November 2015 - Sault College

a campus newsletter published for the Sault College community ∙ November, 2015
Welcome to the Future
It was another great day for the
history book as Sault College
opened its newest Robotics Lab
on campus. In partnership with
Tenaris, Sault College has taken
its place as a leader in the field of
automation with the acquisition
of several industrial ABB robots.
A large number of College
supporters gathered October 30th
to celebrate the advanced field of
robotics at Sault College with the
official opening of the world-class
facility.
Colin Kirkwood, Dean of Environment, Technology and Business at Sault College; MPP David
Orazietti; Dr. Ron Common, President, Sault College; Guillermo Moreno, Vece President and
Managing Director, Tenaris; Jane Carhi, FedNor; John Fielding, Ontario Centres of Excellence;
Peter Berlingieri, Chair, Sault College Board of Governors; and Mayor Christian Provenzano
officially open the new Robotics lab on campus.
To provide crucial
new resources for our industry
partners Sault College, will also
host a series of free Robotics
workshops over the next few weeks. Funded by the Ontario Centres of Excellence and Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the first of three workshops takes place
at Sault College is scheduled for November 5th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
In addition to being incorporated into the current post-secondary programs, beginning in
September 2016, Sault College will launch a new one-year, graduate certificate program in
Robotics and is currently accepting applications.
Sault College wishes to express its gratitude for the continued support of its numerous
investors that will help keep the College on the leading edge of post-secondary learning.
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Guillermo Moreno and Dr. Ron Common in front of the robot in the Tenaris
Robotics Lab
Scuttlebutt November 2015
An ABB Robot at Sault College, the most advanced in the country
Students We’re Proud Of
Sault College’s newest Hairstyling graduates pose for a photo with Professor and Faculty Coordinator Debbie Dunseath (L facing) before the 2015 Fall Convocation Ceremony
Friends and family of Sault College graduates witnessed the joyful occasion of fall convocation. The
Sault College community came together to celebrate its newest graduates on October 16th.
Over 100 students were eligible to graduate from Sault College during the ceremony.
Fall convocation allows students to graduate soon after successful completion of their program
without having to wait several months for the spring event. For graduating students, it is a time
to celebrate their accomplishments in front of family and friends. And for members of Sault
College, it is a time to recognize the efforts of the students that have been supported during
their studies.
Qualifying programs eligible for this fall’s convocation included: Esthetician, Hairstyling, Social
Service Worker – Native Specialization, Business, Office Administration – Executive, Fetal
Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Personal Support Worker, Pre-Health and various Continuing
Education programs.
The keynote speaker at the event was Tracy Dinelle, a cancer survivor and graduate of Sault
College who gave an inspirational presentation on how she has directly benefitted from Sault
College’s Hairstyling program Hair’s to You wig initiative.
Following the presentation of liripipes and diplomas, the White Thunder Women from the local
Ojibwe community performed an honour drum song.
Congratulations graduates and may your future be filled with great things.
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Scuttlebutt November 2015
United Way
Warning: you are not seeing things!
This is a real photo of Dr. Common in
an Algoma University shirt.
On October 29th, Sault College
officially kicked off its 2015 United
Way campaign.
Staying true to a bet made last year,
Dr. Common was sporting his “new”
t-shirt challenging the Sault College
community to not make this happen
again.
Although we lost the friendly
competition, Sault College has much
to be proud of; raising $14,000 last
year to assist 140 local families.
This year’s launch coincided with a
mini trade show featuring several of
United Way’s funded agencies. Our
Sault College Board of Governors Member and United Way Campaign Chair Jamie
goal this year is to increase the
Caicco with Dr. Common as he sports his new t-shirt
number of staff members
contributing to our goal of assisting local families access the supports they need.
You can help us ensure Dr. Common does not have to wear an Algoma University t-shirt once
again:
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Donation forms will be in staff mailboxes, in the HR office and in the mailroom (on the
table). They can be returned to the HR/Payroll mailbox or to HR (A2413 or to A1010)
The form provides the option of payroll deduction or a one-time donation by credit card
or cheque
Contribution as low as $1/per month through payroll deduction is still a valuable
contribution
Watch for information about upcoming activities in November and December to benefit
our fundraising activity.
