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.
Posted on Thursday, April 20th, 2017
As Ontario’s college system celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, new research confirms college education continues to be an effective and swift route to employment.
The provincial Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) released today show 83 per cent of Ontario’s most recent college graduates found employment within six months of graduation.
“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.”
Read more of this Colleges Ontario article >>
Posted on Thursday, April 13th, 2017
Kathleen Wynne, Bill Davis, Deb Matthews, and Hazel McCallion celebrated the 50th anniversary of Ontario’s college system Monday alongside school representatives. (Steve Paikin/TVO)
It’s hard to imagine that one of the most successful post-secondary educational systems in the world started in an abandoned manufacturing plant just half a century ago.
Back then, options for Ontarians after they finished high school were much more limited than they are today. Only about 10 per cent of graduates went on to university. Most everyone else either got a job, or got married and started a family. Other options just weren’t readily available. Read more of the TVO Ontario’s colleges have come a long way in 50 years blog post >>
Posted on Friday, March 17th, 2017
It has been just over a year since the Waterfront Campus became the first regional college campus in Ontario to hire an entrepreneur-in-residence, and the move has clearly paid off. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and w
ell at the campus and has been producing great results.
Since Chris Doré came on board in January of 2016, several initiatives have been launched to create more opportunities for students and faculty to engage in entrepreneurship. For example, a new general education course focused on entrepreneurship was launched a few weeks ago and is getting great reviews from students. The interactive course teaches students the various steps needed to successfully launch their own business, and also introduces them to entrepreneurial terms such as start ups, venture capital, social enterprise and more.
Speaking of start ups, Startup Ottawa Valley was recently launched under the Startup Ca
nada umbrella. Startup Canada is a grassroots efforts to encourage and support more entrepreneurs nation wide. Within the Ottawa Valley, several champions have been identified who will create networking and mentoring opportunities for new entrepreneurs, who can also access all of the tools and resources available through Startup Canada such as grants, pitch events and professional development.
The first TedxPembroke event was held at the Waterfront Campus last fall and brought together 7 speakers who shared innovative ideas that were both inspiring and engaging. There is nothing more entrepreneurial than a Tedx event which purposefully uses the spoken word to start deeper conversations to spark cr
eative ideas. The College intends to offer more Tedx events in the future given that the first one sold out and was very well received by the community.
The true test of the college’s efforts is the success of its students and graduates to become entrepreneurs. Our confidence was given a great boost recently when first year Outdoor Adventure student, Brennan Lemieux, won first prize at the Wolves’ Den competition at Algonquin’s Ottawa Campus. Lemieux was the only competitor from the Waterfront Campus and took home $1,000 for his impressive presentation to the judges on 
his plans to launch a digital logbook for outdoor adventure leaders.
We know there will be more success stories in the future as we turn the Waterfront Campus into an entrepreneurial hub for our students, employees and the greater community. Exciting times indeed!
Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs
Posted on Monday, February 27th, 2017
When Paul Martin Sr. rose in the House of Commons on February 24, 1937 to encourage the federal government to provide scholarships to outstanding students who could not afford to attend post-secondary education, he was reflecting on his own experiences growing up in a low income family in Pembroke.
The future Liberal cabinet minister had attended several higher education institutes including some of the most prestigious schools in the world, but none of those experiences would have happened without the generosity of others.
Martin’s original plans were to become a Priest and he received help through the Pembroke Diocese of the Catholic Church to pay tuition at a school in Gatineau, Quebec. While studying in Gatineau, he remained enthralled with the happenings at near-by Parliament Hill, where he climbed a tree to watch the funeral procession for one of his early political heroes, Sir Wilfrid Laurier. He had left home at only 15 years of age and by his late teenage years, he knew politics was where he wanted to be.
As a stepping stone to public life, Martin pursued a law degree by first studying at St. Michael’s College on his road to Osgoode Hall in Toronto. His interest in international matters led him to Harvard University in Boston and then Trinity College in Cambridge, England. When he returned to Canada, his quest to enter politics continued as he became involved with the Liberal party, making valuable connections across the country.
After an unsuccessful provincial election bid in his hometown, Martin settled in Windsor where he went on to win ten consecutive elections leading to a 33-year career in the House of Commons.
Best known for his work as Minister of Health and Wellness, Martin is widely credited along with Tommy Douglas as the fathers of universal health care in Canada. He also initiated the introduction of mandatory polio vaccinations for children, a move that saved thousands of lives. Martin and his son, the future Prime Minister, both suffered from polio as children, and he was determined to eradicate the disease.
