#SenecaProud

Pat Perdue  00:01 

Hey, I'm Pat Perdue, and I'd like to welcome you to Season Two of the Seneca Proud podcast. This is a co-production between my company Ycastr and Seneca College in Toronto. Seneca College is a really great school. And what we uncovered in season one of Seneca Proud is that there's a Seneca spirit. And that comes from the really great people that Seneca attracts. This season we'll be featuring some of those students, staff as well as faculty to not only learn what they do here, but also a little bit about who they are. So, join me on this journey of discovery, as we meet some of the people who make Seneca College, such a special place to teach, work and study. 

Welcome to Seneca Proud Season Two, where I get to introduce you to some of Seneca College's amazing family of staff, faculty, and students. So, if you haven't already, subscribe, and download and let's go meet some of the super inspiring folks here at Seneca. I'm Pat Perdue, and I'm glad you're here today.  

And welcome back to Season Two of the Seneca Proud podcast. This is Season Two, Episode Ten and I am Pat Perdue. Welcome back. Season Two of the Seneca Proud podcast is about bringing forward stories not only of the faculty but of students and staff and highlighting their achievements both while at Seneca and outside of Seneca.

Hey, welcome back to the Seneca Proud Podcast. I'm Pat Perdue, and I'm recording this introduction on Monday, March 16, 2020. This date is significant because all classes at Seneca are suspended until March 23 due to the Corona virus. Stay up to date on what's happening at Seneca by visiting the Seneca COVID-19 updates web page. I'll put a link in the show notes. So, when all this is behind us and when school and work are back to normal, people will be asking you where you were when the Coronavirus hit, and you're going to have some pretty incredible stories to tell about being afraid, about not knowing what might happen next and ultimately about getting through this. 

Speaking of storytelling. This episode of Seneca proud features, the Dean of Seneca’s FCAD program Kurt Muller. FCAD stands for Faculty of Communication, Art and Design, but I'm going to suggest that in a lot of ways, it's the faculty of storytelling. If you study Creative Arts in animation, fashion, media, Arts and Sciences, you're in the FCAD department. It's huge and many of the programs under this umbrella are award winning, Academy Award winning. We'll talk about that later in the interview. 

Speaking of the interview, let me tell you a bit about our guest, Kurt Muller, the Dean of the Faculty of Communication, Art and Design. at Seneca College. Kurt has some amazing career experience as a news reporter and journalist for CTV National News with Lloyd Robertson. He's also been a college professor, so he knows that part of college life really well as well. And also, before joining Seneca in October, Kurt was the Dean of the McKeil School of Business and the School of Media and Entertainment at Mohawk College, where he was instrumental in the launch of Mohawk’s groundbreaking Accessible Media Production program. It spearheaded an initiative to make Mohawk’s journalism program more accessible to people with disabilities. Kurt also led the establishment of an augmented and virtual reality training and education center at Mohawk in partnership with Avid Reality. Also, in my conversation with Kurt, we talk about what a dean does, and the skills Kurt draws from to ensure his programs are successful and his faculty have the tools they need to graduate students who are career ready. Okay, here's my interview with the Dean of the Faculty of Communication, art and design at Seneca College, Kurt Mueller. 

 

Kurt Muller  03:38 

I often say I have the best job in the college in terms of the diversity and creativity of the programs in my portfolio. Everything from the Oscar winning animation program to gaming, to our music programs to journalism, television, and then we have the School of Fashion as well. The School of Marketing will be joining us in April. And we're really excited about that. 

 

Pat Perdue  04:02 

What a big roster and you've got to be proud about the Oscar winning success of some of the former graduates.

 

Kurt Muller  04:09 

Oh, it's amazing to see it's a thrill. It's a real testament to the passion, dedication, talent, and industry connections of our faculty, and also to the abilities of our students to take that knowledge and implement it in the real world. I always say that the best advertisement for our programs is the success of our graduates. And we see that in the animation program. It's just a thrill to see those Oscar winners with a Seneca education.   

 

Pat Perdue  04:42 

No kidding. Share with me a little bit about a day in the life of Kurt Muller. 

