Presidents Report December 2009

8/14/2019 Presidents Report December 2009

1/5

continued over..

great deal has occurred (and has been reported elsewhere) since my last newsletter in October, so thisedition will touch on selected events only.

At the outset, I must sadly acknowledge the November 16 passing of Georgians greatest ambassador, ArchBrown. Arch was last at Georgian in early July when Premier Dalton McGuinty was here to announce capitalfunding of instructional equipment for the college system. I took great pleasure in introducing Arch to thePremier, and explaining that Arch was an Order of Ontario and Order of Canada recipient. Premier McGuintythanked Arch for his contributions to the province of Ontario and, specifically, to Georgian College.

There are many things I could say about Archs 42 years of involvement with Georgian, but much has alreadybeen written in College publications and elsewhere. Suffice it to say that Arch greatly valued post-secondaryeducation, that Georgian was one of his greatest passions, and that he loved our students and staff. He wascertainly one of the first community leaders to recognize the powerful impact on our society of post-secondaryeducation, employers and communities working together for the greater good. Few people realize that Archintentionally set a standard for volunteerism and philanthropy at Georgian, hoping that others would followhis lead (which they have).

Archs wife Helen was with him every step of the way in terms of advancing Georgians profile and growth. Ourcollective condolences go out to Helen and her daughter, Jane, as they adapt to Archs absence. We, in time, willadapt in our own way, but I take comfort in knowing that Arch and Helens legacy will live on at Georgian formany, many years to come. I was pleased that the Brown family asked if the service to celebrate Archs life couldbe held at Georgian. I was extremely proud of how staff reacted quickly and professionally as we hosted a largecommunity crowd in the gym, with a service that was both profound and at times humorous so appropriatelyfitting for Arch. Special thanks go to Patty Bradley, Mick Kingston, Hank Thibideau, Michele McConney, RonHowden, Bob Carter and the many other volunteers who made the service so memorable for everyone in

attendance.

It seems as though major events have become a rite of fall over the past few years at Georgian. Since the endof August, Georgian hosted the grand opening of the Centre for Sustainable Technologies, the 24th annualGeorgian College Auto Show and, most recently, the official groundbreaking for the new Centre for Health andWellness which recently began construction.

We naively thought that this would be the end of special events for a while, but we then received an unexpectedcall from the Office of the Premier requesting that we hold a media event at the Barrie Campus on November16. As most of you are aware, Premier McGuinty along with the Honourable Deb Mathews, Minister of Healthand Long-term Care, and the Honourable Aileen Carroll, Minister of Culture and Barrie MPP visited the BarrieCampus to announce approval of a new Nurse Practioner-led clinic. The Barrie Campus clinic is one of 25 that

will open across the province over the next three years. The clinics are part of the governments plan to expandaccess to health care for all Ontarians.

Nurse Practitioners are able to treat common illnesses and injuries, and order lab tests, X-rays and otherdiagnostic tests. They can also refer patients to specialists. In our clinic, they will work with doctors, nurses and

A

Office of the President Georgian College One Georgian Drive Barrie, ON L4M 3X9 Tel: (705) 728-1968 ext. 1248 Fax: (705) 722-1559 E-mail: [email protected]

Volume 11 Issue 5 Decemb er 21, 200

Brian G. Tamblyn


2/5

other health care providers. Nurse Practitioner-led clinics also help patients navigate the health care systemand connect them, if needed, with other service providers and community-based programs and services.

We are honoured that the Georgian clinic was the first to be announced in this round. Georgians NursePractitioner-led clinic would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of staff who played an essentialrole in our application. I want to acknowledge and thank Judith Bergen, Julie Pope, Kelly Duggan, Liz Erwin,Chris Gunnell, Betty Rainey, Cheryl Simpson, Michele Beaudoin and Cassandra Thompson for their work onthis initiative. Also, appreciation must be extended to Kathryn Peet for her research and proposal-writing skills

and to Elizabeth Beamish for networking with our community partners to obtain letters of support. The clinicwill be one of the main pillars of our new Centre for Health and Wellness, offering health services to students,staff and the community. The event marked the second time in five months that the Premier has visited Georgianto make an important announcement. This speaks to the very high regard in which he holds our College andthe efforts we have made, and continue to make, to reach out to our communities.

