Annual Report 2013–14

Message from the Chair and President

Reflecting on all that we have achieved in the 2013-14 academic year, it’s clear why we are fond of saying it’s a great time to be at Seneca.

We welcomed a record number of students in both our full- and part-time programs, saw innumerable examples of outstanding student, faculty and staff achievement, opened a state-of the-art new aviation facility and for the fifth time were named a GTA Top Employer. In classrooms, labs and online, faculty engaged students with fresh approaches to teaching and learning.

This year, we introduced new approaches to orientation and advising during semester start-up to ensure our new students have the supports they need to be successful. Experience Seneca, a full-day orientation on the first day of classes was piloted and the Faculty of Business launched Business411, a new streamlined advising service that eliminated long and time-consuming lineups for students. Dozens of employees volunteered to welcome students during the first weeks of the fall and winter semesters and a new website for first semester students was created.

We were delighted to open in January the Peterborough Aviation Campus, located at the Peterborough Airport. Students in years 2, 3 and 4 of the Bachelor of Aviation Technology program will take classes and flight training at the new purpose-built facility building with first-year students and all other aviation programs being offered at our Newnham Campus. We have been warmly received by the Peterborough community and the program is off to a great start in its new home.

Much progress was made on one of our most significant and far-reaching initiatives, the i3 project. When finished, i3 (which stands for Innovation, Integration and Information) will bring new and integrated student, human resources and finance systems to the College, replacing the ARIES and SIRIS systems that have served us for many decades.

We are on a transformative journey at Seneca. With our Strategic and Academic Plans, we’re moving ahead with an exciting range of activities across our academic and support areas. We’re building a different kind of school, focused on inspired learning, innovative opportunities and great student experiences.

We are reminded daily that none of the great work that happens at the College can take place without the commitment and dedication of our faculty and staff as well as the enthusiasm, diversity and passion of our students. While now may indeed be a great time to be at Seneca, the future too looks bright and promising.

1. Core Literacies

In five years, every Seneca graduate will demonstrate competency in the Seneca Core Literacies.

Initiatives for 2013-14	Performance indicators/ measurable outcomes	End-of-Year Status Update
Embed Seneca’s 10 Core Literacies across all programs.	Communications task group's recommendations on assessment mechanisms for English-language proficiency and supports required to enhance academic performance made by Winter 2014.	Achieved: Review of assessment mechanisms resulted in a “one communications assessment” pilot and development of a modified approach to incoming student assessment that includes preparation workshops in English and Math and a more integrated student support model.
	Implementation of Language Across the Curriculum into 20 Business programs at Newnham and Markham furthered.	Achieved: Language Across the Curriculum implemented in 20 Faculty of Business programs at both NH and MK. Implementation is scheduled to continue into Summer and Fall 2014 with the goal of incorporating the assessment of language clarity in the evaluation of every student assignment.
Focus on supporting Seneca Core Literacies in "outside- of-classroom" activities.	First-year orientation redesigned to introduce students to Seneca's Core Literacies.	Achieved: The new “Experience Seneca” Student Orientation launched on January 6, 2014 at NH, S@Y, KG and MK and introduced students to Seneca’s Core Literacies.
	Integration of Test Centre services into Learning Centre service delivery by Fall 2013.	Achieved: Test Centre integrated into the Learning Services Division offering students a smooth transition into Seneca through the coordinated delivery of support services that respond to the diverse needs of our students.
	Core Literacy skills training offered through newly established Math and English areas housed in the Learning Centres.	Achieved: The Learning Centre team worked collaboratively with Academic Faculties and Service Divisions to offer students support and services that respond to their needs. Between September and December 2013, there were 2332 new student visits for English and Math support at NH and S@Y. From October 2013 to January 2014, 1200 students accessed resources, including online lectures through the website.

2. Innovative Partnerships.

In five years, Seneca will be the preferred partner for colleges and universities, offering the most innovative pathways for students in Ontario.

Initiatives for 2013-14	Performance indicators/ measurable outcomes	End-of-Year Status Update
Expand partnerships with Ontario universities and colleges.	Increase in bilateral Seneca-York pathways to degrees and graduate certificates.	Achieved: Environmental Technology pathway nd new Liberal Arts agreement approved.
	University of York-Seneca partnership model further developed.	Achieved: Submission to MTCU for new capital facilities and campus plan under development.
	Innovative pathways created with UTSC, Humber, Fleming and Mohawk, as per Strategic Mandate Agreement.	Achieved: Innovative pathways created with Fleming, Humber and UTSC. New program with UTSC approved by the Board of Governors.
Complete Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) credit transfer projects for college to college General Education options and college to university Arts and Science courses. Submit funding proposals to ONCAT to facilitate additional course transfer projects.	Successful awarding of proposed project funding, highlighting Seneca’s continued role as the provincial leader among Ontario colleges in pathways and partnerships: college to college; college to university; university to college.	Achieved: Credit transfer work required to participate in the launch of ONCAT’s course-for-course database. Five proposals for 2014 ONCAT project funding submitted; awaiting response.

3. Cross-disciplinary, Experiential and Flexible Learning

In five years, every program will embed cross- disciplinary learning, experiential learning opportunities and flexible learning options that enable students to access courses offered in the day and evening, in person and online.

Initiatives for 2013-14	Performance indicators/ measurable outcomes	End-of-Year Status Update
Increase flexible delivery options across all Seneca programs.	Recommendations from Flexible Programming task group brought forward by Fall 2013. Two pilots launched in Winter 2014.	Achieved: Student focus groups completed and 3 pilots launched. The pilots focused on the part-time delivery of Seneca’s Bach. of Interdisciplinary Studies, providing more opportunities for full-time students to attend courses in the evening and/or online and part-time students to attend courses during the day.
	At least 15 courses identified for hybrid/online development with at least 5 new courses ready to pilot by March 2014.	Achieved: More than 15 courses identified for development for online and hybrid delivery. At least 5 courses will be ready for delivery by March 2014 with at least 10 more ready by August 2014.
	Research using provincial survey on preferred program delivery methods conducted by January 2014. Seneca programs with largest potential interest for flexible delivery identified.	Achieved: Last provincial survey data reviewed and Seneca programs with largest potential interest for flexible delivery identified. Increasing flexible options for students included maximizing access to existing online courses through OntarioLearn.
Expand experiential learning opportunities for students.	Increase co-op placement activity by 25%.	Partially Achieved: This year saw an increase of 20% of co-op work terms as of March 31, 2014. Co-op performance metrics to be re-evaluated in 2014-15
	Employer relations plan and industry partner map developed by Fall 2013. New employer database system procured.	Achieved: Comprehensive employer relations plan and industry partner map developed. The plan includes industry events and journals to be leveraged to attract new co-op employers. New employer database system procured.
	Co-op integration plans developed for 12 new programs by Winter 2014.	Achieved: Co-op integration plans developed for 3 new programs. Revised co-op integration plans developed for 7 graduate certificate programs and 3 degrees.
Integrate cross-disciplinary learning throughout all programs.	Recommendations from Cross-disciplinary/Experiential Learning task group brought forward by Summer 2013. Two pilots launched in Fall 2013.	Achieved: New cross-disciplinary General Education courses created, as well as new General Education modules that can be credited as a course. Pilots begun, including the development of two new cross-disciplinary degree programs.

4. Integrated Student Services

In five years, every Seneca student will have access to ongoing and integrated advisory opportunities starting from their first contact to the day they graduate.

