Preparing Seneca students for successful futures in a rapidly evolving world and economy

Launched nine new programs at various credential levels, with a focus on cross- disciplinary learning, in emerging sectors as well as high demand sectors, specifically designed for industry:

• graduate certificates launched in Cybersecurity &Threat Management, Cannabis Regulation & Quality Assurance and an honours bachelor’s degree in Data Science & Analytics
• programs developed included Medical Devices Reprocessing, Cannabis Industry Studies, Workplace Safety and Prevention, Electromechanical Engineering Technology-Automation.

Develop a program- mapping tool and student work repository that increase efficiencies for program development, modifications and renewals:

• program (curriculum) mapping tool completed and implemented in August 2019 for program modifications, tool is being used for reviews that started in January 2020
• student work repository developed and used for the following degree renewal PEQAB site visits:
• Honours Bachelor of Technology (Informatics & Security)
• Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Human Resources Management)
• Honours Bachelor of Commerce (International Accounting & Finance)
• Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Services Management)

Animation program recognized internationally

Seneca's animation program, part of the School of Creative Arts & Animation, was ranked eighth in the world and fourth in Canada by the Animation Career Review. Rankings are based on academic reputation, depth and breadth of the program, employment data, admission selectivity and geographic location.

Police Foundations turns 50

Seneca's Police Foundations — the longest-running law enforcement program in the province — celebrated its 50th anniversary with students, alumni, employees and two new Senecans of Distinction: graduate Const. Monica Rutledge of Toronto Police Services and Commissioner Tom Carrique of the Ontario Provincial Police, a former member of Seneca’s Board of Governors.

Get fit for vertical farming

The first vertical farming course in the province was offered at Newnham Campus. The one-day boot camp was a result of a partnership between graduates of Seneca’s Sustainable Business Management program and farmers of the award-winning Ripple Farms, Seneca's Faculty of Continuing Education & Training and HELIX.

Career Recharge launched

Career Recharge, presented by TD, kicked off at Newnham Campus. A series of free workshops, events and mentorship opportunities, Career Recharge helps mid-career professionals cope with the reality of an evolving workplace and keep pace with the changes in technology.

Aviation students ready to soar with new training program

CAE, Jazz Aviation and Seneca signed a five-year partnership agreement to develop Jazz Approach — an innovative Canadian program that provides Jazz Aviation with top-quality first officers. The new all-Canadian cadet pilot training program provides cadets with a letter of employment from Jazz upon selection into the program, allowing for a direct path to join the airline as first officers, conditional upon successful completion of the program.

Seneca and Humber collaborate at Newnham Campus

More than 80 attendees gathered for the first-ever Humber Seneca Polytechnic Partnership Collaboration Day at Newnham Campus. The day of activities focused on collaboration on program planning and development, teaching and learning activities and joint approaches to student services and other areas that enhance student choice, flexibility and mobility.

Seneca International Academy launched

Seneca International Academy (SIA) was established to meet increased demand from the international community to study at Seneca. Programs offered at SIA will include a range of credentials in business and technology popular among international students. SIA will also offer English-language training and provide a range of academic and student supports.

Seneca-TIMSR FinTech Centre opens in India

The Seneca-TIMSR Fintech Centre, a collaboration with the Thakur Institute of Management, officially opened in Mumbai, India. The collaboration between the two institutions will include offering Seneca programs in flexible learning modules and developing corporate training initiatives in India.

Class in session for Seneca’s new cannabis program

Seneca’s new Cannabis Regulation & Quality Assurance graduate certificate program — the first of its kind in Ontario — kicked off at Seneca@York Campus. In addition, Seneca’s Faculty of Continuing Education & Training partnered with Aleafia Health to develop and deliver new courses and programs focused on aspects of the cannabis industry in Canada.

Seneca highlighted as leader in Industry 4.0 preparation

The Globe and Mail’s annual Colleges and Institutes special features highlighted Seneca’s role in preparing students for the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0. In the article, President David Agnew discussed how Seneca prepares students to succeed in Industry 4.0. through partnerships with industry leaders like KUKA and building new facilities such as the Centre for Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship.

Continue to develop and implement micro-credentials for the Faculty Development Program:

Twenty micro-credentials are available for all faculty; milestone badges include:

• Faculty Development Program
• Non full-time faculty PD Program
• Degree-Level Teaching Workshops and Conferences

Broaden Communities of Practice (CoPs)­ groups of professionals collaborating to problem solve and achieve common objectives to build cross-faculty awareness, interest and capacity:

• Five new CoPs created: Adobe Creative spaces, hybrid and online learning, open education resource, SKODEN ­Indigenization of curriculum, School of International Business Management­ development of research CoP

Create and launch a priority list of courses for hybrid and/or online delivery:

• Across all faculties, more than 500 hours were moved to online (hybrid or fully online). Additional courses have been identified for flexible learning delivery.

