Okanagan College Community Report 2016

OKANAGAN COLLEGE COMMUNITY REPORT

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OKANAGAN COLLEGE

BY THE NUMBERS STUDENTS 19,706 students 1,349 international students representing 44 countries 1,545 Aboriginal students (2014-15) 25 is the average student age 54% female, 46% male 2,714 credentials conferred in 2015-16 70,000+ credentials conferred since 1963 25,865 credentials conferred since 2005 43% growth in student enrolment since 2005

INSTITUTION 53 years old on Sept. 30, 2016 4 campuses: Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon, and Salmon Arm 9 additional locations from Oliver to Revelstoke Second largest trades training institution in B.C. 1,100 full- and part-time employees 20 bands, First Nation Governments, agencies, and other post-secondary institutions have

partnership agreements, MOUs, MOAs, service and laddering agreements with OC 28 program advisory committees

FINANCIAL $100 million operating budget $500+ million annual economic impact to regional economy $931 million impact to provincial economy Every tax dollar invested in Okanagan College yields $15.60 in increased tax revenue and public sector savings More than $1 million in financial aid and student awards available to students

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A message from Connie Denesiuk, Chair of the Board of Governors

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A message from President Jim Hamilton

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Kelowna Trades Complex opens

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Students put their skills to work in the community

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2,714 success stories and counting

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Setting the sustainability standard

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Student and employee satisfaction

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Toward 2020 – College rolls out new strategic plan

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Researchers recognized

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Working with and learning from the Indigenous community

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Taking flight – OC airforce grows along with new partnerships

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Students helping students; OC prof charts a visual history of Kelowna

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International students find a new home at Okanagan College

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New programs - from top trades to online health

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What is work-integrated learning?

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What employers and students are saying

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Highest honours go to von Mandl, Redmond, Winkler and Gee

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The financial year in review

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The governing bodies of Okanagan College

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COMMUNITY REPORT 2016

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR, BOARD OF GOVERNORS The past year has been a remarkable one, marking my first as Chair of the Okanagan College Board of Governors.

It has afforded a view of the institution and a much deeper understanding of all that Okanagan College is and does, from the complex $100 million budget that drives the organization and allows us to serve so many students (19,000-plus) to the way that staff interact, support and – most importantly – care for students.

Any time I visit one of our four campuses and talk with students, I hear stories about how professors have helped and inspired them. I see professors and students greet each other by name and kibitz over coffee, and I’ve witnessed them work together on projects that extend well beyond the classroom.

As an alumna of Okanagan College I’m heartened that the friendliness and sense of community that pervades the halls and classroom hasn’t changed since my time here more than a couple of decades ago.

What has changed is the size of the institution. The latest addition is the Trades Complex in Kelowna, a $35-million project that began welcoming students in the spring and officially opened in September. We’re rightfully proud of that project since it builds on the strong heritage of trades training that began for us when the B.C. Vocational School opened its doors in 1963. It is physical testimony to the importance our government, community, and employers place on trades training.

The campuses have grown and continue to grow. The program choices have increased and more local students are choosing to get their education close to home.

Increasingly, international students are choosing to come to the region and our school to get the quality education that has been a hallmark for the past 50-plus years.

I trust this community report will provide some of the insights that lead to the conclusion I reached long ago and that is affirmed for me regularly: Okanagan College is an asset to our region that warrants celebrating.

Connie Denesiuk, Chair, Okanagan College Board of Governors

EDUCATION QUALITY IS OUR CONCERN Every year, British Columbia’s government surveys students who graduate from our public post-secondary institutions. Over 90 per cent of Okanagan College’s graduates surveyed are satisfied with their education.

While instructors, curriculum, facilities, and individual experiences all play an important role in determining the survey results, there is a contributing agent that is not always at the forefront of public attention: Education Council, one of the two governing bodies for Okanagan College.

Education Council, in conjunction with the Board of Governors, is responsible for approving courses, programs, and policies that have much to do with the quality of the educational experience at our institution. Faculty members, support staff, administrators, and students meet monthly to review and approve new curriculum and academic policies.

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Supporting Education Council are a number of standing committees (which provide a preliminary review of proposals) and hard-working support staff. More than 75 members of the College community meet to consider curriculum and policies.

The overall goal is to ensure that the students who choose Okanagan College for their education and training receive the best experience possible.

Education Council sees the results of its work when it approves graduands for graduation. (A person is a graduand after completing all the requirements for a credential and becomes a graduate after the credential is awarded.)

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT The most important Okanagan College accomplishment each year is to help students achieve their education goals. We get to celebrate that success officially at ceremonies that see them receive degrees, diplomas and certificates but not all student successes are showcased at our Convocation ceremonies.

The successes may come in the form of students completing upgrading courses that give them the prerequisites they needed to get into another program. It may be another student finishing the first year of Arts and Science courses and transferring to university. It might be the traveler who finishes a conversational course in Spanish.

We measure successes in a whole host of ways at Okanagan College and this report is intended to provide a flavour of some of those successes; places where our students and staff excel, where they make a difference and where they contribute to the region, province and nation.

And while I prefer individual stories to statistics, there are three statistics I will share because they tell a compelling story: 1. In our most recent student satisfaction survey (February 2016), 90 per cent of students said attending Okanagan College was a good experience 2. 90 per cent of surveyed students were confident they would achieve their educational goals 3. In our 2015 survey of employee engagement, 93 per cent of employees said they were proud to work at Okanagan College After more than 30 years working at Okanagan College, I like to think that No. 3 has a lot to do with No. 1 and No. 2. And I also like to think that No. 1 and No. 2 have a lot to do with No. 3.

I hope you’ll see the connections and share the pride we have in student and College successes when you finish looking through this 2016 Community Report.

Jim Hamilton President, Okanagan College

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COMMUNITY REPORT 2016

KELOWNA TRADES COMPLEX OPENS ALUMNI, COMMUNITY, INDUSTRY SHOW SUPPORT From top to bottom the new $35 million Trades Complex celebrates Okanagan College’s rich history of trades training and honours the men and women who build our communities. It is also unquestionably a building for the future – a bold embodiment of the College’s commitment to pushing the envelope in sustainability and green building technology.

