I wanted to provide an update on our department’s name – Centre for Excellence in Foundational Learning – that became effective September 1 of this year.
I have formally requested that we be allowed to shorten the name to “Foundational Learning” for external communications including those going to our students. I have several reasons for making the request but the most significant is that the new Centre for Excellence in Foundational Learning does not communicate what we do to our diverse current and potential student audience. I expressed a strong concern that we may lose students who simply cannot find us once the name becomes present throughout the BVC website.
Our Acting VP, Learning, Joan McArthur-Blair is reviewing what options may exist. What is clear at this time is that the formal new name – Centre of Excellence in Foundational Learning – is the formal name for our department. What Joan and I talked about was a transition plan to the new name over time so that our students and our community understand what it is that we do and who we are.
Given that our formal name is not going to change, I will put forward the idea of renaming our areas of activity so that those are clear to students. I welcome your thoughts.
I hope that any marketing materials and web presence will supply some clues about what we do (e.g., the word 'upgrading' beside our name), as it seems that, to some at least, our new name implies a college administrative office (based on informal feedback - I think the words 'Centre for' may cause some confusion).
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