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Intercom is published regularly and serves to inform Vanier staff and teachers of notices and special events. It is posted on the Vanier College Website and distributed electronically. Submissions should be sent to [email protected]. Submissions should be in WORD, and sent as an attachment. No formatting or bullets. Deadline: 4:00 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding publication.
2013 Vanier College BDC Case Challenge
Congratulations to Algonquin College the winner of the 8th annual Vanier College BDC Case Challenge held Friday, February 8 through to Sunday, February 10, 2013. Coming in second is the team from St. Lawrence College (Kingston), and third place goes to New Brunswick Community College.
Kudos to the Vanier Team that was tops in Division One, and won a place as one of the six finalists competing Sunday. Team members Kristy Cummings-Taylor, Samantha Hughes, Mark Clarizio, with alternate Melissa Piro, and Coaches David Moscovitz and Jessica Andrews truly did Vanier proud. A big thank you goes to the 45 Vanier student volunteers who worked throughout the weekend to help make this event a great success.
Congratulations to all of the participating colleges and their teams for the high standard of presentations at this pan-Canadian event. Special kudos to those who braved the Friday weather and long delays in airports and on roads to make it to the event and compete on schedule and keep the event competitive.
Bev Chandler, Vanier Communications
International Women's Week -- Game Changers – March 4 - 8, 2013
The Women's Studies program is pleased to announce the following speakers, who will be presenting in the Auditorium during International Women's Week:
Tracey Deer, Mohawk Filmmaker - Monday 11:30 to 1:00 p.m. "Tracey represents the next wave of native filmmaking," says Adam Symansky, NFB producer of Mohawk Girl and Club Native. "It isn't based on the past so much as on native communities taking responsibility and control of their future." Deer has a particular interest in representing the experience of native women.
Martine Desjardins, President of the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec (FEUQ).- Tuesday 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Activist and student leader in last year's student strike and a strong voice representing students' interests in the Summit on Higher Education
U.M.B.R.E.L.L.A. Student Panel, Wednesday 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. Vanier's own LGBT student group. A panel of U.M.B.R.E.L.L.A. members will discuss their experiences and attitudes as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender college students. One of our most popular events every year.
Jessica Danforth, Native Youth Sexual Health Network – Thursday, 11:30 to 1:00 p.m. Also known as Jessica Yee, she identifies as a “multiracial indigenous hip-hop feminist reproductive justice freedom fighter.” co-sponsored by ODN
Françoise David, Québec Solidaire - Friday 11:30 to 1:00 p.m. Députée de la circonscription de Gouin, Françoise David a aussi été au cœur de la mise sur pied de la Marche mondiale des femmes, un évènement qui a vu le jour au Québec et qui a lieu dans une centaine de pays.
Tuval Dinner, White Ribbon Campaign -- Friday 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Community and Youth Engagement Manager for the White Ribbon Campaign and activist against gender-based violence.
Film Festival -- Watch for the film festival schedule, which will include several documentaries and feature films including the following screening, sponsored by the VCSA:
Hysteria - A feature film about "the truth of how Mortimer Granville devised the invention of the first vibrator in the name of medical science."
These events are open to everyone in the Vanier Community. If you plan to bring your class, please contact Sherry Hergott at [email protected] or extension 7032.
Sherry Hergott, Women's Studies
Volume M10, Issue No. 4, February 11, 2013
2013 Vanier College BDC Case Challenge
Mathematics & Science Centre
Science, on tourne! – Crane Challenge 2013!
Science on tourne is organized yearly in an effort to draw the collegial youth as well as the general public into a deeper understanding of the different aspects of science and technology. The challenge brings participants together to discover and explore scientific concepts in an interesting and fun way!
The Challenge? Build a crane able to lift a load from the floor using mechanical potential energy.
An explanation of this year’s challenge can be found here: http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/msc/science-on-tourne.php The local competition will take place during Science Week on Friday, March 15
th with a registration deadline of March 1
st.
There will be prizes to be won and the winning team will have the chance to compete against other Cégeps in Val-d’or on May 4
th.
All students are welcomed to form teams of up to three members to take part in the challenge. For more information, please encourage students who are interested to visit the Coordinator in the Math & Science Centre (F-540A).
