Vancouver Community College Education (5) VCC November 2007 Volume 2, Issuu 2 VCC School of Music ABORIGINAL MUSIC LAB Sal Ferreias In this Issue Dean, School of Music sfenetas@vcc ca Aboriginal Music Lab Sal Feneias The School of Music at Vancouver Community College has been at the forefront of progressive music education m Vancouver and be¬ Seizuie Disoideis yond since its inception over 25 years ago Recognizing this country's Desnee Blankenbeig ever-expanding community of highly talented Aboriginal artists, the School of Music embarked on the organization and launch of an in¬ VCC International and CESUES sign MOU Nadina Dodd tensive workshop/laboratory this past summer of 2007 The primary purpose was to tram practicing and aspiring Aboriginal artists in a range of advanced, hands-on skills, techniques, and seminars deliv¬ Education Council Report ered by established artists within the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal music and media scene The School contracted singer/songwriter/ Department Head Ode hip-hop artist Kmme Starr to lead a cast of highly engaged local and Robeit Olrvei national artists m providing a meaningful and deeply resonant musi¬ cal training and shaung experience Faculty Webgradmg Sandia North Committee Reports Dismbuted Leaimng Committee Education Admmisttatois Gioup Management Gtoup "Ij/n/ wanted to ray thank yon again1 I had an anvwme time It was truly mspiung 1 Hally wanted yon and Kinney to know how grateful 1 am to know that people hkejon, Kinney, Alan Gieyeyes and Gem Tumble have been inch a huge milestone in myptogiesr To know that yon all believe m the mns/c, believe in me, ns, so that we can move fonvard and make om dieams come true' It leally moves me I have a big heart jot all of yon11 Events Calendai I have been so pumped since I got back home, I have written 3 mote songs" Two are still /// ptogress, one is complete And I have been making contacts fin gigs now too1 Ha - no stopping me now111 I cant wait to heat the CD -1 know its going to be awesome" There was some gieat music and spmt happening then' With much love and Peace," Education Forum December 05th 3:30pm - 5:00pm Room 419 Downtown Campus -Ontario basedfemale singei-songwutei The VCC School of Music Aboriginal Music Lab took place August 20th to 25th, 2007 at the Broadway campus Participants attended featured sessions m areas such as Pop, Blues and Jazz Progressions, DJ Culture, Talking about Culture and Context, and Reviving Tradi¬ tional Music Sessions weie held both m the VCC Broadway audito¬ December 06th rium and adjacent electronic music lab from Noon to 9pm Monday 9:00am - 10:30am through Saturday Participants traveled to Vancouver from Ontario, Room 4001 Quebec, Manitoba, the North West Territories, Alberta, Interior and Northern British Columbia Broadway Campus Con hum d on pain 5 i Volume 2, Issue 2 November 2007 tigue Seizure Disorders 2. Complex-partial seizuies (also referred to as Psychomotoi sei¬ Students with seizure disorders are often under preventative medica¬ Disability Counseloi zures) range from mild to seveie and may include stating, mental dblankenbeig@vcc ca confusion, Desiree Blankenbetg tion, which may cause drowsiness uncootdinated and random move¬ and temporary memory problems Such medication makes it unlikely Students with epilepsy and other ment, incoherent speech, and be¬ that a seizure will occur in class seizure disordeis aie sometimes haviour outbursts, followed by teluctant to divulge then condi¬ immediate tecoveiy Person ap¬ pears clumsy and often mistaken understood oi stigmatized Myths to be intoxicated They may stare about this disoider include it being blankly and walk around m a daze a form of mental illness or it is These seizures may last from two contagious and untieatable These minutes to a half an hour The tions because they fear being mis¬ uncertain There is evidence that hereditary factors may be involved person may have no recollection of what happened but may experi¬ ence fatigue They may also be able to follow simple directions if and that brain in]uries and tu¬ given m a calm friendly voice misconceptions have ansen be¬ cause the ultimate causes remain In the event of a Grand Mai Sei¬ zure, the following procedures may prove helpful. • Call for help • Keep calm Although its mani¬ festations may be intense, the sei¬ zure is generally not painful to the individual • Remove nearby objects that may injure the student during the seizure rnouts, occurring at any age, may • Help lower the person to the floor and place cushioning under side of the body, typically involve imbalances in the electrical activity uncontrollable trembling or jerking his/het head of the btam of arm or leg This however, may • Turn the head to the side, so turn into a tonic clonic seizuie as that breathing is not obstructed The following are 4 distinct the movements may start in a fin¬ (usually done aftet the seizure) types of seizures or at least the ger and then slowly "move" up¬ • Loosen