Pi U (rvS T I Vam.ixivet ( t^nriiunity C.ollf»yc-i Kinq Lciv/cmJ ("ornpus - Llbrory P 0 Box ?4620 Sin C 1 1 5b fast BrtKKiwoy Vancouver, B C VS ! 4m* u AUGUST 1990 New programs grown from seed Education in motion That's the college's philosophy toward adapting progiams as quickly as theie is a need for change. "Many institutions develop then cumculum by cieating new piograms," said VCC Piesident Paul Gallaghei. "But we have a histoiy of piogiams which are in a constant state of levision " giaduates. As we have discoveied, there is a significant demand for these multicultural woikeis. This program is a fascinating notion, given what is happening in oui community " * Medical Inteipietmg Piogiam. Com¬ bine KEC's ESL Program and CE's expeitise in teaching couit interpreting and translation and you answei the need foi many new Canadians to understand their peisonal medical infoimation and advice The lecent 1991-92 "new piogiam" proposals to the mimstiy provide several good examples. Many of the recommen¬ dations have giown out of campus initiatives which have pi oven successful on a small scale and aie now slated foi expansion into full-status membeis of the cumculum Foi Instance * Intioduction to College Studies. This * Multicultural Woikei Piogram KEC piogiam and piovide a credential foi Langaia As pait of Inteidisciplmary Studies, it would lead to fuither special¬ ized tiaimng and employment in social work, counselling, clinical psychology and education. Othei offenngs foi which VCC is seeking funding m 1991-92 aie: Publish¬ ing Piogiam, combining the piofessional lesources at Langaia and City Centre, Technology Trainei/Managei Diploma Piogiam (an evolution of the Provincial Instructor Diploma Piogiam which is pioposal has giown out of a "Mastei Student" piogiam experiment conducted by KEC's Petei Balhn. The instiuction, cunently not part of the basic program piofile), and the Macintosh Multimedia which would be supplemental to the the wave of the future). moie tiaditional progiams, is designed foi the unpiepared student who has been away fiom foimal schooling foi some has developed an extraoidinanly effective student advocate system. Since 1986, students have taken on tiaimng and activities as advocates for othei students with insufficient skills in English. Says Gallaghei: "This initia¬ tive has been a ten ific success Now we would like to foimahze the tiaimng * Family Studies Diploma Piogiam. Family Studies staited m a small way at time. Technology Program (an updating for Gallaghei said these pioposals aie just pait of a leexammation of the entiie piogiam piofile for the yeais ahead, paiticulaily m light of financial and "We have students who come heie without college suivival skills," said facilities inadequacies Gallaghei "We want VCC to be an Watch foi the Octobei Update when open dooi, not a levolvmg dooi...that's we'll examine this yeai's budget and a unfaii to students as well as being a bad investment. I don't think colleges m by the college and the ministry to geneial aie paying enough attention to this pioblem." mas. unique appioach that is being considered alleviate VCC's annual funding dilem¬ MNCOUl^ER COMMUNITY COLLEGE1^* PAGE 1 CE customers teach the lesson By Gayle Thody Meet Tom and Jeny. Tom is 33, divoiced and woiks pait-time installing blinds. His han is in a ponytail and he weais jeans. He likes studying music and ait Jeny is also in his 30s and a self-descnbed "DINK" (double income, no kids). Jerry processes radio isotopes and woiks with computeis. He likes bicycling, jogging and taking couises in wine appieciation. Tom and Jeny aie two of the 19 people we will meet in the next two nights. We are gatheied in an office on Aibutus Stieet awaiting the first "focus group" lespondents who are due to arnve any minute. The focus gioup reseaich is being conducted by the Continuing Education Division m conjunction with Go-Dnect Marketing and Soma Reseaich Ltd CE wants to know moie about its students., then attitudes, motivations and decision-makmg piocesses Why do they choose VCC? What factors go into their decisions? What do they think and feel about us? We aien't looking for cold, hard data but for peiceptions and feelings. Illustration by Lynda Hurst respondents aie paid a small sum to participate in the sessions, but theii mam motivation is to be helpful, Dan says On the othei side of the mmoi is a coffee table with a laige tiay of fiuit, cheeses, meats and ciackers. Ciichng it is a group of chairs Aftei chatting a few minutes, Dan leaves us to bring the focus gioup respondents into the adjoining loom. focus gioups woik and asks them to intro¬ duce