Presidents Report Sept 2008

Brian G. Tamblyn Volume 10 Issue 3 September 17, 2008

Tfriendly!), his issue marks the first electronic distribution of my newsletter. I hope you like this format (it is environmentally and I welcome your feedback. Once again, Georgian is privileged to welcome a record number of new and returning students. It is always a pleasure this time of year to experience the level of excitement and energy on our campuses as the College begins another academic year, following what I hope was an enjoyable summer for you and your family. Years of experience have taught us that the first couple of weeks of the semester are critical to many of our firstyear students in their efforts to become acclimated to their new academic surroundings. I want to thank all staff for taking time to extend a helpful hand to the students in typical Georgian fashion during this time of significant adjustment. The Students’ Administrative Councils (SAC) at each of the main campuses have gotten the academic year off to a great start with their highly successful Orientation events that I believe are perennially the best in the college system. I know the efforts of SAC in Owen Sound, Orillia and Barrie in reaching out to new and returning students reassures them, and their parents, that they made the right decision in selecting Georgian as their post-secondary institution. I was extremely pleased to see the announcement of a tentative settlement in the provincial support staff bargaining just before the start of the fall semester. It is very common for labour negotiations to go down to the wire, and that understandably creates anxiety for our staff, students, and the community. Our professional, dedicated and caring support staff are an indispensable part of our student and corporate success, and are often the most public face of the College. Even during this potentially stressful period, support staff continued to focus on meeting the needs of our students and community, consistently delivering outstanding customer service with a positive approach that must be applauded. Georgian should feel very proud that three of our staff members played significant roles in reaching a tentative settlement. Cheryl Simpson served as Chair of the Provincial Management Bargaining team that also included Betty McCoppen, while Denise Near served on the Provincial Union Bargaining Team. A ratification vote will occur on October 2. Georgian is still taking final registrations for the fall semester, and the numbers indicate that overall first-year full-time enrolment is up by more than 8 per cent – well above the system average. I want to congratulate and thank all of the staff and students who worked tirelessly over the spring and summer helping prospective students. Your efforts to make our applicants feel welcome have clearly made a difference. I am also delighted to report that for the first time in Georgian’s history, students applying to Continuing Education courses can now register online. I am confident that this new service will lead to a growing number of part-time registrations this year. Despite the newness of the website, the number of online registrations in Continuing Education had already reached an impressive 25 per cent by the end of August. This significant accomplishment would not have been possible without the work of the project team, especially Annette ter Stege, Mike Westbrooke, Nona McClung and Doris Trei, and the many other staff involved in this transition. Over the course of the spring and summer, the College made a significant investment in the hiring of new staff to ensure that our growth does not come at the expense of program or service quality, or staff health and wellness. This financial commitment is not without its risks in a year when the College is facing serious budget challenges as a result of chronic system under-funding. I believe it is imperative that Georgian continues to continued over...

Office of the President

Georgian College One Georgian Drive Barrie, ON L4M 3X9 Tel: (705) 728-1968 ext. 1248 Fax: (705) 722-1559 E-mail: [email protected]

