NEVl
Vancouver Community College * Volume 1, Number 28 - Novembers, 1993

Planners

prepare for
Futures
Conference;
air their
doubts
about the
process

The VCC Planning Team has agreed to a

Julien reiterated that while the Planning

process for student partiapation which is class¬

Team will not be involved in issues of separa¬

room-based, employing a kit of materials that

tion, interim decisions made during separation

will be used by either instructors or trained

will be open to review by the Board as long as

studentfacilitators. The student associations will

long-term planning proceeds.

be responsible for collating and summarizing the
information.

And the

The Planning Tearn also worked during its
Friday meeting on the procedures which they
want to use leading up to and including the

winners are...

January 14-15 Futures Conference.
These procedures focused on ways in
which conference representatives will, on the
one hand, be( able to bring the issues from the
department level to the conference and how the
various scenarios developed at the conference

will then be brought back to these smaller groups
for consideration.
Team members also continued to express
scepticism about their chances for success. A
memo from team member Aphrodite Harris,
which summarized discussions she had with
employees in the student services area at KEC,
included two concerns which appear to epito¬

For

daily
news

updates
phone

7099

1'ase 1

mize employee uncertainty with the current
process:

* Employees question the legitimacy of
the planning process because "many plans in the
past have not come to fruition."

Ten people, mostly from Langara CE, are
the big winners in the VCC Educational Founda¬
tion Truck Lottery.
The group includes: Rosie Anslow, Don
Birosh, Sylvana Carr, Geda Chud, Helena
Hensley, Cynthia Howman, Jane Legate, Joe
Jhutti, Jean Shuen, and Bev Stevens.

The group will likely sell the truck and
split the proceeds of approximately $ 100,000.

Architects chosen
for Langara expansion
Langara has named the architects for its
$15 million construction program. Two firms-Francl Lamoureux Incorporated and Waisman,
Dewar, Groutand Carter Inc.—^willservejointly
as architects for the two new buildings, which
include a classroom and office block and an
administration and student services block.

The buildings will increase the size of the

* Employees wonder how they can make

campus by almost one-third. Although it's not

plans for the long-term future of VCC when

final, they will probably be located south of the

there are still so many unknowns in the present,

current structures on the soccer pitch.

including separation issues and the possibility of
further economic cutbacks.
Angela Julien, who represents the Col¬

after

lege Board on the Planning Team, responded to

2:30 pm

plan anything under these circumstances Said

Construction will begin about September
1, 1994, with completion scheduled for March
of 1996. There will also a $2 million expendi¬
ture on renovations to existing space

comments that it will be "extremely difficult" to
Julien: "Difficult, but not impossible."

Two further items of interest: first, the
firm of Waisman, Dewar, • Grout and Carter

designed the Applied Science Building at SFU
and the original Fraser Valley College as well as

change for the Foundation. We will enter the

the expansion of the college when it became the

year with a new president and a college signifi-

University College of the Fraser Valley.

cantly changed from whatwehaveknown. These

And secondly, Bill Hill, VCC's recently
retired Director of Buildings and Grounds, will
bring his many years of experience to the project
as a consultant to Langara.

More than ever, next year will be a year of

circumstances offer exciting opportunities for
the future of the Foundation.

With the assistance of the College, we are
now beginning a search for Sheilah's successor.

In the next few days I will be contacting the

Adderson nominated

executive committee of the Foundation Board

for literary award

to lay out a schedule for this process. You will be
kept fully informed of our progress.

Congratulations go to ESL Instructor
Caroline Adderson who has been nominated for

—Barry Irvine, Chairman

VCC Educational Foundation

the prestigious Governor-General's Literary
Award. Carol was nominated in the English-

Support staff reduction

langauge fiction category for her first book, a

workshops planned

short story collection entitled Bad Imaginings.
Her book has just hit the market.. .check

the closest book store to see if they have it yet. If
they don't, you can get a copy at the Granville
Book Company, 8S0 Granville.

Within the next day or two, members of

the VMREU will receive an invitation to attend
a mini-workshop and counselling session on

dealing with the support staff lay offs.
These sessions will be conducted by

Sheilah Grant
leaving VCC
It is with very mixed feelings that I advise
you that Sheilah Grant has tendered her resigna¬

tion from the position of President of the VCC
Educational Foundation.

If you have any
comments or questions,

please send them to
Chuck Poulsen, Manager

of The Exchange, in care
of College Administrative
Services.

Page 2

Murray Axsmith Pacific Limited, a group of
counsellors who are skilled in assisting employ¬
ees with the effects of down-sizing. Their pro¬

gram will be tailored very specifically to the
situation which College people are going through.
Said John Cruickshank. "We're sending
the invitations to support staff—whether they've

In early December, Sheilah will assume

received a layoff notice or not—because the

the position of Director of Development at the

nature of the bumping process can leave virtu¬

Lions Gate Hospital Foundation. Sheilah joined

ally every employee feeling vulnerable and afraid.

VCC's Educational Foundation at a time when it
required a new sense of purpose and direction.

She has carried out her duties admirably and
leaves the Foundation inestimably richer for

having known her. I know that you join me in
wishing her every success in her new position.

"One of the key concepts in the sessions

will be coping with the whole range of negative
emotions that go along with the reduction
process...emotions of anger, resentment and

uncertainty. But beyond that struggle, the coun- '

Continued on the other side.

sellers will also prepare people to rebuild,

Business was brisk once the four of them

whether that means coping with a new job or

discovered a neat gimmick for attracting inter¬

developing relationships with your new co¬

est. It seems that most people were walking by

workers."

the display without asking any questions when
the VCC people noticed that everyone at the

He added that the application information
will also go out to all supervisors and "I urge each

of them to keep a watchful eye for anyone in
their department who is feeling stressed and in
need of this professional support."