Haritos Kavallos, Math and Science Centre
Poster/art competition for the Vanier College / Kleinmann Family Foundation Symposium on the Holocaust and Genocide
Once again, we will be holding a poster and art competition as part of the Symposium. The winner will receive a great prize and will be featured in all advertisement regarding the Symposium. The deadline is February 15, 2013. Please see our flyer
for more information.
Marlene Grossman, Psychology Department
Wednesday Concert
This Wednesday during Universal Break in room A-250, the Music Department presents the next in its series of noon concerts. After last week’s excellent faculty concert and moving presentation by Sarah Rossy, this one is a fully-charged student affair. The concert features classical piano students from the studio of Julia Gavrilova performing works by J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart and L. van Beethoven. The pianists will be followed by electric guitarist Nicolas Gaumond performing some excellent jazz tunes in a combo with other talented Vanier music students. Remember space is limited so come early if you want a good seat!
Glen Ethier, Music Department
Free Peer Tutoring
Dear Colleagues, I am currently looking for students who want to improve their English language and/or writing skills. Please encourage the students in your classes who are experiencing difficulties with English to apply for free peer tutoring by THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14. Application forms are available in an envelope posted outside my office door (N-554) and at the FSGS Dean’s office (B-208).
Applicants will be selected according to availability and will be paired with a peer tutor, a student taking my Peer Teaching course, who will help them throughout the winter semester. They will receive free tutoring (two hours per week) starting on the fifth week of classes (the week of February 25). Unfortunately, all applicants are not guaranteed a tutor as only one tutee will be paired with each student tutor. If you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at ext.7271 or to email me at: [email protected]
Thank you for your consideration.
Spiridoula Photopoulos, English Department
Danish – German Homestay 2013
The Language School would like to invite members of the Vanier community to consider hosting a Danish/German student in their home for the month of April. For the past seven years, Vanier has hosted groups of students from Denmark who wished to improve their English and French at the Language School. Hosting our international guests in the homes of Vanier students, teachers and staff, creates a truly unique and memorable experience for host families and students alike. As an added incentive, we will pay $800 per student hosted. If you are unable to host a student, we would value the opportunity to come to your class and make a 5 to 10 minute presentation to your students about the program at the beginning of the semester. Please contact Chris Hall if you are willing. ([email protected], extension 8321) Homestay applications and guides are available in B-228.
Chris Hall, The Language School
Two 2012 Vanier Nursing graduates win OIIQ scholarships
Congratulations to Demetra Horotan, a 2012 Vanier Nursing graduate, who has won a 2012 OIIQ (Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec) $5000 scholarship entitled Le Fonds Patrimoine. The scholarship is disbursed in two installments of $2500 each over 2 years.
Kudos as well to Vanier’s Kara Redden who also won an ORIIM/L (Ordre régional des infirmières et infirmiers de Montréal/Laval) $1000 Bourse d’étude scholarship.
Kara and Demetra are currently in the Bachelor of Nursing program at McGill University. They are both on the Dean’s list and are heavily involved in activities of the McGill Nursing program including organizing an International Night at McGill.
In the spring of 2012, while in their last semester of Nursing at Vanier, Kara and Demetra went to Malawi in Africa on the Malawi Nursing exchange where they did their final six-week internship.
What great examples these remarkable young women are of the Vanier Nursing program.
Marguerite Corriveau, Vanier Communications
Student Awards Ceremony
The Learning Centre will be holding a Student Awards Ceremony on Monday, April 29
th at 6:00 p.m. to honor all peer tutors and
volunteers in the college. During this ceremony each tutor/volunteer will receive a Certificate of Merit from their program supervisor.
If you have any students who have been tutoring or volunteering for your department and feel they should be included in the ceremony, please contact Pam Espinosa at: [email protected]. Thank you.
Joanne Ellis, The Learning Centre
Capital Budget (Equipment and Furniture) 2012 – 2013
Are there any capital items (Equipment/Furniture/Computers) which have been approved for the 2012-2013 financial year still outstanding in your area? If so, the deadline to submit all paperwork to the Finance department has been extended to February 15, 2013.