themselves. In addition to Tom and Jeny, there's Sue, 35, single and involved in environmental conseivation; Eleanor, 52, who woiks at B.C. Tel in marketing; Em some, this is oui fn st experience with focus group research and we aie unsuie what to expect. Dan, the focus group leadei from Soma Research, arrives He explains that we aie facing a one-way mnroi. We can see and heai the students but they cannot see oi heai us. They will They file in, looking a little neivous and They aie both single. She sells blinds. joking about the food, the loom and othei He installs them. be told that we aie obseiving them The inconsequencials. Dan explains how Geoige, 28, who is married and a design diaftsman and Gloria, m her 30s, sepa- lated with one child and woiking as a window coverings salesperson. We start with the jokes about Tom and Gloria. Dan starts the conveisation by asking what they think of the term "Continuing What We Learned from the Focus Group Sessions: Education " We leain that they don't like it. "It's a depressing term. It's like theie's nevei an end," Gloria says. * Most respondents consider themselves "life long learners" or "course junkies". * Their course choices are unpredictable and not always linked to pmfessionl development. * Some object to the term "Continuing Education". * The decision-making process is primarily "subject" driven. * Timing and location are secondary factors in choosing a course. * Overall, VCC has a good image - approachable, practical, competent instruction at a reasonable (though not cheap) price and a diverse selection of subjects. PAGE 2 Otheis join in. "I don't like to call it 'night school' eithei," Sue says. "It has a derogatoiy tone. It's like you can't afford 'day school' Tom agiees "Night school has an old-fashioned 50s sound." All agieed that they think of themselves as "lifelong leaineis." They like to refer See next page CE customers from page 2 CE students eager to voice opinions to their CE experience vaiiously as "taking a course," "self-improvement," "personal enrichment" or "going to class." Most of them said they take CE couises as much for pleasure as for caieei enhance¬ ment. As Jeny said, "It's a chance to get away It's a break. Even when it's woik related it can be fun. It only becomes a duty when you are tested."Oi as Tom said, "I considei taking a couise a privilege. I don't take care of myself the We learned a lot about ouiselves some of it good, some of it not so good. But moie importantly, we learned that oui students like to be asked then opinions. Last November, the Continuing Education Division mailed 10,000 questionnanes at landom to students fiom the pievious two terms A usual lesponse late to such a questionnane is thiee to five per cent. We received 2,562 leplies or a whopping They all said they lead the CE couise flyer from beginning to end and compare it with flyeis fiom other col¬ leges. Most agreed they would like the CE flyer distributed earlier so that they The questionnaire was designed by CE m conjunction with Go-Dnect Marketing as part of the division's on-going market research What did we learn from the question¬ nane? We found that we are generally have more lead time m making enrolment well liked but that there is always room plans. foi impiovement Sue said, "I sit down and lead it (the flyer). I savour it...like a menu " As the conversation continued, most Specifically: agreed that they think of themselves as of the course content we offer. (Often because we offei courses not available "course junkies." Their attitude towards CE is enthusiastic and infectious. Eleanor wishes we would offer moie courses in archaeology She's looking for a change of pace from her job in maiketmg. Geoige, the design draftsman, likes to 6 30, (19%) and 9:00 a m to 9:30 on Saturdays (13%) Evening couises (70%) weie piefened to days oi weekends No surpuses If only we could easily book classiooms to suit oui students piefeiences! * 42% of the students said they would travel no longei than 30 minutes to attend a class 25.6% response rate. way I should so I think of this as my time for me." times weie 7 p m to 7.30, (40%); 6 p.m. * 49% of all students come to us because elsewhere). * 13% choose us because of oui locations (Other considerations such as pi ice or "You should be congratulated on the wide range of courses offered at VCC. Sometimes the most difficult thing about taking a course is deciding what to take from so many worthwhile courses in the promotional flyer. Keep up the good golfing and triathalons but wants to take quality of couises, ease of registiation or scheduling were lated as minoi reasons piano courses foi