Niagara College is reminding the college community to have a safe and respectful Halloween.

The Niagara College Student Administrative Council has launched a social media campaign to promote awareness about cultural appropriation leading up to Halloween. The campaign notes that “culture is not a costume.”

To evaluate whether a costume might be offensive, consider the following:

Significance: Does the costume resemble an item of clothing with religious, cultural or sacred significance? If you have to think about it twice, don’t do it.

Source: Consider the source of the costume. Does it come from a culture, race or identity that has been historically discriminated against or oppressed?

Stereotype: Does the costume attempt to replicate, imitate, or stereotype a different race or identity?

Remember: It is never OK to mock or imitate features from a different race or identity, regardless of the significance.

Two outstanding Niagara residents and a visionary leader in the Ontario college system will receive special honours from Niagara College, as its historic Class of 2019 gains 1,300 new graduates this fall.

The pomp and circumstance will mark NC’s 2019 Fall Convocation ceremonies, to be held on October 25 at the Welland Campus Athletic Centre, with a morning ceremony to begin at 10 a.m. and an afternoon ceremony to begin at 3 p.m.

Fall Convocation honorees will include:

• Ann Buller, past-president of Centennial College, who will be awarded an Honorary Bachelor of Applied Studies in recognition of her leadership in postsecondary education. Buller will also deliver a convocation address (morning ceremony);
• Shane Malcolm, executive director of Leadership Niagara, who will receive a Distinguished Alumni Award and deliver a convocation address (afternoon ceremony). Malcolm, who graduated from NC’s Culinary Management (Co-op) program in 2011, and Bachelor of Applied Business Hospitality Operations Management program in 2014, is a former president of the Niagara College Student Administrative Council (2014-2016) and was the College’s first international student to hold the position; and
• Niagara business leader Vince DiCosimo, founder of Hospitality Fallsview Holdings (Hilton Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel, and Days Inn Fallsview Niagara Falls) who will be recognized with an Honorary Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Studies for his leadership in Niagara’s hospitality and tourism sectors (afternoon ceremony).

The morning ceremony will celebrate approximately 600 new graduates from the School of Allied Health, School of Justice and Fitness, and School of Nursing and Personal Support Worker. The afternoon ceremony will recognize approximately 700 new graduates from the School of Business and Management; School of Environment and Horticulture; and School of Hospitality, Tourism and Sport.

Milestone for NC community

As the ceremonies denote the end of a chapter for graduating students, the fall ceremonies will mark a special milestone for the College community as the final convocation for Dan Patterson as president of the College. The dynamic and visionary Niagara leader, who has been NC’s longest-serving president, announced earlier this year that he plans to conclude his tenure as president in spring 2020. Over the past 25 years, Patterson has led the College through significant transformation – including a three-fold growth in enrolment, and the development of trailblazing programs and unique learning environments that have shaped NC as a leader in Canada’s postsecondary landscape.

“For almost 25 years, I have had the privilege of congratulating thousands of our promising new graduates and shaking their hands as they cross our convocation stage. I treasure each and every one of them as part of Niagara College’s legacy of student success,” said Patterson. “Like our faculty and our staff members, I take tremendous pride in the achievements of our students and our highly-skilled graduates who are succeeding and leading in every sector of the economy. There’s a bright future ahead for our graduates and our College and I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in the future.”

In June, more than 5,100 students graduated as part of NC’s Spring Convocation ceremonies, making the College’s Class of 2019 its largest to date. The June ceremonies also marked the College’s first graduates to earn a postsecondary credential in Commercial Cannabis Production and Artisan Distilling. Both postgraduate certificate programs launched in September 2018 as the first of their kind in Canada.

Niagara College’s Spring Convocation Ceremonies are streamed live, and may be viewed at https://livestream.com/accounts/15502389/NCFall2019

Niagara College offers more than 130 diploma, bachelor degree and advanced level programs; as well as more than 600 credit, vocational and general interest Part-Time Studies courses. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, media, applied health and community safety, supported by unique learning enterprises in food, wine, beer, distilling, horticulture and esthetics. For more information visit niagaracollege.ca.

