Ramping up for review of Strategic Plan

Interested in helping draft the plans that will shape Okanagan College over the next five years and beyond?

After five years of growth and success at Okanagan College, it’s time to review the Mission, Vision, Values and Key Directions for the organization. Your input and advice will be sought at a series of consultation sessions and meetings to be announced in the coming weeks as the College undertakes the review.

In 2005, the College initiated the Designing Our Future process, which led the institution to establish its Mission, Vision, Values and Key Directions. Those helped shape education plans, annual unit plans and guide the institution’s evolution.

Last week, the Board of Governors endorsed a plan presented by President Jim Hamilton to undertake a review and update of the strategic plan. It will be a thorough undertaking, involving several consultation sessions throughout the region with a host of internal and external stakeholders. It will also entail an environmental scan. The review should be complete by mid-April, with presentation to the Board of Governors at its April 27 meeting. 

While the timeline is tight for this review, Designing Our Future was also a relatively short and intense process. Completing the work involved in the environmental scan associated with this review will also allow it to inform development of the long-term education plan, a separate process being led by Vice President Education Andrew Hay.

Development of the draft strategic plan will involve a team - led by the President - to provide oversight and advice on the process. The group will be chosen from among volunteers and will include representatives from the Board, Education Council, student associations, alumni, instructional staff, support staff, administration and the Leadership Team. It will also reflect the regional makeup of the College.

Staff can volunteer to participate in the steering committee by contacting the President's Office by Monday, Feb. 8. The Team will be formed in consultation with the various employee groups. Follow this link to read the Project Charter.

Lance Kayfish elected Board Chair

Lance Kayfish has been chosen as the new chair of Okanagan College’s Board of Governors. He was elected Tuesday at the Board’s regular meeting. The new vice-chair is Yvonne Pinder.

Kayfish follows Janet Shaw, who finished her term as Board Chair at the end of 2009. Shaw served six years on the Board of Governors.

Kayfish is a risk manager at the City of Kelowna and has served on the College Board since 2007. He holds baccalaureate degrees in both commerce and political science.

Before beginning his employment with the municipality in 2003, he served as a manager for the University of Calgary in both the risk management and safety functions. His previous board experience includes a three-year term on the Alberta Student Finance Board and the University of Calgary’s Senate and General Faculties Council. He has also been actively involved in leadership roles for the Risk and Insurance Management Society, an international professional association.

Pinder is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and a Fellow of the Society of Management Accountants of Canada. She holds an MBA from the University of Saskatchewan. She has extensive experience as a senior financial executive for organizations in the Health and Education sectors including Okanagan College, the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, and Parkridge Centre for long term care (Saskatoon).

Follow this link to read more in a Public Affairs press release.

RBC contributes $135,000 to College’s Centre of Excellence

As the Olympic torch made its way into BC and closer to its goal of reaching Vancouver, the $5 million campaign to establish Okanagan College’s Centre of Excellence got closer to its goal with the announcement of a $135,000 commitment from RBC.
 
The announcement of RBC’s donation was made on Monday, Jan. 25 during the Olympic Torch Relay community event held in Kelowna. RBC is the presenting partner of the 2010 Torch Relay.
 
With the addition of RBC's contribution, the Okanagan College Foundation is closing in on $800,000 for the Centre of Excellence campaign. The donation also means that the overall College-wide campaign has now met $1.25 million. To find out more about the RBC donation, read the Public Affairs press release. For information about the Centre of Excellence, follow this link.

College enrolments continue to climb

Okanagan College continues to experience growing enrolments at each of its campuses and in many of its program areas. January enrolment statistics show approximately 5.7 per cent more students – 5,504 – attending the College’s campuses than in January 2009. That represents an increase of 298 more students than the 5,206 registered in 2009.

The students are also taking more courses this semester than they did last year; course registrations are up 10.8 per cent overall from the previous year.

Read more about the increase in enrolments and what President Hamilton has to say about the numbers in the full Public Affairs press release.

College staff, students give generously to support Haiti

In the wake of disaster in Haiti, Okanagan College staff had the opportunity to contribute relief funds to the Red Cross through donations from their Jan. 29 employee payroll. In just one pay period, Okanagan College staff contributed $5,765 to the relief effort.