invest in its people, which is one of the cornerstones of the College’s Strategic Plan (2006-2010). We will begin work shortly on the 2009/10 budget, but I anticipate that the college system will be taking a unified approach as we discuss the system’s financial realities and needs with the provincial government in the months ahead. Our success in fall enrolment this year builds on a four-year trend that has seen Georgian record the second highest percentage gain in enrolment in the system from 2004 to 2007. While this success is very gratifying and says a lot about what we have to offer students, our limited capacity to absorb future growth is of concern. However, thanks to a major announcement by The Honourable John Milloy on July 28 at the Barrie Campus, Georgian’s immediate capacity challenge will be addressed – at least temporarily. The Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities announced a $4.65-million contribution to support the expansion of the Technology building, estimated to cost $6.7 million. Construction on the 18,000 sq. ft. “Centre for Sustainable Technologies” will start by the end of October, with a tentative opening date of January 2010 (although we are still trying for September 2009). The Centre will house new and existing construction and energy-related programming and skills training. The range of programming will include Electrical – Power (new program, pending approval); Electrical – Automated Systems (expanded existing program); Electrical – Lineperson (new program, pending approval); Architectural (new for September 2008); Construction/Civil (new program, pending approval); Environmental (expanded existing program); and Pre-Technology (expanded existing program). The Ministry announcement could not have come at a better time. The Centre for Sustainable Technologies will provide a short-term fix to our space challenges at the Barrie Campus, although we recognize that this will not satisfy our long-term capacity needs. The ultimate solution rests on the success of another capital submission that went to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) on September 5, requesting financial support for a 168,000 sq. ft. Centre for Health and Wellness building. The $65 million project will be by far the largest that we have ever constructed, and combined with vacated space as programs move to the new building, it will provide capacity for an additional 3,000 full-time students. The provincial capital submission process will be extremely competitive as all of the colleges and universities were invited to submit requests to MTCU. Nonetheless, I am encouraged by the fact that there are a number of important elements to the Health and Wellness building that will address key government priorities. In short, they include:  Increased capacity to support growth in College enrolment, particularly in Health Sciences where enrolment has more than tripled since 1998/99 (over 1,500 students);  Increased capacity to accommodate more university partners, programs and degree students through our University Partnership Centre;  The opportunity for the province to include UPC as part of its strategy to address the GTA challenge where a shortage of 75,000 seats in degree studies is anticipated within the next five years. The proposed Centre for Health and Wellness would also include labs that would function as clinics to provide personal care support for students and the general public while, hopefully, alleviating some of the current burden on the Emergency department at RVH. I want to acknowledge and thank Steve Lichty, Kathryn Peet, Cassandra Thompson, Cherylyn Cameron, Brandon Lander, John La Brie, and many other staff members who provided support in preparing a very professional and convincing submission despite a very short deadline. It could be well into 2009 before we hear the results of our application, and if we are unsuccessful, the application will carry over to the next year, in what is expected to be an annual process. I will keep staff apprised as more information becomes available, but we are planning a supporting media event for October 7, focusing on our University Partnership Centre and its link to the Health and Wellness building project. In my August 2005 newsletter, I observed that Georgian’s long-term sustainability will come down to our ability to grow, while at the same time, recognizing that growth will only happen through a combination of public and private sector support. In more recent newsletters, I have shared many examples of how the private sector has been increasingly aligned with the College to grow our programs across all of our campuses. I can cite two other examples in recent weeks. Firstly, Georgian recognized one of its major benefactors (who passed away this past winter) at a dedication event held on August 22 in Midland. Robbert Hartog, who headed the group that

Office of the President

Georgian College One Georgian Drive Barrie, ON L4M 3X9 Tel: (705) 728-1968 ext. 1248 Fax: (705) 722-1559 E-mail: [email protected]

