Victoria consolidates adult programs

t's too early to tell.

Ted James says enough information
is not available yet to know how
Douglas College will be affected by
Victoria’s decision to place all adult ESL
and basic education programs under
the Ministry of Advanced Education.

 

Beth Morris retires

Vou would think someone with 30
years experience in counselling
people might have an edge in planning
their own retirement.

Under the outgoing system, some areas
of adult instruction were the respon-
sibility of the Ministry of Education.

“At this stage, the actual impact of
the decision is unknown. We have
received no specific indications of how
this will affect our operations and

Beth also plans to dabble in
freelance counselling. She values her
role in helping people. She also values
her time, and the people she has

 

 

 

And you’d worked with, at
be right. Douglas Col-

“Yes, | lege. “I
think it does believe in
help,” says this place. It
Student Ser- helps change
vices people’s
counsellor lives dramati-
Beth Morris, cally every
who retires day and
on Aug. 16 every week
after 20 years and that
with Douglas comes down
College. “In to the
our position people here.
we see “A stu-
people of all dent who
ages and we moved to
tend to think SFU some
in terms of a time ago told
whole life me it
period.” changed her

Morris says life complete-
her plans in- ly to come
clude here. She pre-
continuing viously did
her world not think that
travels — she was a
Turkey or very good
Thailand student, but

 

 

could be next
— and to do whatever she wants.

“| was recently thinking about retire-
ment and | finally realized | don’t have
to be so responsible for things so much
of the time. | can slow down and have
the freedom to choose what to do or
what not to do.”

she did want a
career change. Talking about Douglas
College she mentioned counsellors, lab
technicians, instructors in developmen-
tal studies, academic instructors and
even a dean she had a meeting with.
That impressed me because it touched
on all the people who work here.” @

INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE / August 20, 1991

responsiblities,” said James, the Acting-
Director of Student Services and
Developmental Studies.

James added that reporting to a
single ministry will create the chance to
clarify responsiblities of colleges and
school boards. For example, school
boards offer high school completion
and some literacy programs for adults.
Douglas College offers skills upgrading
courses for its mature students, and
literacy courses for adults not desiring
high school completion.

“There is now the potential to sort
out some of the overlap and confusion
that exists at the moment,” said James.
“We are hopeful it will help clear things
up, but we don’t expect major readjust-
ments yet. It has taken a long time for
the situation to evolve and it’s likely to
take some time to unravel it.”

Under the new system, all adult
programs in English as a Second Lan-
guage will become the responsibility of
the Advanced Education Ministry by
September, 1991. The Ministry will con-
solidate responsiblity for all other adult
education programs leading to secon-
dary school completion by the 1992-93
school year. @