Staff aren’t the only people at Okanagan College committed to the cause – a team of Caribbean students with support from International Education staff have initiated a fundraising campaign called "Help OC Help Haiti."

During the last two weeks students from the group dressed in white t-shirts have been walking around the Kelowna campus collecting donations for the Canadian Red Cross.

The group has also been taking orders and selling white shirts to students who have requested them. The campaign will end with the Chinese New Year and International Night on February 12, 2010.

Extra, Extra…read the ILLT Newsletter

The Institute for Leadership in Learning and Teaching has published its newsletter for the month of February. This month’s editor is Carl Doige. Read all about it by following this link.

SIFE Okanagan make business wear look good

At their second annual Dress for Success fashion show, SIFE Okanagan raised more than $3,000 to help fund their trip to the regional business competition later this year. The fundraiser was held in Kelowna’s Centre for Learning and showcased several local retailers’ clothing lines.

Models included many Okanagan School of Business students and even some instructors (those who witnessed the show said Dr. Heather Banham and Dr. Kyleen Myrah were among the most popular models, while the always charming Matt Cosar was among the most dashing student models). Stay tuned to Inside Okanagan College to find out more about how you can help support SIFE Okanagan through upcoming fundraising events. 


College signs MOU to enhance post-secondary cooperation

Okanagan College joined the College of the Rockies, Selkirk College, UBC Okanagan and Thompson Rivers University in signing a memorandum of understanding that links the institutions to create better integration of the learning opportunities and services for citizens of the Southern Interior. “We expect that over the next years, we’ll see a host of program and service partnerships arise as a consequence of this agreement,” said President Jim Hamilton.
 


The agreement formalizes the institutions’ commitment to work together in important areas such as enrolment planning and academic programs. Together, the five institutions serve a population of more than 720,000 people in the interior, and collectively educated more than 73,000 students in 2008-09.

SIFE earns $1,000 innovation grant from Sun Life Financial

SIFE Okanagan members just received news that they were one of only five successful SIFE chapters across the country to receive a $1,000 innovation grant from Sun Life Financial to execute their Social Enterprise project with Elevation Outdoors Experiential Programs.

SIFE students will be teaching local high-risk youth some practical entrepreneurial skills they can use to design a product or service – such as their snowboarding lessons (learn to shred program). Any monies raised by these students will go back into supporting more youth to participate in the outdoor recreational activities that Elevation provides. SIFE Okanagan will be working with the local Sun Life office to implement this program.

Atrium comes alive with International’s Global Cafe 


On Wednesday, Jan. 27 International Education hosted a Global Café in the atrium of the Centre for Learning in Kelowna. More than 50 students attended from countries such as Italy, Guatemala, China, Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic, Japan, Jamaica, Korea and many more.

Students were served cookies, coffee and juice and had the opportunity to share information about their Haiti relief campaign. International Education would like to thank everyone who volunteered as well as those that attended. 


SIFE Okanagan receives HSBC Financial Literacy Grant

After receiving more than 390 applications for financial literacy programs from post-secondary teams around the world, HSBC selected SIFE Okanagan as one of only three institutions in Canada to earn a $750 2010 HSBC Financial Literacy Grant. SIFE Okanagan earned the grant based on its demonstrated record of success with the Young Entrepreneur Program, which has now expanded to three centres in Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton and includes a regional summer incubation program sponsored by BDC.

SIFE Okanagan would like to thank those staff and faculty who help to coordinate the YE programs, support the mentoring through their classes, and act as judges during the competition. This level of support has resulted in making this the largest SIFE youth entrepreneurship program in the country, now running in over 20 middle and high schools in the Okanagan Valley, and providing over 400 students with the skills needed to run a business.

Al Cohoe goes Global (news, that is)

Okanagan College’s Chair of Motor Vehicle Trades, Al Cohoe, will be a guest on Vancouver’s Global Morning News on Thursday, Feb. 4 as he shares information about one of his passions – RVing.

With the Winter Olympics just around the corner and a considerable lack of accommodation, Al will share tips with viewers about how to make their Olympic RV experience memorable, comfortable and safe.

Stay tuned to the next edition of Inside OC to watch the clip of Al’s Global TV debut.