Martin’s first cabinet post came ten years after he was elected when he became Canada’s Secretary of State. He was well respected at the United Nations and was a major influence to Canadian social policy following the second World War, advocating programs such as unemployment insurance, a minimum wage and the right of workers to unionize. After voluntarily leaving politics, he joined the senate as the government house leader and finished his political career as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Paul Martin Sr. was a great Canadian. He served under four Prime Ministers, and while he never had the opportunity to lead his country as its highest elected official, he arguably made some of the greatest contributions to our country though his work as a senior Liberal Cabinet minister.
On June 16, 2017, Algonquin College will pay tribute to his legacy through the posthumous awarding of an Honorary Degree to Paul Martin Senior. The Degree will be accepted by Canada’s 21st Prime Minister Paul Martin Jr., who is deeply touched by the college’s efforts. “This all the more so because of my Dad’s earliest initiative following his fist election in 1935 was to table a resolution in parliament, advocating more student aid which, as he said in his memoirs, reflected ‘my own experience as a boy whose parents could not afford to pay for his education.'”
All graduation ceremonies are special, but given the fact that Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday and the college is marking its 50th anniversary, listening to the address by the former Prime Minister will be a wonderful opportunity for all of the graduates and a life experience that will stick with them long after they leave Algonquin College.
The convocation ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. The ceremony is open to the public.
(Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs)
Posted on Monday, February 13th, 2017
Welcome to our Parents’ & Families’ Newsletter
The calendar has turned to a new year and there is lots happening at Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus. Here is a quick update for parents and family members. Enjoy our 2017 parent newsletter.
Winterfest: March 8th at the Waterfront Campus
The winter semester at the Waterfront Campus is nicely underway and we certainly have plenty of snow in Pembroke. The mounds of snow surrounding the campus will help as we plan our Winterfest carnival for students on March 8th.
Winterfest is a fun afternoon and evening for students that will include:
- outdoor activities in the snow
- a free lunch for all students
- free public skating at the Pembroke Memorial Centre followed by a women’s and men’s student-staff hockey game
- free dinner back at the campus where students can enjoy live entertainment.
- Plus, we will be making some draws for free Ottawa Senators hockey tickets.
Yes, we like to give our students free stuff to make their college experience more enjoyable!
Algonquin College
Celebrates 50th Anniversary: Speaker Series
In 2017, the College is celebrating its 50th anniversary, so there will be many special events taking place. Among them is our Speaker Series which is dedicated to Canadian history. One of the sessions that all students are being invited to attend is a presentation by Tricia Logan of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
This session will be held in the evening of Tuesday, April 18th at 7 p.m. at Festival Hall in Pembroke, a short walk from the campus. You can learn more about this presentation on our Speaker Series website >>
Tricia Logan is the Education and Outreach Coordinator at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Tricia is originally from Kakabeka Falls, Ontario. 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. She also has a MA and BA both in Native Studies from the University of Manitoba. In 2000, Tricia started working with the Aboriginal Healing Foundation at the Southwest Region Manitoba Métis Federation and has worked with the AHF, Legacy of Hope Foundation and National Aboriginal Health Organization research on various projects from 2000 to 2014.
New Entrepreneurship Course offered at Waterfront Campus
More of our students are interested in becoming entrepreneurs. To help them achieve their goals, the campus hired its first Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR), Chris Doré, last January. Since Chris has come on board, several initiatives have been introduced.For example, the college now has a student entrepreneur club, a group of community entrepreneurs who are available to mentor students, and a new general education course on entrepreneurship has been launched this winter. The course is open to all students and will help them better understand what it takes to be an entrepreneur. You can learn more about our entrepreneurship activities on our EIR website >>
Events, Events and More Events!
We have a number of events on campus, both faculty and staff driven and student organized. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of everything that is happening, which is why we have created the Waterfront Campus Events Calendar >>. Learn more about the fun and academic event opportunities available for our students.
Flu Season
With so many students and staff at the Waterfront Campus daily, it is easy for the flu to spread at this time of year. The College offers free flu shots to students through its Health Services office which is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. An appointment is not necessary.Throughout the campus there are also hand sanitizer stations and our Health Nurse does a great job of promoting the importance of hand washing, particularly at this time of year when the flu and cold season is at their peak.
New Housing Options for Students for Fall 2017
Our out-of-town student population continues to grow. In fact, more than 50 percent of our first year student population last fall had to relocated to Pembroke to study with us at the Waterfront Campus.We wanted to let parents know that a third privately owned and operated student residence is currently under construction and is scheduled to be ready for August 1, 2017. This residence is located within walking distance of the campus on Lake Street near the Pembroke Memorial Centre. You can learn more about housing opportunities on our Housing website >>
It’s important to remember that the college provides housing information to students and families as a courtesy service, but all decisions on whether to enter into a rental agreement is between the family and the landlord. You may want to review the Landlord-tenant Act for Ontario.