Please follow-up with your coordinator/supervisor if a confirmation from the Purchasing Department has not been received within 6 weeks of the date you submitted the paperwork.
Nita Chui Yew Cheong, Financial Services
Safety & Security Services information
Parking Services website Safety & Security Services has been working at improving the information that is available on the website in the last month. The parking section is the most recent to have been revamped. It contains up-to-date information regarding parking fees, rules and regulations, ticketing and towing, etc. A new Visitor Parking Pass request form has been made to assist us in streamlining the request of parking passes. Too often we receive requests from different sources that are missing information. The form is now the only way to request a parking pass for a visitor, as it provides us with all the information we need in a standardised manner. Reminder: Emergency Operation Plan A reminder to the community; the Emergency Operation Plan has been made publicly available through the Safety & Security Services website. It is important for everyone’s safety that community members become familiar with the content of the plan in order to respond appropriately during an emergency. Safety & Security Services remains available for any question, inquiries or request for presentations. Reminder: Fire Alarm Anytime a fire alarm goes off in a building, everyone is obligated to evacuate the building immediately (unless there are special circumstances, as defined in the emergency plan). For your own safety, do not waste time trying to contact Safety & Security Services to confirm if there really is a fire, simply evacuate the building immediately. However, if you need to communicate additional information in regards to the fire or secondary emergency, please contact Safety & Security Services to report them.
Loïc Boyer, Safety & Security Services
ELCAD Teacher Survey
In case you haven’t yet had the opportunity to complete the ELCAD Teacher Survey, here’s a reminder that your feedback is important to us. To all teachers (except language and English* teachers): Do you have too many students who:
- give up on the textbook because reading is so hard or time-consuming? - struggle to express themselves clearly? - can't follow some of your explanations? - are unable to master the course content or do well on assessments because their English skills are weak?
English Literacy and Communications Across Disciplines (ELCAD) is a long-term project for ALL disciplines in the college, directed towards improving students' English Language reading, writing, listening comprehension, and oral expression skills.
The first step is to determine what the current situation is. We need YOUR input! Here is a link to a short survey (15 minutes approximately). The survey is completely confidential, as there is no way to identify who fills it out, and it may be completed on any computer. http://research.zarca.com/k/XsVTYWsXTsPsPsP *Note: If you are an English teacher, there is a specific survey for YOU! Look for that e-mail, and please don't complete this survey.
Thank you for your participation in this important Vanier College teacher survey!
Wilma Brown, Pedagogical Development Office
Reports from the Director General, the Academic Dean and Academic Council presented to the last meeting of the Vanier College Board of Directors
Please note that reports from the Director General, the Academic Dean and Academic Council that were presented to the Vanier College Board of Directors at the last meeting that took place on Tuesday, February 5, 2013, are attached at the end of this issue of Intercom.
Bev Chandler, Vanier Communications
Letter of Intent/Personal Statement for Universities Workshop
The Learning Centre is offering workshops for students who are applying to university and who need to write a letter of intent or personal statement. They are designed to give students ideas on how to start and what to include. Please encourage any student
who has to write a personal statement to attend one of the workshops. The two workshops, which are the same, will be held on:
Wednesday, February 13th
, 12pm-1pm, A312 Friday, February 15
th, 2:30pm-3:30pm, A302
Kim Muncey, The Learning Centre
Sexual assault awareness workshop
Keven and Rebecca, two undergraduate psychology students at McGill are working as interns with the Counselling Centre this year. They are continuing to present their sexual assault awareness workshop this semester. So far, they have facilitated the workshop with almost 500 students.
The workshop includes a fifteen minute PowerPoint presentation discussing the definition and various issues surrounding sexual assault and date rape. However, the aspect of the workshop that students enjoy the most includes interactive discussions around potential assault scenarios. If you are interested in booking a presentation time please contact Rebecca at [email protected] or Keven at [email protected].
Their times are filling up fast so please call them for information as soon as possible. Thank you for your support!
