Posted on Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
They came to hear about Algonquin College’s 2015-16 Budget and Business Plan – but they were treated to far more.
Wednesday’s Budget and Business Plan Town Hall for employees covered a wide variety of topics – everything from the College’s present to the College’s future, from great successes to points of concern, and from the President’s recent listening tour to next steps.
Posted on Monday, February 2nd, 2015
Posted on Monday, January 12th, 2015
The Theatre Arts Program at Algonquin College is pleased to announce the 2015 season.
February 11 to 15 The School For Lies by David Ives
Directed by Catriona Leger, Costumes by Vanessa Imeson, Set by John Doucet, Lights by David Magladry
This saucy comedy based on Molière’s The Misanthrope is a sure-fire great start to the season:
The School for Lies is a rollicking, irreverent, contemporary take on a classic tale – a story in which everyone who lies to save their social status has their world turned upside down when a curmudgeonly advocate for the truth comes to town. Little does he realize, he’s about to fall in love with the biggest liar of them all. “Mr. Ives has done the seemingly impossible: He has taken a beloved masterpiece of Western theater and created a parallel version which, though unmistakably based on the original, is both wholly personal in tone and similarly dazzling in effect.” —Washington Post. Leger’s distinct directorial touch promises to make this show a night out to remember.
Posted on Friday, January 9th, 2015
(Ottawa, January 9, 2015) Hundreds of Algonquin College current and future apprentices could benefit from a new federal loan program, which is now open to Red Seal Trade apprentices. The Canada Apprentice Loan program, a 10-year program announced in the 2014 federal budget, is designed to assist apprentices in completing their training, and to encourage more Canadians to consider a career in the skilled trades.
The program offers assistance of up to $4,000 to apprentices for a maximum of five periods of technical training. These loans are interest-free for up to six years, provided the apprentice is registered in an approved Red Seal Trade apprenticeship program.
The loans are intended to defray program costs, including educational fees, tools and equipment, living expenses and forgone wages.
“We believe this new program will make apprentices at all postsecondary institutions more successful in their studies,” says Cheryl Jensen, President, Algonquin College. “This program will help alleviate the financial worries faced by apprentices who step away from work to upgrade their skills. We applaud the government for recognizing the importance of supporting those pursuing a hands-on career in the skilled trades at polytechnic institutions like Algonquin College.”
“Canada Apprentice Loans will enable more apprentices to pursue the next level of their technical training at so many training institutions and organizations in Canada,” says Nobina Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Polytechnics Canada. “These loans, complemented by many other supports the government has opened for trades trainees across Canada, will help to ease the risk faced by apprentices who have to resign from jobs to gain the next level of training and certification in their trade.”
For more information on the Canada Apprentice Loan program, visit www.pca-cal.ca.
Posted on Tuesday, January 6th, 2015
With the help of a back up Jolly Elf (Shawn McBride) the College received this Piper Colt as a donation to the Aircraft Maintenance Technician program. The real Santa is Keith Beardsley, a Real Estate Agent from Metcalfe, Ontario, who was the owner of this aircraft and agreed to donate it to the College for the Aircraft Maintenance Technician Program.
Both Keith and his wife Bev are former teachers and are proud to be able to help further the education of future Aircraft Maintenance Engineers. Keith and Bev are both Century 21 Agents and live in the Village of Metcalfe Ontario just south of Ottawa. Their Piper Colt has been in the family for the past five years and was kept hangared at the Smith Falls Airport. It was ferried December 30 over to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum at the Rockliffe Airport where it will become a full time training aid for Algonquin College students. The attached picture shows Aviation Professor/Coordinator, Bruce Dwyer receiving the keys from the ferry Pilot Shawn McBride who is also a professor at Algonquin and a member of the Board of Governors. Shawn was familiar with flying this type of aircraft as he owns a Piper Tri-Pacer and gladly volunteered to fly the plane to Rockliffe.
On behalf of Algonquin College and all of our Aircraft Maintenance Students I, Bruce Dwyer, Coordinator of Aviation Studies, would like to extend a hearty thank you to Mr. Beardsley for his kind generosity in donating this aircraft.
Posted on Friday, December 19th, 2014
(Ottawa, December 19, 2014) Algonquin College TV Broadcasting Coordinator Jeremy Atherton flips through five great moments in Canadian TV in 2014.
5. SOCHI WOMEN’S HOCKEY GOLD
There were many golden Canadian moments in these games. From watching sister Justine and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe share the podium, to Alex Bilodeau pulling his disabled brother over a security barrier to help celebrate his gold, Canadians were glued to their screens and cheered on as a nation.
