Congratulations to Algonquin College professors Amanda Keon, Leann Nicholson, and Bruno Rocha who were all honoured with Capital Educators’ Awards at Thursday night’s EduGala.
The annual event, held here at the College, recognizes “the achievements of outstanding educators and celebrates public education in our community – across the entire spectrum from kindergarten to PhD.”
Professor Keon teaches Communications in the School of Health and Community Studies, Professor Nicholson teaches Technical Communications in the Faculty of Technology and Trades, and Bruno Rocha is a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program, School of Advanced Technology. All three were lauded for their unique approaches to education at the College.
• Professor Keon believes that “learning is a dynamic and ongoing process” and says she strives to provide students with many opportunities to enhance and demonstrate their learning;
• Prof. Nicholson uses 3D printing, mobile learning, and social media to engage students in her classroom, connecting learners with industry experts via presentation fairs and workshops;
• Prof. Rocha believes “in a fun learning environment,” using examples from his industry experience to “engage, encourage and inspire” students, and to foster a desire for life-long learning that will help them find their path in the world.
Congratulations also go out to four other Algonquin professors — Cheryl Dowell (School of Business), Susan McCaig (School of Health and Community Studies), Bradley Moseley-Williams (School of Media and Design), and Nader Shureih (School of Media and Design) — who were all finalists this year.
Iain Barrie taught and mentored hundreds of students who went through the College, and in doing so shaped not only their careers, but also the Ottawa radio scene. (Facebook)
Alumni of Algonquin College’s Broadcasting — Radio program are mourning the passing of retired instructor Iain Barrie.
Barrie taught and mentored hundreds of students who went through the College, and in doing so shaped not only their careers, but also the Ottawa radio scene.
Barrie died Saturday and many former students have expressed their gratitude for his guidance.
“He was a legend,” said Jeff Mauler, popular co-host of Hot 89.9’s morning program. “He taught me, mentored me, and inspired me.”
Barrie’s influence also extended to airwaves far beyond the capital.
“Iain Barrie’s lessons have reverberated in my mind since I have graduated from Algonquin,” said alumnus Nathan Bernier, an award-winning reporter and host for the NPR station in Austin, Texas. “He motivated us to work hard to achieve our best, and he gave us the tools we needed to do it. Iain forsaw the technological shifts transforming the world of audio entertainment, and he told us how to prepare for them. I will always think of him as my first radio teacher, and will never forget his oft-repeated advice to ‘let your attitude determine your altitude.’ ”
Still other alumni took to social media to express their feelings about Barrie.
Ryan Lindsay, now a host at Ottawa’s New Country 94, touched upon Barrie’s impact in a tweet:
Tonight, my soul feels a little bruised. #IainBarrie was an incredible man, who did everything he did to push you, to succeed. Rest now, BB
While Connie Bernardi, program director MAJIC 100 (CJMJ), posted a touching tribute on her Facebook page:
“Iain Barrie was a role model, teacher, a mentor and a cherished friend. He saw something in me all those years ago at Algonquin College that I couldn’t see in myself … He encouraged me and motivated me — even during those times when I wanted to walk away from the radio world,” she wrote. “There will never be enough ‘thank you’s’ for all his guidance, advice and his words of wisdom … not just about work but about life. I will miss him tremendously. My life was immeasurably better with him in it. I am so grateful and blessed that we crossed paths.”
You can read the full obituary for Iain Barrie in the Ottawa Citizen.
A unique one-year program started this week for 20 pre-apprentices from across Canada.
Over the next year, participants will learn the typical skills expected from a cook pre-apprenticeship, such as food theory, knife skills, classical kitchen language, and practical food preparation – the unique part of the program is how these skills are applied. Participants will receive opportunities to prepare traditional Indigenous meals, with opportunities to cook game meat including beaver and moose.
The Indigenous Cook pre-apprenticeship program is designed to prepare learners with the base of knowledge needed to pursue a Cook apprenticeship or other studies. The program starts with 15 weeks of skills upgrading, followed by 12 weeks of in-school Level 1 apprenticeship training, and finally an eight-week work placement in the Ottawa food services industry.
This pre-apprenticeship offering was developed through a unique partnership led by Wes Wilkinson, Academic Manager for Algonquin College’s School of Hospitality and Tourism. Supporting him to bring it to life with Indigenous content are consultants like Chef Marie-Cecile Nottaway of Wawatay Catering, and instructors like Julie Baily.
“I am pleased to see there is interest in this unique program,” said Wilkinson. “The feedback and response from the Indigenous community – across the country – has been overwhelmingly positive, as a means of reconnecting with their traditions while receiving valuable skills they can bring back to their communities or to the culinary industry. Algonquin College thanks our Indigenous community partners for their support and acknowledges their participation in the development of this program.”
