Lakeland Link: September 7, 2010

September 7, 2010

The A publication of Lakeland College

www.lakelandcollege.ca Vermilion • Lloydminster

Our MISSION To inspire our learners to realize their individual potential. Our VISION To achieve educational excellence in a people-centred environment. Our VALUES are Respect, Safety, Trust, Pride, Ethics, Quality and Accountability.

Upcoming Events Lloydminster campus Wednesday, Sept. 8 • Welcome barbecue. Cafeteria patio.

Noon. Sponsored by the Lloydminster Economic Development Authority, Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce, Lloydminster Community Futures, Century 21 and CocaCola.

Thursday, September 9 • Welcome Back Campus Mixer. Room L11. 4:30 to 6 pm

Tuesday, September 23 • Bannock and Tea Social. Students' Association Office. 10:30 am to noon

Vermilion campus Thursday, September 9 • Staff Alumni Barbecue. Alumni House.

Noon to 1 pm

Friday, September 10 • Library Open House. The renovations are complete. Check out the new computer work stations, break-out rooms, study carrels and more. Lower level in Alumni Hall. 2:30 to 3:30 pm

Nominations for Green 'n' Gold Awards Thursday, September 30 • Deadline for nomination submissions.

See page 2 for award categories. For more information, call Darlene Barr at ext. 8427 in the human resources office. The Green 'n' Gold awards will be distributed at the Employee Recognition Awards to be held Nov. 18 in the Vic Juba Community Theatre at the Lloydminster campus.

The Lakeland link is published biweekly from September to May by the Department of Advancement for staff and members of the college community.

Submissions regarding college news and initiatives are welcome and will be published at the editor’s discretion. Deadline for submissions is Thursday at noon prior to the publication date.

The Lakeland Link is available to internal staff via Outlook’s Public Folders and online at www. lakelandcollege.ca/link.

They're baaack!

Kathryn Menz (right) returned yesterday to the Vermilion campus for Year 2 of the interior design program with friend and recent Lakeland grad Amy Kistner. They received a warm welcome from Wendy Gill, residence office facilitator. At the Vermilion campus all available student residences are full. At the Lloydminster campus, 97 per cent are occupied.

Student Success Course a hit with new students The demand just keeps growing. So much so that organizers of Lakeland’s Student Success Course had to squeeze in a few more seats for new students wanting in.

“It’s a nice problem to have but the increase in the number of students wanting to take the course tells us that it really works for them,” says Tricia Smith, academic services chair and Learning Centre coordinator.

This is the third year Lakeland has offered the Student Success course. The four-day program runs a week before classes start and offers sessions and activities to help firstyear students adapt more easily to college classes and campus life. Forty students took the course this year. Several more had to be put on a waitlist.

Jen Bakos of Lloydminster, Alta., was one of the lucky ones. She is a first-year university transfer student. “I wanted to take the Student Success Course because I struggled in my previous college experience,” says Bakos. “This year, I decided to use all the resources available to me at Lakeland to help me excel. I already feel more confident going into the first semester. I’ve learned a lot about myself and how to use my learning style in and out of the classroom. The course has been so beneficial to me and I would recommend it to any student.”

Course topics include effective note taking and textbook reading, personal learning styles, exam preparation, memory improvement, time management and best practices for group work. Students also gain strategies to help resolve conflict, handle stress, manage emotions and achieve their goals.

Program instructors and staff from the college’s academic and student support services including the library, The Learning Centre and counselling departments facilitate the sessions. Fun activities also enable students to make new friendships and become more familiar with the campus and the community.

A glimpse at Glenn's events

It's Green ’n’ Gold time

Welcome back everyone! It’s great to see students returning to campus. Students in the heavy oil operations technician, practical nurse and trades programs joined emergency services students on campus earlier. Student athletes started training for the new season, and this week, most of our certificate, diploma and university transfer students arrive. It's a beehive of activity at Lakeland.

We are busting at the seams. Both residences are jam packed with zero and near zero per cent vacancy rates. We have had unprecedented growth in applications which is causing all kinds of challenges (but good challenges) for us. Congratulations to all Lakeland staff for making this happen. Record enrolments are the result of everyone working together to provide high quality programming and superior student experiences. Thank you.

