EDUCATION CAMOSUN INTEGRAL TO
InSights
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rom engineering, electrical and accounting to athletic therapy, nursing and nautical training, Camosun College educates critical thinkers and skilled professionals who help our community ourish and our economy grow. Camosun ďŹ ts as an integral cog in Greater Victoria’s “learning hubâ€? of advanced education. SHERRI BELL Our strategic direction prioritizes applied education, innovation, educational and community partnerships, diversity and cultural understanding – all supporting an extraordinary student experience. Whether it’s through one of our 320 co-op work terms, internships, lab options, or industry collaboration projects — Camosun provides applied learning opportunities in almost every area, and I believe this is what sets Camosun apart. About 12 per cent of our students arrive on campus already with bachelor or post-graduate degrees. They are looking for hands-on skills to complement their previous education. Whether it’s building robotic devices for people with disabilities, collaborating on the issue of homelessness or providing preventative dental care to our community, Camosun students are actively engaged, gaining practical, life-changing skills.
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As one of the top 50 research colleges in Canada, Camosun’s faculty researchers and students deliver innovation services to help Island businesses prosper. Our Camosun Innovates department attracts $2.3 million in research grants each year. Through our new Babcock Canada Interaction Lab, with prototyping, manufacturing and design services, our students get a chance to collaborate with clients like local kite-boarding company, Ocean Rodeo, and global vehicle giant, Toyota. In terms of educational partnerships, Camosun works together with the University of Victoria, Royal Roads and other B.C. universities to offer 280 transfer opportunities combined, allowing our ďŹ rst and secondyear arts and science students to continue seamlessly onto the next level of their education. Our educational partnerships extend to high school and international students, as well as organizations abroad. Camosun delivers one of the most comprehensive dual-credit high school programs in B.C. — the South Island Partnership. More than 1,000 Grade 11 and 12 students from our ďŹ ve lower island school districts come to Camosun to get a valuable head start on their college education. For local international students, Camosun, UVic, Royal Roads and School Districts 61, 62 and 63 recently signed a partnership that allows international families and their children to complete high school in Victoria and move on to Camosun or the universities with an ease unavailable in other provinces. From our new Camosun Coastal Centre on the Songhees Nation land that delivers marine-related training to our pipe-ďŹ tting trades program with Arusha Technical
College in Tanzania, Camosun holds numerous local, national and international partnerships that foster education, innovation and community development. Diversity and global understanding are also key at Camosun. Close to 2,000 International students enroll each year from as far away as Vietnam and Zimbabwe. International students bring fresh intercultural perspectives to campus, and many stay in Canada after graduation to live and contribute to our Canadian economy. Through our Centre for Indigenous Education, Eye¯? Sq?’lewen, we lead B.C. in providing culturally relevant programs and services to more than 1,100 Indigenous students each year. As educators, we are deeply committed to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, and we have developed a thoughtful, comprehensive Indigenization and Reconciliation Project Charter to guide us as we move forward in our future Indigenization plans. With our spectacular new Centre for Health and Wellness facility under construction at Interurban campus, 160 programs, 19,000 students, 1,100 employees, and an annual budget of $126 million, Camosun College generates an impressive $1 billion in economic impact for the Victoria region annually. What’s more important, however, is the enormous and invaluable impact Camosun students and graduates make, armed with the latest skills and knowledge, on the social, cultural and economic success of our region.
Sherri Bell is president of Camosun College