“We set out to build a leading-edge facility that would truly celebrate the trades,” says Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton. “Support from the province, industry and the community has been integral in making the new Trades Complex a reality.

“Tradespeople play an incredibly important role in our communities, and we are very proud to be able to provide them with a new inspiring learning environment – one that we are

With space to train more than 2,700 students per year, the new Trades Complex opened its doors in April 2016.

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confident will be of tremendous benefit to the region and the province.”

Building on a $28-million investment by the province, the Bright Horizons, Building for Skills campaign launched in October 2014 with the goal of raising $7 million for capital construction and student support. Donations have poured in from businesses, families, and individuals – including numerous gifts from within the College’s internal community. A $100,000 donation from the Okanagan College Students’ Union in February 2015 sparked interest and illustrated the value the College’s own students place on their education.

Current students and alumni also played a hands-on role in the project.

Madison Roukema, a recent graduate of the Sheet Metal foundation program and of the Women in Trades Training (WITT) program, was one of the more than a dozen students who installed equipment into the Cross Connection Control Lab and Gas Training Lab, a space which will also allow the College to deliver a new Steamfitter/Pipefitter apprenticeship.

“It was such an awesome opportunity to get to work on the building as a student,” says Roukema. “There were students from different trades, different classes, and we all had a chance to put our skills to work. It was a way of being part of the project, part of the future of the Trades at the College,” she notes.

“It was a great experience.”

Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton, former OC Board of Governors Chair Tom Styffe, OC Foundation President Alf Kempf, and Okanagan College Students’ Union Chair Chelsea Grisch acknowledge the OCSU’s $100,000 donation.

When doors opened to students in April, more than 700 students training at leased shops on Penno and Acland Road could return to campus.

Students have been quick to show their appreciation and excitement.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Steve Moores, Dean of Trades and Apprenticeship. “Students who have moved back to campus are thrilled. And those were who were here or who are completely new to the campus have responded in the same way. Instructors couldn’t be happier with the facilities – they’re bright, modern, and they show how much the College values and reveres our tradespeople.”

The new Trades Complex is a bright, modern learning environment and provides space and opportunities for new programs and applied research.

The complex blends renovation and expansion with the goal of achieving the highest green building standards.

Solar powered: the building’s design offers abundant natural light and innovative solar tubes

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COMMUNITY REPORT 2016

FROM HOME BUILDING TO HEARTWARMING OKANAGAN COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE COMMUNITY BUILDERS What better way to start a career in home building than to be a part of building the Home of Tomorrow?

In 2016, a class of 17 residential construction students from Okanagan College worked on two unique homes in the Wilden development in Kelowna. The homes they built could change the way we think about energy efficiency for years to come.

The Wilden Living Laboratory is a collaborative research project spearheaded by Wilden, Okanagan College, UBC Okanagan, AuthenTech Homes and Fortis BC. Over the next three years, the energy usage of the residents of the Home of Today (built to current building code) will be compared to that of those living in the Home of Tomorrow, which was constructed using advanced green building techniques and technologies, and equipped with the latest in energy-saving appliances.

Kai Schindelka is one of the students who helped to raise both homes. The young home builder from Kelowna is not shy when it comes to talking about the confidence he gained from working on the project.

“Working on these homes taught me a lot,” says Schindelka. “I got real-world experience and training, working hands-on next to the team from AuthenTech homes.

“Getting to check out some of the new technologies and materials going into our homes was very exciting, and when I step onto the next job site, I’ll have that experience and knowledge under my belt.”

Since 2006, OC Residential Construction students and instructors have helped build homes and community buildings, from daycare facilities to food banks throughout the region.

(L to R): Residential Construction students Guneet Singh, Dallas Vincent and Kai Shindelka.

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While Schindelka and his fellow students were home building in Kelowna, their peers in Salmon Arm were working with local business owners to assuage hunger in that community.

Steaming bowls of soup made by local restaurants warmed things up on a cold winter’s day at the inaugural Enactus Okanagan College Soup’s On event in Salmon Arm. On Jan. 21, 2016, 109 guests tasted samples of delicious soups to raise awareness and funds for the Second Harvest food bank.

The event raised $1,000 for those most in need. The funds arrived during the post-holiday time when food bank shelves are often in need of replenishing. The event also raised an additional $1,000 to support ongoing Enactus Okanagan College community projects.

The event was coordinated by Okanagan College School of Business student Alexandra Jacques and fellow business student Laureen Shannon, President of Enactus Okanagan College Salmon Arm chapter.

A widow and mother of boys nine and 13-years-old, Shannon graduated in May with a diploma in business administration and plans to pursue a degree in human resource management. The event was not her first foray into community involvement, and it won’t be the last, explains Shannon, especially if the generosity of business owners helps to sustain Soup’s On as an annual event.

“Our overhead was minimal because everybody in the community was so generous,” explains Shannon. “I joined Enactus to give back to the community and to be on a team. It gives me a really good feeling to do something that’s so positive for the community. And it is really sustainable.”

Alexandra Jacques (centre) at the inaugural Soup’s On event.

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ZACH ANDREWS ONE OF 2,714 INSPIRING STORIES

Zach Andrews had to skip his convocation ceremony at Okanagan College this year as he graduated with a diploma in electronic engineering technology, but he had an acceptable excuse.

Andrews had to pass on the College ceremony because he was in Moncton, New Brunswick, winning a gold medal in electronics at the Skills Canada competition.

And while Andrews’ victory and the accompanying award ceremony was an acceptable alternative to the sun-drenched ceremony in late June where he would normally have picked up his credential, there were hundreds of other Okanagan College students who were able to attend the ceremonies over the past year.

Zach Andrews topped the podium at Skills Canada Nationals in Moncton, New Brunswick

with an electrical program that led him to journeyman status in 2009. In 2014, after a decade of work as an apprentice and a journeyman, he returned to OC for the electronic engineering technology program.

His choice of careers – first electrician and then electronics engineering technologist – align closely with the predictions for labour market needs in the coming decade. B.C. is forecasting more than 900,000 job openings by 2025. The experts are saying there will be 4,600 job openings for electricians and 1,800 opening for electronic engineering technologists.

