OCNews

 Okanagan College and UBC Okanagan are working with the B.C. Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills to expand health care education and training program options available locally.

Last week, the government notified the College of its intention to consolidate the four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at UBC Okanagan, to allow the College to expand its health care programming in other areas. Currently, the first two years  of the BSN program are available at both the College and UBCO; this change would mean that effective September 2023, the program is offered exclusively at UBCO.

“Okanagan College has for many years partnered with UBC Okanagan to deliver the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, and our collaborative relationship is very strong,” says Dr. Andrew Hay, Provost and Vice President, Academic at Okanagan College. “This shift, once fully approved, protects our robust program in the Okanagan at UBCO. It also allows our institutions to continue working together to support even more students interested in careers in health professions, as the College will be able to expand education and training programs that we don’t have in our region today.”

Pending next steps by the UBCO Senate and the Okanagan College Board of Governors, the Ministry says once the BSN consolidation is implemented, it will work with the College to develop health programming in other areas, including providing ongoing funding to OC’s Access to Practical Nursing program and Pharmacy Technician programs and potentially other Allied Health professional programs.

“Our focus over the next few months is to ensure current BSN students at Okanagan College are fully supported,” says Dr. Hay. “If the consolidation and changes are approved by the governing bodies at both institutions, all students currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at OC will be guaranteed a seat in the expanded program at UBC Okanagan.”

Dr. Hay adds that Individuals who have applied to start the first year of the program at the College in September 2023 and who are accepted, would begin the program at UBCO.

“Since 2011, UBCO and OC have worked hand-in-hand to educate and train world-class nurse professionals, the vast majority of whom live and work in our B.C. communities,” says Dr. Marie Tarrant, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Development at UBCO. “With this step towards consolidation, we continue in our shared goal to provide a breadth of health profession programs. UBCO School of Nursing will also support OC students in this transition, and we look forward to welcoming all students this September.

OC students and applicants who may be directly impacted by the change are receiving direct written notification from Okanagan College and can contact registrar@okanagan.bc.ca if they have questions.

Next steps:

•    Between now and September, the UBCO Senate will be asked for approval to expand their BSN Year 1 and Year 2 class cohorts to include an additional 24 seats in each year, the number of students currently enrolled at the College who will transfer to UBCO.
•    The Okanagan College Board of Governors will be asked to approve the closure of the BSN program at OC.
The process to approve the transition of BSN Year 1 and Year 2 delivery from the College to UBCO is expected to be complete in early July 2023, ahead of the September 2023 semester.