Kwantlen University College

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
Kwantlen University College
Image:Kwantlen2.png
Motto Through Tireless Effort, Knowledge, and Understanding
Established 1981
Type Public
President Skip Triplett
Students 11,000 full-time, 6,000 part-time
Location South Fraser, British Columbia, Canada
Website www.kwantlen.ca
Not to be confused with Kwantlen First Nation.

Kwantlen University College (usually abbreviated to Kwantlen) is a degree-granting undergraduate university college with four campuses located in the South Fraser region of British Columbia’s Lower Mainland. Kwantlen offers a wide range of programs in fine arts, humanities, science, business, nursing, and a number of technical and trade programs.

Kwantlen's main campus is located in Surrey; it has three other campuses located in Richmond, Langley and Newton. In January 2006 Kwantlen also began offering a limited number of courses at a new location in White Rock.

Contents

Background

The name “Kwantlen” means “Tireless Runner” and is derived from the Kwantlen First Nation tribe that established its home in the regions served by Kwantlen. The name Kwantlen was chosen by Stan McKinnon who won a contest to name the new school.[1]

Kwantlen College formed in 1981, by splitting from Douglas College. In 1995, the province of British Columbia enacted legislation changing the institution's name to Kwantlen University College and allowing it to begin granting academic degrees.

As of 2005, Kwantlen enrolls about 11,000 full-time and 6,000 part-time students. Faculty and staff employees number over 1,400 [2]. Approximately 19% of Kwantlen's faculty hold doctorates--the lowest percentage in British Columbia. Kwantlen's region - Richmond, Delta, Surrey, White Rock and Langley - has a population of over 775,000 [3]. To serve this population, the BC provincial government funds 8,500 full-time equivalent student spaces (FTEs) [4], which is the lowest level of FTEs per capita in the province, at less than 60% of the provincial average.

While some faculty are also involved in research, their primary role is undergraduate education.

Kwantlen's official motto is, "Through Tireless Effort, Knowledge, and Understanding", although its marketing slogan is, "Definitively Undergraduate". Kwantlen's mission statement is, "We create an exceptional learning environment committed to preparing learners for leadership, service and success."

Program offerings

Kwantlen offers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and citations in more than 135 programs.

Bachelor's degrees

Specifically, Kwantlen offers the following Bachelor's degrees: [5]

Kwantlen Richmond Campus
Enlarge
Kwantlen Richmond Campus

Kwantlen also offers a wide array of Diploma and Certificate programs, as well as general studies courses and courses in adult basic education (or secondary school upgrading).

CELTA at Kwantlen

CELTA - The Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) is the most widely recognized certification in the world for English language teacher training. CELTA, offered at Kwantlen University College, is a highly practical course which aims to give people with little or no previous training, the knowledge, awareness and skills to begin a career in the field of English language teaching. Over 7000 candidates took the certificate in 2004 in over 250 centers worldwide. Features of the course (formerly known as CTEFLA or RSA Prep.) include:

  • worldwide recognition in the field of English language teaching
  • trainers who have undergone a rigorous trainer-training program
  • inspection of every course by an assessor from the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate
  • full-time and part-time courses
  • a highly practical course with a concurrent practicum observed by the course trainers
  • small classes with a low trainee/trainer ratio (6:1)

The course is highly practical and it focuses on teaching English to adult classes at beginner to upper intermediate levels. The course aims to:

  • teach the principles of effective teaching
  • provide a range of practical skills for teaching English to adult learners
  • give hands-on teaching practice
  • build confidence in new teachers.

There are five main units of learning:

  • Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context
  • Language analysis and awareness
  • Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing
  • Planning and resources for different contexts
  • Developing teaching skills and professionalism.

Cooperative education

Several diploma or degree programs in Kwantlen offer Cooperative Education. [6] Such programs include dedicated work-placement semesters that match their field of study, in addition to regular studies.

Some benefits of enrolling into a cooperative education program:

  • Work experience will solidify the academic learning of the student, and assist in further learning.
  • Post-graduation employers are likely to favor candidates who already have professional work experience.
  • Money earned during a work semester will assist the student in paying his or her tuition fees

The drawback to a cooperative education program is that the program usually takes longer to complete.