From business administration (data suggests there will be jobs for more than 28,000 retail and wholesale trade administrators alone in B.C. in the next decade) to early childhood education (9,300 jobs in that occupation), to carpenters (10,300) and cooks and chefs (16,000) many of Okanagan College’s programs align with those forecasted needs.

P.S. – Zach Andrews is back at Okanagan College this fall, taking an engineering bridge program that will allow him to apply to entry into the third year of UBC Okanagan’s engineering program.

In fact, Okanagan College presented more than 2,000 credentials in the 2015-16 academic year, marking the success of students in everything from culinary arts to criminal and social justice.

Those credentials included baccalaureate degrees (Okanagan College offers two degree programs – Business Administration and Computer Information Systems), diplomas (30 different programs) and certificates (more than 100 programs).

Andrews – even before he graduated from the engineering technology program – qualified as an alumni of Okanagan College. In 2005 he started his post-secondary path in the trades Andrews returned to Okanagan College to pick up his credential and carry on his education.

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COMMUNITY REPORT 2016

GREENEST IN CANADA Okanagan College’s reputation as an organization focused on sustainable building has spread nationally and internationally over the past several years and is likely to continue to grow as projects such as the new Trades Complex at the Kelowna campus come on stream.

In April 2016 Corporate Knights Magazine named the Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation at the College’s Penticton campus as the most sustainable building in Canada’s post-secondary sector.

The building was in good company – UBC Vancouver’s Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability was the silver medalist according to the judges, who had started with a long list of more than 200 buildings to consider. Dalhousie University’s Mona Campbell building won bronze.

“When the news came out it was a surprise to us,” admits Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton. “Not because of the recognition, because we know this is a very special building that celebrates sustainability. It was a surprise because we weren’t aware that we were being included in the assessment.”

The Centre of Excellence has earned a number of awards and recognition since it opened in 2011. Before the nod from Corporate Knights, the building was accredited as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum project: the largest structure of its type in B.C.’s interior to achieve the designation.

While the Centre of Excellence has helped push builders and architects to reconsider how projects can incorporate sustainable and environmentally-sensitive practices and approaches within responsible budgets, the College’s Trades Complex project will continue that inspirational direction.

“When the College undertook this project starting in 2012 it wanted to demonstrate that a combination of renovations to the existing built structure and construction of a major new building could incorporate principles of sustainability and environmental responsibility,” explains Roy Daykin, Vice President of Employee and Corporate Services at Okanagan College. “Too often, people think that really green projects have to be those that are being built from scratch. Our instructors and students loved the existing trades shop space, but it was outdated, inefficient, poorly ventilated, underinsulated and – quite frankly – an energy embarrassment.

“So we set out, with our architects, engineers, builders, and staff to renovate those shops to bring them to 21st century standards. At the same time, we focused our new building on the highest possible environmental standards, building to LEED Platinum standards and incorporating the approaches of the Living Building Challenge.

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“Our goal is to be energy neutral or as close to that as possible, which is a bigger challenge than you might think because of the power demand associated with the trades shops and the equipment they contain.”

One of the many things the College has done to help it achieve its target is to develop a large photovoltaic solar array to generate power. The 973 solar panels on the roof of the heavy equipment canopy produce an average 1,103 kilowatt hours of energy per day during the summer. The 194 kW electrical solar photovoltaic array system is the second largest in the province on a post-secondary building. The largest array can be found just a few miles south, on the College’s Centre of Excellence in Penticton.

The College’s dedication to environmental sustainability doesn’t just focus on construction and renovation. Over the past several years, the College has been looking for gains in other areas – metering power usage, installing more efficient equipment, trying to get people to think differently about energy consumption.

It’s working. The energy consumption per square metre of buildings at the College’s four campuses has dropped by more than 30 per cent in the past eight years. And in its most recent Strategic Plan, the College identified sustainability as one of its key directions.

“We’ve had architects, engineers, and builders come from around the globe to look at what we’re doing. Our approach has influenced changes in some municipal building bylaws and I believe – I hope – that it has inspired other organizations to think about how they can incorporate sustainability into their construction and renovation projects,” says Hamilton.

“Where the impact of what we’re doing really struck me though, was when one of our construction project managers boasted that he had started a project driving to work every day in three-quarter ton truck but he ended up commuting to and from the site in a Prius as he realized the impact that small changes can have.”

The photovoltaic solar array on the new Trades Complex is the second-largest on a non-utility institutional building in western Canada (second only to the Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence at the Penticton campus). The array generates enough energy to power more than 25 homes per year.

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WHAT STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES SAY ABOUT OKANAGAN COLLEGE Ask a student what they think about Okanagan College, and what do you think you’d hear?

Okanagan College does ask – annually – through surveys of its students. The provincial government also makes a point of asking a sample of the College’s graduates for opinions and information after they’ve completed their studies.

And the answers are generally heartening and positive.

For instance, in the College’s 2016 survey of student satisfaction (574 respondents):

- 90 per cent said that Okanagan College provided a good educational experience - 88 per cent said they would recommend their program or course to others - 90 per cent said they would achieve their educational goal In the province’s Student Outcomes survey (conducted two years after program completion):

- 99 per cent of bachelor degree graduates said they would take the same program again and 95 per cent were working with average salaries of $48,500 - 97 per cent of apprentices are working with an average wage of $27 per hour. 94 per cent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their education - 93 per cent of those who took diplomas, certificates or associate degrees said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their education The College has also made a habit of exploring employee engagement through surveys (conducted once every two years).

The latest survey (fall 2015) showed:

- 90 per cent of employees found their work interesting - 92 per cent thought their work was important to the success of the college - 82 per cent would recommend the college as an employer to their friends - 81 per cent said they were satisfied with their employment

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COMMUNITY REPORT 2016

A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN FOR OKANAGAN COLLEGE In 2014, Okanagan College began a review of its strategic plan. A far-reaching initiative, the institution involved its students, employees, partners, communities, alumni and friends.

