Showing 52 results

Authority record
Corporate body

Douglas College Council

  • DCA001
  • Corporate body
  • 1969-1979

The Douglas College Council (more often referred to as simply the College Council) was founded in March 1969. Amendments to the Public Schools Act six years earlier required that all colleges in the province of British Columbia be governed by a College Council. The stated purpose of these councils under the amendment was the management, administration, and control of the property, revenue, business, and affairs of each respective college. Citizens who wanted a college in their region could vote in a plebiscite to contribute to the institution's costs through their local school taxes. School districts in Richmond, Delta, Surrey, Langley, Burnaby, New Westminster, and Coquitlam voted on March 9, 1969 in support of the college's creation. The government established the first college council, which was required by law to consists of one member appointed by each participating school board, members appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, and one District Superintendent of Schools from one of the participating districts appointed by the Minister of Education. Jack Smedley was the first chairperson of the Douglas College Council, and he held the position from 1969-1970.

The Council was responsible for recruiting the College's founding principal, George Wootton, and the secretary-treasurer, M.F. (Bill) Morfey. The council was also involved with hiring other key personnel, developing the College's first budget, and procuring facilities.

Other powers and responsibilities of the College Council included: appointing necessary instructional and other staff; determining student fees and tuition; overseeing the management and carrying-out of the college's curriculum and instruction; preparing annual budgets; and determining admission requirements.

In 1979, following the passage of the College and Institute Act, the Douglas College Council became the Douglas College Board.

Douglas College Board

  • DCA002
  • Corporate body
  • 1979 -

The Douglas College Board (more often referred to simply as the College Board) was formed in 1979 as the result of passage of the College and Institute Act. Under the legislation, colleges became corporations and their councils became boards. The composition of college boards no longer required representation from school board officials, but otherwise the powers and responsibilities of the board were largely were largely unchanged.

The Douglas College Board acts on behalf of the public, and oversees the affairs of the organization (including property, revenue and expenditure), performing duties aligned with the College and Institute Act to support proper administration and advancement of Douglas College. The board focuses on policy and strategic leadership rather than administrative detail.

The first board chairperson was Helen Casher who held the position from 1979-1981.

The Douglas Pinion

  • DCA003
  • Corporate body
  • 1975-1981

The Douglas Pinion was a campus newspaper created with the goal of "bridging a long-time communication gap between students, faculty, staff and the communities served by this college." Although its first publication date was April 2, 1975, the Pinion was not formally approved by the Douglas College Council until April 3, 1975. The paper was staffed by students from the College's new journalism course, who served as reporters, editors, and photographers.

The Pinion covered campus and community news, with regular arts, sports, and opinion sections, as well as advertisements and classifieds. The newspaper highlighted new program offerings, extracurricular opportunities, construction updates, staff hirings, and student politics.

Originally intended to publish every two weeks, the Pinion's publication history proved to be less frequent and less consistent. Typically the paper came out once a month during the school year, although not every month saw the release of a new issue.

The Douglas Pinion published its final issue in April 1981. When Kwantlen College separated from Douglas College that year, the new institution took with it the journalism program and the student-run newspaper, which was renamed The Kwantlen Chronicle.

I-CARE

  • DCA004
  • Corporate body
  • 1979 - Present

The I-CARE Literacy Program was first developed at Douglas College in 1978 as a pilot project funded by the Ministry of Education, after the College had identified literacy as one of its top priorities and hired regular literacy faculty in 1977. Its early success led to I-CARE being incorporated into the College's base funding structure. The program was developed "to help meet the literacy needs of adults who are unable or unwilling to enter a classroom situation because of work schedules, negative school experiences in the past or other such seasons."

Since its inception, I-CARE has offered one-on-one literacy education for members of the broader community, with tutors tailoring their sessions to each individual learner's needs and goals. Although some logistical and administrative details of the program have changed over the years, its overall structure has largely remained constant since the late 1970s: Volunteers receive literacy tutor training, are paired with a community member seeking literacy education, and commit to weekly sessions with their assign learner for one year. I-CARE's newsletter 'Breakthrough' was originally designed for tutors, however, it evolved into a resource for learners too. I-CARE also produces a monthly publication featuring the written work of learners called 'Writing For Our Future.'

First Nations Advisory Committee

  • DCA006
  • Corporate body
  • ca. 1993 - ca. 2003

Established to provide services and support to Indigenous students at Douglas, the Douglas College First Nations Advisory Committee was made up of stakeholders from within the College community and beyond. A 1995 resource guide for Indigenous students included the following description of the committee:

“The Douglas College First Nations Advisory Committee meets regularly to work with Douglas College in developing and implementing community educational initiatives, programs and services. Membership is comprised of First Nations representatives from Qayqayt First Nation, Vancouver and New Westminster Education Centres, New Westminster Urban Cultural Society, New Westminster Senior Secondary School, Douglas College Faculty and Staff, Douglas College First Nations Alumni, Douglas College Student Society First Nations representative, and the New Westminster, Katzie and Coquitlam Bands. The Douglas College First Nations Advisory Committee works to support and guide the ‘Spirit’ for enhancing services for First Nations Learners at Douglas College.”

In the early 2000s, the committee’s name was changed to the Aboriginal Advisory Committee.

Aboriginal Advisory Committee

  • DCA007
  • Corporate body

The Aboriginal Advisory Committee continued the work of its predecessor committee in providing services and support to Indigenous students at Douglas College. The Committee was comprised of stakeholders from within the College community and beyond.

The Committee's name was later changed to the Indigenous (FNMI) Advisory Committee.

Institute of Environmental Studies

  • DCA009
  • Corporate body
  • 1970-1981

Established in 1970 by Dr. Barry Leach, the Institute of Environmental Studies sought to encourage greater public engagement with environmental issues, particularly those impacting ecosystems in the “College Region.” One of its stated objectives was to disseminate the results of studies and projects to public and private groups so they might further “their own work towards a better use of the environment.” The Institute offered non-credit courses, published a series of Information Booklets and other monographs on a range of topics, hosted workshops and lecture series, and collaborated on conservation projects with civil society organizations like Ducks Unlimited, with which it operated an Environmental Study Centre in a conservation area called the Serpentine Fen. The Institute of Environmental Studies was based at the College’s Surrey campus. In 1981, when the College divided, the Institute became part of the newly formed Kwantlen College.

Women's Studies Advisory Committee

  • DCA013
  • Corporate body
  • 1971 - 1977

Formally established in 1974, the Women's Studies Advisory Committee also existed under other names (the "Co-ordinating Committee on Education For Women" and the "Women's Studies Committee") as early as 1971. Initially it was made up of Women's Studies convenor Lillian Zimmerman and senior administrators from the Continuing Education, Liberal Arts, and Counselling divisions; however, the committee later expanded its membership to include representatives from the student body and the broader community.

Led by Zimmerman, the committee was responsible for overseeing Programs For Women at Douglas College. In 1977, the committee was changed to the Women's Studies Advisory Board, a change that coincided with the designation of Women's Studies as a Special Programs Unit.

Women’s Studies Advisory Board

  • DCA014
  • Corporate body
  • 1977 -

The Women's Studies Advisory Board was established when Women's Studies (also known as "Programs for Women") was designated a Special Programs Unit in 1977. The board's objective was to coordinate, promote, and protect Women's Studies and related services in the regions where Douglas College operated. It also advanced scholarships and raised money related to these goals. The Women's Studies Advisory Board was comprised of staff, students, and community representatives.

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