Teaching & research commons (TREC)

The Teaching and Research Commons (TREC) is a collaborative initiative bringing together the EdTech and Pedagogy Coordinator, Academic Technology Services (ATS), the Library and Learning Centre, the Community of Practice for Instructor Well-Being and Effective Teaching (CoP), Accessibility Services, and the Research and Innovation Office (RIO). 

TREC provides an open, visible and centrally located physical space at the New Westminster (NW) and Coquitlam (CO) libraries. These spaces are designed to give faculty a convenient, in-person access to coordinated supports for teaching, research, and learning, drawing on expertise from across these partner units.

 

 

Consultation services

TREC builds on the success of an array of existing consultation services and now provides options to access them under one roof! In-person consultation supports faculty in a wide range of pedagogical needs to enhance your research, teaching, and classroom needs. 

Book a consultation

 

 

Faculty development

The EdTech and Pedagogy Coordinator, ATS, Instructor Well-Being and Effective Teaching (CoP), LR, and RIO currently provide a broad spectrum of events and learning opportunities for faculty. With TREC, we will coordinate professional development activities, targeted workshops, and guest speakers designed specifically to support faculty growth.

Check the TREC events calendar

Are you interested in hosting a faculty development event in one of these spaces?

Please first view the TREC events calendar to see what's happening on dates of interest or use the below room-specific calendars to check their availability on your preferred dates:

• N2100B (flex space, NW Library) 
  N2100B does not have any installed technology. If you need equipment for your booking, please see the Library's equipment borrowing information.
• N2100A (Library classroom, NW Library)
• B1307 (Library classroom, CO Library

Submit your request here or send an email to trec@douglascollege.ca including the below details:

• event preferred date/time
• alternative date/time
• contact info
• event title and description
• event registration link if required
• preferred room 

We will do our best to accommodate requests; please note that these spaces are reserved for events with a focus on faculty professional development and are subject to approval on this basis.

Community of practice

The Community of Practice for Instructor Well-Being and Effective Teaching (CoP) has been designed as a space for instructors to connect - we invite all instructors across the college (including full time faculty, part time faculty, contract faculty, and lab facilitators) to join and engage!

Fundamental principles of the CoP

Instructor well-being matters
A healthy, supported instructor fosters a positive and productive learning environment.​

High expectations, high impact
Instructors aim for students to meet high standards and demonstrate strong competency.​

Time is precious
Instructors face increasing demands—identifying time-saving strategies can help ease workloads and maintain quality teaching.​

Foster connection between instructors 
A strong, supportive faculty network nurtures shared understanding and encourages practical, meaningful solutions.​
Showcasing real instructor stories and strategies brings successful ideas to life and inspires others.

Designed to be flexible and inclusive

The CoP  is designed to be flexible and inclusive, allowing you to participate in ways that align with your interests, availability, and needs. You may choose to:

• Only attend the in-person session.
• Only explore the asynchronous content.
• Engage in both discussion forums and asynchronous content.

Deliverables through facilitated collaboration

The CoP engages in topics each semester that have been co-developed by Design Team and Contributors. Through a structured process of engagement, each topic is developed through the following workflow.
 

1. Module development (build) – The project lead and facilitators create a structured module centered on key topics.
    
2. Asynchronous engagement – CoP members interact with content through engaging, interactive activities.
    
3. Synchronous session preparation – Content is organized and curated to inform synchronous sessions
    
4. Synchronous sessions – CoP Members participate in collaborative discussions and activities.
    
5. Content consolidation & synthesis – Insights from synchronous sessions inform the ongoing development of asynchronous content
    
6. Ongoing access and engagement - The module content will always be available to refer back to and expand on!

Contact

Patty Hambler, Associate Vice President Student Affairs, hamblerp@douglascollege.ca
Cathy Mills, Faculty S&T and Project Lead - wellbeingcommunity@douglascollege.ca
Tim Paul, Manager Academic Technology Services - pault@douglascollege.ca

How to join

1. ​Login to Blackboard
2. Self-enrol into the Blackboard CoP organization

Events and discussions

• Online asynchronous discussions and resources development are ongoing
• In-person and online sessions are offered regularly
• Book clubs, drop in chats, and more!

View and register for upcoming events

The TREC Collection is a collection of pedagogically themed videos featuring Douglas College instructors that are hosted in DOOR, the Douglas Open Repository.

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