Posted on Thursday, September 21st, 2017
A recent article on thestar.com outlines four sources of post-secondary financing you may not have considered.
When my son Ben was at Western University, he didn’t apply for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). The reason? He had a good summer job that enabled him to pay his own tuition, and my husband and I covered his living costs.
We didn’t find out until he was in law school last fall that had he simply applied for OSAP, he would have been eligible for a $3,000 grant and could have declined the loan. Yep, we felt like dummies. Continue reading thestar.com article >>
Posted on Tuesday, September 12th, 2017
For those considering studying at our Pembroke Waterfront Campus, a recent article by The Wedge: A New Voice for Eastern Ontario introduces those new to Pembroke to the charm that our City has to offer.
“We finally traveled to the far northwest corner of the wedge. This is a milestone in our 1.1 years since launch. This node is a city named Pembroke–the largest in the Ottawa Valley. It sits on the Ottawa River and has a few rivers running through it, the Muskrat River and the Indian River.
Pembroke is a good 45 minutes West of the Town of Renfrew and one hour from the Town of Arnprior. The three offer travelers a perfect ‘puddle-jumping’ trek across the Ottawa Valley. Pembroke is also 30 minutes or less from Algonquin Park and could bring a trip to a perfect close this Fall and year-round.
“Technicallyyyy, we are the smallest city in Canada.”
“Technicallyyyy, we are the smallest city in Canada,” a few locals said. This is invariably uttered with a grin and a low brow. So it seems, the needle wiggles around 16,000 population–the miracle number that identifies a place as a ‘city’ and no longer a ‘town.’” Read more of the Wedge: A New Voice for Eastern Ontario article >>
Posted on Tuesday, September 5th, 2017
On Friday, September 1 at 11:44 a.m. Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus made history. When second-year Practical Nursing student, Laura Edmonds, walked into the admissions office to enroll for her fall classes, she became the 1,000th student to register for the fall intake of students.
It was the first time in the fifty year history of the campus that the enrolment in full-time programs exceeded four digits. Edmonds was greeted by clapping and congratulations by the admissions staff who were on the watch for student number 1,000, knowing the historical significance for a campus that started with 16-full-time students when it opened its doors in 1968.
The record enrolment is continuing a trend that started several years ago when the campus began introducing several unique programs that have helped it attract students from outside of Renfrew County. Programs like Outdoor Adventure, Urban Forestry-Arboriculture, Applied Nuclear Science and Radiation Safety continue to pull out of town students, and have been the primary reason why developers have built three privately owned and operated student residences to house visiting students.
There are now more than 170 students living in residence and many more who are renting or boarding in other apartments and homes in the Pembroke area. The out-of-town student population has grown to be about 50 percent of the students enrolled in the campus.
The campus now offers 21 full-time programs leading to certificates, diplomas, and degrees. As Algonquin College’s largest regional campus, it is blossoming as it celebrates its fifth year of operation at its Waterfront Campus which has become an anchor for Pembroke’s downtown, igniting a renaissance of the city’s inner core. The best example is the new residences, but the energy that has been created has resulted in new stores, façade and building improvements and increased investment in infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks and bridges.
Rome was not built in a day, and it has taken a lot of work by the dedicated administration, faculty and support staff at the campus to bring about record enrolments. The college employees who worked so hard at the old campus to create an exceptional learning environment for students, while making do with inadequate facilities, paved the way for creating a caring culture on campus.
The new campus has taken that commitment to student success, excellent teaching and customer service to a new level. With a beautiful facility built along the picturesque shores of the Ottawa River, it has become a destination campus for both local and out of town students like Laura Edmonds of Cobden.
Not many people have the opportunity to make history. Edmonds did, by being in the right place at the right time. She is student number 1,000 at a campus that looks forward to four-digit enrolments being the norm, not the exception, as its plans for the next fifty years.
Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Waterfront Campus
Posted on Tuesday, July 4th, 2017
I remember the first time I asked my mentor to mentor me. I was quite nervous and afraid she would say no. I didn’t realize at the time that I was being silly. Why would she say no to my request – she was one of the most engaging, encouraging and respectful people I had ever met and these were the traits that inspired me to ask that awkward question, “would you mentor me?”