“We are working together with communities to improve outcomes for Indigenous students, and to change the way we relate to and reflect the knowledge systems of first peoples,” said Cheryl Jensen, President. “I want to acknowledge the Provincial Government for recognizing the importance of funding programs such as these. Rethinking both curriculum and program delivery through community engagement is fundamental.”
Joining Algonquin College for today’s launch was Ontario’s Deputy Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, Sheldon Levy to acknowledge his Ministry’s financial support for this program and the example of partnership with Indigenous communities it represents.
For this first part of the program, the pre-apprentices have theory courses on Mondays and Tuesdays and are in the culinary labs on Thursdays and Fridays.See photos from the launch.
Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Leader and MPP Patrick Brown toured Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront campus this afternoon as part of a visit to the Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke riding with local PC MPP John Yakabuski.
Brown and Yakabuski toured the campus between 3 and 4 p.m., and afterwards visited the Pembroke campus’ Employment Services office in downtown Pembroke. Annually, the Employment Services office supports more than 1,000 people who are looking for career information and work opportunities.
“We were pleased to welcome Mr. Brown to our campus and thank him for his interest in our college,” said Cheryl Jensen, President, Algonquin College. “Rural campuses like our Pembroke campus are strong contributors to the local economy and local employment, and we were pleased to see that recognized through this visit.”
“We believe our campus is among the most innovative regional campuses in rural Ontario and we were pleased with the opportunity to showcase our facilities and the programs that we deliver to Ontarians,” said Campus Dean, Karen Davies, following the visit.
The new Pembroke Waterfront campus building was opened in Fall of 2012, expanding student spaces, programming, and services for the Pembroke campus’ close to 1,000 full-time students.
Brown’s visit was part of a weekend stop in Pembroke.
New program to launch at Algonquin College in January with space for 20 apprentices.
Students considering a rewarding career designing, building, and maintaining landscapes will have another opportunity in January 2017.
With input and direction from the horticulture industry, Algonquin College has been approved by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) to offer the Horticulture Technician apprenticeship program, creating 20 new spaces for apprentices in the Ottawa region.
This ‘earn while you learn’ program will complement the College’s existing diploma program to support the growing need for a skilled horticulture workforce in Eastern Ontario. Algonquin College will deliver the 720 hours of in-school training to apprentices which complements their 5,400 hours of on-the-job training. Both the apprenticeship and diploma programs will serve the need of postsecondary graduates and the existing workforce who aspire to gain skills through these recognized programs.
“We are thrilled to offer this new programming opportunity, investing in both our future workforce and in our Green Infrastructure,” said Robyn Heaton, Dean, Faculty of Arts, Media, and Design. “Algonquin College is already a significant educator of horticulture professionals in our region, and we are looking forward to expanding our offerings to meet the needs of students and employers.
Richard Rogers CLM, of RJ Rogers Landscaping of North Gower, Ont., and Ontario College of Trades Horticulture Technician Trade Board Member, said, “The horticulture technician apprenticeship program has been a tremendous benefit to our company for the past 34 years. It has been a valuable training resource giving us greater ability to retain employees while increasing our firm’s skill level. We would not be where we are today without it.”
“Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association is delighted to know that the Horticulture Technician Apprenticeship program will be delivered at Algonquin College. We applaud the MTCU and Algonquin College for their progressive support of the horticulture profession that grows, designs, builds and maintains Green Infrastructure. Green Infrastructure continues to be recognized for its contribution to enhancing lives by providing health, wellness, environmental, social and economic benefits to every community. The continued growth in demand puts pressure on the need for a skilled workforce; the addition of this apprenticeship training program at Algonquin College will support the development of the horticulture profession’s future workforce,” said Sally Harvey CAE, CLM, CLT, Landscape Ontario’s Manager of Education, Labour Development and Eastern Ontario Region.
For more information on Horticulture Technician apprenticeship programs in Ontario, visit www.horticulturetechnician.ca or contact the Landscape Ontario Horticulture Technician Association (LOHTA) apprenticeship team at apprenticeship@landscapeontario.com.
A hard drive containing names and grades of past students in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program was stolen from an Algonquin College professor’s car on April 8, 2016. The Ottawa Police Service has been notified of the theft.
This unencrypted hard drive contained the names and grades of approximately 474 students enrolled in the GIS program from 2005 to 2016. This includes students who undertook GIS courses 4204, GIS and 4304. A subset of the students who undertook GIS course 1003 – 43 students in total – also had their phone numbers, personal and college email addresses, and student numbers compromised.
The College is sending detailed letters to the 474 potentially affected students via their College email account and by sending written letters to their last known street address. Concerned individuals can call the toll-free help line set up for this incident at 1-844-853-0326 or by sending an email query to icthelp@algonquincollege.com.
