Vision

To elevate the post-secondary educational experience in the biological sciences

Mission

The mission of COESP is to:           

1. Foster learning and engagement among the community of educators in CBS  
   • Some examples of how we do this include:  
     • Hosting the annual COESP Day  
     • Hosting the annual TA Training Day 
     • Hosting regular Biology Education Exchange (BEE) sessions 
     • Providing regular communications to the CBS community with timely teaching and learning information.  
2. Promote teaching in CBS that is inclusive, innovative, and evidence -driven 
   • Some examples of how we do this include:  
     • Creating, curating, and disseminating resources through our website & other communication routes 
     • Anticipating and addressing timely challenges in biology higher education through special projects (e.g., AI recommendations) 
     • Providing grants for innovative teaching initiatives in biology education (e.g., Try New Things, SEED)  
     • Highlighting educators who are incorporating inclusive, innovative, and evidence-driven teaching practices through various communication routes 
3. Support educational scholarship in CBS
   • Some examples of how we do this include:  
     • Hosting the annual Graduate Student BioEd Research Award talk 
     • Providing grants to support educational scholarship and dissemination (e.g., Travel & Training grants, BioEd research award, SoTL awards)  
     • Highlighting educators through various communication routes that are conducting educational scholarship
     • Inviting respected educational scholars to speak at various events. 
4. Network with the higher education community beyond CBS to exchange information and ideas and expand our scope and influence 
   • Some examples of how we do this include:  
     • Participating in the Teaching and Learning Network (TLN), an institutional level network to advance educational initiatives.  
     • Complementing the activities of other teaching and learning groups on campus (e.g., OTL, CSAHS tle HUB) 
     • Disseminating our work at regional, national and international conferences through COESP funding for attendees (e.g., WCSE, STLHE, SABER).  
     • Developing relationships and collaborations with other groups across Canada and internationally (e.g., UBC Skylight) 

Values

Underlying all that we do, COESP values initiatives, actions and decisions that are: 

1. People-centered
   • We value the well-being and growth of all individuals, including students, educators, and staff. COESP prioritizes creating a supportive and inclusive environment that respects and values diverse perspectives, experiences, and contributions. We believe in fostering a sense of belonging and promoting personal development in a way that is accessible for all members of our science teaching and learning community. 
2. Forward-thinking
   • We embrace a thoughtful mindset to strategically balance innovative, realistic, and sustainable approaches to transformative biology education. COESP strives to inspire intellectual curiosity and a lifelong appreciation for learning by staying abreast of emerging research and pedagogical practices, while anticipating and adapting to the evolving needs of our science teaching and learning community.  
3. Collaborative
   • Collaboration is integral to our success. COESP commits to a culture of co-operation, open communication, and active engagement to leverage and integrate strengths among educators, students, and other stakeholders. We believe that meaningful relationships at the College, Institutional and broader levels foster the exchange of ideas, enable mutual support, and enhance the collective intellect of our science teaching and learning community. 
4. Useful
   • Our work is grounded in a commitment to making science education relevant and useful. COESP recognizes the range of needs and motivations within our science teaching and learning community, and actively works to provide a variety of supports that are practical, clear and can be applied to real-world challenges thereby contributing to educational progress for all.