. It wasnt just what the statements say but the fact that I was a part of the many discussions surrounding the development of our new Values. With over 300 College employees involved in some way in the development of our new Values, I certainly had a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what everyone said was important to them in working at Douglas College. There is no question that the College Values will be a very important tool to guide me in decision-making as President of Douglas College.” IN Douglas College Douglas College Values Fifteen months of hard work went into the review of the existing College values. Hundreds of instructors, students, staff and administrators contributed their thoughtful statements of deeply held educational values. On May 17, the College Board approved the new values. These guiding principles shape the Douglas College learning community and govern our decision- makir ng. We believe that students are our primary focus. We believe in fostering a dynamic, accessible and supportive teaching and learning environment that prizes excellence and innovation. We value creative and critical thinking and the will to challenge and be challenged. We believe in honouring the contribution and worth of all individuals. We welcome diversity with its rich complexity and believe that all voices need to be heard. We believe that it is our duty to be thoughtful and caring stewards of the personal, physical and fiscal resources entrusted to us. We practice social, environmental and community responsibility. We believe that intellectual growth and exploration inspire well-rounded, responsible and contributing citizens. We invite everyone into the excitement and curiosity of learning. We believe in the power of dreams and in the power of education to make them come true. College faces budget uncertainty Douglas College awaits Ministry of Advanced Education details on next year’s budget. While other provincial ministries are facing significant budget cuts, the government has announced that Health, Education, and Advanced Education will have their budgets frozen. “But a zero-percent budget lift still represents a serious challenge,” says President Susan Witter. “We have to deal with operating costs that have risen since last year. Our costs will be at least eight percent higher due to negotiated salary increases, the costs associated with providing the second year of new student spaces we received in this year’s budget, and inflation caused by the rising costs of supplies and services we need to operate.” It is uncertain whether any of these additional costs faced by the College will be offset with new funding. With the Ministry budget frozen, the only way Douglas College could receive new funding would be if there were reductions elsewhere within the Ministry of Advanced Education and /or if the tuition freeze was lifted. “We don’t know whether the Ministry will cancel some programs or projects so they can then reallocate funds to help with the institutional shortfalls that all post secondary institutions in BC will have. The Ministry's decisions on whether to reallocate funding and whether they will lift the tuition freeze will have a significant impact on our 2002- 2003 budget.” The Ministry of Advanced education has developed a Nine- Point Plan which includes items such as a review of the tuition fee freeze, and modernizing the funding formula. The Plan was presented by Minister Bond at the November 7 Open Cabinet meeting, but that plan is still very general in nature. (The Minister's presentation can be found on the Web at http://www.gov.bc.ca/ prem/popt/cabinet/ open_cabinet_schedule/ versione. htm) “We are trying to prepare, given the limited information at this time”, says Susan Witter. “The senior management team is reviewing budget criteria and developing criteria to define core services at Douglas College. We will keep the College Community informed as we receive more information.” Quote of the Month “We believe in honouring the contribution and worth of all individuals. We welcome diversity with its rich complexity and believe that all voices need to be heard.” Douglas College Values