Losing a long time friend - Ron Russell


A long time friend and supporter of Okanagan College and the Okanagan College Foundation, Ron Russell, passed away suddenly on Jan. 27.

The Honorary Chair of the College’s Kelowna Golf Tournament in 2007, Ron was a prominent and friendly face, playing in or supporting the tournament for a total of 18 years. Ron also sat on the Foundation’s Planned Giving Advisory Committee, willingly sharing his 38 years of experience as a Certified Financial Planner, a Chartered Life Underwriter and a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC). 



Ron and his wife Priscilla's generosity was profiled in Okanagan College's 2009 Report to the Community.

A consummate professional in his field, he received the Canadian Medal of Achievement for the top marks in Canada upon graduation from the ChFC. program. Throughout the past 38 years, Ron was actively involved in a number of organizations including the Estate Planning Council of Kelowna as past President, the Gyro Club of Kelowna, and the Central Okanagan Foundation.

Reg Marte carries the torch

Mechanical Engineering technology instructor Reg Marte was one of a select few who had the opportunity to carry the Olympic flame as it passed through Kelowna on Tuesday, Jan. 26. Reg entered the online contest through the Coke and RBC websites, submitting over one hundred entries over the course of a few months. In his 500-word application to become a torchbearer, Reg shared his commitment to pursuing an active lifestyle and to minimizing his carbon footprint.

Reg’s leg of the relay started on Gordon and finished with a handoff to former Kelowna Fire Chief Gerry Zimmerman. For Reg, the experience was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

“It really was an incredible ride,” said Reg. “Like 80 per cent of the population, I wasn’t always the first to be picked for teams in high school but I’ve embraced an active lifestyle and have used this opportunity to reflect on some of the amazing things that have happened in my life.”

In an effort to share his Olympic enthusiasm Reg has been taking his torch into classes at the College and plans on having the torch displayed during the Olympic Games. Anyone interested in having the torch brought to their class can contact Reg.

Lent on CBC

North Okanagan Regional Dean John Lent was invited by CBC Radio as a guest on the Sunday morning program – North by Northwest. While on air, John took the opportunity to read a few poems and discussed the creative process. A prolific and distinguished poet and writer, John was recently named Poet Laureate of the Okanagan. Anyone interested in hearing John can download a podcast of the broadcast from the itunes store (free) or can listen to it now by following this link to cbc.ca.

Remembering Neil Anderson Davidson

Neil Anderson Davidson, the former mayor of Vernon from 1979 to 1981, passed away on Jan. 16 at the age of 93. The long-time Okanagan resident and lawyer, originally born in Stettler, Alberta, was a founding owner and director of the Silver Star Ski area in the 1950's. Davidson served on a number of community boards, including the Okanagan College Advisory Committee.

Penticton student bears the torch

Okanagan College Human Kinetics student Susie Welch celebrated her Olympic moment on Jan. 25 in Penticton. Susie, who studies at the Penticton campus, was selected to carry the torch into the South Okanagan Events Centre to light the cauldron at the community event.

A long time Penticton resident, Susie attended high school in Penticton and was selected by the Olympic Torch Relay Penticton Celebrations committee due to her history of volunteerism, community contributions and spirit of citizenship.

College alumni celebrate CA achievements

A group of Okanagan College business alumni celebrated their completion of the Uniform Exam (UE), the final step toward becoming a Chartered Accountant, with business professors Randy Newton and Margery Heuser in Kelowna.

In the photo, front row, left to right: Eva Jutras, Dustin Stadnyk, Richard Doncom, Jena Friedrich, Nicole Parent and Randy Newton. In the back row, left to right: Margery Heuser, Andrew Zelke, James Stewart, Mark Fairweather and Mike Scarlett. Congratulations to the newest Okanagan College alumni CA’s. 

Introducing the ILLT – Jim Gamble and Paul Stephenson

In a new and unique partnership, students in Victoria Loy’s English 235 – professional writing and communications - class in Vernon are helping to share information about the Institute for Leadership in Learning and Teaching by profiling its members. Working with support from Public Affairs, students in the class selected a member of the ILLT, conducted preliminary research and interviews and then each wrote profiles of the members. The project was developed as a part of the students’ class work and the profiles helped determine their overall grade. Over the course of the semester students learned valuable information about writing, interviewing and the editing process. In some cases the students also photographed their subjects.