Algonquin College is covering the cost of credit bureau monitoring and identity theft protection for two years for potentially affected students. The College has also notified the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) of Ontario of this matter.
The College is taking the matter seriously, and sincerely regrets that this occurred. The College is reaching out to all affected students whose personal information was compromised, and reminding our staff about the various resources available to keep sensitive College data safe.
How did this happen?
On approximately April 8, 2016, an Algonquin College Professor’s briefcase was stolen from his personal vehicle. The theft was reported to the Ottawa Police Service. In the briefcase was an unencrypted external hard drive that contained student names and course grades from approximately 474 students in the Geographic Information Systems program that attended Algonquin College from 2005-2016.
How long have you known?
We were made aware of this incident shortly after it occurred on April 8, 2016.
Why did it take so long for you to notify?
The incident occurred on approximately April 8, 2016. We sent out information advisories via email and regular mail to all applicants that were impacted within ten (10) business days.
What personal information was involved?
For the majority of affected students, the personal information that was stolen was the following:
Last Name
First name or First name initial
Various course grades including final grade.
The information sent did not include phone number, street address, birth date, social insurance number, personal health information, account user ID or password, banking information or credit card information.
In a small number of cases that applies only to students that took course GIS1003, the information also included student ID number, telephone number, Algonquin College email address, personal email address, and course taken.
Who received my personal information?
The information was stored on an unencrypted hard drive that was stolen out of a professor’s vehicle.
Does this affect course grades?
No. Course grades remain unchanged.
Did the College lose my course results?
No. The College still has your master copy course grades stored in our central system.
Are changes being made to ensure this does not re-occur?
Yes. This was an isolated incident. We take our role in safeguarding personal information very seriously. We are also committed to implementing the necessary remediation steps to minimize the possibility of future incidents of this nature.
Have you had reports of identity theft related to this incident?
No. We have not received any reports of identity theft or other misuse.
I did not receive an email or notification letter. Does this mean my personal information was not affected?
If you are not on our list of approximately 474 students, then this does not affect you.
I know someone who didn’t receive an email or notification letter.
Please have them contact us soonest so we can send them the appropriate information.
Did you call the police?
Yes. The Ottawa Police Service was notified.
Should I be concerned?
We have uncovered no evidence of misuse. However, we advise that the affected take the precautions set out in the letter that was sent to them.
Algonquin College President, Cheryl Jensen, and Siemens Canada CEO, Robert Hardt, came together on Earth Day to unveil a new high-efficiency co-generation power plant at the College’s Ottawa campus. The organizations also strengthened ties by signing a Memorandum of Understanding that will benefit Algonquin College students by providing opportunities to learn first-hand in a “living lab” for the future of energy systems.
The co-generation natural gas plant will generate two megawatts of power – enough to cover the baseline power needs of the Ottawa campus. Algonquin College and Siemens Canada will continue to collaborate on leading edge academic programming that will maximize experiential learning opportunities for students and lead to new applied research opportunities. In addition, the College has announced a new graduate certificate program to debut in January 2017. Energy Management is aimed at students with existing credentials who are looking to further their careers in the energy sector.
“This project is a game-changer in our efforts to maintain our facilities, control our costs, and expand the learning opportunities for our students,” said Cheryl Jensen, President, Algonquin College. “Delegations the world over have visited our Ottawa campus because of the innovative thinking behind this project. This project has become a trend-setter, and we thank Siemens Canada for their creativity and their partnership.”
Ontario’s Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli, Ottawa West-Nepean MP Anita Vandenbeld, and German Ambassador Werner Wnendt were on-hand to tour the new plant and the future site of the new Energy Innovation Centre that will showcase inventive technologies for sustainable energy generation and energy management.
“I want to congratulate Algonquin and Siemens as they unveil this innovative project”, said Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli. “This facility will have long-term positive impacts on our local college, our region, and on our province. It will provide innovations in technology to reduce electricity costs, better manage energy use, and improve the training of the next generation of power workers and energy system innovators.”
”Canada’s energy landscape is changing dramatically and the industry innovation needs to happen in a real-world setting,” explains Robert Hardt, CEO, Siemens Canada. “Today’s students are tomorrow’s skilled workforce and strong private-public partnerships like the one between Siemens and Algonquin are vital to enhancing education and research in the energy space, ensuring Canada remains competitive and sustainable.”