 

Kurt Muller  04:48 

Well, there is no typical day and that's one of the reasons I love the job. So for example, this morning I was at a program advisory committee for the event management program in the School of Fashion. We were talking about some of the amazing events that the students organize in that program and making sure our industry partners know what's going on in the program and getting their advice and input in terms of how we instruct our students’ content, the curriculum, and being sure that when our students graduate, they are well positioned to succeed in industry. So that was one particular program. But that principle really is faculty wide in terms of industry partnerships, making sure that our students have the skills they need to succeed, and also making sure that we are graduating engaged citizens. 

 

Pat Perdue  05:40 

And share with me a little bit more about the participation of industry and the different programs that are under your umbrella. 

 

Kurt Muller  05:48 

I'll just give you an example. So, in our animation program, we were just talking about the Oscar winners. That success came from a summer institute that Mark Jones, our Chair of the School of Creative Arts in Animation came up with as a way to give our graduating students a way to work with artists and filmmakers, on real films. And film called Ryan, was one of the results of the early incarnations of that institute, and it won an Oscar! The students got to work with a real-world class filmmaker and animator Chris Landreth. And when I saw that I thought, you know, this is really something I want to be a part of. 

 

Pat Perdue  06:29 

And could you imagine that right out of the gate winning an Oscar? Yeah, like probably the last thing that they expected, but maybe in the back of their mind they hoped for it?

 

Kurt Muller  06:38 

Yeah, well, I'm not sure. Mark has pretty high status, might have had Oscar in his sights. And he had a really amazing vision, and even better execution. And that's the type of partnership where our students can partner with industry benefit from that partnership, but also, the industry partner benefits from the students’ creativity and passion for the subject matter. 

 

Pat Perdue  07:04 

Oh, for sure. And what a good onramp, you know, they'll leave with key contacts, key connections within the industry, and potentially a job or an internship at least waiting for them. 

 

Kurt Muller  07:14 

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. We actually have two industry partnerships at Seneca that are really fantastic in terms of the creative industry. We're one of only two colleges in the country that we're an avid learning partner. If you have watched a film recently, or even a television show, chances are that film or television show has been edited on Avid software, they're the industry standard, and industry leader, we are partnering with them in terms of our facilities, our infrastructure, but also the qualifications of our professors, and our students. And we also are partners with Adobe with Creative Cloud. A lot of the tools that are used are things like Photoshop, InDesign, a lot of the tools that are standard in the creative industry, these are Adobe tools. So, the fact that we have such significant partnerships with those two entities, is really helpful for our students. 

 

Pat Perdue  08:12 

You've been in the position for less than a year.  So, you know, you came in, you probably rolled up your sleeves a little bit, and you thought a little bit about the future. What might the future hold as you were sort of looking around thinking how you might want to put your stamp on the environment? 

 

Kurt Muller  08:34 

Sure. Well, when I first got here, the most important thing for me was to establish relationships. And I knew that Seneca was a wonderful environment, I wouldn't have left my previous position at Mohawk if I wasn't confident about that. But at every turn, that decision has been rewarded. I've developed some fantastic relationships, both with my manager, my colleagues, and also the folks who report to me and the faculty and support staff that really make this place run. So that has been wonderful. In terms of the future of marketing, media, animation, technology changes almost every day, we were just talking about some of the tools you use in a podcast show that's getting smaller and cheaper. But there are some things that don't change. And those things are principles of storytelling, being able to communicate with clarity. So those things don't change the tools do. And luckily, we have faculty and chairs that are really at the forefront of this technological change, but they're also able to keep those core principles intact. 

 

Pat Perdue  09:41 

Exactly. And speaking of the core fundamentals not changing. Let's talk a little bit about you and your background and the journey that led you to here. In your bio, there's a reference to your being a reporter for CTV News. And so, the art and craft of storytelling is something that has been presumably close to your heart since day one. 

 

Kurt Muller  10:01 

Absolutely. And that's, a great point, because that's something that I think all of the different disciplines in Seneca really have in common. Essentially, we all are storytellers, and whatever tools or platforms or methods we use, that is something that's a common thread throughout. And that's why I think my position is such a rewarding one, because we get to tell stories every day. 