tight clothing most recognized ones wards until whole limb shakes • Do not force anything be¬ Usually, anticonvulsant medication tween the teeth 1. Generalized absence seizures is used to prevent or reduce the • Do not try to resttam bodily (previously called Petit Mai), small numbet of seizures movement seizures and characterized by eye 4. Generalized tonic-clonic sei¬ • After a seizure, faculty should blinking or staring It begins deal foithtightly with the concerns abruptly with a sudden dimming of zures (better known as Grand of the class in an effort to forestall consciousness and may last only a Mai) They involve episodes of whatever negative attitudes may few seconds Whatever the person violent shaking, the person be¬ develop toward the student is doing is suspended for a mo¬ comes blue and stiff, possible in¬ Most importantly, assure the indi¬ ment but lesumed again as soon as creased heart rate and blood piesthe seizure is over often, because sure Seizures may be modetate to vidual in a calm voice that he/she is m a safe place of its briefness Unlike tonic clonic severe and may be characteuzed give use to seizures What is 3. Partial seizures—affect one known is that seizures result from seizures the individual does not experience deep sleep afterwards This type of seizure may go unno¬ ticed by the individual as well as by others by generalized contractions of (adapted with peimission from Vmuscles, twitching, and limb |eiking May last up to an hour and the Tech Institute faculty guide for VCC) person may fall into a deep sleep and may experience extreme fa¬ Items for Education @ VCC can be submitted anytime, by any¬ one Our next edition will be in Decembet, and the deadline for that issue will be November 26th Please submit your submissions to mgtovei@vcc ca 3 Volume 2, Issue 2 VCC International signs MOU with CESUES University in eial Directot of CESUES, Mr one a competitive advantage in Fiancisco Carlos Silva Toledo, and this globally interdependent the Minister of Education and Cul¬ world " ture, Mi Ainoldo Soto Soto Sonora, Mexico Nadma Dodd Maiketmg Cooidinatoi, VCCI n(.lodd@\ cc cn Duting the ceiemony speeches, Nadina spoke of the importance of having international experience "whilst travelling and learning about othei cultuies and customs announce the signing of an impoi- we aie often faced with challenges because of the new and unique tant Memorandum of Undeistand- expeiiences it bungs — this opens VCC International is pleased to mg (MOU) with CESUES Umvet- our eyes and gives us a different sity m the Northwestern State of Sonoia, Mexico November 2007 perspective on the wotld which enriches both out peisonal and piofessional life Also - having Matkedng Managei of VCC International, Nadina Dodd, recently tiavelled to this state duting which time she At present, top peifotming stu¬ dents of CESUES receive a schol¬ arship every yeat from their uni- veisity which allows them to ex¬ penence Canada dunng a fiveweek English Language and Cultute progtam at Vancouver Com- munity College This agreement outlines this opportunity but also further solidifies the collaboration of both institutions in the develop¬ ment of other educational pro¬ grams and projects for both stu¬ dents and faculty m Vancouver and Mex¬ ico The development of such international opportunities is an ex¬ was involved in piesen- citing part of VCC's tations at CESUES and plan to public telations activi¬ "internationalize" the ties with both state and local media She was thulled to be paidcipating in the formal sign¬ ing ceremony of such an important international expenence and agreement together with the Gen- speaking another language gives campus and this part¬ Report ftom Education Council nership comes as a wel¬ come addition to one of the many projects abroad that aie in the works at VCC International these have in turn been shared with Education Council The EEAW Program Review will be pre¬ sented at the Decembei meeting A new council was elected in October Joining the Council aie Leona Fnesen, faculty lepresentative foi the School of Health Sciences, Sally Gibson, faculty Education Council appioved the Libiary Lending Policy in October. It was then lecommended to and representative for the College-at-Laige, and fout stu¬ approved by the Board dent repiesentatives, Jenm-Lynn Hewitt, Joel Pike, Rosematy Qi, and Donna Rose Aftei six years as Chair, Ted Hougham will be step¬ ping down from Education Council Loina Downie will be Intenm Chair until a new executive is elected in Decembei The Policy Committee of Education Council has repotted that the following policies will be leviewed by Education Council in the coming months - Piogram Review policy - Piogram Advisory Committee policy - Affiliation Agreement policy The Drafting and Counselling Skills & Substance Abuse Counselling Program Reviews have been pre¬ sented to Education Council The Deans fiom these areas have submitted Action Plans to the VP Ed, and - Granting of Ctedentials policy - Degree