annual report 2013-2014

36 Pages·2014·10.87 MB·English

ANNUAL REPORT
2013-2014
ST. LAWRENCE COLLEGE BOARD OF GOVERNORS
BOARD OF GOVERNORS SECRETARIAT, 2013-14
Marc Schaefer - 13/14 Chair Susan Aylesworth,
Executive Assistant to the President
Heather Lawless - 13/14 Vice-Chair
and CEO and Board of Governors
Steve Thompson - 13/14 Vice-Chair
Sarah Personova,
Michael Adamcryck Receptionist to the President and CEO
and Board of Governors
Jennifer Fisher
Heather Lalonde
Kathy O’Brien EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Bob Snelgrove Glenn Vollebregt,
President and CEO
Anne-Marie Bonneau
Lorraine Carter,
Lynn Bowering Senior Vice President Academic
Bruce Tessier Gary Earles,
Ken Watkin Executive Director, Human Resources
and Organizational Development
Glenn Vollebregt - Ex-Officio
Patricia Kerth,
Leslie Casson (Faculty Rep.) Senior Vice President Corporate Services
Amanda Lacosse (Support Staff Rep.) Gordon C. MacDougall,
Danielle Empey (Student Rep.) Senior Vice President Advancement,
Student and External Affairs
Lynn Walker (Administrative Rep.)
1
FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND
THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ST. LAWRENCE COLLEGE
We’ve had an incredible year here at St. Lawrence College in THEY ARE:
2013-14. Even with a quick glance through these pages of the
Vision: Rooted in our communities, we will be a globally recog-
Annual Report, it’s abundantly clear that the successes of our
nized college delivering innovative learning opportunities and
students continue to tell the story of our proud College.
preparing career-ready graduates to be leaders in their fields.
Our students, from a wide variety of disciplines, continue to
shine. From Business, Graphic Design, Esthetician, Civil Mission: We are dedicated to student success, academic
Engineering Technician, and our athletic teams, the awards keep excellence, and leadership in our communities.
coming. Our students launch spectacular art exhibitions, stage
Our conversation about values was synthesized into the
colourful and moving theatrical productions, and compete at
following concepts that will guide us as we pursue our
provincial and national levels, owning the podium wherever they
multi-year objectives: Students First; Teamwork; Innovation;
go. Our students travel the world making a difference in the lives
and Integrity.
of those overseas. They bring hope to children and youth in our
own communities. We could not be prouder. Going to work The Strategic Plan describes our aspirations for the future. Each
every day to assist students and ensure their SLC experience is decision we make in pursuit of organizational transformation
the best it can be is, without a doubt, the most rewarding aspect will be guided by our vision, mission, and values. These compon-
of working at the College. ents of Our Future have evolved to reflect the ideas and prior-
ities voiced by the College community during our engagement
This year also saw the launch of our new 2014-19 Strategic Plan.
process, the first such meaningful conversation about values in
Appropriately called Our Future, the plan outlines new vision,
more than 10 years.
mission and values statements, and our aspirations for the next
five years, providing a new direction for our College. As we reflect in these pages on the exciting past year, we look
forward to the next five years as Our Future takes shape.
Marc Schaefer, Chair, St. Lawrence College Board of Governors
Glenn Vollebregt, President and CEO, St. Lawrence College
2
AS WE REFLECT ON THE FINAL YEAR OF OUR 2010-13 Strategic Plan, the
stories included in this Annual Report represent a true reflection of the pillars on which
we have built our College: Learning Excellence; Community Engagement; and
Institutional Strength. Behind every guiding philosophy are the people that put them
to work. Only with the hard work, dedication, and commitment of the entire SLC
community are we able to move toward Our Future, our new 2014-19 Strategic Plan.
We are all here for one reason – our students. As you’ll note in the following pages,
they make it worth our while every day.
LEARNING EXCELLENCE
ONLINE LEARNING The Productivity and Innovation Fund
What does this really mean? It means supported a multifaceted effort to accel-
We experienced another successful year
staying relevant and responsive to the erate the St. Lawrence College initiative to
for the School of Online and Continuing
ever-changing needs of the workforce, increase hybrid and fully online academic
Education. We continue to see substan-
emerging technology, and the needs of delivery. Three Ontario College Graduate
tial growth in the online course/program
our students, both current and future. Certificates were redeveloped for hybrid
offerings and many of our part-time
delivery as was the General Arts & Science
in-class offerings in motorcycle train-
(Certificate) – Health Sciences for College
ing, gas technician, welding, and marine
CREDIT TRANSFER Stream program. Additionally, 29 General
emergency duties have seen increased
Education courses were developed or
OPPORTUNITIES AT SLC enrolments. Summer School of the Arts
enhanced for online delivery and a tutorial
drew an increased number of people from
Earning one credential may not get our was created to assist students in becom-
across Ontario to attend classes featuring
students to where they want to be, ing effective digital learners.
high calibre artists.
according to Don Young, Dean of
Applied Science at SLC. “We work with
and develop agreements with hundreds
of institutions in order to develop
educational pathways for our graduates
and students.”