Initiatives for 2013-14	Performance indicators/ measurable outcomes	End-of-Year Status Update
Assist students in finding pathway opportunities.	50% increase in number of degree transfer advisors' visits to Markham, King and Seneca@York generated.	Achieved: Between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014, there were 135 degree transfer advisers’ visits to Markham, King and Seneca@York, a 93% increase over the previous year.
Develop a central integrated approach to student advising supports.	Integrated student advising model defined through the Student Experience task group. Implementation plan developed and pilot projects identified and launched throughout 2013-14.	Achieved: Successful pilots extended through the Starfish project and the Business 411 pilot launched in Fall 2013. In addition, the Test Centre worked with the School of English and Liberal Studies to develop a process to inform students of their assessment scores, and refer students to Learning Centre Services. Work continues to assess advising models at other colleges and universities.
	Student Services at S@Y Campus more effectively aligned. New Student Services Centre launched in Fall 2013 to deliver “First/One Stop Shopping” experience for students at S@Y Campus.	Delayed: Project has been delayed due to budget realignment to support other capital priorities in the division. Revised project timelines to be discussed in FY2014-15.
Connect faculty with student services on early warning system for at-risk students.	Starfish pilot completed and data analyzed. Review of continuation/ extension of the program completed by Winter 2014.	Achieved: The Starfish Pilot at King Campus completed with results supporting an expansion to additional faculties and campuses. By March 31, 2014, the Starfish Student Retention project expanded to all Faculty of Applied Arts and Health Sciences programs, Faculty of Business programs at the Newnham Campus and Faculty of Communication, Art and Design programs at S@Y Campus.

5. Smart Growth

In five years, our students will be learning in new facilities at our King campus and in our new home for our Bachelor of Aviation Technology program.

Initiatives for 2013-14	Performance indicators/ measurable outcomes	End-of-Year Status Update
Support Aviation Program relocation to Peterborough Airport.	New School of Aviation facility opened for classes as of January 2014.	Achieved: New facility opened for classes on January 6, 2014.
	Partnership MOU signed with Fleming and first phase implemented supporting both academic programming and student services.	Achieved: A partnership MOU was signed with Fleming. First phase of work implemented under the guidance of a joint Seneca-Fleming cross-functional Steering Committee.
	Student services program delivery model finalized; resources in place by Winter 2014.	Achieved: New service model developed with Seneca and Fleming; successfully launched January 6, 2014 with the start of Winter 2014 classes.
	New curriculum delivery model developed.	Achieved: In January 2014, the active learning classroom was utilized to deliver program review and hybrid learning information to faculty. Fleming faculty confirmed for the delivery of Liberal Studies options and some core courses. Academic and flight line schedules completed.
	Faculty and support staff successfully transitioned to either Peterborough or Newnham campus to support program delivery.	Achieved: All support staff confirmed relocation plans to Peterborough. Teaching arrangements confirmed for most faculty; Winter 2014 teaching schedules completed and implemented.
Move King campus expansion project forward on scheduled timelines.	Research, marketing and relationship-building activities to be undertaken as part of preparations for launch of fundraising campaign.	Achieved: Research on potential King donors conducted; academic priorities developed and communicated; and planning for silent phase of campaign has begun.
	Soft costs analysis completed by September 2013.	Achieved: Completed in September 2013.
	Agreements with Seneca Student Federation and Student Athletic Association finalized by June 2013.	Delayed: Agreements delayed due to uncertainty regarding project delivery methodology. New target completion date of Fall 2014.
	Local economic impact study completed by Fall 2013.	Achieved: Completed in March 2014.
	Site servicing work underway and design process commenced by Spring 2014.	Achieved: Completed all preliminary engineering and approvals work with respect to onsite services option. Documentation turned over to Infrastructure Ontario to be used in Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) as well as design-build-finance methodology.

6. i3 – Information, Integration and Innovation

In five years, we will have an integrated enterprise system in place to support streamlined business processes and improved services across student, financial and human resources systems.

Initiatives for 2013-14	Performance indicators/ measurable outcomes	End-of-Year Status Update
Ensure project meets budgetary and scheduling requirements.	Full project team in place and project launched by June 2013. Technical development environment available by June 2013.	Achieved: Project launch on time, with team in place. Technical development environment on target.
	Goal of at least one new application for use by Summer 2014.	Achieved: First ‘Go Live’ scheduled for April 7, 2014. First systems to be launched are Finance & Human Resources (with training to occur in March).
	Communication plan developed by June 2013.	Achieved: Communications Plan in place and on target; updated plan for January to April 2014 created.
	i3 backfill plan successfully developed with internal stakeholders by Spring 2013. Proactive and co-operative workflow achieved with internal stakeholders by June 2013.	Achieved: Resource Plan for i3 implemented and resources seconded from College to the project (with some adjustments); home positions backfilled by home department.

Great Teaching and Learning

Initiatives for 2013-14	Performance indicators/ measurable outcomes	End-of-Year Status Update
Continue implementation of 2012-2017 Academic Plan.	Academic Plan task groups' research phases and broader consultations completed by December 31, 2013.	Achieved: All Academic Plan task groups completed their research by December 31, 2013 through student focus groups, surveys, town hall meetings and reviews of secondary data sources.
	Presentation of action plans to Board of Governors by 4 task groups done by Spring 2014.	Achieved: Six task groups presented key findings and action plans to the Academic Planning and Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Governors (BOG). A roll-up Academic Plan update will be provided to the BOG in Spring 2014.
	Approval of at least 2 pilots in at least 2 different Faculties confirmed by each task group.	Achieved: Collectively, the Academic Plan task groups approved 11 pilot projects in 2013-14 engaging all Faculties.
Implement new streamlined formative program review process	New formative review template and support materials launched in Fall 2013.	Achieved: New template created and support materials are in use.
	At least 60 programs participating in the new formative program review process with reports completed by January 2014. Report-back to PQAPA delivered by July 2013.	Achieved: 60 formative reviews completed and PQAPA Report-back delivered.
Develop new programs and renew degree consents.	25 new program proposals developed and submitted for Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities or PEQAB approval by March 31, 2014.	Delayed: 25 new program proposals developed and 11 programs submitted for approval. Remaining program proposals require review by the BOG in Spring 2014. Submission to MTCU was delayed due to temporary suspension of program approvals and SMA review with revised timelines determined in FY2014-15.
	New program development process implemented and faculty involvement in program development increased.	Achieved: Development process successfully implemented and faculty, Chair and Dean involvement in program development increased.
	Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB) review of Bachelor of Aviation Technology and Bachelor of Software Development degrees successfully completed.	Delayed: PEQAB Site Visit for Bachelor of Aviation Technology deferred until May 1-2, 2014 due to program re-location to Peterborough. Software Development degree program site visit held and favourable Quality Assessment Report received. College response to report filed.
Enhance learning services and academic supports.	Program-specific tutoring support increased by 5% over 2012/2013 levels.	Achieved: Tutoring supports for students in the Learning Centre increased by over 80% year-to-date when compared to 2012-13 levels.
	Student experience with academic support services explored through partnership between Seneca Libraries and Seneca Student Federation. Process improvements and new access points for engaging with student representatives identified.	Achieved: The Director of Libraries and Learning Services and the Dean of Students developed partnership framework for engaging with student representatives. This includes regular attendance by the director at Seneca Student Federation meetings.
Strengthen Seneca’s position as a leader in teaching and learning excellence.	First-ever virtual Advancing Learning Conference “at Seneca” hosted in June 2013 as part of a province wide collaboration.	Achieved: The Advanced Learning conference conducted online on June 5, 2013.
	Review of Ontario colleges' teaching and learning centres to identify best practices for Seneca's programming completed by January 2014.	Achieved: Research on 10 centres completed. This will be augmented by the recent survey conducted by the College Committee on Human Resources Development (CCHRD) group.
	Plan to attain College Reading and Language Association Certification in place by Spring 2014.	Achieved: The Learning Centre’s Tutor Training program received CRLA Certification in Summer 2013 enabling all Seneca Learning Centres to certify Level 1 tutors.
	Seneca's standards of practice for faculty developed and approved by January 2014.	Delayed: Draft standards of practice developed. Work is ongoing for the consultation and communication plan. Standards of practice will be approved by October 2014.
	Final College Choice Project report submitted to Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.	Achieved: Report submitted on June 3, 2013.
Actively facilitate, pursue, and source applied research initiatives for the mutual benefit of our curriculum, students, partners, and community.	50 faculty involved in applied research activities.	Achieved: 72 faculty worked on externally funded projects, events, conferences, and Research Ethics Board has been involved in applied research activities.
	200 students involved in applied research activities.	Achieved: 334 students worked on externally funded projects, events and conferences. Note: This figure does not include all of the students that have in- course research experiences that did not require REB approval.
	15 new industry partners engaged in applied research projects.	Achieved: 21 new industry partners engaged in applied research projects.
Increase federal and provincial support for applied research in identified areas of expertise.	6 new major grant applications submitted, including: 1 NSERC IE full grant application, 1 NSERC ARD grant application and 1 OCE Student Connections master application.	Achieved: Seven new major grant applications submitted. Six smaller grant applications were also submitted.
	Grant application submissions total in excess of $2 million.	Achieved: $6,344,336 total (not including in-kind funding) in grant applications submitted.
Launch new International Education Strategy.	International admissions processes mapped with opportunities for changes identified by Winter 2014.	Achieved: Processes mapped for the new i3 system completed in Fall 2013. Modifications to existing processes resulted in the enrolment of 1060 first year international student in Winter 2014, a 12.8 % increase over 2013.
	Action plan for the improvement of services to international students developed and implemented.	Achieved: Comprehensive pre-arrival, online checklist as well as online orientation resources created for international students. Guidelines for homestay program being updated for compliance with standards required by Languages Canada.
	Number of partners for Seneca's study/volunteer abroad program increased.	Achieved: Study abroad partnership agreements signed with institutions in England, France and Scotland. Partnership agreements are in various stages of development with a total of 7 institutions in China, Germany, Denmark and India.
	Implementation of new international recruitment strategy initiated.	Achieved: Current international recruitment strategy assessed and changes required identified.
Expand Confucius Institute's program offerings.	Dedicated manager hired and business plan refined by Fall 2013.	Achieved: Refinement of business plan and Manager in place as of March 2014.