Algonquin College’s Guaranteed Energy Savings COntract (ESCO) with Siemens is a 20-year, multi-million collaboration that has resulted in numerous efficiency and sustainability retrofits to the Ottawa campus. Installing the co-generation plant represents ‘Phase 3’ of the ESCO2 agreement, and confers a number of benefits for Algonquin College:
Reduces the College’s energy expenses
Reduces the College’s deferred maintenance (outstanding repairs and maintenance)
Allows the College to continue to operate in an electricity outage
Opportunities for students and programs to conduct applied research projects
The heat generated by the plant will also be retained by this new system and used to heat and cool the College, further reducing Algonquin’s energy expenses.
For the sixth year in a row, Algonquin College ranks first in Student Satisfaction amongst large Ontario colleges according to the 2015 Key Performance Indicator (KPI) survey data. The 2015 KPI numbers were released today by Colleges Ontario.
The College’s score of 80.4 once again exceeded the provincial average of 76.8 and represents an increase from last year’s score, which was 80.2.
“On behalf of the College, thank you to our students for once again giving us a strong mark in student satisfaction,” said Claude Brulé, Senior Vice President, Academic, Algonquin College. “We take pride in our efforts to ensure students have a positive and meaningful learning experience, and will continue to strive for that “A”.”
The KPI survey is a government mandated survey administered to Ontario community college students. All students who are in full-time funded programs (except those in their first semester) are surveyed in class to determine their satisfaction with college programs and services. To ensure all students have an opportunity to complete, three survey periods are conducted during the year (June, November and February). Survey results are compiled by a third party research firm (CCI Research). Students are asked to rate their satisfaction with their program outcomes, the quality of learning experiences, the quality of services, the quality of facilities and resources, and their overall satisfaction – where Algonquin placed first among large colleges for the sixth straight year.
While 80.4 per cent of Algonquin College students said they were satisfied, just 4.9 per cent were dissatisfied – below the provincial average of 5.6. The remainder were “neither satisfied nor dissatisfied”.
The federal government’s planned investments in jobs for young people, infrastructure, health, and applied research is good news for the Algonquin College community and good news for Eastern Ontario.
“I applaud the federal government for their efforts to make postsecondary education more affordable, and for the strategic investments that will unlock the potential in our students, faculty and applied research activities,” said Cheryl Jensen, President, Algonquin College. “Investments in infrastructure and postsecondary research are really an investment in our learners, and through education they will prosper and develop the skills they need for today’s innovation economy.”
The federal budget, released today, announced $2 billion over three years, starting in 2016-17, for a new Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund. This funding will help postsecondary institutions modernize on-campus research, commercialization and training facilities. Colleges will be better equipped to create world-class programs and conduct the research our entrepreneurial start-ups need to grow and prosper.
An additional $95 million per year to the granting councils (Canada Institute for Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and Research Support Fund) will further support the applied research at colleges.
Colleges have long been leaders in providing real-world education and training and connecting our students to opportunities with local employers. The announced a Post-Secondary Industry Partnership and Co-operative Placement Initiative will ensure more students have access to experiential learning opportunities that will help them get the job they want.
Reforms to the Canada Student Loans program will make the financial aid system simpler and help more low- and middle-income families.
Algonquin College is especially pleased the budget is committing $800 million over four years, starting in 2017–18, to support innovation networks and clusters. These networks are what ensures our post-secondary programs and applied research are connected to the latest innovations through partnerships that benefit our students, engages industry and leads to positive economic outcomes for our region. Located next door to Canada’s largest technology and research park in Kanata, Algonquin College is well poised to leverage these new supports into strategic partnerships.
“The government’s Innovation Agenda, in particular, is perfectly timed to spur economic growth,” added Jensen. “We look forward to playing our part in building Canada as a centre for global innovation.”
“Additionally, the emphasis on data – through the reinstatement of the long-form census, open government initiatives, and enhanced labour market information – is very helpful to our institution as we plan for the needs of our communities.”
Algonquin College students have answered the challenge yet again.
Students have raised $66,476 in support of the Spread the Net Student Challenge since 2012, and – as has become an annual tradition – the CBC’s Rick Mercer stopped by to congratulate them on winning the 2016 Spread the Net Student Challenge.
Proceeds raised through the Student Challenge, an annual competition organized by Plan Canada, support the fight against malaria in Africa through the purchase of bed nets. Mercer, relaying his own experience from a trip to Africa, said the bed nets make a huge difference – saving lives and ensuring the communities can grow and flourish. Each net costs about $10 and can protect a family for up to five years.
2015-16 marked the fourth consecutive year the students of Algonquin College have been named the postsecondary Student Challenge champs.
In addition to a rally in the Student Commons, Rick visited a few classes as part of a segment which will air on The Rick Mercer Report season finale on March 29.
Congratulations to Algonquin College professors Amanda Keon, Leann Nicholson, and Bruno Rocha who were all honoured with Capital Educators’ Awards at Thursday night’s EduGala.