selecting us) When the group was asked what language they would use to sell CE, the ideas flowed: * 43% of the respondents said they plan to * Most respondents—68%—leain about our take CE courses from us "from time to time" while 21% said "every teim " Our couises thiough the flyer while only 13% said they inquire directly at the college for reseaich showed that geneially students couise information. "What are You Afiaid of? Do it!" fiom Tom. work." have no particular loyalty to VCC oi any other institution and that then choices aie based largely on the previously mentioned * The majority of questionnane respon¬ dents weie between 25 and 45 yeais old and held eithei clencal, sales, professional or executive positions. Most have "Discover Yourself," Gloiia suggested. factors—couise content and location. "Keep a Balance in your Life," said * 87% attend classes alone and 78% tiavel incomes between $20,000 and $30,000 George to and fiom class by private vehicle. Only with 69% of the lespondents being women and 29% men. 12% take the bus and 4% the Skytiam. "Stietch Youiself," Sue added. We decided—based on this information— that we wouldn't be tempted to steal oui competitoi's maiketmg statement, "Leain As the session ended and the gioup filtered out talking to one another we discussed our peiceptions. We felt as though we had made some new friends and learned moie about ouiselves pieferences, that they wanted classes on Anothei gioup was on its way in. Tuesdays (54%), Wednesdays (53%) and Thuisdays (45%) Eavomed class start With A Friend " * Students told us, aftei checking several The comments section of the question¬ nane biought a wide range of replies, both positive and negative Many noted the lack of cleanliness at oui campuses (particulaily the washrooms), the diffi¬ culty in finding classiooms, the uninviting appearance of classrooms and the uncom See next page PAGE 3 CE from page 3 fortable furniture. Still otheis commented on registration problems, poor instruc¬ tors, lack of accreditation of ceitain courses and limited support sei vices available in the evenings. Others praised CE for its continued interest in former students, its good instiuctors, and oui flyer (although many said they would like to receive it eailiei) Still others suggested a campus on the west side and other locations outside of Vancouver. Some sample comments. "You should be congratulated on the wide range of courses offered at VCC. Sometimes the most difficult thing about taking a course is deciding what to take from so many worthwhile courses in the promotional flyer Keep up the good work." "The desks are extremely uncomfortable and often the classrooms are quite diity m the evenings." "Your washrooms are absolutely disgust¬ ing1 Of the four schools I attend your school is by far the worst!" "The instructors have been excellent. But the rooms are bare and dull and overly brightly lit" "Better lit parking lot." "The campus bookstore should remain open until 19:00 to accommodate Con¬ tinuing Ed students." "You should send your flyers before BCIT and others. Your college's educa¬ tion is better." "Better dnections in locating the class100ms " "This questionnaire is an excellent idea." Technology puts 'vision' at Betty Nobel's fingertips Betty Nobel, Dmswn Chan of Adult Basic Education at KEC, is blind But technology has helped put hei on an equal footing with hei colleagues In the following article she desci ibes the mai vels of technology at hei ftngei tips I tiavel to woik over a skybndge on a tiam conti oiled by a computer When I arrive at the dooi, I step on the doormat and the door opens automatically foi me. In my office I sit at an L-shaped desk which is clutteied with machines On my left is a computei. When I turn it on, a speech program speaks the mfoimation that is on the screen Connected to the computer is an mk punt pi intei which I use to pioduce memos and documents that my colleagues can read. Also attached to the computer is an optical chaiactei reader, oi scannei, which looks somewhat like a small photocopier Aftei the appropriate softwaie is loaded into the computei, I can place typewritten sheets of paper on the scanner, piess the space¬ bar on my computer keyboard, and the document is scanned, sent to the com¬ my finger as I guide the camei a acioss the page and feel the lettei shapes which aie made fiom electric impulses Reading this way is a slow piocess, but it helps to identify mail which I can then prioritize, scan, have lead on to cassette oi typed into a computer file. putei, and lead to me by my speech progiam Once the file is stoied m the computer, I can use the biaille