Standards policy - Articulation /Tiansfer Ciedit policy - Scholarships and Awards policy Department Head Ode Robeit Oliver Depaitmcnt Head, Dipioma Piogram Hospitality Management io}lvei@vcc ca Please, will you be the Department Head'1 Everyone wants you to be the one on which to depend, Please, will you be the Department Head^ Think of all the perks and the large, large stipend' Please be the role-model, we so desperately need, You have the experience and you have the manner, You know the students, faculty and deans, And you're not afiaid of the Big Bad Banner' Well I fell for all this, hook, line and sinker, And took the )ob as Head of the Department, My biggest surprise was that my classroom world, Now became an isolated office compartment No longer could 1 wander around the campus, Talking to colleagues and calling out student greetings, I found myself wandering around the campus, But head down and determined to get to the next round of meetings. Where is your training plan, your budget and schedule? When will you know the amount owing to faculty PD? Where is your strategic plan and your SWOT analysis, When is the soonest you can get enrollment numbers to me? Ate you going to the ttade show and setting up the booth? Don't forget Information Night a week from today, Remember HR needs yout four faculty evaluations tomouow, You'ie §50,000 00 over budget, now what do you have to say? Did you do the student evaluations, on the right foim this time' Have you done the reference checks and copied the documentation5 No, You can't take holidays and you can't carry them over. You need to attend this months PAC, and be a sensation! Is the exam schedule done yet and who is your union rep? When was the last time your Department had a fire drilP Are the finals marks entered yet. Banner is ready to roll, No you can't go to the Pharmacy Department to get a big pill These are youi typical days as a Department Head, And so we ask ourselves, why do we do it? We do it because we have the power and ability, To lead faculty and students to a near perfect fit We are educators, teferees and actors, We ate accountants, counselors and more; We are pulled daily in countless dnections, But always mindful, the student is our Core The success of our students is everyone's mission. Their success validates why we are here; When they walk across that stage and thank us, They have the skills and ethics that we all hold dear. Yes, the hours are long and the meetings unending, But along the way our faculty, students & programs shine, So on the days when the job just seems too much, Please lemember it is our responsibility, yours and mine 5 Volume 2, Issue 2 contmued fiotn page 1 Attendees brought to the Lab a wide gamut of musical styles and approaches that included tradi¬ tional music, folk singei/ couver Media Club, a club well known to Vancouver independent musical aitist community The evening began with a remarkable showcase featuring all Aboriginal Music Lab participants m solo or and pow-wow music group performance followed by three powerful sets by local artists story-teller Richard van Camp, songwriters, country music, hiphop, rock, dj~ing, classical, blues, "Monday mommg, lecoided dmmnm and I iappet-d| Manik, rock guitanst Marty Ballentyne, hip-hop artist at the beach and we got a Jew takes: oj the Kinnie Starr and a |am session fa¬ honom wngjot my wothei I can't tell yon how much it meam to me to be able to finally cilitated by DJ Mad Eskimo open my heart to pint and embtace that which has been m my family jot centimes I jelt I was not good enough befote and I no longei feel that way I bum my sage evety morning and plan to use my othei medicines daily I am no longei aftaid of who I am ot where I come fom and Ijee! the love of my ancestois and my gnindpaients all atonnd "'IheAMh was a gnat expel lence lam so November 2007 team of artist-peiformeieducators The positive experience, feedback and tangible musical pioducts are a stiong indication that VCC has seized an important opportunity to position itself as a leading institution of advanced Abongmal Music Training If the Lab was indeed an experiment to assess the viability of a ptoper Aboriginal Music Ptogram then all signs point towaids continuing this development and impoitant postsecondary cultural education stream thankful to have had an opportunity to patticipate I like the musicians horns, the mix 'Thanks again foi the oppon tunity to come to of talent It was awesome to see my jt lends the Music l^ab and I hope I imptessedyon coming into then time The classes were intei- all and would love to tome back fot anothei active and I loved atmosphen of free expies- nin 1 will definitely stay m touch, take sion " ta>e " -Bhies singet songwntei -Conntiy-folk songwntei me The Aboriginal Music Lab was a The Aboriginal Music Lab was funded by the generous assistance the need for professional develop¬ of Vancouver Community College, I thank yon, Sal and I thank Kwnte Ayment m the Aboriginal Music sec- the