Ann Buller
Past President, Centennial College

Ann Buller assumed the presidency of Centennial College in 2004.
A visionary leader who has embedded the principles of equity and social justice into Centennial’s programs and operations, she has spearheaded a wide range of innovative mentoring and outreach initiatives. Renowned within the Canadian postsecondary sector for her leadership and her ability to catalyze major transformative change, she has won widespread recognition for her groundbreaking work in leadership development and global citizenship education.
During her tenure, Buller led Centennial’s award-winning internationalization efforts, and introduced award-winning programs to support underrepresented students, such as those residing in underserved neighbourhoods, students with learning disabilities and those who are the first in their families to pursue postsecondary education. These mentoring programs also support students from Indigenous communities, women pursuing studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) programs, and the skilled trades.
An in-demand keynote speaker, Buller regularly addresses senior leaders around the world in a variety of business, academic and public policy venues. She served as board chair of the Canadian Bureau for International Education (2012-2014) and Colleges and Institutes Canada (2011-2014), and sits on several other boards.
Buller has earned several prestigious awards recognizing her excellence as
a leader and mentor. Her recent awards include the 2016 World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics Leadership Award, the Top 100 Most Powerful Women Award (2016, 2010), and the 2015 Canadian Bureau for International Education’s President’s Award for Distinguished Leadership in International Education.
She holds a diploma in Public Relations from Humber College, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from York University and a Master of Arts in Education from Central Michigan University.

Shane Malcolm
Executive Director,  Leadership Niagara

Shane Malcolm is a two-time Niagara College graduate and is currently the executive director of the local non-profit, Leadership Niagara.
Prior to his role at Leadership Niagara, Malcolm was the president of the Niagara College Student Administrative Council from 2014-2016. He was the first international student to hold the position. In this role, he was involved in a number of efforts, including advocating for inter-municipal transit and on-campus student mental health awareness.
Malcolm believes strongly in the student voice and sought every opportunity to be involved, whether as a student representative on the Niagara College Board of Governors and the Foundation Board, or in the community as part of the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network and Niagara Region’s Transit Strategy Steering Committee.
Provincially, he was involved with the College Student Alliance (CSA), a provincial advocacy organization in Ontario that represents students at community colleges, advocating for OSAP reform, international student affairs and many other initiatives. For his work as a student leader, Malcolm was awarded the Outstanding Student Leader Award-Southwest Region by the CSA in 2015.
As executive director of Leadership Niagara, Malcolm has led the organization through brand redevelopment and governance reform. He spearheaded the incorporation of the organization as a not-for-profit after 10 years of existence.
Malcolm was a 2018 Ontario Premier’s Award nominee, a 2017 recipient of Business Link Niagara’s 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Award, and winner of the 2018 Pride Niagara Ed Eldred Award.
He is very passionate about making Niagara a stronger community and continues to stay involved as a board member with the Boys and Girls Club of Niagara, the St. Catharines Club, and the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce NEXTNiagara Council.
Malcolm grew up in Montego Bay, Jamaica. He graduated from NC’s Culinary Management (Co-op) program in 2011 and Bachelor of Applied Business Hospitality Operations Management program in 2014.

