HIS 225: BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY
North Island College Winter 2026
Meeting Times
: Friday 1:00 - 3:45 pmMeeting Place
: Tyee 202Instructor: Dan Hinman-Smith
Office: Trades 112
Office Hours: W 11:30 am - 2:20 pm (or by appointment)
Office Phone: 250-890-2524
Web- Site for Course:
http://www.misterdann.com/contentsbchistory.htm and https://mycourses.nic.bc.ca/E-Mail: dan.hinmansmith@nic.bc.ca
North Island College is honoured to acknowledge the traditional territories of the combined 35 First Nations of the Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw and Coast Salish traditions, on whose traditional and unceded territories the college's campuses are situated. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's final report calls for 94 actions toward restoring a balanced relationship between indigenous peoples and settler communities in this country.
Course Description
The History of British Columbia is a course that explores the social, political, cultural and economic development of Canada's western-most province. We will trace the story of what is now known as British Columbia from before James Cook's arrival in Nootka Sound to the present. Prominent themes will include the history of First Nations and their relations with the European newcomers; the importance of a resource-based economy to explaining the patterns of the B.C. past; the province's ambivalence towards the national centre; and the development of a multi-ethnic society. The course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to become active historians themselves, and thus to develop their research, writing and analytical skills.
Book For You To Purchase
George M. Abbott.
Unceded: Understanding British Columbia's Colonial Past And Why It Matters Now. Vancouver: Purich Books. There is only one required book for this course. We will be using it for an assignment in the middle of the course, and you should purchase it at the beginning of the semester. I have provided a link to a purchasable digital edition above.
Comox Valley Territory Acknowledgement
A Note On
Textbooks: I have decided not to have one core textbook as the focus for our readings. Instead, we will be reading a wide variety of on-line materials. I have integarated NIC Library's on-line edition of Daniel Francis, Far West: The Story Of British Columbia (Madeira Park, Harbour Publishing, 2010) into our syllabus. The book is designed for young readers, but Francis is a good historian, and his simple chapters will help to provide a framework for your understanding of the larger contours of B.C. History.If you would like such a more in-depth college-level text for your own collection, I recommend one or more of the following:
Jean Barman. West Beyond The West: A History Of British Columbia. Toronto: Toronto, 2007: The standard text for most survey courses in B.C. History. Highly informative and rich in detail, but somewhat lacking in overall context.
Terry Reksten. Illustrated History Of British Columbia. Vancouver: Douglas and McIntyre, 2001: A well-done coffee-table history that combines useful text and wonderful images.
Margaret Ormsby. British Columbia: A History. Toronto: Macmillan, 1958: This text was written to commemorate the province's mid-century centennial. Although it is dated in some ways, it remains a milestone in provincial historical scholarship and is well worth reading.
Patricia E. Roy and John Herd Thompson. British Columbia: Land Of Promises. Toronto: Oxford, 2005: A concise and analytical academic overview. See also Abebooks.
Learning Outcomes
1. Describe British Columbia's geography and some of the effects its location and difficult terrain have had on its history.
2. Analyze the history of indigenous people in the province, beginning with their first contact with Europeans.
3. Detail the principal reasons why European men and women came to British Columbia.
4. Analyze the development and consequences of staple dependency.
5. Explain many British Columbians' assumption that good economic times last forever.
6. Account for the province's weak political party tradition and its tendency toward political polarization.
7. Determine the influence of proximity to the United States.
8. Account for British Columbia's long-lived British ethos.
9. Explain British Columbians' ambivalence toward Canada as a whole.
10. Evaluate the province's sharp urban-rural dichotomy.
11. Account for Vancouver's dominance of the province.
12. Assess women's contribution to provincial life.
13. Explain the role of class antagonism and confrontation in provincial life.
14. Trace British Columbia's long-standing history of racial and ethnic discrimination.
15. Assess the influence of sex and gender, race and ethnicity, and class on the province's development.
16. Comment on British Columbia's distinctiveness as a Canadian province.
Tentative Schedule
Week 1
Friday, January 9
a) Course Introduction
b) Video: "Stolen Spirits Of Haida Gwaii" (2004) [79 mins]
Week 2
Friday, January 16
a) Discussion: Prehistory In The News
b) Student Mini-Presentations: B.C. History Scavenger Hunt
c) Introduce Mapping Vancouver Island Assignment
d) Introduce History Surrounds Us Mini-Assignment
e) Video: "Change And Resistance," Episode 1, British Columbia: An Untold History (2021) [58 mins]
Class Preparation And Homework:
1) Complete your Letter of Introduction and either submit through Brightspace or bring a copy with you to class on Friday, January 16.
