Dear Colleagues,
First, a heartfelt thank you to all of you for your part in making convocation an incredible success. It was the largest set of ceremonies in Seneca’s history, with more than 8,000 graduates from April and August 2022 crossing the stage over six days. In addition to those on site, more than 2,000 friends and family streamed each ceremony live from dozens of countries all over the world. You can see recordings of the FCAD convocation ceremonies on Seneca's website.
As President Agnew pointed out, this event was the result of the work of hundreds of Seneca employees and student ambassadors. And of course prior to the event itself, it was the dedication of faculty and support staff who made it possible for students to achieve this milestone. Once again, thank you.
This will be the last newsletter for 2022, as we will not have one for December. I hope to see many of you at the upcoming FCAD Holiday Lunch on December 20 at S@Y. In the meantime, I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a joyful and relaxing holiday, and a Happy New Year.
Stay well and stay safe.
Kurt
President Agnew announced that the renovated food space at Newnham Campus will be known as The Pond. The name pays homage to the campus’ history, as there used to be a body of water that brought enjoyment to students and employees.
This announcement also included the unveiling of The Reciprocity Mural, a mural that spans across seven walls of The Pond to reflect Seneca's seven campuses. The mural came together under the artistic direction of Dr. JoAnn Purcell, Program Co-ordinator of the Illustration diploma program, and Professor Martha Newbigging, Program Co-ordinator of the Art Fundamentals certificate program. They over saw a team of five artists who are Seneca graduates, with the guidance of Peggy Pitawanakwat, Co-ordinator, First Peoples@Seneca.
“We were inspired by the concept of Au Large and wanted to include experiences from across the institution. We looked through an equity-based lens with a focus on individuals and scenarios. The representations challenge tropes and showcase the voices of students, employees and alumni.” - Dr. JoAnn Purcell
Dr. Purcell and Professor Newbigging spoke with FCAD Dean Kurt Muller about their experience working on the mural project, the importance of projects like this, and how the art was conceptualized.
Kurt also spoke with the five artists who brought the mural to life. Maryam Ghosirad, Morgan Kagesheongai, Mir Rosha, Erick Reyes, Sara Sarhangpour and Gary Wu shared what it means to see their work out in the world and what it was like working as a team on the project.
Ken Wong, Professor, School of Marketing, shared his expert perspective on omnichannel retail marketing during an industry-focused webinar hosted by The Globe and Mail.
The webinar opened with a discussion between Dawn Calleja, editor of Report on Business magazine, and Ken about recent changes in omnichannel and why it’s important to retailers and other businesses. Following that, a panel of business leaders talked about how they are using omnichannel at their own organizations, and shared advice and strategies for other executives.
Collin Clowes, a graduate of the Independent Songwriting & Performance program, debuted a new heartfelt EP called Lily, centered around the musician’s experience with loss. The latest single “Go” was written about Clowes decision to leave home and attend the program at Seneca.
Dani Stover, a graduate of the Journalism program, is hosting a new weeknight radio show for 640 (CFIQ-AM) Toronto called Let’s Talk with Dani Stover.
After graduating from Seneca in 2006, Dani has been working at Corus Entertainment off and on since 2008 in hosting and producing roles across the country. The new show is a curation of deep dives into major news stories of the day and features clips from 640’s coverage, as well as CFPL London and CHML Hamilton, where the show also airs.
President Agnew, along with Radha Krishnan, CIO and Vice-President, Customer Support, officially launched The Service Hub’s onsite location at Newnham Campus. This innovative space offers students in-person supports and services, access to technology and meeting rooms.
This past week, downtown Toronto was Seneca Red as we honoured April and August 2022 graduates at the Fall 2022 Convocation, which took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
This was the largest set of convocation ceremonies in Seneca’s history, with 8,000 graduates and 18,300 guests attending 12 ceremonies over six days.
Hundreds of Seneca employees, along with students and volunteers helped to create an unforgettable experience for graduates, their families and friends.
Ceremonies were livestreamed and viewed on 18,000 devices in 116 countries around the world.
