Vancouver Community College • Volume 1, Number 15- May 31,1993
The wntmg was on the wall.
Issues
The wrap up of Friday's VCC Issues Forum
Forum draws called for the "issues posters" from each of the 14

90% approval
rating

study groups to be taped to the back wall of the
KEC auditorium.
Add them all up and the count came to a
couple of hundred ideas. Boil them all down and
it came to two input and information

A few comments-

* "We have two groups of employees (City Cen¬
tre and KEC) who have very little understanding
of each other."
* "We have a terrible external image because of
the strikes People have the idea that we're not a
reliable place to come "
* "We need a centralized registration system with

People want to be told, and they want to be

easy access If you work on the front line, you

heard As Wayne Matthewson, one of the study

need to be able to tell students about all parts of

session facilitators summed it up: "What I'm hear¬

the College. The way it is now is almost word-of-

ing is that people want to have real input; that we

mouth."

don't want our input to disappear into a vacuum "
Or, as another of the 130 participants explained
"I know that decisions need to be made and that I
won't always agree with them I accept that. But

* "The government seems to dictate the most
important things that happen here, but the gov¬
ernment doesn't say boo to us about what it's
thinking "

we all want to know that it's not just token
participation and that we're really being heard in

* "The VCCFA members at either campus just

the process "

don't know or understand each other. There's a
lot of talk about a split in the union over the

During a day that had numerous highlights
of hope—as well as shadows of discontent--the
lack of interactive communications appeared as

workload issue. The Langara split may well be
repeated again, first within the union and then
between City Centre and KEC."

the most widespread issue. It started by leading

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after
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the list of concerns in the pre-forum question¬

* "I turn on the TV and see ads for Compu-college

naire, and continued to play a part in virtually

all the time We can't tell people about ourselves

every topic of discussion throughout the day.

because there is no advertising budget "

Problems were expressed not just with

* Part time CE instructor Gerald Paul, a B C Tel

administrative communications, which seemed

employee by day, offered a view from the out¬

to be viewed at least as on the upswing. People

side- "You can sit m any office at B.C. Tel and

were also disturbed about poor communications

you'll see a framed copy of die mission statement

with the public, industry, and students during

on the wall When the thought of a mission state¬

registration time; poor communications between

ment came up in our group we were told it was

employees of the two campuses, between the

locked away in a drawer somewhere "

faculty union and its membership, between the

Even the Mooch Lake Community College-

Board and the employees; participants were say¬

-a fictitious case study which participants worked

ing that they are not getting relevant information

through as an initial planning exercise- - was blamed

from the provincial government on its plans for

for poor communications and near meaningless

the College.

participation from employees As expected, most
saw similarities between Mooch and VCC

Continued on the other side..,

The bottom line of the equation is that a lack
of communications equals a lack of trust
Said Board Chair Bob Smith. "I am worried

World class cooking
by student chefs

most by the level of trust And I ask you to help us
The Centres of Excellence concept is an

work at that "

idea which will be receiving a lot of discussion

Ironically, it was the day itself that added
more to communications and trust at the college
than any other event in recent memory IMS

over the next few months, but here's one tangible
example of excellence which was just achieved by
City Centre's Culinary Arts Team

photographer Lauch McKenzie, who moved
This team of student chefs, led by Instruc¬

throughout the study groups, put it this way:
"Every group was interesting. Some were really

tors Jim Button and Harald Bonkowski, recently

spirited and all of them were articulate. And

entered the International Taste of Canada compe¬

everybody seemed so sincere that they wanted to

tition held at George Brown College in Toronto

find a better way . it was really amazing."
Wayne Penny of Pacific Leadership Incor¬

It was the first time VCC has entered this
prestigious event and the College's fifth place

porated, which helped organize this initial phase

finish out of 34 international teams would have

in the VCC planning process, said he was de¬

been remarkable enough. until you consider that

lighted, and a bit surprised, at the level of enthu¬

the only teams that finished higher were the na¬
tional teams of Germany, the U.S , Great Brit¬

siasm

ain and Singapore.
"There was some initial scepticism, but as
In addition, the VCC team placed first out

the morning unfolded people found that despite
the fact that they come from different parts of the

of the 12 participating Canadian teams, and sec¬

institution, a lot of their concerns were similar

ond only to the German national team in the hot

and that they really have some common ground

food category In other words, VCC's team of

which can be used to work toward a preferred

student chefs placed right up there with the all-

future for VCC." Of those who returned the post-

star squads which were drawn from the talent

forum questionnaire, 90 per cent assessed the day

pool of entire countries

as a four or a five on a scale of one to five
Penny said that phase two of the process

This extraordinary performance, which was
rewarded with a $4,000 scholarship prize, repre¬

will include the development of statements for

sents excellence onan international scale—which,

visions, values and goals, followed by a third phase

by the way, is exactly the level of achievement

which will see specific action taken to achieve

which the Ministry is calling for in the Centres of

those objectives

Excellence approach.

A participant at the closing plenary session

Our hat's off to the two managers, and all of

worned that Friday's openness would be a one-

the team members. Richard Luttman, Morgan

day wonder

Wilson, Iain Rennie, Scott Jaeger and Rhonda
Viani.

Answered President John Cruickshank.
"Tins has been one of the greatest days of my time
here. If you think this is going to stall here you
couldn't be more wrong "

Continued on page 3..

Up to $17 million

Stanley Theatre proposed

for Langara expansion

for music, theatre students

Following the announcement two weeks

College Board members Stephen Huddart

ago that the Ministry would provide $ 1 million for

and Gerry Schwartz are involved m a proposal

planning an expansion of Langara, the govern¬

which may see both KEC music students and

ment has now confirmed that the total cost for the

Langara's Theatre 58 students performing regu¬

project is expected to be approximately $ 15 mil¬

larly at the Stanley Theatre

lion. The Ministry also indicated that a further $2
million would be available for renovations associ¬
ated with the construction
The project calls for two new buildings

The Granville Street Stanley was closed as a
movie theatre last year by its owner, Famous
Players. More recently, a concept from the Thea¬
tre-sports company proposes a redevelopment of

which will increase classroom and administration

the building to include some ground level retail

space by about 20 per cent

outlets—as well as two performing spaces within
the renovated complex.

Arnold, Gerson named

as acting deans
Acting Langara CEO Linda Holmes has
announced the appointment of Linda Arnold and
Martin Gerson as Acting Deans of Instruction
until December 31, 1993
These acting appointments were made in
light of a concern for providing a consistent,
stable structure for the instructional areas during
Joan Horsley's absence. In addition to their other
duties surrounding the planning process, they
will also take on Joan's responsibilities until she
returns.

Acting post at IMS
for Bob Lajoie
If you have any
comments or questions,

please send them to
Chuck Poulsen, Manager
of The Exchange, in care
of College Administrative
Services.

Bob Lajoie has been appointed as Acting
Director of IMS until Bruce MacLean returns
from sick leave.

Under VCC's plan, the music and theatre
programs would share 13 weeks in one of the
spaces over a 15-year term This theatre would

seat between 200 and 500 people, and would be
rented to other groups for the balance of the year
Funding for the arrangement would, of course,
have to come from the Ministry.
Huddart cautions that this proposal is still a
long way from being realized