In its next few editions, Inside Okanagan College will publish the complete set of profiles. Find out more about the ILLT members through the eyes of our students.

Jim Gamble – by Kim Nohr

“Have you ever lived East?” Jim Gamble asks as we sit in the small meeting room off the library in the Vernon campus.

I shake my head and he says cheerfully, “The West is open to ideas. Open to change. That’s why my wife and I wanted to come back West.” With a little grin he adds, “I missed the mountains.”

Low-key positivity and humour lilts in his voice as we talk for the next 45 minutes about the Institute for Leadership in Learning and Teaching (ILLT) and the excitement of Trades. Jim Gamble is an electrician; a choice that stemmed from a world-hopping childhood as the son of a seismic exploration operator. He lived in four continents as a child, graduating high school in Bolivia. With the world open to him, he landed in Red Deer to start as an electrician for oilfield installations. There he met his wife and after their family grew to five they moved East so Jim could be home more. Follow this link to read more about Jim.

Paul Stephenson – by Jayda Gonsalvez

Paul Stephenson, a passionate and driven instructor at Okanagan College, is eager and enthusiastic to promote and share his new insights on learning-centered theories with all faculty and students members.

The ILLT has been a rewarding new endeavor of Paul’s; he was elected as the founding Fellow for ESL and International Education. The campus’ dynamic and diverse learning environment has provided Paul with a forum to articulate ideas, connect with students and fellow co-workers, and has encouraged him and other faculty members to strive for better student-teacher relationships.

Paul believes the ILLT will successfully liberate learners and teachers, enable them to embrace new ideas and new ways of thinking, and as a result break down the traditional barriers that strain learner-teacher relationships. Paul claims, “While perfection is impossible, learner centered teaching exists within the art of the possible.”

Read the full profile of Paul by following this link.

Arellano shares research on intercultural communications

Communications professor Marc Arellano was a recent guest of the BC Landscape and Nursery Association for the BC Ministry of Agriculture. Marc gave a presentation on intercultural communications and how communications impact production and labour practices with Mexican migrant workers hired under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP).

Marc’s presentation contributed to the educational event, which aims to address current issues that are impacting the sector, with a goal of improving production practices of the industry and making the sector more sustainable. To find out more about intercultural communication as it relates to SAWP, send Marc an email.

Mike Craig: Olympic-bound

Okanagan College’s Recreation & Student Life Assistant Coordinator Mike Craig has taken up temporary residence in Vancouver, where he’ll be a major part of the team responsible for building and maintaining the ice surface in GM Place during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Mike has extensive experience working with hockey surfaces; alongside his father Dan, Mike worked on the Olympic ice in Torino, Italy, created the surface in Chicago for the 2009 NHL Winter Classic, and recently worked in Boston’s Fenway Park on New Year’s Day, where he built the ice for the game between the Bruins and the Flyers.

Inside Okanagan College will be checking in with Mike during his Olympic experience – stay tuned for more updates. Follow this link to a CHBC story about Mike.

February 2, 2010 Vol. 3 Issue 20

College Partners for Life

For those who don't know, Okanagan College has been a Partner for Life with Canadian Blood Services for several years. Staff who regularly give blood are reminded to mention Okanagan College when donating, as the volume of blood donated is added to our College’s total. Canadian Blood Services would also like to remind Okanagan College staff that they are concerned about a possible decrease in the volume of blood donations during the month of February due to the increased activities related to the Vancouver Olympics. To find out more about the value of donating blood, visit: www.blood.ca/britishcolumbia.   

SIFE Business Gala back for third year

Now in its third year running, SIFE Okanagan will host their annual Business Gala at the Hotel Eldorado on Feb. 11. SIFE has secured Mogens Smed as the keynote speaker for the event. In 2004, Interiors and Source Magazine named Smed ‘Environmental Champion’ in recognition of his efforts as a pioneer of modular interior construction.