The common denominator among all the noteworthy events this fall was the excitement and enthusiasmevident among the hundreds of VIPs, community leaders and guests who attended. Georgians growth andsuccess has come as welcome news against the backdrop of a global recession that has been devastating formany industries and sectors in this country. The reality is, however, that Georgian, like a growing number ofcolleges and universities, is not without its own financial challenges. Nonetheless, it is reassuring to know thatour communities place a high value on Georgian as an engine of economic and social change, and that they

appreciate that a knowledgeable and skilled workforce is our provinces best bet to achieve sustained economicgrowth.

Georgians importance to its communities is further borne out in an economic impact study completed lastmonth for the Orillia Campus, coinciding with its 40th anniversary. The independent study, conducted by Prof.Chris Sarlo of Nipissing University, conservatively considered key variables, including student, staff and Collegespending in Orillia and environs. His research concluded that the Orillia Campus contributes approximately$22 million a year to the area economy, based on the 2008/09 fiscal year. This statistic reaffirms what we haveknown for some time, that Georgian is a major economic force in Orillia and North Simcoe, where themanufacturing sector has been hard hit in recent years.

In April, Georgians Board of Governors approved a budget with a deficit of approximately $4.7 million for the

2009/10 fiscal year (ending March 31, 2010). With year-end funding received in 2008/09, Georgian has anadequate reserve to cover a deficit of this size. However, it is always the hope of the Board to avoid increasingthe deficit and to find ways to reduce it. The College has been able to reduce or eliminate approved deficits inthe past several years, largely due to the provincial governments year-end support related to Georgians rapidlygrowing enrolment. The concern now is that with the government facing a record-level deficit for this year, theprovince may not be able to repeat the flow of year-end funds to the college system, leaving Georgian and manyother colleges with year-end operating deficits.

Unfortunately, the financial health of the province is not expected to improve significantly in the fiscal year2010/11. As the provinces financial health suffers, so does the entire college system. This is exceptionallyproblematic during an economic slowdown, when a tight job market and the need for retraining pushes moreindividuals to enhance their employability by seeking a college education. We accordingly witness a recordlevel of enrolment growth, matched by the governments difficulty in funding this growth. Aside from itsenrolment growth, Georgians operating expenses continue to increase each year. Rising costs for such itemsas salaries, benefits and pensions, and heat and hydro, add several million dollars to our operating expenseseach year. The preliminary direction from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, is for colleges toanticipate a 0% increase in grant funding for next year, but Colleges Ontario and Georgian are pushing hardfor funding to cover, at least, the systems enrolment growth.

The concern around funding uncertainty is magnified when we see the growing number of students expressinginterest in Georgians programs. The November 1 full-time enrolment audit count has been released, and total



3/5

domestic enrolment for all College campuses is 8,560, an increase of 12.68% from the November 1, 2008, totaof 7,597. The increase in enrolment for Laurentian at Georgian is 5.95%, with a total enrolment of 872 full-timestudents. The outlook for winter registrations is every bit as dramatic, as enrolment for January intake programscontinues to rise. Compared to last year at this time, paid confirmations are up to 1,015 students, a 57% increaseover last year. As a result, we can expect record numbers of new students at our campuses this winter, as wehelp many mature students, in particular, find new careers and educational pathways.

