BA, MA
Co-operative Educ Coordinator/Instructor
School of Tourism Management
Faculty of Global and Community Studies
604.990.7828 ext. 7828
Cedar Building, room CE318
cdodds@capilanou.ca
Education
Certification, Career Development Practitioner, BC Career Development Association, 2012.
MA, Leadership and Training, Royal Roads University, 2006.
Diploma, Provincial Instructors Diploma, Vancouver Community College, 2002.
Diploma, Tourism Management Co-op Diploma, Capilano College, 1998.
BA, Journalism, San Diego State University, USA, 1985.
"It is important to identify individual strengths, and use them as a starting point for growth and discovery. I work to help students build their unique brand as they begin their professional career."
Bio
Christy Dodds (MA, Royal Roads University, 2006) was born and raised in the Hawaiian Islands, developing an appreciation for tourism and travel at an early age. She worked as an officer with Sitmar Cruise Lines, tour guided with Tauck Tours, gained event management experience with Maritz Travel and helped manage a resort in Jasper National Park. She later focused her energies in research and publishing. Working with the World Travel & Tourism Council Human Resource Centre, she co-authored a textbook titled Steps to Success, which features global best practices in tourism human resource management. Recent research involves ethics and risk management as experienced by co-operative education practitioners and stakeholders.
Dodds' current area of focus is people development, specifically through co-operative education, teaching and mentorship. She is a member of the Association of Co-operative Education, has represented Capilano University on the Accountability Council for Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning, and is certified as a Career Development Practitioner and facilitator for TypeFocus and EQ-i. She is a strong advocate of CapU's tourism programs and an active supporter of CapU alumni.
Dodds is highly networked and enjoys helping students connect with industry. She is proud to represent students from the School of Tourism Management and enjoys mentoring other faculty who wish to build capacity in work-integrated learning.
I have a passion for tourism, the changing landscape of post-secondary education and am rewarded by helping students build careers in tourism and hospitality.
As an instructor and co-operative education (co-op) practitioner, I am conscious of my need to remain current in three distinct areas of focus: tourism, education, and career development. I work to consistently sharpen my saw by bringing fresh ideas and current practices into the classroom. My personal and professional growth is largely influenced by individuals who have connected me with new ideas, organizations and people. In turn I aspire to be a meaningful connector for students who are eager to learn, explore and build a successful career and life.
My current research is focused on ethical challenges and risk management in the realm of co-operative education. Research findings provided rich content for several journal and magazine articles targeting career practitioners and work-integrated learning stakeholders. Practical application from the research was presented at several local and international conferences.
I appreciate working on projects which support practitioners striving to design and deliver a high-quality co-op experience to students and employers. My earlier research focused on student successes in co-operative education programming (thesis work). I also had the pleasure of co-authoring a textbook featuring global good practices in tourism human resource management.
Articles
Dodds, C., Cameron, C. and Maclean, C. Ethical risk management in co-operative education programs, Canadian Journal of Career Development, 20(1), 4-15, 2021.
Cameron, C., Dodds, C., and Maclean, C. (2020, February). Understanding ethical risk for co-op practitioners. Careering Magazine. Winter 2020, 25-27.
Cameron, C., Dodds, C. and MacLean, C. Ethical risks in work-integrated learning: A study of Canadian practitioners, International Journal of Work Integrated Learning, 20(1), 83-95, 2019.
Watts, Christy and Williams, Helen. Steps to Success: Global Good Practices in Tourism Human Resources, Pearson Education Canada Inc., 2002.
Presentations
2019: World Association for Co-operative Education, World Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio.
2019: Association for Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning, BC Provincial Conference, Victoria, BC.
2017: World Association for Co-operative Education, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
RISE Alumni Award, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Student Association (TRECSA), 2019.
Excellence in Empowering Learning, Capilano University Alumni Awards of Excellence, 2016.
Featured Practitioner, Co-op Wisdom Series, ACE-WIL (B.C.), 2016.