On April 28, Cat Martin (Nursing) and Teresa Brooks (International Education) presented on Teaching International Students. Although many discussions, from a variety of perspectives, have been happening over the past year, this is one of the first formal sessions.
Bike to Work Week is twice yearly event organized by HUB, Your Cycling Connection. Formerly known as the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, HUB provides bike education to people of all ages, advocates for improvements to cycling infrastructure and works to get more people cycling, more often. The next Bike to Work Week is Monday May 25 to Sunday May 31.
We are delighted to announce that Steve Musson has been awarded a 2015 College Sector Educator Award by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education ( STLHE). STLHE will honour Steve and four other winners formally at the awards ceremony held at the STLHE annual conference, hosted this year by University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University on June 16 to 19, 2015 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
This award recognizes outstanding teachers who have made quality efforts to encourage and support the professional development of their peers regarding teaching excellence.
The Teaching and Learning Academic Plan Action Group approached Steve to ask if we could nominate him for the award and he graciously agreed. Thanks to the many people who contributed to Steve’s nomination—not least of whom was Steve himself as the nomination entailed that he undertake a lengthy reflection upon his teaching practice. You can read Steve’s nomination package here: Steve Musson Nomination Package
To read the press release, please click here: http://www.stlhe.ca/2015-college-sector-educator-award-recipients/
Learning about the issues
The Mayors’ Council has a responsibility to plan for a regional transportation system that moves people and goods and supports environmental objectives and regional economic development. The system must also support Metro Vancouver’s Regional Growth Strategy, which projects that the region will grow by one million people by 2041 – from Elections BC information pamphlet.
A subcommittee of APAG – Priority 5 organized two events regarding the Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite.
The Priority #2 Action Group first met in November and got straight to work on a plan to collect an inventory of on-campus student support services. By the end of the first meeting, they had drafted a set of seven questions:
Over the course of two months, responses to these questions were collected via email and face-to-face interviews with key area contacts. Despite the end of the winter term and holiday break, the group was able to get a response rate of about 70%.
An exciting opportunity (May 21 & 22) if you are interested in doing some research but aren’t sure where to start:
From Tracy Kelly at BCcampus:
Scholarly Inquiry into Student Learning: Designing Your Research Project
A recent Globe and Mail article discusses how profile niche MBA courses that were once part of specialty programs are now also being woven into general programs. Sustainability in MBA education “recognizes that businesses and non-profits now address a triple bottom line of economic, social impact and environmental management”. More students are now entering MBA programs focusing their studies toward sustainability from corporate social responsibility and ethics to ecologically sound practices. See the full Globe and Mail article for more
Once just a niche MBA specialization, sustainability goes mainstream
Sheldon Gordon, Globe and Mail, 12 Feb 2015
At Langara College, we are deeply committed to being part of a sustainable society. We understand that the world’s resources are finite and need to be used conservatively and wisely. We know that our choices, both big and small, impact on our world and future generations.
As an educational institution, we have a responsibility to lead initiatives that positively contribute to our community. Our goal is to foster, and provide leadership to create more environmentally sound, socially just, and economically vibrant communities. As part of the College’s Academic Plan, we are making it a priority to:
The College is proud of its green efforts and policies, and we look forward to continuing to increase environmental, financial, and social sustainability at Langara, in our city and in our world.
The title ‘International Initiatives’ has generated considerable discussion in a variety of corners around the College. ‘Internationalization’ and ‘Globalization’ have different meanings in different disciplines, and sometimes these meanings have negative connotations. As a result, the International Initiatives APAG is considering more use of the term Globalism, meaning contributing to increasing global citizenship and reducing social inequity.
Situated on Musqueam land, Langara has an opportunity to expand understanding of Aboriginal cultures and peoples and to welcome Aboriginal students to our campus.
Langara is proud to be the home of a new Gathering Space that opened its doors in 2010. The facility is a rich, welcoming, multi-purpose environment for Aboriginal students to connect while at the College. The Gathering Space features cultural pieces from Aboriginal artists across Canada, as well as button blankets from Valerie Morgan, who is Kwakiutl and Gitksan.