Great Student Experiences

Initiatives for 2013-14	Performance indicators/ measurable outcomes	End-of-Year Status Update
Review Seneca’s endowment and investment policies and practices to ensure sustainability and predictability of student support.	Updated investment and disbursement policies approved and implemented by March 2014.	Delayed: Focus in FY2013-14 was on developing systematic approach to financial reporting to donors; report template developed, with reporting approach to be incorporated into i3 deliverables. Investment portfolio to be reviewed in FY2014-15.
Improve applicant experience and increase pathway opportunities.	Front-end student processes mapped and streamlined by Spring 2014.	Achieved: The Student Experience task group studied other colleges and mapped the high level stages of the front-end student processes. Opportunities identified for further study, automation, streamlining and process integration.
	Fully electronic application process, including credit card application/tuition payments, implemented for all international applicants by December 2013.	Delayed: Review and testing are ongoing. New launch date set for Spring 2014.
Support newly established Student Conduct Office.	Procedures to support new Student Conduct Policy at Seneca developed and implemented by Fall 2013.	Achieved: Conduct staff trained on new procedures and policy. Cases now closed in less than 9 days on average in comparison to prior average of 22 days.
	Employee training commenced in Summer 2013.	Achieved: All Conduct staff completed Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) training with only 2 needing to achieve advanced ADR training. In conjunction with the Centre for Academic Excellence, conduct staff are training new faculty on the Student Conduct Policy and dealing with disruptive students.
	New case management and tracking system in place by Fall 2013.	Achieved: Implemented January 1, 2014. All staff members trained and are now using new integrated system as the primary case management system. First report will be released on May 1, 2014.
Develop mental health initiatives that support students and the health and wellness of the Seneca community.	Mental health first aid training delivered college wide to community members by Spring 2014.	Achieved: Seven staff participated in the five day training. More than 40 additional employees trained, with additional training scheduled for April, May and June. Total of 200 staff trained by end of Spring 2014. Ongoing training until 2015 as part of grant funded program.
	Programs and resources developed in collaboration with Student Advisory Committee to support student health and wellness across all major campuses throughout 2013-14.	Achieved: Mental health awareness campaign run in October 2013. Key stakeholders currently working on a mental health strategy for the college. Workshops are being developed to address key areas impacting mental health.
Build new Student Centre in alignment with Newnham Campus Master Plan.	Building and financial models for student-funded Student Centre at Newnham Campus created by Winter 2014.	Under Review: Building concepts created for Athletics portion of Centre but still in discussion/evaluation stage. Evaluating direction for Student Centre along with Student Services and the Seneca Student Federation. Building and financial models to be created by Fall 2014.
Partner with Seneca Student Federation to enhance the overall student experience.	Wireless capability on Seneca shuttle buses introduced by Fall 2013.	Achieved: Wireless installed on all shuttle buses.
	Collaborate and launch third annual Campaign for Students in Winter 2014.	Achieved: 2014 campaign launched in February. Seneca Student Federation President co-chaired the Campaign.
Enhance technology across Seneca campuses.	Virtual desktop and virtual application pilot project completed in collaboration with Seneca Student Federation and Centre for Academic Excellence by January 2014.	On Track: License procured and the solution is in the process of being deployed.
	Wireless mobility across campuses further improved by allowing students and staff to register personal devices. Completed by June 2013.	Achieved: Completed in June 2013.
	Pilot of academic servers housed in Seneca private cloud launched by January 2014.	Achieved: Completed in January 2014.
Increase functionality of One Card system for students and employees.	Online parking option linked to One Card system launched by Spring 2013.	Achieved: OneCard solution integrated into the parking structure.
	'Cashless option' for bookstore completed for Fall 2013 semester.	Achieved: OneCard payment options implemented in September 2013 at all college bookstore locations.
	One Card system synced with all food services completed by end of Fall 2013.	Achieved: OneCard Solution integrated with Aramark for full services.
Grow mentoring opportunities for students and alumni.	NetworkRED membership grown by 25%. Number of reported relationships established through NetworkRED increased.	Achieved: The NetworkRED mentorship program expanded to over 950 members, a 73% increase from 2012/13. 40 mentor/mentee relationships established. This year, over 3,000 students and alumni participated in 64 reunion and mentorship events.
	Extend international SMILE pilot to at least one additional program.	Achieved: The International SMILE Project extended to include Chinese students admitted to the English Language Institute. Six protégés and six mentors in the program in addition to continuing delivery to information and communications technology students from India.
	Increase SMILE participation in ECE program and throughout King Campus programs.	Achieved: SMILE expanded to King Campus and had 72 protégés and 32 mentors. All Early Childhood Education students are now able to participate in the program.
Implement systematic approach to promoting Seneca’s successes.	New approach to communications planning implemented by Fall 2013.	Achieved: Semester rollout developed; cross-functional review of events. Weekly social media plans created.
	College's Social Media Strategy developed by Spring 2013.	Achieved: Digital Marketing Specialist and Webmaster hired. Digital marketing strategy (including social media marketing strategy and web strategy) developed.
	Media and presentation training for administrative and academic leads completed by Fall 2013.	Delayed: To be completed in Spring/Summer 2014.
Promote our faculty, alumni and partners’ contributions.	Formal Alumni Council launch event held in Fall 2013.	Achieved: The Alumni Council launched with 22 members in October, representing different programs and industry sectors. Six alumni were nominated for Premier’s Awards and over 20 donors and alumni were recognized at the third annual Senecans of Distinction event. In addition, six alumni expert videos on different topics were produced and promoted on website and social media.
	RED and Gratitude content shared across multiple media platforms.	Achieved: New editions of Gratitude and RED produced, including 20 stories dedicated to donor recognition and 15 alumni profiles distributed across multiple platforms.
	Benchmark established for Seneca expert coverage by Spring 2014.	Achieved: Benchmark established and experts lists updated.

