Areas of Need

Catholic Higher Education is a vital feature of the Church’s mission and life.

The Synod of the Archdiocese of Vancouver stressed the importance of developing Catholic higher education institutions to meet the pressing needs of churches and schools for ministerial and professional development. Post-secondary Catholic liberal arts education contributes invaluably to developing the leaders of tomorrow who are reflective, life-long learners, able to address professional, social and spiritual challenges of our world today. In contrast to Catholic schools and to public post-secondary institutions, Catholic post-secondary colleges in British Columbia do not receive any government funding. Therefore, in addition to revenues from tuition, the Colleges must rely upon the steady help of supporters and donors who contribute to the operations and capital development requirements.

 AREAS OF NEED

• Expand Scholarships and Bursaries offerings to meet the needs of a growing and diverse student population.
  
• Provide ongoing Program and Faculty Development to deliver quality foundational education in the Catholic tradition and in-line with the messaging of Pope Francis.
  
• Enhance personalized Quality Advising to students in support of their personal and career goals.
  
• Implement Innovative and Flexible Program Delivery.
  
• Improve and expand Capital infrastructure. 
  

Undergraduate Liberal Arts Education

Corpus Christi Catholic College was founded in 2000 as a society for advanced Catholic education. The College provides a liberal arts education where young people can undertake their first two years of university, exploring liberal arts subjects of English, Philosophy, History and Religious Studies, Business and other courses in a faith-based transferable college program. The College offers transfer courses under the auspices of the British Columbia Association of Academic Transfer (BCAAT). This enables Corpus Christi students to transfer freely to the university of their choice for the final years of their undergraduate degrees. Additionally, the BC Ministry of Advanced Education recently awarded Corpus Christi College the ability to offer an Associate of Arts degree. This exciting new two-year degree program option was launched in September 2011.

Corpus Christi is focused on students. To attract and support young people from all walks of life who will develop and thrive as part of the Corpus Christi community, the College needs funds to provide essential scholarships and bursaries. We are working on improving services to students on all fronts. These efforts include upgrading technology, classrooms, and access to student advisors and activities. Funding is also needed for full time faculty appointments to broaden the course offerings. A core group of highly qualified faculty will also help Corpus Christi attract some of the brightest young people as they graduate from BC’s high schools. The most immediate staffing needs for Corpus Christi College are a Dean of Liberal Arts, the full time faculty members in the five Liberal Arts core areas: Religious Studies, Philosophy, English, History, and one area of specialization, and some support personnel.

By engaging first class lecturers on a part-time basis, Corpus Christi continues to offer a fairly wide range of courses in:

• Humanities
  Religious Studies, Philosophy, English, History, Film, Classical Studies, Latin American Studies, French, Spanish, Social Justice and Peace Studies
  
• Business
  
• Social Sciences
  Anthropology, Psychology, Political Science
  
• Sciences
  Mathematics, Biology, and Physics
  

Corpus Christi College invites and directs students to excel in all areas of intellectual growth, including academics, personal virtue and service to others. It does this in large part due to our qualified and dedicated faculty and staff, engaging and dynamic instruction, strong student advisory support, and - for students enrolled in Theological Studies - access to a variety of programs and services of the University of British Columbia.

The integration of education with personal and spiritual development is also reflected in other areas of student academic life, including:

• giving service learning opportunities both locally and abroad
  
• providing supportive environments for discussing and debating important and complex issues of our time that demand critical thinking guided by faith and morals
  
• directing students to make a difference in today’s world as ‘servant leaders’
  
• inspiring students to make a hopeful and constructive contribution, and providing them with the necessary skills and tools to do so 
  

Campus Ministry

The Campus Ministry of the Colleges has operated out of St. Mark’s for many years, and is a dynamic, evangelistic, and pastoral presence to the wider Catholic and non-Catholic community of the University of B.C. The Campus Ministry offers many programs and services, including: celebration of Sunday and weekday Eucharist; celebration of Reconciliation and other Sacraments; prayer and worship events and devotions; spiritual and pastoral support, retreats, discussions, lectures and presentations on various topics and themes. The Campus Ministry also is home to several Catholic groups and organizations, including the Newman Club, Development and Peace, and a student Knights of Columbus council. All of these programs are in great need of support.

Our Five-Year Vision

IMPROVEMENT OF THE COLLEGES’ FACILITIES ON CAMPUS to ENHANCE FURTHER GROWTH

In addition to enhancing operations of the two Colleges and the Campus Ministry Program, the Catholic Colleges will soon require the first of a two-phase capital development plan. This phase will expand the campus facilities through construction of a building adjoining the existing campus building. These new facilities will: 

• enhance delivery of course and program offerings
  
• provide for student community building and activities
  
• provide facilities that enable the Colleges to host diocesan and community programs and events
  
• give a focus for Catholic intellectual life and activity
  

The first phase will feature a three-story building that will include Level I – Lecture Theatre, Common Student Life Center; Level II – two large classrooms, seminar/conference room, administration support; Level III – two large classrooms, seminar/conference room, roof terrace.

CONCLUSION

The Catholic Colleges of St. Mark’s and Corpus Christi have come a long way in establishing themselves as institutions of Catholic higher education in the Archdiocese of Vancouver and the province of British Columbia. Our success has been augmented by the extension of our geographical reach both locally – through programs such as “Running Start” in many of our Catholic high schools–and internationally–by including international students and service learning opportunities in Tanzania, Guatemala and Nicaragua. The growth and success of the Colleges are critical in the coming years. Strong Catholic faithbased educational support at the post-secondary level is needed more than ever as adults and our young people face social and educational environments that are characterized by increasing secularity. We ask for your support going forward as the need is great and our current operations have proven that our fiscal and business plan is manageable.

OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO

• Develop major Theology program areas: Theology Studies; Religious Education; Pastoral Studies
• Fund specific full-time faculty positions
  
• Expand and develop core liberal arts program areas: Religious Studies, Philosophy, English, History
• Provide generous undergraduate and graduate scholarships and bursaries to ensure that we continue to attract outstanding students and ensure that deserving students have the means to attend our Colleges
• Hire communications personnel
  
• Invest in Technology and Web development
  
• Expand our recruitment programs
  
• Develop specializations in offerings in scripture, ethics, and spirituality
  
• Develop comprehensive advising programs
  
• Expand and develop corollary program areas: Classical Studies, Business, French, Spanish, Social Justice and Peace Studies; the Social Sciences – Anthropology, Psychology, Political Science; the Sciences – Mathematics, Biology, Physics; Film
• Develop systematic distance learning
  
• Identify and implement an appropriate research and publications program
  
• Implement the long awaited “Millennium Project” for the Dr. John Micallef Memorial Library
  
• Implement the new Diaconate formation program of the Archdiocese of Vancouver
  
• Develop and implement an appropriate doctoral degree program in Theology
  
• Continue providing outstanding campus ministry outreach to the wider student and academic community. This includes ongoing support for the chaplaincy and staff position(s), sacramental and liturgical life, retreats, presentations and other events
• Expand our facility, which features providing: a large theatre lecture hall, student activity center, and student residences