College heard big ideas for the future in community consultation

October 25, 2012

WHITEHORSE – Virtual schools, improved capacity within First Nations’ governments, climate change impacts, and the potential of a much larger, more ethnically diverse growing population, are some of the visions expressed when thinking about Yukon 25 years from now.

This is what was heard at a series of community consultations, held this past spring and summer, intended to inform the next five-year strategic plan for Yukon College.

Between April and June, public meetings were held in every Yukon community and with key stakeholders, including youth and youth workers, the arts community, the mining sector, the business community, Yukon government, plus College staff and students amongst others.

“Over 400 people came out to give us their thoughts and what we heard is that the College is many different things to many different people,” said Paul Flaherty, chair Yukon College’s Board of Governors.

“The development process of the 2013 to 2018 strategic plan is important, as we work to address the broad spectrum of expectations the community and students hold for the College.”

The public meetings were phase one of the consultations for the strategic plan. Phase two is a forum which takes place at Yukon College tomorrow with over 120 invited guests, some of whom took part in the phase one meetings.

The goal of the forum is to have participants engage in a deeper discussion of themes and ideas that came out of the initial community consultations.

Next, the College Board of Governors will consider the input provided and begin drafting the 2013-18 strategic plan. Flaherty expects the final plan to be released early next summer.

The report on the initial consultations is available for viewing on the Yukon College website at http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/about/pages/strategic_planning/

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For more information, contact:

Michael Vernon
Communications Coordinator
College Relations
Yukon College
867.668.8786
867.332.4722
mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca

Jacqueline Bedard
Director
College Relations
Yukon College
867.456.8619
jbedard@yukoncollege.yk.ca