2) Complete five file cards to hand in at the beginning of class based upon your completion of the Scavenger Hunt and the Reading Assignments listed below. Each file card should be based upon one specific resource and should include a brief summary on the front of the card in sentence or point form and your own thoughts and commentary on the back of the file card.
a) Four of the file cards should be based upon your completion of the BC Scavenger Hunt exercise.
b) The fifth file card should represent your own summary and commentary upon "The Fertile Shore" Smithsonian article.
Student Mini-Presentations:
Complete the
B.C. History Scavenger Hunt.Reading Assignment:
Fen Montaigne, "The Fertile Shore," Smithsonian (January 2020).
Heather Pringle, "Time Travelers: Could These Be The Oldest Human Footprints In North America?," Hakai Magazine (June 22, 2015).
"B.C. Historical Timeline," Far West: The Story Of British Columbia (Madeira Park: Harbour, 2010).
Week 3
Friday, January 23
a) Lecture:
The Cemeteries Of Victoriab) Student Mini-Presentations: Signs Of The Times -- Naming And Representing The Past
Class Preparation And Homework:
1) Complete three file cards to hand in at the beginning of class:
a) One file card should include a summary and commentary upon one resource that you found to be particularly interesting from the Signs Of The Times exercise.
b) A second file card should summarize the research you did for your Mini-Presentation. The front of the card should outline the resources that you accessed. The back of the card should describe your overall thoughts after completing your research
.c) The third file card should focus upon Wawmeesh Hamilton's article on Port Alberni. The front of the card should summarize what you learned from the article, while the back of the card should offer your own commentary.
Signs Of The Times Mini-Presentations:
Research your group's mini-presentation theme (Port Alberni, Powell River, or Judge Begbie and Joseph Trutch) with the resources provided in the
Signs Of The Times -- Naming And Representing The Past Discussion TopicReading Assignment:
Ry Moran, "De-Naming British Columbia," Canada's History (August/September 2021).
Wawmeesh Hamilton, "One Town, Two Worlds: Reconciliation In Port Alberni," CBC News, January 20, 2018.
Daniel Francis, "Chapter 1: The Original People," Far West: The Story Of British Columbia (Madeira Park: Harbour, 2010).
Listening Assignment:
"Legends Of The Kwakwaka'wakw," Ideas, CBC, June 28, 2013. (54 mins)
Optional Extras:
Ann Finkbeiner, "The Great Quake And The Great Drowning," Hakai Magazine (September 14, 2015).
Week 4
Friday, January 30
a) Discussion:
Yuquot/Friendly Coveb) Possible Video Clip: "Jewitt's Captivity And Rescue," Canada -- A People's History (2000) [7 mins]
c) Lecture: The Collision Of Empires In Northwest America: 1778-1853
d) Introduce Remembering The Komagata Maru Mini-Essay and The Places Assignment
e) Possible Video Segment, "Nature And Co-Existence," Episode 4, British Columbia: An Untold History (2021) [58 mins]
Class Preparation And Homework:
1) The Mapping Vancouver Island Powerpoint is due on Sunday. That can be submitted digitally through Brightspace or handed in as a hard copy in class.
2) Complete three file cards in connection with the Yuquot/Friendly Cove Discussion Topic.
a) Two of the file cards should highlight individual resources from the Discussion Topic archive that you found to be interesting. The front of the card should offer a summary of the source while your own commentary should be on the back.
b)
The third file card should briefly describe what you accessed for this Discussion Topic and provide some thoughts about your main takeaways.c) Optional fourth file card: Write about either "The Washing Of The Tears" documentary or about the Narrative Of The Adventures And Sufferings Of John R. Jewitt. It's wonderful if you read the Narrative itself and/or Jewitt's original Journal, but it's fine to have a file card based upon any resources or resources associated with the story of John Jewitt and his captivity for this fourth card.
