Province announces details about phase two of its Restoring Safe Services Plan
On Wednesday, the Province of Manitoba announced important new details about the second phase of its Restoring Safe Services Plan.
Red River College is excited to see the province moving forward, and is encouraged by the direction officials are providing to post-secondary institutions. In fact, RRC has already anticipated many of the circumstances outlined in the Province’s plan, and has begun developing a blueprint to determine which programs might first resume limited in-person delivery.
Students can come to the Notre Dame and Exchange District Campuses to pick up any belongings from their lockers between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. but must leave campus immediately after. For all other campuses, please contact your campus directly. Students must remove all items from their lockers by Friday, June 26.
In case you missed it: Provinces launches new online tool to connect students with jobs
The Manitoba government has launched Student Jobs MB, a free online tool dedicated to matching students looking for job opportunities to employers with workforce needs throughout the province. More information on student and youth employment opportunities can be found at www.studentjobsmb.ca.
Effective June 1, 2020, the Province of Manitoba is allowing limited access to educational facilities for hands-on learning experiences. Dr. Christine Watson shares what this means for the College and its students.
Provinces launches new online tool to connect students with jobs
The Manitoba government has launched Student Jobs MB, a free online tool dedicated to matching students looking for job opportunities to employers with workforce needs throughout the province.
More information on student and youth employment opportunities can be found at www.studentjobsmb.ca
Join the Virtual Indigenous Celebration at Home
Our annual Indigenous student celebration is moving online! We are excited to create a virtual place that makes our students feel special, honours their achievements, and holds space for Indigenous culture and teachings. Join us Friday, June 5 for a Facebook live stream featuring some special performances on the Indigenous Education Facebook page.
Although we can’t all be together, we can find ways to celebrate and mark this special occasion. If you’d like to host your own Celebration at home, or create a special moment for yourself to honour your journey, we’ve included some ways that can add to your celebrations – online and offline.
Get ready for your at home celebration by making your own bannock with a recipe from “Cooking with the Coyote” Corey Whitford, Indigenous Language Instructor.
Registration is now closed for students to be included in the Virtual Indigenous Celebration, but they can still register to receive a mailed gift by visiting rrc.ca/indigenous/virtual-celebrationuntil June 19.
Behind the Scenes at RRC
What we’re doing is working…differently. In response to COVID-19, faculty are delivering education in new ways and staff are keeping the College engine running in their own areas.
Over the past several weeks, we’ve been shining a spotlight on employees and sharing stories of how they’re stepping up to the challenge during this unprecedented time. Here are some highlights from our Behind the Scenes at RRC blog:
Have an IT problem? Help is right around the virtual corner! Information Technology Solutions (ITS) team continues to work hard to support employees and students through the technical challenges the COVID-19 pandemic brings. Read more ›
Pandemic doesn’t stop students from working on real projects with real businesses. Find out how Business Admin instructor Andrea McCann is connecting students to businesses across North America. Read more ›
Indigenous Student Supports brings support and connection to culture to students. Once the College moved classes to alternative delivery formats, the ISS team quickly activated to ensure Indigenous students were supported virtually, and had what they needed to continue to learn from home. Read more ›
Do you have a Behind the Scenes at RRC story to share? Let us know and we’ll be happy to get in touch.
On May 27, the Province of Manitoba announced important new details about the second phase of its Restoring Safe Services Plan. I want to highlight some of what was in the plan, and share what it means for our College and our students.
Effective June 1, the Province is allowing limited access to educational facilities for hands-on learning experience, as long as strict physical distancing, sanitation, and other requirements can be maintained.
Examples of hands-on learning include labs, studios, trades instruction, industry-specific training and practicums.
The province is limiting the number of people in a class or lab to 25, including instructors.
In addition to those guidelines, the occupancy analysis of our classrooms and labs, which has been completed by our Health and Safety Services team, will also be an important guide to our re-entry planning.
We’re excited to see the province moving forward, and encouraged by the direction officials are providing to post-secondary institutions. In fact, we’ve already anticipated many of the circumstances outlined in the province’s plan, and have begun developing a blueprint to determine which programs might first resume limited in-person delivery.
Our first priority is to serve those students who are closest to graduation and need to catch up to complete program requirements.
Although our support and administrative services will remain off campus for now, we are also considering their staged re-entry as part of our blueprint planning.
To be clear, we will continue planning for online delivery for the fall term wherever it is possible to do so — in order to meet the space needs of those prioritized catch-up and hands-on learning activities that cannot take place through alternate delivery.
While this is good news, it is the start of an orderly and meticulous process. It is not the turning on of a light switch, but more like the growing of a garden — different plants emerge at different times.
