CAPILANO UNIVERSITY
CapU welcomes new dean, Faculty of Global & Community Studies

Capilano University (CapU) is pleased to announce the appointment of Caroline Dépatie (she/her), PhD, as the University's new dean, Faculty of Global & Community Studies (GCS).

Dépatie comes to CapU from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), where she was most recently associate dean in the School of Construction and the Environment and formerly in the School of Business and Media. From 2005 to 2019, she held roles at CapU, as instructor, convenor and co-chair in GCS as well as program developer and consultant in Continuing Studies and Executive Education.

Reporting to the VP Academic & Provost, Dépatie will provide academic leadership and strategic direction for the schools of Kinesiology, Outdoor Recreation Management, Public Administration and Tourism Management within the faculty. While maintaining a focus on program delivery at CapU's main campus in North Vancouver, Dépatie's work will also support the growth of the new Squamish campus, a location recognized around the world as a tourism and outdoor recreation mecca. 

"Caroline brings decades of experience in a variety of academic and leadership roles in higher education in B.C.," says Tracy Penny Light, Interim Vice-President, Academic & Provost. "Her leadership will contribute to internal and external collaborations, experiential learning growth, and inclusive practices that further advance the excellent work and contributions of the Faculty of Global and Community Studies, and the University as a whole."

Dépatie has worked on many curriculum development projects, the latest being the development and implementation of a Master of Science in ecological restoration. Central to her work is the decolonization of curriculum and the inclusion of sustainability concepts and ideas in teaching practices. With a varied teaching background, Dépatie has taught sports ethics, sports marketing, tourism research, event management, and business. She has also served on several committees at the department, school, faculty, and institute levels.

"Capilano University is strongly committed to sustainable education, Indigenous learning and innovative educational approaches including collaborative community projects," said Dépatie. "With combined education and work experience in all Global & Community Studies program areas, I am excited to join enthusiastic and passionate employees and students to make GCS programs the best in Canada and globally."  

Dépatie holds a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Université de Sherbrooke, a Master of Arts in leisure and sport management from UBC and a PhD in outdoor recreation from Lincoln University in New Zealand. She is a Cycling BC commissaire and volunteers her time with various community-based organizations. She lives in Squamish with her partner and two teenage sons.