Reading Assignment:
Browse extensively in the Yuquot/Friendly Cove Discussion Topic
Daniel Francis, "Chapter 2: The Arrival Of The Traders," Far West: The Story Of British Columbia (Madeira Park: Harbour, 2010).
Viewing Assignment:
Video: "The Washing Of Tears" (1994) [54 mins]
Optional Extras:
John Jewitt and Richard Alsop, Narrative Of The Adventures And Sufferings Of John R. Jewitt. 1820.
A Journal Kept At Nootka Sound, (1807) -- The published version of Jewitt's original journal.
Tristin Hopper, "Everyone Was Dead: When Europeans First Came To B.C., They Stepped Into The Aftermath Of A Holocaust," National Post, February 21, 2017.
Claudia Cornwall, "The Suicide Bomber Of Clayoquot Sound, Revived," Tyee (March 14, 2008).
***Mapping Vancouver Island Assignment Due Sunday, February 2
Week 5
Friday, February 6
a) Student Mini-Presentations: Chilcotin War And Land Title
b) Lecture: Gold Rush Era And The Birth Of A Province (1858-1871)
Class Preparation And Homework:
1) Complete four file cards to hand in at the beginning of class:
a)
Three of the file cards should be based upon your group's the Chilcotin War And Land Title Discussion Topic. The instructions for these cards are provided at the top of your group's resource page.b) One card should offer your summary and commentary upon Arno Kopecky's article about the Tsilhqot'in Nation v. British Columbia Supreme Court decision.
c) Optional: Complete a fifth file card that includes your summary and response to either the "Gold Mountain" or the "Secret Victoria" documentary.
Chilcotin War And Land Title Mini-Presentations:
Research your group's mini-presentation theme (Chilcotin War In The News, Klatsassin And The Chilcotin War, Tsilhqot'in Nation v. British Columbia, or Cowichan Tribes v. Canada) with the resources provided in the
Chilcotin War And Land Title Discussion TopicReading Assignment:
Arno Kopecky, "Title Fight -- The Tsilhqot'in Nation Got Its Land Back; Canada Will Never Be The Same," Walrus (July 22, 2015).
Daniel Francis, "Chapter 3: Gold Rush," Far West: The Story Of British Columbia (Madeira Park: Harbour, 2010).
John Belshaw, "2.3 British Columbia And The Terms Of Union," Canadian History: Post-Confederation (Victoria: B.C. Campus, 2016).
Optional Extras:
"Gold
Mountain: The True Story Of The B.C., Gold Rush,"
Storyhive, March 12, 2019.
"Secret Victoria: Rush To Freedom," Storyhive, September 3, 2019 (17 mins)
"CanyonWar," (2006) [53 mins]
Browse extensively in Gold Rush And The Birth Of A Province, 1858-71 Discussion Topic
Daniel Francis, "Chapter 4: Joining Canada," Far West: The Story Of British Columbia (Madeira Park: Harbour, 2010).
Deborah Franklin, "Boar War," Smithsonian (June 2005).
Week 6
Friday, February 13
Class Cancelled: Instructor Illness
Family Day and Reading Break February 16-20
Week 7
Friday, February 27
a) Finish Slides: Gold Rush Era And The Birth Of A Province (1858-1871)
b) Course Check-In -- Remembering Komagata Maru/Places Assignment and the second half of the semester
c) Discussion: Remembering The Komagata Maru
d) Discussion: Remembering Paldi
e) Video: "Hayashi Studio," Storyhive, July 15, 2019. (25 mins)
Class Preparation And Homework:
1) You should complete three file cards to hand in at the beginning of class:
a)
One file card should highlight one particular resource from the Remembering The Komagata Maru Discussion Topic.b) One file card should briefly describe what you accessed for this Discussion Topic and what you found to be most interesting and/or noteworthy.
c) One file card should summarize and comment upon one particular resource from the Remembering Paldi Discussion Topic.
d) Optional: Watch "Chhalla Mud Ke Nahi Aya" and complete a fourth file cards that offers your thoughts about this movie.
