Volume M16, Issue No. 1, January 18, 2016

Intercom is published regularly and serves to inform Vanier staff and teachers of notices and special events. It is posted on the Vanier College Website and distributed electronically. Submissions should be sent to intercom@vaniercollege.qc.ca. Submissions should be in WORD, and sent as an attachment. No formatting or bullets. Deadline: 4:00 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding publication.

Environmental and Wildlife Management Scholarship winners

Every year for the past 3 years, our generous partners in Lachute, Horizonmultiressource and the Terre-à-Bois Cooperative have made it possible to offer 2 awards to applicants of the 3rd year EWM student group. Please join me and the 2015 HMR-TAB Award committee in congratulating the winners of this year's awards. The winners are:

1st prize ($1000): Siena Daudelin (centre front of photo) 2nd prize ($500): Noah Korne (right of centre in photo)

Cheques were presented at a small celebration in honour of our winners, on December 18th.

Quentin van Ginhoven, Environmental and Wildlife Management

Scholarship Winner

Congratulations to Social Science student Loréanne Natola, who has won a Loran National Finalist Award worth $3,000. Loran scholarships are awarded to students who not only have excellent grades, but who also demonstrate leadership, character and community service. As well, Loréanne is one of 80 students from across Canada who will receive an all-expenses paid trip for an interview in Toronto for the Loran National Award, February 5-6. The prestigious Loran National Award, given to just 30 students, is valued at $100,000 over 4 years.

Joshua Berman, The Learning Centre

Meg Sircom Memorial Scholarship Winner and Awards Ceremony

The English Department is very pleased to announce that the Meg Sircom Memorial Scholarship, a recognition of achievement in English and creative writing, has been awarded to IOANA BRUJ, a Pure and Applied Sciences student. Ioana submitted a portfolio of poems about identity, history, and the immigrant experience that is both timely and beautiful.

Honourable mentions were awarded to two students based on the remarkable merits of their work: Vanessa Mezzaluna (ECE) and Etienne Maes (Health Science). A brief awards ceremony will be held on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, in B-221 at 12 noon. All Vanier students, staff and faculty are invited to attend. A small scholarship donation at the door ($2-$5) would be appreciated but is not required. Copies of Meg Sircom’s short story collection Cutting Clear will also be on sale for $15, with proceeds going to the scholarship. Congratulations to Ioana and the other honourees!

Dana Bath, English Department

“Women’s Studies” is now “Women’s and Gender Studies”

On December 17, 2015 members of Academic Council unanimously approved to change the name of “Women’s Studies” to “Women’s and Gender Studies.” By explicitly adding gender to its name, the program more accurately reflects the subjects taught within its core courses, which include feminism and the women’s movement, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, as well as the growing field of masculinities studies. Women’s Studies has occupied a unique position within the structures of Vanier College. It is both an academic specialization and a volunteer organization devoted to addressing women’s and gender issues college-wide. Since the late 1970s, women’s studies staff and faculty volunteers have struggled for--and won--the establishment of on-campus policies and institutions, many of which we take for granted today. These include the on-site daycare, the sexual harassment policy (which became the “Respectful Learning and Workplace Environment Policy”), the Open Door Network and, today, the establishment of gender neutral bathrooms to ensure the well-being of our transgender students. There are currently over 70 students currently enrolled in the major, representing many different programs, from Commerce, to Music to the Sciences and Social Sciences. The major currently includes approximately 20 core courses pulled from of our pre-University programs. The program manages a resource centre (A573) and organizes many events, the most visible being International Women’s Week (IWW). You can find more news about this year’s IWW elsewhere in this issue of Intercom. If you wish to be more involved in Women’s and Gender Studies, please contact me at the email address below. Maggie Kathwaroon, Women’s and Gender Studies Coordinator kathwarm@vaniercollege.qc.ca

Maggie Kathwaroon, Women’s and Gender Studies

“In Her Name” Writing Contest

To celebrate International Women’s Week this year, The Learning Centre, in conjunction with Women’s Studies, is once again holding the writing contest “In Her Name.” We are asking students to write about a woman they have found inspirational. Entries must be a maximum of 250 words, and can be any genre (a short story, song, personal narrative, poetry, etc.). Winners will be

honoured during International Women’s Week.

1st place: $150 2nd place: $75 3rd place: $50

Most Creative: $25 The deadline is February 19th. Submissions may be in English or French. For more information, students can see Kim in The Learning Centre, B205-D. Electronic submissions, please: http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/tlc/in-her-name-contest-signup/ It would be great if you could encourage students in your classes to participate.

