TERRACE – Northwest Community College is entering its final stage of engagement with community to discuss its proposed new name – Coast Mountain College.
The new proposed name comes after two years of research and an extensive strategic planning process that involved staff, faculty, students, alumni and community members. The strategic planning process aimed to identify short- and long-term milestones that will support the college’s goal of becoming the college of choice for experiential place-based learning by 2027.
“The work we did with staff, students and community around the strategic planning process really demonstrated that the core purpose of the college is to create adventurous pathways to transform lives,” says President and CEO Ken Burt.
“Our students are learning in some of the most unique classrooms in the world – from oceans and glaciers, to First Nations language classes and culturally significant locations in the region. Our unique field schools are giving students a chance to bring their studies to life outside the four walls of a traditional classroom.”
In conjunction with the strategic planning process, the college underwent a branding and renaming exercise that would support the strategic vision of the institution.
A list of more than 30 proposed names started the naming exercise in 2016. After engaging with staff, students, alumni and community members, that list was narrowed down to four proposed names: Sitka College, Skeena College, Northcoast College and Coast Mountain College.
The majority of those surveyed preferred Coast Mountain College, suggesting it was inclusive, speaks to the rugged and sprawling area of the province that the college serves and is aspirational in nature.
College representatives are embarking on a three-week engagement period with key members of the college community throughout the region, to determine the level of support for the proposed name change. When that process is finished, letters of support will be forwarded to the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training along with a formal request to change the college’s name.
