Have an opinion? Contact us at opinions @theotherpress.ca @ Opinions Expanding our horizons focused baccalaureate degrees. Why Douglas College should offer more baccalaureate degrees By Dale Pereira, Contributor ore and more students are choosing to attend Douglas College for a variety of reasons: the location, smaller class sizes. But the numbers are not restricted to high school graduates. While many students transfer out from Douglas to research universities, almost as many transfer back in. So much so that Douglas was named a receiving institution in the BC Transfer Guide. But despite being one of the largest colleges in BC, Douglas limits its curriculum to university transfer and career programs. The college should expand its educational horizons by offering more courses and baccalaureate degrees. Section 6 of the College and Institute Act states that the “objects of a college are to provide comprehensive (a) courses of study at the first and second year levels of a baccalaureate degree program, (a.1) courses of study for an applied baccalaureate degree program, (b) post secondary education or training, (b.1) adult basic education, and (c) continuing education.” Following the government's mandate, Douglas is now known for the areas listed above. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement in other areas. While the objects of a college are to be prioritized, developing new programs would not take precedence over the existing ones. Instead, they would complement and diversify the college’s educational opportunities. Douglas only offers career- 18 Therefore, one way to expand education at Douglas would be to create a Bachelor of General Studies degree. The majority of courses in each subject area at Douglas are at the first or second year level. Creating a General Studies degree could work by allowing students to use upper- level courses from various subjects. All credit courses could be used towards the degree and students would not have to worry about transfer credit. For those who would like to stay at Douglas and complete a baccalaureate degree, Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning (TRU-OL) is a good option. The residency requirements are 15 credits as opposed to the traditional 60 credits at most universities. A student can take up to 105 credits at Douglas, while completing the remaining 15 online. As long as you meet the degree requirements, you can earn a four-year credential while staying close to home. Furthermore, the 105 credits can be transferred from multiple institutions. The college’s administration recognizes the growing needs of a changing environment and has developed the 2010-2015 Strategic Plan. Their vision for Douglas College by the end of 2015 is to be “the largest and most progressive baccalaureate degree-granting college in British Columbia.” Such a goal is achievable if Douglas offers more courses and degrees, building on its previous success. While expanding course and program curriculum is only one aspect of quality education, it is an important one that calls Douglas College to once again take a leadership role in the community. Parlez-vous le francais? Je ne comprends pas Quebec culture in Canada By Natalie Serafini, Opinions Editor ntil recently, I didn’t realize how idealistic I was about Quebec culture in Canada. I felt the lack of bilingualism outside of Quebec was a sign that Canadians were lax in their commitment to bilingualism. In my Social Studies class, we talked about how Quebec culture and language are gradually being assimilated into non-existence. Visiting Quebec, I needn’t have worried about my French not being good enough for conversing: almost everyone spoke English. Politicians are certainly aware that Quebec has become anglicized. The Parti Québécois (PQ) has voiced their intention to reinforce language laws with Bill 101. Bill 101 would compel businesses with 11 or more employees to use French in all staff communications (the current law applies to businesses with more than 50 workers), and would also close the bridging schools where students go to transition into English public schools. These proposals have been unwelcome amongst the anglophone community in Quebec. The very simple problem with the PQ’s attempts at reinforcing these language laws is that you can’t mandate culture. You can’t force people to speak a certain language, or take part in festivals and traditions. My idealism was apparent in what I supposed were solutions to the assimilation problem. I’d thought the answer to the fading Quebec culture was a promotion of that culture throughout Canada. Rather than viewing Quebec as this little pocket of French- speaking, poutine-eating, crépe- making culture, I thought schools, communities, and Canadians needed to remember that Canada is bilingual. Then my (very insightful) brother pointed out to me that doing so would lead to a homogenized version of Canadians. Canada is so broad and so diverse, it’s ridiculous to try to force all of Canada to act or speak a certain way. Each province has its own identity, although I’m not sure what BC is known for. Whatever we are, it’s important to preserve the disparity and differences amongst us Canadians. Thad thought that in order to preserve Quebec culture, it was necessary for the rest of Canada to embrace it. Yet, this is not a solution. The disappearance of Quebec culture would be another step towards the homogenization of Canada. It doesn’t make sense to assimilate the rest of Canada in an effort to avoid losing Quebec culture. I don’t want to see all of Canada looking, acting, and talking the same. Instead, each of the regions of Canada should embrace their distinct identity. Ever since my brother pointed out the danger of homogenization, I’ve been conflicted about the possible solutions. Mandating culture is not a viable option. I’m not sure how it is that the PQ plans to enforce these laws, and it’s absurd to regulate such little matters as what language is spoken, where, and when. Ignoring the problem isn’t an option either. It’s easy to dismiss the erosion of French-Canadian culture by saying that all cultures evolve. But I don’t see such an evolution. The metamorphosis from French to French-Canadian culture was a morph; the risk of French- Canadians becoming more English- Canadian is a risk of disappearance. I know that many First Nations cultures and languages have disappeared, or are nearing extinction. It’s tragic to think that with the loss of a culture comes the loss of a link to the past. I have no clue what the solution is, but we need to come up with one that neither over-regulates nor over-simplifies. It’s more important for all of us to discover, love, and take pride in our identity.