Canada Council foi the Arts hay1" toi and helped target that need to Music Section and Legacies Now specific technical or capacity ele¬ -Gnitaust-songwritei All travel and accommodation was ments It positioned VCC's School made possible by a specially desig¬ of Music as an ideal musical train¬ An additional event organized by nated generous grant from the Kinnie Starr and School of Music ing centre capable and committed Canada Council for the Arts to Dean Sal Ferreras, tided "The to advancing Aboriginal musical support the national scope of the Greatest Native Ever Ever" took arts It attracted high level artists Lab who sought the knowledge, depth place the evening of Sunday Au¬ gust 26th on the stage of the Vanand experience of a fully integrated In my dialect of Cue, we say "ay-hay" when we thank someone success It laised awareness of Sandra North is that faculty do not have to un¬ derstand Banner Student to use it Tiaining workshops for this take approximately one hour and at the Associate Registiai end, instructors are able to entei snoith@vcc ca letter grades for then specific classes on-line This gives faculty the ability to do this from any Faculty Web Grading Well into its second year, the Fac¬ ulty on-line grading project has been successful m a number of departments VCC At the moment between 40 to 75% of all depart¬ ments (dependent on the campus) are fully using this functionality And one of the best parts about it computer with a web browser, using the secure log-m feature scripts In addition to on-line grading, fac¬ ulty also have the ability to • See how classes are filling • Confirm the number of regis¬ tered students in a class • Send individual oi group emails to students, as well as view students who have withdrawn fiom class after the first day If any faculty are interested in found on the VCC home page of our website For VCC students, receiving this training, please con¬ the benefit is then ability to view tact Sueling Chang by email or call their letter grades on-line as well as 7478 the ability to print unofficial tran- 6 Volume 2, Issue 2 November 2007 Committee Reports Upcoming Events at Distributed Learning Committee At the October meeting, the Committee discussed what policies Vancouver Community College might be approptiately developed by the DLC The Terms of Ref¬ erence for the DLC identify it as a place to systematically review Volunteer Fair policies, with a focus on teaching and learning and the use of the Concourse system/network A list of policies will be brought forward at a Downtown Campus Wednesday, November 14th future meeting and DLC will decide which to review and how to set priorities Alison Woods, Learning Centre Coordinatoi, was on hand to present online/virtual tutoung Currently the Learning Positive Space Workshop Centre offets math and science tutoring via instant messaging The Downtown Campus Wednesday, Novembei 14th tutors are online Monday through Thursday, from 6 00-9 00pm T/je DLC /r a public committee and meets on the second Wednesday of the month Meeting locations alternate between the Btoadway and Downtown Campuses. Education Administrators Group: some highlights The Internationalization subcommittee of EAG has devel¬ oped a draft definition of Internationalization Members of the subcommittee recently attended a conference on Interna¬ tionalization held in Vancouver Some of the presentations Awards Ceremony Auditonum Bioadway Campus Ftiday, November 16th Employee Recognition Staff Lounge Broadway Campus Thursday, December 13th are now available online af Iirt{i/_,'\\\\ v_K;^U)_n I. rMfsa Rui-ionilgOO^ A anc/lndex RcLionnHP hnn ELSA 4/5 courses began October 29th The Yamaha Technical Tour made a stop at VCC and the best of the Yamaha technicians worked pro bono on VCC's new pianos Yamaha Canada has also made a donation to VCC for a scholarship. - A provincial HS/RCA program for Aboriginal learners is be¬ ing developed and should be completed by December Also m development is a new Aboriginal Culinaiy program (more to come on this initiative m a later newslettei) Strategic Plan Visioning Sessions Employee Lounge Broadway Campus Wednesday, November 14th Employee Lounge Bioadway Campus Wednesday, November 28th Room 240 Management Group: some highlights - Management Group heard a presentation on VCC's Positive Downtown Campus Thursday, November 29th Space Campaign, designed to foster an inclusive environment for GLBT employees The United Way campaign, which runs the first two weeks of November, and employees will have an opportunity to donate to VCC during the campaign Management gets regular updates on Emergency Planning Preparedness (more the latter in a future issue of this Newslet¬ ter) - Other reports have been received on Succession planning, Strategic Planning., the Capital Campaign, and the 2010 Olympics Student Lounge Alberni Campus Fnday, Novembei 30th Room 240 Downtown Campus Tuesday, Decembei 04th Strategic Planning Working Groups January—April Dates and locations' tba