I came into formalized mentoring later in life, and only after an abundance of work experiences and mistakes. I have to admit when I think back, there were mentors but they often took on the guise of teachers and coaches, picked not by me but by the activities I participated in. It was only into my 30s that I started to actively look for mentors. I started to make a list of people whom I held in high regard in the community and that I believed I could learn from.
As I assembled my “team” of mentors I looked for certain skills and ways of thinking that I lacked. I also started to realize the immense power of mentoring as my mentors provided me with:
- Viewpoints and perspectives regarding business I had yet to experience, like how to start a business, what is needed legally, and what should I not do?
- An understanding of the importance of ethics and trust when doing business with others
- A completely new network of people and contacts
- Acted as references and even nominated me for awards
- Career advice – they gave me new ideas and prevented me from making costly business mistakes
- Guidance in business and in life
The one regret I hold is that I did not find my team of confidantes, friends, life coaches, business advisors, when I was a student. Mentors can become one or all of these things to you as you develop a long-lasting relationship.
For all these reasons and more, mentoring and giving back to the community through mentoring is one of my core values, and I believe I am lucky to be able to guide and help students reach their own goals and achieve their dreams.
If you are interested in being mentored and are starting a business or have a great idea but don’t know where to start – start with our Mentorship@AC application site! If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, have a look at our Mentor@AC application site.
You can always reach out to me at dorec1@algonquincollege.com or on Twitter @chrisWdore, I am sure we can help.
Posted by: Chris Doré, Entrepreneur in Residence, Waterfront Campus
Posted on Saturday, June 24th, 2017
Have you ever walked into a room and felt out of place, like why am I here or how come no one is talking to me? Well that is a common thought and feeling we all experience when we reach out and start networking. Any time we go outside of our comfort zone, we feel uncomfortable. The thing to remember is that this very feeling is just a prelude to personal growth. Networking and meeting new people are all a part of life and the many experiences we have. It is also one of the best ways to find a job, create a partnership, find customers, and mentors.
Some people are naturals at networking while others are not. Luckily, I am a natural networker. I enjoy meeting new people and hearing their stories. I also lack the fear of rejection that many often feel. These two items, which can be overcome quite easily, led me to an abundance of opportunities from great positions in companies to sitting on various high profile committees and boards at an early age.
The great thing about networking is that it never goes out of style and is becoming easier with the abundance of social networks and technology available.
Here are some of my best tips on networking.
- Don’t be afraid: what you are feeling is likely what others are feeling too. Networking events are meant to be exactly that – networking events. People want to meet you and you want to meet people. So get out there and give it a try. In most cases students can attend events at a lower cost or even free!
- Use LinkedIn for professional purposes: maybe large group networking is not for you. LinkedIn is a great tool to find professionals in your area to network with. I often send requests to individuals I would like to meet face to face. It is important to be strategic about this process. Approach people that you hope will mutually benefit from your connection.
- Don’t wait to finish school to start networking: the sooner you start networking, the large the network and benefit will be to you. I have been to many networking events and there are very few students who attend. That is an absolute advantage to the few that do. You will stand out and potentially meet people that can hire you, mentor you or give you some great new perspectives on the world.
- Follow the 80/20 rule: listen 80% of the time and talk 20%. This is really hard. Most people when nervous tend to ramble, so have conversations but don’t dominate them by telling your whole life story. Show interest in who you are speaking with, ask great questions and listen. Listening is a skill that most people need to develop.
- Build relationships: this sounds like common sense but in many cases it is missed. Relationships should be win/ not just a one way relationship in which only one person benefits. Make sure you have something to offer. We all have something, so start to take personal inventory.
- Most importantly, follow-up with people you have met: hone your professional relationship building skills. I personally feel that it is best to follow up as soon as possible – keep your meeting fresh in mind. I recommend a friendly face-to-face coffee to learn more about my fellow networker.
Now, if you’re interested in networking there are a ton of options. Look up your local Chamber of Commerce or check out Eventbrite.ca and Meetup.com just to name a few.
Hope you find some of these tips helpful and feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn or Twitter – always happy to increase my network and help out.
