In May, 2016, the Teaching and Curriculum Development Centre and Langara College entered into an agreement with the School of Social Work, University of Calgary, to provide a practicum placement in the area of program development.
For the past six months, Harpreet Chahal, a Masters of Social Work Student in U of C’s Leadership in Human Services program, has been working under the supervision of Janet Douglas, Program Review Consultant and Social Services Worker instructor, to develop a proposal for a credential in Gerontology offered by the Social Service Worker program.
Harpreet has been learning the inner workings of a post-secondary institution, conducting research, meeting with faculty and stakeholders inside and outside the college, and connecting with community partners. Her work has been well-supported by TCDC and the Social Service Worker program’s Department Chair, Division Chair, and Dean. During this process, Harpreet has also been test-driving the first parts of the “New Program Development” workflow and will be reporting out on her experience.
Approval has been received to hire a dedicated faculty member to move forward with the next steps of the program proposal, a testament to the hard work Harpreet has done, and an example of how the college can benefit from hosting and supporting practicum students by creating unique experiential learning opportunities.
“This experience has been rich in learning, not only in program development at a post-secondary level, but also in gaining knowledge in the field of gerontology,” says Harpeet “The staff and faculty at Langara have been so welcoming and supportive in the time that I have been here and I am excited that the College is moving forward with the program proposal!”
We thank Harpreet for her contributions, and wish her success in her studies and future career paths.
– Janet Douglas, Program Review Facilitator and Patricia Cia, Director, Academic Innovation