Determined that there was still more to gain in the industry, Smed created DIRTT Environmental Solutions (Doing It Right This Time) in 2005. Smed will be speaking about Sustainable Business Practices and about his new company DIRTT. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. in the sunroom at the Hotel El. Tickets will be $35 and include a glass of red or white wine thanks to SIFE’s partner, Lakebreeze Winery. Also included are hors d’oeuvres and access to a Silent Auction. If you are interested in tickets or have any questions, please feel free to contact Melissa Veregin of SIFE.

Great Canadian Smoke Out

The Great Canadian Smoke Out is in full swing on Okanagan College campuses thanks to a partnership between Campus Health, Health Canada and The BC Lung Association. Everyone (including staff) can enter the contest to win cash prizes. Smokers and non-smokers are eligible to enter by agreeing to be smoke free from January 20 – March 25, 2010.

Staff and students are invited to use the free quit smoking resources available through Campus Health including NRT (gum, patch or inhaler) and “cope kits.” Individuals wanting to quit smoking are also offered one on one counselling and follow up to increase their chances of quitting successfully. Follow this link or drop by Campus Health for additional information.

International celebrates the Year of the Tiger

International Education will host a Chinese New Year celebration on Friday, Feb. 12 at 5:30 in the lecture theatre in Kelowna. This free annual event includes an array of international student performances showcasing talents from around the world.

Finance Update

Finance would like to remind all employees who have been approved for, and have participated in, a Professional Development activity, to submit their expense claims as soon as the event has been completed. The form can be found under My Okanagan, OC Express Forms under the Finance tab. The expense claims must have the original receipts attached to it and must be submitted to the appropriate PD committee for approval then forwarded to Finance for processing. 

Fezzie’s shares its Sustainability Manifesto

The last edition of Inside Okanagan College included a short article about the inclusion of Fezziwig’s food services in Kelowna’s Centre for Learning. The owners and staff at Fezzie’s wanted to share their Sustainability Manifesto - listing the ways in which they are doing their part to take care of the earth and our College community.

FEZZIE'S CARES...

About THE EARTH. It is our intention to utilize recycled & recyclable packaging as far as possible and encourage our customers to return or re-use items responsibly.

About QUALITY OF LIFE. It is our intention to provide healthy, nourishing, locally-sourced, fair-trade organic foods as far as possible to our customers.

About YOUR HEALTH. It is our intention to enable our customers to make healthier choices this is reflected in the products we choose to sell.

About THE OC. It is our intention to be respectful of the beautiful surroundings we share with the Faculty & Students of Okanagan College.

About YOU. It is our intention to listen carefully to the needs and requests of our customers and respond accordingly.

Fezziwig’s has been in business in Kelowna for the past four years. In that time they have implemented many accountability procedures in regards to the sustainability of the community and they intend to carry on that tradition at their new location at Okanagan College.

Interlock Newsletter

Okanagan College’s employee and family assistance program, Interlock, has issued a new edition of their newsletter with tips on healthy eating. Follow this link to read about the “no diet” diet.

Attention: Employees with Manulife benefits coverage

Effective January 1, 2010 products that have a Natural Product Number (NPN) rather than a Drug Identification Number (DIN) are ineligible for reimbursement under extended health coverage. This includes products such as non-prescription iron supplements and non-prescription smoking cessation gums and patches, which may have been previously covered. For further details, please follow this link to review the communication bulletin from Manulife.

What has my Safety Committee done for me lately?

A comment heard in the halls of the Kelowna campus of Okanagan College: “Did you know that we had a safety committee that meets once a month to deal with safety issues?” The response was:“Really?”

Maybe it is time once again to spread the word about the Okanagan College Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees (JOH&S). At Okanagan College there are JOH&S committees in Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna, and Penticton. Each committee must have at least four members with both ‘worker’ and ‘employer’ representatives – and at least half of the committee members must be ‘worker’ representatives. The fundamental responsibilities (in part) of the JOH&S committees are to ensure that:
- health & safety inspections are conducted
- health & safety is promoted
- conditions and activities in the workplace are in accordance with WCB and WHMIS standards
- recommendations from employees regarding OH&S are considered and implemented where warranted

The Safety committees also provides advice and insight from an OH&S perspective with respect to:
- the adequacy of work rules and practices
- the planning of new or altered facilities and work methods
- monitoring the response of supervisors to workplace abnormalities and make appropriate recommendations soliciting suggestions for a safer workplace
- recommending improvements for a safer workplace

The minutes of the various Okanagan College JOH&S committees can be found online. Read Okanagan College’s complete Health and Safety Policy online. Anyone with suggestions for a safer workplace in Kelowna can send Health and Safety an email.

