Despite operating in Âé¶¹AV since its founding in 1963, and working with the city on many projects over the years, Okanagan College has signed a memorandum of Understanding with the City of Âé¶¹AV to “cement the relationship and reinforce the value of ongoing collaboration.â€
The MOU, signed Monday at Âé¶¹AV city hall by college president Jim Hamilton and Âé¶¹AV Mayor Colin Basran, is aimed at enhancing the relationship between the college and the city, says a city staff report to council. It specifically talks about areas of future collaboration such as:
• Applied research, learning and innovation
• Land use, infrastructure and campus planning
• Community involvement and volunteerism
• Operation, programming and services
• Sustainability practices and programs
In his remarks, Hamilton pointed to the long history the city and college share working together, noting city involvement with a number of recent building projects on campus such as the college’s student learning centre and its new trades centre.
The MOU is described as a non-binding agreement between the two parties that will live on indefinitely and be managed by designated liaisons between the city and college. The MOU will be reviewed every five years.