The College is also offering a financial and
re-employment seminar on November 10 for

those faculty and support staff members who
have been laid off and will be leaving the Col-

trade fair was wearing a name tag.
"What we did," said Oksanen, "was call

people by their first name just like we knew
them. Pretty soon everyone was stopping by to
talk."

In fact, Greenall said they handed out
almost 200 KEC and City Centre calendars to
those who were showing an interest.

lege.

Instructors, Counsellor

show off VCC
Three VCC instructors and a counsellor
went into sales recently.

We asked
you...
Turn the page over for the Exchange Line
and Exchange Newsletter listener/reader sur¬
vey. Many of the respondents expressed their

Actually, they were promoting the Col¬
lege at the B.C. high school Technical Educa¬

ways in which communications can be improved.

tors' Association trade fair in Victoria.

This produced an additional four-page docu¬

Eric Adler, Pat Sproston and Ray Oksanen
of the KEC trades departments set up their
display of photos and informational material
promoting automotive, diesel and auto body
reflnishing. Counsellor Dave Greenall accom¬
panied them on this trip so he could answer a

thoughts about the service and commented on

ment of diverse opinion. Because the Exchange

often hears complaints that the College pro¬
duces too much paper, the written listener/
reader opinions are not attached. However, if
you wish a copy of the comments, phone Chuck
Poulsen, 7151.

broader range of questions about all of the pro¬

grams at City Centre and KEC.

If you have any comments or questions, please send them to Chuck Poulsen,
Manager of The Exchange, in care of College Administrative Services.

XCHANGE SURVEY
How often do you read the weekly Exchange newsletter?
Overall

Faculty

, i i

Staff

Admin

%

N

%

N %

77.3%

29
6

69 0%
14 3%
16 7%
0 0%

8 80.0%
2 20.0%
0 0.0%

N i^% ' N
Most of the Time 76
Often 12
Seldom 10
Never

74.5%

11 8%
9.8%
3.9%

4

34
3
3
4

6 8%
6.8%
9.1%

7
0

0 00%

How often do you phone into the Exchange Line?

Overall
Times/Wk

N

0
i
2
3

28

4
5
MEAN

17
11
22
9
12

28.3%
17.2%
11.1%

22 2%
9.1%

12 1%

Faculty

Staff

Admin

N

%

N

•%

N

%

17

41.5%

14 6%

100%
30 0%

4

21 4%
19 0%
9 5%

1

6
3
7
3
5

9
8
13
3
5

31.0%
7.1%
11.9%

2.00

7.3%
17.1%
7.3%
12.2%
1.71

3
3
1
1
1

30.0%
10.0%

10 0%
10 0%
2.10

2.19

Of the Exchange newsletter and Exchange Line, which do you find most useful?

Exchange Newsletter
Exchange Line

Overall

Faculty

Staff

Admin

N %

N %

N

%

N %

45 441%
14 13 7%

19 43 2%

19
8
14
1

45 2%
19 0%
33 3%

5 50.0%
3 30.0%
2 20.0%
0 0.0%

Equally useful 40 39.2%
Neither are useful

3 2.9%

3 6.8%
20 45.5%
2 4.5%

2.4%

Generally, how high is your level of satisfaction with the Exchange newsletter?

Satisfaction

Overall

Faculty

Level

N

N

i
2

4
2
7

3
4
5
6
7

8
9
10

1
15
8

14
20
11
16

Mean
Median

,%
4.1%
2.0%
7.1%
1.0%

15 3%
8.2%
14.3%
20.4%
11.2%

16 3%

3
0
2
0
5
3
7
9
8
4

Staff

N

%

N

7.3%

2 4%
2 4%

4.9%

i
i
5

0 0%
12 2%

1
7

7.3%
17.1%
22.0%
19.5%

4
6
6
3
7

17.1%
9.8%
14.6%

0
i
0
0
3
0
0

14 6%

4

7.3%

0
2

0 0%

9 8%

7

6.9

Admin

%

12.2%

2 4%

17 1%
6.5

Satisfaction with Exchange
Newsletter

%
0.0%

10.0%
0.0%
0.0%

30 0%
0 0%
0.0%

20

o

8
v> 15

0) c
JO o

f= a

f(i
z
3

GC

40.0%
0.0%
20.0%

10
5

n
1 2345678910
Satisfaction Level

6.9

7

how high is your level of satisfaction with the Exchange tele
Satisfaction
,, Overall
'¦ ¦¦¦¦¦ Level

N

i
2
3

4
5
4

4

4

5
6
7
8
9
10

10
4
9
11
9
19

Mean
Median

5.1%

6 3%
5.1%
5.1%
12.7%

5 1%
11 4%
13.9%

11 4%
24 1%
6.8

You are:

N
Faculty Member 45 44.6%

Staff Member 42 41 6%
Administrator 10 9.9%
Other 4 4.0%

Institutional Research Services/VCC

Faculty

Staff

Admin

N

%

N

%

N

i
0
2
0
5
1
2
6
5
7

3 4%
0 0%
6 9%
0 0%

3
4
1
2
3
3
4
5
2
9

8 3%
11 1%
2 8%
5 6%

0
i
i
2
0
0
1
0
2
1

17.2%
3.4%

6.9%

20 7%
17 2%
24 1%
7.4

8.3%

8 3%
11 1%
13 9%
5 6%
25 0%
6.4

Satisfaction with Exchange
Phone line

%¦
0.0%

12 5%
12 5%
25.0%

0 0%
0 0%
12.5%
0.0%

25 0%
12 5%
6

20
15
10
Fi a
3 m h
Z oc
0 n.nnn
1 2345678910
</>

o 4)
(A
4> c
A O

n

Satisfaction Level