tianslation piogiam to change the text into chaiacters which I can print on my braille prmtei In this way, if I choose, I can have hard copies of documents to read at my leisuie or take to meetings. useful to us all. My ability to do my job I also have a modem which is a device has been vastly impioved due to advances m technology I commend those individu¬ that allows computers to communicate over the telephone. I will soon be able to communicate with the mainframe and other computeis to obtain financial mfoi¬ mation iclevant to my divisional budget, enrolment statistics and othei useful mfoimation. A biaille wntei also has its place on my desk, and, m one of my desk drawers, I have a machine called an optacon. In one hand I hold a small camei a which I guide acioss a page of print. I place the fust finger of my left hand on what is teimed a PAGE 4 Betty Nobel right touch for the job tactile anay, a small indentation with vibiating dots that foim letter images on All of this may sound space age and fantastic — and it is exactly that. I cannot help but marvel at the inventive people who created the technologies that are so als at VCC who made the purchase of the adaptive equipment possible, so that I may be on an equal footing with my colleagues. Vanous machines will never leplace the functioning human eye with its convenience and veisatihty, but the tech¬ nology does provide independent access to consideiably moie information than was previously available to me So, here I sit, amidst my gadgetry, wondenng when someone will invent a computei-conti oiled cai, oi an electronic eye Who knows what new technology will be developed, oi what I will be able to do next Thanks for the memories of Langara A headline m the June 12 issue of Update stating that I found "animosity" during my stay in Vancouver was misleading. My yeai at Langaia has been a challenging Donor Qumg Ying Lai and his wile, Chian Ymg Pui Lai and enriching one indeed. Although the initial period of adjustment was as hectic as I expected it to be, the results of my stay weie veiy lewaiding. New library of Chinese films I would like to extend my thanks to at Langara By Monika UUmann If you're interested m learning moie about Chinese cultuie, but don't want to read yet anothei text-book, the new library of Chinese films at Langaia's Media Libiary might be just what you're Langara faculty, staff and students as I pre¬ pare to leave this city. What stays with me as I make my pieparations, is the waimth of Langara, the energy and enthusiasm of my colleagues and students, and the veiy generous spirit which is central to this college. I shall think of Langara as a home to me m Vancouver and look forward to my leturn to this beautiful city Au revoir, Langara. looking for. Produced in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thanks, Miriam Packer Korea duimg the 1950s, 60s and 70s, the featuie-length colour films covei a vanety of Chinese film genres including diamas, operas, lomances, adaptations of traditional Chinese stones and swoid- plays showing the exploits of populai martial aits heros. The films have Cantonese and/or Mandann sound tracks and many featuie English subtitles. Too fi agile to be loaned out in then current 16mm foimat, the films aie being transfened to videotape. The Asia Pacific Foundation contributed $5,000 towards the pioject at a presentation ceremony hosted by VCC Educational Foundation President, Sheilah Giant. Quing Ying Lai, a retired film distributor from Hong Kong and a VCC alumnus, generously donated the films to the college A Challenge '89 giant fiom the fedeial government helped m funding the research and cataloguing of the films The transfei project is slated for comple¬ tion in 1991. Meanwhile, you can peruse the annotated catalogue at Langaia's Media Libiaiy International Education and Contract Sei vices, and Hal Hoaie of Continuing Education, is about to go to print for 1990/91. Participation has increased to include Langara, King Edward and City Centie courses and programs, making it the first college-wide publication de¬ signed to piovide course and progiam in¬ formation to Lower Mainland businesses. The publication, now m its second yeai, has grown from twenty-six pages to a total of foity-eight Ovei 22,000 copies of Training for Business will again be distributed through the Financial Post as well as by direct mail to previous business clients The response to the first class issue last year was excellent with many businesses contacting the college with comments like "we never knew VCC provided this breadth, depth and variety of training". The college has developed several