Interior colleges ensure transferability of writing courses

Okanagan College Media Release

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been reached between Okanagan College, College of the Rockies and Selkirk College that allows students to transfer directly into second year of the Writing and Publishing diploma program at Okanagan College.

“We are thrilled to provide students with this valuable option,” said Selkirk College Dean of University Arts and Sciences, Neil Coburn. “This is a great example of how colleges can work together to provide more educational opportunities and enhance the regions they serve.”

College of the Rockies Dean of Instruction, Laura Cooper, noted "It is through collaborations such as this that we are able to offer residents of the East Kootenay increasing opportunities to advance their education with the fewest barriers possible. This agreement will greatly benefit our students who wish to continue studies in this field."

The initiative is part of the Southern Interior Writers’ Project—a joint undertaking which creates new and improved services for learners through the smooth transferability of writing courses between post-secondary institutions.

The MoU will be in place until February 2014. As part of the agreement, Okanagan College will reserve a total of 10 seats for students coming from College of the Rockies and Selkirk. Students will be required to complete 30 credits, which include a combination of writing, English and business courses, prior to enrolling in the second year of the Writing and Publishing program at Okanagan College.

“This collaboration marks the beginning of the creation of a distinct community of students and teachers of writing and publishing in the Interior of British Columbia,” said Okanagan College’s Regional Dean of the North Okanagan, John Lent. “We have been working towards this kind of partnership among these three colleges for a few years now and are excited by the potential it will open up for sharing students, courses, writers, magazines and presses.”

Participating departments at the respective institutions include: the Arts and Foundational program and Okanagan School of Business at Okanagan College, University Studies and Business at College of the Rockies, and the Schools of University Arts and Sciences and Business and Aviation at Selkirk College.