Program transferability

Kwantlen offers many transferable courses to other educational institutions.

Upon transfer to other universities, direct second- or third-year placements, following the matching transfer courses from Kwantlen, may occur.

Kwantlen is also a part of the BC Transfer Guide Website, an online resource for planning and understanding transfer in the BC Post-Secondary Education system.

Entry requirements

The general entry requirements to Kwantlen are as follows: [7]

  • Mature student admission: age above 19
  • Regular admission: high school diploma, or current attendance of Grade 12 in high school
  • English proficiency requirements: Grade C in English 12 or Communications 12, or equivalent

Certain degree and diploma programs may require additional entry requirements, or higher requirements in English. Individual courses may also have other course prerequisites. In the case of an academic transfer, bridging courses may also be required.

Tuition

The following tuition fees are in effect at Kwantlen as of December 2005: [8]

Additionally, the following fees are charged by the Kwantlen University College Student Association:

  • $3 per credit (not exceeding 12 credits) as Student Association Fee
  • $1 per credit (not exceeding 12 credits) as Capital Fee
  • 60 cents per credit (not exceeding $7.20 per semester) as Canadian Federation of Students Levy
  • $2 per semester as Student Association Lobby Fund Fee
  • $1 per semester as Student Association Bursary Fund Fee
  • $93.00 per year as Student Medical Plan fees
  • $86.00 per year as Student Dental Plan fees

Thus, for example, a Canadian student taking five undergraduate courses per semester as his or her first year in Kwantlen, without existing medical or dental coverage, will pay an average of $1,802.45 per semester. This does not include the costs of books, housing or parking fees.

Prior to the beginning of each semester, students must pay $40 registration access fee and $200 registration deposit. The deposit is subtracted from overall fees for that semester, but is not refundable if the student drops their courses or is dropped for non-payment. If a student chooses not to take courses in a semester, where eligible, a student’s registration deposit will be automatically transferred for up to two consecutive semesters following the initial semester for which a deposit was paid.

Medical and dental fees are payable twice per year in two equal installments. At the start of the fall and spring semesters, students can apply for the medical and dental fees to be waived if they:

  • Are a full-time student attending Kwantlen for the first time;
  • Are taking their first semester of full-time studies and have not previously paid medical and dental fees;
  • Already have comparable coverage; and
  • Apply to opt-out before the opt-out deadline.

Complete information regarding the medical and dental plans is available online at the KSA Benefits Plan website.

Scholarships and bursaries

Kwantlen offers a wide range of scholarships and bursaries. [9]

Scholarships

Kwantlen does not maintain its own merit-based scholarship fund, nor does it guarantee financial awards for certain accomplishments. However, Kwantlen is sponsored by hundreds of private (and some government) organizations, which donate money to be distributed as rewards for student achievements. Such distributions may range from $100 to thousands of dollars, and prioritized by various criteria, including:

  • Academic excellence, as measured by GPA or instructor feedback
  • Community involvement and volunteerism
  • Demonstrated financial need
  • Other criteria

A formal scholarship award ceremony takes place every November, where each recipient is awarded with the monetary check and a certificate of achievement.

Bursaries and loans

Kwantlen is a member of several programs to assist students in financial need:

  • The BC Student Assistance Program, which offers a combination of loans and grants to full-time students who are Canadian citizens.
  • The Adult Basic Education Student Assistance Program, which offers financial aid to students enrolled in upgrade programs.
  • The High Need Part-Time Canada Study Grant Program, which offers financial aid to part-time students.

All Kwantlen students who are Canadian citizens are also eligible to apply for student loans to the federal Student Financial Aid program.[10]

Community

Image:Kwantlenfitnesscenter.JPG
Kwantlen Fitness Center

Kwantlen students enjoy a broad range of community activities and services. [11]

All Kwantlen students may make full use of the following services at no additional costs:

  • Campus libraries
  • Computer labs
  • Career and planning centres
  • Counselling services
  • Learning Centres
  • Financial Planning
  • Educational Planning

Other student-oriented features, as organized by Kwantlen University College or the Kwantlen Student Association include:

Kwantlen also runs the following sports activities and facilities:

Logo of the Kwantlen Eagles
Enlarge
Logo of the Kwantlen Eagles

The Kwantlen Student Association or KSA is an elected student body that contributes to community life, and allocates student funds to social, cultural and entertainment programs for students. Through the KSA students and other members of the Kwantlen community are also eligible for special discounts including bus and train passes; discount movie tickets; and other seasonal offers.