In 2013, SLC hired a Credit Transfer
Advisor to work directly with students
and graduates to facilitate their way
through college-to-college transfer
opportunities, as well as college-to-uni-
versity options, to further their credentials
and marketplace readiness without dupli-
cating course work. Articulation agree-
ments are in place with academic
institutions throughout Canada, the
United States, and overseas.
SLC is a member of Ontario Council on
Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT),
which connects prospective students
to a transfer opportunities toolbox on
ONTransfer.ca. SLC’s own President
and CEO, Glenn Vollebregt, was just
elected co-chair.
A member organization with participa-
tion from all 44 publicly funded colleges
and universities in Ontario, ONCAT was
established in 2011 to enhance academic
pathways and reduce barriers for students
looking to transfer among those institu-
tions.
3
BUILDING BEHAVIOURAL and Counselling Services of Belleville & ABA Professional. The conference also
District. featured several concurrent speakers and
SOLUTIONS CONFERENCE
workshops on various topics related to
BROUGHT EXPERTS TO Board Certified Behaviour Analysts and
the field of behavioural psychology and
George Brown faculty members
ST. LAWRENCE COLLEGE Applied Behavioural Analysis.
Jennifer Donnelly, MADS, BCBA and
Shiri Bartman, MA, BCBA, presented an “This conference was not only a great
St. Lawrence College hosted the fourth
Overcoming Learning Barriers workshop learning opportunity for our students who
annual Building Behavioural Solutions
designed to provide parents, caregivers, attended but a vital connection to
conference on April 18 and 19, 2013. The
teachers, and instructors with informa- professionals in the community and
conference, entitled Learning With Our
tion and strategies to teach individuals beyond,” said Robin Hicks, Associate
Community: Fostering Strategies for
with special needs. Dr. Jon S. Bailey, PhD, Dean of Community Services at
Everyday Application, was offered in
BCBA-D, Professor Emeritus from Florida St. Lawrence College.
partnership with Pathways for Children
State University, provided the keynote
& Youth, Lanark Community Programs of
address, Lessons from Steve Jobs for the
Lanark Health and Community Services,
NURSING STUDENTS EXPERIENCE CULTURALLY DIFFERENT HEALTHCARE DELIVERY
as U.S. health care. This will,
29 students from the Practical Nursing without question, strengthen
and Bachelor of Science in Nursing pro- my empathy, compassion,
grams travelled to Hawaii last May to gain and abilities as a nurse as I
valuable cultural insight and experience in enter the working field,” said
their fields. BScN student Carol Faria.
The trip was part cultural experience with The trip was supported by
a healthy dose of hands-on learning in The St. Lawrence College
local shelters, family care centres, and International Centre,
alternative care centres. The trip exposed St. Lawrence College
the students to healthcare delivery in a Foundation — Student
different part of the world and enhanced Nursing Initiative Fund,
their skills as they prepare to become St. Lawrence College Stu-
nurses in their own communities. In prep- dent Association, Ontario
aration for this experience, the students Public Service Employees
researched information on many aspects Union-Local 417, Rose Bell,
of Canadian culture and the social deter- Associate Dean of Health
minants of health and how health care is Sciences at St. Lawrence
impacted by these factors. They then pre- College, and the hard work
homeless shelter while in Kona, and read
sented their research to the University of and dedication of our nursing students.
to and provided information on nursing
Hawaii and Maui College nursing students
and importance of education with families
and faculty.
staying at a shelter. Students collected
While in Hawaii, students interacted with and purchased school supplies, personal
the communities and populations to hygiene products, clothing, and linens to
research the differences in health care donate to the shelters.
and the culture of the Hawaiian people. In
“When we think about Hawaii, we think
collaboration with HOPE Services Hawaii
about a beautiful place for vacation but
(a statewide non-profit that provides
for people who live there with different
an array of services to the homeless of
languages, traditions, and health supports,
Hawaii), students volunteered to paint a
it’s not what we would typically think of
4
ESTHETICIAN STUDENTS WIN GOLD AND SILVER MEDALS AT ONTARIO SKILLS COMPETITION
For the fifth year in a row, St. Lawrence
College Esthetician students brought
home medals from the Ontario Skills
Competition, held in May 2013. The win-
ning students were Julia Foell who won
the gold medal and Amanda Oliveira who
won silver. Students competed against
colleges from across the province in
advanced facial, manicure with nail art,
pedicure, bridal and fantasy make up.
“St. Lawrence College’s Esthetician pro-
gram is truly one of the best programs
offered,” said Julia. “We were so well pre-
pared, not only for this competition, but
for our future careers.”