Great Foundations

Initiatives for 2013-14	Performance indicators/ measurable outcomes	End-of-Year Status Update
Support implementation of 2012-2017 Strategic Plan.	New reporting method on Seneca Key Indicators established and first reports delivered to the Board of Governors by June 2013.	Achieved: Seneca Key Indicators status update template created; first report delivered to the Board of Governors in Sept. 2013.
Build leadership capacity within our organization.	15 programs for leadership development strategy offered across the College by Fall 2014.	Achieved: Management Foundations program developed and delivered.
	Support staff specific programming for performance management to be developed by Spring 2014.	Under Review: Specific programming currently under development. Further program development to take place in FY2014-15.
Improve Emergency Management preparedness across College.	Integration, training and testing of fire alarm and mass notification systems completed.	Achieved: Training and testing of fire alarm and existing mass notification systems established as an on-going process for all campuses. A technical investigation of the road map to integration has begun and will continue into next fiscal year.
	Fire and Security prevention specialists hired.	Achieved: The addition of one full-time staff to the department has achieved this deliverable. A part-time position has been used to enhance crime prevention activities, as well as staffing specific programs, such as the access/key control project.
	Emergency management plans finalized and shared with key internal stakeholders by Fall 2013.	Achieved: Significant portions of the Emergency Management plan and associated processes are complete, including a program framework and a complete Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment. Remaining activities are scheduled for completion in Fall 2014.
Develop and implement robust recruitment strategy and selection practices.	Electronic recruitment forms in use by Winter 2014.	Achieved: Streamlined processes, Applicant Tracking System implemented; online tool developed for approval to recruit.
	Audit of hiring practices, policies and procedures completed by Fall 2013.	Achieved: All vendor relationships and processes reviewed, online and social media sourcing strategies explored and best practices of internal and external roles and department structure reviewed.
	Number of touch points and time required in recruitment process reduced. Streamlined hiring process to reduce burden on managers in the recruitment process in place by Spring 2014.	Achieved: Conducted end to end process review to identify inefficiencies. Removed managerial burden to accelerate processes.
	All management level selections using new evaluation tool by Spring 2014.	Achieved: Testing tools, software or processes established for all roles.
	Enhanced onboarding process and improved new employee experience launched by Spring 2014.	Achieved: Onboarding, asset management processes developed.
	Improved collection of recruitment data and metrics in place by Fall 2014.	Achieved: On target for the development of a recruitment dashboard. Basic core metrics have been identifies and documented.
	Improved usage of social media for recruitment activities by Spring 2013.	Achieved: Extensive social media talent sourcing strategy in place utilizing LinkedIn and Twitter.
Continue to build culture of philanthropy to support Seneca students.	Seneca’s student aid endowment strengthened through major gift solicitations, annual campaigns and leveraging existing partnerships, resulting in a 15% annual increase.	Achieved: The second Campaign for Students raised more than $246,000 through student, employee and alumni donations; more than 35 events held by employees to raise funds for student aid; for the second straight year, the College saw 100% giving among board members; there was a 36 per cent increase in the number of annual awards at the College.
	Number of internal donors increased by 15%.	On Track: Internal donation figures to be assessed during Campaign for Students period from mid-February to March 2014.
	Donor relations and annual giving strategy developed and approved.	Achieved: Stewardship and Annual Giving Officer hired; prospect pipeline developed; business rules in development. Faculty-based award ceremonies for donors and student recipients will be held in March and April 2014.
More effectively use digital media tools to tell Seneca's story.	Dedicated resources for web and social media in place by Summer 2013.	Achieved: Digital media brand campaign executed evaluated. Digital Marketing Specialist hired and monitored ongoing program specific campaigns for at-risk and targeted programs. Recruiter assigned to answer questions from prospective students via social media.
	Social media guidelines completed and training for employees launched by Fall 2013.	Partially Achieved: Environmental scan created and best practices reviewed. Guidelines developed. Training to be completed in Spring 2014.
	Digital content inventory established by Fall 2013.	Achieved: Phase 1 of Digital Asset Management program completed by March 31, 2014. This will include digital assets, templates and brand guidelines.
Continue integration of planning across departments.	Integrated planning process reviewed and improvements made for FY2014-15 cycle.	Achieved: Survey conducted and process reviewed. Changes implemented and new online tool used to support process improvements.
Enhance supports for Board of Governors.	New board portal launched by Fall 2013. Portal training for all Board members completed by December 2013.	Achieved: Portal launched and training completed.
Improve approach to facilities management.	Completed uploading of all College electronics record and drawings into Autodesk Vault by March 2014.	Achieved: College’s drawings have been uploaded into Autodesk Vault. Training to be arranged for new Facilities staff on how to use and maintain Autodesk Vault by March 2014.
	Existing processes and procedures to improve the delivery of facilities services to the College reviewed. Changes implemented by March 2014.	Delayed: Existing processes and procedures have been reviewed. Facilities Management has submitted a FY2014-15 capital request for the implementation of PeopleSoft Maintenance Management module. If the capital request for the implementation of PeopleSoft Maintenance Management module is approved, it will require the majority of FY2014-15 to fully implement. Targeting March 2015 completion.
Review current college services to enhance service value.	Implementation of new parking system at Newnham completed.	Achieved: New system working at all campuses in Sept 2013. Developed and implemented an online portal to provide students and employees 24/7 access to purchase parking and meal plans. Enhancements to service monitoring and reporting continues.
	Review of tracking system completed.	Achieved: Created weekly statistical spreadsheets to monitor revenue and service levels in parking and food service.
Create more Active Learning Classrooms.	Active Learning Classrooms at each campus ready for use by June 2013.	Achieved: Active Learning Classrooms have been deployed at four major campuses (King – 1, Markham – 1, Seneca @ York – 3, and Newnham – 3). Also one active learning classroom has been deployed at Peterborough campus as well.

Year in review: Celebrating achievements across the Seneca community

April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014
The 2013-14 academic year was filled with noteworthy accomplishments for Seneca College. The following are some of our highlights:

Building a stronger Seneca

i3 project launches
The official launch of Seneca’s i3 project, short for Information, Integration and Innovation, was held in April. The major College-wide initiative will improve service delivery, reduce risk, improve access to information, and integrate business processes across departments. In 2014-15, the i3 project will begin to go-live across the College community. In Fall 2013, the i3 project also unveiled its i3 Change Champions. The Change Champions provide key points of contact between the i3 project and the rest of the College community. The 44 College-wide Change Champions serve as resources for questions, concerns, feedback, suggestions or ideas, pertaining to the i3 project.

College earns Passport to Prosperity designation
For the second year in a row, Seneca’s ongoing commitment to provide high school students in Ontario with school-work opportunities has earned the College the Passport to Prosperity Ontario Employer designation. Created in 2010, the designation recognizes exceptional employers that are providing meaningful experiential learning opportunities to secondary school students across the province. Passport to Prosperity is a province-wide initiative sponsored by the Provincial Partnership Council, the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Seneca lands in Top 10 of Canada’s research colleges
In an inaugural ranking of Canada's Top 50 Research Colleges, Seneca ranked second among Ontario colleges and eighth overall. Fifteen Ontario colleges are on the nation-wide list compiled by Research Infosource Inc.

New Board Chair and Members announced
In September, Colleen Fleming was named the new Chair of Seneca’s Board of Governors. Ms. Fleming replaced Bill Hogarth, whose term as Chair ended in August. Ms. Fleming has been a Board member since 2010 and is the President of C. Fleming & Associates Ltd. New external members of the Board include: Doug Brooks, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Certified General Accountants of Ontario; John Honderich, the Chair of the Board of Torstar and Chair of the Torstar Voting Trust and Alice Keung is the Chief Operating Officer of eHealth Ontario.

The new internal Board members include: Ibrahima Sow, who joined the Board as the new student representative. Ibrahima is a third-year student in the Business Administration - Management program and Stan White, who joined the Board as the new support staff representative. Stan is a 29-year employee of Seneca and works in International Student Services. Seneca’s Board of Governors consists of 21 members: 16 representing the community, four members elected by administration, faculty, support staff and students, as well as Seneca's President.

The Board of Governors will be welcoming two new elected members in Fall 2014. Fatima Somji, Business Administration — Entrepreneurship and Small Business, will begin her term as the student representative on the Board of Governors on September 1. Kevin Reinhardt, Counselling, was acclaimed and will begin his term as the faculty staff representative on the Board of Governors on the same date.

Markham Campus Kickback Lounge Remodelled
The Kickback at Markham Campus, a student-focused multipurpose space owned and operated by the Seneca Student Federation (SSF) had its grand re-opening in April. The newly renovated student lounge area, located on the Garden Level, was re-designed with new furniture, a kitchenette, arcade games and access to a private patio area. The Kickback is available for use by all students and staff based at the Markham Campus.

