Margaretha Hoek first joined the College in 1975 as a sessional faculty member in the Counselling Department, where she taught a number of courses and workshops focused on the issues and experiences of women. In 1978, Hoek was hired as Coordinator of Programs for Women (at times the position was also referred to as Coordinator of Women's Studies). She held this position until 1985.
Marlene Hancock first joined the College as a contract political science professor in 1988, becoming a regular faculty member three years later. She had a longstanding academic interest in Middle East history and politics, having traveled extensively in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan during her youth. Her Master's thesis in political science from Simon Fraser University (1982) focused on political development in Saudi Arabia.
Starting in 1997, she travelled to Egypt on five separate occasions with groups of students participating in the model United Nations conference hosted by the American University of Cairo. It was after the first such trip that Hancock organized and served as faculty advisor of the Douglas College International Model United Nations (DOUGIMUN).
In 2005, she travelled to Jordan as a guest of the Jordanian government, meeting with government officials and visiting a Palestinian refugee camp.
Hancock taught at Douglas College until her retirement. She died in 2017.
Vice President, Finance and Administration
Program Development (Department)
Blaine Jensen joined Douglas College in June 2004 when he succeeded Albert Atkinson as Vice President, Educational Services. He held this position until May 2015. Prior to arriving at Douglas College, Jensen held administrative positions at the University of Prince Edward Island and the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology.
Debbie Schachter served as the Director of Learning Resources at Douglas College from 2011 to 2017. Prior to joining the College, Schachter held administrative positions at the Vancouver Public Library and the B.C. Courthouse Library Society. She received a Master of Library Science (MLS) from the University of British Columbia in 1990 and a Management of Technology MBA from Simon Fraser University in 2002.
The Office of Director of Libraries (a position originally called Chief Librarian) was responsible for the management of librarians and staff while also leading the development of library policy, coordination with other branches of the College, and generally providing for the administration of the libraries at each of the seven campuses by the end of the 1970s.
The library as a department within the College began in January 1970 with the appointment David R. Williams as Chief Librarian. By the end of the first academic year there were fully functioning libraries at the New Westminster, Richmond, and Surrey campuses. These libraries were housed in the modular, prefabricate buildings ubiquitous at Douglas College during its early years. The collection of books and other materials was originally processed through an agreement with Simon Fraser University. The library's first ten years were characterized by rapid growth as new campuses with libraries were opened in Coquitlam, Langley, and Surrey's Newton town centre. Library services were also available at the Maple Ridge campus and the Agnes Street annex in New Westminster. When Douglas College was "split" to create Kwantlen College, the library's collection and personnel were also divided between the two institutions. Williams went on to become the Vice-President of Kwantlen College and was succeeded as Director of Libraries by Virginia Chisholm.
In 1982, the Coquitlam and New Westminster libraries were amalgamated in the recently completed permanent campus at Royal Avenue in New Westminster. This roughly coincided with a reorganization in which the Department of Learning Resources was created to oversee the direction of both the library and Instructional Media Services (IMS).
Education and Services Committee
Established in April 1981 (with its initial meeting held the following month), the Education and Services Committee was committee of the College Board. It was a new iteration of the Program Review & Development Committee, and it shared mostly identical terms of reference as its predecessor. These included reviewing proposals and presenting reports and recommendations to the College Board related to program development, educational priorities, new systems of instruction, admission policies, and financial matters impacting instructional activities.
By 1993, the Committee’s mandate had been updated to include reviewing proposals “on matters relating to instruction, College services, and College-community relationship and to present reports and recommendations to the College Board.” Public information and community development activities were added to the existing list of the Committee’s areas of focus.
In January 1996, the Education and Services Committee became the Education Committee.
Program Review & Development Committee
Established in October 1980, the Program Review & Development Committee was a standing committee of the College Board and almost identical to its predecessor, the Program Development Committee. Minor changes to the Committee’s terms of references included: (1) the Committee was now tasked with actively reviewing existing program areas, not just proposals; (2) there were fewer listed resource personnel; and (3) “Admissions policies” was removed from the Committee's areas of focus.
Like its previous iteration, the Committee was responsible for reviewing programs, educational policies, innovative systems of instruction, and planned physical facilities with respect to instructional needs.
The Program Review & Development Committee was replaced by the Education and Services Committee in April 1981.