And sometimes it may get frustrating, like the dandelions in my lawn this week! It is going to take time and patience and good planning.
This is complicated and complex work. Thank you to everyone who is providing input as we create a measured approach to returning programs and services to campus not only with this announcement but as the province continues rolling through new phases.
We will work with you to create the right plan for Red River College. While it may be tempting to compare our responses to other organizations or systems, our plan will necessarily reflect the very specific and unique needs of our programs and services that are ours alone.
I want you to know that no matter what approach we take at any phase in our journey forward, our highest commitment is to the health and safety of our staff and students. Every step we take will align with public health requirements and ensure you have the tools and information you need to safely resume on-campus operations.
Many of you will have questions about how this announcement impacts your program or department at the College. As we learn more from the province, and finalize our re-entry planning, we’ll have much more to share. In the meantime, please visit rrc.ca/coronavirus for the latest updates, and don’t hesitate to submit your questions to our Frequently Asked Questions area.
As we navigate this new information and continue to respond to these changes, please remember to take care of yourselves and take care of each other. We will share more information as soon as we have it available.
A lot of words come to mind when you think of information technology – servers, software, email, storage – but the first word that comes to mind at the College is “help”. Learn how our Information Technology Solutions team is supporting employees and students through the technical challenges the pandemic brings.
All RRC Students are now licensed to use Microsoft Teams
Students now have access to MS Teams as soon as they become active students at the College. Teams is great communication and collaboration tool, and it’s commonly used in industry. For tips on using Teams, check out the following links:
already available to Instructors who wish to use it to enable communication and collaboration with, and between, students. This tool is commonly used in industry, and student exposure to Teams will help prepare them for its use in the workplace.
ITS Service Desk – If you need assistance with Teams, please contact the ITS Service Desk using the website, phone, or email to submit a support request.
Commuter Challenge
Commuter Challenge is coming up quickly and while most are adjusting to a new commute (a telecommute) – we can all participate in this annual event in a new way!
From May 31 – June 6, this workplace challenge raises awareness and promotes the benefits of sustainable transportation. So this year, while you’re telecommuting we challenge you to re-connect with your commute. This includes a walking Teams meeting, a coffee break bike ride, or even ‘faking your commute’ by cycling around your neighbourhood before your workday begins.
All in all, there are many benefits to sustainable commuting, and being active is important for both our mental and physical health.
All you need to do is register here and log your activity during the week. Not only are there workplace prizes at the end of this Challenge, the Sustainability team is also providing daily individual participant prizes and will be cycling to deliver (or courier for our regional participants) our very own RRC honey, Contigo thermos, and a gift card to a local shop right to your door!
Where’s Watson? Stories from London
Creative Communications grad Crystal Goomansingh is an award-winning journalist who moved to London earlier this year to take on the role of Europe Bureau Chief for Global News. Crystal shares her experience covering the pandemic from across the pond, and offers some inspirational advice to our 2020 graduates.
Principal Michael Leckman will talk about the flexibility of design for a pandemic world, and future city building. You will need an Instagram Account to view the Live Event.
RRC On Air!
Red River College Ojibwe Language Instructor Corey Whitford will be live on NCI FM and NOW Country radio stations to talk about our Indigenous language programs today. Tune in!
12:45 pm on NCI FM 105.5 with DJ Davey Gott
1:15 pm on NOW Country 104.7 FM with DJ Brian Cook
This week, the College wraps up a series of academic consultation sessions with deans, chairs, program managers and program coordinators. The information we’re compiling from these sessions will inform our Fall 2020 program delivery and operations. The Incident Management Team has also setup a planning committee to review and develop a plan that addresses how people will move into and throughout the campus, in the event that public health directives change.
On Friday, Dr. Christine Watson reflected on how far we’ve come and shared an important message about connection.
Student supports are available online during COVID-19
Counselling Services continues to operate via telephone and video conferencing, and offers a range of services depending on your need and comfort level. For more information visit rrc.ca/counselling
The Academic Success Centre has developed online versions of review workshops, help desks, staff and peer tutoring, academic coaching, EAL supports, study skills training, and diversity training. For more information visit rrclibrary.libguides.com/ASC_Online_Academic_Supports
Student Employment Services (SES) is offering webinars on resume development, cover letter writing and job searching using LinkedIn. For more info, visit Webinar Series: Employment Preparation.
As well, SES wants students to know about the following opportunities:
Sun Life Financial Career Virtual Information Seminar – Join the Manitoba Superior Financial Centers for a virtual career information event on becoming a financial advisor at Sun Life. Thursday May 28, 4-5 p.m. RSVP to the presenter Lorie Willms at lorie.willms@sunlife.com or 1-306-514-3382. Details will be provided upon RSVP.