Glenn Charlesworth Here’s what I have for the next two weeks.

Lakeland College president Today, I was in Camrose speaking at our grand opening. Our Emergency Training Centre team has done a wonderful job transitioning its programs to our new space.

Enrolment in emergency training, like most of our programs this year, is very strong.

Following the Camrose trip, I am in Lloydminster to meet with the Lloydminster Public Schools division director Michael Diachuk. He and I have been talking for a while now about how we can work together in our students’ best interests. This could include initiatives such as efficiencies through facility usage and dual crediting.

Our new executive team (all vice presidents, deans and directors) meets Sept. 9. I look forward to the dialogue and quality ideas that I fully expect to be forthcoming that will improve Lakeland. There is a staff mixer at Lloydminster that same day and the Vermilion Library and Learning Centre holds its open house on Friday.

The following week includes a number of annual evaluations for members of the senior planning team (the old executive committee). Academic Council meets for the first time this year. It's an important meeting as we contemplate changes for our business program. I will be also look at a possible Intranet solution for Lakeland College to replace the labyrinth known as “Public Folders.”

The senior planning team holds its inaugural meeting Sept. 16 at Lloydminster. The following day, Alice Wainwright-Stewart and I are in Regina to speak with the ministry folks about our operations forecast and why Saskatchewan needs to start funding Lakeland College more appropriately.So things are pretty much back to full speed. Have a great year everyone.

Once again, Human Resources is seeking nominations for Green ’n’ Gold awards.

Nomination forms are in Public Folders/ Lakeland Forms/Human Resources/ Awards and will be accepted until 4:30 pm on Sept. 30. Award categories are: Customer Service Award: This award acknowledges employees or teams who have demonstrated outstanding customer service, flexibility and personal attention while developing and maintaining relationships with customers.

Innovation Award: This award is given to individuals or teams who encourage, promote and incorporate new ideas that demonstrate creativity, innovation and the advancement of technology.

Performance Excellence Award: This award acknowledges individuals or teams who go beyond regular duties and responsibilities to meet the needs of Lakeland College or the community.

Lakeland College Leadership Award: The award acknowledges the leadership of a current employee who maintains a strong commitment to progressive leadership practices in the working and learning environment.

Health and/or Safety Award: This award is for individual employees or teams committed to providing and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment and who make a conscientious contribution to improving conditions within the work environment for the betterment of staff, students, and Lakeland College community.

Green 'n' Gold recipients will be announced at the 2010 Employee Recognition Awards to be held Nov. 18 in the Vic Juba Community Theatre at the Lloydminster campus.

Lakeland does well in provincial graduate survey Survey says … Lakeland grads are happy with their college education, experience and resulting careers according to the latest results from an Alberta government survey.

In this year's 2010 Graduate Outcome Survey conducted by Alberta Advanced Education & Technology, Lakeland graduates reported: • 92.4 per cent satisfaction with the quality of teaching in their program • 92 per cent satisfaction with their Lakeland College program • 90.6 per cent satisfaction with the overall quality of their educational experience • 92.2 per cent satisfaction with their jobs resulting from their Lakeland education “Lakeland's faculty and staff have worked very hard at creating a “student friendly” atmosphere,” says Phil Allen, vice president of advancement. “ It is great to see that their efforts are recognized and appreciated by the students. The faculty specifically have incorporated faculty academic mentorship programs and as well as really embraced the “open door” policy all of which has contributed to such positive results.”

A total of 225 Lakeland graduates from the Class of 2008 participated in the survey.

Respondents were from programs at both the Vermilion and Lloydminster campuses.

A woman's best friend It was a dog-day afternoon when Alice Wainwright-Stewart, vice president, Academic, Innovation and Research, brought in Kara, an eight-week old Springer-spaniel puppy, to her office last month. The spirited little canine is a seventh generation of her breed.

