Mohawk Matters

In the news: The Big Build

The Hamilton Spectator has this story about the ongoing renewal of Mohawk's Fennell Campus and the college's role as a key driver of economic prosperity and social well-being in the Greater Hamilton Area.

Reminder: Don't forget to register for Bike to Work Day

Don't forget to register for Bike to Work - and School - Day . This year's event takes place Monday, May 30.

Bike to Work - and School - Day is annual event that encourages commuters to trade in their four wheel rides for two wheels in an effort to reduce vehicle emissions and adopt healthier lifestyle practices. The event is also a segway into Clean Air Commute Week, which takes place from Monday, June 13 to Sunday, June 19. Other local organizations that will be participating in this year's event include McMaster University, Horizon Utilities, St. Joseph's Healthcare and Hamilton Health Sciences.

To register for Bike to Work Week visit Smart Commute Hamilton's website. Once you register you'll be eligible for prizes including a weekend getaway for two in Northumberland Country.

Stay tuned to the Sustainability Office website for more information including the times and location for the Mohawk College check-in station that will be set up the day of the event.

Architectural ceramics display takes shape at STARRT campus

Visitors to Mohawk's STARRT Campus in Stoney Creek can see a unique display of architectural ceramics that has been installed around the entrance to the pottery workshop in B106. Made from architectural clay, the door surround is the result of a Architectural Ceramics workshop that took place at Mohawk last summer. The workshop was taught by Florida-based ceramics artist Peter King and was sponsored by the Hamilton Potter's Guild. The purpose of the workshop was to teach people how to create highly dimensional clay tiles to use as architectural features such as door surounds and archways.

In the news: Discovering the art of learning

The Hamilton Spectator has this story about the Artists at the Centre program, co-founded and coordinated by Mohawk Early Childhood Education professor and Mohawk Alumni of Distinction recipient Karyn Callaghan. The program, launched 10 years ago, brings professional artists into Hamilton daycare and Ontario Early Years centres to help children explore their world through painting, drawing, sculpting, construction, music, dance and theatre. Artwork by preschool children is on display until May 28 at the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts. 

In the news: Sunrise smile -- Sun News' Alex Pierson takes a seat at The Roundtable

The Spring 2011 issue of Hamilton Magazine has a cover story on Alex Pierson, a Mohawk Journalism grad and co-host of The Roundtable morning show on the Sun News Network. In her 15-year broadcasting career, Alex has worked at CHML and Y95, CHCH, A-Channel in Calgary and The New VR in Barrie. At CityTV, Alex worked as weekend anchor and reporter with Cablepulse 24, co-anchor of CityNews at 11 p.m. and reporter for CityNews at Six. Before joining the Sun News Network, Alex was with the Global Ontario news team as general assignment reporter, weekend anchor and court reporter.

In the news: Hamilton's future is now

The Hamilton Spectator has this story about the 2011 Hamilton Economic Summit. Mohawk was a sponsor of this year's summit and participated in the discussions that took place at the Hamilton Convention Centre on Thursday. The theme of this year's summit was how to energize the lower city through people and profits.

Mohawk College President Rob MacIsaac's remarks at 2011 Hamilton Economic Summit

During the 2011 Hamilton Economic Summit, Mohawk President Rob MacIsaac highlighted the city's successes and opportunities to move Greater Hamilton forward. Rob served as honorary co-chair at last year's summit. Established in 2008, the Hamilton Economic Summit is a premier leadership initiative facilitated by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. The summit's overriding goal is to help Hamilton become Canada's top midsize city measured by its ability to attract talent and investment.

Download 2011 Hamilton Economic Summit President's Remarks

  

Mohawk Broadcasting Television and Journalism students win national award (media release)

Mohawk College Broadcasting -- Television and Communications Media and Journalism students have won a prestigious national award from the Broadcast Educators Association of Canada (BEAC).

The Mohawk team has won the video studio newscast category in the BEAC’s national annual awards competition open to all college and university students. The award, the first for Mohawk, will be presented during the BEAC’s national conference in Victoria May 26 – 29.

The 42 students were recognized for their work on Ignite News during the fall and winter semesters.  As part of their program curriculum, second-year students are responsible for all aspects of the 20-minute newscast, from ENG reporting and writing to studio production, graphics and visual animations. The newscast is produced live in Mohawk’s high definition studio at the Fennell Campus, broadcast on closed circuit monitors at the college and streamed online at ignitenews.mohawkcollege.ca. Three teams of students each produce a weekly newscast.

