Memorial’s Division of Co-operative Education has a new leader at its helm.

Dr. Peter Rans was named its new director in early December.

His appointment was approved by Memorial’s Board of Regents on Dec. 6. He began at Memorial on Dec. 10.

His unit plays a vital role in ensuring the university’s students receive top-notch experiential learning opportunities.

Memorial’s co-operative education programs are the largest in Atlantic Canada; graduating more than 8,000 students into rewarding careers around the world.

As well, employers benefit greatly each year with access to more than 1,500 well-rounded students eager to put their skills to work.

Dr. Rans is no stranger to co-operative education. He headed up the University of Northern British Columbia’s unit and was a member of the senior administration of that university. 

He has also been actively involved in a number of the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education.

He possesses a BA and MA in English literature and history, as well as a PhD in English. He has taught that subject at the university level for a number of years. In addition, Dr. Rans also has a master’s of public administration degree.

He has extensive experience working in the field of higher education. He has held senior portfolios with the Nova Scotia ministry of education and has served as a senior policy advisor for the Nova Scotia Council on Higher Education. 

Previously, he was also manager of research and development and associate professor at Henson College at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and was director of the Transition Year Program at Henson.

The Division of Co-operative Education at Memorial oversees many successful programs at the university that offer a combination of classroom study and work term placements in local, national and international businesses.

The goal of the division is to fuse academic knowledge with practical experience, said Dr. Rans, noting that Memorial is proud of the fact it creates highly-qualified and knowledgeable professionals prepared to meet the demands of today’s workforce.

“Because of the range of successful programs at Memorial and the strength of many of its researchers, Memorial can contribute to knowledge transfers through the excellence of its co-op students,” Dr. Rans said.

“At the same time students learn very quickly what jobs will be particularly aligned to their interests when they graduate. Students, employers and Memorial all benefit from the learning opportunities created and experienced.”

More information for employers interested in finding out about Memorial’s co-operative education is online.