u p date February 1991 \/i-fth ouVi,t f ortitnimiiy C olluye Miikj u!wur; i ibinty !J () Hux ''cSA'/O Si 11 C S I VJ i osi HiotKlwciy A Vciiii ouvoi, l> fJ 'S/''] I 1 fnlrtist George Kropninski of Instructional Media Services at Langara roughs out the label of VCC's 25th Anniversary wine. The commercially-produced wine, which is a 25th Anniversary project of Langara's Mike Holmwood, is supplied by Andres and will be for sale this spring. Turn to the next page for more details on the 25th Anniversary. VANCOUVER COMMUMTY Style without extravagance marks 25th Pioduction of the wine is one of seveial 25th Anmveisaiy activities. There has also been a leunion of Studio 58 students, VCC people aie involved m a majoi confeience entitled Woiking Knowledge Labour and Learning in the 21st Centmy, plans aie in the works foi a college-wide leception at which VCC's 25th Anmveisaiy wine will be available (date to be announced soon), and Langaia's Kay Lukes, Maiy Beth Knechtel and Rogei Semmens aie spear¬ heading a wntmg contest. The end lesult of the contest will be a magazine, entitled West 49th, which will showcase students' shoi t stoi les and poeti y The contest has diawn 50 entnes. In addition, this yeai's Pac Rim Maga¬ zine will featuie a 25th Anmversaiy "Despite continuing difficult times, it is important to recognize the theme, while the VCC Alumni Association will publish a magazine highlighting the success stones of VCC giads. achievements of current The Alumni Association project is in the students and staff as well as those who have passed through our doors over the Petei Walls, Rob Dykstra and Alvm Schafer. With the help of Doug Goidon last 25 years," City Centre, the final product should be available in May said Horsley hands of the journalism and photography students at Langaia, and their instructois, and the punting production students at The 25th Anniversary activities have intentionally been kept low key. "Some of the more elaborate plans have been set aside," said 25th Anniversary Steering Committee Chairperson Joan Horsley "But despite continuing difficult times, it is important to recognize the achievements of current students and staff as well as all of those who have passed through oui doors over the last 25 years." Horsley said she is awaiting new proposals from KEC and City Centre, neither of which proceeded with their original plans. Gary Folka (left) and Kevin Millsip ham it up at the Studio 58 25th reunion PAGE 2 Safety panel faces Langara 'quake concerns By Barbara Cameron The Langaia Health and Safety Committee has a new project on its agenda —to develop and implement earthquake safety stiategies at Langara Campus The piovincial government has been assessing college and university buildings across B.C. because of increased publicity m lecent years about the possibility of a laige 'quake staking the Greatei Vancouver area As pait of this process, a seismic study was recently completed at Langara by the engineering firm Choukalos Woodbum McKenzie Maranda Ltd. (The study focused on Langaia because some seismic upgrading has already been done at City Centie along with lecent renovations, and because KEC is a relatively new structure.) The study found that in relation to the 1990 National Building Code, the student cafeteria, the noith east extenor stan well and the mam library concouise at Langara are severely deficient. In the event of a major earthquake these stmctuies could suffei extensive damage. Othei pai ts of the campus range from deficient to slightly deficient Langara is, however, no diffeient from many other public buildings in our region constiucted befoie the new the campus evacuation plan to cover an eaithquake. The committee also will look at non-stmctuial changes to increase safety Meanwhile, the college has been lobbying the mmistiy for the needed funds to begin the stiuctuial upgrading. National Building Code came into It is estimated that the cost of stiuctuial effect. The Vancouver School Boaid recently completed a similar seismic upgrading will be about $8 million There also will be an additional lepoit which concluded that 30% of its estimated $8 million cost for internal hazard icduction—things like loose objects and other hazards. school buildings aie "high lisk". Other public buildings and structures built as iccently as 1989 may also not be in compliance with the stimgent new code The study lecommends that oveiall seismic upgiadmg be incorporated into the long teim campus lenovation plan, but that the cafeteria, the exit stairwell and the concouise should have the highest priority. Principal David Cane has asked the Langaia Health and Safety Committee to piepare an educational plan for students and employees, and to revise "Making oui buildings structurally safer requires work which will have to be carried out at public expense," said Cane. "So our needs have to be considered along with those of many other public buildings in the aiea On the bright side though, the ministry has aheady lecognized the seriousness of our situation and we've been assured that we will receive pnonty funding We anticipate some activity within a few months " Students star in this year's Notable Event The VCC Educational Foundation is sponsoring the thud annual Notable Event benefit dinner March 21 at the New World Harbourside Hotel. This year's event will showcase the talents of VCC music students, with proceeds going towaids music scholai ships To assist with this year's Notable Event, the Foundation has recruited a volunteer committee diawn from representatives of some of Vancouver's most prestigious companies. The committee includes Ray Smith, Chairman of the