Scuttlebutt November 2015
Sault College is pleased to announce the opening of its fine dining teaching restaurant, Willow,
on November 4, 2015 for the 2015/2016 academic school year. Willow Teaching Restaurant
welcomes patrons to an elegant dining atmosphere and features a new, progressive and
inspired menu.
Willow’s cuisine reflects a refined contemporary and fusion cuisine palate, offered alongside
featured wines, beer and spirits. Willow will be open to the public on Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday evenings for dinner beginning November 4th. Reservations are preferred, but walk-ins
are welcome. The first seating begins at 5:30 p.m. nightly. To view Willow’s fine dining menu or
make a reservation, please e-mail willow@saultcollege.ca or call 705-759-2554, ext. 2513.
Ten Thousand Villages
Sault College’s is once again bringing the world to Sault Ste. Marie
through the popular Ten Thousand Villages sale in Essar Hall
Friday, November 6th 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 7th 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
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Scuttlebutt November 2015
Open House 2015
Sault College is preparing to put its best foot forward as we host a Fall Open House on Friday,
November 20th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Open House is an opportunity to show off our campus, services and facilities and it gives
students a glimpse into an exciting future at Sault College. Faculty and staff will be available to
answer specific program questions and students and their families will be able to tour our
impressive new campus buildings. Service providers from across the College will also be
available to provide useful information and a level of comfort to those leaving home for the
first time.
We hope you can join us to showcase our College. For more information, please contact Gilbert
Totime at ext. 2490.
Remembrance Day Service
Wednesday, November 11th in the Health and Wellness Centre
The service will begin promptly at 10:45 a.m. with Reverend Phillip
D. Miller officiating.
Students, employees and retirees are all welcome. Teachers may
bring their students, and offices may be closed between 10:30 a.m.
and approximately 11:15 a.m. so that students and staff can attend
the service. Please provide adequate signage to your respective
area to let visitors know of the temporary closure.
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Scuttlebutt November 2015
This Year’s Premier’s Awards Nominees
Five graduates from Sault College are among the nominees selected for the 2015 Premier’s
Awards for outstanding college graduates in Ontario. These nominees will be recognized at
awards Gala later this month in Toronto. Congratulations to all of our outstanding nominees:
Indrani Bhattacharjee: Geographic Information Systems – Applications Specialist graduate
Indrani left her country of India as a married mother of two to study in Canada. Defying traditional
barriers that would have her stay with her husband and family, Indrani travelled to Canada to
further her studies thereby empowering herself and her students. With a Canadian education
attained, Indrani returned to India assisting those unable to afford education. While in Canada,
Indrani became the highest fundraiser for the Calgary 2014 Campaign as part of Plan Canada.
John Filipetti: Marketing and Advertising graduate
As a successful real estate agent and advocate for education, John raised the profile of commercial
real estate brokers across the province. Because of his involvement in the profession and success
as a salesperson, he has provided key insights into strategic plans, documents, and programs for
realtors across Ontario. Filipetti received the William R. Chitty Trophy in recognition of his
significant contributions to the real estate profession and remains active in his profession,
committed to his northern community.
Marie Gold: Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing
As founder of The Resiliency Project, Marie Gold works with psychiatrists and professors to provide
programs that encourages resiliency. Gold contributes by developing curriculum for schools that
reduces bullying and helps students develop self-esteem, and also trains teachers on how to
advocate for their students. Gold works alongside the nursing resource teams in psychiatry
departments at major hospitals, and volunteers with suicide prevention projects. She travels
around the world delivering keynotes that contribute to the transformation of the important field
of mental health.
Anna Hagerty: Child and Youth Worker
Anna Hagerty is dedicated to supporting victims of sexual abuse, many of whom are children. She
is to the co-creation of “The Game,” an interactive educational tool utilized in schools throughout
Ontario to create awareness and encourage prevention of sexual assault. Anna organized the
research process for the "Just Between You and Me Project" to provide Public Legal Education and
Information (PLEI) peer support to women who experienced family violence, and has co-authored
reports for the Department of Justice.