Months of input garnered from all parts of the region, synthesis of comments and ideas, review and discussion led to Toward 2020, a Strategic Plan endorsed by the College’s Board of Governors in late 2015.

MISSION Okanagan College transforms lives and communities.

We engage, lead and serve through: • A high quality educational experience for our learners.

• An environment that supports employees and encourages personal and professional growth.

• Collaborative relationships that are responsive to our communities.

CORE VALUES These serve to guide decision-making as an organization and our actions as individuals.

1. Learner Success. Learners are at the heart of everything we do.

2. Access. We advocate and promote access to education.

3. Continuous Improvement. We strive to do better tomorrow than we did today.

4. Collegiality. In all our interactions we act with respect and integrity.

5. Diversity. We support an inclusive environment.

6. Sustainability. We strive for social, environmental and economic sustainability.

7. Collaboration. We embrace the opportunity to work with and learn from each other.

8. Innovation. We introduce, evaluate and embrace new ideas.

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KEY DIRECTIONS Supporting Learner Readiness and Success Through their educational experience, learners are better prepared for work, life and further study.

Excelling in Teaching, Programming, and Applied Research Students, employers, and the community will benefit from the College’s commitment to innovative and responsive education.

Working With, and Learning From, the Indigenous Community The College values and respects Indigenous culture and ways of knowing and is working towards indigenization. The goal is an authentic partnership that benefits all parties and enriches the education of learners.

Serving and Engaging the Community

Strengthening relationships with alumni, employers, and community groups contributes to the health and prosperity of the region the College serves.

Focusing on Organizational Sustainability The College needs to address the human and financial resources, infrastructure, and environmental challenges that will accompany anticipated demographic, economic, and social changes.

To find out more, visit:

okanagan.bc.ca/toward2020

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COMMUNITY REPORT 2016

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Dr. Jarkko Jalava,

Dr. Lee Cartier Dr. Stephanie Griffiths

RESEARCH

PASSION, PARTNERSHIPS, AND PUBLICATIONS Okanagan College employees demonstrated their creativity, expertise and innovation through the publication of new works and an array of applied research projects in 2015-16. Here are just a few examples:

Cartier’s research poised for grape success Dr. Lee Cartier recently undertook a study whose findings may help B.C. claim the mid-range portion of the wine-consumption market. Using Cartier’s research, and by finding the production recipe to address that market could add millions in revenue to the province’s grape-growers and winemakers, and could mean hundreds more jobs in Canada’s expanding wine-growing regions.

Cartier’s research received significant funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council – $25,000 in 2015 for his work with Dirty Laundry Vineyard Ltd. and $25,000 in 2016 for a project with BC Tree Fruits Cooperative.

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Jalava and Griffiths explore intersections of psychopathy and criminality Okanagan College professors Dr. Jarkko Jalava (Criminology, Interdisciplinary Studies) and Dr. Stephanie Griffiths (Psychology) co-authored the book The Myth of The Born Criminal: Psychopathy, Neurobiology, and the Creation of the Modern Degenerate. The work is a comprehensive critique of the concept of psychopathy, from its eighteenth-century theoretical origins to the latest neuroimaging, behavioural genetics, and statistical studies.

Kerry Gilbert Dr. Beverlie Dietze

Dr. Youry Khmelevsky Hannah Calder

Khmelevsky’s gaming networks research project receives major funding An applied research project led by Okanagan College Computer Science department Chair Dr. Youry Khmelevsky received $225,000 from Kelowna’s WTFast (a private gaming network provider) and $225,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The project will also give five Computer Information Systems (bachelor and diploma) and Network and Telecommunications Engineering Technology diploma students an opportunity to work with WTFast on the research, giving them relevant and valuable experience with a local industry leader.

Calder publishes second novel Okanagan College English professor Hannah Calder has recently published her second novel, Piranesi’s Figures. Both this novel and her first novel, More House (2009), were published by New Star Books in Vancouver.

Dietze’s project on outdoor play awarded Ensuring that Early Childhood Educators’ (ECE) training curricula includes beneficial outdoor play for children is no child’s play for Okanagan College Director of Learning and Teaching Dr. Beverlie Dietze. It’s serious work that received $195,000 in funding from the Lawson Foundation, one of only 14 projects across Canada to be selected. Dietze’s collaborative research will benefit more than 400 current ECEs working in childcare centres in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario, as well as ECE faculty at Canadian postsecondary institutions.

Gilbert’s second book of poetry takes readers up onto the Tight Wire Okanagan College Creative Writing and English Professor Kerry Gilbert published her second book of poetry called Tight Wire, through Mother Tongue Publishing.

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Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton watches as Okanagan Indian Band Councillor Allan Louis signs the Indigenous Education Protocol. Also signing (right to left) were Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society representative Edna Terbasket, Métis Association of Salmon Arm President Joan Wright, and Metis Community Services Society of BC representative Maria Laboucan.

WORKING WITH AND LEARNING FROM THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY: ON THE PATH TOWARD INDIGENIZATION Okanagan College experienced the fastest growth in its Indigenous student population of any institution in the sector. In 2015 the College delivered educational programming to more than 1,500 Aboriginal students.

Each of these students – along with the College’s Aboriginal employees, volunteers, partners and friends in the community – is a valued voice, a contributor to the diverse collection of knowledge and experiences that make up the Okanagan College community.

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In 2015-16, the College made strides in its key direction of working with and learning from the Indigenous community.

Milestones included: •

Sept. 24, 2015 – Signing of the Indigenous Education Protocol; Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton was joined at the signing ceremony by representatives of the Okanagan Indian Band, the Métis Association of Salmon Arm, the Ki-Low- Na Friendship Society, the Westbank First Nation, and the Métis Community Service Society of BC.

• Sept. 24, 2015 – The College hosts the seventh annual Youth Exhibition Powwow.

• Feb. 12, 2016 – Signing an MOU with Westbank First Nation; both partners committed to deepening this long-standing partnership.

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May 3, 2016 – Announcement of a Project Manager for the College’s Indigenous Task Force that is working to develop an Indigenization plan outlining ways in which the College can better engage with, and learn from, the Indigenous communities we serve. Dr. Bill Cohen was named to lead the Task Force, assisted by Jennifer Leason.

