Math-Science Department
Education Plan Draft
I.
Planning Related to Strategic Directions
•
•
•
•
Faculty were consulted via email on May 17 to provide comments
Faculty were invited to a planning session led by Helena Higgs on June 3 to
provide input
Individual faculty were consulted on a one-to-one basis for their input
Tom Weegar and John Belshaw were consulted for input on strategic directions
for the Department.
Strategic Direction # 1: NIC will develop dynamic and responsive curriculum and
educational services to attract, engage and retain a diverse range of students to be
successful in a rapidly changing world.
The Math-Science Department is always looking for ways to make our curriculum relevant
and interesting to our students. We are particularly sensitive to the fact that the majority of
the students in our region will obtain their post-secondary degree from either VIU or UVic.
Furthermore, we are sensitive to the connection between success in the Sciences and math
skills. With this in mind, we have the following strategies to attract students to NIC for their
first years of Post Secondary Education:
2011 – 2015 Division/Dept. Objectives
Strengthen partnerships with UVic and VIU to ensure
relevancy of NIC course offerings with the goal of
retaining students for 2 years.
Examine the addition of courses to the program that
will enhance student retention.
Year One Strategies 2011/2012
Continue to consult with UVic Engineering
Department regarding the implementation
of 1st year engineering courses at NIC (1st
cohort to be completed by June 2011).
Pursue a flexible pre-majors agreement with
VIU and UVic. Strengthen communication
links with VIU and UVic regarding the
alignment of 2nd year biology courses to
allow NIC students enter 3rd year.
Collaborate to develop dual admissions
agreements with UVic and VIU for Sciences.
Consider other 2nd year courses (Chemistry,
Mathematics) that could be offered.
Explore the potential to offer ‘themed’
intersession courses, such as Marine Studies
or Aboriginal Education.
Expand student career mentoring and increase
participation in orientation seminars, career fairs,
and recruitment events.
Improve student success in the Sciences by
strengthening individual math skills.
Assess and improve individual math skills through
online and face-to-face tutorials.
Investigate new programming opportunities
Work with Nursing to determine feasibility
of developing a course titled, Microbiology
for Nursing.
Offer Provincial Math in a variety of formats
to best suit the individual needs of a
student.
Develop a flow chart which indicates which
High School course and grade is required for
entry to various courses.
Provide math and physics options for
students in the biological sciences (Phy
100/101, Mat 102/151).
Explore the feasibility of establishing an
online ‘math help centre’; develop flow
chart of math equivalencies.
Strategic Direction #2: NIC will increase our capacity to support the diverse needs of our
students and their engagement in learning.
As faculty, our ability to deliver courses is confined by existing facilities and resources. In order
to better serve students, there are three significant changes required within the infrastructure
of NIC: expansion of ITV services, expansion of intersession course offerings, and expansion of
science laboratory facilities at CV campus.
2011 – 2015 Division/Dept. Objectives
Explore the opportunity to expand ITV services with
the goal to increase offerings at all campuses.
Review the courses offered at each campus.
Expand Intersession course offerings.
Year One Strategies 2011/2012
Evaluate ITV delivery of the following
courses to all campuses: PHY 100/101, PHY
120/121, MAT 102/151, MAT 162/163, CHE
051.
Work with IT to explore making PH a
sending site for ITV.
Explore alternative ways to deliver a course
to multiple campuses, such as deliver the
lecture by ITV and perform labs locally.
Explore the opportunity to focus the types
of courses at a particular campus for an
Education stream or Healthcare stream.
Explore the development of themes for a
suite of courses to be offered in
intersession, for example, nursing prep,
aquatic sciences, College prep, Traditional
Environmental Knowledge (TEK).
Strategic Direction # 3: NIC will work with our communities as an active partner, to increase
opportunities for involvement and participation, and for proactively sharing resources for
mutual benefit.
2011 – 2015 Division/Dept. Objectives
Strengthen in-course effectiveness by the increased
use of guest speakers, fieldtrips, projects and other
high involvement activities.
Work with the Research Steering Committee and
develop a rapport with Mid Island Science,
Technology & Innovation Council to develop a guest
lecturer series that will be pertinent to courses
taught at NIC and be available to the general public.
Encourage and support faculty to participate in
community events as a NIC representative, such as
community associations.
Year One Strategies 2011/2012
Continue with initiatives already underway.
Seek financial support from Mid Island
Science, Technology & Innovation Council to
develop a lecture series.
Strategic Direction # 4: NIC will strengthen and expand partnership opportunities with
aboriginal, business, communities and education locally and internationally to delivery
outstanding results. Specifically we will:
2011 – 2015 Division/Dept. Objectives
Explore opportunities to develop educational
programs for specific First Nations and deliver
onsite.
Build more educational partnerships.
Year One Strategies 2011/2012
Continue to explore opportunities to offer
MAT 190/191, BIO 170/171
Investigate the opportunity to collaborate
with Uvic in their language skills programs
to be offered to the Kwakiutl Band in the
next 2-3 years
Complete the implementation of the 1st
year engineering program and its seamless
transfer to Uvic with the 1st cohort of
students completing in Spring 201
Explore opportunities to work with VIU and
Enhance communication links with the SD’s within
the NIC region and increase the number of visits to
high schools by faculty.
the Deep Bay research facility to deliver
short courses.
Offer at least two high school visits in each
district during the academic year.
Strategic Direction # 5: Working with our communities NIC will explore new and innovative
ways to effectively promote post secondary education throughout our region. Specifically we
will:
2011 – 2015 Division/Dept. Objectives
Continue to promote programming to future
students through outreach programs
Expand promotion of UT programs beyond the NIC
regional boundaries.
Year One Strategies 2011/2012
Continue to support ongoing initiatives:
Math Contest; Community Science
Celebration; High school visits to the
college; participation in recruitment events;
individual faculty visits to high schools in the
region
Consider new initiatives, such as Mid Island
Science, Technology & Innovation Council
Regional Science Fair in Port Hardy.
Work with International Education to
develop promotional materials.
Strategic Direction # 6: NIC will strengthen and develop employee skills and enhance employee
engagement. Specifically we will:
2011 – 2015 Division/Dept. Objectives
Continue to encourage faculty to engage in
discipline-based and SOTL professional development
and scholarly activity.
Promote and recognize a faculty culture that is
responding to change through curriculum renewal,
such as new initiatives, new course delivery
methods.
Encourage faculty to pursue and utilize new
technology for program delivery.
Year One Strategies 2011/2012
Hold a departmental workshop on
curriculum renewal.
Provide training and support to faculty to
implement the use of e-books, tablet PC’s,
Blackboard, and Web 2.0 in the classroom.
Explore the option of use of Wiki/website
and remote office hours using Skype for
faculty with students at more than one
campus.