INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE /JUNE 5, 1990

 

 

Maple Ridge Articulation Project

Commerce and Business Administration (Office Administration Programs)

Introduction

The Articulation Project be-
tween the Maple Ridge School Dis-
trict and the Office Administration
programs in the Department of
Commerce and Business Ad-
ministration was established to cre-
ate a ladder of curriculum from
secondary to post-secondary
education, thus minimizing the
time and cost required by the stu-
dent to complete the articulated
programs.

By identifying areas of overlap
in designated curricula, Douglas
College believes it will be possible
to establish a smooth transition for
high school graduates wanting to
enter the Office Administration
programs by providing advanced
placement for course work that
has been successfully completed
prior to entry.

Process

In October, 1989, the articula-
tion team (Marian Hill from
Douglas College and Ted McCain
from Maple Ridge School District)
set out to identify potential cur-

ricular overlap between the secon- ~

dary Business Education
curriculum and the Office Ad-
ministration courses at the Col-
lege. The Business Education
curriculum being prepared for
provincial implementation in Sep-
tember 1990 provided the team
with a core of curriculum to com-
pare with the Office Administra-
tion course outlines which had
been revised for implementation
in September 1989. The team saw
the Fall of 1990 as an opportune
time to provide a model laddering
process from secondary to post-
secondary. The final articulation
meeting saw representations from
Garibaldi Secondary and Maple
Ridge Senior Secondary along
with Douglas College develop
final recommendations for the ar-
ticulation process.

General Support and

Participation
During the process, the Busi-

ness Education Departments in the
Coquitlam and New Westminster
School Districts also expressed an
interest in articulating with the
College. Meetings were held with
both districts and it is expected
that further discussions will occur
once the Maple Ridge Articulation
oe has been age ri In
addition, the British Columbia

_ Business Educators’ Association

(BCBEA), composed mainly of
secondary school educators, ex-
pressed interest in adopting a
similar approach in other school
districts throughout the province.
As a course-by-course transfer
guide currently exists for Office
Administration courses offered at
community colleges throughout
B.C., school districts will find the
Articulation Agreement fairly easy
to implement with the college in
their community.

Implementation
The Articulation Agreement

"identifies course-by-course the ad-

vanced placement which will be

awarded to secondary students
who have successfully completed
the content which is covered in the
Office Administration courses in-
cluded in the agreement. By
means of a checklist (referred to as
Completion Records) secondary
teachers will be able to "sign off"
competencies; when the student
graduates and applies to enter
Douglas College, this checklist
will be forwarded to the Coor-
dinator of Office Administration,
who will ensure that the awarding
of appropriate advanced place-
ment is justified. Equipment dif-
ferences, software enhancements,
grade-point average and elapsed
time since graduation are all taken
into consideration. In addition,
limits are placed on the advanced
placement that can be awarded ac-
cording to College policy. The
agreement is to be reviewed an-
nually by both parties in light of
the fact that equipment-based sub-
jects are subject to rapid tech-
nological change.

 

Co-op students apply skills

"Students are commonly asked to stay for a second work term
because the employers are so impressed with their skills and versatility,"

 

says Hill. "Three students were offered permanent positions after suc-
cessful placements this Spring. Pay rates for Co-op students are com-
petitive and employability after graduation is enhanced ten-fold with
the Co-op designation on the Diploma.

Nine of the placements this summer are second work terms for the
students. While students normally go to a different worksite the second
time around, upon special request they may remain with the same
employer given an increased amount of responsibility.

“Our students are often in competition with other college students
as well as university students when they are interviewed for a Co-op
position," says Hill. "Comments from employers indicate a high level
of satisfaction, because while university students may be in their third
year of studies, our students tend to be able to apply their skills more
readily, reducing training time when compared to a student froma more
theoretical academic environment."

To enter Co-op at Douglas, students must be full time, have com-
pleted a minimum of 18 credits in their program, and have at least a 2.33
grade point average. A series of workshops on resume preparation and
job interview strategies are mandatory, as is a personal interview with
the Coordinator who tries to match student aspirations with employer
needs — a very rewarding process!

 

 

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