The dramatic come back and sensational overtime win by the Canadian Women’s hockey team stands out as a defining Canadian moment. Like the team, we never gave up! The overtime goal by Marie-Phillipe Poulin should be up there with Henderson’s 1972 winner for iconic Canadian TV moments.
Half a world away, supported by social media, television was the medium Canadian turned to. Online streaming also continued to grow, with the CBC reporting almost 14 million hours of Olympic coverage. Proving that content is still king, there were reports during the games of Americans acquiring Canadian IP addresses so they could enjoy CBC’s online streaming. Continue reading
Posted on Friday, December 19th, 2014
David Hall, Professor in the Algonquin College Public Relations program and communications blogger, provides his look ahead at 2015.
(Ottawa, December 19, 2014) Wearable tech and the music industry could be in for a bumpy ride in 2015, while content marketing and higher education technology is expected to be #trending according to Professor David Hall.
Below are excerpts from his 4.5 tech and social media predictions for 2015 – visit davidhallsocialmedia.com for full details!
1. Wearables will not live up to expectations. “I’m thinking that these products may fall below expectations because: first, the price point. Google Glass is selling for around $2,000 on Amazon.com, and smart watches range from about $100, but if you want a watch with good two-way connectivity, you’ll be putting out a couple hundred dollars for these watches. I’m not convinced that the average Jane or Joe will opt to fork out another couple hundred bucks for an accessory for their smartphone, which already set them back close to $1,000.” Continue reading
Posted on Thursday, December 18th, 2014
(Ottawa, December 18, 2014) Music Industry Arts program Coordinator Colin Mills offers up his top album picks from 2014.
5) Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence
I find myself listening to albums like this when I’m marking assignments, but then having to turn it off because I find myself enthralled in the music! The production is excellent and being able to listen to something mellow but deep like this is refreshing. The recording is never too busy and there’s lots of air bringing out the songs. Continue reading
Posted on Thursday, December 18th, 2014
Algonquin College Public Relations program Coordinator Stephen Heckbert names top five public relations crises in 2014.
(Ottawa, December 18, 2014) From political washouts such as Alison Redford’s travel spending scandal, to international crises like the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 debacle, 2014 has had a fair share of PR slip-ups and mishandlings.
Stephen Heckbert, who is also a communications consultant, names the following scandals as having the most buzz in Canada this past year
5. Rob Ford getting cancer and being replaced by his brother, Doug, in the Toronto mayoral election. “Mayor Ford provided many moments before this one, but the speed of this, and the shock factor, made Doug Ford’s entrance into the Toronto mayoralty race such a shock — had it been handled properly, Doug Ford would be mayor today, but his anger came through right away. Continue reading
Posted on Thursday, December 18th, 2014
Algonquin College faculty members and former journalists Dan Pihlainen and Julie McCann weigh in with their top five news stories affecting people living in Ottawa this year.
(Ottawa, December 18, 2014) They were talked about in the hallways and classrooms of Algonquin College, and in coffee shops and offices, around dining room tables, and on talk radio all year long. And finally, from a list of 40 down to five, expert faculty members Dan Pihlainen of the Radio Broadcasting program and Julie McCann of the Journalism program have named their picks for the Top Five Stories of the Year
5. Alfie: “The prodigal son returns,” explains Julie. “Mending the fences with Alfie and allowing him to retire where he belongs makes this the human interest and sports story in Ottawa this year.”
4. City gets set for 2017: “Between federal projects like the Museum of Science and Technology, the National Arts Centre, and Lebreton flats, to city projects like the LRT, it seems like we will be looking at a very different nation’s capital when Canada celebrates its 150th,” says Dan.
3. Uber: “Technology continues to challenge established business models, and our city government insists we have to do things the same way they have been done for 70 years,” adds Dan. “This one incident speaks to a larger issue that will certainly continue to be an issue in 2015.”
2. Ghomeshi fallout: “Jian Ghomeshi was the domino that set many similar stories in motion,” says Julie. “And it is far from over. It has opened up the conversation about sexual assault – online, on the airwaves, and on Parliament Hill.”
1. Parliament Hill incident: “The phrase that was used is, ‘We lost our innocence’ that day,” adds Julie. “Sometimes Ottawa has a reputation as being sleepy. This was a wake-up call. Everyone remembers where they were when Michael Zehaf-Bibeau opened fire. We are only starting to see the consequences for Ottawa as a city and Canada as a nation.”