Faculty orientation welcomes new instructional staff

Help for getting technolgoy into the classroom Participants in Lakeland's faculty orientation workshop were (front, left to right) Sarah LaBoucane, Jocelyn Passey, Trina Coombs, Laura Robinson, Jordan Kalczak, (middle row) Tyler Gilbertson, Cary Weimer, Stacey Wagner, Tanis Rekimowich, Curtis McManus, Greg Shalay, (back row) Patrick White, Trevor Provick, Sert Yol, Geoff Brown, Patrick Tropy, Todd Cemulini, Byron Walker and Eric Barr.

New faculty to Lakeland as well as those who have joined their schools in a permanent capacity had their own live-the-learning experiences during the new faculty orientation program held Aug. 3 to 13 at the Vermilion campus.

Nineteen new faculty from four academic schools participated in the program including eight from arts, science, business and academic services, seven from trades and technology, two from the Emergency Training Centre, and two from agricultural and environmental sciences.

The program consisted of 13 modules with topics including introduction to adult learning, organizing course content, writing lesson plans, dealing with complaints and criticisms, classroom management, active learning strategies and other similar themes, and practice teaching.

The program sessions were designed to be interactive and to engage participants in active learning. Throughout the program, there were many opportunities for group work, discussion and input. In addition, each participant was given the opportunity to apply the concepts covered in three practice teaching sessions.

“In addition to being a great professional development opportunity, the new faculty orientation session is a great way for faculty to build a sense of camaraderie with each other and gain a better overall understanding of the college as a whole,” says Clara Thalheimer, program evaluation and instructional development coordinator.

All modules were delivered by experienced Lakeland faculty and administrators.

A number of other college departments joined the proceedings at various times during the program to introduce themselves and explain their roles to the new faculty members.

“The new faculty coming on board are really committed to providing exceptional learning experiences for students,” says Thalheimer. “There will be lots of great things happening in Lakeland classes during the 2010-2011 academic year.”

Standing at the ready with her personal responder (or "clicker" as they are more commonly called) is Janice Aughey as she gears up to train Lakeland faculty to be skilled at using technology in the classroom. She is Lakeland’s innovation project facilitator. Last week, she offered four SMARTBoard training sessions for faculty at the Lloydminster and Vermilion campuses and will offer more during the academic year. She is also able to work with instructors and staff one-on-one.

She is based at the Vermilon campus but will also be at the Lloydminster campus on the Friday of each week. If you’d like to brush up on your technical skills or learn about other technologies available, please call her at ext. 8491.

Bannock & tea, anyone?

You’re invited for bannock and tea at the Lloydminster campus Students’ Association office Thursday, Sept.

23, 9:30 am to noon. Representatives from Lloydminster’s Native Friendship Centre will host the social with student volunteers. Door prizes will be awarded.

Call Margo Hines at ext. 5760 for details.

New logo, new shirts, new faculty Cindy Chopoidolo, Kendra Jones-McGrath and Ken Rutherford, all new faculty in the School of Arts, Science, Business and Academic Services, showed off their latest must have fall fashion pieces. They received the new Lakeland t-shirts -complete with Lakeland's new logo-- at the Welcome Back/Campus Tour days held at the Lloydminster campus Aug. 25 and at the Vermilion campus Aug. 26.

Paying the piper Kerri Sinclair of Lakeland's Emergency Training Centre, piped in the honour gard and dignitaries at the Alberta Fire Chiefs Conference held at Edmonton in June. She played Scotland the Brave and Amazing Grace. After a ceremonial two minutes of silence, she took part in another tradition of paying the piper with a shot of spiced rum. She later piped out the firechiefs and dignitaries to the trade show portion of the conference where ETC also had a booth.

Expert on youth to speak at Lakeland College Lakeland students, faculty and staff will be able to hear from a leading expert on youth during tow presentations being held at the Lloydminster and Vermilion campuses on Oct. 7.

Keith Pattinson, well-known in the youth and family services field, will speak at the Emergency Training Centre in Room MM154, 8:30 to 10:30 am, and at the Lloydminster campus from noon to 2 pm in the Common Wealth Lecture Theatre (Room 2038).

Early learning and child care, educational assistant, child and youth care and university transfer students will attend the sessions as part of their classes. The public is also welcome. Admission is free.

The presentations are being hosted in partnership with the Youth Resiliency Project in the Vermilion River Region.