Reading Assignment:
Browse extensively in the Remembering The Komagata Maru Discussion Topic
Browse extensively in the
Remembering Paldi Discussion TopicListening Assignment:
Sample at least one episode from the
superb
podcast:
This fantastically interesting and in-depth exploration of B.C.'s early
twentieth-century South Asian history is hosted by Naveen Girn, Milan Singh and
Paneet Singh.
Optional Extras:
"
Chhalla Mud Ke Nahi Aya" (2022) [138 mins]: This feature Punjabi film portrays early 20th-century Indian immigrants to British Columbia working in a lumber mill. The movie stream on Chaupai."Voyage Of The 'Undesirables': Remembering The Komagata Maru," Ideas, CBC, May 23, 2014. (54 mins)
Week 8
Friday, March 6
a) Lecture: Making Native Space -- Colonialism, Resistance, And Reserves In British Columbia
b) Student Mini-Presentations: Asian Canadians And B.C. History
c) Discussion: Japanese Canadian Internment
d) Possible Mini-Lecture: South Asians And B.C. History
Class Preparation And Homework:
1) You should complete four file cards to hand in at the beginning of class:
a) Two file cards should be based upon individual resources from your group's mini-presentation resource archive.
b) The third file card should briefly describe what you accessed for the mini-presentation and any overall thoughts or takeaways.
c) The fourth file card should highlight one particular resource from the Japanese Canadian Internment Discussion Topic.
Asian Canadians And B.C. History
Mini-Presentations:Research your group's mini-presentation theme (South Asian Canadians, Chinese Canadians, or Japanese Canadians) with the resources provided in the
Asians Canadians And B.C. History Discussion TopicReading Assignment:
Browse extensively in the Japanese Canadian Internment Discussion Topic
Adrian Ma, "100 Years After The Exclusion Act, Chinese Canadians Like Me Still Question Their Belonging," Walrus (June 28, 2023).
Optional Extras:
Daniel Francis, "Chapter 5: Resources And The Economy," Far West: The Story Of British Columbia (Madeira Park: Harbour, 2010).
***Remembering The Komagata Maru Mini-Essay or Places Assignment Due
Week 9
Friday, March 13
a) Discussion: Unceded -- Understanding British Columbia's Colonial Past And Why It Matters Now
b) Lecture: British Columbia And The Great War
c) Possible Video: "Labour And Persistence," Episode 2, British Columbia: An Untold History (2021) [58 mins]
Class Preparation And Homework:
1) Complete two file cards to hand in at the beginning of class:
a
) One file card should offer a brief summary of some of the main points you took away from Unceded -- Understanding British Columbia's Colonial Past And Why It Matters Now.b) The other file card should offer your brief commentary upon Unceded -- Understanding British Columbia's Colonial Past And Why It Matters Now.
Reading Assignment:
George M. Abbott, Unceded: Understanding British Columbia's Colonial Past And Why It Matters Now. Vancouver: Purich Books, 2025.
Optional Extras:
Mark Forsythe and Greg Dickson, From The West Coast To The Western Front: British Columbians And The Great War. Madeira Park: Harbour Publishing, 2014.
"Kuper Island," CBC, 2022: Duncan McCue hosts this superb 8-episode podcast series about students who attended a Residential School just off the east coast of Vancouver Island.
Week 10
Friday, March 20
a) Discussion: World War I In B.C. Newspapers
b) Discussion: Royal British Columbia Museum
c) Mini-Lecture: The History Of Vancouver
d) Possible Video: "Catch The Westbound Train," Prairie Coast Films (2013) [26 mins]
Class Preparation And Homework:
1) Complete four file cards to hand in at the beginning of class:
a) One file card should offer a detailed summary of your research for the World War I In B.C. Newspapers Discussion Topic. What did you look at and what are some of the things that you found?
b) One file card should offer your response to this exercise. How would you describe your experience of reading newspapers as primary documents? What was interesting, what was surprising, and what was challenging about your research?
c
) One file card should highlight one particular resource from the Royal British Columbia Museum Discussion Topic.d
) One file card should offer your understanding of one or more recent controversies or issues connected to the Royal British Columbia Museum and should also include your attempt to connect this theme to larger questions about history and how it gets told.World War I In B.C. Newspapers Mini-Presentation:
Research your group's mini-presentation theme with the resources provided in the
World War I In B.C. Newspapers Discussion TopicReading Assignment:
Browse extensively in the Royal British Columbia Museum Discussion Topic
Daniel Francis, "Chapter 7: Hard Times And War," Far West: The Story Of British Columbia (Madeira Park: Harbour, 2010).
