With the campus under construction and students arriving in September, you might wonder what the teaching faculty at Quest University Canada are doing these days.
All nine members of the faculty are new to Squamish, so maybe you've met us eagle-watching, cross-country skiing, rock-climbing, singing in the choir, or shopping at the store. But when we're not taking advantage of our beautiful surroundings, we're hard at work trying to figure out what will go on inside those buildings up on the hill and developing the unique and innovative curriculum that Quest will be known for.
Decisions are being made about all sorts of things - from establishing courses and educational programs to choosing the chairs for the classrooms. It's an unusual situation and a real learning experience for professors - an opportunity to work outside the classroom and appreciate all that's required to run universities.
Some basic questions have to be answered, such as: How big will classes be? How will class time be conducted? And which courses do we want to offer? At Quest we're asking many questions and answering as many as we can!
Thankfully, we already know the answers to the questions posed above. Twenty students or fewer and class time will focus on discussion and innovative learning strategies rather than lectures. Courses will be offered in the arts and sciences.
Students will take 16 required interdisciplinary courses in their first two years covering a variety of topics in the arts and sciences, including world literature, ecology, political economy, and astronomy. In their last two years they will choose a program of study that helps them pursue a specific academic question. In this way we can help all students prepare to handle issues of the 21st century at the same time they can begin to specialize in an area of study and pursue particular career goals.
We're also going to encourage students to learn from the world. It's called "experiential education" and I'm spending some time meeting with a variety of community organizations in Squamish gauging their interest in working with us to develop the program. We are establishing a service-learning partnership with these groups, where students will be able to volunteer with non-profit organizations in the Squamish area and receive course credit for it.
Students will help the community group pursue its goals while they tie in their experiences to their coursework. It's a win-win situation for all involved-non-profits receive free labor, the students get an education they can't in the classroom. It's only one example of a way that Quest will help contribute to community resources, with more becoming available as we grow.
If you're part of a non-profit organization and want to work with Quest on a service-learning partnership please contact Eric Gorham at 898-7442.