Kevin Parker: Aviation
Kevin Parker used his insights as a pilot and educator to help revolutionize the flight training
industry, contributing to the development of technological devices that have helped save training
costs and safely improve flying ability – including a classroom flight deck simulation tool, and a 3D
touchscreen flight deck simulation trainer. Parker has provided advanced flight training to hundreds
of military and civilian commercial pilots around the world, and was recently selected as one of the Top 3
Key Foreign Experts to China. Kevin has received an Innovator Award for his work in aviation technology.
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Scuttlebutt November 2015
We Scare Hunger
The Sault College Students’ Union was very busy in the month of October collaborating with St.
Mary’s College and Maitland Ford to collect non-perishable items for the “We Scare Hunger”
campaign. In October, SCSU always holds a canned food drive known as “Trick or Eat”. This year
the collaboration had a fantastic outcome.
On October 26th, Sault College students dropped off up to 500 paper bags to the surrounding
community, asking for donations of non-perishable food items. Three days later, Sault College
and St. Mary’s College students picked up these donations and filled Maitland Ford Trucks.
Sault College students also participated in collections at Rome’s Independent Grocer and at
Metro, Churchill Plaza. Donation bins were also located at St. Mary’s College, Maitland Ford and
Sault College.
Through this partnership and
campaign, a total of 5,700 items
were collected, exceeding all goals
set. Donations will remain local
and will be distributed to the
Salvation Army, St. Vincent’s,
Pauline’s Place, Women In Crisis,
The Soup Kitchen and the Sault
College Student Union Foodbank.
Thank you to all those who gave
generously and to the organizers
for their efforts.
What a collection! Thank you to all those who participated in the We Scare Hunger Campaign
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Scuttlebutt November 2015
Learning from Sault’s Top Employer, Essar Steel Algoma Inc.
Story submitted by Professor Shawna DePlonty, School of Business
Brenda Stenta, Manager Corporate
Communications along with her
colleague Fred Post, Manager of
Environmental Control hosted a
presentation on Essar’s sustainablebusiness model and tour for second-year
business students. Students were given
first-hand information on costs,
initiatives and rational behind their
projects.
Student Jasmine Clark noted, “What
fascinated me most about this trip was
learning about the history of Essar Steel
and knowing that they contribute
millions of dollars to remain
environmentally friendly and sustainably
efficient.”
Fred Post explaining water filtration processes to business students
Surprisingly, students learned very quickly Essar is an industry leader in the steel sector in
environmental controls. They also learned that Essar’s reliance on the provincial power supply
is limited as they create, on average, 50% of their own power with the Power Cogeneration
Facility. During the tour, students were able to walk through the Water Filtration Facility, see
the extent of the water recapture and filtration along with backfill systems. Justin Dubreuil was
surprised to learn that one worker was able to run processes on their own with all the
automation in place. Cody Yardanoff, another member of the class commented, “I thought the
tour was an amazing opportunity for all of the class to venture into the real world and see what
things were like for a major company. It was a fantastic experience.”
“For me, it is extremely reassuring to know that Essar supports all three pillars of a sustainable
society—people, planet and profit,” said Professor Shawna DePlonty of the industry partner.
“Essar takes their corporate responsibility very seriously. This tour and presentation is an
extremely powerful educational experience for business students,” she added. Thanks are
extended to Brenda, Fred and the tour guides who took time out of their work schedule to
share their wisdom and address the students’ many questions.
To learn more about Sault College’s Business program check out their webpage at:
http://www.saultcollege.ca/Groups/Businessgroup.asp
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Scuttlebutt November 2015
Thank you
Allan Frederick, ADnet Treasurer; Charlie Whitfield, ADnet President; Peggy Inkster-Storey, ADnet Vice President and Sault College
retiree; presenting to Dr. Ron Common, President Sault College
On Tuesday, October 13th, 2015, ADnet (Algoma District Community Network) presented a
$10,000 donation to the Sault College Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards program. This gift will
provide a $1,000 Scholarship to a full-time student enrolled in an Information Technology
program each year over the next ten years.
Wilf Lefresne, Executive Director of ADnet noted that Sault College was an early supporter of
the ADnet plans for broadband (high-speed Internet) infrastructure in the Algoma District and
welcomes this opportunity to pay it forward to the students who will be taking advantage of
ADnet’s work over the past 15 years.
Sault College would like to thank ADnet for their generous contribution to the College and for
caring about our students.