Vince DiCosimo
Founder, Hospitality Fallsview Holdings

Born in San Lorenzo Maggiore, in the Campania Region of Italy, Vince DiCosimo is a leader in Niagara’s hospitality industry, whose lifetime of work and contributions have helped to establish Niagara Falls as a world-class tourism destination.
After coming to Canada in 1958, Vince and his late wife, Ida, started a snack bar business that has grown to become a family-run company that has included hotels, restaurants and businesses in Canada and the United States, and currently includes the Hilton Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel and Suites, and the Days Inn, Fallsview in Niagara Falls, ON.
Known affectionately as “Mr. D.,” DiCosimo is a strong supporter of Niagara College, and recognizes the value of collaboration between industry and education, and the important role that Niagara College plays in supporting the growth and success of Niagara’s hospitality and tourism sector. Whether through the hiring of graduates or providing opportunities for Niagara College students to connect and learn from global hospitality and culinary leaders, his ongoing support for the College has contributed significantly to student success.
Niagara College’s DiCosimo Family Hilton Fallsview Culinary Theatre
is named in recognition of DiCosimo’s generous contributions to the FutureReady Capital Campaign in 2004.
The DiCosimo family includes Vince and Ida’s sons Joe, Frank and Vince, daughter Anita, as well as 11 grandchildren and six great grandchildren. DiCosimo’s remarkable life and accomplishments are chronicled in a biography titled Mr. D: Una Bella Vita.

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Media inquiries, please contact:

 

Julie Greco

Communications Consultant

Office: 905 641-2252 ext. 7368

Cell: 905 328 2532

[email protected]

 

Michael Wales

Communications Manager

Office: 905 641-2252 ext. 7773

Cell: 905 328 4101

[email protected]

Tune in to hear Niagara College on the Newstalk 610 CKTB morning show Friday, October 11.

President Dan Patterson and representatives from the College’s Research & Innovation Division will join Niagara in the Morning radio hosts Tim Denis and Shelby Knox, and other special guests, as part of CKTB’s Business Trip. Airing from 5:30 to 9 a.m., the Business Trip aims to shine the spotlight on food and beverage innovation in Niagara.

It will be broadcast live from NC’s Marotta Family Innovation Complex – the new home of the Canadian Food and Wine Institute Innovation Centre at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus.

NC guests will include:

• Gavin Robertson, winemaker and instructor, who will speak about his involvement as faculty lead on Research & Innovation’s Royal Canadian Mead and Reinhardt’s cider projects at 6:50 a.m.;
• Lyndon Ashton, centre manager for NC’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute Innovation Centre, along with student research assistant Shannon Sidney Wood, who will participate in a 30-minute roundtable at 7:30 a.m.; and
• President Dan Patterson, who will join a 30-minute roundtable discussion at 8:30 a.m.

The segment will also highlight Research & Innovation’s industry partner Iron Will Raw, a leader in holistic pet food. Matt Bonanno, president and CEO of Iron Will Raw, will speak about how the St. Catharines-based company became the first the first raw pet food manufacturer in Ontario and Eastern Canada to achieve Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point certification with help from Niagara College’s Research & Innovation Division at 7:20 a.m.

Additional guests will include Niagara winemaker Sue-Ann Staff, as well as representatives from Niagara Economic Development, Pinty’s, Shreddies, and Rich’s.

Tune into the radio show on October 11 between 5:30 and 9 a.m. on AM 610 radio, or listen online at www.iheartradio.ca/610cktb

There is more to college than classes alone, and NC students will have a chance to explore the numerous possibilities from October 7 to 11 as part of NC’s Get Involved Week.

Dina Fox, associate director of student engagement, noted that the week is the ultimate opportunity for students to discover the numerous ways they can get involved both on- and off-campus. It also aims to acquaint students with the benefits of building their Co-Curricular Record (CCR) – an official college document which enables registered students to gain recognition for student engagement, leadership and co-curricular activities pursued outside the classroom.

“From getting involved with college initiatives, to lending a hand as a volunteer in the community, students gain valuable transferable skills that can help them with their career goals and can help set them apart from other candidates when they are applying for jobs,” said Fox. “Networking and gaining skills and experience working with others is what the Co-Curricular Record is all about, and Get Involved Week is a good opportunity for students to learn all about how the CCR can boost their academic credentials and their resumes.”

At On Campus Fairs, students will have the opportunity to speak with various college organizations and learn how they can get involved at their campus – from peer mentoring and LEAD, to Be World Ready and more. Students can also learn more about the Co-Curricular Record. On Campus Fairs will be held at the NOTL Campus on October 7 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) in the cafeteria foyer, and at the Welland Campus on October 10 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) in the Learning Commons.