Create new Collaborative Inquiries (CIs), which engage educators as researchers, to assess new teaching approaches and curriculum design:

• Three new collaborative inquiries have been completed:
• open educational resource
• intercultural competence
• COM101/111

Seneca honoured with four CICan Awards of Excellence

Seneca won an unprecedented four Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) Awards of Excellence:

• Applied Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship (ARIE), CICan Applied Research and Innovation Excellence Award (silver)
• Seneca International, CICan Internationalization Excellence Award (silver)
• Prof. Rose Caruso, School of English and Liberal Studies, CICan Leadership Excellence Award for Faculty (silver)
• Bill Humber, recently retired professor, CICan Leadership Excellence Award for Managerial Staff (bronze)

Professor wins emerging female directors prize

Prof. Anita La Selva won the Gina Wilkinson Prize for Emerging Female Director. Ms. La Selva, who teaches in the Acting for Camera & Voice program, is an actor, director and dramaturge. She recently directed Stones, an interdisciplinary and intercultural theatre odyssey about women and violence. The annual prize of $5,000 honours emerging female directors.

Seneca members inducted into the 2019 OCAA Hall of Fame

Three members of Seneca's Athletics & Recreation team were inducted into the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Hall of Fame Class of 2019: Bob McArthur, Rugby Coach; Eric Hannah, Men's Rugby Student-Athlete; and Linda Stapleton, Director, Athletics & Recreation.

Faculty member honoured with lifetime achievement award

Prof. John MacBride, Program Co-ordinator, Event Management — Event & Exhibit Design, was honoured with the Leslee Bell Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Live Event Association (ILEA) Toronto Chapter at the ILEA Toronto Gala in Toronto. ILEA is dedicated to the evolution of the special events industry and its professionals.

TIFF highlights faculty talent

Two Seneca faculty were featured in the Toronto International Film Festival. Prof. Eamonn O’Connor from the Documentary & Non-Fiction Media Production program edited the festivals opening film Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band. Mike Munn, who gave a master class in editing at Seneca’s Documentary Filmmaking Institute worked on the film This is Not A Movie.

Seneca Sting coaches recognized by the OCAA

Jeremy Cairnie, who coaches women’s rugby, was named OCAA Coach of the Year. He led the Seneca Sting to finish second place in the OCAA West Division and the team captured the bronze medal at the OCAA championship.

Luca Sirianni, the Sting women’s soccer coach, was named the OCAA East Division Coach of the Year. He led the Sting to the East Division title with a perfect record and to the OCAA Championship where the team captured the silver medal. 

Patrice Gheisar, who coaches men’s soccer, was named the OCAA Coach of the Year. He led the team to end the regular season with seven consecutive wins, finishing in a three-way tie for first place in the division. The men’s team captured the bronze medal during the OCAA Championship.

Aviation professor receives prestigious award

Prof. Jack Proctor of the School of Aviation received the 2019 David Charles Abramson Memorial Flight Instructor Safety Award for his unsurpassed dedication to flight safety. The Seneca graduate has 36 years of commercial flying experience and is the author of Canadian Flight Notes — a publication for flight instructors. He received the award at the Air Transport Association of Canada's annual conference.

Seneca launches the Case Development Centre

The Seneca Case Development Centre was launched to support faculty to create relevant college-level cases to bring more of the real world into the classroom. Faculty will be trained to write and teach with cases and receive one-on-one mentorship during the entire writing process.  

Seneca professor develops curriculum in Ethiopia

Prof. Kevin Pitts of the Teaching & Learning department developed a curriculum for a course in advanced research methods for Ethiopia's Bahir Dar University (BDU). The course will help legal scholars complete their PhDs and take up leadership roles in the university's newly established School of Law. As part of his visit, Mr. Pitts also developed a syllabus for a postgraduate seminar, introduced open educational resources into the revised course material and set up an online course portal.

Undertake the second phase of planned academic and service moves associated with Seneca2020:

• Seneca2020 moves and renovations included:
• Jane Campus programs and the School of Information & Communications Technology moved to Newnham Campus
• School of Legal & Public Administration/Office Administration moved from Newnham Campus to Seneca@York Campus
• renovations are in progress for School of Hospitality & Tourism moving from Markham Campus to Newnham Campus
• renovations are in progress for School of Marketing moving from Markham to Newnham and Seneca@York campuses

Launch the Centre for Graduate & Professional Studies to enhance and increase opportunities for graduate certificate and professional accreditation education, including alternative delivery options:

• two graduate certificates, Financial Technology & Cybersecurity and Threat Management, are being offered through the centre and are available as part-time offerings
• professional accreditation courses and programs, including industry-recognized licensing and designation courses or programs, are being offered, including:
• Stock Market Investing, Canadian Investment Funds, PMP Exam Prep, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Certification, Business Management, Ontario College Graduate Certificate, CISSP Certification Preparation, Anti-Money Laundering, UX Writing, Taxation and Report and Siemens Preparation

