STUDENT HANDBOOK 2017/18 This Handbook Is Intended As a Guide Only
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STUDENT HANDBOOK 2017/18 This handbook is intended as a guide only. For more detailed or specific questions, please see www.pearsoncollege.ca or contact Heather Gross via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (250) 391-2411. © Communications, Pearson College UWC 2017 Front cover photo by Kyle Joseph Rear cover photo by Charles-Olivier Levesque CONTENTS PRESIDENT’S WELCOME | PAGE 3 PROJECT WEEK | PAGE 28 ACKNOWLEDGING INDIGENOUS EXTENDED HOME TERRITORIES | PAGE 4 SERVICE | PAGE 29 LESTER B. PEARSON’S ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO 60TH NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LEARN ABOUT THE ANNIVERSARY | PAGE 4 WORLD | PAGE 32 UWC MISSION | PAGE 5 HOW TO ARRANGE AN EVENT | PAGE 35 UWC VALUES | PAGE 6 A TYPICAL DAY | PAGE 36 LEARNING TO CARE FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR COMMUNITY | PAGE 7 LEARNING TO LIVE RESPONSIBLY | PAGE 37 LEARNING THROUGH RESIDENTIAL LIFE | PAGE 8 TRAVEL TO PEARSON COLLEGE | PAGE 44 LEARNING THROUGH ACADEMICS | PAGE 11 MONEY | PAGE 49 COURSE PREFERENCES | PAGE 11 A LIFELONG COMMUNITY | PAGE 54 IB CORE PROGRAM | PAGE 23 WELCOME TO A POWERFUL ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT | PAGE 23 MOVEMENT | PAGE 57 ACADEMIC SUPPLIES | PAGE 25 LEARNING THROUGH CREATIVITY, ACTION AND SERVICE (CAS) | PAGE 25 2 PRESIDENT’S WELCOME On behalf of the Pearson College UWC community, I know you have worked exceptionally hard to I welcome you to our campus, located on the get here, and I am sure many of you are feeling traditional territory of the Scia’new (Beecher Bay) the weight of expectations from your families First Nation, and to a very special year. and communities. Your responsibility to the many people who have supported you is essential to Throughout 2017/18, we will be celebrating the life your success at Pearson and beyond, as is your and legacy of the man whose vision inspired the responsibility to both your school and your creation of this school and whose name we proudly fellow students. But please also remember your bear – Lester B. Pearson, Nobel Peace Prize laureate responsibility to take care of yourself – your good and former Prime Minister of Canada. Sixty years health and clear thinking will help make your ago, in 1957, Mr. Pearson was awarded the Nobel experience successful and satisfying. for his role in defusing the Suez Crisis and creating the first United Nations peacekeeping force. More than 4,000 extraordinary young people from around the world have graduated from Pearson An unwavering commitment to peace, College UWC since it was established in 1974. international understanding and global education They have gone on to become leaders and change is a legacy we share with Mr. Pearson. These will be makers in their communities, organizations and some of the principles of the inspiring International in the lives of their fellow citizens. I have every Baccalaureate-based academic and experiential confidence you too will join them to become, education that you will experience. You will enjoy in your own way, a force for unity, peace and the privilege of meeting new colleagues and sustainability. teachers, making new friends from across the globe and participating in a holistic education to help you Welcome, and best wishes for a challenging and embark on a life of experience, growth and service. fulfilling year! This handbook offers you and your family a taste of what daily life looks like on campus and in the community. It also outlines the commitments we make to you and the responsibilities you undertake as a student at the College and as a part of the Désirée McGraw worldwide UWC movement. President and Head of College 3 ACKNOWLEDGING INDIGENOUS TERRITORIES Pearson College UWC is located on the unceded territory of the Scia’new First Nation, also known as Beecher Bay. The College, together with an increasing number of Canadian institutions, organizations and governments, acknowledge the First Peoples on whose traditional territories we live and work. Acknowledging territory shows recognition of and respect for Indigenous Peoples of both Canada and the world. It is recognition of their presence both in the past and the present. Recognition and respect are essential elements of establishing healthy, reciprocal relations which is key to reconciliation with First Peoples, a process to which both Pearson and Canada are committed. LESTER B. PEARSON’S 60TH NOBEL PEACE PRIZE ANNIVERSARY Pearson College UWC, originally known as Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific, was named in honour of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and former Canadian Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson. Sixty years ago, in 1957, Mr. Pearson was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work in helping create the first United Nations peacekeeping force, and defusing the 1956 Suez Crisis. In his