Papers in PDF format

A unified NBCC-wide (and hopefully integrated with all the provincial secondary schools and universities)
student records system including all campuses will be a key component of the on-line initiative. This system
will include facilities for on-line registrations and payment of fees. Student loan information and applications
will also be available, with the option for students of completing the forms on-line. A system-wide student
support network including guidance, special help and other services, will be readily accessible to all students
whether on campus or at a distance. A competency-based testing system is being implemented in order to
ensure standards across the system and also to ensure that students are trained to internationally acceptable
standards in whatever field they are pursuing. A common system for accreditation, and recognition of life
experience and outside credits has been developed. This system will address the articulation of courses
between universities and the College, and between the schools and the College. An approach that encourages
collaboration with the private sector and other colleges outside the province for the effective sharing of
resources is being fostered.
Virtual Campus Programs
The Virtual Campus will take advantage of other available technologies. Many programs may be integrated
with on-site programs. Full-time and part-time students would be using the Virtual Campus for some
proportion of their studies. The first programs now being developed for delivery through the Virtual Campus
are based on new courses in Multimedia, and in French: Bureautique. The Virtual Campus is focusing on
specific programs like these that are identified as being more amenable to on-line delivery. In collaboration
with four other provinces, a nation-wide course in Information Technology is now being developed. Each
province will create one module that will be shared by all the participants. It will be available in September
1996 in French and English. This will be followed up with the development of other courses, leading to a full
program, following from this initial introductory course.
In addition, there is an acute need for staff training, now that the Virtual Campus infrastructure is being
implemented.. There are individual teachers and other staff in all campuses that are familiar with the new
environment. The challenge is to build on this base and expand out so all teachers will feel comfortable when
navigating in cyberspace. After the installation of the telecommunications and software infrastructure,
effective staff training is the key element in the building of the Virtual Campus. The programs that we develop
can be doubly used to train teachers. Moreover, those teachers who are involved in the development of online
programs will form the cadre of experienced cyber professionals that are needed to build the Virtual Campus
and transform the provincial community college system.
Conclusion
When the NBCC makes programs available on the World Wide Web, they will be accessible from anywhere in
the world. New Brunswick students will be accessing courses on line whether the Virtual Campus exists or
not. Students will be able to choose these programs from all over the world. New Brunswick has a
technological lead over other jurisdictions in the physical telecommunication infrastructure, based on the
penetration of digital optical fibre laid down by NBTel to every community in the province, and access to more
than 93% of homes through Fundy Cable. Moreover, the province is small enough to be able to move
quickly.
Initiating change in large organizations can be problematic. Bureaucracies are stable systems, and in normal
times this is considered very positive. However, in times of great change, this stability can prove to be an
insurmountable obstacle to bringing in required changes. One way of introducing change is by adding on a
process or system rather than trying to force change within. By focusing resources on the new system, the
change agents can establish a beachhead within the main system that can then be used to promote change in
the main organism. New processes or systems that are unknown to those within the system often have a better
chance of success, because they are not seen as threatening.
The WWW can be used to implement new NBCC programmes that are not threatening to the organization. By
focusing on new programmes, we can also use them as test beds to help us in the design of the new
environment. These test beds can be used to demonstrate the viability and the limitations of the environment.
The lessons learned from the Virtual Campus initiative can then be used when we broaden the environment to
encompass other programs and move toward full integration of the online courses into the traditional campus
programs.