N d S e February 2002 The Douglas College Newsletter m= New Westminster Campus, David Lam Campus & Thomas Haney Campus IN Douglas College College to proceed carefully with changes On Friday, January 25, the provincial government announced new legislation that included a number of items that could affect Douglas College. The legislation deals with possible changes in college operations including: possible increases in the number of students who may be enrolled in each class; allocation of professional development time and vacation time; and the possible support of faculty members by teaching assistants, senior students, contractors or staff. (Complete details of the Act, entitled Public Education Flexibility and Choice Act, can be found on the Web at: http:// www.legis.gov.be.ca/ 37th2nd/3rd_read/gov28- 3.htm) President Susan Witter stresses that at Douglas College, decisions regarding the new legislation will not be made until the College receives more specific direction from the Ministry. “We will not be rushing into any decisions,” says Witter. “We will be proceeding cautiously because at this point we have not received details from the Ministry of Advanced Education regarding the government's expectations. For example, will they require us to take more students per class?” Such issues require planning and discussion, Witter says. “We have a good working relationship with faculty and staff. I plan to maintain the open consultative process of decision making.” Witter says that at times like these it’s vital to communicate as much as possible, and two additional factors have people asking questions: 1. The Ministry of Advanced Education’s total budget (which includes all universities, colleges, etc in the post-secondary system) has been frozen at last year’s level, but if the College’s budget is frozen, there will be a $3.6 million shortfall due to rising costs. Will the tuition fee freeze be lifted to alleviate some of the deficit? Will there be any additional funding for Douglas College made possible by reallocations within the Ministry? Ifa deficit remains, what programs or services would be eliminated? 2. On January 17, the Ministry announced cuts to funding envelopes throughout the system. Douglas College lost funding for programs such as BC Benefits, for a total reduction of $1.9 million. These have been detailed in the recent Budget Bulletin. It is unknown whether any new funding envelopes will be added to the College budget to address the government's New Era priorities in areas such as health and computing. “Over the next few weeks, the Ministry may make announcements about the tuition freeze and perhaps further changes within the post-secondary system. By February 19, (provincial budget day) we should have a better idea where we stand, then we would hope that by mid-March the College will receive the budget letter from the Ministry which will provide the details for our 2002-2003 budget.” Witter says that with the budget deficit looming there will likely be difficult decisions ahead. She and Board members have been meeting with MLAs in the College region to ensure that they and the Ministry understand the impact on the community if programs and services have to be cut. “T get the impression that inside the College some people want us to tell them right now exactly what will happen, yet at the same time nobody wants us to rush into a hasty decision. We are currently working through many contingencies, but the fact of the matter is, we need more hard information before we can make decisions. I will continue to share information and keep the discussions going as I receive more details.” In the meantime, Witter encourages employees to provide input to the Budget Guidelines that are being circulated and to attend the Budget Forum on Thursday, Feb 21st, 4- 5:30 pm, in room at the 1614 New Westminster Campus, or through video conferencing in B1350 at the David Lam Campus. Last chance to triple your funds Take advantage of a closing offer to have fun and help students with Triple Your Fun and Triple The Fund week, February 25-March 1, hosted by the Douglas College Foundation and Alumni Association. So why is this your last chance to triple your fun? As of April 1, the provincial government's College and Institute Matching Endowment program comes to an end, making employee donations worth twice as much after this date. “Up until April 1, every dollar donated by College employees is matched by the College and the provincial government, tripling the funds that go towards needy students,” says Myrna Popove, Executive Director of the Foundation. “The loss of this government funding will be devastating for the students that need financial assistance over many years to come. Now, more than ever, we need the assistance of our donors if we are to achieve our goals.” Watch for yellow flyers in Triple Week events A series of fun events to triple the fund are being organized on each campus. This year’s events include: * Lucky toonie day * 50-50 draw every day * Putting contests (sponsored by the Douglas College GolfTeam) * Happy Face Balloons Bouquet delivered in the College for just $2 * Used book sale (sponsored by Event Magazine) * Draw for gift certificates for local book stores (sponsored by Event magazine) * Go-pher an Executive Auction * Special activity sponsored by the Green Team * Employees who sign up for a payroll deduction donation to the Foundation (minimum $5 per month) or any existing donors who increase their payroll deductions to the Foundation are eligible for a draw for a one-night stay in the Hotel Vancouver your mailbox and happy face posters around the College for further information, and start saving up your loonies now. For more information, call the Foundation at 604-527-5876. College-wide PD day offers up food for thought Keynote speakers Stephen Lewis and Carol Matthews will offer lots to think and talk about as Douglas College holds its Professional Development Day on Wednesday, February 13 at the New Westminster Campus. Open to all employees (faculty, staffand administrators), the day entitled The College and the World: Reflections on Community will explore global and local perspectives on post- secondary education. Lewis, currently the United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, will open by probing the meaning of “community” in an educational context and bringing a global view to post- secondary issues. Matthews, a former faculty member and dean at Malaspina University College, will discuss the history, role and importance of community colleges in BC. After these presentations, attendees can select from one of five concurrent afternoon sessions: BC's Educational Edge (views from several public and private institutions), Vor Just a Commuter College (building real communities for and with students), Are We Having Fun Yet? (building internal community at the College), Vital Connections (the College and its external communities), Virtual Connections (maintaining student community on- line). The day concludes with a wrap-up followed by the Amelia Douglas Gallery opening of Our Future: works by children of Douglas College Employees. Lunch is provided to the first 350 registrants. Call Employee Relations at 604-527-5440 to register. Hold your own in today's workplace Child, Family and Community Studies is offering a public lecture entitled Holding Your Own in Todays Workplace, featuring Dr. Daniel V. Papero. Combining knowledge from related research in the areas of physiological stress, primate behaviours and social psychology, Dr. Papero provides a dynamic, scientific view of organizations and the individuals within them. Friday February 8, 7-9pm, Performing Arts Theatre. Tickets are $15; to register, call 604-527-5472 and quote ID number SSGI 001-070-200211. For more information, call 604-527-5484. Quote of the Month “Most people would like to be delivered from temptation but would like it to keep in touch.” Robert Orben