Towards a new governance framework for BCcampus

      General

At BCcampus, we are embarking on an exciting new phase of activities, guided by a strategic advisory council (SAC) that will assist us in charting an innovative path forward.

The Ministry of Advanced Education established BCcampus in 2002 in response to the need for a provincial strategy for on-line learning. Our mission was to “bring together the expertise and resources of all of British Columbia’s Public Post-Secondary Institutions into a new collaborative model for distance education.”

During the past eight years the landscape of educational technology has certainly changed – so much that teaching and learning practices have been affected and in some cases disrupted. That shift has challenged BCcampus and our system partners to continually explore and assess new capabilities for enhancing the learning experiences of BC post-secondary students. This “techo-churn” continues at a pace that requires us to be agile in our response to even newer opportunities such as the social web and the growth in capability of mobile devices. In this context, BCcampus plays a leadership role by identifying, developing, implementing and promoting information and communication technologies (ICTs) that benefit the entire post-secondary system.

Current governance structure

When we started our work in 2002, BCcampus was guided by an Implementation Steering Committee (ISC) of Vice Presidents Academic from the research universities, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) from colleges and institutes, private sector advisors, faculty and students.

Currently, the Ministry of Regional Economic and Skills Development (RESD) provides oversight and primary funding for BCcampus.

BCcampus operates through a service contract with Simon Fraser University. We adhere to SFU administrative policies on matters such as procurement of goods and services and human resources practices.

We have grown since 2002. We have developed and acquired intellectual property, technology infrastructure, and software assets. Services developed by BCcampus have been implemented and are now operating on an ongoing basis.

In order to provide optimal service to students, faculty and institutions, we need to keep maintaining and renewing our services and technologies.

The need for a new governance framework

BCcampus and its Strategic Advisory Council are exploring a more formal governance framework to enable BCcampus to evolve. We have an eye on meeting our long-term mandate, which includes the need to manage intellectual property, own and manage technology assets, organize system-wide consultations, and form partnerships with other entities.

The governance framework will also define the relationship between BCcampus and the BC post-secondary system, including formal recognition of the BCcampus mandate as a service provider and a facilitator of system-wide consultations and services.

Timeframe

The creation of a new governance framework will take approximately a year and will involve a number of steps:

  • An interim governance framework for the 2010-2011 fiscal year
  • The interim framework will allow for consultations toward developing a new governance framework to take effect during the 2011-2012 fiscal year.
  • The new framework, endorsed by the Strategic Advisory Council will be proposed in a report from BCcampus to the Ministry.
  • Once the new framework is approved by the Ministry, ALMD and BCcampus will jointly implement it. This will include appointing advisory bodies, completing any required MOUs, contracts and staff assignments.

We’ll shortly be inviting input and feedback from system partners on our proposed strategic plan and governance framework.

Strategic Advisory Council members:

  • Dr. Anna Kindler, UBC
  • Dr. William Krane, SFU
  • Dr. Scott McAlpine, Douglas College
  • Ms. Judith Murray, TRU OL
  • Dr. Ralph Nilson, VIU
  • Dr. Nicholas Rubidge, CoTR
  • Susan Brown – Executive Director, Strategic Policy and Initiatives, Ministry of Regional Economic and Skills Development (RESD)
  • Dawn Minty – Executive Director, Agencies & Quality Assurance, Ministry of Regional Economic and Skills Development (RESD)

For further information: