Cathy Converse-Kess: Pioneering College Educator

and Award Winning Author

In 1971, a significant transformation took place at

the Institute of Adult Studies (IAS), a place where I
had the privilege of being a teacher. It underwent
a complete metamorphosis and emerged as
Camosun College, part of the small but growing
number of community colleges that would shape
the landscape of post-secondary education in the
region. At the heart of this transformative journey
was Alan Beaty, the principal of IAS and the
person who had hired me. Alan Beaty’s dedication
and vision played a pivotal role in the
establishment of Camosun College as a
pioneering force in education.

As we made the transition to Camosun College,

many of us brought along our BC teaching
certificates and graduate degrees, eager to
embrace the new opportunities that awaited us.
However, the speed of the transition left us with
little time to prepare for our new courses.
Consequently, I often found myself just one step ahead of my students in terms
of course material. Working within the Social Sciences division, my
responsibilities encompassed teaching both
university and grade 12 sociology and Canadian
studies courses. Most of us were the sole instructors
in our disciplines. During this period of transition
there were exceptional individuals who left a lasting
impact on our division, and among them, Pat Floyd
shone brightly. Pat, having previously taught
Geography at IAS, assumed the position of
Coordinator of Social Sciences and later became
the Director of Liberal and Applied Arts at Camosun,
playing a vital role in providing invaluable guidance
and direction to our division.

The establishment of Camosun College marked the

beginning of a thrilling journey to pioneer post-
secondary education in the province. As a novel
concept in the educational landscape, we embarked
Pat Floyd
on the exhilarating mission to distinguish ourselves from traditional universities
and build an inclusive and supportive post-secondary system. The experience
was profoundly rewarding, as many of my students were pioneers within their
families, venturing into higher education for the first time. The small size of the
college fostered a close-knit community, where we all knew each other, creating
an atmosphere of support and camaraderie. However, as the college began to
grow, we gradually separated into our individual disciplines and areas of
expertise.

In the early years, I was fortunate to have

several individuals who greatly eased my life.
Lynn Richards, an instructional assistant in Adult
Basic Education, possessed incredible expertise
in handling challenging machines, and her
patient and cheery demeanour while assisting
me was truly appreciated. I can still vividly recall
the sound of her high heels clicking down the
hall as she came to my aid whenever I needed
help. Another indispensable figure was Marge
Koski (later, Hummel), whose exceptional ability
to swiftly organize timetables on her whiteboard
surpassed even the speed of a computer. This
became a lifesaver when I assumed the role of
Coordinator of Social Sciences in the early
1980s, where coordinating assignments in the
Social Sciences division, with their intertwining
subjects, became a logistical nightmare. Marge’s
organizational skills were invaluable in managing
Marge Koski (later, Hummel)
the complexity of it all.

The initial years were marked by extensive course development and a strong
collaborative effort with the three provincial universities and other BC colleges.
During the early seventies, universities were somewhat territorial, grappling with
the surge of post-secondary education that emerged in the late 1960s. Our
primary mission was to ensure that our students received proper credit for their
courses when they pursued further education at these institutions.

As the college added a more varied curriculum, we took a tailored approach to

our offerings, designing specific courses for students as in the Nursing and
Criminology programs. This period was also characterized by various
experimental teaching methods, now familiar fare, including seminar groups,
labs, and team teaching, which kept us consistently engaged and busy with
innovative approaches to education.
As a new institution, we found ourselves lacking many basic office necessities,
such as desks, chairs and filing
cabinets. If anyone happened to leave
any of these items unused it wouldn’t
take long before someone else claimed
them for their office space. Our
technological resources were modest.
We relied on chalkboards, typewriters,
and hand-cranked printing machines. I
have nightmarish memories of typing
my exams on a typewriter, with the
ribbon removed, using a special wax-
impregnated stencil. Any mistakes
made during typing would only be
discovered once the exam was printed.
Our print shop was housed in a tiny
room in the Young building that had a Gestetner and Ditto machine. The latter
was a favourite of mine as it emitted a heady fragrance as the purple ink was
rolled onto the paper. There was great excitement when we got our first print
shop, complete with dedicated staff and an offset press and collator. No longer
did I have to sit on my office floor, manually collating seventy sets of exams while
being careful not to mix up the pages.

With the advent of computers, we were encouraged to embrace the emerging

technology. However, the lack of a graphical interface left us uncertain about how
to effectively use them and understand their full potential. To stay current, I made
the decision to return to university and learn Pascal, even though the complete
range of its applications was not entirely clear. Despite the uncertainty, it was
important to keep up with technological advancements, even in Sociology and
Canadian studies.

As the college continued to grow, the student population increased, and new
faculty members joined the department. Tragically, Tom Butts, a colleague,
succumbed to a brain tumour at a young age. On the other hand, Peter
Maidstone became an integral part of the sociology department, dedicating an
impressive forty years to Camosun College. Alongside them, Alan Danesh and
Michiko Sakamoto-Senge enriched the educational landscape.

As Camosun College evolved, so did the physical spaces we inhabited. In the

early years, our department was still finding its footing leading to frequent
changes in office locations. From sharing a desk in the Paul Building, I was
excited when I eventually graduated to my own desk. An unexpected move to the
morgue in the Young building followed, a place that had a haunting past as a
World War II military hospital, leaving a lingering reminder of its history with its
depressing white-tiled walls and a solitary hanging light. I shared that office with
Marg Acker in Psychology and our neighbouring office mate was Kerm Carlson,
easily recognizable by his mirrored sunglasses and leather jacket. As the
coordinator and founder of the Applied Communication Program, he often shared
fascinating tales with us about how he skillfully acquired essential equipment for
his students, snaffling up the necessary resources from industry.

Later, I found myself on the second floor of

Dunlop House sharing an office with Ross
Lambertson from the Political Science
department. Over time, I earned my own office,
adjacent to Barb Latham’s, who was in the
English department. While I was delighted to have
a window and with a view, the lack of heat made
colder days quite challenging. However, being
located above the Hospitality Management
Diploma Program came with its unique perks, as
the tantalizing aroma of the students’ cooking
skills often left our mouths watering, even though
those delicious creations never made their way
upstairs.

During this period, Barb and I had the idea to

collaborate with a few of our students as a
summer work project to create a book celebrating
women in British Columbia who played crucial
roles in its development. Together with our
Barb Latham students, we took on the task from the writing,
through to publication and publicity. Barb applied
for several grants, and with support from Val Mieras
at Camosun’s print shop, who designed and produced the book, we brought our
vision to life. The resulting product, In Her Own Right, an edited anthology,
garnered significant attention nationwide, filling a void in the literature about BC
women at the time. We endowed two scholarships from the proceeds to be
awarded to outstanding female students at Camosun. The experience was truly
invaluable for all of us, but most of all for our students. Years later, when I
embarked on writing Against the Current: The Remarkable Life of Agnes Deans
Cameron, I was fortunate to receive permission from the original student author,
Roberta Pazdro, who had penned the section dedicated to Agnes Deans
Cameron, to include her title in my book.
An historical moment: In Her Own Right
Back Row: Tamera Adilman, Nora Lupton
Dryburgh, Dale Mosher, Kerm Carlson
Middle Row: Diane Crossley, Rob Pazdro,
Robin Drader
Front Row: Val Mieras, Barb Latham, Cathy Kess

As Camosun continued to expand its

offerings, one noticeable absence was
a Gender Studies program, which I
believed was essential. While my
efforts to establish a separate course
were not fruitful during my time at the
college, the idea was planted, and it
was heartening to see gender studies
grow in prominence in later years.

In 1983, life presented an unexpected

and formidable challenge when I
contracted a severe virus that led to
Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Taking a
six-month leave of absence, I
attempted to return to work, only to realize that my illness was not yet finished
with me. The difficult decision to retire from a job and vocation I loved had to be
made. It took nearly eight years for partial functionality to return, though I never
fully recovered.

With an unyielding passion to make my academic background more accessible

to the public, a former student who was the editor of BC Woman reached out to
me with an intriguing proposition. She asked if I would be interested in writing a
series of articles for her—a task ironically challenging for me, as my previous
writing experience had been limited to academic symposiums and journal
articles, which is an entirely different form of writing. This marked the beginning
of my journey as a writer, focusing on stories about British Columbia women and
their historical significance in the province.

Under my birth name, Cathy Converse, I have

had the opportunity of authoring, co-writing,
and co-editing seven books, each dedicated to
celebrating the extraordinary accomplishment
of women in British Columbia. It fills me with
both honour and humility to know that several
of my books have graced the BC Bestseller
List. Among them, Following the Curve of Time
garnered special recognition as one of the top
five books for the BC Booksellers Choice
Award in 2009. Additionally, Against the
Current: The Remarkable Life of Agnes Deans
Cameron earned the Lieutenant Governor’s
2019 Medal for
Historical Writing,
Honourable
Mention. My work
writing historical
biography was
acknowledged with
the privilege of
being included in
Canadian Who’s
Who, further fueling my passion for shedding light on
the remarkable lives of women in history.

Beyond my writing endeavours, I found solace and joy

in sailing the coast for thirty years with my late
husband, Brian Silvester, founder, and coordinator of

Brian Silvester
the Nautical Training Department for Camosun.

Camosun College will always hold a special place in my heart as the institution
where I grew as an educator and where my passion for the written word took
flight. As the college continues to grow and adapt, I am reminded that its strength
lies in its ability to embrace change and face challenges here-on. My experiences
at Camosun College have taught me that education is not only about gaining
knowledge but also about the connections we make with others and the impact
we leave on society. With fond memories and lasting accomplishments, I am
forever grateful for the time I spent there.

If you would like to learn more about the many interesting books authored by
Cathy, check out her website at: www.cathyconverse.com