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a Ne Ee ee OP a Re OA ee
Excerpts from the President’s Report - February

The Coquitlam Municipal Council has ap-
proved an approach to resolving our
ongoing difficulties regarding parking at
the Pinetree Site. We believe this to be
the last impediment to the approval of
planning money for the Pinetree Site. A
letter has been sent to the Ministry, and
we expect an early response.

On February 18, I made a presentation to
the Maple Ridge Chamber of Commerce
on plans for the Thomas Haney Centre,
and the Pinetree Site.

From February 2-5, there were meetings
of the Advanced Education Council of
B.C., the Council of CEOs of Colleges and
Institutes, and a major conference on the
future of vocational education in the prov-
ince. The same concerns were voiced in
all three arenas - those of accessibility of
the general population to post-secondary
and adult education, funding levels, and
the increased imbalance of public expendi-
ture at the post-secondary level between
arts and sciences and preparatory/voca-
tional/technical forums of education and
training. Resolution of these issues at the
policy level continues to be elusive.

On February 10 and 16, Gordon Gilgan,
Jim Doerr and I met with Mary Lyons,
District Superintendent and New Westmin-
ster School District personnel. These
meetings were further to the initiatives
made by the Douglas College Board for
the development of an advocacy network
of Douglas College and our four constitu-
ent School Districts.

On Friday, February 5, a team of Douglas
College administrators and the Board
Chair, Myrna Popove, met with the Hon-

ourable John Cashore and members of
his senior staff to discuss Douglas Col-
lege’s involvement in environmentally
related training and education programs.
It was a supportive and helpful meeting.

Discussions with representatives of the
B.C. Government Employee’s Union on a
pay equity model for Douglas College con-
tinue. In this work, we have been assisted

by a workshop on pay equity that in-
cluded the College’s Labour Relations
personnel, various staff unions, the Minis-
try of Advanced Education, Training and
Technology, and the Ministry of Women’s
Equality. It was held here at Douglas
College on February 15. &

Co-op placements growing

Who says business is bad these days?

According to newly released figures,
Douglas College's Commerce and Busi-
ness Co-operative Education Program
recorded "dramatic" growth of 58 percent
in its student placements in 1992, a fact
that has program coordinator Marian
Rossell understandably pleased.

"I was quite proud that Douglas College
showed one of the most dramatic in-
creases in the province. Here we are in a
recession and yet our numbers are going
up,” says Rossell.

The program operates by placing Com-
merce and Business students in jobs for
16 weeks. Students earn course credits
while on the job and are sometimes hired
permanently by their term employer. The
program placed 79 students during the
three terms of 1992, compared to 50 in
1991. This increase was one of the largest
in B.C., according to a survey by the Asso-
ciation for Co-operative Education (ACE).

While satisfied with 1992’s results, Rossell
is optimistic that placement numbers will

 

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grow, citing findings in a new report from
the Ministry of Advanced Education.

"A new Ministry study indicates that em-
ployers would hire even more
co-operative students if they realized that
the program was available. Businesses
are also starting to realize that students
are available all year round, not just in
the summer."

Rossell says that credit for their success
goes to program colleague John Black-
well, Co-op Assistant Susan Chong and
the Commerce and Business Department.
"The faculty have been very supportive of
co-operative education, both by promot-
ing it to students and by providing us
with business contact names." «

Thomas Haney Centre
continued from page 1

study here at the New Westminster cam-
pus or at a university," says Symons.

"We also want to promote the continuing
education offerings available there, and
the various services as well. Everyone in-
volved is excited about it, because the
need for increased awareness in the com-
munity has been recognized, and now
we're acting."

For more information, call 527-5236.
Watch for a detailed schedule of events to
be posted around the College. a