These statistics do not include international numbers, but I am pleased to report that International Education

and Training is having a very successful year. Total international enrolment is 489 when combining post-secondary, post-graduate, English for Academic Purposes, and transfers from the Canadian Institute forInternational Studies in India. Students from 38 different countries including Vatican City, Madagascar and ESalvador are currently represented at Georgian. Recruitment staff have been on the road since September,actively attending education fairs, meeting with agents of the College around the world, and recruiting studentsfor 2010. Over the past few months, the International Centre has hosted several groups of high school studentsfrom Argentina, Costa Rica and Mexico as part of a study tour exchange program. The students attended Englishclasses and participated in various activities across the province designed to introduce them to life in Canadaand the Canadian education system. All students involved had positive experiences and hope to study atGeorgian one day. The International Centre is also involved in several offshore projects, with others beingexplored in India, China and Malaysia.

Finally, on the topic of enrolment, if the turnout at campus Open House events is any indication, all signs pointto another successful fall next year. The Open House events were held at the Barrie, Orillia, Owen Sound andMidland campuses on November 14. More than 1,800 guests participated in the Barrie event to learn moreabout their programs of interest from faculty, co-ordinators, deans, alumni and current students. Guests travelledfrom Cobourg, Wiarton, Parry Sound, Burlington, Belleville, North Bay, Dundas and St. Thomas. Based onnumbers tracked by program areas, it is estimated that nearly 250 people attended the Open House in OwenSound more than double the turnout at the 2008 event. Power Engineering, a program that starts next fall,had more than 100 visitors alone. Guests were also given a tour of the $8.5-million marine training centre. Morethan 400 visitors attended the Orillia Open House, compared to 302 last year. Families travelled from as faraway as Windsor to the southwest, and Kirkland Lake to the north. The Midland Campus estimates thatapproximately 100 people attended its event, including visitors from Windsor, Kingston and North Bay. Typicalof all of our Open House events, many in attendance commented on the friendliness, knowledge and helpfulness

of our staff. Congratulations go to all staff, students and volunteers who assisted at each of the Open Houseevents. The combined estimated attendance of 2,600 people (or more) was another milestone for Georgian.

On the provincial academic bargaining front, discussions by both bargaining teams on December 14 and 15did not result in a new agreement. At this point, a provincial strike vote by OPSEU is scheduled for January 13.The College community will be kept abreast of the results of this critical vote. I know that everyone in theOntario college system is hoping for a negotiated settlement.

As I announced in a voice mail broadcast to campuses last month, the Program Quality Assurance ProcessAudit review at the Barrie and Orillia campuses from October 19 to 21 was an unqualified success. The provinciaAudit Review Team interviewed curriculum coaches, members of Academic Council, the Academic LeadershipTeam, students, faculty, librarians, co-op and field placement staff, deans and associate deans, and ProgramAdvisory Committee members from the Business and Child and Youth Worker programs. At the debriefingsession, Audit Review Team members were very supportive of the quality assurance processes in place atGeorgian College. They commended us for our well-written self-study, our consistent commitment to qualityprograms, our investment in the Centre for Teaching and Learning, the dedication of our curriculum coaches,our exceptional partnerships with industry and employers and our commitment to co-operative educationand to general education. They also praised our collaborative approach to student and labour relations andthe senior management team for its visible support. Special thanks go to Janice Priest and her team of BobMacMillan, Monique Vaillancourt, Alan McGee and Marie-Nelle Bonicalzi of the Business area, and KathleenCameron, Karen MacDonald and Mary OFarrell-Bowers of the Child and Youth Worker program, along with



4/5

the faculty, students and staff of those programs for their extra work with the audit team during a busy timeof the semester. While these two programs were the ones sampled by the Audit Review Team, all program areasin the College were ready. This reflects the real goal of such an audit. I anticipate receiving the final report anyday now, and Janice Priest will respond on behalf of the College to the Quality Assurance Services ManagementBoard with a report on any actions taken as a result of the audit. I will comment further on the audit in my nextnewsletter.

