Dear Colleagues,
As we approach the end of the semester, a note of appreciation for all your hard work this year. It is such a pleasure to see our students excelling at the many competitions, events and showcases in FCAD. I see your pride in the students’ achievements, and the admiration and respect they have for you as mentors, guides and supporters. Your expertise, dedication and care will bear fruit for decades to come. Thank you.
Soon, the summer semester will be upon us, and with it, the launch of an exciting new initiative that will build on much of the innovative work already being done by Seneca professors. The Curriculum Integration Project is focused on embedding reconciliation, equity, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability as core values and principles in program curriculum and the student experience, regardless of discipline.
Seneca’s superb Teaching and Learning staff is leading this work in collaboration with our expert faculty. An interdisciplinary team developed a guiding framework, resources, and process for more than 55 programs. "Faculty champions" are identifying priorities and goals for curriculum integration & teaching strategies.
This is an ambitious project, but a crucial one if Seneca is to fulfill a key component of our new Strategic Plan: Helping students become engaged citizens, and active participants in building strong, vibrant communities that foster tolerance, diversity in all forms, and respect.
At the same time, this project will help students develop traits that industry demands. Increasingly, companies recognize that employees who create positive connections with people from other cultures, who can identify sustainable principles and approaches, and have an understanding of context and history with regard to Indigenous communities and Truth and Reconciliation, are valuable.
I have seen this trend in action at Seneca. At the recent Fashion Business Management FIELD event, third-year student Angela Lin was offered and accepted a job as Marketing Lead with the brand Ste.Marg.Scot, immediately after presenting a capstone project focused on innovative collaboration, embedding sustainability into a new apparel concept collection and a digital marketing campaign for an industry client. Industry representatives were also impressed that students created their own unique and eloquent land acknowledgement to begin the event, which highlighted the devastating effects of fast fashion on our world today. The land acknowledgement also served as a pledge from the students to take action.
Finally, this initiative supports student success. It is aligned with Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy, (CRRP), where students see themselves reflected in the curriculum, their physical surroundings, and the broader environment.
It has been well documented that “students who do not see themselves reflected in what they are learning, in their classrooms, and in their schools become disengaged and do not experience as great a sense of well-being or as high a level of academic achievement as those who do”.
The Curriculum Integration Project will officially launch on Teaching and Learning Day on May 2. Please join me to learn more on how we can work together to support this important initiative.
Stay well and stay safe.
Kurt
Each year, Seneca’s Fashion Business Management third-year students deliver a capstone project known as FIELD. FIELD stands for: ‘Fashion Industry Educational Exchange and Leadership Development’. The program is proudly in its 13th year of delivering the FIELD project. After three years of delivering the event virtually, students and faculty were thrilled to be back to an in-person event. This year, the event hosted over 70 guests comprised of industry experts, alumni, faculty, friends and family.
For the FIELD project, the students work in teams to apply their knowledge gained in the three years of study to deliver a creative and strategic solution for a 'real life' client with a business opportunity. Teams had to take into account and develop a marketing plan, product assortment, sustainability angle, and a digital promotional strategy to attract a new target customer. The work of this seven month long project comes to a conclusion as groups present live in a gala celebration.
This year, the Canadian company INLAND (founded by Sarah Power) was the client. Sarah and judging panel were thoroughly impressed with the presentations and the deliberations to determine a winner went into overtime!
The students who presented a concept called 'WE/ART' were ultimately crowned the winners. Congratulations to Alicen Gomes, Michael Ferreira, Mariia Nestoruk, and Mariana Lunova.
“As a professor, speaking for our team of professors, this is really meaningful for us, because we get to see the work that we have done and the connection that we have with our students. And how we’re really working together to prepare them for the industry and all that it brings. We know that they’re ready and they’ll be successful.” - Jenny Muccioli, School of Fashion professor
Congratulations to the entire Fashion Business Management class for an impressive display of teamwork, and ultimately putting your collective gained knowledge into an industry ready presentation.
Fashion Arts grad Jacquelene Clark was recognized in BizBash’s 2023 40 Under 40 List for her work as the founder of the communications and events firm The Well Connected. After a long journey of doing PR work for clients on the side while working various full-time jobs, Jacquelene’s success came when she decided to take the entrepreneurial route and start her own company in 2018. This allowed her to represent brands and businesses that she wasn’t seeing supported as much and reach different demographics. Going all in on her own business meant she could stay creative, work with clients and brands she really believed in, and be surrounded by a team of like-minded people.
I started out back in 2005 in The Fashion Arts program at Seneca College. I thought I was going to be a bridal designer, living my best Disney princess life. Through the design program, I ended up on the PR team for the year-end fashion show. It sparked an interest in events and communications.
