Algonquin College executives, Perth campus representatives, and local construction industry members and politicians unveil applied research lab, already under construction, to support local innovation. Photo: President Cheryl Jensen, with the help of a student, brings the lab one step closer to completion!
(Perth, November 30, 2015) It may look like a house, but it’s not just any house.
It’s a Residential Living Lab, an applied research facility where students, faculty, and businesses in the Perth area will come together to tackle everyday business challenges. The facility was unveiled today as part of an introduction of the project to the broader Perth community. On hand to help celebrate the launch: construction associations like the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association, construction companies, and education focused groups like Ontario Centres of Excellence. (See photos from the launch)
So what kind of challenges will this lab help address? In her remarks, President Cheryl Jensen discussed an applied research project underway with EcoTay in Perth. Algonquin College students are applying the latest building science techniques to a nearly 200 year old home, making it more efficient and bringing the building envelope up to current day standards.
The lab unveiled today is, itself, an applied research project, modelling the very sustainable design principles the students are learning in class. When Perth Mayor John Fenik asked all the students involved in building the facility to raise their hands, half the room was a sea of hands!
Students in Algonquin College’s Construction Carpentry – Advanced Housing program in Perth are managing the construction site and putting together the 2,500 square foot ‘home’. GRC Architects of Ottawa designed the lab, with inspiration from the Green Architecture program graduate students.
“What a legacy for these students, who will be able to point to this building with pride long after they graduate and say “I made that”! They truly are changing the landscape of our campus,” said Chris Hahn, Dean, Perth campus. “As a polytechnic, Algonquin College is known for its applied research, and this project will allow us to step up our research efforts across all of our program areas, including the construction sector.”
“Applied research connects students and faculty with local employers to solve business challenges, and many of our clients are local businesses and startups” said Cheryl Jensen, President of Algonquin College. “Through applied research, we are growing the entrepreneurial ecosystems across the Ottawa Valley. Opening centres like this one is just one way we are living out our commitment to be a driver of innovation in our communities.”
The lab was partly funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Research Fund.
A formal opening of the Perth Residential Living Lab will take place in summer 2016.
The familiar roar of a chainsaw will echo through Investors Group Field as Algonquin College’s Loggersports team cheers on the Ottawa REDBLACKS in this Sunday’s 103rd Grey Cup Championship game. Members of the Loggersports team will be travelling to Winnipeg to cheer on Ottawa’s CFL team.
Algonquin College President, Cheryl Jensen, says this is a wonderful opportunity for the Loggersports team to be part of one of Canada’s signature sporting events. “The Grey Cup game is watched by millions of Canadians every year and we are thrilled to have our Loggersports team in Winnipeg as part of our partnership with the Ottawa REDBLACKS football club. For our College community, having the Loggersports team on the sidelines will make Ottawa’s first Grey Cup appearance since 1981, even more special than it already is,” says Jensen.
Since the REDBLACKS inception, the Loggersports team has been at every home game including last weekend’s thrilling Eastern Final that propelled Ottawa into the title game. This year alone, the Loggersports squad has cut 39 wooden cookies, a symbol of the REDBLACKS high powered offence led by league most valuable player, veteran quarterback Henry Burris.
The Loggersports team is supported by both Algonquin College and the Algonquin Students’ Association. The team is part of the Intercollegiate Lumberjack Association and competes in several competitions each year against other colleges and universities from across Eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States.
Meanwhile, in an email to President Glenn Feltham at the Edmonton-based Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), Algonquin College President Cheryl Jensen made a friendly wager over Sunday’s game:
…In the unlikely event of an Edmonton win, I will wear an Edmonton Eskimos jersey for a day, and send a video to you praising the virtues of your hometown team. I would challenge you to wear a REDBLACKS jersey and send me a similar video. I would suggest you start rehearsing.
President Feltham has accepted the offer.
So, if you weren’t already rooting for Ottawa here are two more reasons to cheer on the R-R-R-R-REDBLACKS!
He was Algonquin College President for 16 years, part of a lengthy 45 year career in education.
Through his leadership, the College staked a claim as the ‘digital college’, a leadership position it still holds today within the Ontario college system.
He lead a large infrastructure campaign – some say if you draw a line halfway down the Ottawa campus you’ll find there was very little on the other side before Bob Gillett was President (not to mention the new campuses in Perth and Pembroke). To thank him for the new facilities, and his leadership, the Algonquin Students’ Association named one of those new buildings – the Robert C. Gillett Student Commons – after him.
“President Gillett was focused on the Customer Experience and to him the Number One Customer was the Students,” said David Corson, a past Students’ Association President. “He also believed that Algonquin should be a leader in the Digital Experience so that other colleges would follow. He wanted us to be a trailblazer so that we were the superior choice in Ontario and in Ottawa. These are the primary reasons that the Students’ Association at the time requested the Board of Governors to allow us to name the new Student Commons in his honour.”