donated the building that is now the home of the Midland Campus and Skilled Trades Centre, was recognized and honoured posthumously at a special event renaming the campus the “Robbert Hartog Midland Campus” before nearly 200 dignitaries, students and staff. My sincere thanks to Hank Thibideau, Gabe Koopmans and all the staff at the Midland Campus for organizing what was arguably the best event ever held by the College. It was a wonderful tribute to an exceptional individual and a very special friend to Georgian, dating back to the start of the College. Secondly, the College’s Power of Education campaign in support of growth and development continues to reap results. It was with great pleasure and gratitude that we recently learned RBC Royal Bank will be donating $250,000 towards the Health and Wellness building project. A special event to officially announce the gift and to properly thank RBC will be held soon. The business relationship between RBC and Georgian dates back to the very beginning of the College. It is only fitting that RBC, which has played an integral role in Georgian’s past, is now contributing to building the future of our College, and we are extremely grateful for their support. I understand that this is the largest corporate gift to date by RBC in the Barrie/Muskoka region. I want to personally thank Charlotte Wallis, Chair of the Board of Governors Finance and Audit Committee and RBC Royal Bank Sales Manager – Business Owners and Health Care Professionals (Barrie/Muskoka), for being such a strong advocate for Georgian. As many of the staff are aware, Linda Love, Vice President of Academic, recently announced the Associate Dean appointments. I want to publicly offer my own congratulations to Mac Greaves (Aboriginal Studies, Access and Liberal Arts); Alan McGee and Monique Vaillancourt (CAI/Business and Management Studies); Fred Fallis (Community Studies); Elizabeth Erwin and Karen MacDonald (Health Sciences/Early Childhood Education) Jason Hunter and Donna Jansen (Technology/Environment/Apprenticeship) on being selected for these positions. This is a very talented group and these appointments are well deserved. I want to commend all of the staff who applied for the positions. Linda tells me that the overall calibre of applicants was a real credit to Georgian, and a testament to the commitment and dedication of our staff. My compliments to Linda, to Human Resources, and to the selection committee for ensuring that the overall process, while painstaking, was fair and impartial. In addition, I want to thank Local 350 members for the input they provided to Linda in defining the role of an Associate Dean. In other staff news, congratulations to Steve Robinson in the International department on his election as President of the Ontario Colleges Administrative Staff Association (OCASA) for 2008/09. Steve served as OCASA’s Vice President in the previous fiscal year. He was elected at the OCASA Annual General Meeting held June 22 and 23 at Algonquin College in Ottawa. His one-year term commences this month. I know Steve will do an excellent job, and I am sure he will appreciate any input and support from OCASA members at Georgian during his term. At the same conference in Ottawa, Linda Trott, Manager in Continuing Education and Corporate Training was awarded the OCASA Volunteer Recognition Award that honours individuals who make a significant contribution to the work of OCASA at the local, regional and/or provincial level. In addition to acting as President, Georgian College Administrative Staff Association since 2001, Linda also serves on the OCASA provincial executive as Central Region Director. It is very gratifying to continually see the skills and talents of Georgian staff recognized at the provincial level through elections and awards such as these. It is always very gratifying to hear stories of staff commitment to lifelong learning, knowing how these set an excellent example to other staff as well as to our students. I want to congratulate Pam Whittle-Cutler in the Business Department on earning her diploma in Office Administration – Executive. Also, congratulations are extended to Trudy Coughlin, a faculty member in the Dental programs at the Orillia Campus, who was honoured with the Dr. Robert Brandon Award at the Ontario Dental Assistants Association (ODAA) annual general meeting last April. The award, established in 2002, is presented annually to a member of the ODAA who has demonstrated integrity, compassion, professionalism and commitment to education and continuing education. I also pass along my congratulations to Susan Stott-Hood for her recent appointment as Professor of Communications at the Orillia Campus. Susan is a great example of what can be accomplished through a willingness to grow personally and take risks. She first started working in Academic Upgrading at Georgian in a support capacity, and became very interested in teaching. Susan credits Human Resources and the Centre for Teaching and Learning for setting her on a new career path to higher education and training, culminating in her faculty

Office of the President

Georgian College One Georgian Drive Barrie, ON L4M 3X9 Tel: (705) 728-1968 ext. 1248 Fax: (705) 722-1559 E-mail: [email protected]