Posted by Chris Doré, Waterfront Campus Entrepreneur in Residence
Posted on Tuesday, June 20th, 2017
There are very few weeks in the 50 year history of Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus that would rival this past week. A former Prime Minister delivering a convocation address, celebrating a high profile alumnus who has raised thousands of dollars for the campus and an inspiring big swim by a faculty member trying to raise awareness about a complicated environmental issue, were all part of the past seven days.
Let’s start with former Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Paul Martin, who challenged the class of 2017 to do their part in helping Canada be the best that it can be. Canada’s 21st Prime Minister was speaking from the heart, after being deeply moved by the college’s acknowledgement of his late father’s political accomplishments through the awarding of a posthumous Honorary Degree.
The Right Honourable Paul Martin Senior spent 33 years as an elected member of the House of Commons and is best known for his work as Canada’s Health and Wellness Minister, and Secretary of State. What is not as well known is that he grew up in Pembroke, and many of his political views were formed from his childhood in Pembroke, where he contracted polio as a young boy and his family struggled to make ends meet.
Martin Sr. would be a father of universal health care, would ultimately make the decision to introduce polio vaccinations that would save thousands of Canadian children, and would be instrumental in having many additional countries enter the United Nations. In his speech, his son would tell the graduates, ” Yes, my Dad made history, but he never could have done it had the people of Pembroke not been there for him.”
A few days before the graduation ceremony, one of the Pembroke Campus’s most successful graduates was being celebrated. Country Music Artist, Jason Blaine, was honoured with a plaque on a computer lab at the campus for raising $100,000 towards the building costs of the Waterfront Campus, which opened in 2012.
Blaine was in town for his annual concert and golf tournament which raised $90,000, and has now brought in almost $300,000 over its first four years. Moving forward, he has committed to using funds from his charity to establish an endowment for students in financial need, so they can attend the Waterfront Campus.
The week was capped off by the incredible and inspirational “big swim” by Environmental Technician Coordinator, Sarah Hall. After weeks of training, Hall swam more than 16 kilometres through choppy and cold water in the Muskrat Lake, raising more than $4,000 and bringing awareness to the serious environmental issues facing the watershed.
Hall and her students have spent countless hours doing research and trying to find solutions to the causes of algae blooms which have plagued the watershed for many years. Exhausted and cold, Hall was greeted to a heroes welcome when she reached the shoreline in the village of Cobden, after more than five hours in the water.
That’s a lot in one week, but it’s also a snapshot of how many great things are happening at Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus in Pembroke. Truly amazing!
Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs
Posted on Monday, May 8th, 2017
Welcome to our Parents’ & Families’ Newsletter
With spring fresh in the air and the end of the winter term upon us, we thought it was a perfect time to provide an update on activities that have recently happened on campus and provide some insight into upcoming events.
If you haven’t had a chance to visit our dedicated Parents’ and Families website, featuring links to blogs, interesting articles written by our Student Services staff and a calendar that notes some important upcoming dates, we suggest that you take a moment to explore.
Our goal is to keep you informed. While we respect the privacy of our students, the information we will provide in this newsletter will give you a good sense of what is happening on campus throughout the year and will provide you with enough information to have engaging conversations with your student.
Convocation: An opportunity to celebrate student success!
The month of May has arrived and we are saying goodbye to graduating students and getting ready to welcome a new group of incoming students. For those leaving us, we remind them that their graduation ceremony will be held on Friday, June 16th at 1 p.m. at the Pembroke Memorial Centre with Canada’s 21st Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Paul Martin, delivering the convocation address.
Each graduate will receive a personalized email with an invitation to register for their convocation ceremony.
Program Awareness Camp Day
For our incoming students, we want them to join us at their Program Awareness Camp (PAC) on Saturday, May 13th, with the exception of the Outdoor Adventure applicants who have several choices to attend their Program Readiness Camp at Wilderness Tours Resort.
The Program Awareness Camp days provide wonderful opportunities for students to experience their program and meet other incoming students and their faculty. There is also a scheduled First Contact one-on-one meeting with a member of the program faculty for each student who attends.
While the students are busy with their faculty, there is a parent’s program that includes the opportunity to hear from other parents, insights on how the college uses technology to enhance the learning environment. Learn more and register for PAC Day >>
Free Tuition Policy Comes Into Effect for Lower Income Families
The Ontario’s government highly publicized free tuition program is now available for lower income families. The program front end loads grants to cover a students’ tuition payment. More information on the program is available on the Ontario Student Assistance Program website >>
Repaying Ontario Student Assistance Program Loans: What’s the Next Step?