 

Pat Perdue  10:25 

And speaking of rewarding positions, going from a reporter, in front of the camera, to a writer, behind the camera writer of the news, to an instructor to a professor, a college professor, all those are really, really fun roles. And as you've moved along, in the trajectory of your career, do you miss any of the aspects of your former roles? 

 

Kurt Muller  10:48 

I don't. Well, I mean, so I do miss teaching apps? Absolutely. Yeah, I really miss that type of one-on-one interaction with the students and the relationships that develop with students. I miss seeing students grow from that first class to graduation. I do get some of that as dean, but really, by necessity that's diminished. There are elements of reporting that I miss, I miss the excitement of walking into a new situation where I don't know anything and having that pressure to really quickly understand what's going on. And the ability to tell people stories as well, I missed that. Now. There are lots of things I don't miss about reporting. Because of the nature of reporting, there was a lot of tragedy. And that's something I don't miss having to cover really, really tragic stories with a lot of sadness in them. On the other hand, there were times where I got to tell really inspirational stories about people that had overcome incredible obstacles. And that was a very rewarding part of the job. My job now, I get all the best elements of my previous positions in terms of the gratification of seeing students grow, being able to launch new programs, being able to make a difference in the community. Education for me, has always been about opportunity. And in every facet of raising people up, education has always been core, it's always key. And once people get educated, then the rest follows. 

 

Pat Perdue  12:26 

And looking back to a little bit about your background with the amount of diversity that you've had, what do you tend to draw from today and your role today? 

 

Kurt Muller  12:35 

Well as a reporter, I think I got good at understanding and listening. Listening is a really key skill that I use every day. And everything flows from that if you can't listen, well, there are really not a lot of jobs you're going to be good at. But then being able to impart information with clarity and understand the audience, the specific audience that you're dealing with, and what they might be looking for, and making sure that you speak in a language that isn't full of jargon. And that is accessible, but at the same time doesn't simplify things that might be pretty complex. I think those are skills that I use every day. 

 

Pat Perdue  13:21 

Nice, nice. And for the students that are listening to this, and of course, it's a well-known, very well-respected program, and they're thinking of maybe themselves enrolling in it. What guidance might you have from, your perspective in terms of how best to succeed in the program, or in any of the programs, and also how best to succeed in the industry after they graduate? 

 

Kurt Muller  13:45 

Well, the first thing I would say is, do some research and do a little bit of your homework, find out about the program. The best way to do that is to touch base with the faculty who actually teach in the program, come to the open house, reach out to the co-ordinators reach out to the professors reach out to current and former students to get an idea if is this for me. I think the creative industries are an absolutely wonderful way to make a living because you get to fulfill that creative spark that all of us really have. But you also get to earn a good living at the same time, and you also get to see your work often consumed by members of the public that's really gratifying. Right now, we happen to be in a wonderful time to be in the creative industries. The film and television and content creation industry in Canada is absolutely booming, particularly in Ontario. We just had a record-breaking year for film and television production in the province, and film and television production. When you look at it, it's almost like a little mini city. You have camera people you have writers; you have editors you have lighting technicians, you have screenwriters, you have musicians, you have marketers, you have graphic designers, you have all within the different disciplines in FCAD, and it's just a great time to be part of that whole milieu. 

 

Pat Perdue  15:05 

Sure. So, you've been here five months, I asked you what were you rolling up your sleeves for? When you think of FCAD, next year or the year after, or even the year after that, what might come to mind?

 

Kurt Muller  15:17 

Well, one of the things we are looking at right now is augmented and virtual reality, and making sure that that technology, which is really exploding in terms of industry use, but also the pedagogical applications of augmented and virtual reality, making sure that Seneca as an institution, uses that tech in a strategic way. And also, in a way that benefits our students and our faculty, as much as possible, really exciting technology in terms of what's possible. We had a demo the other day where we were demonstrating a virtual tour through Anne Frank's house, where you got to hear Anne Frank's voice describing your surroundings that looked incredibly real. It was quite a visceral touching experience that I'm not sure would have worked as well in any other platform.   

