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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 [email protected]. Submissions should be in WORD, and sent as an attachment. No formatting or bullets. Photos are welcome. Deadline: 4:00 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding the week of publication.
Library has two New Databases
Vanier now has 2 new databases: Artstor and Oxford English Dictionary online.
Artstor is a database of images from art museums, artists and photographers around the world. Oxford English Dictionary is a historical
dictionary of the English language published by Oxford University Press since 1884.
You can access these databases from the following pages: https://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/learning-commons/library/find-articles-films/ or
https://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/library/databases-find-articles/article-databases-by-title/
Nina Arabian, Library Services
Vanier College Social Media Accounts
If you are considering starting a social media account for a Vanier program, department or project, and are not sure what to do, then read
on. Take a look at our guidelines for Facebook & Twitter. We will be preparing more guidelines soon.
Contact Vanier Communications and ask us any questions you might have. Your main contact in the department keeping track of the Vanier
accounts is Zsofia Orszagh. You may reach her via email at [email protected]
The College needs to know about the existence of any account linked to Vanier or using the Vanier name, so Vanier Communications asks for
access to Vanier Social Media Accounts. We do this so that important accounts don’t just disappear or become inaccessible because people
change jobs within Vanier, retire or leave for other opportunities. We had one case where the account holder passed away. So in order not to
lose the accounts, it is important to keep us informed and provide us (Zsofia Orszagh) with administrative rights. Once we have that, we will
also add your account under the list of Vanier Social Media accounts page on our website.
Thank you.
Zsofia Orszagh, Web Communications Officer, Communications and Corporate Affairs
Volume M24, Issue No. 20, June 1, 2020
Arch-Tech Students Help Respiratory-Tech with Social Distance Barriers
In the spirit of college community, Architectural Technology students had the opportunity to help Respiratory and Anaesthesia Technology in
designing social-distancing screens for their labs. Patricia McClurg, coordinator of Respiratory and Anaesthesia Technology, needed design
help for acrylic screens to monitor her students’ lab work. Arch-Tech students Alissa Muro and Gioacchino Tenuta designed a transparent
sneeze guard supported by angles, for social distancing in the Respiratory Tech labs.
Arch-Tech graduate Calina Olari (class of 2018) went one step further, by volunteering her personal 3D printer to print the supports, which
were anchored onto an acrylic sheet. This created a free-standing screen that teachers can use to approach students during lab work, while
limiting the spread of germs.
In less than 24 hours, Respiratory Tech had a working barrier essential for in-lab teaching, courtesy of Arch-Tech students. The school can now
use this prototype as a model to produce more screens. “The plexiglass shield worked like a charm. Way and above the call of duty!” said
Patricia.
All work was done remotely, of course.
Michael Lancione, teacher, Architectural Technology
“This is an example of what community means: Coming together to use our skills and our students’ skills to help solve a problem.”
Patricia McClurg, coordinator, Respiratory and Anaesthesia Technology
Patricia McClurg using the barrier designed and produced by Arch-Tech students in her Respiratory Tech lab.
Arch-Tech graduate Calina Olari preparing the supports for the prototype on her personal 3D printer.
The Indigenous Studies Certificate Program at Vanier College, at the end of its second year, has its first graduates! Kailey Karahkwinehtha Tye
Nicholas, Environmental and Wildlife Management, and Shadé Darabi, General Social Science, have fulfilled all the requirements for the
certificate. These requirements include coursework and co-curricular learning.
An online ceremony was held on May 6th to mark this accomplishment and to give the students an opportunity to share their insights. Several
people from the college were present, mostly people working within the Indigenous Studies program and the A’nó:wara Indigenous Student
Centre, along with some relatives of the students. We started with a traditional opening by Diane Labelle, our primary Indigenous education
consultant and facilitator, and a land acknowledgement and introduction by Jacky Vallée, current program coordinator. John McMahon, our
Director General, who has shown consistent support for all our initiatives, then shared a few words.
We then asked Kailey and Shadé to share their insights and experiences from having participated in the program. Kailey shared that her
activities empowered her in taking on greater leadership among Indigenous students and in educating her non-Indigenous peers. Her
experience in blending Kanien’kehá ka/Haudenosaunee knowledge with western scientific perspectives will be beneficial in her future studies
as well as in her environmental work, which has already begun in Kahnawá:ke!
Shadé shared that the program exposed her to deeper knowledge about the history of Canada, which she feels should be taught to all children
from a much younger age. Further, she took a special interest in the creative expressions of Indigenous artists. Both of these sources of insight
will help her in her future anthropological studies as she continues to self-educate and educate her peers.