Leanne Rondeau, The Counselling Centre
Academic Council
Agenda Friday, February 15, 2013, 1:00 p.m., room F-216
1. Approval of the Agenda
2. Approval of the Minutes of January 25, 2013
3. Business Arising from the Minutes a) Strategic Plan and Student Success Plan b) Continuing Education Restructuring c) Biology Complementary Course d) Library Renovation Update
4. Reports, Announcements and Correspondence a) Board of Directors b) Joint Coordinators c) Others i. Open Space Meeting ii. Celebrating Vanier
5. New Business a) Policy on a Respectful Workplace and Learning Environment b) Sustainability Major c) Computer Science Course Frameworks d) 2013-2014 Academic Calendar e) Course Framework Template
6. Varia
7. Adjournment Wanda Kalina, on behalf of Academic Council
VANIER COLLEGE/KLEINMANN FAMILY FOUNDATION
SYMPOSIUM ON THE HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDE
This Year’s Theme: Creativity and the
Holocaust from April 16th
to April 20th
HISTORY OF THE SYMPOSIUM
GOAL OF THE SYMPOSIUM
The underlying aim of the Symposium is to
alert young people to discrimination, racism
and genocide in their many manifestations, and
to help them learn about history in order to
avoid repeating mistakes of the past.
19 YEARS YOUNG
Almost 20 years ago Peter Kleinmann began
telling young people at Vanier and other
colleges about what happened to him when he
was their age, hoping to warn them about the
dangers of racism, bigotry, stereotyping and
discrimination. The Symposium which now
bears his family name aims at educating Cégep
students about the Holocaust and sensitizing
them to the moral responsibility all people have
towards one another.
FORMAT OF THE SYMPOSIUM
Teachers invite events that fit into their course
curriculum. You can choose from a list of
lectures, films, eyewitness testimonies of
Holocaust survivors and panels. Please see
back for possibilities of this year’s events that
can be scheduled into your courses during the
week of April 16-20.
For more details, contact Marlene Grossman at
or at ext. 7483
DIRECTOR GENERAL’S REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
February 5th, 2013
1. BILL 14
Bill 14 ((pdf attached) is a proposed piece of legislation which, among others, deals with modifications
to Bill 101. The implications for colleges are found mostly in two sections of the bill (section 30 and
section 33). They are highlighted in the attached document.
In a nutshell, the two sections deal with certain linguistic obligations of colleges. Section 30 is the
obligation to test students on their French language proficiency and to ensure that they have reached
the required degree of fluency prior to granting the diploma. The key section reads: “…s’assurer que les
personnes que ces établissements forment reçoivent une formation visant à leur permettre d’acquérir
des compétences suffisantes en français à la fin de l’ensemble de leurs études pour pouvoir interagir,
s’épanouir au sein de la société québécoise et participer à son développement. »
Section 33 imposes conditions to admission in English colleges. It states : « lorsque la capacité d’accueil
est limitée dans un collège, des critères et priorités pouvant être établis dans la sélection des étudiants
pour respecter la clientèle de langue anglaise pour laquelle avait été constitué l’établissement par le
gouvernement ».
While these clauses will have some impact on the capacity of English language colleges to recruit in
certain circumstances, we must remember that the government’s alternative is much less appealing, i.e.
to limit access to English colleges by non-Anglophones (i.e. extend Bill 101 to colleges).
We must however exercise vigilance since we do not know yet what the potential impact of mandatory
testing would have on students in their quest for college education. It is also quite reasonable to
assume that to impose different conditions to the issuance of a state diploma would be challengeable.
The Anglophone community has already started looking at the implication of all the clauses of Bill 14 on
the provision of services to the community in all sectors. The consensus that seems to emerge is to
challenge the proposed legislation or to put pressure on opposition parties to vote against. Given that
to vote against may lead to an early election, it is not evident that the opposition parties will take that
gamble.
Therefore, in all likeliness, Bill 14 will become law. The group of English colleges has already started
discussing next steps in terms of better understanding potential implications.
2 DIRECTOR GENERAL’S REPORT February 5th, 2013
2. BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENTS
The government recently announced, not surprisingly, that a number of public institutions would have
to reduce their budgets as a result of a decrease in the level of government funding.
For colleges, two announced measures are noteworthy.
For 2012-2013, it was announced that the overall budget would be reduced by $21.5M. For Vanier
College, this translates into $600,000 in mid-year.