The 5th annual Make It Happen event for students in the School of Marketing was a great success! Over 400 attended the marketing career forum at the beautiful Flato Markham Theatre on Tuesday, March 28. Award-winning, Canadian marketing legends and Seneca Alumni engaged the audience with stories of the highs and lows of their personal career journeys. Student attendees gained practical insights on how to break into, and ‘make it happen’ in the industry.
The full-day event featured 32 remarkable industry speakers along with “Pepper” IBM’s humanoid robot, who conversed and danced on-stage, much to the delight of the audience.
Make It Happen was organized and produced by the students in the Sports, Entertainment and Event (SEM) post-graduate program. Two SEM students served as the event emcees.
“The students went above and beyond to ensure a seamless event experience for the speakers and the attendees. They are extremely proud of what they accomplished. They worked hard and came together as an organizing team,” said Nancy Bodi, Program Coordinator, SEM.
Feedback on the event was positive. Post-event survey research indicated that the vast majority agreed/ highly agreed as follows:
- 88% enjoyed the event experience.
- 86% learned practical career building insights from the speakers.
- 83% were engaged by the event speakers.
- 81% agreed the venue was a good choice for the event.
- 77% would attend the event next year if it was possible.
Notable remarks:
“I just wanted to reach out and say thank you for organizing the Make it Happen event! It was a fun and an educational experience. With myself graduating from BMT this upcoming semester, I feel more confident and less anxious to apply for jobs! Thank you again for all the time and effort you put in!” – Student attendee
“Thank you immensely for the opportunity! I had an absolute blast, and made some great, lasting connections with students and alumni alike. Most importantly, I'm glad that the students saw the benefit this amazing event provides.” – Alumni speaker
Make It Happen was made possible due to the support of the School of Marketing & Media, Seneca Alumni, Seneca Student Federation, Flato Markham Theatre, American Marketing Association Toronto Chapter, McDonald’s, and IBM.
Seneca’s Esports Marketing Management (EMK) program students recently collaborated with a group of Event and Media Production (EMP) students to host Seneca’s first “Mock esports Tournament” as part of their EMK210 course.
The “Toronto Rocket League Summit” tournament aimed to provide students with a hands-on approach to learning elements that go into an esports event.
The tournament was live-streamed on Twitch for a predominantly virtual audience and featured two teams of three competitors going head-to-head for the championship title. The EMK210 students coordinated all elements of an esports tournament, from creating a marketing plan to drive demand to a fictitious audience to filling event roles such as Shoutcaster, Referee, and Event Producer. From a technical side, the students worked under the direction of three EMP students and observed creative ways to enhance the broadcast via video, lighting, and audio mixing.
Both groups of students appreciated the opportunity to bring a theoretical learning exercise to a real-life experience.
Two students from Seneca’s Animation - Gaming Stream (ANIG), one student from Esports Marketing Management (EMK) and one student from Game Art and Animation (GAA) programs have been awarded Ontario eSports Scholarships. To qualify for this scholarship, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities seeks high-achieving students with financial need enrolled in programs related to the video-gaming industry that may lead to a career in the video-gaming or esports fields. Each recipient receives $6250 from the scholarship.
The scholarships are awarded to full-time domestic students enrolled in Animation - Gaming Stream (ANIG), Esports Marketing Management (EMK) or Game Art and Animation (GAA) program in the 2022/23 academic year. The recipients have to demonstrate financial need with a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average.
Convergence: Where Media Meets Opportunity!
CONVERGENCE is a one-of-a-kind evening of connection and celebration that brings together graduating students, faculty, and alumni from Seneca's School of Media. The event aims to provide attendees with numerous opportunities to connect with career-focused students and industry professionals.
Throughout the evening, attendees will have the opportunity to attend showcases of media industry skillsets, fireside chats, and relevant networking opportunities. Their all-star panel discussion segment, hosted by Seneca Alumni, will inspire and educate attendees through insightful content and intersecting perspectives across multiple industries.
The following School of Media programs will be in attendance:
- Broadcasting - Radio
- Broadcasting - TV
- Event & Media Production
- Government Relations
- Journalism
- Public Relations - Corporate Communications
Complimentary food and beverages will be catered throughout the evening for all attendees to enjoy. This is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of this talented new class of media professionals as they aim to connect with relevant employers or even some acclaimed Seneca Alumni.
Thursday, April 27th, 2023
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Seneca Downtown - 18 King St. East, 17th Floor, Toronto
Congratulations to School of Media Professor Brooke Jacobs. He is the latest recipient of the FCAD Spotlight Award. The award highlights employees who:
- Go above and beyond in educating and serving students.