new clients from this innovative all-campus publication. Gyda Chud, Senior Program Coordinator for Early Childhood Education, was invited to speak at a lecent Provincial Multicultural Symposium entitled "Action 90!". The Symposium, held at SFU Harbour Centre, bi ought together over 150 government officials, educators and repi esentatives of ethno-cultural organizations. CE Notes Chud's presentation focused on the Foi the second consecutive year, Sarah Rogers, VCC's Program Coordinator for m building positive attitudes and skills for living successfully m a multicultural, multilingual society. First Aid and CPR, will be pait of a five significance of the eai ly childhood years person fust aid team representing Canada in an international competition October 7th in Worcester, England The North Shore team beat out nine other teams representing zones from around the province at the 33id annual WCB Provin¬ cial First Aid Competition Last year, the B.C. champs placed 2nd overall to Iieland at the mteinational meet. Hosted by the Casualties Union of Britain, teams fiom Euiope, Britain and Canada will be competing m the annual event. The first VCC all-campus course and program publication - Training for Business - initiated by Glen Witter, PAGE 5 City Centre Notes The fust class m the new ESL Han dress¬ ing piogiam is doing extiemely well, says Molly Cole. Molly teaches and supei vises the piactical pait of this innovative piogiam, and Caila Pitten concentiates on English language skills Says Molly, "the ESL students are veiy attentive and theiefoie leain quickly " The class has 17 students fiom six different countnes, including Hong Kong, China, Thailand, El Salvadoi, Iian and Vietnam Some have aheady woiked as handiesseis in their countiy of oiigm. Although this is a new appioach to ESL mstiuction, the piogiam has a waiting list KEC West opens doors KEC's thud campus - King Edward West at Frasei and Bioadway - opened on August 3 with Continuing Education's Nuismg and Health Progiam The piemises are expected to achieve full occupancy by eaily Septembei with the Sign Language Piogiam and an ESL class for semois The 7200 sq ft. will piovide us an additional six classiooms and nine offices to alleviate some of the space pioblems being felt throughout the college. King Edwaid West is being leased foi five yeais. The cost of lenovations was paid by the Mimstiy of Advanced Education, Tiaining and Technology. CE's Nuismg & Health can be leached at 874-9923 PAGE 6 KEC Notes Helen Ins Docheity piesented KEC's Music Depaitment with "the gieatest gift that the music depaitment has evei leceived fiom an individual", a Yamaha giand piano Valued at $16,000, the "Docherty Piano" is in excellent condition It is the desig¬ nated chambei music lehearsal piano and will be used m the lecital hall foi twopiano performances Docherty is the sistei of Ian Docheity, an ex-faculty member of the depaitment, teaching music journalism "Our depaitment is undeiequipped and is m need of pianos. The addition of this beautiful instrument will be of major impoitance to our piogiam," said Music Department Head Jerry Domei. Learning Centre hub of activity 1990 maiks a yeai of change at the Learning Centie with the mtioduction of new peisonnel, piogiams and equipment. With Grant Kelly on leave from last Septembei, the team of Wayne Ko, Alison Noiman and Caiol Tulpai, on halftime release fiom theii teaching assign¬ ments, aie piepanng a pioposal to expand the instructional seivices offered at the centie. They have since been joined by Kaien Hills and Michael Daniels as tutois in ESL/Humamties Along with the extended hours of opera¬ tion aie class touis and activity sessions for ELS, ESL Vocational and College Pieparatoiy classes, and CBC news discussion gioups. Incieased instmctional suppoit is being mtioduced to enhance the cunent "diop-in" tutonng. Advocacy role for colleges The B.C Association of Colleges has a new name, a new membeiship policy and a new set of objectives The association is now called the Ad¬ vanced Education Council of B.C. and includes college piesidents in addition to just college boaid representatives It also has expanded its objectives to include "mfoimed advocacy" on behalf of advanced education. Pieviously, the mandate of the association was piimanly that of shaiing information. The council's telephone numbei is 6883571. The staff and location remain the same foi now Purchase of tape iccoideis, books and the fust of a netwoik of computers has added to the centie's value as a campus lesource Was there really life before Xerox? What is the most important labour saving device of the last half