Series S-018 - Office of the Vice President, Educational Services

Albert L. Atkinson joined Douglas College in 1982 as Director, Student Services & Developmental Education. In 1989, he became the Dean of Educational and Student Services, a position he held until 1995, when he was appointed Vice-President, Educational Services. Atkinson was in this role until his retirement in 2004. Atkinson was a member of the Douglas College Foundation (1991) and the Education Council (1994-1995, 1997-1999).

During his 32 years of service at Douglas, Atkinson championed the needs of students with disabilities or who face barriers to education and employment. As such, a bursary was established in his name at the time of his retirement for students engaged in Vocational Education and Skills Training, or VEST, (formerly known as Adult Special Education) programs.

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.

Gerry Della Mattia joined Douglas College in May 1970 as Director of Admissions and began developing procedures and forms to admit and register students. In 1978 he was granted educational leave to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Oregon. When he returned in September 1980, he was appointed Acting Dean of Student Services pending the College split, and in 1981 became the Dean of Educational and Student Services for the new Douglas College. He continued in that capacity until 1988 when he took a leave of absence to work in the United Arab Emirates. As a senior member of a team of Canadian educators hired to establish a system of technical colleges for the country, he was responsible for the administration of central services for the college system. Upon his return to Douglas College in September of 1990, he assumed the newly created position of Dean of Human Resources and College Development. In 1993 he was appointed Executive Director of the Advanced Education Council of BC, where he remained until his retirement in 2000. From 2000 to 2005, following his retirement from active administration, he was an Adjunct Professor in the Centre for Policy Studies in Higher Education and Training at UBC. (Text from Douglas College: The First 40 Years.)