- Support their colleagues and are great team players.
- Enhance Seneca’s reputation with external audiences.
- Bring forward innovative ideas and solutions.
This is a peer-driven award. Here’s a sample of what colleagues had to say about Professor Jacobs.
"Brooke is a wonderful teacher with amazing technical knowledge and skills. He's created online simulators for students to understand the technology we work with and sound effects software for use in studio. He's an excellent communicator and he teaches the students best practices with patience and clarity. If I have a technical problem while teaching, I call him and he guides me through it. Great guy. Great teacher."
If you would like to recognize someone who makes outstanding contributions to FCAD, please nominate them for a Spotlight Award.
Michael Katzikowski, a graduate of the Graphic Design program, was interviewed by Little Black Book about his career and current position as Vice-President and Creative Director at the advertising firm Commonwealth//McCann.
"I attended York University and Seneca College of Applied Arts, and really can say without a doubt that two professors pushed me to realize my true potential; Joanne Daoust, a brilliant artist that taught us how to think strategically about our solutions; and Paul Shecter, a typography guru who taught me the profound impact type has on the world around us, and design. Probably two of the most influential people that led me to where I am today, with timeless tools at my disposal."
Tune in Thursday, April 20th at 4:30pm to watch the finished cartoons of the grad students of Seneca College's 2D Animation program! Following the premiere we'll host a special behind-the-scenes talk with the production teams.
Three short films will be premiered for the very first time, followed by a Q&A with the students in the live chat, or in S1208 if you can attend in person.
Featuring:
- Homegrown 🌱 by Daniela, Skye, Ashley F, Veronica, Kale, Mindy, Lizzy, Evan, Faiza, Conor and Ashley M
- End of the Line 🦊 by Marc, Jonathan, Alex, Nat, Christine, Anthony and Kelvin
- Clouded ⛅ by Aidan, Osaze, Jason, Jordan, Angelie, Wang, Nich, Luce and Leana
Hosted by the 2D Program Coordinator Barnabas Wornoff
Malik McKoy, a graduate of the Game Art & Animation program, has created a mural for a recreation complex in Pickering.
The City of Pickering is celebrating front-line workers and first responders through two new murals made possible through grant funding from the Government of Canada’s Commemorate Canada: Reopening Fund. The Durham-based artists sought feedback from the community at-large and front-line workers to create pieces that show pride and appreciation for their work.
Malik’s piece, “They Matter” depicts a comfortable, domestic setting made possible by those who worked on the front line and thanks them for their sacrifices. The piece can be seen inside the recreation complex, at the north entrance.
Seneca is hosting Smart Cities Hackathon, an event led by Seneca Faculty Mark Buchner and students from different programs. The event will take place at the CITE Building on May 5-6th.
The hackathon is a student-focused innovation competition that provides a unique experiential learning experience. It encourages and develops creative thinking, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving skills by bringing together students from diverse backgrounds to work together on addressing real-world challenges(including how to build sustainable cities).
The teams receive support from subject-specific mentors and technical specialists and then showcase their solutions in a fun and lively environment to be adjudicated by a panel of experts consisting of investors, partners, school representatives, and domain specialists. The winning teams will have the opportunity to receive prizes and be considered for applied research project investment opportunities.
Register deadline: April 29th
OCMC 2022: GAME CHANGERS, is a documentary film that profiles eight Seneca marketing students and their experience with the Ontario Colleges' Marketing Competition (OCMC). An annual event, OCMC brings together hundreds of Ontario marketing students to test their skills in a series of competitions that simulate real business challenges. The film showcases the students' journey from their selection, preparation, and the two-day competition. It is an insider's look at OCMC from the perspective of the students and the rewards of their hard work. It was directed and edited by Andréa Pavez. Marco Panduro Cervantes was the cinematographer and post-production editor. Both of them are recent graduates of the Documentary & Non-Fiction Media Production Program.
Seneca’s Illustration diploma is excited to present its semi-annual Graduate Exhibition from a program that produces a diverse array of talented artists in both digital and traditional mediums. These skills, combined with the entrepreneurial business knowledge produce individuals ready to work in many different specialties including comics, indie arts, children’s books, concept art, spot and packaging illustration. This program has equipped each student with the capacity to succeed in today’s quick-paced illustration sectors with proficiency in the elements and principles of design, entrepreneurial business skills and critical and creative thinking.
