I always hope that, as a result of their educational experience, students are able to imagine the world a better place, and imagine their own life improving. I figured out early on that being passionate about education meant more than just being in the classroom, because all the other things affect what goes on in the classroom. I find the committee work I've done interesting and enlivening, and one thing leads to another. I've learned all these things about the institution, and the way we hope to be defining it, and it's time to apply that outside the classroom. I also really like working with faculty from a bunch of disciplines, as I had the chance to do with the Writing Across the Curriculum initiative, and this is an opportunity to not just be a member of one department.
Visions have to be collaboratively developed in order to work.
I'll be working on building a relationship of trust with the various departments and developing relationships between areas that haven't been together administratively for awhile. I want to find out from this group of faculty what their issues, hopes, and dreams are. Cooke has witnessed and helped to foster the transformation of Fraser Valley College into a university college. One of her personal goals as union president during the early years was to avoid the divisiveness she saw happening at some of the other university colleges. I promised to myself that as much as possible in my role as union president, I would resist this splitting apart of the institution.