Georgian hosted a Before Graduation event October 28 at the Barrie Campus. The event attracted 220 Grade

11 students from Simcoe County and Muskoka. The objective of the event was to help students make careerpath decisions before they graduate. Workshops with Georgian graduates, a campus tour, an employer paneland apprenticeship information were available. According to Michelle Rao, Manager, School-College Partnershipsthe Before Graduation program garnered a very impressive 98% approval rating. Knowing that prior exposureto the College has a significant influence on a prospective students choice of post-secondary institution, I wasparticularly pleased to learn that 73% of the participants said they had been to Georgian previously.Congratulations to Michelle, the Campus Connections staff who arranged the campus tours, and to a numberof other staff, graduates and guests who lent support. The mentoring of secondary school students, eitherbefore or after secondary school graduation, is vitally important in helping them make informed post-secondarydecisions geared to their personal interests and success.

Focusing on individual student success is, in my opinion, Georgians greatest strength. This, of course, is achieved

only through our incredibly talented and caring staff (when I say staff, I refer to faculty, support staff andadministrative staff) who all play important roles in serving our students, employers and communities. In thecourse of my travels, I speak with many students, and this recurring theme of interest in them as individualsis mentioned time and time again. I recently received a message from an Engineering Technology student whodid a research paper on the dynamic partnership of Hydro One and Georgian College. In her own words: Iam looking forward to the day that I graduate from Georgian College in a solid state of job readiness . . . theteachers really do want you to succeed and I know that they have a genuine interest in every students success.I cant say it any better this focus on the individual learner is what makes Georgian special.

Someone who is incredibly learner-centred is Bruce Meyer, from the English department of Laurentian@GeorgianBarrie Campus. Bruce teaches university and college courses that ignite a passion for learning in his students.We should all be proud that Bruce has made the Top 20 list of TVOs Best Lecturer Competition from among

all the colleges and universities in Ontario. A prolific author in his own right, Bruce is in the thick of this friendlycompetition, representing both Georgian and Laurentian so well. Carrie Mashinter, of Georgians Health Sciencesdepartment, must also be acknowledged for being nominated for this prestigious award. We all wish Brucewell, no matter how the competition turns out. Recognizing how deep our faculty talent pool really is, I hopethat next year we will have even more nominations for this award.

As a follow-up to my last newsletter, I am pleased to confirm that the new Office of the President website hasbeen launched. You can browse the site at www.georgianc.on.ca/president. It will feature regular announcementsphotographs, videos, news items and an online form that community members can use to communicate directlywith me. Future editions of the Presidents Reportwill be posted on the site in a new format. The site alsoprovides links to the Board of Governors and Strategic Renewal Process websites to make information easy tofind and share. I look forward to using the online technologies to increase timely communication with staff,students, alumni, donors and the community at large. These technologies will complement existingcommunication approaches, but I hope that they will be used by external and internal stakeholders alike.

Finally, I expect to release my next newsletter in January. I would like to update you at that time on where weare at with our Strategic Plan renewal process; the significance of the Provinces upcoming March budget (whichwill greatly influence our final Strategic Plan); an update on our capital projects; exciting recent developmentswith our applied research activities; an update (hopefully positive!) on academic collective bargaining; somepost-audit observations; early comments on the Employee Engagement survey from this past fall (which hassome encouraging results). This lengthy list will no doubt be expanded as developments occur over the nextmonth.

http://www.georgianc.on.ca/presidenthttp://www.georgianc.on.ca/president


5/5

In closing, I want to thank all staff for an exceptionally hectic but rewarding fall semester. You have helped arecord number of students pursue their dreams at a time when the economy of Ontario and most of the worldhas seldom been darker. As you are no doubt aware, our students are immensely appreciative of the care andattention we give to their individual success. At the same time, employers and governments are looking to thefuture and relying on our students and graduates to help ensure a prosperous future for all in Ontario. We havenever had a greater impact on our students and our communities as we have had this past fall. For this dedicationto helping to change the lives of others for the better, I thank each of you. On behalf of Lisa, Evan and myself,best wishes over the Christmas season and holidays, safe travels and enjoy the special moments with your loved

ones


Presidents Report December 2009

Documents

Transcript of Presidents Report December 2009