New Support Groups: Chill Café & SMART Recovery
- Our new Chill Café is a 6-week anxiety management program open to all students. The program runs weekly on Thursdays between 12:30 and 2 p.m. from February 9 to March 23. Students can register at acwaterfrontchillcafe.eventbrite.ca
- Our SMART Recovery offers students the help needed to recover from any addictive behaviour by working on motivation, urges, negative thinking, and living a balanced life style. Weekly sessions are held on Fridays, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. starting February 10 and running until April 28, 2017. There is no need for students to sign-up, they simply need to show up to Room 216 at the above mentioned times.
International Experiences for Students
While many college students will be on their winter break the week of February 13 to 17, more than 30 Algonquin students will be in Costa Rica where they will be taking the Rainforest & Tropical Science General Elective Course course. This course is open to students at all three Algonquin College campuses in Pembroke, Perth and Ottawa and is considered a general education credit. Learn more about this international education experience >>
In the spring, some third year Bachelor of Science in Nursing students will be travelling to Guatemala on a humanitarian mission to support health care needs in the third world country.
We hope this newsletter has been helpful. Please keep in touch with us and offer us feedback on topics you would like us to cover in future newsletters.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 Sunday, February 12th, 2017
Jim Kyte played a tough brand of hockey, but it’s not surprising he lasted 17 years in professional hockey, considering the obstacles he had to overcome. The NHL’s first deaf player will share his incredible story as the keynote speaker at Algonquin College’s annual Spring Business Leadership Conference on May 25, 2017 at the Waterfront Campus in Pembroke.
Now into its third year, the conference provides great value to small town businesses in Eastern Ontario by providing high quality professional development opportunities at a very reasonable cost. In its first year, the conference attracted more than 60 people. That number jumped to more than 90 registrants last year, and this spring the College expects the conference to exceed more than 100 attendees, based on the positive feedback it has received on the conference.
Built on a theme of bringing a “big city” conference to the Ottawa Valley, the line-up includes several workshop presenters who have participated in larger conferences in places like Toronto, Ottawa and Kingston. The line-up is supplemented with the continuing education faculty from the Waterfront Campus, providing an opportunity to showcase the high quality trainers the College has available locally.
Amongst the presenters this year is Doug Wotherspoon, Algonquin College’s Vice-President of Innovation and Strategy, who will provide tips on how businesses can build a sustainable competitive strategy. Wotherspoon will introduce his audience to the “playing to win” model, a simple framework that looks to ask five integrated questions to help businesses think ahead and align their company for sustainable success.
Sylvie Rimbach is a human behaviour strategist who will focus her workshop on being a courageous leader in today’s competitive landscape. Rimbach’s session will explore the power and influence leaders have, turning leadership into a verb, not a noun.
Katie Tollis-Flabbi is a young entrepreneur with a passion for marketing. As a business owner and part-time faculty member at the Waterfront Campus, Tollis-Flabbi will share six practical and easy marketing steps for a small business. The goal is to share ideas that won’t break the bank, but will generate revenue and much needed exposure for a small business with a limited marketing budget.
Two of the sessions will focus on the pending labour market shortage being driven by an aging population. Angela Hoyt is the President of Evolution Group and for the past 19 years she has helped organizations manage performance. Her session promises to provide the audience with tools they can use to attract the right employees at a time when they will be hard to find.
Chela Breckon is the Coordinator of the Local Immigration Partnership program in Renfrew and Lanark County. A passionate advocate for immigration in rural regions, Breckon will help business leaders build a welcoming strategy that will support their efforts to attract newcomers to their workplace.
There are also workshops on social media and public and media relations, areas that are evolving but becoming increasingly important for businesses and organizations of all sizes. The keynote address by Jim Kyte, lunch and a refreshment/networking break, an after conference social and the awarding of a business innovation award are all part of the conference.
Early bird registration rates for the conference are in place until March 31st and businesses that send three employees will receive a fourth registration free. At $199, plus HST, (early bird rate) the conference is very affordable and for most attendees will not require any additional expenses for overnight accommodation, travel or meal expenses.
The Spring Business Leadership conference has been designed to support small and medium sized businesses in both the private and public sectors. Given its growth since being launched in 2015, it appears it has hit the mark.