For 2013-2014, the government announcement referred to a further cut of a similar nature or higher,
without giving more precision. At the same time, the provincial budget adopted in the Fall also made
reference to college funding by indicating that our total allocation would rise by 1.28%, far from what is
needed in the system to take care of COL increases in our expenditures and short of what the
government negotiated salary increases with unions requires.
Since then, the Fédération des Cégeps has been advocating for changes and making, with some success,
representations to the government. On Monday January 28th, we were informed by way of a
communiqué from the Fédération, that the following points had been either discussed or agreed upon
by ministry representatives:
The 2012-2013 reduction ($600,000) stands, but will not be recurrent.
There would still be a reduction of the same magnitude or higher in 2013-2014, but calculated
taking into account the non-recurring nature of the 2012-2013 cuts.
For the time being, there is no agreement on increasing the budgeted 1.28% increase in our
college credit allocations. Discussions are on-going.
The ministry has however agreed to use the balance of unused funding in 2012-2013 to
decrease the amount of the reduction in 2013-2014.( Usually in the 2 to 3 million range)
Other measures have been proposed but are not yet agreed upon.
While the outlook is a bit more positive than at the time of the original announcement, we are still in a
position where we have to deal with an in-year cut of $600,000 for 2012-2013, with at least a similar cut
next year and with some uncertainty as to the importance of the gap between the 1,28% and the actual
COL increase in 2013-2014.
At the present time, management is working on diverse scenarios to mitigate the impact. In 2012-2013,
given that most activities are well underway, we will probably have to rely on a combination of
increased revenues and use of the college surplus.
For 2013-2014, we have an opportunity to be more proactive. In preparation for the 2013-2014 budget,
we will be looking at reducing expenditures through attrition and increased efficiency, increasing
revenues from various sectors and looking at how far we can go with utilizing the surplus.
A plan of action will be submitted to the Board at the April Board meeting.
3 DIRECTOR GENERAL’S REPORT February 5th, 2013
3. RENOVATION BUDGET PREPARATION
The Management Executive Committee is currently in the process of drafting a list of renovation
projects for 2013-2014. As you know from previous reports, the renovation needs of a campus the age
of ours are significant. The record high enrolment of recent years has also had some impact on the
maintenance needs. Even though, we invest considerable sums every year, it is never sufficient to meet
all the needs. In the coming weeks, we will be reviewing the renovation requests submitted by the
various departments. We also bring forward for review the list of projects already identified but not yet
carried out to determine whether the need still exists. From that compilation, management executive
committee establishes priorities taking into account the urgency of the project, its importance for the
good operation of the college, the cost, and the college capacity to pay, the impact of the quality of
services offered, the conformity of the project with the strategic directions of the college, and any other
factor that may make a specific project timely (for instance, the availability of special funding, or a new
program, etc…)
As of January 2013, the list contains 87 requests totaling $17.7M. The range of cost estimates varies
from a few thousand dollars to $6M, that project being the massive renovation required in the N-
Building to bring the ventilation system up to norm.
The renovation budget of the college is around $1.8M a year in new money, which can be increased
through an accumulated reserve of about $4.5M. This last amount includes funds committed to specific
projects but not yet spent. These pre-committed funds total about $1M.
I remind Board members that the renovation budget is a separate dedicated funding envelope that
should not be confused with the furniture and equipment budget ($1.4M/year) or the College
operational budget ($62M/year)
4. SUMMIT ON POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION IN QUÉBEC
A significant exercise is currently underway in Québec that will lead at the end of February to a summit
on post-secondary education. So far, three thematic forums have been held to deal with various aspects
of the question (governance, funding, regional development, research). The purpose is to shape the
future of that sector in Québec.
Unfortunately, so far, there seems to be very little room for colleges in that dialogue. At its upcoming
DG meeting in Québec City in mid-February, the issue will be debated and strategies will be defined to
increase our presence in the discussion
Gilbert Héroux Director General
Office of the Academic Dean Page 1
Office of the Academic Dean
Report for Vanier College Board of Directors
Activity Update for November 2012 – January 2013
The Office of the Academic Dean is responsible for everything academic at Vanier College. This includes
admission of students to the graduation of students - and everything in between. A team of nine
managers serve 6,500 regular daytime students and another 2,000 continuing education students, 700
teachers and approximately 30 academic programs.