In 2005, Kwantlen launched an interactive component of the official Kwantlen website called The Digital Cafe, which features a number of promotional videos, music by Kwantlen students and photographs that highlight Kwantlen programs as well as student life on campus [12].

Future growth

Transition to university

In 2005, Kwantlen began lobbying elected officials at the municipal and provincial levels, as well as various key community leaders to support its efforts to become a Special Purpose University. Removing "college" from its official name would require approval from the Government of British Columbia. In its case for Special Purpose University status, Kwantlen says the change to Kwantlen University would: [13]

  • Enhance Kwantlen's ability to help British Columbia become the best educated, most literate jurisdiction in North America; and
  • Bring multiple benefits to the fastest growing region in BC and help BC achieve long-term growth and prosperity.

Many Kwantlen students support the move to drop the word "college" from the Kwantlen name as it will help enhance their credentials and ease their ability to transfer into graduate studies and other endeavours.

Along with its efforts to become a Special Purpose University, Kwantlen is also seeking membership in the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, also known as AUCC [14]. Although AUCC is not an official government accreditation body, its standardized membership benchmarks and requirements that member institutions must meet indirectly serve to ease a student's ability to transfer from undergraduate to graduate programs across Canada and the world.

Unlike other schools such as UBC, SFU, U of A and U of T, official marketing of the University College discourages the use of Kwantlen University College as an abbreviation in the form of the letters KUC. This is most likely due in part to the University College's attempt to re-position itself as a Special Purpose University.

New program development

In the future, additional major and minor programs may be developed in Anthropology, Business, Fine Arts and Geography. The following degrees are currently under development at Kwantlen [15]:

  • Bachelor of Applied Arts in
  • Bachelor of Arts in
    • Applied Community Studies
    • Music Pedagogy
  • Bachelor of Business Administration in
    • Financial Services Management
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts in
  • Bachelor of Science in

Expansion projects

Kwantlen is currently involved in two major building expansion projects. The first expansion is underway on Kwantlen's main Surrey campus, where constructing a new wing aims to increase the building size by 11,000 m², or by 42% of its current size. [16]

The second project is the construction of a new campus in Cloverdale, a 17,200 m² building designed replace the aging Newton campus, and capable of holding over twice the amount of students.[17]

Campus locations

Image:Kwantlenlangleycampus1.jpg
Kwantlen Langley Campus

The currently operational campuses of Kwantlen are located at: [18]

  • Surrey Campus: 12666 - 72nd Avenue, Surrey BC
  • Richmond Campus: 8771 Lansdowne Road, Richmond BC
  • Langley Campus: 20901 Langley Bypass, Langley BC
  • Newton Campus: 13479 - 77th Avenue, Surrey BC
  • White Rock Location: 15141 Russell Avenue, White Rock BC [19]

References

All information taken from the Kwantlen University College website retrieved in December 2005, unless otherwise specified.

  1. ^ About Kwantlen
  2. ^ About Kwantlen: Facts
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ [2]
  5. ^ Kwantlen Calendar: Program and Course Guide
  6. ^ Co-operative Education at Kwantlen
  7. ^ Admission Requirements
  8. ^ Tuition and Fees
  9. ^ Kwantlen Financial Awards
  10. ^ Student Financial Assistance, Ministry of Advanced Education (Ret. December 22, 2005)
  11. ^ Kwantlen Student Services
  12. ^ Kwantlen University College: Digital Cafe
  13. ^ University Expansion Proposal
  14. ^ Mount Royal College: AUCC membership key (Ret. December 22, 2005)
  15. ^ Kwantlen Governance: Degree Programs Under Development Status Report
  16. ^ Surrey Expansion Project
  17. ^ Cloverdale Expansion Project
  18. ^ Campus Locations & Information
  19. ^ White Rock Location Information

See also...

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../k/w/a/Kwantlen_University_College_e90b.html"