Here are some highlights and memories:
- Videos and photos from each ceremony, which brought together students, faculty, board members and guests
- Biographies of the valedictorians from each Seneca and their tribute video
- Congratulatory messages from elected officials and some outstanding alumni
- Toronto City Councillor Shelley Carroll attended as a guest of Seneca Cup winner and Valedictorian David Jeong
- Shared memories on Seneca's Instagram and Facebook accounts
- Incredible singing performances from graduates Erica Knox and Kevin Bresser
- Hundreds of incredible stories of our graduates’ perseverance, overcoming challenges related to COVID-19 and other hurdles, including Practical Nursing graduate Kaitlyn O’Brian
Congratulations to all 14k Seneca graduates from April and August 2022. We look forward to celebrating our next group of graduates in 2023.
Ramya Amuthan, a graduate of the Broadcasting - Radio program, will co-host a daily lifestyle and entertainment program on AMI-tv starting in January. The show, Kelly and Ramya, is a staple of AMI-audio and podcast platforms, and the addition of TV brings the opportunity to reach new audiences and explore more discussions around accessibility in TV and video experiences.
Excerpt:
“Moving to TV directly involves us with the conversations, and actions, around descriptive video and accessible TV experiences,” Ramya Amuthan says. “I’m very opinionated and vocal about my own TV-watching—what makes good descriptive video, where it can be improved, how we can make experiencing TV better and easier for people with disabilities—so I’m thrilled that I have a full-on opportunity to voice my lived experience and thoughts through this transition to TV.”
Kerri Heroux, a grad from Seneca, joined the cast for HAWK Theatre’s production of “The Ladies Foursome” by Norm Foster. “The Ladies Foursome” is a comedy for adults about everything except golf.
After a career in television and film and some theatre since the age of four, Kerri jumped at the opportunity to audition for the role of Tate in the play and landed the part, making her one of the lead ladies.
Excerpt:
“I love it,” Kerri says. “I went to Seneca College and studied media, communications and TV broadcast, working in front of a camera. I worked at Global and had a small part in ‘Criminal Minds’ before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.”
The show opens Saturday, Nov. 26, at 7:30 p.m., at the Lucknow Town Hall Theatre.
Terry Greene, Senior eLearning Designer, Trent University, mentioned Seneca's role in the award-winning Liberated Learners project during an interview on Global Morning News CHEX Peterborough. This provincially-funded project aimed at helping post-secondary students work smarter and be more independent while learning online is a collaborative effort involving eight institutions.
(Segment begins at 08:51:52)
A message from President Agnew.
A few years ago, we started an annual employee survey to get your views in a quick poll. Past themes have included flexible work, innovation and communications.
On Monday, Nov. 21, you received an email asking you to take part in the 2022 edition of the employee survey. It should only take a few minutes to complete.
This year, the theme of the survey is inclusion. Questions will cover areas such as belonging, fair treatment and integrating differences. We will also ask the same question that is on all of our Seneca employee surveys: would you recommend Seneca as an employer to a friend or family member?
The independent polling firm, CCI Resources, will conduct the survey. You will receive an email directly from CCI with a unique link to the questions. Your individual responses will not be shared with anyone at Seneca.
The survey closes at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2. We will report back to the Seneca community later in December when the data is compiled.
If you have any questions, please contact Kevin Maly (kevin.maly@senecacollege.ca), Strategic Initiatives Specialist, HR Initiatives and Change Management.
Your views will help guide our approach to reaching our Au Large and strategic objectives now and in the future.
Thank you for participating.
Service Hubs
Service hubs at Seneca’s four main campuses are now open at the following locations:
- Newnham Campus - D Building, second floor, across from D2000
- King Campus - Garriock Hall (GH2100)
- Markham Campus - main level, beyond the elevators
- Seneca@York - Stephan E. Quinlan building, beside the welcome desk, second floor
Regular start-up business processes have not changed, and students should continue to be directed to orientation@senecacollege.ca for assistance as they prepare for the fall term.
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