The Office of the Academic Dean includes:
Martine Gauthier – Academic Dean
Wanda Kalina – Assistant to the Academic Dean
Odette Cote – Faculty Dean for Social Science, Commerce, Arts and Letters, and Music
Eric Lozowy – Faculty Dean for Science and General Studies
Michael Sendbuehler- Faculty Dean for Careers and Technical Programs
Thomas Ingerman – Registrar
Wilma Brown – Coordinator of the Pedagogical Development Office (PDO)
Dale Gallagher – Coordinator of Continuing Education Service, credit courses
Caroline Hanrahan – Coordinator of the Institutional Development and Research Office (IDRO)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On January 14, 2013, Michael Sendbuehler, Dean of FCTP, was named recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II
Diamond Jubilee medal for outstanding contribution to the community. The medal is to be presented by
Marc Garneau at Victoria Hall February 23, 2013.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fall 2012 Entrance Scholarships
The College and the Vanier Foundation co-sponsored entrance scholarships for students entering the
College with outstanding academic entrance qualifications. Sixty –two students were awarded
scholarships for a total amount of $10,050. The event, co-organized by the Communications Office and
the Office of the Academic Dean, was very well attended. Feedback from the students, families and
friends who attended the ceremony was excellent.
Continuing Education, Credit Courses
E-Wing Renovations
Design of E-Wing renovations floors 1 and 2 are complete for the physical integration of admissions,
registration and advising of Continuing Education and daytime programs. This integration will result in
efficient and streamlined services for students.
Continuing Education Credit Courses Integration with Regular Programs and Process
Ongoing development of operational guidelines manual for efficient and effective processes for all
academic operations.
Office of the Academic Dean Page 2
Faculty of Careers and Technical Programs
Nursing Program
Hired four new nursing teachers to meet the record number of students in the program. Three open
positions remaining.
Architectural Technology
Hired a recent graduate of the program who currently has an active practice in Montreal to teach part
time.
Computer Science
Hired a new teacher to respond to growth in the program.
Computerized Systems Technology - Hired four new teachers as we rebuild the department after
retirements.
Industrial Electronics
Following a two year search, hired a highly qualified engineer with very recent industrial experience to
meet program needs
New Industry Partner
Sending at least 12 Industrial electronics students and two teachers on a week-long field trip to a
Siemen's engineering facility in Peterborough, Ontario during March break to study industrial
automation first hand.
New Industry Partner
Growing relationship with CAE, the largest maker of aircraft simulators in the world. CAE have begun
employing our graduates and the company is interested in taking our students as stagieres with a view
to meeting their long term HR needs in technical areas such as Computer Science, industrial electronics
and Computerized Systems technology.
Business Administration
Sending three students to Belgium in the spring; our internal recruiting process indicates that at least 25
of our current students will be competing for the three places. This is the reciprocal exchange as Vanier
program received three Belgian students in the fall term.
BDC case challenge set for Feb 8, 9, 10
This Business Administration Program initiative is the largest Community College case challenge in the
country for professional program students. Self-financed due to tireless fundraising by a team led by
program coordinator, David Moscovitch.
Office of the Academic Dean Page 3
Respiratory Anesthesiology Program
The accreditation of RAT has been approved by the Council on Accreditation for Respiratory Therapy
Education (CoARTE).
Animal Care Committee
Actively developing a business plan for expansion and partnerships due to overwhelming number of
student applications and industry needs.
Building Systems Technology Program
Approval of bridging arrangements between the Vanier Building Systems Engineering Technology
Program and the new Lester B Pearson School Board Plumbing and Heating DEP located at Pearson
Electrotechnology Center.
Environmental and Wildlife Management Program
Launched a program-dedicated scholarship, which will result in cash awards being made annually to two
students who are continuing their studies at the EWM Field Station in the Gore Township, just north of
Lachute. Funded by the Lachute-based forestry and environmental consulting company, Horizon
Multiressource, and its parent company, Terra-Bois Cooperative.