He brought Algonquin out of deficit and into financial surplus, enhanced its reputation, diversified its educational offerings through degree programs and applied research, and widened its partnerships with the City of Ottawa, fellow Ottawa postsecondaries, and others.
Monday, Bob Gillett was recognized for all these achievements, and many more, through the Minister’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was presented at the annual College’s Ontario Higher Education Summit in Toronto. On hand to deliver the award: The Hon. Reza Moridi, Ontario’s Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities; Colleges Ontario President Linda Franklin; and Colleges Ontario Chair David Agnew.
The criteria for this annual award includes: (1) demonstrating exceptional leadership over a significant period of time; (2) exemplifying collegiality working with other colleges and local institutions, with the community, and with students, and through this collegiality advancing the social and economic development of Ontario; (3) displaying wisdom and depth of leadership that has made a significant difference locally and provincially; (4) promoting excellence within the college, within the college system and within postsecondary education in Ontario.
“Robert Gillett has made an indelible mark on our province’s college system,” said the Hon. Reza Moridi, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. “It is an honour to present him with this award for his forward-thinking and leadership, which has helped to establish Algonquin College as a leader in the community, in the digital sphere and around the world. Through his hard work, he is truly making Ontario a better place to learn.”
“Bob is an innovator, and we are all beneficiaries today of his vision,” said Algonquin College President Cheryl Jensen. “His achievements are many: turning Algonquin’s finances around, cultivating a culture of pride and innovation, forging community partnerships which benefit us to this day, fostering internal communications, and so many others. I can think of no other candidate who so deserves this honour. Congratulations Bob for all your success!”
Seniors of today and tomorrow: you can rest easy. You’re in good hands.
With today’s launch of Algonquin College’s new Retirement Communities Management graduate certificate, there is now an educational option to meet the needs of tomorrow’s retirement industry leaders.
The program was launched to respond to the forecast growth in seniors and in retirement communities in the Ottawa Valley region – there are 90 communities today, and many are full or at capacity. A number of new properties are currently under construction while existing communities plan for future growth.
And these jobs will require a unique skill set – someone who can navigate both the logistical and regulatory challenges involved in operating a retirement community.
To help launch the program, Algonquin College faculty and administrators were joined by industry partners, prospective and registered students, and Ontario Ministers Mario Sergio and Bob Chiarelli.
“We need more educated, trained individuals to meet the future jobs in the retirement sector, making programs like this of increasing importance,” said Sergio, Minister Responsible for Seniors Affairs. “This program offers a dynamic opportunity to support seniors in new and innovative ways. I am excited to see the fresh perspective of students graduating from this program.”
“Managing the rapidly growing number of retirement communities in our region requires a diverse set of skills,” added Jim Kyte, Dean, School of Hospitality & Tourism at Algonquin College. “With help from industry, we have created a program that will ready retirement professionals for the workforce of tomorrow. Postsecondary institutions like Algonquin have an important role to play in supporting the Ontario government’s plans to make Ontario the best place to grow up and grow old.”
The program’s first intake will be this January. Applications are being accepted today via OntarioColleges.ca.
Algonquin College becomes the first college in Ontario to take the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) President’s Pledge.
Bringing an entrepreneurial mindset to all that we do is what drives Algonquin College, President Cheryl Jensen declared at her Ottawa Chamber of Commerce Eggs n’ Icons speech in March.
To cement that commitment to entrepreneurship, President Jensen today signed the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) President’s Pledge.
“Our goal is to instill in every student, and embed in every program, a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation,” said President Jensen. “This pledge is a reaffirmation of all that we are doing to train tomorrow’s leaders. We look forward to demonstrating that commitment throughout Global Entrepreneurship Week in November.”
According to NACCE President and CEO Rebecca Corbin, Entrepreneurship Pledge is a way for community colleges to advance entrepreneurship and create jobs across the country. Community college presidents who take the pledge commit to these five action steps:
Develop transparency of community college and community assets
Create internal and external teams dedicated to entrepreneurship
Increase entrepreneurs’ engagement in community colleges
Engage in industry cluster development
Create broad exposure to their college’s commitment to entrepreneurship.
“The five action steps were developed based on NACCE’s observations of what was working best on member campuses,” said Corbin. “After observing the entrepreneurship-related activities of our members over a period of years, we started to see commonalities among the more successful institutions. One of the major things that clearly makes a difference is the commitment by leadership to entrepreneurship.”