“Our students do more than study broadcasting and journalism; they learn from experience and produce award-winning work,” says Rick Court, Dean of Business, Media and Entertainment. “Congratulations to all the students and a special thanks to professors Tracey Kadish and Kurt Muller for coaching and mentoring our award-winning team.”

Comments from the six-member judging panel of industry professionals included:

• Overall very solid news cast, time went by very quickly, quite impressed  that it only felt like a 10 minute cast, great pacing.
• Truly enjoyed the cast, on-air talent did very well.
• Really impressive, great graphics, over-all impressive.
• Enjoyed the entire cast, great when you feel it should have been longer – good stories.
• Graphics, sound done very well for a live cast, truly enjoyed it, relevant stories, great on-air talent.

The Broadcast Educators Association of Canada is a national organization dedicated to the professional development of faculty and administrators in Radio, Television, Broadcast Journalism and New Media programs in provincially accredited colleges and universities in Canada.

Major renovations creating new centre for student services at Mohawk College

 
The largest campus renewal project in Mohawk's history continues with major renovations that will make it easier for students to get the help they need to graduate to success.

Mohawk’s former library at the Fennell Campus is undergoing a $1.3 million renovation to become the future centre for student services. Scheduled to open this summer, the 17,000 square foot centre will centralize services previously offered at 17 locations throughout Mohawk’s largest campus.

“Students will find an easy path to whatever support they need,” says Wayne Poirier, Mohawk’s Vice President of Student Services, who is leading the project. Poirier, who joined Mohawk in January, led a successful consolidation of student services at two campuses at George Brown College in Toronto. “With the addition of our new centre, students will spend more time focused on becoming future-ready graduates and less time navigating the campus in search of services.”

A team of more than 120 staff will deliver a full range of one-stop services and supports, from financial aid and counselling to admissions, registration and accessible learning services, to the 7,000 students who attend the Fennell Campus. 

Along with creating a new student services centre, Mohawk is renovating the main lobby to improve accessibility to the college for everyone in the community.

The new student services centre is part of the largest campus renewal project in Mohawk’s history. The $16.5 million Mohawk Learning Exchange, home to the new Harold Cummings Library and Collaboratory, officially opened in January.  Facing Fennell Avenue, the 3-storey building was constructed on time, on budget and accident free.

Last summer, Mohawk renovated an entire wing of the campus for the School of Human Services, converted offices into common areas for students to meet before, between and after classes and completely renovated the cafeteria.

The Fennell Campus Renewal Project is earning high marks from students. In the Ontario government’s most recent student satisfaction survey, Mohawk achieved the highest scores among all colleges in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area for quality of services and facilities, along with quality of programs and learning. Compared to last year’s survey results, Mohawk also posted the highest percentage point increases for quality of services and facilities among Ontario’s 24 public colleges.

Mohawk College delivers a quality education to more than 16,000 full-time and apprenticeship students, 700 international students and 42,000 continuing education registrants. The majority of Mohawk’s 85,000 alumni continue to live and work in the Greater Hamilton Area.

Parts of C Wing will be off limits due to painting this weekend

Starting Friday, May 13 at 6 p.m. and continuing to Sunday, May 15, parts of the corridor in C Wing will be off limits due to painting.

Staring Friday afternoon, crews will install a tarp over the newly laid ceramic tile floor along the north-south corridor (Main Street) between the lobby and the upper level atrium and the east-west corridor between the President's Office and Main Street. The tarp will remain until all the painting is complete.  The doors leading into the corridor will also be tarped. 

The corridor will be closed to all traffic starting at 6 p.m. Friday,  and remain closed until 6 a.m. Sunday, May 15. There are a couple of exceptions: 

• The exit doors from the McIntyre Theatre will be available for emergency use only and will have signs on the inside indicating they can be used in emergencies only. 
• Access to the Data Room will be maintained for IT personnel throughout the weekend.

Access to A Wing will be available from the lower level (cafeteria) of C Wing during the specified timeframe. The lower level can be accessed from the stair case in the front lobby and from stairs in the upper level atrium in C Wing.

For the latest news and information on the renovations to Mohawk's oldest and largest campus check out the Fennell Renewal blod at www.renewfennell.tumblr.com.