OTTAWA – The Ontario government’s announcement today that in-person education and training at colleges will resume next month on a limited basis ensures more students will complete their programs and acquire the expertise sought by employers.
“This is tremendous news for students and for employers in key sectors who will need qualified people to help drive Ontario’s economic recovery,” said Claude Brulé, President and CEO of Algonquin College. “We’re very pleased with the government’s ongoing commitment to our students’ success and to the colleges’ continued delivery of high-quality programs.”
Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano announced today that in-person classes will resume in July in a range of college programs that require hands-on work to fulfil the programs’ requirements.
In the days since my last communiqué, I was pleased to hear from many of you regarding our College’s position on inclusion and diversity. Recent events have sparked some important, but also difficult conversations, at home and around the world. I am grateful to all of you for helping us keep that conversation going. I am hopeful that this dialogue will lead to positive and lasting change through the work of our Inclusion and Diversity Blueprint, and in the way we treat one another in our daily lives.
This week we have had promising news from our Premier about restrictions being eased in communities where it safe to do so. The province has included Ottawa among the areas permitted to begin Phase 2 of the reopening plan (it should be noted that post-secondary institutions are not on the initial re-opening schedule announced this week). This is welcome news that I know will be met with great enthusiasm. However, as our government has stated, it is still important that we continue physical distancing, wear face masks when physical distancing is a challenge, and wash our hands frequently. The province remains under a Declaration of Emergency until June 30.
Information is changing rapidly and our teams across the College are working to adjust accordingly. You will be receiving an important communiqué from Chris Janzen, Senior Vice President, Academic, tomorrow, June 11, that will contain more details about our Fall term. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to adapt to new realities, including making some difficult decisions about how we deliver our Fall programs in order to put the safety of our students and employees first.
We are not the only organization faced with difficult choices. On Monday, the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) and its members announced the decision to suspend varsity sports and recreation activities planned for the 2020 Fall semester. I can understand how disappointing this news was for so many of our outstanding athletes, who always represented our College with pride on the field or the court. While this is very disheartening, I know our teams will return as strong as ever when the time comes, and that Algonquin fans will be waiting to cheer you on.
Amidst all of this, I would like to acknowledge our Class of 2020, whose convocation ceremonies were postponed due to the pandemic — now was to have been your time. You have shown great strength of character, and now more than ever I applaud you for your resolve. We know that you are eagerly awaiting more information about our convocation plans for the Fall, and I wanted to let you know that we hope to have more details to share with you next week. Until then, I would encourage you to watch a congratulatory video from Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities.
Each week I try to share the most important news and updates with you. I realize that these updates affect each of you in different ways. Our College community is home to all of us — learners, support and administrative employees, faculty and our Algonquin College Leadership and Executive Teams — and I know you are all doing your very best to move forward in a positive way while trying to navigate these unprecedented times. Thank you to all of you for your efforts, large and small, to help us get through the challenges we face.
Monday’s press conference at Queen’s Park revealed that trending numbers for Ontario are “encouraging” and that we are now seeing “some of the lowest increases that we’ve seen in a long time.” These past few months have been very demanding, but I hope that this news brings new hope to everyone that we are beginning to turn a corner. Please keep up the good work that you are doing, and know that my virtual door is always open if you have any feedback to share.
OTTAWA (June 4, 2020) – Give your fingers a workout, top up your coffee and get your mind ready to learn again. Algonquin College Corporate Training (ACCT) has opened 1,150 additional spots for its free, instructor-led, virtual classroom courses to help give back to the community during COVID-19.
In addition, the ACCT team has added several new short courses and is offering a 25 per cent discount on its paid courses, which will also be delivered virtually.
“As a part of Ontario’s community college system, we are dedicated to helping our communities survive and thrive in both good times and in difficult moments such as these,” said Doug Wotherspoon, Executive Director of Business Development at Algonquin College. “We are proud to be able to expand our offerings in support of the businesses and people of Ontario who are looking to sharpen their skills at work or strengthen their resume for their next opportunity.”