Kim Muncey, The Learning Centre

UBZEN WINTER 2016

We are in the Sports Complex at the top of the stairs in

Room G-232

12:00-1:00 every Wednesday starting on January 27th. Thanks to all of those who came out for UBZEN last semester. In total we held UBZEN 11 times and had a little under 50 bodies (many people came more than once). Students and staff are welcome to come in and relax in a space free from the demands of your day. People basically come in, lie down on a matt, close their eyes and listen to the music and audio-guided meditations.

Please don’t be shy to come for only 10 minutes, and to arrive and leave at any time during the hour. The hour is a combination of relaxing music and audio meditations, and resembles an extended version of the final relaxation pose in yoga. This semester we will be exploring self-compassion meditations with Kristin Neff, Ph.D.: giving ourselves the same kindness and compassion we’d give a good friend.

To hear the audio-guided meditations take a look at: http://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/#guided-meditations

Thanks very much for forwarding this to your students and colleagues.

Leanne Rondeau, Counselling Centre, Student Services

Medical Ethics Presentation

Date: January 22nd, 2016 Place: Vanier College Auditorium

Time: 12:30 – 14:00

Lori Seller, an alumnus of the Respiratory & Anesthesia Technology program, is now a medical ethicist for the MUHC Center for Applied Ethics. She will be discussing the complexities of medical ethics as it applies to the healthcare professional.

Patricia McClurg, Respiratory and Anesthesia Technology

Families needed for Language School exchange 2016

The Language School is looking for families to host students from Denmark/Germany who are coming to Vanier as part of a language exchange program. The students are arriving March 19 to April 16 (4 weeks). Hosts must provide a warm and welcoming environment, private room, 3 meals per day and a bus/metro pass. Families are compensated $800 plus the fees for the bus/metro pass. Please come to room E-115 to pick up a guide and application form. 514-744-7897, Room E-115; languageschool@vaniercollege.qc.ca

Tommy Diamantakos, Language School

24th Annual Symposium on the Holocaust and Genocide: Fear of the Other

Latest News!

Confirmation that the Austrian Embassy will be sponsoring Ingrid Rauchbauer from the organization Caritas in Vienna, Austria. This organization has been one of the primary agencies involved in settling the many thousands of Syrian refugees in Austria.

Dafina Savic, Founder and Director of Romanipe. She will be discussing the prejudice and discrimination against the Roma and Sinti.

Other Confirmed speakers:

Professors Paul Eid (UQAM Sociology Professor) and Frederic Guillaume Dufour (UQAM Sociology professor) will be discussing the similarities and differences between antisemitism and islamophobia.

Frank Chalk: History Professor at Concordia University and Director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies will be discussing the Armenian genocide.

Vanier Communications, Studio and Media Arts teachers Christopher Heldt, Coleen Ayoup and Dan Stefik and librarian Susan Bissonette to discuss the importance of media literacy.

Rock n’ Roma: In conjunction with the Music Department on March 30th in the Jake’s Mall during UB

Jacky Vallée, Anthropology Teacher, Vanier College, speaking on the topic of the Pink Triangle

Bruce Broomhall (UQAM Law Professor) discussing international security

David Lametti (Law Professor at McGill University and MP, Verdun)

Steven Slimovitch, Criminal and Human Rights Lawyer

Monique Polak, author of What World is Left based on her mother’s experiences in Theresienstadt and recently named as the CBC Montreal’s writer-in-residence

Devorah Shanowitz, to discuss stereotypes of Hasidic women Holocaust Survivors:

Ben Bicher

Paul Herczeg

Sidney Zoltak

Yehudi Lindeman

Ted Bolgar If you are interested in attending any of these talks, please contact me as soon as possible.

Marlene Grossman, Psychology Department

Save the Date: International Women’s Week, March 7 – 11

Vanier will again be commemorating International Women’s Day (March 8) with a week’s worth of speakers and events. We have two keynotes this year: Federal MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau and Olympic Gold medalist Caroline Ouellette.

