Master plan underway Old emails a real switch

College finishes its transition from myLangara to Office 365

 By SOUBHIK CHAKRABARTI

Rezoning a demanding process: facilities

By RAY CHOPPING

Arezoning application to increase Langara’s density is expected to be complete by spring 2020, according to a senior facilities consultant at the college.

The application is to allow increased density, setting the groundwork for the future development of buildings. The rezoning application was filed to the city in the spring of 2019 and a public open house was held on July 23 this year. Any permits for new buildings would come later; the rezoning application will have no impact on students.

“Rezoning is a complex process,” said Wendy Lannard, senior facilities advisor for Langara.

The college’s five-year capital plan has identified the need for a 350,000 sq. feet building (roughly 32,500 sq. m) at Ontario Street and 49th Avenue, but the project has yet to secure funding.

Neal Wells, communications manager for civic engagement engineering at the City of Vancouver, said that the proposal is currently under review.

“The staff will raise various questions with the application team that will need to be addressed before the application can move forward,” Wells said. These include ensuring it meets local area or community plans, design guidelines, existing zoning and is mindful of the surrounding neighbourhood context and development objectives on the site.

“Typically, by the time a proposal like this large campus master plan gets to a public hearing, an outright rejection from council is unlikely,”

Wells said.

Though no new buildings will be built in the immediate future, some Langara faculty members say they have pressing needs.

Raymond Chow, continuing studies program coordinator for computer technologies, would like to see more computer labs.

“Students use our labs for homework which makes running classes in them difficult at times.”

Lannard said the college is seeking funding from the provincial government. Once funding were approved, the following step would include hiring an architect to design it and then file a development application with the city.

CAMPUS PLAN BY THE NUMBERS

Technical difficulties with college email accounts will no longer be a worry, said Lawrence Carrington, project manager in Langara’s information technology department.

350,000 7

The campus' master plan calls for a 350,000 sq. feet building (around 32,500 sq. m) within five years.

The plan identifies seven "hubs of activity" on campus that will be developed into spaces for socializing.

2005

The college's current plan was developed in response to its 2005 Master Plan, which initially predicted a smaller student body.

SOURCE: LANGARA COLLEGE MASTER PLAN

Instructors and teachers alike had many problems with the myLangara accounts, such as the lack of a record of emails sent, and emails from students being filtered into instructors’ junk folders. The old myLangara accounts have been in place since 1998.

Carrington said that Office 365 “learns with time” and offers better filtering options.

“It’s a modern system integrated with Microsoft tools.”

Carrington said that the integration for LinkedIn Learning was completed Oct. 28. Some instructors saw the move to Office 365 over a year ago, when the migration process started.

Jonas Quastel, program coordinator of film arts, considered the previous system counterintuitive.

“Students don’t even like to use their [previous] Langara emails,” he said.

However, the Office 365 system is not perfect. Quastel said he has already received a phishing email in his inbox without filtering. The counterfeit email was supposedly from Microsoft, and required Quastel to re-enter his password and username for hackers to obtain.

An instructor in the geography and geology department, Jenny Francis, agreed that some emails don’t get through as intended.

“I look forward to seeing how Office 365 will address the issues in the older systems,” Francis said.

SYNC OR SWIM OFFICE 365 FAST FACTS

» Mixed mail

Before Office 365, faculty may have previously used Mozilla Thunderbird, Outlook, Zimbra, or Mac Mail.

» Delayed entrance

The switch didn't happen sooner because Microsoft didn't have Canadian data centres.

» Workday perks

Faculty and students now have access to Microsoft products under Office 365, including an improved calendar.

SOURCE: LANGARA.CA