After this discussion, many of the people who came to celebrate Kailey and Shadé’s achievement shared words of support. From the
experiences of these two students, and those of other students in our program, it is clear that students of all backgrounds benefit from a
greater presence of Indigenous knowledges and pedagogical strategies at Vanier! We are happy, as educators and mentors within this program
and within the college, to have contributed to their experience at Vanier, which we know they will carry with them to achieve further
accomplishments. We are all so proud of these up-and-coming leaders!
Jacky Vallée, Indigenous Studies
Indigenous Education: Online Workshops on June 3, 4, and 5
At this time of year, we would normally host a full day of learning activities in Indigenous Education to cap off our annual 3-day series. Given
the current safety requirements, we are, instead, hosting a series of 3 workshops online.
On June 3, from 1PM to 2:30PM, Jacky Vallée, coordinator of the Indigenous Studies Certificate Program, will present a workshop entitled:
“Indigenous 101: Terminology, Basic Concepts, Protocols”. We will go over a few essential concepts and facts that non-Indigenous individuals
should know before delving deeper into Indigenous education. We will cover the most current standards pertaining to terminology (Indigenous
vs Aboriginal; First Nations, Inuit, and Métis), cultural diversity among Indigenous peoples in Canada, a few of the effects of 500 years of
colonization on Indigenous people, including our students, and how to respectfully invite and receive an Indigenous guest. This is a “tip of the
iceberg” workshop meant to give you a basis on which to start your own self-education. It can also be a refresher if you haven’t been to a
workshop in the past year. This workshop is recommended for everyone, especially those teaching in Indigenous Studies, to ensure that we
are providing consistency in the knowledge we share with our students.
On June 4, from 9:30AM to 11AM, Diane Labelle, educator from the First Nations Regional Adult Education Circle, will present on Indigenous
Worldviews and Learning. This workshop will explore some basic concepts related to views about knowledge, teaching, and learning that are
central to Indigenous worldviews. While there is a diversity of Indigenous cultures and worldviews, there are some elements that many of
them have in common when it comes to ways of knowing the world. Despite 500 years of attempted assimilation, these ways of knowing are
still taught from generation to generation in many Indigenous communities, and can benefit people of all backgrounds. This workshop will
help participants who already have a grasp of current Indigenous realities obtain a deeper insight on ways of thinking of the world that engage
with Indigenous philosophies and intellectual traditions.
On June 5, from 9:30AM to 11AM, Diane Labelle, educator from the First Nations Regional Adult Education Circle, will present on Indigenous
Teaching Strategies. This workshop follows the one held on June 4, and will delve in to ways that educators can apply the knowledge gained
in the first two workshops in their work. Given the current situation, we will specifically look at how this can be manifested online. Indigenous
pedagogies are specific to Indigenous intellectual, artistic, and cultural traditions, but they are open to all with proper acknowledgement. As
there is an overlap with strategies developed in line with Universal Design for Learning principles, these pedagogies benefit Indigenous and
non-Indigenous learners and educators alike!
Sign up for one or more workshops by filling out this form before Tuesday, June 2 at noon: https://forms.gle/671Z5JiVuFQJdHABA
Jacky Vallée, Indigenous Studies
PEDAGOGICAL INTERVENTIONS AND WORKSHOPS A20 The Tutoring and Academic Success Centre (TASC) has developed pedagogical workshops and activities on a variety of topics relating to the
development of soft skills and can be offered virtually in your classes in A20.
I am flexible with how we could approach the workshops, and can work with a teacher in how that would look in their specific class. There
are multiple ways this could be done, and can figure something out the suits a teacher’s class's needs and design.
Workshop topics include:
Avoiding Plagiarism / MLA and APA Referencing
Time Management and Avoiding Procrastination
Study Skills
Essay Writing
Oral Presentations
Note-Taking
Reading
Brainstorming
Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Writing Better Sentences
For a list with the workshop descriptions, please visit https://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/learning-commons/request-workshop/ If you would like to talk about having a workshop for your class, please contact Kim Muncey ([email protected]) directly.
Kim Muncey, Tutoring and Academic Success Centre
VConnect Peer Mentors Needed!
VConnect is a peer mentoring program which aims to offer a supportive non-judgmental space for new students to build connections within
the Vanier Community, seek guidance and advice regarding their college success.
If you know of any students that are returning in the Fall 2020 semester who would be great mentors, please encourage them to apply.
Application form: https://bit.ly/3flhH8X
Ourania Zafiri, TASC
https://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/mentoring/mentors/vconnect/
Some form of normal: The Gardens are alive and well!
