Coast Mountain College

Coast Mountain College (CMTN) is an accredited, publicly funded post-secondary educational institution that serves the communities of British Columbia's[2] northwest region. CMTN offers field schools, college access, trades, university credit, health and human services programs. The college is a member of the University of the Arctic network,[3] and Colleges and Institutes Canada (CiCan).[4]

Coast Mountain Community College
Other name
CMTN
Former name
  • Northwest Community College (1975-2018)
  • BC Vocational School Terrace (1968-1975)
TypePost-secondary College
Established1968
Academic affiliations
UArctic, ACCC, BCC
Endowment$24,476,000 2021-22 [1]
ChairNicole Halbauer
PresidentLaurie Waye
Vice-presidentMichael Doyle, Titi Kunkel
DeanColin Elliott (Business, Access Education & Libraries), Kara Loy (Dean of Arts, Science, and Health & Human Services)
Students434 full-time equivalent (FTE) for 2020-2021
CampusUrban/suburban/rural
Terrace, Hazelton, Prince Rupert; Smithers
Colours   Teal & white
Websitecoastmountaincollege.ca

History

The British Columbia Vocational School, Terrace began construction in 1965.[5] The school opened in September 1968, with 1968-69 enrolment reaching 295 students.[6] An official opening was held August 11, 1970.[7] Northwest College was established on the site in 1975.[8] The name was soon changed to Northwest Community College (NWCC) and was renamed Coast Mountain College on June 18, 2018.[9][10][11]

The college had a full-time equivalent student enrolment of 1,271 students in 2011/12.[12] Significant layoffs occurred in 2012 [13] following deficits of over $1.4 million in 2011 and $2.1 million in 2012.[14] The layoffs were grieved. In 2014 an arbitrator ruled the collective agreement had not been followed in the layoff process,[15] by which time enrolment had dropped by nearly 25% to 970.[16]

A new president joined the college in 2014 bringing a rebranding strategy and increased focus on international students. Th college's traditionl thunderbird logo was phased out.[17][18] By 2019 FTE student enrolment had dropped to 699 students.

Totem poles and traditional art which reflect the history of the surrounding territories and peoples are displayed on the college campuses and have been commissioned for groups outside the region, including organizations in the United States and China.[19][20][21][22][23] In 1996 CMTN established the First Nations Council to facilitate direct contact with Indigenous communities.[24]

The college connected to the Provincial Learning Network (PLNET) in 2003. In 2019 the college transitioned to BCNET's Advanced Network, completing the connection of all BC post-secondary institutions.[25][26]

The college is named for the Coast Mountains mountain chain it's territory resides in. The 1600 km range that extends from the Fraser River lowlands to the Yukon. The range is crossed by roads in only 8 places. These include the Hwy 37 between Kitimat and Terrace, Hwy 16 between Prince Rupert and Terrace (also a rail route), and Hwy 37A between Stewart and Meziadin Junction. The area is home to notable glaciers such as Salmon Glacier and some of the world's longest fjords including the Douglas Channel, Khutzeymateen Inlet, Prince Rupert Harbour, and the 115 km long Portland Canal.[27]

Campus

Coast Mountain College (CMTN) has campuses in five northwest British Columbia communities: Hazelton; Haida Gwaii; Prince Rupert; Smithers; and Terrace.[8] Coast Mountain College (CMTN) serves seven First Nations in Northwest British Columbia: Haida, Tsimshian, Nisga'a, Haisla, Gitxsan, Wet'suwet'en, and Tahltan.

Terrace

The main campus sits on 30 acres approximately 5 kilometers from downtown Terrace. Names and signage at the college are bilingual Sm'algyax and English. Buildings include, academic building Waap Sa'mn (House of Spruce), trades building Waap Amgam (House of Cedar), cafeteria and services building Waap Haawk (House of Birch), administration building Waap Sginiis (House of Jackpine) and the 230,000 square foot student housing building Wii Gyemsiga Siwilaawksat (Where learners are content and comfortable.)[28][29][30][31]

CMTN unveiled an $18.4 million state-of-the-art renovation to their Waap Amgam (House of Cedar) trades building in September 2018.[32][33]

In September 2019 Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training Melanie Mark, visited the Terrace campus to announce an $18.7 million in provincial funding for the construction of two new 3-storey student residences.[34][35][36] On August 31, 2022, a totem pole was raised outside the new Wii Gyemsiga Siwilaawksat building. (Where learners are content and comfortable.) [37]

As of 2021 work continues on major projects at Coast Mountain College campus buildings including the top two floors of the main academic building Waap Sa'mn (House of Spruce), the library and student housing with a combined budget of $35 million.[38]

At the south end of the campus stands Waap Galts’ap, the 6,000 square foot campus Longhouse. The Longhouse, constructed in 2006 [39] is primarily used for student-centered and cultural activities and there are various events hosted there throughout the year.

A satellite campus in the Thornhill suburb of Terrace is located at the Northwest Trades & Employment Training Centre (NTETC).[40]

Prince Rupert

Constructed in 2004 with a $12 million budget, the two building campus of nearly 50,000 square feet is located in downtown Prince Rupert. The campus is home to the world-renowned Applied Coastal Ecology program. The CMTN Prince Rupert campus doubles as a campus for the University of Northern British Columbia.[41][42][43] The Prince Rupert campus includes a large library, multiple seminar rooms, trades facilities, a Learning Resource Centre, student lounge, 19 classrooms, two computer labs, two science labs and the innovation lab.

