September 16
Noon at New West presents
Talking pictures

12:30pm, Performing Arts Theatre

September 23

Noon at New West presents

Baroque and Celtic Music

12:30pm, Performing Arts Theatre

Events calendar continued on next page

 

Dave Burgess:

Dave Burgess, Child and
Youth Care Counsellor
instructor and Youth
Justice Program
Coordinator, died July 10
from cancer. He worked at
Douglas College for 27
years.

“Tt sounds so clichéd, but
he really was the last of the
good guys,” says John
Fleming, Criminology
instructor and Youth
Justice Program
coordinator. “He was
committed to the Youth
Justice Program and the
students, and was always
looking out for their best
interests. Jan Lindsay and I
used to joke that Dave was
the king of voicemail — if
you came in Monday
morning and had seven
messages, you could be
sure that six of them were
from Dave. He was always
thinking about the
program ora student and
when he had those
thoughts he'd send a
voicemail message. Then if

Jan replied to him, he'd

forward her messages to
me. I'd say to him ‘if you
don’t get to the point in 30

seconds, I’m deleting you!”

Burgess was instrumental
in setting up the Youth
Justice Program with
Fleming, which opened in
September 2001.

“That program was his
pride and joy,” says
Fleming. “He never did get
to go to the graduation of
the first class. The grads
held a barbeque later in the
summer so Dave could
attend, and I think every
single student made a
special point of showing
up. I left the party at 1:30
in the morning, and Dave
was still going strong. The
students just loved him.”

Jan Lindsay, Dean of
Child, Family and
Community Studies,
agrees. “Dave was very
skilled in bringing young
students on in the
development of their

interview techniques,” she

1950-2004

says. “This was his area of

specialty.”

To honour Burgess’s
dedication and
contribution to
communication and
counselling skills training at
Douglas College, a new
communications lab has
been named for him. The
Burgess Communications
Centre, a large lab with
small breakout rooms with
one-way glass, opens this
Fall, allowing students to
practice their interview and

counselling skills.

“The last course that Dave
ever taught at Douglas
College was a group
communication skills
course,” says Lindsay. “We
thought it was very fitting
that we were able to name
this lab after him. We
wanted to honour his
contribution before he
passed away, so the
presentation was made to
him at his home before he
died. He was absolutely
touched by it.”

During his time at Douglas
College, Burgess’s main area
of instruction was teaching
counselling skills, spending
countless hours in the old
communications lab
helping students. He
served numerous terms as
Program Coordinator for
the Child and Youth Care
Counselling Program, and
also served on community
boards for youth service
agencies and was active in
the Child and Youth Care
Association of BC. Burgess
not only presented at
provincial, national and
international conferences,
he was also a key player in
organizing provincial

conferences.

Even in the past year anda
half while engaged in his
struggle with cancer, Dave
maintained an active
interest in both the Child
and Youth Care Program
and the Youth Justice
Program, says Lindsay. “At
first he would phone or
offer the benefit of his

experience when we visited

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

° .

Dave Burgess, Child and Youth Care Counsellor
instructor and Youth Justice Program
Coordinator, passed away July 10.

him. As speaking became

more difficult, the e-mail

messages increased.”

Burgess, a devoted father,

leaves behind two

daughters, Heather and
Kay. A memorial service
honouring him was held at
Douglas College on

September 1.

 

Al Atkinson Bursary will provide opportunities

When Al Atkinson is
finally allowed to retire
from Douglas College, he'll
leave more than good
memories behind. He'll
leave a legacy for students
with disabilities that will
benefit them for years to
come.

Atkinson, who is currently
filling in as Vice President,
Education, started the Al
Atkinson Bursary Fund on
the occasion of his
retirement, which took
place in June. The fund
will benefit Adult Special
Education (ASE) students.

“Students in the ASE
programs are among the
most socially and
educationally
disadvantaged students
that we serve,” says
Atkinson. “Being able to
offer them real
opportunities for future
employment isa privilege.”

The fund will support all
ASE programs at Douglas
College including New
Directions, Consumer and

Employment Preparation,
ploy: Pp

Basic Occupational
Education (BOE), Light
Warehouse Training and
Customer Service and

Cashier Training.

“This fund is a huge bonus
for our students,” says Bob
Logelin, ASE Coordinator.
“Many people with
disabilities are not able to
access post-secondary
education programs
because they are not
eligible for government
funding. For example, if
students dealing with
mental illness haven't kept
previous assessments on the
nature of their illness, they
aren't able to qualify for
provincial funding.”

Logelin explains that a
number of people with
disabilities are often
persuaded to attend private
post-secondary institutions
where they pay significant
tuition and supplies costs
using government loans,
but are not able to
complete the program and
wind up owing thousands
of dollars. “I’ve seen a
number of our BOE

students in this situation,”
he says. “They have to
repay these huge loans
while working minimum
wage jobs or receiving

income assistance.”

Bursaries such as the Al
Atkinson Bursary Fund
have historically not been
available to ASE students,
says Logelin, but this is a
great step in the right

direction.

“By not supporting this
population as much as
possible by providing them
with thinking skills, liberal
arts information and
specific employment-
oriented skills, particularly
while governments are
withdrawing funding for
this population, we are in
effect ‘sentencing’ many
people to a lifetime of
poverty and
unemployment on the

margins of society,” he says.

The Al Atkinson Bursary
Fund now stands at
$14,541. To donate, please
contact Elizabeth Dunbar
at 604-777-6176.

Aboriginal Mentor Support

Program starts this Fall

A unique course is being offered this semester at the New Westminster Campus.
The Aboriginal Mentor Support Program will train Douglas College students to
work with Aboriginal elementary and high school students, encouraging them to

stay in school and go on to post-secondary education.

“Of all the Aboriginal students who start high school in New Westminster, only 26
percent graduate,” says Dave Seaweed, First Nations Student Services Coordinator.
“We're trying to reverse that trend by having students with similar backgrounds and
experiences support these students academically and socially.”

Students in the course will learn to relate to and support younger students, all with
a First Nations perspective. Counsellor Sandi Strate will teach peer support skills,
Learning Centre Coordinator Julia Robinson will teach peer tutoring and

Se’qwa:ynten, a First Nations Elder, will teach spiritual and cultural development.

“This program will do more than prepare our students to mentor younger kids,”
says Seaweed. “They'll also be learning about themselves and their own culture and

traditions.”

“A lot of our people are not familiar with this, our red skin,” says Se’qwa:ynten,
pinching his arm to demonstrate. “They know nothing about their past, their
ceremonies, their culture. I’m going to touch on all of this with the students. I want

to instill self-respect, pride and self-confidence. It’s awesome to hear young people
say ‘I’m Indian!’ and be proud.”

Se’qwa:ynten, also known as Danny Charlie, is part of an Elders Council comprised
of nine First Nations Elders from all over Canada. “We have Blackfoot, Cree, Metis,
St6:L6 Nation and others,” he says. “They gave me their blessing to travel and carry

our teachings wherever I go.”

afar