New digital display system goes live
Seneca’s new digital display system rolled-out across the College in mid-August. The system consists of television monitors located in high-traffic areas at King, Markham, Newnham and Seneca@York campuses. The system provides students, employees, employers, and partners with information on College events, services and news in a dynamic format and showcases student projects and events.

New Seneca website launched
The College website had a new look starting in April. The re-design was developed in consultation with College stakeholders and included several improvements such as top-level navigation, social media integration, greater accessibility and a mobile-friendly design. The new design and navigation are the first steps in the continuing evolution of the College's web presence which will include improved search engine optimization in future.

Improvements made to campus dining services
In August, a number of construction projects wrapped-up throughout the College in order to improve dining services for students and staff. At Newnham Campus, Timothy's was converted to a Starbucks offering new products and increased variety. The Tim Hortons at the bookstore and the Pita Pit space were renovated to improve customer experience and a new Subway location was constructed in Building A (completed in Winter 2014). At Markham Campus, the cafeteria was renovated to increase food service options, including a new Tim Hortons. The dining service improvements were based on feedback and consultations from across the Seneca community.

Strengthening our community

Supporting Special Olympic athletes
Seneca was a proud participant in the 2013 Ontario Special Olympic Games, hosted by the York Regional Police in July. Seneca’s participation included adopting athletes, housing athletes’ villages at our King and Newnham residences and hosting an Athletes Dinner at our King Campus to kick off the games.

Arts Exposed event hosted by Seneca
Students from Seneca’s Event Marketing - Sports, Entertainment, Arts program and Event Management - Exhibit and Design program welcomed attendees and assisted with the management of the third annual Arts Exposed Conference, which was held at Markham Campus in October. More than 250 people attended this education and networking event to hear from top U.S. and Canadian arts leaders and learn how to succeed in the visual arts, literary, film and performing arts fields. Among this year’s keynote speakers was Cameron Bailey, artistic director of the Toronto International Film Festival and Terry O’Reilly of co-founder of Toronto’s Pirate Radio & Television.

First-ever Innovation and Entrepreneurship Day held at Seneca
Seneca’s first Innovation and Entrepreneurship Day was held at Newnham Campus in November. This cross-disciplinary learning event targeted all students and included a pitch competition, speed networking and keynote speakers. The event was hosted and supported by the Seneca Student Federation, Seneca Business, Seneca Libraries, Seneca Alumni, Fellowes Canada and the Direct Selling Association in celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Media conference provides unique opportunities for faculty, students
Building on the success of hosting the first national conference in 2009, Seneca was selected to host the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC) second national conference in December at Markham Campus. Faculty from the schools of English & Liberal Studies, Creative Arts & Animation, Media & Marketing and International Business delivered educational breakout sessions to the attendees. Journalism students interviewed attendees including Andrea Horwath, Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, Chris Alexander, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Olivia Chow, MP. The primary focus of the conference was to strengthen the competence and business currency of Canadian ethnic publications and the Canadian periodical industry.

Seneca continues its partnership with Young Professionals Committee
Seneca renewed its lead sponsorship of The Markham Board of Trade’s Young Professionals Committee (YPC) — a group the College sponsors to bring together young professionals, entrepreneurs and thought-leaders under 40 from all corners of Markham to network, build connections and learn from each other through unique social events and opportunities. The College supported the YPC’s Achieving Social & Professional Ideals, Reaching Excellence (ASPIRE) Awards as well as several networking and professional development events.

A pledge to support improved transit
In May, Seneca students and staff talked about transit issues and opportunities with members of CivicAction — a non-profit organization that brings together senior executives and rising leaders from all sectors to tackle some of this region's toughest social, economic and environmental challenges including public transit. Representatives from the organization were on campus, gathering support for their What Would You Do For 32? campaign, designed to get people thinking about the need to improve transportation in the GTA and potentially save people an average of 32 minutes on their daily commute. In support of the campaign, the College and the Seneca Student Federation co-produced a video about transit issues faced by Seneca students and encouraged students, faculty and staff to sign a pledge for action on transit issues in the region.

Confucius Institute co-presents Chinese cinema series
The Confucius Institute at Seneca, in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) co-presented two films in the ‘A Century of Chinese Cinema’ series which played at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in June. The screenings of two archival films, Yellow Earth and The Banquet, showcased the unique qualities, perspectives and elements of Chinese filmmaking and storytelling.

Students and staff create float for Caribbean Carnival
Students, professors and technicians from the Visual Merchandising Arts (VMA) program lent their talents once again to help design and construct the Toronto Children’s Breakfast Club parade float for the annual Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival held in Toronto. This year’s float was designed by VMA student Morgan Chapman and featured oversized butterflies, glittery flowers and palm leaves. The design and construction of the float was made possible by several community sponsors and participating organizations, including Local 113 Transit Workers, Carpenters Union Local 27, Community Unity Alliance, Spin Master and the Toronto Don Valley Hotel & Suites. Each year, the VMA program works with Rick Gosling, the Toronto Children’s Breakfast Club founder, and the Toronto Police Service to create a parade float that celebrates the police and community working together.

Seneca students take a stand against abuse
Seneca and Yellow Brick House (YBH) launched the joint “Students Supporting Students” anti-abuse campaign in November to inform students about the problems of abuse. In recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Yellow Brick House held drop-in sessions at Seneca. These sessions offered students the chance to voice their thoughts on campus safety. The campaign is one of a number of initiatives YBH has undertaken with Seneca, as part of a grant from the Status of Women Canada project focused on engaging young people to prevent violence against women on postsecondary campuses.

High-quality program offerings

New programs:

In 2013-14, Seneca’s Board of Governors approved the launch of the following programs:

New Continuing Education credentials:

• Biotechnology
• Business Analysis
• Food Manufacturing – Advanced
• Manufacturing Leadership
• Medical Devices Reprocessing
• Nail Technician
• Palliative Care
• Records and Information Management
• Retirement Communities Management

Strengthening our partnerships

New partnership agreement between Seneca and UOIT
A new partnership between Seneca and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) was established in August allowing qualified Seneca students to seamlessly pursue a range of degree programs at UOIT without having to repeat courses. Students from select diploma programs can apply the credits they earned at Seneca towards 14 different UOIT programs including honours undergraduate degrees in Arts, Commerce, Information Technology, Health Sciences and Science. Career options include adult education, criminology, legal studies, networking, information technology security, game development, nuclear power, biological science and nursing.

University of Sussex new articulation agreement
Stephen Shute, Dean of the University of Sussex Law School in Brighton, England, visited the College in October to sign an articulation agreement with Seneca’s School of Legal and Public Administration. Under the agreement, graduates of the Paralegal (Accelerated), Law Clerk (Accelerated), and Court and Tribunal Administration (Articulated) programs, who meet the necessary academic requirements, will be guaranteed admission into the University of Sussex’s graduate entry Bachelor of Laws program.

New international partnership agreement signed
During his trip to China in November, President David Agnew visited many schools where there was strong interest in developing new partnerships and expanding existing ones in areas such as teacher training, student exchanges, program pathways and joint applied research projects. One of those schools was Tianjin Sino-German Vocational Technical College (TSVTC). Zhang Xinghui, President of TSVTC, met with President Agnew and signed a memorandum of understanding to explore future co-operation in the fields of teaching and research.

Seneca hosts dialogue event to discuss pathways
One hundred guidance counsellors from York Region gathered at Newnham Campus in November to participate in the York Region Dialogue — a panel discussion led by recruitment representatives from colleges and universities across the province. The focus of the event was to discuss the unique ways that each institution is supporting secondary school students who are in Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs, which let them focus on a career path that matches their skills and interests, while meeting the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School diploma. Seneca supports SHSM programs in Aviation and Aerospace, Hospitality and Tourism, Business and Information Technology.

RCAF train at Seneca
Aspiring Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilots are now training on the College’s flight simulators as part of a partnership that allows them to earn a Bachelor of Aviation Technology degree and their military wings certification in just four calendar years. This partnership blends the academic requirements for Seneca’s aviation degree with the training mandate for RCAF pilots. Graduates will immediately gain job experience flying helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft or fighter jets as part of the RCAF.