Gallery 1313
1313 Queen Street West, Toronto, M6K 1L8
April 18 – 23, 2023 | 1 – 5 p.m. daily
Reception: Thursday, April 20 from 7 – 9 p.m
Seneca Coalesce 2023 is being held Tuesday, May 2nd at the John Bassett Theatre in downtown Toronto. Seneca is proud to welcome home Deanna Marsigliese, animation art director at Pixar Animation Studios in San Francisco, as part of Seneca Coalesce 2023: Wonderland.
Specializing in storytelling through character and costume design, Deanna has worked for Pixar Animation Studios since 2012. Her credits include Soul (2020), Onward (2020), Toy Story 4 (2019), Incredibles 2 (2018), Bao (2018), Inside Out (2015) and The Good Dinosaur (2013). Most recently, Deanna acted as both character art director and animation sketch artist lead for Pixar’s Luca (2021).
Prior to Pixar, Deanna worked at Seneca as Professor of Classical Animation, and freelanced as a 2D animator and character designer on a wide variety of film, television and commercial projects.
New for this year at Coalesce:
- Students in all semesters in SCAA program now invited to attend
- Special in-person keynote address by Deanna Marsigliese, Animation Art Director at Pixar Studios, Seneca graduate and former faculty member
- Gala reception followed by theatre showcase of live performances, films, program highlights and student interviews
In an interview with Broadway World, Joelle Peters, a graduate of the Acting for Camera & Voice program, talked about her new play Niizh. The play is a coming-of-age comedy inspired by YA romance novels she read as a teen and is set on a reserve in Southwestern Ontario. It debuts this month at Aki Studio in Toronto.
Joelle can write the rez. Conveying the history, the hardship, but more than anything the humour and the beauty of our complicated communities. And to see those spaces on stage is a powerful thing. - Falen Johnson, CBC Podcast host and playwright
The Seneca Film Institute has officially been announced and is gearing up to offer students the skills and experiences that will allow them to thrive in Canada’s booming screen industry. An article from Broadcast Dialogue notes how this new institute is poised to provide the talent needed for Ontario’s booming film and television production industry.
Teaching and Learning Day is being held Tuesday, May 2nd at Newnham campus.
The theme of this year is “Pathway to Curriculum Integration”, which will include reflection and discussion about integrating Truth & Reconciliation (TRC), Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI), and Sustainability into your curriculum.
The keynote speaker in the morning is Kevin Lamoureux (University of Winnipeg). Afterwards, there will be an opportunity to engage with expert panelists who will speak about their knowledge and experience in the areas of Truth & Reconciliation (TRC), Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI), and Sustainability.
This is an in-person one-day conference taking place at Newnham Campus.
Updated Campus Entrances and Mask Approach
President Agnew announced that as of May 1, 2023, the last of the pandemic-specific health and safety restrictions on campus will be removed. Seneca is making these changes in light of updated public health guidance, your feedback and a more stable level of COVID-19 in the community.
Entrances
As of May 1, students and employees will not need to tap or scan their OneCard to enter campuses. Visitors will not be required to sign in to enter campuses. However, visitors to residences must sign in with government-issued photo ID.
The entry kiosks will be removed. More entrances will be open during the day to make it more convenient to enter campus buildings. The number of open entrances will be reduced through the evening as a security measure.
Masks
As of May 1, masks will no longer be required on campus unless wearing Personal Protective Equipment is part of an academic or work requirement. Masks will continue to be required in the Health Centre at Newnham Campus. However, Seneca welcomes the use of masks as a matter of personal choice. Masks will continue to be available at main entrances upon request.
Protecting the health of our community
Thanks to you, Seneca responded to the pandemic remarkably well. We can be proud of the way our community came together to protect the health and safety of each other, our families and friends.
We continue to urge everyone to keep their vaccinations up to date and follow the advice of public health officials. Being vaccinated is the best way to reduce the impact of viruses – COVID-19 and others – on you and those around you.
As well, please be considerate of your fellow students and employees and do not come to campus if you are feeling ill. COVID-19 has not gone away, nor have other viruses and respiratory illnesses that are spread through human contact.
Resources
- Discover online nutshells, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Your Online Classroom, a Winning Combo
- Explore resources available on UDL
- Read the latest Teaching & Learning Centre Spark Plug on the Ten Step Approach to UDL
- Attend an upcoming Blackboard Ultra webinar
- For Leadership & Employee Development activities visit the Leadership & Employee Development space.
January 2023 || February 2023 || March 2023
January 2022 || February 2022 || March 2022 || April 2022 || May 2022 || June 2022 || August 2022 || September 2022 || October 2022 || November 2022
December 2021 || November 2021 || October 2021 || September 2021 || August 2021 || June 2021 || May 2021 || April 2021 || March 2021 || February 2021
December 2020 || November 2020 || October 2020 || September 2020 || August 2020