Is your son or daughter graduating and would like more information on repaying their student loans?
Sign up for a free webinar being offered by National Student Loans Services. These informative hour long sessions are offered over several times and dates for your convenience.
Upcoming times/dates are as follows:
- Friday, April 28, 2017 12:00 pm -1:00 pm
- Wednesday, May 3, 2017 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
- Monday, May 15, 2017 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
- Thursday, May 18, 2017 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
- Wednesday, May 31, 2017 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
- Wednesday, Dec 13, 2017 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Tuition Deposits Due June 15
Algonquin College requires incoming and returning students to pay a $500 tuition deposit fee by June 15th to hold their seat. Watch this short video to learn more about how this deposit can be paid. Watch College Tuition Deposit – Payment Options video below:
Did you know the Waterfront Campus has a Book Club?
The Waterfront Campus is lucky to have a very engaged Library and as a result we have our own Waterfront Campus Book Club!
Learn more about our Library Services!
Algonquin College Presents…Tricia Logan: Revising and Re-imagining Canada’s History; Reconciliation and Canada’s 150
We recently had the privilege of hosting Tricia Logan, Education and Outreach Coordinator at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, as part of our Speaker Series. Tricia is originally from Kakabeka Falls, ON. Recently, Tricia completed her PhD entitled ‘Indian Residential Schools, Settler Colonialism and Their Narratives in Canadian History’ in History at Royal Holloway, University of London. Tricia’s research interest and writing originate from her work with survivors of residential schools and involvement with language revitalization. Watch the Tricia Logan Speaker Series video below:
New Bursary Established for Forestry and Urban Forestry-Arboriculture Students
Algonquin College is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017 and as part of the celebration a new bursary has been announced to help students in financial need. The Larry Scales Memorial Bursary will honour the memory of an originating Forestry Technician faculty member.
Mr. Scales began teaching in the Forestry program when it started in 1969 until his retirement in 1989. He passed away last year and his family decided to establish an endowment in his memory.
We hope you enjoyed reading our newsletter for parents and families. We would welcome your feedback.
Thank you for being part of your young adult’s post-secondary journey.
Sincerely,
Jamie Bramburger
Manager of Community and Student Affairs
Algonquin College Waterfront Campus, Pembroke, ON.
PM-Parents@algonquincollege.com
Posted on Saturday, May 6th, 2017
Algonquin College is turning 50 years old in 2017 and public support for the campus has never been better. In the past few weeks, new endowments have been established to support students in financial need at the campus, construction is continuing on another student residence to support the college’s growing out of town student population, and more than 200 women attended our Girls’ Night Out fundraiser at the Waterfront Campus.
After five decades of serving the Upper Ottawa Valley, the College has come of age and the community fully understands its importance to Renfrew County’s future. Perhaps, Pembroke Mayor Mike Lemay said it best when the college held a 50th anniversary kick-off event at the Champlain Trail Museum, saying, “Now, more than ever, the College is critical to our region as we face labour market challenges brought on by an aging population. The infusion of young people into our community as a result of the College being here is vital and has created significant economic spin-offs for the city.”
How great is that impact? Well, more than fifty percent of the students who attend the Waterfront Campus now come from out of town. It’s why the former college campus on Pembroke Street, the previously empty Lakeside Medical Clinic and the new apartment building under construction on Lake Street near the Pembroke Memorial Centre, have been purposefully renovated or built to accommodate student housing needs.
From humble beginnings in 1967, with only a handful of students to approximately 1,000 students each fall, the campus growth has had a profound impact on Pembroke, spurring all kinds of new business opportunities, while helping the city grow its tax base and creating more access for local residents to access post-secondary education.
That’s where the need for more financial aid bursaries comes into play. While the Ontario government has made some progressive changes in supporting low income families with its new free tuition policy, there are still hundreds of students who study at the campus who need additional financial support.
In the past few years, several families, businesses and organizations have setup endowments. Most recently, the family of Larry Scales, a retired Forestry Technician teacher who passed away last year, established a memorial bursary in his name. After raising more than $24,000 this year alone, the Girls’ Night Out committee used the funds raised at its sell out event to create a bursary to annually support a woman who attends the Waterfront Campus. Business program alumnus and Canadian recording artist, Jason Blaine, has also announced he will be creating an endowment for college students.
