Niagara College International Staff Connect |
January 2020 (Vol 5, Issue 3)

Letter from Sean Kennedy

Welcome back everyone. I hope that you and your families had a wonderful holiday season.  

Before the College’s holiday closure, we held a productive divisional meeting that reflected and celebrated our accomplishments over the past five years and envisioned and strategized our goals for the future.  

Thank you for attending and contributing to our discussions, I am as confident as ever that our student-focused values will guide our future direction and enhance our supports for international students and partners. The goals we set in 2015 were ambitious, and we achieved them through your collaborative and creative efforts and commitment to continuous improvement.  Your expertise and feedback have been integral to our successes and will continue to be of critical importance as we begin this new decade. 

If you have any additional ideas you would like to be taken under consideration, you are encouraged to please share them with your supervisors and/or managers and we will do our best to create a holistic plan for the coming years.  

I would also like to share my heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the support I have received from this incredible team since my announcement as the new Niagara College President.  I am honoured and humbled both to have led this remarkable division and to begin this new leadership role on February 24th.  

Wishing you all a great to start to a new term, 

Sean Kennedy  

Letter from Sean Coote

Thank you to all those who attended the Divisional Meeting on Wednesday, December 19 and for sharing your goals and ideas for Niagara College and our International Division. I am proud to be part of such a passionate team of individuals and it is a pleasure to watch the International Division continue to grow.   

Following the announcement that was made at the meeting about my short-term secondment to NC KSA starting this month, I wanted to firstly thank everyone who reached out with their well wishes.  

I am excited for this new opportunity to continue to promote and implement Niagara College’s vision abroad. I believe the knowledge learned during my time in NC KSA will also allow me to further develop key skills to better support the International Division upon my return and look forward to seeing what 2020 will bring for Niagara College.   

All the best,  

Sean Coote 

Did you know there was a Leader Spotlight on our very own Maxine Semple on the Leadership Niagara website? Check it out here: http://leadershipniagara.ca/acl-leader-in-focus-maxine-semple/  

Some exciting baby news from Siddharth at the beginning of the month: 

Born on January 10th, 2020 at 8:20 AM, our adorable baby boy weighs 8.9 pounds. Mom and Baby are still in the hospital and expect to arrive home soon. 

(we still need to name him - we know we are late!) 

Thank you for sharing in this joyous news with us.  

I have attached a picture for you.   

Regards, 

Sid. 

Watch the International Culture Series Caribbean Presentation 

A message from Sean Kennedy:

As I prepare to take on my new role as president on February 24, several changes within the International Division are also underway, and I am pleased to announce three senior leadership appointments.

Dave Taylor, recently retired associate vice president, Academic and Learner Services, will be rejoining the College to take on the role of interim senior vice president, International. Dave assumes this new role on February 24, and continue until a new SVP, International is in place. The search process for a new SVP, International will commence in early spring. Dave’s extensive experience with Niagara College over the years in a number of positions within the Academic and Learner Services and International divisions will be invaluable as we transition into the next phase of the College’s global growth and engagement.

A message from Steve Hudson:

As we look to continuously support and enhance our efforts to provide a safe and respectful learning environment, next month we will launch the Niagara College Student Voices on Sexual Violence Online Survey. This initiative is designed to generate student feedback that will inform improvements to our sexual violence supports, services and safety initiatives while serving to raise awareness of this important issue.

A message from Justin Williams:

It is my pleasure to announce that Orel Ruiz will be taking on the position of Manager, Offshore Education and Training effective April 2020.  As many of you know, Orel is a NC alumnus who has worked with NC in various capacities, including in senior management roles with NC KSA for the past five years.  We are excited about the passion, dedication, and experience that Orel will bring to this dynamic role within Global Education and Partnerships and look forward to welcoming him to the team in April when he completes his assignment with NC KSA. 

Important Reminders for Winter 2020 Term:

Niagara College’s Winter 2020 Term is in full swing. Here are a few things to keep in mind as the term gets underway.

Cultural and Global Engagement: 

The Cultural & Global Engagement team was eager to welcome a familiar face back to the International Division on January 20th when Elisabeth Vint joined the team as Study & Work Abroad Advisor. 

Elisabeth is a graduate of both Brock University and Niagara College, and her love of academia continues as she is currently continuing her studies with the University of Calgary in Career Development and Academic Advising. Elisabeth has worked in various roles focused on the international and domestic student experience in the capacity of International Student Services Coordinator, International Student Experience Coordinator, Instructor, Inquiry Response Clerk, and Student Engagement & Leadership Program Coordinator. In addition, she has spent time working with NC KSA and is familiar with our various partnerships. Elisabeth is passionate about driving student success and has dedicated her career to enhancing the student experience through personal and professional development opportunities and programming. Welcome, Elisabeth! 

Maxine 

Room bookings in the new NOTL office:  

Room bookings in the new NOTL office: 

Room-NL-Meeting Room W015C (5)- Student Breakout Room, non-private, round table, no media 

Room-NL-Meeting Room W015D (4)- Flex Space, non-private, laptop required, movable tables & chairs 

Room-NL-Meeting Room W015E (1, 3 max)- Managers Office, limited booking availability 

Room-NL-Meeting Room W015I (1, 4 max)- Regional Managers Office, limited booking availability 

Emily Moar is the approver, if anyone has any issues please call or email, x4169 emoar@niagaracollege.ca