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annual multicultural day at the Salmon Arm campus on March 23, which drew a crowd of over 100 students and community members to the 8th annual Youth Exibition Powwow on Sept. 15, 2016. Each year, as many as 1,000 students, faculty, and staff along with members of the general community enjoy this high profile event that showcases Aboriginal culture and dance.

Their contributions also resonate in the College’s surrounding communities as well.

Okanagan College Bachelor of Business Administration student and Nisga’a Nation member Tina Miller joined forces with UBCO student Mary Song to help organize the fifth annual Women’s Memorial Vigil to Honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Kelowna on Feb. 14.

June 15, 2016 – College hosts Indigenous Concepts of Knowledge Symposium. Members of Okanagan-Syilx and other BC First Nations participated, along with visiting scholars, A crowd of about 50 gathered in front of the Kelowna courthouse students, professionals and community members. to remember the victims, give voice to the ongoing tragedy, and provide healing support to families and friends of the victims. It’s a “Indigenization is about strengthening connections with Indigenous cause that has personally affected Miller who experienced the loss knowledge, peoples, and place,” says Cohen. “Underpinning that of a family friend. process for the College will be continuing to build inclusive and respectful relationships with Indigenous people. It starts By co-organizing the vigil, Miller said she aimed to recognize and with acknowledging the Okanagan and Syilx people, on whose remind that her mother’s friend was someone who was loved and traditional territory we are situated, and from there it extends valued. “We will not forget her worth, her value or her life.” outwards.”

Okanagan College students contributed extensively to Aboriginal events, workshops, and cultural activities at the College, from the

President Jim Hamilton and former Westbank First Nation Chief Robert Louie

Powwow 2016

Dr. Bill Cohen

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GIVING WING TO STUDENT DREAMS INDUSTRY SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIPS HELP OC SOAR The College’s capacity to train the next generation of commercial pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) continues to be enhanced by support from industry.

On October 6, 2015, to the delight of students and instructors, the College received one of its largest-ever gifts of equipment.

A British Aerospace Model Jetstream 31, valued at nearly $700,000 was donated by the Swanberg family of Grande Prairie & Fort St. John, in memory of Sylvan and Dorothy Swanberg. Their son Loran was joined by family members to announce the donation in support of the College’s (AME) M-License program, which trains students in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Swanberg handed the keys to the Jetstream to Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton, who noted that the value of the aircraft as a teaching tool far exceeded any dollar value that could be ascribed to the plane.

“This gift will enrich the training experience for our students for years to come,” said Hamilton.

In the wake of this generous gift, students in the AME program didn’t have to wait long before their training fleet expanded yet again.

Less than two weeks later, Carson Air touched down in Vernon with a Metroliner II aircraft, valued at $830,700. The donation marked the company’s second major contribution that fall; in September, Carson Air announced a donation of $125,000 to support the purchase of a flight simulator for the Commercial Aviation program in Kelowna. A donation of $25,000 from ROV Consulting Inc. also helped power up the flight simulator,

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which will be housed in the Centre for Learning building at the Kelowna campus.

“We hope these gifts challenge and inspire many students, as they hone their skills and work towards careers as professional aviators and engineers,” said Kevin Carson, President and Operations Manager of Carson Air. Industry partnerships are also helping students’ careers take flight.

The College’s Commercial Aviation diploma program, run in concert with flight partners Southern Interior Flight Centre (SIFC), celebrated a quarter-century of operation in 2015.

In July 2016, Jazz Aviation LP and the College signed an agreement that will see OC participate in the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program (APP), which can serve as a fast track for the OC pilots to land flying careers with the national airline. As a partner school with Jazz, Okanagan College pilots also find themselves eligible to apply to two very significant Jazz-supplied scholarships.

With baby-boomer retirements looming and a serious shortage of aircraft mechanics on the horizon, the College is working with industry partners like Jazz, Carson Air and others to be proactive in addressing skills shortages.

Boeing has projected there will be openings for 584,000 maintenance technicians globally over the next 20 years, just ahead of the estimated need for 533,000 commercial pilots in the same time period.

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Enactus Okanagan College students are showing elementary students how they CAN$ave through some innovative financial literacy tutelage.

COMMUNITY CONNECTEDNESS What do a group that supports grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa, a fire department in the North Okanagan and the visual history of Kelowna have in common?

They’ve all realized the benefit of the energy and enthusiasm of Okanagan College students and staff.

Okanagan College – with more than 1,100 employees and 19,000 students attending its four campuses and nine other educational centres annually – contributes significantly to the economic, social and cultural fabric of the region it serves (six times the size of Prince Edward Island).

Its connections to the community go well beyond what you might expect, however.

• The Predator Ridge Fire Hall, for instance, boasts custom cupboards built by an entry-level Okanagan College carpentryjoinery class. Julia Braun was one of the 12 foundation program students who took a leading role in the hands-on curriculum project. “It gave us a real-life perspective and understanding of what it will be like doing this kind of work out in the real world,” she said. “It’s really cool to be involved in a community project because you feel more invested in your work and it increases the value of a project.”

• Kelowna Grandmothers for Africa hosted an event in November, 2015 and the junior chefs of Okanagan College’s culinary program (with guidance from their instructors) created, prepared and served delicious meals that made the fundraiser a huge success and with their support, the group is expanding the event. (Kelowna Grandmothers for Africa raises funds and

promotes awareness for grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa who are raising grandchildren orphaned by the AIDS pandemic.)

• The visual history of Kelowna – visit facebook.com/oldkelowna – was the brainchild of Okanagan College English Professor Shona Harrison, a fourth-generation resident of Kelowna, who was sparked to create the page when an old family photo garnered a great deal of attention. Today the Old Kelowna page is approaching 17,000 likes. But the connections to community go far, far beyond these examples. And they are part of a two-way network that contributes to the quality of education and experience that Okanagan College students get.

And the students themselves create considerable connections.