 

Pat Perdue  16:11 

When you think of the other potential platforms, a movie, perhaps a book, are excellent platforms. But the immersive nature of that, you can imagine is absolutely astonishing. 

 

Kurt Muller  16:23 

Absolutely. And again, it all comes back to storytelling. How are you telling the story? And how is the medium or platform you're using? How should that influence the story that you're telling and the way you're telling? 

 

Pat Perdue  16:34 

And as Dean, you have a lot of great ideas. And definitely your thumb on the pulse of the notion of storytelling in different media. How involved can you get in the design and the direction of the various programs that are within your umbrella? 

 

Kurt Muller  16:51 

Well, I'm lucky. And Seneca is lucky in that we have incredibly creative and expert faculty and chairs. And they come up with amazing ideas that I benefit from in terms of that's a fantastic idea, let's do it!  What do you need in terms of support? What do you need in terms of making sure that this has the best chance for success? It's not something that I ever do in isolation, in a vacuum. It's a collaborative process. And that's one of the things that really appealed to me about Seneca, is the emphasis on collaboration on interdisciplinary cooperation, because that's the way not just the creative industries are going. But that's the way all industry is going in terms of there are fewer and fewer divisions, and silos. It's all about collaboration and cooperation, which is great. 

 

Pat Perdue  17:44 

And media within organizations, you don't have to be working for a film studio to be involved in media, in a company. Do you have the opportunity to cross pollinate, potentially with other departments that would be outside of FCAD to maybe share ideas? 

 

Kurt Muller  18:04 of

Well, that's the exciting part. And yeah, interdisciplinary is often the most exciting when you're combining two disciplines that you might not automatically think of as going together. For example, one of the projects I'm excited about is a fund called the Broadcasting Accessibility Fund. And the purpose of this fund is to make medium more accessible to people with disabilities. So, if it's a website, is it accessible to someone who has a vision, disability, so they can use a screen reader, things like that. We want to work with some of the computer science folks to work on some software that might help people that have a visual impairment get better access to musical scores in Braille. Those are some of the projects where it requires a multidisciplinary approach. And then when you can see students at Seneca as a whole benefit from that combination of knowledge that's really rewarding.

 

Pat Perdue  19:02 

Fascinating! I'm thinking folks listening are probably wondering, what does a dean do? And you alluded to it actually, with the question, what can I do to help facilitate the vision of that program that you're pitching to me or whatever it is? Do you find yourself in the role of sort of the remover of barriers? Would that be a good description? 

 

Kurt Muller  19:27 

Yeah, that's on a good day when I feel like I've accomplished that. I also am responsible for building partnerships across the college and with industry, with other institutions in terms of pathways for our students. But all of that is done in a collaborative fashion. One of the things I like to say is a sort of the higher up, you rise in an organization, the more your job is really about persuading and building collaborations and partner memberships, as opposed to just simply doing something, there's really not a lot I can accomplish on my own right? 

 

Pat Perdue  20:07 

Right. Fascinating. Kurt Mueller, Dean of FCAD, thank you for spending this time on the podcast. And all the best. It looks like the programs are in really, really good shape under your leadership. Thank you very much. 

 

Kurt Muller  20:19 

Well, thanks. Thanks for having me. 

 

Pat Perdue  20:23 

And that was my conversation with Dean Kurt Muller of FCAD. Pretty cool, right? I find it super interesting that there are so many disciplines in this department. And largely, they all come down to telling stories. I also found it pretty interesting to learn what a dean actually does, which is kind of hard to define. But I loved how the key skill that Kurt draws from to succeed, communicating effectively, is the second of the four letters that define the department FCAD right. Thank you very much to Dean Kurt Muller for joining the podcast. And thank you for listening.

Remember to be safe during this time by washing your hands 20 seconds and social distancing one to two meters to prevent the spread of COVID 19. Because you might be fine, but it's pretty dangerous for someone whose immune system might be a little bit compromised. Okay, be safe. Let's keep each other safe and remember, and never forget, stay proud Seneca.