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Scuttlebutt November 2015
Eye Opening Experience for
Second year Business Students
Story submitted by Professor Shawna DePlonty, B.A. Econ.,
M.Ed., MEB., School of Business
As part of the Business and the Environment course
curriculum at Sault College, students are required to
attend either a Board or a Council meeting to analyze
roles and responsibilities of the board, phases of
strategic management and stakeholder engagement
processes.
On Monday, October 26th, several students chose to
attend the Sault Ste. Marie City Council meeting to
meet their course curriculum requirements. Students
were surprised to see the Gallery full of firefighters
sporting green t-shirts at the meeting. One student
commented, “I have never been to a City Council
meeting so I really didn’t know what to expect. When I
found out that we were going to hear some kind of
debate between the firefighters and the City, my
interest peaked.”
In class, students’ had studied the differences between
Milton Friedman’s ideology of profit maximization—
more importantly, conducting business while working
within the legal limits of the law. In other words, they
learned about staying within the minimum legal
requirements of the law. Students also studied the
other end of the ideology spectrum with Archie Carroll’s
pyramid of social responsibility. As a result of activism
in the seventies, acts such as the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) were
created (Carroll, A., 1991). These very acts lead to
“national public policy that officially recognized
environment, employees, and consumers to be
significant and legitimate stakeholders of business”
(Caroll, et. al.). One definition of social responsibility
indicates that in order for an entity to be socially
responsible, a firm must look at decisions made beyond
immediate financial economic impact. Although
students learn about social responsibility during
lectures, Monday’s council meeting experience clearly
demonstrated both sides of the continuum of business
practices and social responsibility in action.
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Photo featured on Sootoday.com October 28, 2015
At the meeting, Fire Chief Mike Figliola presented facts
and figures that supported his claim that cutting 20
firefighter positions over a three-year period, which
would reduce the current number of firefighters on
duty from 17 to 10-13 would be sufficient to take care
the City’s fire calls. He went on to share that the city of
Sarnia, with a similar population to the Sault, kept 18
firefighters on duty.
Marty Kenopic, President of Sault Ste. Marie
Professional Fire Fighters Association (SSMPFFA)
delivered his counter-argument on behalf of the fire
fighters noting that there has been insufficient
engagement between firefighters and the Chief to vote
at this time. Kenopic requested a comprehensive risk
assessment be analyzed prior to the motion being
passed. The meeting extended well past four hours for
the discussion and engaged the students during this
time.
“For me as a Business Professor, the Council meeting
was an excellent learning opportunity for the students
as it demonstrated real-world decisions that executives
wrestle over constantly,” stated Professor Deplonty of
the event. “Is it best to make decisions based on profit
maximization? How much stakeholder engagement is
the right amount? What benchmarks should be used in
decision-making? Does the saying “what gets measured
gets managed” hold true?”
After the meeting, students were left to decide if they
supported Mayor Provenzano and the councillors who
supported the motion, or Councillors Bruni, Krmpotich
and Turco who voted against the proposal, based on the
facts delivered and their independent research.
Carroll, A. (1991). The Pyramid of corporate Social Responsibility:
Toward Moral Management of Organization Stakeholders:
Business Horizons, July-August 1991.
Armstrong, K. (2015) This is what 20 firefighters looks like:
association. Retrieved on November 3, 2015 from
http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/details.asp?c=9
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Scuttlebutt November 2015
Upcoming Events
Friday, November 6th from 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 7th from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Ten Thousand Villages Sale in Essar Hall
Wednesday November 11th – Remembrance Day Service in the Health and Wellness Centre. Service begins at
10:45 a.m.
Friday, November 20th – Fall Open House 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m.
Save the Date
The annual Children’s Christmas Party will
be held on Sunday, December 13th from
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Cafeteria.
The Residence office staff had a
great group costume for Halloween.
Sushi anyone?
In photo (l to r): Jamie Palahnuk, Lori Amendola, Corey Diotte, Shelley Lutes
We hope you enjoyed reading the November issue of Scuttlebutt.
Submissions for the next issue will be taken until November 25th.
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Please send your stories and story ideas to Tessa Vecchio in
Communications at Tessa.Vecchio@saultcollege.ca and have a great
month! Scuttlebutt November 2015