The Okanagan College Enactus group for instance, celebrated its 10th year of operation in 2015-16 and extended its record of community service with a new project – CAN$ave -which helps teach financial literacy to Grade 1 and Grade 3 students. More than 200 students benefited from the first year of the project and the student numbers are about to swell dramatically in the coming year through partnerships and community support.

The Old Kelowna Facebook page began with a family photo and a bright idea from Okanagan College English Professor Shona Harrison.

Carpentry students with the custom cabinets they created for the Predator Ridge Fire Hall.

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COMMUNITY REPORT 2016

A GROWING INTERNATIONAL PROFILE

Syria’s Mather Alasmar is among the hundreds of students from around the world who find a home at Okanagan College.

In 2015-16, 1,349 students from 44 countries other than Canada enrolled at OC, and the number keeps growing. It is nearly triple the 450 students who were enrolled in 2005-06.

This cultural exchange provides a classroom experience with a global perspective and an international outlook, as the College becomes an increasingly diverse tapestry of backgrounds, cultures and dreams. For some of those students, the object is to study, find work and stay in Canada. It’s certainly Alasmar’s intention.

He and his family dreamed of coming to Canada every day for more than three years while living in a refugee camp in Lebanon.

During that time, he often wondered if his hopes would ever be realized, if his children would ever enjoy the basic human rights that Canada promised.

After graduating in June, Asiri returned home to his family in Saudi Arabia. Inspired by his experience at Okanagan College, he now plans to return to Canada to pursue a master’s degree in Information Systems.

“Everyone at Okanagan College was very friendly and in all the time I was here I never felt like I wasn’t at home. The same is true for people outside of the College. I was never treated like an outsider, which has been one of the greatest things about coming to Canada, and why I want to come back.”

The College celebrated a major milestone for a unique international partnership in 2016.

The dream finally came true in December 2015, and Alasmar – now an Okanagan College student – says that in the months that followed, the way in which the people of the region have welcomed his family has been truly heart-warming.

Twenty-five years ago the first students from Toyota Technical College arrived at Okanagan College to embark on a summer program of collision repair training and learning English. It planted the seed for a relationship that would blossom to span oceans, cultures and decades.

“We feel like this is our home now, our country,” explains Alasmar. “We are so thankful to be here. Canadians have made us feel so welcome. We can’t thank the people of the Okanagan enough for the way they have accepted us.”

A record 110 students from the Japanese institution completed the program this year, bringing the total to more than 1,000 participants since the partnership began in 1992. Toyota Technical College President Kazunori Ikeyama traveled to Kelowna to join Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton in congratulating students and the passionate instructors and sensei who have helped to grow the program.

Hailing from Homes, Syria’s third largest city, Alasmar moved to Kelowna with his wife Emtethal and three sons, Khaled, Abdul, and Monzer. The Mission Creek Alliance Church sponsored the family as refugees and has supported them throughout the process of settling in their new adopted community. Alasmar is now studying English at the College and hopes to re-build the career he left behind in Syria.

He says the College’s welcoming atmosphere has been a big factor in his ability to step back into the classroom with confidence.

“There is a feeling of caring at the College,” notes Alasmar. “The instructors are great. It’s clear they care about you. And the same goes for the people in the International office and everywhere you go on campus. It’s a nice feeling.”

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Alasmar’s is one of many international success stories this year.

Yasir Asiri is an international student from Saudi Arabia and one of the first from that country to graduate from the College’s Bachelor of Computer Information Systems degree program.

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“We celebrated and reflected on this great friendship and the many students it has benefited over the years,” explained Ikeyama. “It is a program and a partnership that means a great deal to both institutions.”

“What started out as an educational partnership has become, in many ways, so much more,” said Hamilton. “The cross-cultural exchange that takes place has enriched our campus community tremendously over the years. The more than 1,000 students and the many teachers who have come here to learn about Canadian culture have been, and will continue to be, our honoured guests, friends, learners, and teachers.”

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Jay Charleyboy with his daughters (l to r) Skylah, Lexus, and Justice.

NEW PROGRAMS

FROM IN-DEMAND TRADES TO ONLINE HEALTH For Jay Darwin Charleyboy, a member of the Ulkatcho First Nation, the College’s new Construction Craft Worker Aboriginal Bridging program allowed him to accomplish two goals.

It brought him one step closer to his dream of becoming a Red Seal-certified tradesperson. It also gave the single father of three a chance to demonstrate to his daughters the importance of lifelong learning.

“One of the reasons I enrolled was to show my children that we should always strive to better ourselves in life,” says Charleyboy, who moved from the community near Williams Lake to the Okanagan a few years ago. “I plan to continue on to Level 2 of the program, complete my apprenticeship, and keep building a better life for myself and my daughters.”

Charleyboy is well on his way to accomplishing both goals—and more. He’s also helping others do the same. After graduating from the program in June 2016, he was hired on by a local First Nations construction company based in West Kelowna. He then reached out to the College and signed on as a peer mentor for the next intake of students, which launched in September.

Another collaborative success story came in the development of the new Gastroenterology Nursing Certificate program.

The College launched the program last October, after consultation with Interior Health and the Canadian Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates revealed a clear need for new talent in one of the nursing’s quickest growing specializations.

Shirley Pope is among the first graduates of the program. A neonatal nursing veteran of 15 years, Pope decided to forgo retirement in favour of the chance to make a difference in this increasingly important field. The decision proved to be a good one.

Pope considers it a new calling.

“It’s been a wonderful thing for me,” she says. “I love the new challenge. It’s a specialty that’s definitely growing, and it’s one that requires a great deal of education.”

For Pope, the best news of all came just after completing her practicum when she was offered employment on the Gastroenterology unit at Kelowna General Hospital. She says a number of her classmates are also working on the unit.

“Being able to train with other Aboriginal students, in an allAboriginal setting, and having access to a peer mentor was a great benefit to me,” explains Charleyboy. “I’m proud and excited to support others on their journey through the program.”

The Construction Craft Worker Aboriginal Bridging (CCWAB) is one of a number of new programs launched by the College in 2015-16. It’s a collaborative program that runs in concert with local bands and construction sector employers.

The second intake of the Construction Craftworker Aboriginal Bridging (CCWAB) program kicked off at the Westbank First Nation Community Centre in September 2016.