These generous gifts are truly appreciated by the students and the College. It helps the college to fulfill its overarching goal of supporting students to be successful in their academic studies and to be career ready when they graduate.
Yes, fifty years is a significant milestone. It’s enough time to be fully integrated into a community, just like the founder of the Ontario College system, former Premier Bill Davis, envisioned when he established Algonquin College with a mandate for a regional campus in Pembroke.
Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs
Posted on Thursday, May 4th, 2017
Orientation for new college students is several months away, or is it? At Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus in Pembroke, the college is committed to helping students get off on the right foot as they begin their college journey. To do this, the campus organizes a Program Awareness Camp day each spring to start building a relationship with its incoming class, an initiative that really helps students get comfortable with their new surroundings.
Based on student feedback, here are the top five reasons why students should attend.
- Career clarity. The Program Awareness Camp day is full of experiential learning opportunities for students to better understand the program they are planning to enroll in. It provides enough of a snapshot for students to determine if it is the right fit for them.
- Meet your faculty. Building an early relationship with your teachers can really help students feel connected to their program. The faculty will be leading the activities so it exposes students to their teaching style and takes away some of the apprehension students may have about the learning environment.
- First Contact Meetings. These one-on-one sessions with faculty allow both the student and the faculty advisor to get to know one another better. The faculty advisor will ask a series of questions that could identify potential issues that need to be resolved during the summer months to better prepare a student for their academic program.
- Connecting with other students. There will be many incoming students who attend the Program Awareness Camp Day. This provides an opportunity to get a head start on meeting new friends and starting relationships prior to the start of classes. This fosters a much easier transition to college.
- Get to know your campus. The Waterfront Campus is built on a picturesque property on the shores of the Ottawa River in downtown Pembroke. The campus offers many great features including a fitness centre, gymnasium, specialized labs, a library that overlooks the river and much more. Taking advantage of a campus tour can help students picture themselves in their college program, experiencing everything that college has to offer.
Attending a Program Awareness Camp day is time well spent. Parents are also invited to attend as there is a parent’s program that can also help Moms and Dads feel better about the decision their son or daughter is making in choosing to study at the Waterfront Campus.
This year’s Program Awareness Camp day is scheduled for Saturday, May 13th. There’s still time to register. You won’t regret it!
Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs
Posted on Thursday, April 20th, 2017
Algonquin College is number one for graduate satisfaction among large Ontario colleges! Recently released Key Performance Indicator (KPI) survey data showed exactly 80 percent of Algonquin College graduates are very satisfied/satisfied with their college experience, while just 7.9 percent are dissatisfied.
“On behalf of the College, I want to thank Algonquin College students and alumni for our strong report card, which once again ranks us above average for a college of our size,” said Cheryl Jensen, President, Algonquin College. “This strong graduate satisfaction result comes as no surprise to us, as our College has performed very well in student satisfaction for the past seven years. I want to congratulate our peers at Fanshawe College, who edged out our title as the top large Ontario college for student satisfaction this year with 77.7 per cent (to Algonquin’s 77.4).”
All Ontario public sector colleges participate annually in the Colleges Ontario KPI survey program, which entails providing a mandatory satisfaction surveys to all enrolled students. The surveys measure outcomes such as students’ satisfaction with their courses, learning outcomes, facilities, and student services. Additionally, recent alumni are surveyed regarding their satisfaction as graduates and their employment status post-graduation. Finally, employers are surveyed to measure their satisfaction with the Ontario college graduates they hired. The results are then analyzed by an independent research company.
This year’s results across the college sector underscored the fact that college education is an effective and swift route to employment. Eighty-three percent of Ontario college graduates found work within six months of graduation, and more than 91 percent of employers were satisfied or very satisfied with the graduates they hired.
“Colleges are experts at helping people find rewarding careers,” said Linda Franklin, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario. “Our graduates’ professional and technical expertise will be even more important in the years ahead as new technology and automation create a heightened demand for a more highly qualified workforce.”
Full 2016 KPI results may be seen at collegesontario.org.
