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The Douglas College Newsletter

m@ New Westminster Campus and David Lam Campus

IN

Douglas College

Task force strives for strategic traction

Ted James, chair of the
Student Success Task
Force, leans forwara
earnestly. “When we
started out in September
our goal was not strategic
action, but strategic
traction -- strategies that
put students on the road
to success. When you're
talking about student
success it comes to the core
of what you're doing as an

institution.”

The twelve-member task
force wraps up this June,

having drafted 12

proposals for student
success which will be
considered by Education
Council and the Senior
Management Team (SMT).
Consisting of student, staff
and faculty representatives
and administrators
including the Deans, the
task force hosted some
lively discussions, but
James points out: “We
haven't tried to be wildly
creative. We've tried to be
wildly practical. We're
aiming for results that

would make a difference.”

Hard data rather than
anecdotes is the basis for
their proposals, which
focus on key aspects of the
student experience from
student intake to student
progress to student
outcomes. Many but not
all of the proposals could
involve policy changes if
they are approved by the
Education Council. James
says: “We've approached
success from a policy
perspective — what changes
and strategies can be
promoted to assist student

success.”

History instructor gets new gig

Jacquie Gresko is taking

over.

The Douglas College
History instructor was
recently elected President
of the BC Historical

Federation.

“This was not the first time

a woman became
president, but it was the
first time a woman college

teacher succeeded her

 

MM i

former student!” says Gresko, who takes over from Wayne Desrochers.

History instructor
Jacquie Gresko, new
President of the BC
Historical Federation,
takes the President's
gavel for a spin. The
gavel has a history of
its own, being
constructed of wood
from the old
Parliament buildings in
Victoria.

The Federation's 50 member societies include 4,000 British Columbians who promote
history, attend the annual conference and field trips, read the quarterly journal and Web

site and support scholarships for college and university students.

“Students write an essay on BC history for the scholarship competition, and Douglas
College students frequently win,” says Greskso. “I think it’s a real credit to our English

instructors - the judging committee says that our students really stand out for their

writing ability.”

 

Cactus Health comes through for College

Health Information Services
Program (HISP) students
will gain valuable expertise
on the product of choice
for their profession, thanks
to a generous software
donation from Cactus

Health Systems.

“We're beyond thrilled,”
says Joy Fletcher, HISP

instructor. “Having Cactus

will make a huge difference

to us, and to our students.”

Guelph-based Cactus
Health Systems donated
$134,500 worth of its
software, used to collect
data in hospitals and at the
Canadian Institute for
Health Information, which
compiles health statistics
for Canada.

As of this summer,
hospitals in the Fraser
Health Authority are
switching over to the
Cactus system. “That's
where we do the majority
of our clinical practices,”
says Fletcher. “Employers
are really excited our grads

will know this software.”

There are many forces
affecting the success of a
student, and James says
few of them fall under the
jurisdiction ofan
institution. “There’s a huge
variety of external factors
over which we have no
control like whether
students are struggling to
work full-time and attend
school, whether they have
a strong support network
and how committed they
are to their goals and to
school. We've been trying
to focus on the things we
can help with.”

For example, one proposal
is an early warning system
called Academic Alert,
which is used at other
institutions. “It would give
students early warning if
their grades were
deteriorating and hook
them up with the people
who can help them before
the situation gets out of
control,” says James.

Another proposal suggests
several ways the College
can help students set goals,
since studies have shown
that students with goals are

    

more successful than those

without a strong sense of

purpose.

“Some students aren't sure
what their goals are,” says
James. “We want to help
them become more focused
on what they want.
Because ultimately, their |
success is Our success as an

institution.”

For more information on
the proposals made by the
Student Success Task
Force, please contact James
at 604-527-5321 or

jamest@douglas.bc.ca.

Exchange program provides bilingual

summer staff to local employers

Jessica Hiebert is looking
for work — 25 jobs to be
exact. She’s nota
workaholic -- she’s a Project
Officer for Young Canada
Works: Languages at Work,
a federal program that
helps students gain work
experience in their second
official language. Her
mission is to have summer
jobs lined up for visiting
French Canadian exchange
students by the end of

June.

“Employers can have a full-
time employee for less than
half of the minimum wage
because government grants
offset the cost,” says
Hiebert. “But the benefits
arent purely financial.
There’s a cultural
exchange. They also get an
employee who can speak a
second language.”

Before starting work, the
French Canadian students
participate in the Federal
Government's Summer
Language Bursary program
at Douglas College, where
they undergo extensive
English training for six

 

They're here and they're ready to work. Languages
at Work Program Coordinator Jessica Hiebert (the
blonde in the centre) is putting these French
Canadian exchange students to work.

weeks — no French
speaking allowed. Many
students choose to stay for
the Languages at Work
program which employs
students from June 30 to
August 22.

“They're young, they're
vibrant and they are here
to work,” says Hiebert.
“Some of them have very

impressive resumes, with

experience in areas like
tourism, accounting,
graphic design and
recreation. Others are
willing to take on any kind
of work, as long as it gives
them a chance to practice

their English.”

For more information,
please contact Jessica
Hiebert at 604-527-5175
or hiebertj@douglas.bc.ca.

 

Quote of the Month

“When youre talking about student success it comes to the core of what youre doing as an institution. ”
Ted James, Chair, Student Success Task Force