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COMMUNITY REPORT 2016

CONNECTING WORK AND LEARNING A CONSTANT FOR OKANAGAN COLLEGE Work-integrated learning is a new catchphrase to describe what many instructors and students have long thought of as practical experience or hands-on education.

For Okanagan College, work-integrated learning has been a fact of life for as long as students have been coming through its doors.

Ask Faye Hughes, a June 2016 Bachelor of Business Administration graduate. Workplace integrated learning was part of a fourth-year course she was taking in Social Entrepreneurship. She drew on some of her working experience – as a certified hairstylist – to choose a project: developing a human resources manual for the Estheticians and Spa Professionals Association British Columbia.

She connected with Heather Stewart, the co-president of the organization (and an Okanagan College alumna who was recognized in September, 2016 with the Distinguished Alumni Award).

“Faye was just amazing and her manual went far beyond what we initially expected,” says Stewart. Faye’s work was presented to the organization’s annual convention in February – an event that draws about 5,000 people.

Faye’s work is just one example of where Okanagan College students connect with industry, employers, day-to-day work environments, projects, and initiatives that help them see the practical application of the theory they pick up in the classroom. In the Social Entrepreneurship course alone, which has been offered since 2007, students have completed more than 200 projects for about 125 different organizations.

Co-op employment is an option for students and a major component in many Okanagan College programs, including the College’s six engineering technology programs. Water Engineering Technology is among them.

Andrew Hunt can speak to the value of co-op education. He’s been one of those students who got his first industry job through the system. Now he hires them.

As superintendent of the Iona Waste Water Treatment Plant in Richmond, B.C., Hunt is one of the many technologists and leaders assisting Metro Vancouver in providing treatment to wastewater for about 600,000 residents in Vancouver, UBC Endowment Lands and parts of Burnaby and Richmond.

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Learning at work: OC Alumni Drew DeFrias (left) and Andrew Hunt both began their careers at Metro Vancouver with co-op positions.

“The co-op experience worked very well for me as someone looking to start out in the industry,” explains Hunt. “Now, I have the vantage point to see how beneficial the system is for the employer as well.”

Hunt’s career in water began with a chance visit to Okanagan College in the mid-90s. An instructor spoke to him about strong job prospects in the industry and the opportunities for hands-on training provided by co-ops. After completing two co-op terms with Metro Vancouver (then the Greater Vancouver Regional District), he was offered a job immediately after graduation.

Hunt started the very next week and hasn’t looked back; he continues to remain active in the recruitment and cultivation of new talent.

“We’ve hired quite a number of students from Okanagan College, and from other institutions, and it’s worked out very well for us,” he says. “We get a chance to tap into the cream of the crop of up and coming new technologists.”

One of those success stories is Drew DeFrias, who also hails from Hunt’s alma mater of Okanagan College. DeFrias was studying kinesiology a few years ago when a family member turned his attention to the career opportunities in the world of water and wastewater technology. The young Kamloops native switched gears and soon found himself in the two-year Water Engineering Technology (WET) diploma program at Okanagan College and working on co-op with Metro Vancouver at the Iona plant under the tutelage of none other than Andrew Hunt. After two successful co-ops, DeFrias was hired as a Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator I. “My co-op experience was tremendous,” says DeFrias. “It was 100 per cent value—a real eye opener into how to excel in this field and hit the ground running.”

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WHAT STUDENTS AND EMPLOYERS ARE SAYING ABOUT OKANAGAN COLLEGE “I looked at nearly 40 schools across Canada to find the right one. I joined Enactus Okanagan College, which is a non-profit student organization that runs community projects with a focus on youth empowerment, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

The community here is really engaged. From local issues to global concerns, the thinking is that at no matter what age, you can still make a difference. Every time I go to a community event, there’s always youth and students.”

- Aaron Gregory, Associate of Arts degree student, Kelowna campus, and President, Enactus Okanagan College

Aaron Gregory

“Having the opportunity to stay in Salmon Arm and not have to commute elsewhere, or move, has been tremendously helpful. As a mother of two young children, I am so grateful to the College and the Salmon Arm community for supporting my dream to continue my education. I plan to pay it forward and make an impact in the community.”

- Julia Agassiz, first year Practical Nursing Diploma program student and bursary recipient, Salmon Arm campus

Julia Agassiz

“I think it’s very important as industry leaders that we support and encourage young people getting into trades careers however we can,” says Les Bellamy, CEO and Owner of Bellamy Homes Inc. “To maintain the quality and craftsmanship that goes into building our homes and communities, the valley needs skilled tradespeople and the College is a key supplier of that workforce.”

- Les Bellamy, CEO and owner of Bellamy Homes Inc. Named the Okanagan’s “Builder of the Year” at the 2016 Tommie Awards.

(L to R): John Haller of the OC Foundation with Les Bellamy at the announcement of Bellamy’s $50,000 donation to the Bright Horizons, Building for Skills campaign.

“Okanagan College’s Legal Administrative Assistant program is considered the elite training opportunity, the crème de la crème, by our firm and others in the region.

The program provides students with exactly the right skills and knowledge we’re looking for, and students coming out of the program certainly have a competitive advantage over others in the province.”

- Jennifer McKenize, Director of Human Resources, Pushor Mitchell LPP (L to R): Samantha Blandon of the OC Foundation and Jennifer McKenzie present the Pushor Mitchell LLP Lawyer’s Scholarship to Legal Administrative Assistant program graduate Sidney Butler.

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COMMUNITY REPORT 2016

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Anthony von Mandl O.B.C.

Bill Redmond

COLLEGE ACKNOWLEDGES NEW FELLOWS

Each year, Okanagan College designates a number of individuals as Honorary Fellows. The awards recognize distinguished achievement or service and the recipients represent a broad spectrum of regional, provincial, national and international contributions. The awards acknowledge a diverse array of people, from those who have advanced literacy among youth to individuals whose work has helped create awareness and appreciation of Aboriginal culture.

At ceremonies in June, Okanagan College presented the honorific to three deserving individuals.

