Kwantlen Polytechnic University

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Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Motto: Through Tireless Effort, Knowledge, and Understanding
Established: 1981
Type: Public
Chancellor: Arvinder Singh Bubber [1]
President: David W. Atkinson
Provost: Judith McGillivray
Students: 11,000 full-time, 6,000 part-time
Location: Flag of Canada Cloverdale, Surrey, Richmond, Langley, Newton, British Columbia, Canada
Colours: Red     & white     
Mascot: Eagles
Affiliations: AUCC, Canadian Colleges Athletic Association, Association of Canadian Community Colleges, ACU, IAU [2], CBIE, CUP.
Website: www.kwantlen.ca
Image:Kwantlen polytechnic logo.png
Not to be confused with Kwantlen First Nation.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (commonly abbreviated to Kwantlen, previously known as Kwantlen University College) is a degree-granting undergraduate polytechnic university with five campuses located in the South Fraser region of British Columbia’s Lower Mainland. The institution began operation as Kwantlen Polytechnic University on September 1, 2008. [3]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Beginnings

Kwantlen College was formed in 1981, splitting from Douglas College. Following a provincial government initiative designed to increase access to degree programs in British Columbia, begun in 1988, five community colleges were granted authority to offer baccalaureate degrees. These five institutions— Cariboo, Fraser Valley, Kwantlen, Malaspina, and Okanagan—were renamed university colleges. Initially, they offered degrees under the aegis of one or more of the three provincial universities. In 1995 they were awarded the authority to offer degrees in their own right. [4] Also in 1995, the province of British Columbia enacted legislation changing the institution's name to Kwantlen University College. [5]

The name “Kwantlen” means “Tireless Runner” and is derived from the Kwantlen First Nation 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.[6]

[edit] Expansion and growth

[edit] Transition to university

Kwantlen Polytechnic University - Richmond Campus

In 2005, Kwantlen University College began a campaign to convince elected officials at the municipal and provincial levels, and various key community leaders, to support its efforts to become a university. Removing "college" from its official name would require approval from the government of British Columbia. In its case for the university status, Kwantlen's administrators claimed the change to Kwantlen University would:

  • 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.[7]

In 2007, Murray Coell, Minister of Advanced Education and Minister responsible for Research and Technology was joined by special advisor Geoff Plant, to release the Campus 2020 report that recommends Kwantlen University College become Kwantlen University.[8]

On April 22, 2008, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell announced that Kwantlen University would become Kwantlen Polytechnic University.[9] On April 22, 2008, the Provincial Government announced its intention to amend the University Act at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia to make Kwantlen a polytechnic university, in recognition of its "versatility in providing academic, trades and horticultural training."[10] The legislation renaming the University College to University received Royal Assent on May 29th 2008.[11]

[edit] AUCC membership

On October 24, 2008, Kwantlen became a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).[12]

Although the AUCC is not an official government accreditation body, its standardized membership benchmarks and requirements for members serves to ease a student's ability to transfer from undergraduate to graduate programs across Canada and the world.

[edit] Academics

[edit] Student enrollment

For the 2006 academic year, Kwantlen had an enrollment of more than 16,000 students.[13] Kwantlen's region (Richmond, Delta, Surrey, White Rock and Langley) has a population of over 775,000,[14] and to serve it the BC provincial government funds 8,500 full-time equivalent student spaces (FTEs). A 1999 Ministry of Advanced Education study found the rate of participation in post secondary education in Kwantlen’s region (22%) to be lower than the provincial average.[15]

[edit] Faculty and employees

Faculty and staff employees number over 1,400.[16] While some faculty are also involved in research, their primary role is undergraduate education. In 2007, Kwantlen Polytechnic University was named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers, as published in Maclean's magazine.[17]

[edit] Undergraduate

Kwantlen offers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and citations across a wide range of programs in fine arts, humanities, science, social sciences, applied communication, business, nursing, as well as a number of technical and trade programs.