NACCE includes nearly 300 colleges in Canada and the U.S., representing over 1,400 entrepreneurship education professionals. Through these educators, approximately 465,000 students are exposed to the possibility of putting their newly acquired skills and knowledge to work in their own business, if not immediately then at some point in the future. In addition, countless small business owners and entrepreneurs benefit from education, mentoring, and other important services provided by NACCE members.
The only station to tune to on election night
is CKDJ 107.9 (sorry, everybody else)
Campus community radio station CKDJ 10.79 will be broadcasting its “#AltElxn Night” coverage starting at 9 p.m., with community stations across Canada syndicating the show.
(Ottawa, October 1, 2015) Voices which sometimes get less attention during an election campaign will finally have their say.
Students in Algonquin College’s Radio Broadcasting program will be hosting a two hour election night special focused on the priorities of students, First Nations peoples, those with disabilities, and other underrepresented voices on October 19 as part of what they call “#AltElxn Night”.
The show will contain discussions, stories produced by community radio stations across the country, music, and live election updates. The discussion will be nationally focused, as the show will be syndicated across the National Community Radio Association (NCRA) member stations across Canada. Participating stations will be announced closer to the election date, and those interested in syndicating the broadcast may contact Dan Pihlainen, Coordinator, Radio Broadcasting program at Algonquin College.
“Providing our country with an alternative view point in these elections is extremely important for member stations and their mandates,” said NCRA Executive Director Barry Rooke. “With the NCRA teaming up with CKDJ staff and students to deliver this election night coverage we can provide a national yet distinct service to our listeners, demonstrating the importance of community media in this day and age”.
“This show will provide a real world learning experience to these students and give them the chance to use their skills to help others engage in our country’s political discussion,” added Pihlainen. “The fact they are using their talents to help give a voice to those who sometimes do not have one is an especially great way for us to live out our mandate as a community radio station.”
CKDJ’s “#AltElxn Night” is election coverage you won’t hear anywhere else.
Visit ckdj.net/election to learn more, and to find CKDJ’s live web stream link. Listeners in Ottawa’s west end (Nepean/Barrhaven area) may also tune their FM radio dials to 107.9. Stay tuned for an announcement of the show’s host and other details.
September 30 Update: The Algonquin Students’ Association Board of Directors has pledged an additional $10,000, raising the emergency fund total available to refugees attending Algonquin College to $60,000. The fund could now help as many as 12 full-time refugee students. The original announcement follows.
As many as 10 refugees of the Syrian crisis could have their full-time tuition at Algonquin College fully funded, President Cheryl Jensen announced today.
The College is pledging up to $50,000 to support refugees who apply and are accepted to College programs.
The funds will be applicable to any full or part-time Algonquin College program of study, including language training, certificates, diplomas, or degrees. Depending on the selected program of study, this emergency refugee fund could support up to 10 full-time students within the next year.
“The tragedy unfolding in Syria and surrounding countries is heartbreaking, as a mother, as a grandmother, and as a Canadian,” President Jensen says. “This announcement marks a first step for us, and we continue to speak with our partners across the city about how we can support a broader city-wide response.”
The College also participated in a public meeting in Kitchissippi on Thursday, September 17 to discuss possible responses to the crisis. Algonquin is further announcing its intention to participate in Mayor Jim Watson’s October 1 information session.
Each year, Colleges Ontario celebrates the achievements of Ontario college graduates in the province and throughout the world through the Premier’s Awards. The 2015 Premier’s Awards gala will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, November 16, at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel.
The Algonquin College Foundation is pleased to announce this year’s Premier’s Awards Nominees for Algonquin College:
Business: Greg Kells, President, Sunbelt Business Brokers Canada (Class of 1970, Business Administration)
Community Services: Christine Gaitens, Chief of Child and Youth Services, Toronto District School Board (Class of 1991, Child and Youth Worker)
Creative Arts: Janice Dean, Senior Meteorologist, Fox News Channel (Class of 1992, Radio and TV Broadcasting)
Health Sciences: Dean DiMonte, President, Premergency Inc. (Class of 1986, Paramedic)
Technology: Philippe Smith, Owner, Smith and Barber Sculpture Atelier Inc. (Class of 2004, Heritage Masonry)
Recent Graduate: Derek Lothian, Vice President, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (Class of 2011, Public Relations)
Modern technologies are re-shaping the building industry. New tools and devices are changing the life cycle considerations of building design, construction, operation and renewal. Mobile devices are enabling new and faster modes of interactions between people.
These technologies bring promise of improved performance and productivity, but place new demands on people and processes. This shift presents a growing opportunity for Algonquin – check out our new Residential Living Lab being worked on at our Perth campus! Learn more.
Doing some home renos? Richard Briginshaw, Coordinator, Green Architecture says, “Don’t demolish – deconstruct” in this Globe and Mail ‘ask the experts’column!