centuiy? The computed Automatic washers'? Poptop beer cans'? If the photocopier isn't on your list, maybe it's because of all the time you waste lining up to use one It's that eveiy day familiarity with the photocopier graph", an eighteenth-century gadget, attached to the wiitei's pen and lepioduced its movements on another sheet of lawyei who recognized the need in his own business to make inexpensive copies of documents. Long evenings at the New paper The polygraph was a favourite of York Public Libiary led him to the Thomas Jefferson, who made some design improvements of his own. The most common, and messiest, way of making a comparatively unexploied field of photoconductivity. On October 22,1938, in Astoria, a pait of the boiough of Queens, he produced the first electrostatic image: "10-22-38 Astoria". He called single copy was by letterpiess: lolling a letter between sheets of blotting paper to transfei some of the ink to another sheet. that has placed it m such casual regaid. the process "xerography", from the Gieek xeros, "diy" and graphein. The Remington Arms Company pioduced But considei just a few rough figures on photo-copier use at VCC: The college has two duplicating centies, one at Langara the fust commeicially-successful typewnters in its sewmg machine department m the 1870s. Mark Twain, who expiessed It wasn't until 1946 that technical and financial suppoit from The Haloid Company put Carlson's invention on the right track. Haloid formed a new com¬ and a larger facility at KEC which serves both that campus and City Centie The his disdain for laboiious woik through two centres turn out 18 million copies per year In addition, the general offices at VCC's three campuses turn out some tuck, was avoiding a little hard work of his own m the process. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is thought to be the first (A note of interest: In 1955, Haloid, 600,000 reproductions annually. If we stacked up that much paper, it would typewritten manuscript to be printed as a book. uneasy about the costs of developing and marketing the copier, offered a licence to IBM. IBM's market research indicated there wasn't much of a futuie in photo¬ Tom Sawyer's whitewashmg-the-fence tower well above Grouse Mountain. Carbon paper for typewriters was patented So, what was life like before Xerox1? "I'd spend 50 percent of my time in front of the Gestetner," said recently retired Langara Administrative Manager Shirley in 1872, followed 18 years later by A. B. Dick's mimeograph, a word coined from mime, "to imitate" and graphein, "to write". Cutting stencils and breathing spirits with the woozy fragrance of ether Balmforth. "I used to be with that were added to the job descriptions of machine for hours on end. When we got secretaries aiound the world. the first Xeiox m 1968,1 thought it was great. It didn't reduce or enlarge, but all you had to do was push a button and it made 999 copies! In 1938, Chester F Cailson of Seattle entered the picture Haidly a household name even today, Carlson was a patent pany, called Xeiox, and in 1960 delivered the first Xerox 914 copying, and invested m computeis instead). For the technically inclined, a photocopiei works by placing an electrical charge on a drum-shaped photo receptor and the opposite chaige on the toner, a fine sand which is coated with plastic. A lamp leflects the pimtmg from the original piece of papei onto the drum, which then attiacts the oppositely-charged toner material. "For smaller jobs, we typed with carbon paper. But we'd always be saying to the bosses "you can't have moie than eight copies' because that's all the keys on the While the photo-copier is taken for typewritei could make You'd have to gi anted today as a loutmely used business tool, it has also cieated intriguing possi¬ bilities m the more exotic world of choose carefully which people you would espionage send a copy to, or end up doing the whole thing twice to get extra copies." Here's what James Reston of the New Yoik Times says about the phenomena of government leaks: The history of copying staits with the printing pi ess, but for centuries after it had come into general use, the lack of any other way to make single copies of hand¬ writing sustained the profession of the "copyist", who reproduced originals m his oi her own handwutmg The "poly¬ "The real source of leaks is Chester Carlson, who invented the electiostatic copying, or Xeiox system, which now dominates the fedeial government and in¬ fluences the flow of information in every othei big institution in the country " PAGE 7 Adult learners change along with times Central Admmistiation Secietary