A full list of speakers will be available in the next Intercom. In the meantime, save the week! For information contact: Maggie Kathwaroon, Women’s and Gender Studies Coordinator; kathwarm@vaniercollege.qc.ca

Maggie Kathwaroon, Women’s and Gender Studies

RELIGIOUS HOLY DAYS

The Office of the Academic Dean would like to remind faculty members of the College's policy and procedures regarding religious holy days. The only holidays formally recognized by Vanier's Academic Calendar are those set by law or by the collective agreements. These holidays are Labour Day, Thanksgiving, the Christmas break, Good Friday, Easter Monday and Victoria Day. Other religious holy days, such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover (Jewish) and Id al-Fitr (Islamic) amongst others, are not recognized in the Academic Calendar. On such days, College proceedings and classes take place as usual. The students who are absent for religious reasons should not suffer a penalty related only to their absence. They are responsible for the material covered in the classes and labs that they miss, same as with other absences. Faculty, however, should avoid giving examinations on these days, or should provide a suitable alternative to the students who will be fulfilling their religious obligations. Faculty should realize that Jewish Holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the holiday. Late afternoon exams should be avoided on these days, if possible, in order to permit students to be at home by sundown. Faculty should ask their students to inform them in writing within the first week of classes of the particular date(s), time(s) and name(s) of the religious holy day(s) on which they will be absent. Alternative arrangements convenient to both students and faculty can then be made. In order to provide the full class time for the students, faculty who are absent for religious holy days should make every effort to see that their classes meet as usual. There are two ways to provide substitute teachers for your classes:

1. Find a teacher qualified to teach in your discipline that would be willing to "swap" classes with you, at no cost to the College, and inform the Faculty Dean in writing prior to the absence. This notification must include the name of the religious holy day(s) and the date(s) of absence, the scheduled classes for these days and the name of the substitute teacher(s).

2. Notify the College as per the normal absence reporting

procedures. Since you are officially absent, the College will apply the Substitute Teachers Policy.

Absences on religious holy days should be reported by clicking on Teachers on the College’s home page

(http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca) then on Omnivox; log in on Omnivox and then click on Teachers Absences.

Danielle Lafaille, Academic Dean

Vanier in the News

For those of you who may not be aware, I just wanted to bring you up to date on some of the items regarding Vanier College that appeared in the media in December and January: 1. On December 8, 2015, Andie Bennet of CBC Radio did an

interview with Vanier student Mikella Lefebvre-Oatis who won a scholarship to UCLA.

2. On December 9, 2015, The Saint Laurent News ran a story on the cost of a heritage study the college has asked the government to pay. http://nouvellessaint-laurent.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/fr/viewer.aspx

3. On December 9, 2015, The Saint Laurent News ran a story on $70,000 worth of bursaries and grants coming from the Vanier College Foundation. http://nouvellessaint-laurent.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/fr/viewer.aspx

4. The December Maclean’s Magazine Special Issue on Colleges featured a full page on the Vanier Business Administration program and the Vanier BDC Case Challenge.

5. On January 9, 2016, Susan Schwartz of The Gazette ran an item announcing the naming of a choir room in honour of Robert Frederick Jones and the prolongation of the use of the name of Henry Lehmann for the A-325 Gallery. http://montrealgazette.com/life/grant-to-two-montreal-universities-will-support-type-2-diabetes-prevention

6. On January 12, 2016, CTV Montreal ran an excellent interview with Monique Magnan on student stress at school. http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=786625

In addition to these stories, several items also appeared on the education news service site of Ameq en ligne.

Marguerite Corriveau, Vanier Communications

Services and Maintenance

Services and Maintenance can be reached at local 7977 and are located at C-103. Work orders can be processed online through our Vanier College Omnivox Portal under the heading of Other Vanier Services, Vanier Work Orders, (Online Work Orders). Please complete the request for light bulbs to be changed, electrical/ventilation problems, broken desks, missing/defective blinds etc. Should you require more information regarding online work orders please contact local 7977. Note: For any emergencies or situations which could affect the health or safety of community members, please contact security at local 7575

Brendan Flynn, Services and Maintenance

Six Vanier Students will spend their Winter semester at Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles

Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles is delighted to welcome 26 Montréal-area students to its classrooms this winter. This is the largest group ever.

Of the 26 students, six are from Vanier College while others hail from Cégep du Vieux-Montréal, Dawson College and John Abbott College. All are enrolled in the Social Science program except one, who is studying Science.

They’ll be living at the college residence during their stay on the Gaspé Peninsula. In addition, they’ll enjoy a number of activities in the coming weeks that will be organized to help them discover the region and make their stay unforgettable.

Vanier College was the first college to have a mobility agreement with Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles a few years ago. The cegep now has six mobility agreements with colleges in the greater Montréal region. The project gives students at those colleges the opportunity to go to Gaspé and do one term of their programs of study at Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles. If they want, they can also make the most of the college’s special options, including Language Immersion and the Adventure Study Stream.