Enhance outreach to current and new industry partners in support of Career Development and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities:

• New model to support WIL and Career Development created, including the development of a model for a Career Hub to enhance business development opportunities

Advance experiential learning through increased usage of technology platforms and participation in on-campus activities:

• formed an Enactus Seneca team that participated in regional, national and world competitions
• Seven Seneca teams participated in the 2019 Skills Ontario Competition
• WIL job postings increased from 3,763 in 2018 to 4,254 in 2019

Provide students with greater flexibility in scheduling and assessment:

• full launch of Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) completed for Fall 2019
• students successfully used the technology platform to self-register

Upgrade core systems across all locations:

• five-year Emergency Management strategic plan on target, including updates to the emergency response plans and the implementation of the Incident Management System into all emergency management processes/procedures

Improve traffic flow and driver safety on campus:

• new licence-plate recognition parking system launched in Fall 2019
• car pool spaces have been added and the new ride share system is operational

Seneca Sting men’s basketball named Team of the Year

Seneca Sting men’s basketball has been named the 2018 Team of the Year by the Toronto Sports Hall of Fame. This comes after winning the 2018 Canadian Collegiate Athlete Association National Championship and the 2018 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Championship. It was the Sting’s first national men’s basketball championship.

PR dialogues wins platinum at Hermes Creative Awards

Students and faculty from Seneca’s Public Relations – Corporate Communications program published its first Public Relations (PR) dialogues, a news magazine covering topics of interest to public relations practitioners working around the world. The edition won the platinum Hermes Creative Awards in the Print Media Magazine category.

Seneca wins bronze medals at Skills Ontario Competition

Students from the School of Electronics & Mechanical Engineering Technology showed off their talents and competed at the annual Skills Ontario Competition, winning three bronze medals for coding, electronics and mechatronics. Seneca also participated in the Career Exploration Showcase that highlighted academic programs.

Students place third at international competition

Students from the School of Hospitality & Tourism placed third at the STR Asia Pacific Student Market Study Competition in Hong Kong. Seneca was the only postsecondary institution in Canada to compete against 19 university teams from 11 countries and four continents.

Seneca student wins Parapan Am Games bronze

Michelle Tovizi, a part-time student in the Social Service Worker diploma program, won a bronze medal in the 4x100 medley relay during the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru.

Seneca Sting wins Innovation Award

The Seneca Sting was awarded the 2019 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Innovation Award for its Over-the-Top streaming application at the 2019 CCAA Hall of Fame Banquet in Calgary. Seneca is the first postsecondary institution in Ontario to have its own streaming app. In partnership with Stretch Internet, the app allows fans to watch Seneca Sting games through Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV and Android TV.

Cross-border film project calls on Seneca talent

Students and faculty from the School of Media worked with their counterparts at Sheridan College, Georgia State University and Clayton State University to create a student-led film between Canada and the United States. The film, I Am Here, premièred in Atlanta.

Seneca graduate wins Women of Inspiration Award

Lindsey Penrose, a graduate of the Social Service Worker program, received the Women of Inspiration Inspire Award from the Universal Women’s Network. Ms. Penrose was recognized for her leadership and efforts in building her boutique company, the Penrose Group Inc., a mergers-and-acquisitions consulting firm.

Celebrating student artwork with StART

A celebration was held to highlight the School of Creative Arts & Animation's collaboration with StreetArtToronto (StART) at Seneca@York Campus. This was the first time StART collaborated with a postsecondary institution. The event featured a walking tour that highlighted 10 new traffic signal boxes transformed by Seneca students.

Seneca graduates celebrate Oscar win

The work of three Faculty of Communication, Art & Design graduates on Pixar's Toy Story 4 was recognized at the 92nd Academy Awards when the film won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film. Brendan Beesley, a graduate of the 3D Animation program, and Graham Finley, Animation program graduate, worked as animators for the film. Deanna Marsigiese, also an Animation graduate was the art director on the film.

Marketing students strut their stuff in provincial competition

A team of 22 students from Seneca's Marketing programs placed fourth overall in the annual Ontario College's Marketing Competition. Through 11 unique real-world business challenges, Seneca took home two first-place titles in entrepreneurship and retail marketing. The team also placed second in integrated marketing communications and fifth in marketing strategy and marketing research.

Students hit the ice at outdoor rink

King Campus celebrated the inauguration of a new, outdoor ice rink for students to skate, play shinny or just hang around on nearby benches to enjoy the latest wellness and recreational activities offered on campus. The project was spearheaded by Seneca’s own hockey superstar and graduate Angela James.