Smithers

The current Smithers campus is located on second Avenue and was completed in 2011 at a cost of $17 million. The two-level Gold LEED facility is just under 20,000 square feet and was built with wood, rock and Indigenous art to represent themes of forestry, resource management and Indigenous culture.[44][45] The Bulkley Valley Learning Centre operates from the Smithers campus.

Hazelton

The Hazelton campus was constructed in 1998 at a cost of $1.3 million, with grand opening held January 16, 1999. The 9,000 square foot building is located at 4815 Swannell Drive serving local communities including Old Hazelton, New Hazelton, South Hazelton, Two Mile, Gitanmaax, Kispiox, Glen Vowell, Hagwilget, Gitsegukla, Gitanyow, and Kitwanga.[46]

Organization and Administration

The Coast Mountain College Board of Governors[47] and Educational Council[48] determine appropriate organizational performance. The CMTN Foundation[49] grows and stewards resources to support the college. The First Nations Council[50] provides direct consultation with First Nations in the college region.

Aboriginal
Waap Galts'ap - Longhouse

Coast Mountain College (CMTN) serves the people of northwest British Columbia, in a region that includes the lands of the Haida, Tsimshian, Nisga'a, Haisla, Gitxsan, Wet'suwet'en, and Tahltan peoples. CMTN through its First Nations Council, has entered into a relationship with the Nisga'a Wilp Wilxo'oskwhl Nisga'a (“Nisga'a House of Learning”) to promote and enable resident of the Nass Valley region to obtain post-secondary education.

In 2020, CMTN added support for Indigenous Students to combat COVID-19.[51][52][53] Indigenous students accessing college programs or services are supported by a team of First Nations Access Coordinators.[54] In February 2022, CMTN's Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art alumna, artist Kristen McKay, was the winner of a Pink Shirt Day design contest held by the First Nations Access Coordinators (FNAC), that is now being distributed across all campuses in the region.[55][56]

Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art
Main article: Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art

The Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art focuses on traditional First Nations Pacific Northwest Coast art. Named after the Haida artist Freda Diesing, one of the first female carvers on the modern Northwest coast, aka Kant Wuss, Skill-kew-wat & Wee-hwe-doasl, who was born in the Sadsugohilanes Clan of the Haida in British Columbia to Flossie and Frank Johnson. Her Haida name, Skill-kew-wat, translates roughly as Magical Little Woman. At the age of 42, she undertook woodcarving apprenticeships under artists including Robert Davidson (artist).[57] In 2000, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Coast Mountain College. In 2002, she received an National Aboriginal Achievement Award and honorary doctorate from the University of Northern British Columbia.[58]

The school was opened in the Fall of 2006 by one of Freda's students Dempsey Bob. The school focuses on carving in the Northern Style, with drawing, painting, art history and tool-making courses supporting the carving component of the school. CMTN offers a certificate and degree program in First Nations Fine Art through the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art at the Terrace campus. This program is the first of its kind in North America, offering accredited courses recognized by the Emily Carr University of Art and Design.[59][60][61][62][63][64][65] In 2021 Tahltan-Tlingit master carver, and senior advisor to the Freda Diesing School, Dempsey Bob, was one of six artists across Canada to be recognized with a 2021 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts Artistic Achievement Award.[66]

Starting in the 2021/22 academic year, students who complete the First Nations Fine Arts Diploma with a GPA of B are eligible for acceptance into the third year of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program at Emily Carr University of Art and Design.[67]

Scholarships and bursaries

The CMTN Foundation supports students through scholarships and bursaries. The Government of Canada sponsors an Aboriginal Bursaries Search Tool that lists over 680 scholarships, bursaries, and other incentives offered by governments, universities, and industry to support Aboriginal post-secondary participation. Coast Mountain College scholarships for Aboriginal, First Nations and Métis students include: Awards for Aboriginal Women.[68] Coast Mountain College supports students and rewards success through their CMTN Awards, Bursaries & Scholarships program.[69]

Notable Alumni and Faculty

See also

References
  1. https://coastmountaincollege.ca/docs/default-source/cmtn-reports-statements-reviews/statements-of-financial-information/2021-2022-statement-of-financial-information.pdf
  2. "Overview". Coastmountaincollege.ca. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  3. "Coast Mountain College". UArctic Education. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  4. "Coast Mountain College". Colleges and Institutes Canada. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  5. "Northwest Community College". Houle Electric. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  6. "Made in BC" (PDF). Douglas College. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  7. "Official Opening of the British Columbia Vocational School, Terrace". ARCA BC. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  8. "Plan, Search, Apply. At EducationPlannerBC". Education Planner BC. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
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  10. "NWCC now known as Coast Mountain College". CFNR. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  11. "NWCC officially becomes Coast Mountain College". Prince Rupert Northern View. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  12. "Full-time Equivalent Enrolments at BC Public Post-Secondary Institutions".
  13. Terrace Standard. 28 March 2012 https://www.terracestandard.com/news/a-hearing-into-nwcc-layoff-notices-finished-today/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. "2012 NWCC Audit" (PDF).
  15. https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/labour-relations/layoff-notices-at-bc-college-violated-contract/291389
  16. https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/full-time-equivalent-enrolments-at-b-c-public-post-secondary-institutions
  17. https://www.academica.ca/top-ten/nwcc-phase-out-use-thunderbird-symbol. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/the-emotional-connection-was-lost-terrace-college-dropping-thunderbird-logo-1.4227834
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  20. "Tribute pole bound for China unveiled". Indian Country Today. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
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  22. "Northwestern B.C. totem poles bound for Minnesota". Terrace Standard. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
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  68. Canada, Government of Canada; Indigenous and Northern Affairs (25 October 2012). "Indigenous Bursaries Search Tool". Sac-isc.gc.ca. Retrieved 5 May 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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