Off Campus Fairs will showcase opportunities available for students in their communities. Students can speak to representatives from various organizations and learn how they can get involved – including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Niagara SPCA, St. John’s Ambulance, Scouts Canada, Autism Ontario, Canada Revenue Agency, Alzheimer Society, and many more. Off Campus Fairs will be held at the NOTL Campus on October 8 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) in the cafeteria foyer, and at the Welland Campus October 9 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) in the Learning Commons.

Volunteering 101 drop-in sessions will be open to students interested in volunteering, who may not know how to get started. Students can learn all about volunteering on- and off-campus and find out how volunteering can help lead them to their future career. Sessions will be held at the Welland Campus on October 10 (2 p.m. to 4 p.m.) in the Lundy Boardroom (L201), and at the NOTL Campus on October 11 (2 p.m. to 4 p.m.) in W213-1.

Students who wish to learn about creating a professional online image won’t want to miss the Lead N Learn events. The student-driven, one-hour sessions give students the ability to develop public speaking and presentation skills. They are open for all students to drop-in. They will be held at the NOTL Campus on October 8 (3:30 to 4:30 p.m.) in W205, and at the Welland Campus on October 9 (3:30 to 4:30 p.m.) in the Lundy Boardroom L201.

On October 16 and October 29 at the NOTL Campus, a Volunteer to Career Info Booth will be set up in the cafeteria foyer (11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) showcasing volunteer opportunities available to students. Students can also learn about how to use their co-curricular experiences to land a career.

For more info about Get Involved Week, visit https://getinvolved.niagaracollege.ca/news/10866

This fall term, Niagara College is offering ‘Cannabis 101’ a community seminar series for anyone looking to develop a better understanding of cannabis.

The three-part series offered in partnership between Part-Time Studies and the School of Environment and Horticulture will take place at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus and includes courses on the history and evolution of cannabis, the cannabis plant from seed to sale, and quality, regulations and access. The courses explore the legal framework and stigma around cannabis, cannabis cultivation, sales and distribution, the difference between CBD and THC, and more.

Participants will be guided through this material by a roster of experienced Niagara College faculty who teach cannabis day-in-and day-out through the college’s Commercial Cannabis Production program, Canada’s first post-secondary credential in cannabis production. Participants will even get a glimpse into NC’s cannabis teaching and research lab, the Cannabunker.

“The cannabis industry is already beginning to transform the social and economic landscape of not only Niagara, but all of Canada,” said Al Unwin, NC’s associate dean of Environment and Horticulture. “The Cannabis 101 series is a great opportunity for members of the Niagara community who may have questions about the science and economics of cannabis to benefit from Niagara College’s expertise in this fast-growing field.”

The courses will be offered on Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. on October 21, October 28, and November 4. Participants can register for individual sessions, or for all three, at a cost of $60 per session. Register online at niagaracollege.ca/pts.

In early 2020, NC will offer a second Cannabis 101 series, an industry-focused professional seminar series for those in the cannabis growing industry or who are interested in getting involved.

Part-Time Studies, formerly Continuing Education at Niagara College, offers a variety of part-time study options for professional and personal growth in a wide range of study areas. Hundreds of courses are available online and on-campus to fit today’s busy lifestyles, taught by instructors from business and industry with up-to-date, on the ground experience and a love for teaching.

Niagara College offers more than 130 diploma, bachelor degree and advanced level programs; as well as more than 600 credit, vocational and general interest Part-Time Studies courses. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, media, applied health and community safety, supported by unique learning enterprises in food, wine, beer, spirits, horticulture and esthetics. For more information visit niagaracollege.ca.

 

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Media inquiries, please contact:

Andrew Korchok
Communications Consultant
Office: 905 641-2252 ext. 7430
Cell: 905 329-1642
[email protected]

Michael Wales
Communications Manager
Office: 905 641-2252 ext. 7773
Cell: 905 328-4101
[email protected]