In collaboration with IDRO:
Three programs undergoing evaluation – Computerized System Technology, Industrial
Electronics Technology, and OST - DDMT.
Early childhood education nearing completion of evaluation process
SCC and Nursing in program revision mode
Faculty of Social Science, Commerce, Arts and Letters, and Music
Liberal Arts Program
In collaboration with IDRO, undergoing program evaluation.
Developing new program requirements in order to augment student retention.
Music Program
Developing a business plan to upgrade facilities and equipment.
Ordered three new pianos for 2012-2013
Has planned capital requests totalling up to 300,000$ for the next five years
Visits to Cégep Marie-Victorin, McGill University, Conconrdia and Université de Montreal in
order to compare their facilities with ours and to see how Vanier College can update its facilities
and equipment.
Hosted Noël Spinelli event, the Christmas Choir at Église Saint-Laurent and several other
concerts every Wednesday during Universal Break.
Has been reviewing curriculum and course outlines in order to be in line with Ministerial one
hour individual course offerings (these correspond to CPs – or Cas Particuliers).
Office of the Academic Dean Page 4
Social Science Program
Hosted Social Science Festival and welcomed Justin Trudeau as their keynote speaker.
Gaspé Major – Led by teacher, Mark Prentice, 12 students from Vanier Dawson and John Abbott
are in Gaspé for the semester. Numbers are increasing as last year there were six students and
four the year before. Through ECQ funding, students room at the residence and the train fare
are paid. Here is a link to a video that one of last year’s participants
made:http://youtu.be/zTRBfPt9UFU
The new Program Committee has met twice in A-2012 and has included representatives from
General Studies.
Psychology Department
PAREA Grant Application (Teachers: Marlene Grossman and Hannah Steinwald).
Hired a new teacher to respond to Continuing Education demands for H13.
Modern Languages
Hired a new teacher to teach Spanish in order to respond to both day and Continuing Education
demands for H13.
A study trip to Italy is scheduled for May 2013.
Slavic Studies and East-European Major (led by teacher Natalia Pakhomova)
This major has doubled and grown to 60 students in the last year and a half.
A study trip to St-Petersburg, Russia is scheduled for May 2013.
Department of Communications, Arts, Multimedia, Theatre
A list of deficiencies was elaborated following the construction of the new chemical-free digital
photo lab.
Continuous follow-ups have been made for quality assurance. Changes, modifications and
repairs have been made according to the list of deficiencies.
There is continuous overview of the province-wide Arts & Letters program revision.
Changes arising are in line with what Vanier is currently delivering as a program.
The Lehman Gallery is managed by students in the department and continues to exhibit student
works on a daily basis and through special events.
Saint-Faustin (Laurentians Project)
Biomass research project to be terminated for May 2013
Teacher Maria Da Palma (Department of Economics and Political Science) and Gerry La Rocca
(Commerce Department)
Review Boards
Met 360 students at the beginning of January 2013 in order to guide and support them towards
succeeding their studies
Office of the Academic Dean Page 5
Faculty of Science and General Studies
Creation of the new course
Sustainability in Action course which will be offered for the first time next year.
Science Program
Decided to abolish the Science Access profile, which is part of a three-year plan to upgrade the program
and make a stronger focus on excellence.
Science Curriculum Alignment Project with Université de Montréal
Received funding to hire a Pedagogical counsellor to work on the development of an integrated science
program with Université de Montréal. The focus in the next months will be curriculum alignment to
ensure exit profile is aligned with the entrance level expectations of universities. CEGEP Bois-de-
Boulogne may become a partner in this project.
French Department
Philippe Gagne, French Teacher, participated in the National Seminar for French Teachers at
Technological Universities in Mexico.
Humanities Department
Hosting Humanities Symposium from February 4 to 8, and will feature many lecturers with an
international reputation such as Charles Taylor and Stanley Fish.
Nathan Loewen, a Humanities teacher, was a keynote speaker at an international conference on
intercultural education that took place in December in Moscow. The title of his talk was "The Global
Classroom: Using ICTs for Intercultural Education."
Proposal to ECQ
Pedagogical project on virtual team teaching which would involve Vanier and three other colleges: Sept-
Iles, Heritage and Champlain Lennoxville, and also Cégep@distance.