The project aims to provide a commonsense, practical way to identify and build skills and attitudes in youth that encourage healthy development.

For more information about the presentations, call human services instructor Joanne McDonald at ext.

8641 or email her at joanne.mcdonald@ lakelandcollege.ca.

Students helping students in need Firefighting students at the Emergency Training Centre donated money collected from recycling bottles from their dorm to the college's Save Our Students fund last week.

Pictured above are T.J. Hill, Jamey Brosseau, Justin Martinuk, Jordan Dyck, Jim Paul, Jeff Hodge, Daniel Reiter, instructor Cary Weimer, Mike Vincent, Tony Green, Craig Seymour, Blair Livingstone, Kevin Schwittai, Philippe Raymond-Fauteux, David Mochar, Ben Simpson, Kyle Trieber, Lindsay Baylis, Jeff Tate, Mike Holmes, Mallory Prefontaine, Pascal Gagnon, Tyler Courtemanche and Craig Dumais.

As the Web Turns Cathy Wolters, website coordinator If you haven’t been to www.lakelandcollege.ca lately, the home page has new items.

The form at the top right is for lead capture. Hits from prospective students and parents are followed up with new info about campaigns. Now, it’s our open houses in October.

This summer, www.lc-etc.ca (aka www.LC-ETC.ca) went live. These are both shortened domain names that redirect to www.emergency-training.ca The longer name helps in search engine optimization—how people find us. The shorted versions are easier to type in or for ads in various media. (By the way, if you have fire-etc.ca as a favourite, you’ll be automatically redirected to this site). A major improvement for ETC clients is the training schedule that lists and shows when courses are happening. This new site should make a printed calendar obsolete and save printing costs.

Last spring some of you attended open forums on redesign of the programs and courses area. This potential redesign of one area has morphed into a redesign of the whole site.

There are a lot of reasons why, but they can be distilled into two main areas: We were due. Website and web technology change quickly. This version of our site is three years old. While it’s an improvement from the old green site, the technology evolution and the knowledge of our web coordinator have come a long way in that time.

Effective use of resources. It makes sense to fix the bigger problem first. This redesign isn’t going to be hurried. We’re taking time to use what we’ve learned from the current site and what’s been going on with other new post-secondary sites to balance form and function and to maximize our search engine optimization. We’re also factoring things we didn’t foresee three years ago such as user preferences and new best practices for things like page scrolls, social media prominence and the move to Web 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0.

In the interim, the goal is keep our site dynamic, useful and useable until we have a new and improved version. The priority is students but the goal is to make the Lakeland web experience great for all our users including prospective students, parents, schools, provincial education departments, current students, faculty, staff and the public.

If you have suggestions or concerns, please feel free to stop by my office in Alumni Hall, call me at ext. 8610 or email me at cathy.wolters@lakelandcollege.ca

Notes from the nurse

Lakeland instructors Cam Macfarlane (left) and Chris Olsen stand beside one of the student projects that was put on display at the CN Station at the Vermilion Provincial Park this summer.

This project is for the birds Thanks to funding and support from Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation, the work of Lakeland College environmental sciences students is on display in the CN Station at the Vermilion Provincial Park.

“We received money from the government to create two poster display cases and also print bird checklists. Cameron Macfarlane, a carpentry instructor at the college, volunteered to build the displays and he did a terrific job,” says Chris Olsen, an environmental sciences instructor at Lakeland College.

The college worked with the Vermilion River Naturalist Society to create a bird checklist that will soon be available for park users to record the variety and number of birds found at the park. The checklist is designed to be a living document and a system of drop-boxes and updates will be used to continuously refine the checklist database, explains Olsen. Related to this, the first annual Spring Species Count was held in the Vermilion Provincial Park this year with seminars, identification workshops and guided outings for the public. More than 73 bird species were recorded over the 24-hour period of the inaugural count.

As for the display cases, they may soon affectionately be known as bird cages as they are used to showcase bird posters created by students in Lakeland’s ornithology class.

Second year students majoring in wildlife and fisheries conservation or conservation and restoration ecology are tasked annually with creating a natural history poster about a certain migratory bird species. The posters have information on numerous topics such as breeding and nesting patterns, migration and wintering locations, food habits, behaviour and bird songs and calls.

