Selkirk College
EN-13: Community Stakeholder Engagement

The management of Selkirk College is done by the college administration, headed by the president, who is appointed by the Board of Governors. Selkirk College has a Board of Governors which is comprised of eight community members appointed by Government, two elected student representatives, one elected faculty member, one elected support staff, the president and the chair of the Education Council as prescribed by the College and Institute Act. The following organizations/groups are represented in the Board of Governors: McEwan Law, Corporation, Aboriginal Community, Regional District of Central Kootenay, Kootenay Lake Hospital Foundation, Friends of the Family, Nelson Daybreak Rotary Club, Teck Metals Inc.,Yule Anderson, Chartered Accountants. The Board carries out its activities through monthly board meetings which are open to the public. Examples of board activities include: • Adoption of policies for the delivery of high quality instruction and efficient management of the college • Approval of programs of instruction, operating and capital budgets • Monitoring of college performance in key educational and administrative areas • Appointment of advisory committees to ensure continuing relevance of college programs There are more than 70 certificate, diploma and degree programs at Selkirk College and each program is guided by an advisory committee that provides feedback and recommendations on curriculum development annually. Selkirk College is following a renewed Strategic Plan 2013–2018 which required, and was developed with extensive consultation with approximately 500 citizens and stakeholder groups in the communities the College serves. Selkirk College has an Education Plan which was developed in consultation with numerous external sources including: Ministry of Advanced Education, Service Plan, BC Jobs Plan, BC Council on Admissions and Transfer, Government Letter of Expectation, Kootenay Regional Workforce Table, Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute, External reports (employment trends, student recruitment/retention), External partners (advisory, committees, articulation and partnership agreements)

Selkirk has worked successfully with many local municipalities, foundations, individuals, business and industry partners to secure monetary and in-kind support for capital project, collaborate on service projects, research projects, experiential learning and for student financial assistance. In our small communities stakeholders interact with the College regularly. Selkirk College has an Education Plan which was developed in consultation with numerous external sources including: Ministry of Advanced Education, Service Plan, BC Jobs Plan, BC Council on Admissions and Transfer, Government Letter of Expectation, Kootenay Regional Workforce Table, Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute, External reports (employment trends, student recruitment/retention), External partners (advisory, committees, articulation and partnership agreements) Through the building of the Aboriginal Gathering Place, Aboriginal partnerships are being built with Ktunaxa Nation Council, Okanagan Nation Alliance, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Metis Nation of BC and the Sinixt Nation Society. Danica Lee is the Vice Chair on the Board of Governors. Danica is Cree from Peguis First Nation in Manitoba, and is currently working for Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child and Family Services Society with children and youth in foster care. The Board of Governors has an advocacy committee whose role is to engage the community and various key audiences in supporting the college to reach the advocacy plan goals.

Regional District of Central Kootenay Regional District of Kootenay Boundary Columbia Basin Trust Municipalities of Castlegar, Nelson, Trail, Rossland, Fruitvale, Salmo, Kaslo, Grandforks, Nakusp Kootenay Regional Workforce Table Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute, Kootenay Lake Hospital Foundation Nelson Daybreak Rotary Club Teck Metals Inc. Celgar Zaitsoff Nelson Hydro Columbia Power Fortis BC Ktunaxa Nation Council Okanagan Nation Alliance Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Metis Nation of BC Sinixt Nation Society

Listed below are examples of a few projects where there has been successful engagement with community stakeholders. Meeting the needs of the community- Selkirk offers numerous Continuing Education courses as requested and needed by the community. An example of a particularly successful course has been Learning and Retirement. Working with partners- Growing and Learning with Science (GLOWS) program has recently partnered with Selkirk College to help continue building a stronger future in science education for young students in the region. Infrastructure- Silver King Campus has been approved for an 18 million dollar renovation of its trades training facilities and addition of a student commons space that will transform the aging campus into a modern learning centre. Thus far, funding is coming from the Provincial Government Columbia Basin Trust, Western Economic Diversification Canada and Columbia Power Corporation . The remainder of the funds for the project will be provided through a fundraising campaign. Community Leadership and Acknowledgement - We have been nominated for the second year in a row by the Castlegar Chamber for the Green business award, demonstrating that the community is aware of our ongoing sustainability efforts.