***History Surrounds Us Mini-Project Due Sunday, March 22
Week 11
Friday, March 27
a) History Surrounds Us Slide Show
b) Possible Mini-Lecture: The History Of The Comox Valley
c) Video: "Goodwin's Way" (2016) [56 mins]
Class Preparation And Homework:
1) There are no new file cards to hand in, though you are welcome to hand in any extra file cards at this time. It is important that you submit your History Surrounds Us Mini-Project by Sunday, March 22 so that I have time to put together the Slide Show for this class.
Reading Assignment:
J.B. MacKinnon, "The Whale Dying On The Mountain," Hakai Magazine (February 16, 2016).
Dan Hinman-Smith, "The Ballad Of Ginger Goodwin," British Columbia Review (June 7, 2020).
Daniel Francis, "Chapter 8: Boom Times," Far West: The Story Of British Columbia (Madeira Park: Harbour, 2010).
Daniel Francis, "Chapter 9: Modern Times," Far West: The Story Of British Columbia (Madeira Park: Harbour, 2010).
Evaluation
|
Letter Of Introduction |
1% |
|
Mapping Vancouver Island |
20% |
|
First Half Homework Portfolio |
15% |
|
Remembering Komagata Maru Mini-Essay or Places Assignment |
15% |
|
Second Half Homework Portfolio |
20% |
|
History Surrounds Us Mini-Assignment |
10% |
|
Class Contributions and Participation |
19% |
a) Letter Of Introduction (1%)
Write a short letter of introduction to me at the beginning of the semester. This should be at least one hundred words in length and is designed to give me a beginning idea of who you are and how I might best serve you as a teacher, and to provide me with an opening snapshot of the class as a whole. You need not use the following questions as direct cues but they may be helpful. Who are you? Where are you from? How might you begin to describe your community and what life is like there if you've come to NIC from far away? What are your interests? Why are you taking this course? What are your thoughts and reflections as you begin this particular course? Are there topics associated with the course that you know will be of potential interest? Do you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions? This is an assignment I ask of students in each of my classes. If you are enrolled in more than one class with me this semester, a single letter of introduction will suffice, but perhaps mention something about each of the courses. If you have taken a class with me before, please update what you sent me before and send me a new letter of introduction. Submit your Letter of Introduction to me as a hard copy in class or through Brightspace (
https://mycourses.nic.bc.ca/ ).b) Mapping Vancouver Island (20%)
You will learn about B.C. History through researching the origins of place names of different towns and geographic features. The completed project will take the form of a Powerpoint presentation outlining the history of the various place names. I hope that your research will serve as a gateway into exploring the broad sweep of our local history; will further familiarize you with the geography of Vancouver Island and its surrounding islands; and will encourage discussion about the meaning and power associated with naming and mapping.
c) First Half Homework Portfolio (15%)
You will be asked to engage in extensive reading, viewing, and listening activities in preparation for our weekly sessions. There will be regular small writing assignments associated with this pre-class study that you will be handing in on a weekly basis at the beginning of the class. One major purpose of this ongoing assignment is to help prepare you for our class sessions so that you can be as engaged with your classmates as possible. I will collect these materials in individual student folders and evaluate these based upon the promptness and consistency of the submissions, and upon the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of the work itself.
Your pre-class study responsibilities are listed on the syllabus page on a week-by-week basis. The core curriculum consists of those resources listed under the Reading, Viewing, and Listening Assignments and in association with the periodic Mini-Presentations. Those students who demonstrate that they are doing their best to complete these responsibilities should do well in this portion of the class.
I have also listed a number of Optional Extra resources for our weekly sessions. Although there is no requirement that you access these, students are encouraged to dive into these when they have the time to do so. I am very happy to accept additional file cards that go beyond what has been specifically requested and then will add those to your Homework Portfolio.
