he year ahead for Douglas College will be one of fine-tuning course offerings for young high school grads and career-bound adults and planning for growth that the Evergreen Line will bring when it opens in 2016.
After four years of increasing student enrollment, the 40-year-old institution is not ready to rest on its laurels and intends to continue to adapt to students' education needs and job market changes, said interim president Kathy Denton.
"We're getting a larger share of right out of high school students than ever before," she said. "Our share of the market is growing where other institutions are staying the same. That tells us we're becoming attractive to people who are interested in exploring their interests and are not sure what to do."
These 18 to 21-year-olds also face a different job market than their parents, Denton said, and can expect to change jobs mid career.
The Veterinary Technology program at Douglas College is popular.
Simply working for a living isn't their motivation either. Instead they want to follow their passions and Douglas College has been appealing to that demographic with a "do what you love and be good at it" slogan, followed up by program offerings that allow students to explore their interests with first year courses that transfer seamlessly to second year programs at universities such as SFU, or into Douglas College's own degree programs in health and sciences, business and criminology once they figure out what they want to do.
Denton said the college is in the process of looking for a new president to replace Scott McAlpine, who departed in June, and continues to partner with other degree-granting programs, while reaching out to Tri-City businesses and agencies for new opportunities for its students.
"We do think that with that particular group, they need more support," she said. "They need to figure things out."
A new student employment centre will help them with resumes and interview skills and connect them with employers and post-degree programs are being developed for grads to enhance their skills.
The college is also looking at ways to better utilize the Coquitlam campus, with new courses being developed or existing ones moving, as was the case with the child, family and community studies program.
"We're very good value," Denton said, noting that a four-year degree at Douglas is $12,636, while students who take first-year academics at Douglas before switching to a university still end up saving money while also tending to achieve higher marks than students who go directly from high school to university. "They get to figure it all out in the first year," she added.
Overall, Denton said she expects 2015 to be another year of number crunching, strategic planning and adaption to changing demands and needs - not too different from what students are expected to do when they enroll.
By the numbers
$110 million operating budget
15,900 credit students, full- and part-time (includes 1,900 international students)
9,300 continuing education and training group students
995 full-time employees:
445 faculty (plus 50 contract faculty)
425 staff and administrators
75 other