appointment. She encourages other staff to take full advantage of the professional development opportunities available at Georgian. When the provincial government announced creation of the Second Career Strategy (SCS) earlier this spring, we at Georgian were fast off the mark to implement our portion of the program. SCS provides streamlined training for older Ontario workers who have lost their jobs in such hard-hit industries as manufacturing. To date, Georgian staff have logged 150 individual inquiries and made 40 offers of admission. Approximately 10 students are already enrolled in some of the almost 40 eligible programs at Georgian. We expect to see more students through this initiative in January. Staff at campuses across the College should be commended for their dedication in working closely with local Employment Ontario offices and local and regional case managers against very tight timelines. Frontline staff at multiple entry points to Georgian (such as the Office of the Registrar, Student Success, Campus Connections, Library Commons and the Bookstore) have been given SCS marketing materials that will allow them to inform potential students about the program. On the academic side, new and expanded versions of program outlines are currently being prepared. For a full list of Georgian contacts and more program information visit www.georgianc.on.ca/secondcareer. Another important initiative currently underway will be of considerable benefit to Internationally Trained Individuals (ITIs). The number of ITIs arriving in Ontario, including our region, continues to rise. Research indicates that increasing numbers of ITIs are contacting Ontario colleges to access advice, programs, and services in their search for employment that match their skills and knowledge. This has created the need for systemic change in the college system, and for this reason, Colleges Integrating Immigrants to Employment (CIITE) was started in 2003 as a three-phased project. The project goal is to implement systemic changes in all Ontario colleges in order to remove barriers and promote access for internationally trained individuals. ITIs have distinct needs that require a more complex level of advising compared to the needs of domestic students. These individuals arrive in Canada with various foreign credentials, training, and work experience that need to be reconciled with suitable college programs and career selection, leading to employment in Ontario. Georgian is taking part in this important initiative to better service ITIs in our area, and we now have our own Advisor to Internationally Trained Individuals. Joanne Pineda, who has numerous years of ESL, EFL, and upgrading/communications teaching experience, will be taking on the new role at the Barrie Campus. The plan is to eventually extend the service to all Georgian campuses. In previous editions of the President’s Report, I promised to keep staff informed about ongoing developments in the College’s waste diversion initiatives as part of the overall environmental sustainability commitment, as well as progress in the implementation of recommendations arising from the Employee Satisfaction Survey conducted a year ago. Concerning our environmental plan, Georgian will be soon launching the first phase of an Organics Collection program. We will be collecting “pre-consumer” organic waste from our kitchens and student food preparation labs. Based on our recent waste audit, this will divert about 25 to 30 per cent of our waste that, before now, ended up in the landfill. Training sessions for staff involved with food preparation will be held this month. Another major initiative is the expansion of the hallway, wall-mounted recycling units to include a third fibre stream. The three streams will now be Waste (white receptacle); Glass, Metal, Plastics (blue receptacle); and Mixed Paper/Fibre (grey receptacle). In addition to being cost-effective, the other advantages of this three-stream system are that the units are stationary and meet fire safety regulations. The total cost of these two green initiatives is approximately $20,000 that will be covered by the environmental sustainability budget. Both of these programs will be officially launched during National Waste Reduction Week, October 2024. In terms of the latest update on the satisfaction survey, the Employee Satisfaction Team presented a number of recommendations to me in June, based on an analysis of the Fall 2007 survey. The group is now preparing a full implementation to be shared this fall with various internal stakeholders, including Local 349, Local 350, OCASA, College Council, etc. We will also be posting the recommendations on the College website, so look for further updates in E-Capsule. Georgian’s Health and Safety Co-ordinator, Connie Heasman, has been working with departments at the Barrie Campus to identify hazards in the workplace. She recently had representatives from the Education Safety Association involved in the Engineering and Design Arts program assessment. Health and Safety is now included in the new employee orientation day and will be part of the new online orientation, once it is launched.

Office of the President

Georgian College One Georgian Drive Barrie, ON L4M 3X9 Tel: (705) 728-1968 ext. 1248 Fax: (705) 722-1559 E-mail: [email protected]

It is customary in my first newsletter of the academic year to encourage staff and students to attend the Georgian College Auto Show – the largest outdoor auto show in North America. This year’s show will highlight technological advances in the automotive industry and their direct impact on the environment. The 2008 slogan is “Renew. Unite. Evolve.” Georgian’s environmental task force and GEAR (Georgian Students for Environmental Awareness and Research) will be helping promote environmental initiatives on campus and at the show. In addition to the Environmental students, other students/activities that are part of the show include Research Analyst Program (show survey); Hospitality and Tourism (food court); LASA (Security); Paramedic (First Aid); Early Childhood Education (KidZone); and SDVA (art exhibit). The dates are September 19, 20 and 21. Please plan to attend with your family and friends. In closing, I hope that as many staff as possible will plan to be in Owen Sound on Friday, November 21 for the 1:30 p.m. ceremony to officially open our new Great Lakes International Marine Simulation and Research Centre (bus transportation from Barrie is being organized). This new facility features the finest simulator technology in the world today, and anyone who suffers motion sickness may seriously want to skip the trip! In all seriousness, I hope that you will make the trip if you possibly can. I’m always proud and appreciative of our Owen Sound Campus and its staff, and this is a great opportunity for staff across the College to become better acquainted with all that Georgian has to offer in that community

Office of the President

Georgian College One Georgian Drive Barrie, ON L4M 3X9 Tel: (705) 728-1968 ext. 1248 Fax: (705) 722-1559 E-mail: [email protected]