Board of MacMillan Bloedel, who has a keen inteiest m the music of VCC students. Notable Event guests will be treated to a variety of musical styles from students, including the Madrigal Singeis, a stage band, and the SOUNDWAVE jazz choir. Peter McCoppm, conductor of the Victoria Symphony Oichestia, will host the event as Honourary Chairman and Bnan Brenn of CHQM will be the Master of Ceiemomes. B.C.'s Lieutenant Goveinoi David Lam and Mrs Lam have extended their honourary patronage for the third year. "The exposure of VCC students and the VCC Educational Foundation's scholarship endowment program to this high piofile crowd has enormous value in garnering then financial and moral support," said Foundation President Shexlah Grant "It is also important to show the strong commitment that the staff of VCC has to the students; we hope the event will be well-attended by instructors, suppoit staff and admmistiators " The Notable Event Committee expects 300 guests to attend Also on the Notable Event program is a presentation of donor recognition awaids There have been several geneious donois to the Scholarships for Music campaign; for example, Imasco has pledged $20,000 ovei a four-yeai period. Tickets are $100, with a tax receipt foi $40. Tables foi 10 may be purchased for $1,000 Foi moie information, contact the Educational Foundation at 875-1131, Local 355. PAGES Employee relations assistants assigned to City Centre, Langara Campus Assuring that VCC's three major collective agreements are consis¬ tently interpreted from one campus to another is a major goal in the placing of employee relations assistants at Langara Campus and City Centre "The key is to treat all employees fairly and equitably under their respective agreements/' said Dale Jones, Director of Employee Rela¬ tions. "The employee relations assistants will provide advice to campus officials m respect to the interpretation of the collective agreement and they'll also be avail¬ able to help solve problems that may come up." Jones described a situation that arose during the Christmas break which had the potential to bring about several different interpretations for VMREU members. "The general holidays provisions of the VMREU agreement would have seen members work on the Monday (Dec. 24) before Christmas/' said Jones. "But when you took into account the end of the term and the fact that faculty wouldn't be around on that day, it made sense to rule that support staff didn't have to The employee relations assistants are expected to be appointed by March 1. Employee relations people at Central Administration will continue to be the direct source of service for employees at KEC and the main office of CE * Provide assistance to campus officials m the recruitment process and to expedite new appointments. "The key is to treat all employees fairly and equitably under their respective agreements," said Jones Other duties for which the employee relations assistants will be responsible: on one campus to have people work all day; for another campus to let people go early, and for the third campus to tell people not to come m at all. We ended up with a consistent approach., that's the same goal we'll human resource information. The have on a daily basis on all three campuses when the new people are system was a key recommendation "Therefore, it wasn't left to a person in place." PAGE 4 * Assure that contracts are properly completed so that new people don't miss payroll cutoffs. * Maintain a status record of em¬ ployee appraisals and prompt campus officials to conduct apprais¬ als at the appropriate time. * May assume delegated responsibil¬ ity from the employee relations director to maintain official person¬ nel files on campus instead of central administration. This would make the relevant files more accessible to campus officials and employees. * Develop and maintain a data base of employee "profile" information. Says Jones: "If we want to know, for instance, who has a PhD. m English literature, this will allow us to access that person quickly." The Employee Relations Department will soon have a new computer system to handle come in either." * Implementation of a plan to pro¬ vide staffing information to campus principals and other campus officials as it relates to the status of their budgets. "This will be a real help to people in determining where they're at with staffing levels," said Jones of a recent audit of the Employee Relations Department. * May assist central administration employee relations people in various capacities, such as the preparation of college-wide orientation material. Adds Jones: "The new people will be on campus to provide assistance to the principal and others. We're taking a more proactive stance by making an experienced employee relations practitioner available on campus for advice and assistance " Companies, gov't clamour for Wong's ESL program Connie Yau, a salespeison with Dover Industnes, says the tiaming has helped her job peiformance "I am learning how to communicate effectively," said Yau, "and this is giving me increased confi¬ dence in dealing with customers " Kashani wins accolade for leadership Angela Chan, owner of the China Kitchen m Vancouver, has a waitress who is enroled in the piogram and notices improved listening and speaking skills m the staff member. "I would like to see more of my employees m the piogram," said Chan Alice Wong Wong has also been awaided a Study Fellowship with the Commonwealth of Alice Wong, Co-oidinatoi of the Centie Learning. She is among the fust gioup of eight educators in B.C. to be awarded the foi Small Business at KEC, has chalked up a first in ESL training