Classes may be winding down for the summer, but Red River College sits poised to enter a new era of post-secondary excellence, armed with an updated set of initiatives to guide its strategic direction and future growth for the next five years.

Following months of consultations with internal and external stakeholders — including a series of Open Café meetings (shown above) with staff and faculty from all campuses — the College has adopted newly-revised mission, vision and values statements, casting an aspirational eye towards sustainability, service to community, and global recognition.

Redrafted in tandem with RRC’s new Academic and Research Plan and pending five-year Strategic Plan (due this August), the new statements provide a roadmap for the College to follow, and a set of guidelines for all staff as they put policies into practice — both inside and outside the classroom.

“We don’t expect people to memorize them word for word, but hopefully to get to know them and understand what we are as an institution, and where we’re trying to go, so they can be part of the change,” says Cindee Laverge, vice-president, Student Services and Planning at RRC.

“It’s a way for people to help us achieve our strategic direction: through the mission and vision, to understand on a day-to-day basis what’s important to us, and through our values to understand how we work and play.” Read More →

Barry Balanduk doesn’t just make learning fun for his students — itself no easy feat, especially when the subject matter is accounting.

He also finds a way to make their classroom experiences ‘better,’ by investing everything he does with patience and passion.

Barry is this year’s recipient of the Red River College Students’ Association’s Teaching Award of Excellence, which recognizes outstanding teaching practices and dedication to students.

Having taught in RRC’s Applied Accounting, Business Administration and Business Information Technology programs for the last 15 years, he’s earned a reputation as a positive influence who’s always willing to help out.

“You can always tell he not only enjoys the subjects he teaches, but the opportunity to teach others,” they said in their award submission. “He inspires you to do your best, jokes around with you, and always makes you feel at home in his class. Whatever subject he teaches is made immediately better by having him as an instructor.”

A graduate of RRC’s Business Administration program, Barry continued his education in the Certified General Accountants program and started his accounting career at Colliers Pratt McGarry, a property management and commercial real estate company.

He later moved to a position at Great West Life Reality Advisors, and then at the Lions Club of Winnipeg, before joining the faculty at RRC. He says his favourite aspect of working in post-secondary education is the opportunity to interact with students — giving them a little entertainment with their education, and allowing them to enjoy their time together while learning.

“I find it very rewarding to know that I am having a positive influence on my students,” he says. “And my students should know they have a positive influence on me.”

Barry will receive his award next Wednesday afternoon during RRC’s Spring Convocation Ceremonies, which take place June 7 and 8 at the Centennial Concert Hall.

Red River College Nursing instructor Kendra Rieger has been named the 2016 recipient of the Canadian Association for Nursing Research (CANR) Rising Star Graduate Student Award.

Presented every two years, the award recognizes Rieger’s doctoral research work at the University of Manitoba, where she’s part of the first cohort of Nursing PhD students in the province.

Her devotion to research is evident in her scholarly work: As primary author or co-author, she has nine articles either in-press of published, with two more publications currently under review. Among those she describes as pivotal: “Arts-based learning: An analysis of the concept of nursing education” (published in the International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship), and “The effectiveness and experience of arts-based pedagogy among undergraduate nursing students: A mixed methods systematic review” (currently under review).

Research work forms a core component of Rieger’s doctoral thesis, and she hopes to build on it even further as she continues exploring the fields of arts and health. She is also interested in systematic reviews, and hopes to develop a research program focused on arts and health initiatives, including creative approaches to teaching and learning.

Rieger’s interest in research work dates back to her childhood. She always wanted to be a scientist, and as she got older and continued her training as a nurse, she became even more convinced of the importance of research in nursing care and education.

She describes herself as a firm believer in evidence-informed practice, which integrates the best research evidence with patient preferences, clinical context and nurses’ expertise in order to provide the best patient care possible.

Rieger acknowledges her advisor, Dr. Wanda Chernomas, for nominating her for the award, which she will formally accept on May 2 at the College of Nursing Researcher in Residence event.

Learn more about her research career, and her award.

The upcoming provincial election takes place on Tuesday, April 19, and every vote counts.