Annual Open Source Symposium held at Seneca
Seneca’s Centre for Development of Open Technology hosted its annual Free Software and Open Source Symposium (FSOSS) at Seneca@York in October. FSOSS is the premier North American event for the open source developer and user communities. It brings together key leaders to discuss open source, open web and academic/industry partnerships. This year's event showcased a variety of presentations and demonstrations on how open source can be utilized in various sectors of industry, including education. Seneca’s Centre for Development of Open Technology is a Canadian hub for the development and research of open source software through collaboration with the open source community, business and other institutions.

CDOT project welcomed to the White House
A Seneca-led project made an appearance at the White House in May. Mozilla Webmaker — a new online platform that features tools to encourage people to produce web content — was demonstrated to U.S. President Barack Obama at the annual White House Science Fair. Seneca’s Centre for Development of Open Technology (CDOT), under the leadership of Professor David Humphrey, worked with Mozilla on Webmaker. Students from the School of Information and Communications Technology also got the opportunity to work on the project. One of featured tools on Webmaker is Popcorn Maker, which makes it easy for users to enhance, remix and share video.

CDOT helps develop 3D creation tool
Seneca’s Centre for Development of Open Technology (CDOT), in partnership with Exocortex Technologies, helped to develop a prototype for Clara.io — a cloud based tool that allows users to create 3D scenes and animations. The new software was presented at SIGGRAPH, an annual computer graphics conference held in Anaheim, California in July. Exocortex, a global innovator in the 3D computer graphics software solutions industry, approached the College to work on this project after learning about CDOT’s extensive work with WebGL, which is used to render 3D graphics in web browsers without the need for plugins. Clara.io allows users to create high quality 3D graphic content in a web browser and share it on the fly. Exocortex has received funding from the Ontario Centres of Excellence to commercialize the product.

Celebrating student achievements

Students sweep Digital Media Industry of Ontario awards
Seneca students fared well at the first-ever Digital Market Meet Up, held by The Digital Media Industry of Ontario (DMIO) and hosted by the City of Toronto in June. The event included more than 32 representatives from various animation and special effects studios, software vendors, colleges, government representatives and other organizations. Sweeping all three awards offered by DMIO, Seneca 3D Animation students Rachit Raval, Mark Hammond and Mariana Gomez were all named winners. They were awarded three-month paid internships by Switch VFX, Spinpro, and Keyframe Digital. Students, freelancers and artists were given opportunities to meet representatives in person, distribute their resumes and receive feedback crucial to seeking and retaining jobs in the industry today.

Seneca student wins communication award
Emily Getz, a student in the Corporate Communications program, won the IABC/Toronto Student of the Year Award in May. The annual award recognizes a student from an accredited institution who demonstrates excellence in communications. As part of her co-op, Emily served as the project manager of Voices — a city-wide speech contest that featured contestants from various GTA colleges. Emily planned, promoted and executed the successful event, which garnered media coverage across the province. For winning, Emily received $500 and a profile in the IABC Toronto newsletter and website. IABC/Toronto is the local chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, a worldwide network of business communication professionals.

Seneca students win business scholarships
Three students from the Bachelor of Commerce – International Business Management program were among the recipients of Export Development Canada's (EDC) 2013 International Business Scholarships in May. Leyla Alizada, Saliya de Zoysa and Asha Rajak each received a cheque for $4,000. Through its scholarship program, EDC awards 30 scholarships annually to exceptional Canadian students in the field of business.

Students recognized with arts awards
Martin Bazyl (Independent Digital Photography), Darrel Knight (Creative Advertising), Ryan Nicol (Independent Illustration) and Shaolei Zhang (Independent Illustration) were recognized in July with 2013 Applied Arts Student awards — one of the industry's most prestigious recognitions of creative excellence. The students' work appeared in the November/December 2013 issue of Applied Arts, Canada's visual communications magazine. This special awards issue is often used by employers to scout new talent. The winners' work was also featured on the Applied Arts website and at an exhibit held in Toronto in the fall.

Varsity baseball returns to Seneca
With the return of varsity men’s baseball to the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA), Seneca was proud to field a team starting in September. Competing in the fall semester against other schools from the OCAA, the Sting earned their first victory, 10-5, over the George Brown Huskies on October 5. The men’s baseball team is the 16th varsity sport in which Seneca participates. The team is managed by long-time Ontario baseball veteran Brian Bates.

Seneca women’s doubles badminton team brings home bronze from Nationals
In March, the Seneca women's doubles badminton pair of Carol Dela Cerna and Katie Liu brought home bronze from the 2014 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Badminton Championships. Dela Cerna and Liu needed straight sets to defeat their Kwantlen Polytechnic University opponents (21-11, 21-16).

Sting win women’s indoor provincial soccer gold
In March, Seneca’s women’s indoor soccer team travelled to Ancaster and captured the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Indoor Soccer Provincial Championship. The Sting beat Humber — the three-time defending champions — in penalty kicks by a score of 2-1 to win gold. Seneca’s Hilda Chmait was named MVP of the Championship, while Nicole Zikovitz was named a Championship All-Star.

Student-led electronics recycling initiative a success
Students from the Green Business Management program and the Centre for the Built Environment, working in partnership with Seneca Facilities and Hewlett-Packard, collected more than five skids of electronic waste as part of the "recycle your electronics" initiative at Newnham Campus in October. Over the course of three days, staff and students were encouraged to bring in their used electronics devices. The collected materials were reclaimed and recycled into other products.

Students protect Raspberry Pi from water, heat and fall
In May, Polytechnics Canada challenged student applied research teams from each of its member institutions to design and produce a custom Polytechnics Canada-inspired case/enclosure for the Raspberry Pi computer. Seven students from the Centre for Advanced Technologies, under the guidance of Professor Malcolm Archer, worked together to design and build a case for the credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. Each team was given a series of physical and aesthetic requirements to follow, which included making the case waterproof (up to three metres submerged) and strong enough to withstand a two-metre drop on to a concrete floor. All of the student teams had their cases tested at the Polytechnics Canada conference in Toronto. The Seneca case was the only one that allowed the Raspberry Pi to operate at 100 per cent of its full capacity in 30°C water for one hour. It also performed well in the two-metre drop.

Seneca stages “Nightmare” as part of arts night
Seneca Professor and Program Co-ordinator, JoAnn Purcell, of the Independent Illustration program, along with her students, took part in Nuit Blanche — Toronto’s free all-night contemporary art event in October. More than 14,000 art enthusiasts dropped by the Gladstone Hotel, where JoAnn and a number of her current and former students from the Faculty of Communication, Art & Design re-created 40 frames from the short film Un Chien Andalou. Titled “A Collective Nightmare,” the students worked from dusk till dawn redrawing a popular scene from the movie in black and white and projected it onto large format paper. The public were then invited to use colour markers to draw and write their own reactions to the sequence.

Event Marketing students ‘IGNITE’ Pan Am Games
Event Marketing – Sports, Entertainment and Arts students were 'ignited' by the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games. The goal of the IGNITE program is to inspire communities throughout Toronto, the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Ontario and Canada to come together and build excitement around the Games and bolster community spirit. Nine student teams successfully applied for and executed IGNITE events on behalf of the Pan Am organizers. Seneca is the first college to participate in the program and the Event Marketing program is officially recognized as a partner on the Pan Am website. Students implemented their IGNITE event concepts during the winter semester.

Celebrating achievements of faculty and staff

Seneca professors’ documentary featured on TVO
The documentary Echoes had its world broadcast premiere in April on TVO. The film is written, directed and produced by Professors Sun-Kyung (Sunny) Yi and John Haslett Cuff. The film looks at the international adoption of Chinese "orphans" through the experiences of the Chinese mothers who felt forced to give up their babies and the North American mothers who adopted them. Echoes is the latest film produced by Aysha Productions, the documentary film company Sunny and John started more than 15 years ago. Since then, the pair have written, produced and directed 14 documentaries. Their films have been met with critical acclaim and garnered national and international awards, having been broadcast worldwide.