[edit] Cooperative education

Several diploma or degree programs in Kwantlen offer cooperative education.[18] Such programs include dedicated work-placement semesters that match their field of study, in addition to regular studies.

[edit] Program transferability

Kwantlen offers many transferable courses to other educational institutions, which often lead to direct transfers into second-year or third-year studies at other post secondary institutions. To aid in this, Kwantlen is a part of the BC Transfer Guide Website, an online resource for planning and understanding transfer in the BC post-secondary education system.

[edit] New program development

Additional major and minor programs are under development in anthropology, business, fine arts and geography.[19]

[edit] Other programs

[edit] CELTA at Kwantlen

Kwantlen offers CELTA the Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults - one of the most widely recognized certification in the world.[20]

[edit] Student life

The Kwantlen Student Association (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 and blogs by Kwantlen students and photographs that highlight Kwantlen programs as well as student life on campus.[21]

[edit] Campus

[edit] Campus Locations

The operational campuses of Kwantlen are located at:

  • Cloverdale Campus: 5500 180 Street, Surrey, BC
  • Surrey Campus: 12666 72 Avenue, Surrey, BC
  • Newton Campus: 13468 77 Avenue, Surrey, BC
  • Richmond Campus: 8771 Lansdowne Road, Richmond, BC
  • Langley Campus: 20901 Langley Bypass, Langley, BC[22]

[edit] Campus expansion projects

Kwantlen is 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.[23]

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.[24] The first phase of this campus opened in January 2007.[25]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ New Chancellor for Kwantlen Polytechnic University
  2. ^ http://www.unesco.org/iau/members_friends/mem_membinst1.html#Canada
  3. ^ An Overview of B.C.'s Public Post-secondary Institutions
  4. ^ University College
  5. ^ BC Ministry of Advanced Education
  6. ^ About Kwantlen
  7. ^ University Expansion Proposal
  8. ^ "Campus 2020: thinking ahead: the report". Geoffery P. Plant. http://www.campus2020.ca/media/Campus2020-ThinkingAhead-TheReport.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-08-19. 
  9. ^ "PROVINCE TO ESTABLISH KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY". Government of BC. http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2008OTP0098-000585.htm. Retrieved on 2008-04-23. 
  10. ^ Colley, Ted (April 22, 2008). "Kwantlen granted full university status". Surrey Now. Canwest Publishing. Retrieved on: September 6, 2008
  11. ^ Queen's Printer, Victoria. Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia 4th Session, 38th Parliament, May 29, 2008. Retrieved on: September 6, 2008
  12. ^ Pires, D. (October 26, 2008). Kwantlen accepted by national universities association. Kwantlen Chronicle. Retrieved on: October 25, 2008
  13. ^ "January 2007 REGISTRANT COUNTS BY ACADEMIC YEAR". Kwantlen Office of Institutional Analysis & Planning. http://plaza.kwantlen.ca/sites/instanalplan.nsf/files/01.%20ACYEAR%202004%20-%202006%20REGISTRANT%20COUNTS.pdf/$FILE/01.%20ACYEAR%202004%20-%202006%20REGISTRANT%20COUNTS.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-08-19. 
  14. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Index.cfm?Lang=E. Retrieved on 2007-08-20. 
  15. ^ Kwantlen University College (April, 2004). Service Plan 2006/07 - 2007/08. Retrieved on: September 6, 2008.
  16. ^ About Kwantlen: Facts
  17. ^ "Reasons for Selection, 2007 Canada's Top 100 Employers". http://www.eluta.ca/einfo?en=Kwantlen+University+College&ri=900bed943a4046936040e294626b21e7&rk=1480ce72be3c16d0a4729e53f358666a. 
  18. ^ Co-operative Education at Kwantlen
  19. ^ Kwantlen Governance: Degree Programs Under Development Status Report
  20. ^ CELTA
  21. ^ Kwantlen Polytechnic: Digital Cafe
  22. ^ Campus Locations & Information
  23. ^ Surrey Expansion Project
  24. ^ Cloverdale Expansion Project
  25. ^ Trades and Technology Centre

[edit] External links

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