Chair's Message
Message from the Chair
2010-2011
Values and Visions
Welcome to Kwantlen’s Psychology Department. Our faculty are united by three common values and visions:
Passion for the science and art of psychology
Commitment to excellence in teaching and scholarship
Desire to build a positive, fair, and healthy workplace
Our Faculty
Our department consists of 25 full-time faculty and several contract faculty. We have diverse representation in terms of cultural backgrounds, age distribution, and educational training. We have representation in over 16 core areas of psychology including biopsychology, clinical/counseling, cognitive, developmental, evolutionary, health, human factors/ergonomics, industrial/organizational, quantitative/methods, environmental and social/personality. We have degrees from Canada, the U.S., Belgium, Germany, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Scotland, Switzerland, and the U.K. This diversity enriches our teaching, our scholarship, and our workplace.
Our Teaching
We take great pride in our student-centered approach to learning and our commitment to student success. Our classes are designed with high faculty-to-student ratios (35 students or less) to promote a more engaged, intimate, and interactive learning environment. Our faculty are experts in their respective fields with a passion and talent for teaching. Teaching excellence is nurtured through our new faculty mentorship program, professional development activities, a Teaching Excellence group, a Psychology Lab, and participation in the initiatives of our Centre for Academic Growth. The department hosts the very successful International Conference on the Teaching of Psychology Conference, and a the Connecting Minds National Undergraduate Student Research Conference
Our Degrees
We offer a 2-year Associate of Art Degree, an innovative 4-year Bachelor of Applied Arts (Psychology) Degree (BAA), a traditional 4 year Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA) with a major or minor option., and a new 4-year BSc Degree in Applied Psychology. An Honours program is available for all three of our 4-year degrees and is recommended for those with a strong research orientation or an interest in graduate school. Our BAA degree gives graduates the knowledge and relevant skills in applied psychology that are desired in many workplace settings. Recent graduates have found successful employment in the private sector, government, and non-governmental organizations. Several of our BAA graduates have won national scholarships to attend graduate school and other professional programs. Our BA degree offers a wide range of courses in 5 thematic areas: biopsychology, clinical/abnormal, cognition, developmental, and social/personality. The BSc. utilizes curriculum from for the BAA and BA.
Research & Scholarship
Many of our faculty are involved in research and scholarship. Our faculty have published in prestigious journals such as Nature, Science, Psychological Science, and Human Factors; we have won grants from agencies such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council; and we have presented at conferences such as The International Congress of Psychology, Psychonomics, and the Human Behavior & Evolution Society. Our commitment to research enhances our students’ learning experiences by ensuring that we are current in the latest psychological ideas, findings, and technologies. This nexus of teaching and research is put on display at our annual Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference, entering its 5th year in 2009.
Kwantlen Psychology Society & Psychology Alumni Association
In 2003, students and faculty created the Kwantlen Psychology Society (KPS) to encourage school spirit among students. Since then, the KPS has evolved into the most successful student society on campus with over 400 members, a 9-member executive team, a faculty advisor, and a user-friendly website www.kpsociety.ca. The KPS hosts events such as pub nights, a CinemaPsych movie and discussion night, and information sessions on graduate school, Graduate Record Exams, APA style, and careers. The KPS is also involved in charitable services to the wider community.
Our department is also proud to have an active Psychology Alumni Association. An important goal of the Alumni Association is to utilize the connections and advice of past students to widen the opportunities of current students. This year the Alumni Association intends to launch a fund-raising campaign for the purpose of creating an undergraduate scholarship.
Work/Life Balance
We strive to offer an exceptional work environment built on the principles of positive psychology. Our goal is a workplace that is fair, relevant, engaging, and provides meaningful opportunities. We support each other’s initiatives and celebrate each other’s accomplishments (see our newsletter, Synapse). Once a year, we recharge and recommit to our values and visions at a 3-day retreat. Our work schedules seek to balance the equation between work life and personal life. Our department culture is one of collegiality, respect, and consensus building. In short, we strive to put the best and latest of psychological theory into meaningful practice.
Dr. Kevin Hamilton
Chair and Professor of Psychology
Kevin.Hamilton@kwantlen.ca