with the intro¬ duction of the "Language at Work' Business Communication Skills Pio- fellowship by the Ministry of Advanced giam" Swaziland on February 21 to assist in the Adapted fiom a Canada Employment and Immigiation Centre (CEIC) model, design and development of instructional materials for small business management at the University of Swaziland. Wong's version is the fust in Canada to address specific language needs of immigrant women woiking for small businesses, and bungs togethei women in similar occupations "CEIC's original model provides English language tiainmg to employees at their work sites Smallei companies m smallei piemises, howevei, cannot affoid the space or highei costs of small group arrangements," said Wong "I modified CEIC's program to develop classioom tiammg for employees from similar businesses, supplemented by individualised on-site training." Education and Job Training. The only woman recipient, she leaves for Habib Kashani Computer Systems Technologist Program Co-ordmator Habib Kashani has received this year's prestigious Leadership Award from the Association of Canadian Community Colleges "Through his vision, charm, knowledge and example, Kashani has taken the program from a point of collapse to great success," states his nomination. Watch for the May issue of Spectrum Magazine for the full story on Kashani and his internationallyrecognized achievements Within the first thiee weeks of its introduction, 130 participants from over 80 companies enroled m the program. Encouiaged by this response, CEIC, which pays up to 80 per cent of each participant's fees, offered to extend sponsorship for the coming term. CEIC also plans to mtioduce the piogiam to its own locations across Canada. Classes are cunently limited to women employed in letailmg, tourism, food seivice and international trade, but may be expanded to meet demand. Spectrum Update is published monthly by the Vancouver Community College Public Relations and Development Department. Editor—Chuck Poulsen Langara—324-5475 PAGES VCC Music Department right on "Q" SOUNDWAVE AND FRIENDS SOUNDWAVE and FRIENDS ON - Q, THE SEQUEL ...jazz group's new disc follows THE SEQUEL commercial success of its first VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE Following the commeicial success of its first compact disc recording, SOUNDWAVE—VCC's internationally acclaimed vocal jazz group—i el eased its second CD m December. SOUNDWAVE AND FRIENDS ON-Q, THE SEQUEL, received much forward to a third year of financial and creative collaboiation with Hullah and David Geddes, program director at Lite 1320. "Once again, it shows what can be achieved when a public institution works m cooperation with industry," said Smith. enthusiasm at its launch. "Let's do it again, a sequel to the sequel," said Noel Repeating last year's generosity, sound Hullah, Geneial Managei of Lite 1320 Vaughan-Jones returned their Radio, sponsoi of both recordings. pioduction fee of $6,000 to the Music An elated Terry Smith, Admmistiative Co-oidinatoi of the Music Department and producer of the album, looks PAGE 6 engmeeis Greg Reid and Chris Department's scholaiship fund This donation has been matched by the piovmcial government. recording. The new SOUNDWAVE CD was produced under the guidance of Peter Taylor, Dnector of SOUNDWAVE and Alan Matheson, Director of VCC's JAZZ ENSEMBLE, which has three original tunes on the disc. Part of the sales from the CD went to Lite 1320's "Tree of Happiness" fund foi the Childien's Hospital, and the United Way. You can count on KEC students A major surprise donation has raised KEC's United Way total to over $11,000 The donation of $ 1,100 came from KEC's Student Action Council and took the United Way Committee by surpnse. Diana Cippiciani, SAC mtenm president, said the funds came from one of the organization's account funds and weie donated in lieu of SAC fundraising activities. "In years past we have held fund raisers," she explained "But because of the strikes this year, theie wasn't time. So we decided to donate an amount equal to what we normally raise." Cippiciani noted that SAC has a "tradition" of donating to the United Frank Vitcoe (left), Instructor George Weigel and Robert Ibbitt have their work cut out for them Way and that many KEC students benefit from that oiganization. She cited the visually impaired students as an example She said SAC's donation to the United Way was delayed due to the lack of a quorum at the group's August meeting. Funds raised by KEC's United Way Committee now total $11,576, nearly equalling the amount raised m previous years when there were no labour disputes. Another unexpected donation came from Sue Atherton of the KEC Assessment Centie who contributed $75 she earned by knitting sweateis. Race is on to rebuild Sunbird Students and instructors m the automotive and auto collision lepan programs are putting an all out effoit into le-conditionmg a 1984 tuibo- chaiged Sunbnd George Weigel, instiuctoi in the automotive department, said the cai has been given a complete mechanical checkup It will undeigo thoiough lepaiis including new biakes, tuibochargei, pamt and body work The restoied vehicle will be used to raise scholaiship funds m the technical training piogiams, although details have not yet been finalized The "new" Sunbnd will be displayed at the 1991 Tiansportation and Equipment Technology Show March 21-22 at KEC. Oigamsed by the technical tiaining centre, which compuses automotive, auto collision lepans and diesel departments, the show will featuie the latest seivicmg equipment and techniques. The Sunbnd was donated by Joe Mitchell, President of Cartel GM PAGE 7