Anthony von Mandl, proprietor of VMF Estates, founder of Mission Hill Family Estate and one of the region’s best-known selfmade entrepreneurs, was recognized by the College for his vision and pioneering efforts in making the Okanagan a world-class winery destination. Testimony to the winery’s reputation was a royal visit in September by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Born in Vancouver and European educated, von Mandl, without resources, founded a wine importing firm in Vancouver at the age of 22. Despite difficult initial years, he successfully grew Mark Anthony Wine Merchants, and in 1981 began to realize his audacious dream: to produce world-class wines in British

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Columbia’s then unknown Okanagan Valley. Little did he know that in order to realize his vision he would need to organically build a more than half billion dollar corporation from the ground up without outside financing.

Bill Redmond spent 40 years building his career in the wholesale food industry. He is the founder and the former president and CEO of HRI Supply Ltd. Redmond launched the company in 1978 and guided its growth until it merged with Sysco Corp. in 2001. HRI Supply is the only food distribution company in the B.C. Interior to merge with a Fortune 500 company in the past 30 years. After the merger Redmond continued his career as president and CEO of Sysco Kelowna until he retired from the company in 2004.

Redmond has been involved in a number of community organizations. He is active in the Rotary Club of Kelowna and is past-president as well as past-director. Redmond served as Okanagan College’s first Entrepreneur-in-Residence (2007).

He was chairman of the Kelowna Roads Task Force as well as a number of private equity funds. He is still involved in business and is a partner in Dockside Marine Centre.

Rick Gee

GEE HONOURED FOR SERVICE Dr. Rita Winkler

Dr. Rita Winkler is a forest hydrologist with a career spanning more than 35 years. She has worked in government, academia and private consulting and is credited with sustaining B.C.’s longest running paired watershed experiment, located at Upper Penticton Creek in the South Okanagan. Research at this site focuses on improving our understanding of water supplies from forested watersheds and how natural disturbance, land management and climate change can affect this vital resource.

Winkler’s own research on snow processes in forests changed by insect outbreaks, wildfire, logging and regrowth, as well as the resulting changes in streamflow regime, has refined our understanding of the science and guided the development of forest management practices.

Her association with Okanagan College dates back to the 1990s when she was involved in selection of the Forest Renewal BC Chairs in Forest Hydrology. She has been involved in the College’s Penticton Speaker Series and has mentored and collaborated with faculty members at the College for more than 20 years.

The 2016 Honorary Fellows join 2015 fellows Chef Rod Butters, entrepreneur Norm Embree, lawyer Rick Pushor and social planner Annette Sharkey, and 27 others since 2006.

Rick Gee is the fifth former employee honoured by Okanagan College with its Distinguished Service Award, and may be in the running for the shortest speech spoken at a College Convocation Ceremony. His advice to the assembled graduates was succinct: “Good enough is not good enough.”

Gee is the former Chair of Okanagan College’s Education Council and a longtime professor of Computer Science.

President Jim Hamilton recalls him as a cornerstone of the institution.

“Rick’s contribution to Okanagan College has been immense,” says Hamilton. “His name was synonymous with Education Council and in that role he became the keeper of educational quality in programming. He has done much to build the institution’s reputation for academic excellence.”

Gee was responsible for the development of two degree programs during his time at Okanagan College and Okanagan University College, the Bachelor of Computer Information Systems and the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.

He was also the 2013 recipient of the Career Achievement award at the College’s Employee Excellence recognition ceremony.

The Distinguished Service Award is the highest honour Okanagan College bestows upon former employees.

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COMMUNITY REPORT 2016

FINANCIAL

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR ENDED

YEAR IN REVIEW Other

March 31, 2016 (millions)

March 31, 2015 (millions)*

$

$

Revenue:

Ancillary Sales

Grants Tuition Contract Services Ancillary Sales Other

Contract Services

55.8 25.7 1.7 5.2 8.8

56.2 25.2 1.9 4.9 6.5

97.2

94.7

69.5 20.8 6.5 0.1

68.0 20.8 5.8 0.1

96.9

94.7

0.3 10.8

0.0 10.8

Expense:

REVENUE Tuition

Grants

Salaries & Benefits Supplies & Services Depreciation Debt Interest

Surplus Accumulated Surplus, Beg $

Accumulated Surplus, End

11.1

$

10.8

* Comparative figures have been restated.

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITON SUMMARY AS AT Other Financial Assets

March 31, 2016

March 31, 2015

$

$

15.3 8.6 3.9

14.9 8.8 4.3

Financial Assets: Cash & Investments

Cash & Cash Equivalents Investments Other Financial Assets

ASSETS

27.8

28.0

Financial Liabilities:

Accrued Liabilities Long Term Debt Deferred Revenues Employee Future Benefits Deferred Contributions

12.9 4.0 9.1 13.0 101.3

Tangible Capital Assets

Net Financial Debt

8.9 4.2 8.3 13.6 86.6

140.3

121.6

( 112.5 )

( 93.6 )

0.5 123.9

0.6 105.0

Non-Financial Assets:

Prepaid Expenses Tangible Capital Assets

124.4

Accumulated Surplus

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$

11.9

105.6 $

12.0

GOVERNING BODIES OF OKANAGAN COLLEGE BOARD OF GOVERNORS 2016

EDUCATION COUNCIL

Connie Denesiuk – Chair Christopher Derickson – Vice Chair Alison Beaumont Riminder Gakhal Charity Gerbrandt Roen Janyk Susan Johal Stephen Jung (to October 31, 2016) Jim Hamilton Spencer Lupul (to October 31, 2016) Joe Maciel Robert McGowan Gloria Morgan Laura Thurnheer

Roen Janyk – Chair Derek Cook Nancy deMelo (to October 31, 2016) Frances Greenslade Jim Hamilton (non-voting member) Andrew Hay Robert Huxtable Danny Marques Jane Muskens (non-voting member) Nancy Noble-Hearle Amanda Pope Sean Rossouw (to October 31, 2016) Connie Sahlmark (to October 31, 2016) Jennifer Sigalet Dennis Silvestrone Ross Tyner Deb Warren Steven Weber Pam Wetterstrand

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