50/50 winner announced

Congratulations to Jan Leonard from Trades and Apprenticeship in Kelowna who won last week’s payday draw for $525. The Okanagan College Foundation 50/50 Staff Lottery is open to all employees of Okanagan College. If you wish to sign up for the lottery, registration forms are available from: Advancement & Alumni/Okanagan College Foundation office (P103, KLO Campus), Human Resources or online.





Okanagan College Board of Governors Vice Chair, Lance Kayfish, was elected Chair of the Board in January. Read more in: College board of govs names new chairman.

Riding the bus for less is now reality, and two College students who were already riding will be benefiting from the new bus pass. Read more in: Council approves transit discount for college students from Osoyoos.

Okanagan College joined a consortium of other post-secondary institutions in Project Hero – a program to help provide educational funding support for children of Canadian Forces personnel who were killed in action since 2002. Read more in: OK College joins Project Hero.

The campaign to raise funds for the Centre of Excellence gained more momentum with the announcement of a $135,000 donation by RBC. Read more in: Donor banks on OK College, RBC donates to Centre of Excellence campaign, and College centre drive gets big boost.

A thank you letter from a Vernon resident referencing Okanagan College’s environmental sustainability projects was printed in the Capital News. Read more in: Okanagan College sets down green footprint.

Okanagan College’s Culinary Arts dinner buffet at Infusions was reviewed in the Capital News – read more about why dinner at Infusions is worth every cent.

Registration is open - get ready to run, volunteer or cheer at the eighth Campus-to-Campus Half Marathon, Relay and 10 km race. Read more in: Campus-to-Campus open for sign-ups and Campus marathon returns.

The College and Okanagan School of Business are welcoming students and employers on campus in Kelowna to network and discover opportunities for the future. Read more in: Ok College to host job fair and College to host job fair and expo.

The Okanagan College hockey team played a hard two game series against the SFU Clan coming out with one loss and a tie against the league’s number one team, moving the Crusaders to fourth in the BCIHL standings. Read more in: Crusaders earn point vs. Clan.

The College baseball team’s annual banquet will feature Toronto Blue Jays player Scott Richmond as a speaker. The team will also be holding two camps this weekend, one focusing on pitching for coaches, the other for players. Read more in: Blue Jay featured at OC banquet.

Okanagan School of Business student Kim McIntyre published a letter to the editor looking for help from the community with research on charitable giving. Kim is holding a focus group this Saturday at 11 a.m. Read more in her letter to the Courier: College student seeks research participants.

In her weekly School’s In column, Jane Muskens, Interim Registrar, discusses the results of high school advanced placement test results and how Haiti’s earthquake will affect education in the country. Read more in: AP exam results bode well for school curriculum and Education hopes for a generation lost in Haiti quake.

Okanagan College’s participation in the Living Building Challenge through Penticton’s Centre of Excellence was highlighted in Graeme Corbett’s Vernon Morning Star column: Taking the LEED and the article: Building a sustainable future.

Governor General Academics Medal winner, Erika Prebushewski, from Charles Bloom high school is attending Okanagan College in Vernon and working on a business diploma. Read more: Excellence theme for winners.

The film Fuel had its Kelowna premiere at Okanagan College Jan. 22. Read more in: Fuel: A documentary and discussion.

Okanagan College alumna Kelly Scott headed into the 2010 Tournament of Hearts. Read more in: Scott rink pursues third Canadian title, Jones, Scott among Scotties contenders, Scott searching for more success, and Scott drops Scotties opener.

The College’s Students in Free Enterprise presented a fashion show to raise money to send the College team to the Regional Business Competition in Calgary. Read more in: The business of fashion.

Penticton campus student Susie Welch participated in the Olympic torch relay, running the torch to the South Okanagan Events Centre. Read more in: Torch welcome a golden moment.