The Homework Portfolio will be graded twice, once after the first five weeks of the semester, and then again at the end of the term.
d) Remembering The Komagata Maru Mini-Essay or The Places Assignment (15%)
You will be asked to write a short essay about either the Komagata Maru in B.C. History and Memory or to complete a small research assignment upon different local and provincial historic sites. The mini-essay will ask you to explore the legacies and collective memories associated with the Canadian government's 1914 forced removal of Indian immigrants attempting to gain access to Vancouver by sea. The Places Assignment is intended both to introduce you to B.C. History through a focus on specific places and to assess how different British Columbians have interpreted their past and how those interpretations have changed over time.
e) Second Half Homework Portfolio (20%)
The Second Half Homework Portfolio will use the same format and structure as the First Homework Portfolio, and will consist of the file cards from Week 6 through to the end of the course.
g) History Surrounds Us Mini-Assignment (10%)
The History Surrounds Us Mini-Assignment is designed to encourage you to learn about British Columbia History by experientially rather than through books and digital resources. I will provide a list of possible places to visit but you are encouraged to capture local history in other ways as well. The finished project should take the form of a Powerpoint Presentation of at least 10 slides and should be based upon visits to at least three local sites.
h) Class Participation And Contributions (19%)
The class participation grade will be based upon attendance; pre-class preparation; and the willingness to contribute thoughtfully to small-group and full-class discussion.
HIS 225 will combine lectures and documentaries with extensive discussion and informal in-class mini-presentations. I would like to encourage a classroom environment in which all are eager to share their ideas an in which lectures are accompanied by thoughtful dialogue. This will be dependent not just upon your willingness to speak, but your pre-class preparation and your willingness to listen. The significant class participation component derives from my belief that the most engaging and successful courses are not ones in which knowledge is merely transferred from instructor to student but in which a genuine learning community exists in which all participants share their perspectives and insights.
Although attendance is not required, I will take roll, and those who are not in class regularly will both receive a poor grade for this part of the course and deprive others in the class of their own insights.
I do appreciate that some students are shy or for other reasons may find it intimidating to speak in our full-group setting. I do want these students to push themselves to nonetheless fully engage with the class and participate in discussions. I will nonetheless be understanding of these students so long that they can clearly demonstrate to me by other means that not only do they come to class but they do so well-prepared and are engaged with the course material.
Time Commitment
Although the time it takes individual students to complete course responsibilities varies individually, I have set up the course with the expectation that you devote at least an average of 4 hours a week of out-of-class study to HIS 225. I expect you to complete not only the larger assignments but also the regular smaller reading, viewing, and listening mini-assignments and the associated homework exercises. The latter are coordinated with the class schedule and it is fundamental to the success of the course that you complete these before the relevant class sessions so that you can contribute to small-group and full-class discussion.
Late Policy
The curriculum for this course is organized on a week-by-week basis. Weekly discussions and mini-presentations are entirely dependent upon full pre-class student preparation for their success. There is the expectation that you will arrive at the relevant class sessions with the basic required work completed. You can always push deeper into your studies and submit extra materials to your Homework Portfolio after the associated class session for topics of particular interest.
In the case of larger written assignments, I appreciate that there may be an occasion when a very few extra days in the midst of competing deadlines can be helpful, and thus I deliberately assume a good-faith effort on the part of students to meet the due dates and provide a small cushion of flexibility without any academic penalty. That does not mean the due dates are unimportant or that extensions are automatically granted. You should discuss possible extensions with me directly. As a general rule, no assignment will be accepted more than two weeks late.
It is fundamentally important that you set up a meeting with me if you are falling behind with your studies. Please do not come to me at the end of the semester anticipating that you can submit a portfolio of work that will compensate for a semester of academic inactivity. This will not be possible. I appreciate that courses at NIC can be very expensive. However, I have set up the structure of my courses so that those students who approach their studies in good faith and with effort should attain success. Moreover, registration within a course carries with it not just the expectation that you will engage with it, but also a responsibility towards your fellow students. The decisions you make in regards to your approach to your studies will have a direct impact upon their educational experience.
