Faculty Profile: Robin Fast

Camosun instructor Robin Fast is excited about the potential of the new health building

Camosun instructor Robin Fast's memories of the college stretch back to the fall of 1984. "As a student, I camped outside of the Isabel Dawson building at Lansdowne trying to get into my classes," he says. His efforts proved successful, and he credits the certificate he went on to earn in Camosun's Community Support Education Assistant program as the launching pad for a successful career.

After earning his social work degree and developing a successful track record in community leadership positions, Robin started teaching at Camosun in 1994. He has never looked back. Currently, he serves as the Chair of the Community, Family and Child Studies department.

Robin is excited about the changes underway at Camosun. He feels the potential of the Alex & Jo Campbell Centre for Health and Wellness under construction at Interurban campus to serve as a regional hub for health and human services innovation.

"The new space is going to give us a new opportunity to rethink how we're working and how we're working together, and to really promote collaboration and innovative ways of learning and teaching."

Over his many years of teaching, Robin has seen first-hand the trends in the classroom and in industry towards greater collaboration. "It's the expectation now of integrated case management and an inter-professional approach, when you're working together and supporting people in community," he says.

Robin speaks with genuine affection for all that Camosun has given him as well as a strong desire to give back to his students. "I think one of the important concepts is this idea that everything that happens at the college is part of our curriculum," he says.

"It's not just what's written down as learning outcomes, it's how we arrange the classroom, provide opportunities for applied learning and social activities, and support our students so that they are welcomed and get what they need to succeed."