The College’s International Education department organized a special celebration for 12 Japanese students in Vernon. Now a tradition at the College, the rite of passage ceremony helps alleviate homesickness. Read more: Exchange students treated to ceremony tradition.

SIFE Okanagan helped raise money and donations for food banks throughout the Okanagan over Christmas. Check it out in: Good Deeds.

In his Global Citizen column Stan Chung, Dean, Arts and Foundational Programs, comments on how an individual’s world views are formed. He discusses how the way we see the world is affected by our experiences, encounters and reflection in his column: So close and yet so far.

Okanagan College had two connections to the Olympic torch relay in Vernon last week. The song commissioned by the City of Vernon for the event was based on a poem, The Flame, written by Okanagan College instructor Kerry Gilbert and Regional Dean John Lent performed at the event with his trio Lent Fraser Wall. Read more: Flame sparked with song and dance.

Geography instructor, Terence Day, had his article, Textbook errors in the application of the Kelvin temperature scale published in the Journal of Geography in January.



Feb. 8 – Kalamalka Speaker Series - Talking the Walk! Pilgrimage along the El Camino with Wayne Emde and Jack Greenhalgh, Pilgrims at Large. This event takes place at 12:30 p.m. in the Kalamalka Campus Lecture Theatre.





Feb. 8  -  ILLT Lunch and Learn Series - "Social Media in Teaching and Learning" with Glen Coulthard, Business Okanagan College, in the Kelowna Theater 12 -12:50 p.m.    



Feb. 22 - ILLT Lunch and Learn Series - “A global perspective on post-secondary education and why what you do counts” with Jane Muskens, Interim Registrar of Okanagan College. Find out how Canada compares to other countries when it comes to access and the quality of our post-secondary system. See why your job plays such an important role for Canadians today and in the future. Kalamalka Lecture Theatre 12:30-1:20 p.m.  



Mar. 1- Kalamalka Speaker Series - “Kandahar: A Province of Afghanistan,” with Wynn Polnicky. The mission in Afghanistan is one that rightly attracts much attention within Canada, but little detailed examination. Canadian goals and the implementation of its strategy in Kandahar will be examined by a former military operational analyst based on his experience there in 2006/2007. This free event takes place at 12:30 p.m. in the Kalamalka Campus Lecture Theatre.





Mar. 5 - Okanagan College will host the 27th annual Spaghetti Bridge Building competition in Kelowna. Anyone with questions can contact competition organizer Michelle Lowry. 



Mar. 8 - ILLT Lunch and Learn Series  - "Social Media in Teaching and Learning" with Glen Coulthard, Business Okanagan College.  Kalamalka Lecture Theatre 12:30 – 1:20 p.m. 

Mar. 19 - ILLT Lunch and Learn Series - “Happiness through Character Building” with Ben Coleman, Psychology Okanagan College, in the Kelowna Theater 12 -12:50 p.m.



Mar. 22 - Kalamalka Speaker Series - “Sucking on lemons!" with Ben Coleman, Psychology, Okanagan College. When life delivers lemons, why will some people pucker-up while others will smile? Your ability to prosper and remain happy in life, even when sucking lemons, will depend on whether or not you have established these “essential” psychological strengths in your daily life. This free event takes place at 12:30 p.m. in the Kalamalka Campus Lecture Theatre.

Mar. 28 - Okanagan College will host its eighth annual Campus-to-Campus Half Marathon, Relay and 10 km race. The running starts at 8 a.m. Go online to register or contact Karma Lacoff to volunteer.

Mar. 29 - ILLT Lunch and Learn Series – Tips and Techniques for Classroom Instruction (Film) with Rob Kjarsgaard, Coordinator of Okanagan College's ILLT.  Rob will lead a follow-up discussion of the film on teaching techniques and will present an update on the ILLT.  Kalamalka Lecture Theatre 12:30 – 1:20 p.m. 

April 7 - ILLT Lunch and Learn Series - “Diversity” with James Coble, Aboriginal Access and Services Coordinator Okanagan College, in the Kelowna Theater 12 - 12:50 p.m.




Do you have comments, questions or a submission for INSIDE OKANAGAN COLLEGE?

Please email Public Affairs c/o Christine Ulmer. 

The next edition of INSIDE OKANAGAN COLLEGE will be issued on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010.

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