Seneca Professor invited to be keynote speaker at education innovation conference
Dr. Valerie Lopes, Professor in the Centre for Academic Excellence, was a keynote speaker at the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education Conference, which took place at Carlton University in May. Valerie spoke about "Re-imagining the Construct of Postsecondary Education." Her research, grounded in the scholarship of teaching and learning, has focused on the use of digital, social and mobile technologies to enhance learning and education. The conference brought together educators, administrators and practitioners to promote dialogue aimed at breaking new ground in research and advancing practices in education and the use of educational technologies.

Seneca Professor restores classic Hollywood ‘time machine’
In May, Malcolm Archer, Professor from Seneca’s Centre for Advanced Technologies, built some parts for one of the DeLoreans used in the Back to the Future films, which told the popular story of a fictional automobile that could travel through time. Ken Kapalowski from the Time Machine Restoration team, a group that has been dedicated to restoring the vehicles, approached Malcolm to work on the project. The restored DeLorean has been put on permanent display in the "Universal Experience" at Universal Studios in California. To thank the Centre for its assistance, Bob Gale, co-creator of the Back to the Future trilogy, sent a thank you letter to Malcolm and the team at the Centre.

Seneca Professor Malcolm Archer restored a classic prop from a Hollywood blockbuster.

Jack Walters receives award of excellence
Jack Walters, a Counsellor with the Counselling and Disability Services department, was presented with the Award of Excellence for Counselling Practice by the Ontario College Counsellors in June. The award is designed to honour counsellors who demonstrate excellence and innovation in the provision of counselling services, and who have significantly contributed to student success at their colleges. Jack has helped countless students during his 25-year career at Seneca.

Canadian retailer puts professor’s art on display
A popular clothing retailer showcased Professor John MacBride’s artistic talents in September. Le Château at the Eaton Centre approached the School of Fashion professor to exhibit his sculptures in its storefront windows. The result was “Coalesce: An Exhibition in Wood and Steel,” which was on display at the popular Toronto shopping destination in the fall.

OACETT honours Seneca employees
The Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) recognized two Seneca employees in October at its Provincial Honours and Awards Gala. Laurel Schollen, Associate Vice-President, Academic-Educational Excellence, received OACETT’s Honorary Membership Award, while Cylma Foxton, a Professor with the Centre for the Built Environment, was presented with the Women in Engineering Technology Award. In her role as Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology, Laurel strongly supported and facilitated national accreditation of the School’s Electronics Engineering Technology programs. Cylma earned her degree in environmental site remediation at Seneca and has worked as an environmental advocate at the Toronto Economic Development Corporation, Watters Environmental Group, and Build Toronto — an arm’s-length organization of the City of Toronto. At Build Toronto, Cylma worked on the City’s Port Lands project to revitalize the waterfront. She also volunteers with OACETT, mentoring students and trying to encourage more young women to pursue careers in engineering and technology.

Two Seneca staff were honoured in October by the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists.

Seneca professor honoured for her advocacy
Dr. Soheila Pashang, Professor and Co-ordinator of the Social Service Worker-Immigrant and Refugee program, received the Canadian Association for Refugees Lawyers award for her outstanding advocacy on behalf of refugees in October. The award was presented to her at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. Dr. Pashang has worked for more than 20 years as a social worker and therapist with immigrants, refugees and non-status persons at various organizations. Over the years, she has initiated many networks, implemented programs, served on numerous boards and committees and d has engaged in advocacy work to eliminate barriers against access to services for refugees and immigrants.

Senecan selected as city-building fellow
Kelly Jackson, Director, Strategic Planning and Public Affairs, was selected into CivicAction’s DiverseCity Fellows program in November. As part of this one-year leadership experience for city builders, Kelly joined a diverse cross-section of 27 leaders from business, government and community organizations. The DiverseCity Fellows meet with the region’s leading influencers and visionaries and participate in interactive sessions, connect with mentors and work in teams to design and put into action a city-building project related to the theme of jobs and economic opportunities. The program, part of DiverseCity: The Greater Toronto Leadership Project, aims to develop leadership skills of promising city builders while addressing challenges facing the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. It is a joint initiative of the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance and Maytree, funded in part by the Government of Ontario.

FCET receives LERN award
The Faculty of Continuing Education and Training (FCET) was presented with a 2014 Learning Resources Network (LERN) award for marketing in November. In 2013, the College reached its highest continuing education enrolment in its 46-year history with more than 70,000 part-time student registrations. LERN is an international association of lifelong learning programming, offering information and resources to providers of lifelong learning programs.

Bill Humber's ecological initiatives recognized
Bill Humber was awarded the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Excellence in Education Award for Recognizing the Promotion of Sustainable Planning Practices in December. His sustainability initiatives at Seneca range from developing the Green Citizen Campaign, which provides the Seneca community with an appreciation for how the environment impacts their lives, to creating the award-winning Centre for the Built Environment, which incorporates the theme of urban sustainability in all its programs. Bill is currently the Director of the Office of Eco Seneca initiatives.

Celebrating achievements of alumni

Seneca launches new alumni council
The College’s new alumni council held its official launch at Newnham Campus in November. The 21-member council is composed of Seneca alumni and students representing a broad range of interests and backgrounds. The council’s inaugural president is Armand La Barge, a Seneca graduate and the former Chief of Police for York Region. The complete list of council members and their biographies are available on the Alumni website.

In November, Seneca launched a 21-member alumni council headed by former York Region Chief of Police, Armand La Barge.

Outstanding graduates nominated for Ontario Premier’s Awards
The Premier's Awards honour the important social and economic contribution college graduates make in Ontario and throughout the world. Presented annually in six categories, the recipients are chosen from nominations submitted by Ontario's 24 colleges. Nominees must demonstrate outstanding career success related to their college experience and have made a significant contribution to their community. The outstanding nominees for the 2013 Premier's Award were: Gordon Scheel, a graduate of the International Business Management program; Colin D’Mello, a graduate of the Journalism program; Geraldine Heaney, a graduate of the Recreation program; Henry Zhang, a graduate of the Computer Networking and Technical Support program; David Johnson, a graduate of the Fire Protection Engineering Technology program and Michelle Dakin, a graduate of the Advanced Investigations and Enforcement program.

Seneca’s Premier Awards nominees have made important social and economic contributions in Ontario.

Senecans of Distinction Awards handed-out to alumni and partners
The annual Senecans of Distinction Award ceremony was held in December at Markham Campus. Senecans of Distinction are alumni, who have excelled in their careers and have maintained a strong connection to the College, and volunteers, donors and community partners, who have made significant social and economic contributions to the Seneca community.

This year Senecans of Distinction Award recipients included donors, volunteers and community partners.

2013 recipients included:

• Campus Living Centres, donor
• Certified General Accountants of Ontario, donor
• Rowenta, donor
• Jim Gamas, volunteer
• Melissa Grelo, alumna
• Aizick Grimman, alumnus and faculty
• Bill Hogarth, volunteer and donor
• The Métis Nation of Ontario, donor
• Ryan Nurse, alumnus
• The Seneca Student Federation, donor
• Social Service Worker Jamaica Project, alumni
• Tina Tehranchian, volunteer and donor
• Dominic Totino, donor and faculty
• The University Women's Club of North York, donor
• Anthony Van Odyk, donor and faculty
• Linda Wren, alumna and faculty
• Yellow Brick House, community partner

Seneca alumna becomes third female inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey legend Geraldine Heaney, a graduate of the Recreation Facilities Management program, was officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November. Geraldine is often referred to as the “Bobby Orr of women’s hockey” and helped put the sport on the map. She joins former teammate and fellow Seneca alumna Angela James and Cammi Granato as only the third female to be given the highest honour in the sport.

Alumni named one of Canada’s 100 most powerful women
Seneca Business Administration – Marketing grad Caroline Charter was named one of Canada's 100 most powerful women by the Financial Post in December. The vice-president at Oracle Canada is responsible for systems and processes within the estimated $37-billion IT company's worldwide alliance. Caroline led the integration of Sun Microsystems Inc. into Oracle's existing business in 2011, by designing and launching a partner store that supports $3 billion in annual revenue. She speaks to diverse groups of women around the world and mentors individuals across Canada and the United States through the Oracle Women's Leadership effort.

