Plans for the Future

In the afternoon of the College-Wide Professional Development day, faculty and staff from self-paced delivery programs met to share ideas about various plans that the Foundational Learning department should consider as part of its current move to restructure as a new centre for excellence.  These programs included Flex Class, Aboriginal Upgrading, and Anytime Online. As well, the curriculum team contributed ideas.

The two coordinators, Karen Mercer and Carey Hilgartner, facilitated the event, letting faculty contribute their own ideas in a safe environment.  Faculty and staff noted ideas on white sheets in small groups at various tables.  If an idea was already noted, the group added stars and checkmarks to indicate agreement.  At the end of the activity, the group voted to assign priorities to the various plans.

We would like to share our ideas with you. Below are listed a sample of some of the suggestions from the plans. These plans are drafts as statements of possible ideas to consider for future planning.  

To see the whole list visit the plans document. Be sure to add your own ideas as comments for the post or email them to Karen or Carey.

Staffing Plan

• A balance of part-time and full-time staff needed. [A] predetermined path for casual to full time continuous work [required].
• [The department should] mentor new staff.

Educational Technology Plan

• [Educational Technology] leaders [have been] established; however, access to their knowledge, time, and expertise [needs to be improved].
• [We should] prepare self-instructed lessons for those who want to develop skills in a certain area.

Marketing Plan

• [We need to] cater to our literacy audience.
• Student focus groups and interviews [could be conducted].  

Professional Development Plan

• Regular interdisciplinary meetings [should be held].
• Internal courses for PD [should be made available].

Curriculum Development Plan

• Release time [should be provided] for instructors to develop curriculum [in order to] collaborate with all departments and [participate in] technology info-sessions. [This release time would allow a] variety of folks [to participate].
• Exams [need better] instructional [fit].

Student Support Plan

• Application process must be simplified.
• A new student bootcamp [should be available] like the one currently in use. A session via Adobe Connect or a pre-recorded session [could be made available to give access to all students].