Academic Signature

The Douglas College Academic Signature: A Quality Educational Experience

"What outcomes will Douglas College students achieve?"

It's a fundamental question. The Douglas College Academic Signature offers guidance and some important answers.

What is the Academic Signature?
The Douglas College Academic Signature is a framework that guides achievement of broad educational outcomes and prepares graduates for further studies, the job market, and serving as responsible citizens. It's a commitment to providing curriculum that ensures attainment of core learning outcomes that complement course and program-specific learning objectives.

The Learning Environment
Douglas College's teaching and learning environment is part of the Academic Signature, and therefore will ensure the following characteristics are represented in every college program:

• Breadth of learning/interdisciplinary studies
  including a substantial general education component within all career-based degree programs
•  Learning-centred environment
  including student-centred services and utilization of varied learning modes and methods.
• Opportunity to apply knowledge
  including the acquisition of abilities to apply knowledge.
• Academic challenge
  including curricula grounded in research and theory

Core Competencies
The Academic Signature also focuses on nine "core competencies" that are organized in four categories.

Inquiry
Information Literacy
Technological Literacy

Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning
Analytical Reasoning

Communication
Spoken Communication
Written Communication
Intercultural Communication

Citizenship
Teamwork
Social Responsibility

All college programs will be structured to ensure that, upon graduation, students meet an expected outcome level, relative to the length of their program, for each of the nine competencies. The core competencies are not new, but intentionally embedding them in all Douglas College programs represents a new approach.

How is it working?
The goals of the Academic Signature are already influencing development of new and upcoming Douglas College programs and credentials.

For instructors developing or reviewing curricula, a recently updated Framework Document (pdf), defines the expected level of learning for each competency and credential and provides guidelines for implementation of the Academic Signature. While reading the Framework Document (pdf), you may also review samples of the Course Template (pdf) and Program Template (pdf).

The next steps
The next phase of implementation will occur as existing Douglas College programs are regularly reviewed and updated over the next three to five years, as part of their normal review cycle. In addition, the College will externally publicize our commitment to the Academic Signature, informing prospective students and the community of its concepts and benefits.

How do I find out more?
The Douglas College Academic Signature is a key component of the College's Strategic Plan. For more information contact: Elizabeth McCausland, Chair of the Douglas College Academic Signature Steering Committee at mccauslande@douglas.bc.ca