Posted by; Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs
Posted on Friday, January 27th, 2017
While Punxsutawney Phil and Wiarton Willie prepare to celebrate the end of winter (we hope), the eve of Ground Hog Day is a time for celebration in the Ontario College system. It’s the day that colleges start sending out offers of admission to the thousands of prospective students who apply to college each year.
February 1st is known as the equal opportunity deadline, but it’s also the day colleges start letting applicants know if they have met the admission requirements for the programs they have applied to. Yes, there will be some disappointed applicants, but colleges are very good at making alternative offers that help applicants stay on their pathway to their chosen career.
At Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus, applicants can expect a very personalized experience as they learn their admissions status. They will be able to check their application on the Ontario College Application Service website to see if the college has made them an offer of admission.
Later in the day, they can expect a congratulatory email from the Waterfront Campus that will provide additional information on their next steps in the admissions process. The email will also include a congratulatory video message from their program coordinator and a personalized invitation to attend the campus March Break Open House on Saturday, March 11th.
By late afternoon or evening, college faculty and student services staff will be calling accepted applicants to congratulate them and answer any questions they might have about their program or the Waterfront Campus.
All of these touchpoints are part of the college’s effort to help applicants feel comfortable with the decision they are making to enroll in a post-secondary program. It’s also the first step in building a relationship with incoming students.
Over the course of the admissions cycle, there will be plenty of opportunities for new students to get to know the campus and the faculty who will be teaching them. There will be invitations to open houses, program preparation camps, jump-start academic programs and of course orientation activities. By the time, September rolls around, students will be very familiar with their new surroundings. Students and families can also get to know our campus by joining our online community through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
It all starts on February 1st, when the Waterfront Campus says congratulations, you’ve been accepted into college!
Posted by: Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs
Posted on Wednesday, January 18th, 2017
2017 is a very special year for Canada and Algonquin College. Both have a milestone birthday as the country celebrates being 150 years old and the College marks its 50th anniversary.
To celebrate these two occasions, Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus is dedicating its 2017 speaker series to covering topics of Canadian history.
The Speaker Series kicked off recently with Steve Paikin, long time host of TVO’s popular political program, The Agenda. Paikin has written a book on former Ontario Premier, Bill Davis, the founder of the Ontario college system.
Davis was Ontario’s second longest serving Premier and over his 14 years heading the province he had many accomplishments, but his legacy focuses on education through his work in founding colleges and introducing equal funding for the Catholic school system.
On April 18th, the College will welcome Tricia Logan, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. The NTR commission issued 94 calls to action in its landmark report which dealt with several sensitive issues including residential schools.
Logan’s presentation will focus on the legacy of the residential schools, the inclusion and exclusion of the schools in Canadian history and what it means to approach a new version of Canada and revised Canadian histories.
Sean Conway is well known at Queen’s Park for his oratory skills. Now retired as an elected member of provincial parliament, Conway is a frequent lecturer at universities across the province.
He has put together a talk entitled, “The Character and Colour of the Ottawa Valley Political Tradition” that he will present at the Waterfront Campus on May 8th. Filled with stories about politicians at all levels who represented Ottawa Valley constituents, the lecture will be a wonderful history lesson on local politics.
The now closed Kingston Penitentiary was Canada’s oldest and most notorious prison. It was also the backdrop for author Merilyn Simonds’ best selling book, “The Convict Lover” which tells the story of a young Renfrew man who is imprisoned, but has a romance with a young woman while serving time for a series of misdeeds in the Ottawa Valley.
Simonds, who has authored 17 books, will participate in the Speaker Series on September 12th sharing many stories about what led to Canada’s first prison riot.
For Canadian hockey fans, September 28, 1972 is a date that will live on as one of the defining moments in Canadian sports history. It was the day that Paul Henderson of the Toronto Maple Leafs scored a late goal for Canada in the deciding game of the Summit Series with the Soviet Union.
2017 marks the 45th anniversary of that historic game, and author Roy MacSkimming will be in Pembroke on September 28th to talk about the series and his book entitled, “Cold War.” MacSkimming wrote the book for the 25th anniversary of Henderson’s goal, and will re-live the series which was about much more than hockey, but rather a battle between two political systems at a time when tensions between the west and the Soviet bloc were at their peak.
The 2017 series wraps up with Charlotte Gray on November 8th, as she speaks about her book entitled, The Promise of Canada. Gray will explore the great achievements in our country’s history, while acknowledging the darker shadows of our past.
More speaker series engagements may be added, but 2017 is shaping up to be a very special time for those interested in Canada’s history.
Posted by: Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs
