Niagara College wishes you a happy Easter weekend.

While there is controlled access to campuses at this time due to measures related to COVID-19, Niagara College is offering many services in-person, or via hybrid delivery, and NC’s learning enterprises are either open or offering curbside pickup.

Below is a list of what will be open or closed for the Good Friday holiday on April 15.

What’s open?

NC Teaching Greenhouse: The Teaching Greenhouse is open for in-person shopping Thursday through Saturday (Apr. 14-16) from 12 to 4 p.m. selling hydrangeas for $20 each. Online sales with curbside pickup is also available. Visit the Teaching Greenhouse’s online store to place an online order.

Wine Visitor + Education Centre: Retail store, patio and indoor service open daily (including Apr. 15). Tasting, shopping, drinks by the glass and snack service is available Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. within provincial guidelines. Products include NC wine, beer, cider and spirits. For curbside pickup, local delivery and shipping across Ontario, please call 905-641-2252 ext. 4070 or visit ncteachingwinery.ca.

What’s closed?

Designated access points: All building access points at the College are closed on Apr. 15. Entry to college campuses will resume via the designated access points on Apr. 18. For up-to-date information about campus access protocols visit: niagaracollege.ca/covid19/ncsafe

Athletics & Recreation: Fitness Centres and gymnasiums are closed Apr. 15 and will reopen on Apr. 18 by appointment for NC students and employees. Visit the Knights website for facility rules and reservations.

Bookstores: Both campus bookstores will be closed on Apr. 15 and will reopen for in-person shopping on Apr. 18 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Online ordering is also available. Visit the Campus Bookstore website for information.

Community Employment Services: (43 Church St. in St. Catharines): Closed Apr. 15. Virtual services (and in-person appointments by request) resume on Apr. 18 and are available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visit the CES website for more information.

Enrolment Services: On-campus and virtual services closed April 15. Students may continue to submit requests via email and student portal. Requests will be reviewed in priority sequence when Enrolment Services reopens on April 18. Visit the Enrolment Services website for information.

Food Services: Campus food services (and all other ancillary services) are closed on Apr. 15 and will reopen Apr. 18.

Health, Wellness and Accessibility Services: HWAS is closed on Apr. 15. Students can contact HWAS via phone or email to book an appointment when HWAS reopens on Apr. 18 at 8:30 a.m. Services are currently available by appointment only via phone or video (limited in-person appointments are also available). Students looking for support can also access the following resources:

Good2Talk
Good2Talk is a free, province-wide service for students in college/university and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It provides professional counselling, mental health information and connections to local resources. Students who are concerned about student life, health or mental well-being can contact Good2Talk via:

• Email: [email protected]
• Web: good2talk.ca
• Phone: 1-866-925-5454
• Text: Text GOOD2TALKON to 686868

COAST Niagara / Mental Health and Addiction Help Line
COAST provides services to people in the Niagara Region who are in crisis and have a mental health concern. Ongoing telephone support and/or referral to appropriate follow-up services may be recommended to prevent further crisis. Call 1-866-550-5205 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) and press 1 for COAST or press 2 for Mental Health and Addiction Help Line. Visit the COAST website for more information.

Indigenous Education: The Indigenous Student Centres are closed Apr. 15. Visit niagaracollege.ca/indigenouseducation for information about IE services.

International Centres: Closed Apr. 15 and will reopen on Apr. 18. Visit international.niagaracollege.ca for information.

ncLibraries and Learning Commons: Student support, test centre, academic drop-ins and peer tutoring services will be closed on Apr. 15. Virtual and in-person services will resume on Apr. 18 and are available weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Online resources are available 24-7 at niagaracollege.ca/library.

NCSAC offices and Student Centres: NCSAC front office, virtual chat services and cafes, including The Shack (Welland Campus) and The Undergrounds (Daniel J. Patterson Campus), will be closed on Apr. 15. Front offices, virtual chat and cafes will reopen on Apr. 18.

For a comprehensive list of services and resources available to assist students, visit the
Campus Services page on NC’s Return to Campus website.

Transit

Please check with individual transit providers for the most up-to-date information and holiday schedules:

Niagara Region Transit
St. Catharines Transit Commission
Welland Transit (including Port Colborne)
Niagara Falls Transit

For information, schedules and the latest updates, visit: Niagara Region Transit webpage

Visit yourncsac.ca/yourtransit for information and Frequently Asked Questions related to student transit.

 

Niagara College will host a virtual send-off to remember for almost 1,000 new graduates this fall.

Preparations are well underway for the College’s Fall 2021 Virtual Convocation ceremonies. To be held on October 29, two unique convocation ceremonies will be livestreamed from the Welland Campus – a 10 a.m. morning ceremony and a 2 p.m. afternoon ceremony – each tailored to groups of graduating students from different program areas.

With safety as a top priority and a continued adherence to restrictions on public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, Virtual Convocation enables graduating students to celebrate their special academic milestone in a safe and meaningful way before moving on to the next chapter of their lives.

No one hosts Virtual Convocation like NC! Since they debuted in June 2020, the College’s standout Virtual Convocation ceremonies – powered by staff and students from the College’s renowned Broadcasting: Radio, Television and Film program – have been applauded by graduates and families alike. The upcoming ceremonies follow the resounding successes of Spring and Fall 2020, and Spring 2021, which not only proved to be memorable for graduates, but drew tens of thousands of visitors from Niagara, Canada and around the world.

What happens at Virtual Convocation

NC’s Virtual Convocation ceremonies feature the same treasured traditions of the College’s on-campus ceremonies, while leveraging modern technology and NC broadcasting expertise to create a live, interactive experience for graduates.

College President Sean Kennedy and Vice President Academic Fiona Allan will conduct each formal ceremony from the Welland Campus, while a team of faculty and students from NC’s Broadcasting program work behind the scenes to bring the livestream to a virtual audience.

Graduates and their families may visit the convocation website to view their ceremony as it happens, live in real time, from anywhere in the world. They will hear inspiring speeches from College officials and a special guest speaker (to be announced). Graduates will hear their names called out during their ceremony, one by one, and see them appear on screen.

Interactive, digital elements are also infused into the ceremonies to bring grads and viewers #NCTogether. Videos will be incorporated into the live broadcasts, featuring well-wishes from the College community and beyond. Graduates will be invited to connect with their classmates and faculty through program Zoom parties held during their convocation ceremony. Select clips from the Zoom parties will be incorporated into the convocation livestream, enabling graduates to make an on-screen appearance during their ceremony.

Virtual convocation will also feature an immersive social media experience. Photos, videos and text messages shared with the NC convocation hashtag #NCGrad2021 will be incorporated into ceremonies. Graduates and guests can participate by using the hashtag during the ceremonies, which will make their likes, comments and reactions visible during the livestream.

A suite of digital NC Grad swag and printables, customized for the Class of 2021, is available to help graduates celebrate their special day – including animated gifs, phone and desktop wallpapers, Zoom backgrounds, social media photo frames, Instagram AR filters, and printable signs. Visit the ‘Downloadables and Printables’ section of the Convocation website.

Those unable to attend their ceremony livestream won’t miss out on the celebration. For the convenience of those unavailable to watch in real time, ceremony broadcasts are archived online and available for later viewing via the Convocation website.

Important info for graduating students: October 1 deadline

Please note that October 1 is the deadline to meet graduation requirements for NC’s Fall 2021 Virtual Convocation ceremonies. Students who are expecting to graduate this fall must review their Graduation Requirements by this date, ensure that all of their expected final grades are submitted, and review the grade report listed on their MyNC account.

Students who have concerns about their final grade report results may contact [email protected] with their name, student ID number and program before October 1.

Important info for College employees

The planning team will reach out to staff and faculty with information on how to submit well wishes to graduates for Fall 2021 Virtual Convocation. Videos will be aired during the live ceremonies.

While virtual convocation ceremonies are being held during the COVID-19 pandemic, NC plans to invite those who have graduated virtually to an in-person gathering on-campus in the future, after it has become safe to do so.

Visit niagaracollege.ca/virtualconvocation for updates.

Earlier this year, Government of Canada established a new a federal statutory holiday for September 30 to recognize and commemorate the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools: the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

While September 30 is not a statutory holiday in the Province of Ontario, plans are well underway for the College community to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in a meaningful way.

While September 30 will mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation for NC, it builds on the College’s strong tradition of annual Orange Shirt Day initiatives, which have served to reinforce that ‘every child matters,’ and remind the College community of the devastating history of Indigenous residential schools and their impact on Indigenous children, families and communities.

This year on September 30, Indigenous Education asks the College community to take time to mourn the losses and honour the survivors of residential schools. NC students and employees are encouraged to get involved by supporting events at the College and in their community, and to learn more about the truth of residential schools. The events planned for Sept. 30 are intended to be a starting point for an ongoing discussion around Truth and Reconciliation, and an initial step in the important work the College will be undertaking related to Truth and Reconciliation.

Events planned for Sept. 30:

Honouring the Children – Sept. 30 (9-11 a.m)

A land-based event will be held in the Indigenous Garden at the Daniel J. Patterson in Niagara-on-the-Lake on the morning of Sept. 30. Elder Dave Labbe (who is also a NC alumnus) will light a fire, offer medicines, and guide the College community to reflect on the children who were forced from their communities to attend residential schools. Attendance will be limited to maintain COVID-19 gathering restrictions; staff will be on site to monitor. Additional details will be announced in the near future.

Virtual Circle Discussion: Truth Before Reconciliation – Sept. 30 (2 p.m.)

On September 30, NC Indigenous Education will host its first Virtual Circle Discussion: Truth Before Reconciliation. The initiative will focus on the need to learn about Indigenous culture and understand the truth of the profound effects that residential schools continue to have on Indigenous communities while honouring the strength of survivors.

NC employees and students are invited to join Indigenous Education for this virtual event to learn more about Indigenous cultures and the effects that colonization had on them, and listen to stories told by the guest speakers and those impacted by residential schools in Canada.

Indigenous Education’s Virtual Circle Discussion, Truth Before Reconciliation, will be held via Zoom for an estimated 60-90 minutes. More information will be announced during the weeks ahead.

Faculty, administrators and students are encouraged to register at niagaracollege.ca/indigenouseducation/event/orange-shirt-day-2/

Additional events leading up to Sept. 30:

Community of Practice – Sept. 27 (9 a.m.)

The first Community of Practice session of 2021-22 will be held for faculty and from the School of Business and Management; Hospitality, Tourism and Sport; and Environment and Horticulture.

The one-hour virtual session (via MS Teams) will aim to help staff and faculty learn about the importance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Staff from NC Indigenous Education will share information about how they support NC Indigenous students, and faculty members will share their experiences. The session will conclude with a question-and-answer period. A calendar invite has been sent to staff and faculty within the schools.

T & L Conversations: Decolonizing Education – Sept. 27 (1:30-3 p.m.)

As part of its Teaching and Learning Conversation Series, the Centre for Academic Excellence will host a session grounded in the book, Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit by Marie Battiste. Participants will be asked to read the chapter “The Legacy of Assimilative Education for Indigenous Peoples” and reflect on guiding questions prior to attending the 90-minute conversation facilitated by CAE staff.

The event is open to NC faculty and staff. Due to the conversational nature of the session, participation will be limited to 40. If interest is high, the session will be repeated later this year.

To register and view details, visit the event page here.

Visit InsideNC for updates.