“We will place new posters in the cases every few weeks. Between the posters and the checklists, we hope to raise the profile of birds and make people aware of their role as bio-indicators of environmental quality,” says Olsen. For example, he noted that many birds raise their young in northern regions because of the nutrient rich food supply found here that’s not available in many southern climates.

Ultimately, says Olsen, the project will be considered a success if it gets the community and park visitors talking about birds. “These are educational tools that we hope will help raise the profile of the variety and value of birds,” he says.

Lakeland College and the Vermilion Provincial Park have a long history of working together on projects. The two organizations formalized their relationship in 2007 by signing a memorandum of agreement to develop and maintain educational opportunities and applied research and field programming activities that enhance the environmental management and stewardship of Vermilion Provincial Park.

submitted by Health Services Everyone is hoping for a healthy, illness free school year! But for those of you who are at anytime feeling ill or just need some health questions answered, please visit or call Health Services.

The staff of Karen Jefferies, R.N., Pat Conlon, R.N., (Vermilon campus) and Krystal Daschuk (Lloydminster campus) will be available. A doctor or a nurse practitioner will be also be on campus once a week for students.

Staff are welcome to access this service for short appointments if time permits.

Please call ext. 8432 in Vermilion to book an appointment. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:15 am to 4:30 pm.

Back by popular demand, the Biggest Loser Lakeland Style will begin January 2011. Stay tuned for details.

We have quite a supply of Kleenex, hand sanitizer and disposable wipes for staff/student use. If you need some for your work area, please come pick them up. We will also keep you posted on the availability for the influenza and HINI vaccines. They are supposed to be combined and therefore only one shot.

Finally, we ask that someone in each department go through their first aid kit and let us know if any supplies are needed. It is up to each area to maintain their kit but we can help restock any needed supplies.

Growing a love for learning Kelly Jeffery, grounds/maintenance worker at the Lloydminster campus, gave these young visitors their own Lakeland live the learning experience this summer as she showed them some gardening techniques. She taught them how to plant a tree and gave them a tour of the college grounds. The youngsters thoroughly enjoyed experience and were able to take a plant home.

Former instructor creates new endowment while enjoying challenges overseas

Byrad Yyelland returned to visit the Lloydminster campus this summer.

During his nine years as an instructor and program chair of Lakeland College’s university transfer program, Byrad Yyelland was known for his ability to connect with students. Now living some 10,000 km away, he continues to support Lakeland students -- this time by establishing a new endowment to fund student scholarships.

The Dr. Byrad and Kelly Yyelland University Transfer Humanities Award, which will result from the new endowment, will be distributed annually to deserving second-year students in the university transfer program at the Lloydminster campus. The award will be distributed as part of the college’s centennial awards beginning in 2013.

“I believe it’s important to give in meaningful ways,” says Yyelland.

“Scholarships offer students a better chance to be successful at college. For my wife Kelly and I, this is a great way to show our support for students and to maintain a connection with the college into perpetuity.”

The Yyelland family also supported the college’s Brick Campaign in 2008 to help fund construction of the new Bill Kondro Wing at the Lloydminster campus. It officially opened just before he left the college to take on the position of liberal arts and sciences director at the Virginia Commonwealth University campus in Qatar (UVCQ).

Now part of Qatar’s post-secondary education system, Yyelland is finding more ways to give of his talents and abilities. Soon after he completed a doctorate in education with a specialization in higher education administration, he signed on to conduct

and administrative work at UVCQ is two new research projects; one that will similar to what he did at Lakeland, it took study the impact of western education more time to adapt to Qatar’s lifestyle, in Qatar over the last 10 years, and the environment and culture. Driving in second to address how individualism and Qatar has also proven to be adventurous. identity is established in cultures through clothing. Part of this work will examine “Everyone seems to have a big white the evolution of the Abaya, the Qatari sports utility vehicle and driving long black garment worn by women. behaviours and roads can be quite unpredictable,” laughs Yyelland, adding As an oil and gas rich country that that a highway can end without warning combines traditional Arab culture and often vehicles seem to come out of with several international innovations nowhere to enter a freeway. “I’m more in architecture, urban development, comfortable with the traffic now but it entertainment and business, Qatar has only within the last few decades identified still raises the hair on the back of my neck sometimes. I hire a driver to take my son education for its citizens as a national to and from school everyday." priority.