Proposal to ECQ
Intercollege active learning capital project with Champlain, Dawson, Heritage, John Abbott. The grant
would allow Vanier to build five new active learning classrooms. It would also be the basis of an
intercollege pedagogical project to foster active learning methods in all disciplines.
Institutional Development and Research Office
Newly created Administration Technician position in the IDR has been filled by Nora Boyadjian. The IDRO
team is very pleased to have her on board and she is already making significant contributions to our
data collection needs.
Office of the Academic Dean Page 6
Newly created Pedagogical Counsellor position has been filled by Patti Kingsmill, previously a teacher in
English department. She comes with a wealth of pedagogical experience and has participated on several
program evaluations. We are now looking forward to being able to participate more fully in program
development activities.
First NSERC Grant! Jailson Lima, Chemistry Department teacher, will be working with Kai Feng, a student
in the Building Systems Program, to assist the MEGA Brands Toy Company to develop an improved type
of plastic that has less petroleum-based content. This project is significant on several levels – i.e. the
research directly involves student participation; we have developed a partnership with industry and are
working together to help them address a need that they have identified and we are gaining experience
in grantsmanship and now following through with the project.
Due to the increase in our staffing, IDR has now moved its offices onto the first floor of the E wing.
Pedagogical Development Office
VCC Day (Vanier Community Connection Day) on Thursday, January 27, 2013
• Keynote Address on Le@rning by Max Valiquette
• Vanier College Team Challenge Activity
• 14 different workshops
• Poster Session: describing 16 different Vanier College Projects
• 7 Educational Partners attended
• Over 200 attendees participated in different activities throughout the day
Registrar
One year special project position
Allocation Technician to ensure the efficiency and accuracy of the 33 million dollar budget for teaching.
Academic Advising: The Student Success Welcome Initiative
Contacting all new students by telephone to see how they are doing and help them identify what
college services they may need.
University Application Workshops
Introduce university application workshops or drop-in days in February, in advance of the March 1
deadline.
Winter Admissions Day: 2096 applicants, 458 admitted, 377 registered
Winter Admissions Continuing Education: 829 applicants, 755 admitted, 470 registered
Registration January 2013: 5940 students registered for the winter 2013 semester
Registration January 2013: 1360 students registered for the winter 2013 semester
Reduced the winter day registration period by one day, from 10 to 9 compared to winter 2012.
Academic Council Report to the
Board of Directors – February 5th, 2013.
Council Meeting of January 25th, 2013.
1. Follow up on the Director General’s Mandate Renewal (in camera): Following a discussion
of the process involved in the Director Generals’ Mandate Renewal, the following motion was
passed unanimously:
Whereas the current Director General’s mandate expires August 2013,
and whereas the availability of prospective Director Generals is imminent,
for the well-being of the College, Academic Council expresses serious concern about the
timeline for finding and hiring a new Director General and recommends that a search
committee immediately be struck and that the search for a new Director General begin as
soon as possible; and for the purpose of expediency, that the make-up of the committee
included in the proposed 2008 By-Law No. 2 be used.
2. Strategic Plan and Student Success Plan: The Academic Dean gave an update on these two
items. Things are moving forward, with consultation with the community well underway. The
completion of the Strategic Plan is now expected in the fall of 2013.
3. Continuing Education Restructuring: The Academic Dean gave an update on this item.
Currently the focus is on meetings to determine who will be responsible for what in the new
restructuring. Work is ongoing.
4. CEEC (Commission d’évaluation de l’enseignement collegial) Recommendations on the
Evaluation of the Implementation of the IPESA (Institutional Policy on the Evaluation
of Student Achievement): The Dean of the Faculty of Social Science, Commerce, Arts and
Letters, Odette Cote, gave an update on the Council ad hoc committee and its work on this
topic. The committee has sought clarification from the CEEC on the recommendations and
will next begin work on an action plan for dealing with these recommendations.
5. Partnership Agreement with Mircea cel Batran National College, Consanza, Romania:
Council passed a motion recommending approval of this agreement.
Respectfully submitted,
Miles DeNora
Academic Council Vice-Chairperson 2012-2013