You can vote in advance at Red River College’s Notre Dame Campus anytime from Monday, April 11 to Friday, April 15, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Voting takes place in the Library hallway on the lower level.

To be eligible to vote, you must be:

• a Canadian citizen;
• at least 18 years of age on election day; and
• a resident of Manitoba for at least six months before election day.

Voters are required to show one piece of government-issued photo identification (such as a driver’s licence) or two other documents with their name. Votes will be accepted for any electoral division in Manitoba.

For more information, visit electionsmanitoba.ca, or download Elections Manitoba’s new mobile app, Manitoba Votes 2016, available for Apple, Android or Blackberry.

Jeremy Torrie is running a gauntlet every filmmaker knows. He’s pulling together the fine cut of Juliana & The Medicine Fish, his adaptation of Jake Macdonald’s beloved bestselling young adult novel.

There are thousands of takes from this past autumn’s work with stars Adam Beach and Emma Tremblay to comb through, and agonizing choices to face. Does he use the shot where Beach’s dialogue was note-perfect, or the one with the best lighting? When should he cut from one shot to the next? Is there a way to reclaim the out-of-focus footage?

“Those are the compromises you make,” Torrie says of the labour of love, which leans on his talents as writer, director and producer. “Films are not perfect – they’re a microcosm of anything and everything happening during prep, production, post-production… Most people don’t care about the behind-the-scenes stuff, but those are the things you have to deal with in the industry and hopefully come out on top of.”

It’s exactly the sort of industry insider insight — coupled with storytelling craft — that Torrie imparts to students taking Red River College’s AV Short Video Production course, and to those enrolled in the three-month Enhanced Filmmaking Skills & Techniques certificate course, offered in partnership with the Adam Beach Film Institute.

The fusion of art and business savvy is critical, Torrie says, for young filmmakers hoping to go on to full careers.

“Just because it’s artistic doesn’t mean it’s not a business,” he explains. “That’s what someone like me can bring to the table: to allow for the appreciation it’s not just a story – the story is absolutely important – but beyond that, there is an entire industry.”

“When you’re able to bring real business experience to a teaching setting, you’re going to set people up for success.” Read More →

Red River College is proud to again be named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, a designation that celebrates employers who stand out through their efforts to create diverse, inclusive workplaces.

This is the second year in a row RRC has been recognized with this distinction. To date, RRC is the only post-secondary institution in Manitoba to receive the designation.

“At Red River College we strive to ensure equity and diversity are embedded in College practices and demonstrated throughout the institution,” says RRC President Paul Vogt. “Equity and inclusion form part of our blueprint and enable RRC to create a welcoming and open environment. I know I speak for the entire College community when I say how honoured we are to be recognized with this distinction for the second year in a row.”

As part of RRC’s submission, many initiatives supporting inclusive and open environments were highlighted, including the College’s LGBTT* Initiative, our Leadership Development Program (which includes Managing Mental Health in the Workplace training), our College-wide Mental Health Strategy, the development of a mentorship program for visible minorities, and our overall Workplace Equity and Diversity Strategy, which includes an employment systems review.

“Red River College continues to be proactive in efforts to support its employees, and today’s award is validation of the work being undertaken,” says Lori Grandmont, Vice-President, Human Resources and Sustainability. “I want to congratulate our employees for their work on these initiatives and for continually finding new and innovative ways to strengthen our workplace.”

Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2016 were announced today, with 65 organizations leading the nation in creating inclusive workplace cultures.

Elder Mae Louise Campbell carries the gift of women’s medicine. All her life, she has shared her knowledge of Indigenous culture and traditional teachings to help empower the women around her.

And while Campbell (shown above, at left) is a familiar face at Red River College — where she’s served as a mentor for more than a decade — it’s her work with women in the larger community that led to her being honoured over the weekend with an Indspire Award in the category of Culture, Heritage and Spirituality.

“The thing that I look forward to the most is for our women to be able to see it and say, ‘Well, this Grandmother got this award, and the reason she received it is because of all the work she’s doing to heal women,’” says Campbell. “That message to me is more important than anything else.”