It is difficult to believe that it has been almost three months since we temporarily closed our campuses and began to transform how we go about our work and our studies. We concluded our Winter term, launched our Spring term, and now plans are well underway to take us into the Fall term. I know our teams are working hard to ensure we have everything in place to respond to a number of potential pandemic recovery-related scenarios, and the College will be releasing more details regarding our Fall term academic activities by Friday, June 12.
The province’s State of Emergency will be extended through the end of this month, and while this means there are still many restrictions that we must follow, we are still actively planning for the future. The presidents of the Ontario colleges, myself included, endorsed a statement released on Monday that outlines our collective strategies for approaching the Fall term. Together, we have reaffirmed our commitment to protecting the safety of students and employees and have described some of the options we are considering in order to continue providing excellence in programming through remote learning. Our statement also looks at how the colleges are developing guidelines to promote physical distancing in cases where hands-on instruction is delivered on campus, as well as protocols for cleaning, and rules for using personal protective equipment (PPE). You can read the full statement here. Continue reading Message from the President – June 03
While I plan to send out a more detailed communiqué later this week, I did not want another day to pass without mentioning the violence we are seeing across North America, particularly in the United States. I am deeply troubled that our society continues to be besieged by racism and discrimination of any kind and am saddened to read of those who have suffered or lost their lives because of it.
If you need support at this time, please do not hesitate to reach out so that we can help you. Learners can find resources here and our employees can find resources here.
We are now well into our eleventh week of isolation and physical distancing, and already two weeks into our Spring term. So much change has taken place in this time, but our College community continues to meet the challenges and find innovative ways to help our learners and care for one another, and for that, I thank you.
OTTAWA (May 26) – Algonquin College has taken a prominent role in a unique nation-wide pilot project to provide Indigenous youth with trades training while they attend school.
The $1.2-million project, funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, is mandated through Indigenous YouthBuild Canada, a national job-readiness program that brings local communities together with educational institutions, government, and corporate partners to help Indigenous youth acquire job-ready skills while extending their education.
While modelled on an American YouthBuild program that has helped thousands of young people since the 1970s, Indigenous YouthBuild Canada focuses on this country’s Indigenous youth.
Under the program, Algonquin teamed up with two other post-secondary institutions and two Indigenous organizations to provide First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth with this earn-as-you-learn opportunity.
OTTAWA (May 25) – Algonquin College has won a Prix d’Excellence award from the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education for Best Community Outreach Initiative.
The CCAE recognized the College with a Silver Award for its Introduction to Esthetics for New Canadians Program offered in 2019. It was the third year in a row the CCAE has honoured Algonquin.
The award was presented Friday in an online ceremony after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the organization’s annual conference.
President Claude Brulé congratulated all those in the School of Hospitality and Tourism involved in the program. “The Esthetics for New Canadians Program was truly an inspiring way to welcome newcomers to Canada. You can take pride in having helped them settle into their new homes.”
OTTAWA (May 21) – Two applied research initiatives at Algonquin College have each received $360,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) College and Community Innovation Program.
The innovative projects are: Victim Services and Vicarious Resilience, a collaboration to advance victim service research in Canada; and Mamiwi maadaadizi — “The Start of an Algonquin Journey,” which will examine the best ways to Indigenize the education, services, and spaces at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus.
“I want to thank the Council for recognizing and investing in the dynamic and cutting-edge applied research taking place at Algonquin College,” said Claude Brulé, President and CEO. “Our projects take the College’s values of caring, learning, integrity, and respect out of the classroom and into our communities. From improving public safety to working towards Truth and Reconciliation, our teams are making a difference.” Continue reading Algonquin College projects awarded $720,000 from College and Community Innovation Program
As difficult as it is to think about being in our tenth week of physical distancing, I hope that the warmer weather has provided a chance for you to get outdoors a little bit this past long weekend, and that perhaps it has also given everyone an additional boost of optimism.
Yesterday we marked AC Day 1 with an energetic start to the spring term — so many activities and creative ways to connect with our new learners and welcome them to Algonquin College. Thank you to everyone who helped organize this wonderful experience, and thank you to all our new learners for taking part. I am sure these virtual events will help you settle into your studies, confident with all of the information gained, and in the knowledge that we are here to help you succeed. Continue reading Message from the President – May 20
Dear Colleagues and Learners,