On Tuesday, May 26, 12 volunteers got together to plant an amazing array of plants in the Collective Gardens. We had a hot and sticky day, but we had a lot of fun, and the Gardens look beautiful, as you can see in the pictures below (for more pictures, visit our Facebook Group page https://www.facebook.com/groups/956934947670755) We would also like to take this opportunity to announce the transition in the co-coordination for the 2020-2021 academic year. We are pleased to announce that Isabelle Rivest will be replacing Andreea Iftimie for the co-coordination next year. We would like to thank Andreea for her help this year.
Finally, next year will obviously be challenging for everyone. We have a few ideas on how to adapt to the current conditions but if you have ideas you would like to share and/or needs you would like us to address, don’t hesitate to send them to [email protected]
Your Gardens team: Rosemarie, Andreea, Mark, and soon, Isabelle
Isabelle watering the newly planted flowers and vegetables
Working in the Food Forest
Social distancing in the Gardens!
RespectWorks Tools for these Times
Hi Everyone,
I sincerely hope this finds you all well! As we move into the summer, I want to reiterate sincere well-wishes in this closing of the winter term
in hope that folks are able to enjoy the warmer weather.
While continuing to hold space to acknowledge how we are each living different contexts and responding to the global crisis in different
ways, I think there is some certainty that we have all been confronted by varying levels of uncertainty in these ever-evolving circumstances. I
found this article about dealing with uncertainty a particularly helpful read and recommend checking it out! This UofT article on staying
grounded that is geared for students may also be helpful to pass along and contains overarching messages that can apply to us as well. Both
offer practical tips while advocating for self-compassion.
For more information, resources, reflections and tools, including new reflection posts on topics related to communication, conflict
resolution, and cyberviolence, you can visit the RespectWorks Website. I also continue to be available and reachable by email during the
week and available to schedule verbal consultations around when would best suit our respective availabilities.
Sending lots of gratitude, and well-wishes for as smooth a week as possible!
Anuska Martins, Respectful Learning and Workplace Environment Advisor,
Women’s and Gender Studies Fran Davis Award 2019-2020 Recipients
The Women’s and Gender Studies Fran Davis Student Award was established in 2005 when Fran Davis, a founding member of Women’s and
Gender Studies (WGS) and the former Dean of Science and General Studies, retired. At that time, WGS members decided to honor her many
contributions by initiating the Fran Davis Student Award. This $100 yearly award is given to a Vanier student who proactively participates in
activities that improve the quality of life of women at Vanier College. This year, there are two recipients: Angélique Chu and Melissa
Spiridigliozzi.
Angel and Mel are both founding members of VSOS (Vanier Sexual Outreach and Support) and the Cats Against Catcalling movement at Vanier.
They’ve been instrumental in coordinating a grassroots student-led intersectional response to sexual and gender-based violence and
oppression at Vanier. From bringing together the student community around important issues, to sharing themselves and their views during
panel discussions, and collaborating with staff to ensure VSOS services and Cats Against Catcalling programming meet the needs of students.
They’ve been a support to others and each other, which is so important in this work. Both brought their full selves to the work and it’s clear
the passion they have for making the world a more accepting and compassionate place.
It’s been a privilege to get to work with them. Vanier is grateful for their contributions and can’t wait to see what they do next!
Maggie Kathwaroon, Women’s and Gender Studies
Vanier Architectural Technology Students in the St-Laurent News
Check out The St Laurent News dated May 20, 2020, for a story on our inventive Arch Tech students.
Marguerite Corriveau, Vanier Communications and Corporate Affairs
STAR Program During Covid 19
Please note below a poster announcing changes and an extension to the STAR Program for students due to Covid 19. I you are in touch with your students please let them know of these changes, if you can. Thank you.
Kristen Whitelaw, Student Services
28th Annual Vanier College symposium on the Holocaust and Genocide
As many of you know, the symposium had to be cancelled in March due to Covid-19 and the college’s closure. We have been able to reschedule
the symposium to coincide with Kristallnacht and so, the symposium will now be held virtually (through the use of Zoom or some related
technology). All of our headline speakers have agreed to speak in November and they include:
Dr. Matthias Becker: Matthias is a postdoc research fellow at the Vidal Sassoon Center at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and he is
affiliated to the Center for Research on Antisemitism (ZfA) at the Technical University in Berlin and to CENTRIC, Sheffield Hallam University.
His research lies within the disciplines of (pragma) linguistics, research on prejudice, and internet studies and focuses on the construction of
implicit hate speech.
Kyle Matthews: Kyle Matthews is the Executive Director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) at Concordia
University. His work focuses on human rights, international security, the Responsibility to Protect, global threats, and social media and
technology, and global cities. He works closely with the Canadian All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and has advised
Members of Parliament on issues related
to international peace and security.
Dr. Barbara Perry: Dr. Perry is the Director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism. She has written extensively in the area of hate crime
and right-wing extremism. She has made substantial contributions to the limited scholarship on hate crime in Canada.
Tommy Schnurmacher: Tommy is a former radio host who was on CJAD. He recently has written a memoir to his mother entitled “Makeup
Tips From Auschwitz: How Vanity Saved My Mother’s Life”. He will be speaking about his experience growing up as a Holocaust survivor’s son
and how that influenced his own life.
More speakers will be added throughout the summer months. As you prepare for you fall semester, please keep these dates in mind.
Marlene Grossman, Psychology Department
ECE Weekly Tips
Mary Johnson, Early Childhood Education
News from Human Resources
Rebecca Acthman was recently hires as a Pedagogical Counsellor – Research Officer in the Pedagogical Support & Innovation department.
She will be starting her mandate on June 1, 2020.
Stephanie Too, Human Resources Services
PSI News
Training Opportunities for Online and Blended Teaching TELUQ Offers Free University Course Teaching at a Distance Distance learning is becoming more and more essential, from primary school to university. By partnering with Université TÉLUQ to offer this training free of charge, the Ministère de l'Éducation et de l'Enseignement Supérieur wants to equip teachers and professors to become familiar with the best practices in distance education. Do you want to learn to teach your students at a distance in an effective way? Do you want to support them adequately? Do you want to learn more about the possibilities of this type of teaching? If yes, this training is for you. The training is currently available in French but will soon be available in English. https://www.teluq.ca/site/etudes/clom/enseigne-a-distance.php
Cadre 21: Professional Training Modules for Educators to Help Develop Digital Competencies CADRE21 is a non-profit project with a mandate to serve the world of Francophone education. Its services are aimed at educational personnel in the public and private education systems in Quebec, French-speaking Canada and the entire Francophonie. Its mission is to support Francophone stakeholders in the world of education - teachers, educational personnel and school administrators - in their reflection, professional development and monitoring of the major issues facing education in the 21st century. Their online courses designed to help implement Quebec’s Digital Action Plan (le plan d’action numérique) are self-paced and are currently available for free thanks to support from the MEES. Click here for a list of available courses.
SPOC on Blended Learning in College Education For a description of this professional development opportunity, see the Performa section above.
Tools to Support Students with Online Collaboration Microsoft Stream Videos: Privacy and Permissions
With O365 Stream, Microsoft’s YouTube-like app, students and teachers can upload and share videos. An advantage to using Stream is that your videos cannot be downloaded by anyone but the person who first uploaded the video. All content is safely behind Vanier’s portal. However, please note that prior to May 27th 2020, any uploaded videos had their permissions set to “Company-wide” as a default. If users did not set their own permissions to private while or after uploading, the video is available for viewing by
all Vanier members (staff and students). This means your lectures, students’ oral presentation and yoga demonstration, etc., are currently available and promoted on Stream. To set a video’s permissions to private, follow these instructions: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/stream/portal-permissions This default has now been changed. All uploads will be set to private from now on.
Using Yammer to Create an Online Community for Students and Staff
Did you know that as part of O365 we have access to a social network app called Yammer? It operates like Facebook, but is behind Vanier’s O365 panel. Sometimes students may be shy to reach out to classmates on Instagram, What’s App, Facebook, etc. but they might be more comfortable reaching out to them on a Vanier social media platform where all students are already members. Users can create their own groups, share media and comment on posts. As we contemplate teaching online next term, Yammer may be a helpful way to provide students with communal spaces where they can work or hang out together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQGs_ULgcaw Yammer can also be integrated into the Teams platform (but within Teams it’s called Communities).
Netiquette and Constructive Feedback Just a reminder for those who may find these tools useful to share with your students working in groups as part of their end-of-term projects or assignments.
Developed by the OCSA team and put into infographics form by two gifted MPHM students, Deanna Macdonald and Kana Yasufuku:
7 Netiquette Rules 5 Tips on Giving Constructive Feedback
https://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/psi/files/2020/0
4/Seven-Netiquette-Rules.pdf
https://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/psi/files/2020/0
4/Constructive-Feedback.pdf
Elana Cooperberg, Pedagogical Support and Innovation
