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).
Vice President, Finance and Administration
Program Development (Department)
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.
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.
Department of English and Communications
The Department of English and Communications was created at the outset of Douglas College’s history in 1970, and was responsible for the administration, program design, and instruction of courses on English language speaking, writing, and reading skills, as well the performing arts (until 1972).
The department was chaired by several individuals during the years 1970-1996, including Robert W. Lowe (1971-1978), Howard Leslie Eaton (1982-1984), John Niel Fairlie (1984-1986), Maurice J. Hodgson (1988-1991), and Lorna McCallum (1991-1996). In 1986, it was renamed to Department of English and Basic Communications. In the following year (1987), the department reverted to its original title of Department of English and Communications, a title which it kept until 1997. In 1997, a restructuring of the college’s departments created the Faculty of Language, Literature, and Performing Arts, which included the Department of English and Communications.
The Department of Liberal Studies was one of the original academic departments when Douglas College first opened in 1970, and was chaired by Barry Leach during the period 1970-1972. Subjects that fell under its jurisdiction when the College opened included Anthropology, Education, Geography, History, Modern Languages, Political Science, and Psychology.
In 1972, its administrative responsibilities were divided between two divisions: the Department of Liberal Arts and the Department of Social Sciences (chaired by Donald L. McEachern) for the academic years from 1972-1978. From 1972 until 1978, it became known as the Department of Liberal Arts and was chaired by E. Donovan Jones during this period.