Nobel Prize Lecture, Mr. Pearson asked, “How can there be peace without people understanding each other, and how can this be if they don’t know each other?” In this anniversary year, we will be honouring Mr. Pearson through various celebrations and events in the Pearson College UWC community. His vision of a West Coast international school, together with his resolute commitment to peace and global understanding, helped inspire the creation of this school which proudly bears his name. 4 UWC MISSION UWC MAKES EDUCATION A FORCE TO UNITE PEOPLE, NATIONS AND CULTURES FOR PEACE AND A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. The College is guided by the UWC Mission Statement and promotes international understanding by creating an environment in which students from many countries and cultures are brought together to study, live and to serve the community. 5 UWC VALUES UWC believes that the values it promotes are crucial to achieving peace and a sustainable future. The UWC movement (formerly known as United World Colleges) is unique. It is the only global educational NGO that intentionally selects students from different socio-economic backgrounds, cultures, races, religions and nationalities. They are brought together at 17 colleges and schools on five continents by a common commitment to positive social action and the desire to build a more equitable and sustainable world. Your educational experience at Pearson College UWC will include a wide range of learning opportunities. Among these will be your participation in a residential village, in an academic program, in a variety of regularly scheduled activities, in service, in performances, and in formal and informal exchanges about local and international issues. 6 LEARNING TO CARE FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR COMMUNITY We are committed to supporting the well-being of all students. At the core of the Pearson program is a need for you to be conscious about your personal health and wellness and the overall well-being of the community. Given the overall hectic nature of life at the College, you may find this to be the most challenging aspect of your time here. You will need to work hard to ensure that you get adequate sleep, regular physical exercise, and time for reflection. If you don’t take care of yourself, taking care of others and meeting the challenges of the program becomes very difficult. Alongside taking care of yourself, you will need to reflect on your role within the Pearson Community and your participation in all aspects of the program. This will include thinking about how you interact with others and taking responsibility to build a respectful, joyful community. 7 LEARNING THROUGH RESIDENTIAL LIFE Being part of this community means actively participating in the well-being of the community. You will be expected, individually and with other members of the community, to live by the values upon which the College was founded. There might be aspects of residential life with which you may be unfamiliar at first, like living with three other students in one room and in a community of people from all around the world. This is another important part of our intentional learning environment. Student Support Life at Pearson College is energetic, busy and full of choices. To assist you through all of this, and to offer personal support, there are a number of people and structures in place. Be aware that you are expected to check your email at least once a day as this is an important way to communicate at the college. Your room, where you will have a desk, a bed and a closet, is a place to relax and rejuvenate from the busy schedule at the College. There are 10 rooms in each residential house and each room is usually shared 8 by one Canadian student and three students from various additional countries. Each house has two Houseparents who are responsible for the smooth running of the residence. These people are typically teachers, staff members, or partners and often have families who live with them. They are available to offer a wide range of support for you and help organize events for the whole house. Just like in your own home, at Pearson there are tasks that need to be done so everyone can live well together. You will assist with washing dishes and keeping your room and shared spaces clean and welcoming. Since everyone helps in this way, there is a communal sense of ownership of Pearson’s beautiful campus. Besides your Houseparents, other adults are available to help you in different ways. For example, you will have an advisor to assist you with balancing your program. This person is usually a teacher and is available for personal and academic support. The school employs a full-time Health Centre nurse who has access to a full range of healthcare professionals and community support networks, including mental health and other wellness counsellors. The Dean of Students is a teacher who works to promote and preserve the health and well-being of student and community life at the College.