were for the most pait dedicated and sincere and respectful of the myriad re¬ Pat May / ecently spoke at the Continuing Education Ceitificate Piogiam Giaduation cei emony, whei e she i eceived hei certificate in counselling skills. Some of sponsibilities and demands upon us as adult learners. They had to balance the knowledge of our conflicting demands hei thoughtful icmaiks follow. against their mandate to deliver education. I am appreciative of the success of that balancing act. We are adult leaineis who are motivated to attend classes undei almost all condi¬ tions to prepare oui selves foi careei change, or foi advancement in our pres¬ ent careeis, 01 for personal enrichment. In the couise of this piogram I have assimilated a gieat deal of knowledge, not only in terms of course content, but in teims of personal stiengths and weak¬ nesses I have had to face my own limitations, the woist of those being selfimposed, which lestnct personal growth and inhibit endeavour. I have had to practise the fine ait of procrastination less and the ait of self-discipline more. Most of us work full-time ALL OF US ARE ADULTS WITH ADULT RE¬ SPONSIBILITIES. Ovei the couise of the past year 01 two, some of us have suffeied the stress of career change, 01 have known illness 01 have been touched by personal tiagedy At the very least we have all experienced the ngoious and often conflicting de¬ mands of work, family and community that plus our schooling. Those who offeied us encouragement and rebuilt oui damaged egos when we failed to live up to the expectations of our mstiuctors, 01 moie particulaily, to our own expectations, deseive oui thanks. In spite of the commonalities we shaie, our motivations foi being here are different Ralph Waldo Emeison, an American philosophei of the 19th cen¬ tury, wiote m his essay on Self-Reliance that "to believe your own thought, to believe that what is ti ue foi you in your private heart, is true for all men - that is genius " I am not aspiring to genius heie tonight, however, Emeison went on to say that should we not speak our tiuth, should we hold back thiough lack of confidence, then " . tomonow a strangei will say with masteily good sense piecisely what we thought and felt all the time, and we shall be foiced to take with shame oui own opinion fiom anothei." I have met interesting and dedicated Pat May time of evaluation ... a time of panic!! Because of my own mid-life crisis, 01 myself reflected back in the minoi of "where do I WANT to go?" otheis' eyes. Mostly I have experienced the excitement of learning, of accepting challenges and carrying on to new confi¬ dence and new stiength. It has been a journey of discovery. It is a far diffeient world today from that of 25 yeais ago when I left high school. It will be a far diffeient world 25 years in the paiticularly are oiiented to personal growth, I do not believe that someone in peihaps being still m the midst of it, I have begun to lethmk "what I am doing", "wheie I am going", and especially, futuie when I leach letnement age. We are an aging society. Most of us are baby boomeis We will be pait of the larg¬ est population evei m Canada to xeach age 65 as one gioup. We will be different from oui paients and grandpaients. We While by its veiy natuie counselling skills the property management or fashion design or sterile supply piocessmg aide progiams did not shaie similar experi¬ ences. Education doesn't happen at only one level The very process is educational and the lessons absoibed permeate into every area of life. will live longei and be healthiei. We will demand moie and will not be satisfied with the status quo, noi will we rely on the dubious and giudgmg generosity of our society towaids its eldeily. As a gioup we will have leal political and social clout. One of the stages of human development around the age of thntysomethmg/fortysomething is that time known as "mid¬ My expenence has been that the Continu¬ ing Education Division of VCC is commit¬ ted to lesponding to oui need. The sheer numbeis of the piogiams and the students enrolled m them is an indication of the life cusis" ... a time of leflection a demand The mstiuctois m my piogram PAGE 8 people. Thiough role plays and presenta¬ tions I have had the opportunity to see While it is true we are gathered here tonight to celebrate completion, for myself and for you too, this is another beginning I expect to carry on with my studies, but even if I don't, what I have experienced in this program has opened new doors. The knowledge gained and the lessons learned have given me the will to open those doors and my life has been enriched because of it.