“Most Qatari parents and grandparents do Regarding Qatar’s university studentaged population, Yyelland notes these not have any formal education. But now, observations. residents are required to attend school.

Her highness Sheika Mozah bint Nasser “Eighteen to 24-year-olds are similar no Al Missned is a driving force behind matter where you go in terms of what education in Qatar. The national goal is they like to do and what their priorities to build capacity among its population are,” says Yyelland. “But because most so that, as a country, Qatar can create Qatari family members have substantial industries that are strong nationally and allowances from oil and gas resource internationally. Because of education’s revenue, a Qatari student’s motivation for heightened importance, resources to going to university differs from that of a support it and students are abundant.” student at a western school.”

Her highness is a Expectations "It’s important to give in meaningful recognized world for personal ways. Scholarships offer students leader. In 2007 she independence a better chance to be successful at was named as one also differ. A few college." of the 100 most years ago UVCQ powerful women in Byrad Yyelland introduced a ‘no the world by Forbes nanny’ policy magazine, and as to deter Qatari one of the 25 most influential business students from bringing their nannies to leaders in the Middle East by The Times class. Now students carry their books and of London. belongings around campus.

Yyelland says that students at several Another significant difference from international schools in Qatar have access students at western schools notes to a number of high-profile people and Yyelland relates to alcohol consumption. industries that schools in other parts of “Qatar is very much a coffee and juice the world can only imagine. He cites culture so because alcohol is not part of occasions where students and faculty the Qatari culture, alcohol-abuse issues at UVCQ have been invited to work on are virtually non-existent.” projects with top-named movie producers, After two years of working and living fashion designers and computer company in Qatar, Yyelland says that he and his executives. Often when these students family do miss their friends and family graduate, they become employed or back home, as well as several aspects of further involved with many of these Canadian life. However, the opportunity projects or industries. to experience and embrace life in a new Another way of increasing education’s culture continues to have a certain appeal. profile in Qatar is through the employ “When we decided to go to Qatar, we of liaison officers at post-secondary planned to give it five years,” says institutions. Typically well-respected and Yyelland. “Now that we’ve become more well-known residents of Qatar, the liaison familiar with the culture, we are loving officers play an important role in helping the experience. There have been so Qataris understand the value of postmany positives in terms of personal and secondary education and connect them professional growth for all of us including with colleges and universities. my wife and our children. Who knows While much of Yyelland’s instructional what lies next?”

Leader board moments from the staff golf tourney 2010 The weather was fine and the golfing rules questionable during the Lakeland staff Summer Spectacular Golf Tournament held at the Vermilion Golf and Country Club Aug. 24. Staff from both the Lloydminster and Vermilion campuses participated. Here are a few highlights.

Hosts of hole #8, Danelle Smith and Erica Dibden, offered participants a mardi gras experience.

Farewell in your retirement

As usual, Peter Walsh was "udderly" amazing on the fairway.

Bonnie Benesch, Susan Brazeau and Nikki Cook were the good fairy golf fairies granting hopeful golfers wishes for long drives and accurate putts.

Always up for a challenge, Heather MacMillan shows off her limbo skills to teammate Lisa Bush at the Margaritaville hole hosted by Sue Hendriks and Laura Baker.

Summarizing Patty Pidruchney's 31-year career as a Lakeland College instuctor could have been a difficult task but colleague and fellow business instructor Cliff McAuley was up to the challenge. He is pictured above with Patty at her farewell coffee party held Tuesday at the Vermilion campus in honour of her retirement. Patty says life after Lakeland will include a little more farming, some property valuation work for municipalities, instructing courses for the University of British Columbia, and work for Border City Frost Realty of Lloydminster. She will also continue to work towards earning a credential from the Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute (AACI). Happy retirement, Patty!

Sue Klym, Tony Neilson, Britt Feist and Kiran Naqvi pose for a group hug between holes.