Seneca grad wins poster award
A poster developed and designed by a graduate of Seneca’s Independent Illustration program was named best poster at the 2013 Festivals & Events Ontario awards. Marina Siu-Chong received the honour for her Word On the Street Festival poster that she created in 2012. Her colourful painting of two pigeons surrounded by stacks of books was featured on posters, in ads and online to promote the annual event celebrating literacy and the written word across Canada.

Seneca grad's doc to premieres at ReelWorld Film Festival
Mom, a short documentary developed at Seneca's Documentary Filmmaking Institute in summer 2012, had its world premiere at Toronto’s ReelWorld Film Festival in April. The film was made by graduate Ryan Singh during his four months of study at the Institute. In the nine-minute piece, Ryan reflects on the tradition of absent fathers in his family and how he wants to break that trend now that his wife is pregnant with twins.

Sting legends enter the OCAA Hall of Fame
The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) honoured 13 former Seneca Sting at its annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony, held in London, Ontario in May. Lee Trempe, a former Seneca women’s hockey coach, entered the Hall for leading the Sting to several titles during her years behind the bench in the 1980s. Joining her was a number of former Sting men’s and women’s hockey players who were named to the OCAA’s All-Millennium Hockey teams. Included among them were Steve Guyatt, Colin March, Jim McDonald, D.J. Meloff, Drake Turcotte, Debbie Northover (Coxworth), Geraldine Heaney, Jan Hoover, Angela James, Lee Ann Quinn, Christine Pellerin and Marina Zenk. Every player named to the All-Millennium team that is not already in the Hall also earned an induction. Seneca now has the most members of any Ontario college in the OCAA Hall of Fame at 40.

Seneca grad fashions displayed at the ROM
School of Fashion graduates showcased their work at the Royal Ontario Museum's Friday Night Live (FNL) series in June. Featuring displays throughout the museum, the event was highlighted by a fashion show in which models wore the designs of Seneca grads. FNL is a cultural social party for young adults held at the ROM in the spring and summer months.

Seneca grad gets Emmy nomination
Adrian Sutherland, a 2010 graduate of Seneca’s Visual Effects for Film and Television program, was nominated for an Emmy Award in July. Adrian, who works for SPINVFX in Toronto, was nominated in the "Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role" category for his work as a lead compositor on the critically-acclaimed TV series The Borgias. In a few short years, Adrian has become a rising star in the visual effects industry having worked on several high profile movies and TV shows, including Game of Thrones and the Twilight movie franchise. Adrian was also nominated for a Canadian Screen Award.

Creative Advertising grad makes 30 under 30 list
Marketing Magazine released its 30 under 30 list in September and once again a graduate of Seneca’s Creative Advertising program was among those considered to be the best and brightest young stars in the industry. Jasmin Cheng, who graduated from the program in 2006, was the latest alum to receive this prestigious honour. In fact, the associate director of strategy at Twist Image became the fifth graduate in recent years to make the list. Each year, Marketing Magazine — a publication that is considered to be the voice of Canada’s marketing industry — releases its 30 under 30 list to celebrate the smartest young minds in marketing and advertising communication. In 2013, they received more than 300 nominations from across Canada.

Strengthening student supports

Koehler family continues its long-standing support of Seneca students
Twenty-three Seneca students received $1,000 each thanks to Rita and Rudy Koehler in May. The steadfast Seneca donors assist students annually through the Koehler Grandchildren Bursary. It is one of the original bursaries distributed by the College to recognize students studying in the faculties of Business and Applied Arts & Health Sciences for their high academic standing, compassion, character and citizenship. This year, Rita and Rudy made a significant contribution to their endowment fund that will assist even more Seneca students in years to come. The Koehlers’ connection to Seneca comes through their granddaughters, both of whom are graduates, but their generosity extends past the College, as the couple supports charities across Canada.

Rita and Rudy Koehler, whose granddaughters graduated from Seneca annually assist students through their bursary.

Dual Credit bursaries awarded to secondary school students
In October, Seneca presented 16 Dual Credit bursaries worth $1,000 each to secondary school students who successfully completed a dual credit course and then enrolled in a full-time program at the College. As part of the School of Liberal Arts and Academic Partnerships' School-College-Work Initiative, the program allows secondary students to earn a credit toward their secondary school diploma and a College subject in order to support successful transitions to postsecondary education and to encourage college pathways.

Hyatt Family Foundation establishes annual bursary and award programs to help students
The Hyatt Family Foundation chose to support Seneca students through the establishment of annual bursary and award programs in 2013-14. Seneca is the first postsecondary institution to receive a gift from the Foundation. The Hyatt Family Foundation Award will assist a number of students with tuition and living expenses while the Foundation’s Bursary will provide a tuition assistance grant to 10 students each year. The Foundation is one of many successful Hyatt family collaborations. For 20 years, the family has been a driving force in the technology sector, building two of the fastest growing companies in Canada. The Hyatts co-founded Dyadem, a successful risk assessment software company and BlueCat, a leading global provider of IP address management platforms.

Seneca’s Board of Governors contribute to student support
In 2013-14, each member of Seneca’s Board of Governors made a donation to the Board’s Entrance Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship rewards academically-promising high school graduates who have made Seneca their destination for postsecondary education. Governors generously surpassed their fundraising goal in 2013, clearly demonstrating their commitment to student success.

Soaring to new heights

The School of Aviation and Flight Technology’s move to a custom facility in Peterborough was the start of a new chapter in the School’s celebrated history.

In January 2014, Seneca completed the relocation of its School of Aviation and Flight Technology from Buttonville Airport in Markham to the Peterborough Municipal Airport.

The move was prompted when the owners of the Buttonville Airport—where the School had been based for more than 40 years—announced their intent to close the airport in October 2010. To ensure the delivery of the Bachelor of Aviation Technology program would not be affected, Seneca set out to relocate to a new location.

A comprehensive analysis was done of airports across southern Ontario to determine the best location for the program. In April 2012, Seneca’s Board of Governors approved the relocation of all flight training activities to the Peterborough Municipal Airport. The first Seneca student flights took off from the new facility in late January 2014.

“The Peterborough Municipal Airport is an excellent site for the Bachelor of Aviation Technology’s senior students,” says Lynne McMullen, Chair, School of Aviation. “At this new location, Seneca students will continue to receive high quality aviation education in a modern, purpose-built facility.”

Flight training and classroom instruction, for students in years two-to-four of the program, will take place at the new state-of-the-art Peterborough Campus. The first year of classroom instruction will remain at the Newnham Campus.

Seneca has also partnered with Fleming College to support the students based in Peterborough through select course offerings and access to student services and athletic facilities. Fleming’s Peterborough Campus is just five kilometres from the new site.

Seneca and the City of Peterborough jointly oversaw the construction of the new building, with the municipality coordinating all of the associated airside infrastructure improvements. The construction of the new facility followed the airport’s $28 million expansion, which was completed in 2011. The airport has the longest runway between Toronto and Ottawa and completed the paving of a cross-wind runway to ensure student safety.

“The Bachelor of Aviation Technology program is the only one of its kind in Canada,” says Lynne. “It prepares students to operate a complex aircraft in a multi-crew environment, and they also learn about business management, airport operation and air carrier administration.”

An official opening ceremony for the Peterborough Aviation Campus was held on June 3, 2014.

Learn more at senecapolytechnic.ca/school/aviation/.

The Peterborough Aviation Campus is a leading edge facility for a renowned program.

Fast Facts

Students

25,000 full-time students annually

70,000 continuing education registrations annually

More than 8,000 students graduate from Seneca every year and 95% of employers are satisfied with those graduates

International

More than 4,000 international students from 130 countries

Programs

With more than 500 career options and an abundance of program offerings, Seneca features over 150 full-time programs and 140 part-time programs, including:

• 12 Degrees
• 64 Diplomas
• 23 Advanced Diplomas
• 22 Certificates
• 29 Post-graduate certificates

Pathways

Seneca is #1 among Ontario colleges to send graduates on to university through postsecondary partnerships

Over 50 partner institutions in Ontario and worldwide

Through Ontario’s School-College-Work Initiative, more than 900 dual credit students from seven local school boards are enrolled at Seneca each year