RRC Employment Advisors are available to speak with students and alumni by phone, email and video conferencing. Book a virtual appointment by visiting rrc.ca/ses.
This week, the College wraps up a series of academic consultation sessions with deans, chairs, program managers and program coordinators. The information we’re compiling from these sessions will inform our Fall 2020 program delivery and operations.
The work of compiling this information will continue throughout the week. If you continue to have any thoughts or feedback for the planning team to review, visit www.rrc.ca/coronavirus/fall-2020
If you want to learn more about our approach to Fall 2020 operations and program delivery, including our principles and priorities, visit www.rrc.ca/coronavirus/fall-2020/
The Incident Management Team has also setup a planning committee to review and develop a plan that addresses how people will move into and throughout the campus, in the event that public health directives change and we’re able to include opportunities for on-campus learning in our fall programming. This group will look at building and facility occupancy, washroom capacity, designated entrances, screening and sanitation processes, and more.
We’re also developing a new campus access Maestro process to streamline how staff and faculty can access the campus on an ongoing basis.
Reminder: You don’t need a referral for COVID-19 testing
Public health officials are reminding anyone who has cold or flu-like symptoms, such as a cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat, weakness or headache, to self-isolate for 14 days.
Anyone with these symptoms is eligible for COVID-19 testing. You do not need a referral.
Call Health Links–Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or (toll-free) at 1-888-315-9257 for more information about testing
Upcoming webinars – Please join us in the upcoming series of webinars, presented by Student Employment Services, covering the topics: Resume Development, Cover Letter Writing and Job Searching Using LinkedIn. For more info, visit Webinar Series: Employment Preparation.
Virtual Session:Sun Life Financial Career Information Seminar – Join the Manitoba Superior Financial Centers for a virtual career information event on becoming a financial advisor at Sun Life! Thursday May 28th, 4-5pm. RSVP to the presenter Lorie Willms at lorie.willms@sunlife.com or 1-306-514-3382. Details will be provided upon RSVP.
RRC Employment Advisors are available to speak with students and alumni by phone, email and video conferencing. Book a virtual appointment by visiting rrc.ca/ses.
Tech Support
Innovation is their business, so it’s no surprise some of Red River College’s past and present partners have found innovative ways to help their communities cope with the COVID-19 outbreak.
The partners in question have all served as Entrepreneurs-in-residence (EiR), startup creators who team with RRC students, instructors and staff and work at the College’s ACE Project Space to bring business ideas to life.
Elana Elfenbaum is a graduate of our Business Administration Program and the product lead at Callia, a Winnipeg-based floral company. In the latest Where’s Watson?, Elana tells Dr. Christine Watson, our Interim President & CEO, how Red River College introduced her to Callia, and how the business continues to bloom during the pandemic.
As our College community begins the next stage of planning for Fall 2020 and beyond, one thing has already become clear to us: flexible online program delivery – including web-enhanced and blended delivery methods – will remain an integral part of our academic programs and courses, even after the pandemic ends.
The Academic area and the Centre for Learning and Program Excellence have worked together to develop a framework with goals and guiding principles, guidelines, and resources for online program delivery at Red River College. Here you’ll find the standards all programs must meet, course development tools and templates, technical guidance, faculty support, and more.
With our new reality of working and learning at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are tapping into the RRC spirit of innovation to bring you culinary and hospitality inspiration with our Hospitality at Home series.
Red River College announced today that it will deliver academic programs and services for the Fall Term through online delivery. Planning is also underway to quickly pivot should public health directives allow the delivery of some courses on-campus. Priority will be given to hands-on learning that was delayed due to the pandemic, and to help students who are close to graduation catch up to complete their programs.
Pandemic doesn’t stop students from working with real businesses
While teaching from her home in Gimli, instructor Andrea McCann is connecting students to businesses across North America. In our latest look Behind the Scenes at RRC, learn how McCann brings industry and education together with the help of an online platform.
Library Services has flipped the page on remote service delivery. In the latest Where’s Watson, our Interim President & CEO Christine Watson speaks with two team members to learn more. This team has offered virtual resources for a long time, but they’re coming in extra handy now as we adjust to teaching, working and learning from home.
Questions
We’re always here to help. If you have any questions not covered on the website, please get in touch with with us.
The College is working closely with public health authorities and is focused on providing timely information, reassurance, and support to our staff, faculty, and students as we continue to take necessary measures to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19 at all of our campuses and to our broader community.
Innovation Centre: Instagram Live with Diamond Schmitt Architects