Writing Support And Peer Tutoring
Writing Support is available to all students at no additional cost. Go to Writing Support for any or all of your assignments. Every visit is a step toward becoming a better writer. Use Writing Support as many times as you like, and at any point in your writing process. The writing support faculty can help you understand the assignment, develop your ideas, outlines, thesis, and revision -- and anything else in-between. Book your appointment through the library website, or visit the library desk to inquire about drop-ins. There's also WriteAway, an online tutoring platform that allows you to upload your papers and assignments for detailed written feedback. Both services may be found at https://library.nic.bc.ca/WritingSupport .
Student Technical Services
Our Student Technical Service team is available to help you with any technical issues that you may be experiencing as a student. Please go to https://library.nic.bc.ca/studenttech for more information.
Learn Anywhere
NIC's Learn Anywhere website is geared to provide a collection of information that will help you be successful learning digitally by covering area such as: What is digital learning? How to be a digital learner while using NIC-supported technologies during your studies? A list of key skills and knowledge all students should have for successful learning in today's world, knowing your rights and responsibilities and Technology Readiness Checklists. More details at: https://learnanywhere.opened.ca/
Accessibility And Accommodations
It is the College's goal that learning experiences be as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers due to disability, please let me know immediately and I can refer you to a faculty member in the Department of Accessible Learning Services (DALS) If you have an exam accommodation, it is the student's responsibility to book the exam with the DASL at least two weeks prior to the exam. Please be aware that accessible tables and chairs in classrooms should remain available for students who require them.
Community Supports (24/7)
There are several supports available to help any student in distress. If you are in distress, please reach out for support.
Vancouver Island Crisis Line: 24/7 1-888-494-3888 (
Available to students located on Vancouver Island only)Crisis Suicide helpline: 24/7 1-800-784-2433 (
Available to students located in Canada only)BC 211: Full list of community services available across BC. Dial 2-1-1 on BC cellphone (
Available to students located in BC only).Here2Talk: 24/7 counselling support for post-secondary students: 1-877-857-3397 (
Available to students located in Canada and offshore).Academic Integrity, Artificial Intelligence, And My Approach To This Course
In my opinion, a culture of academic dishonesty currently permeates significant sections of North Island College. Although there are complex reasons for this, its impact upon the educational experience of all those associated with the college is profound.
As a separate but related theme, Generative AI has appeared as a new revolutionary technology within the field of education. That the role this technology might play within formal education is not yet understood and is at present very ill-defined is hardly surprising. Nor is it surprising that many teachers and students may have very different assumptions in regards to what currently represents an appropriate use of AI.
How to balance ensuring student accountability with student learning has always been a challenge. But it is even more so now given current realities and developments. Not surprisingly, many instructors are radically altering their course structures with an emphasis upon accountability.
Let me state my own position as clearly as possible.
In regards to the use of Artificial Intelligence, I agree that this technology has great utility as a research and study tool and that it can be used in these ways in this course. I expect, though, that your submitted work be fully in your own words; to reflect your own ideas; and to be based upon your own direct engagement with the core curriculum, including the course readings and documentaries.
I cannot be an effective teacher if I am working against you or if you are working against me. I have no interest in engaging in such an arms race. This does not mean that I am naive nor that there will be no consequences if I determine that you are not proceeding throughout the course with full academic integrity.
However, rather than attempting to set up the course in such a way that student accountability becomes its virtual raison d'etre, I continue to believe it is best to adopt a structure based upon my own beliefs about what approach can best meet the needs of student learning assuming honest, good, faith, responsible, and engaged effort on the the part of each class member.
We are all connected in a web of learning and mutual influence. As a result of my own teaching choices and philosophy, it is easier to cheat in my classes than in some others. You should be under no illusions, however. The individual choices you make will have a significant impact upon others' experience of this course. And, collectively, it is within your power to sabotage the course or, at your best, to transform the course into something special.
Related Policy
Community Code of Academic, Personal and Professional Conduct (3-06)
Instructional Accommodation and Access Services for Students with Disabilities (3-17)
Student Complaint Resolution Policy (3-31)
Evaluation of Student Performance Policy (3-33)
Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy (3-34)
Academic Standing and Progression (3-37)
Welcome To The Course