Campbell’s desire to see Indigenous women empowered was born out of her own personal journey of self-awareness, healing and spiritual awakening. Like many Indigenous people, Campbell says she struggled to find her identity. Her refusal to accept the difficulties of being a young wife and mother in a controlling relationship set her on the path of discovery.

“I knew that I had to find my voice and believe in the fact that I have the strength and the wisdom to be well in my mind, body and spirit, and to continue to grow,” says Campbell. “And I knew I would have to do that by discovering our traditional ways of women’s knowing, and understanding women’s roles in the community.”

Read More →

For Red River College instructor James Culleton, one of the most interesting parts of his job is teaching students to problem-solve visually — a topic the award-winning furniture and graphic designer happens to be very well-versed in.

“Most people need graphic designers because they can’t communicate visually,” says Culleton, recent recipient of a prestigious Pinnacle Award from the American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD). “Being a visual communicator is a key skill for all designers.”

That’s the lesson Culleton tries to teach students in his Graphic Design and Manual Writing and Design classes, both delivered through RRC’s School of Continuing Education.

Culleton first got involved with the College while working at Palliser Furniture, where he served as design director for close to 15 years. He launched a partnership between Palliser and RRC’s Residential Decorating program, by enlisting students from the College to design a booth for Palliser.

“It kind of started like that, and then I started teaching an online course on manual design,” he explains. “When the opportunity to teach graphic design came up I jumped at it. Graphic Design is a fusion of art and design, two things I love.”

This year marks Culleton’s third term teaching Graphic Design one night a week; he says he’s fascinated by the range of people who take evening classes at the College.

Some are people who are already employed and looking to learn a different skill, while others are fresh out of high school and seeking tools to become employable.

“Some [people] are in a job where they need the graphic design skills to complete a bigger project,” he said. “It’s a versatile skill and can help in a lot of different areas such as web design, making a flyers or giving presentations.”

Read More →

Want the latest campus safety features and resources — all at your fingertips? There’s an app for that!

Red River College recently launched a free Mobile Safety app that provides users with direct access to RRC Security and 911, as well as specific instructions on what to do in case of an emergency, among other valuable features.

The app — which works on most smartphone platforms — can be used to access RRC’s Safe Walk resource, or to send photos or emails directly to Security. It also provides instant alerts in case of campus closures, lockdowns or emergency situations, even when the app isn’t running.

The Mobile Safety app was released in collaboration with AppArmor, a developer of custom mobile safety applications and emergency notification systems for post-secondary and private institutions in Canada, the U.S. and Australia. AppArmor also partnered recently with the University of British Columbia, Georgian College, Centennial College and the University of Florida on similar safety resources.

“Their staff worked with us every step of the way to design exactly what we were looking for,” says Dave Clarke (shown above), Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at RRC.

RRC’s Mobile Safety app can be downloaded for free from the App Store, Google Play and BlackBerry World.

Learn more at the College’s Safety and Security Blog.

Red River College helped make history last week, joining with every post-secondary institution in Manitoba — as well as the Manitoba School Boards Association — in signing the Indigenous Education Blueprint, an unprecedented commitment to advance Indigenous education in the province.

The transformational framework is the result of a new partnership between Manitoba’s public school boards and the post-secondary education sector, now united in their efforts to enhance Indigenous education and reconciliation, and to make Manitoba a global centre of excellence for Indigenous education, research, languages and culture.

The Blueprint takes action on recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and will translate into success for Indigenous students and their families, thereby enriching the lives of all Manitobans.

“Indigenous youth are one of the fastest growing populations in Canada,” said RRC President Paul Vogt. “They are our future — our future leaders, entrepreneurs and builders — and the next generation of our country. As colleges, we have a responsibility to work with other partners to continue to build upon our diverse range of post-secondary programs that support Indigenous learners on their educational journey.”

Next steps include such action items as establishing a steering committee with all signatories, creating a collaborative website and social media platform, and hosting a conference on Indigenous education.

The partners who met Friday to sign the historic Blueprint include RRC, the University of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg, Brandon University, Université de Saint-Boniface, Canadian Mennonite University, University College of the North, Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, Assiniboine Community College and the Manitoba School Boards Association. Read More →