Marguerite Corriveau, Vanier Communications

The Dress Rehearsal before the Big Show

On Wednesday, January 13, 2016, eleven dedicated third-year Nursing students came into Vanier College on what would be one of their final days off of the winter break. And why? To face an interview panel comprised of Nursing teachers, Michelle Bayard and Linda Quinn, and Student Services Employment Development Officer, Chelsea McVetty. Having received feedback from hospital personnel that Vanier graduates were strong candidates but could benefit from more

interview experience, Michelle Bayard looked further into employment-related resources for her third-years. What started as a classroom visit from Chelsea McVetty in Fall 2015 regarding CV-Writing and Interview Skills quickly turned into something more, as the two discussed the possibility of mock interviews for interested students. Interview questions were developed and a sign-up sheet was soon posted. Ultimately, eleven back-to-back interviews were scheduled, and then held. Students arrived dressed to the nines, ready to answer a series of questions that could easily be lobbied at them in a formal interview context. Their commitment to their career path and investment in this process was truly a delight to witness. Each student’s interview was then followed by constructive feedback, with the intent being to empower them and to better prepare them for the real deal. The students seemed to benefit from this day of mock interviews. Third-year Nursing student Stenia Down-Mahbeer shared, “I enjoyed the situations… I’ve never had this before and it really helped me.” Her peers echoed this appreciation for the opportunity to practice and to perform. Another student, Inira Elaiyathambly expressed how it “put [her] in the moment.” Third-year Nursing students then had the chance to have their moment on Friday, January 15, as representatives from the MUHC, Jewish General Hospital, and more visited Vanier’s Carrefour to recruit soon-to-be graduates from the Nursing and R.A.T. program. With their refined presentation skills and go-getter attitudes, there is no doubt that these students shined.

Chelsea McVetty, Student Services

Teaching Tip: First Class – Best Practices

At Vanier’s recent Welcome Session for new faculty and staff, we asked about people’s Best Practices for the First Class. Below are the ideas we discussed.

First Class – Best Practices Arrive on time; better still, arrive early

Show your enthusiasm and smile

Present yourself, so that the students can begin to know

you

Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Do an ice breaker activity, to help everyone relax and get

to know each other

Have the students talk and use their own voices; get them

used to speaking in class

Get to know your students’ interests and their names

Review the course outline in detail, especially the

assessments and due dates

Clearly describe your expectations and the expectations

of the course

Set the rules

Share your passion about the subject; relate your course

to a bigger picture

Teach them something

Assess their level; do a quiz, get a writing sample that you

collect (not for marks)

Use the full class time

No homework (not everyone agreed – something easy

could be good)

Show a healthy respect for all; make the classroom a safe

and friendly learning space

Remember that the students will ‘look to you for

answers,’ not only about the course

Set the right tone – serious, friendly, humourous, helpful

Put yourself in the students’ shoes, remember what it was

like in your first classes

Discuss names and how people should address each other

Have fun!

First Class Strategies Much has been written about the first class and how to make use of it as effectively as possible. The University of Michigan’s Centre for Research on Teaching and Learning, offers some specific tips to consider. Click here to link to their First Day(s) of Class. For further information about your first class or other pedagogical support and ideas, please contact Wilma Brown, or view other Teaching Tips online on the PDO web page.

Wilma Brown, Pedagogical Development Office (PDO)

Looking for a Pre-school Program?

Early Childhood Education Laboratory Nursery An integral part of the Early Childhood Education Department, the Lab Nursery is an on-site quality child care centre which offers a morning program for children ages 3 to 5. A team of educators, comprised of a faculty member and a technician, model best teaching practices. The adjoining observation room is equipped with a one-way glass, cameras and microphones. Accompanied by a teacher, small groups of students watch children in active play. In selected courses, students work directly with the children from the Lab. Location: Room N-171, N Building, Vanier College

Registering now for September 2016 Open to the public. Let interested family and friends know. Call us to arrange a visit: 514 744-7500 ext. 7705

Judy Stone, Early Childhood Education

International Woman’s Week 2016

Write about a woman in your life that has been inspirational for you. It can be your best friend, your mother, your grandmother, your child, your wife, your girlfriend, or a woman you don’t even know.

Tell her story or talk about how she inspired you.

PRIZES1st Place $1502nd Place $ 753rd Place $50Most Creative $25

Name

SUBMISSION GUIDELINESYour submission MUST NOT exceed 250 words.

You may submit any genre of writing: a poem, a short story, personal essay, etc. Entries must be typed and must include your name and Stu-dent ID #. Be as creative as you want.

Entries must be received by Friday, February 19th. For more information or to submit, please see Kim in The Learning Centre, B-205. For elec-tronic submissions, visit: http://www.vaniercol-lege.qc.ca/tlc/contests/in-her-name-con-test-signup/Word documents only.

In Her