Julia went on to win the silver medal at
the 2013 Skills Canada National Competi-
tion in June 2013 that included more than
500 students from across Canada partici-
pating in 40 skill areas ranging from ro-
botics and welding to cooking and aircraft
maintenance. Julia represented Ontario
and competed against 10 students from
colleges across Canada.
MARKETING STUDENTS REIGN SUPREME AT PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL COMPETITIONS
At both the provincial and national level, SLC placed first in Job Interview, first with a gold medal win at the ninth annual
our Marketing students are making a in Direct Marketing, first in Marketing, Vanier College BDC Case Challenge in
name for themselves and the college. At second in Account Management, fourth Montreal, beating 32 other teams from
the annual Ontario Colleges’ Marketing in Integrated Marketing Communications, colleges across Canada. Winning students
Competition (OCMC), St. Lawrence fourth in International Marketing, fourth in were Alisha Ferguson (third-year Business
College brought home the OCMC Cup. Market Research, and fifth in Retail. The Administration – Marketing), Jason
This was the tenth time SLC has placed team also placed first, second and fourth Lancaster (third-year Business
first competing against 12 other colleges in the Quiz Bowl competition. Administration – Marketing) and Hollie
from across Ontario, with the majority Knapp-Fisher (third-year Advertising and
Not long after the OCMC, another team
of the schools from the Greater Toronto Marketing Communications).
of Marketing students owned the podium
Area.
Team coach, Kip Tuckwell was extremely
proud of the team’s performance. “The
poise and confidence they demonstrated
was truly impressive. The judges recog-
nized how capable they were of applying
marketing concepts in a real world situ-
ation. One judge clearly pointed out that
their ability to handle tough questions
differentiated the St. Lawrence team from
their competitors.”
St. Lawrence students have excelled
in this competition over the past five
years; SLC teams have placed first overall
twice and second overall twice. No other
college comes close to that record. The
competition was organized by Vanier
College and sponsored by the Business
Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and
Scotiabank.
5
GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDENTS evidence that they leave SLC ready to
succeed in a very competitive industry.”
MAKING THEIR MARK
Second-year student Amy Hamilton won
Two of our Graphic Design students won the Cinnamon Toast Award for Eastern
design awards from the Association of Ontario and new SLC graduate Tina Tran
Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) received an Honorable Mention.
2013 Student Awards. They were select-
In other kudos for the SLC Graphic Design
ed by a jury of 50 award-winning cre-
program, Alex Roberts won an advertising
ative professionals. A total of seventeen
design competition, beating out some
$1,000 awards, sponsored by industry
of Canada’s top creative talent while he
leaders, were distributed in recognition of
was completing a placement at Station
outstanding achievement in all areas of
X, an advertising agency with the Astral
graphic design.
Media group in Vancouver. Together with
New graduate Mike Wing won the a copywriting partner, they created a new
McMillan Award for Eastern Ontario. outdoor ad campaign for Astral client,
“We are all so proud of our students’ Mercedes Benz. In addition to the indus-
achievements,” said Erin Boyce, Program try recognition, Alex and his partner won
Coordinator of the Graphic Design pro- a trip to Cannes, France for The Cannes
gram at St. Lawrence College. “It’s more Lions Festival of Creativity last June.
ST. LAWRENCE COLLEGE CIVIL
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
VICTORY AT LOCAL COMPETITION
St. Lawrence College Civil Engineering
Technology students won against engin-
eering students from Queen’s University
at the annual Feb Fest Snow Sculpture
competition in Kingston’s Confederation
Park. Our students have now claimed the
top prize three out of four times, beating
teams from Queen’s University and RMC
with their winning snow sculptures. One
of our students even got a job offer after
the competition! principles, presentation, and team spirit/ Materials were generously donated by
morale. The structures had to stand on Atkinson (BMP) Home Hardware and the
Student teams, working in shifts of 10
their own and be safe for children to play team was fueled through the 24-hours
people, took part in the 24-hour building
in and on. The design of the structure was with terrific chili prepared by Chef
competition. Three professional engineers
tied directly to course work and provided Thomas Elia and the Culinary Program.
judged the entries based on criteria such
excellent hands-on experiential learning. The prize of $500 will be used for future
as creativity, incorporation of engineering
extra-curricular program activities.
CREATIVITY AND REAL-WORLD the mix. This highly talented group allows part of the Spark creative team.
Spark to provide clients with graphic
LEARNING GETS A NEW SPARK Thomas Elia, Chef Professor in the culin-
design, copywriting, and video production
AT SLC ary program, has worked with Spark to
services.
assist in creating instructional videos to
This past January, SLC launched Spark, its
Spark will produce about 20 videos in help students improve their skills and
first ever educational media production
total to showcase the animation, graphic learn at their own pace. The videos pro-
house staffed by students from a variety
design, video production, and creative vide lessons to students on various culin-
of programs. Spark provides students
writing skills. “To date, Spark has com- ary techniques from sharpening knives to
with real-world experience while they are
pleted fifteen projects, producing work vegetable classifications, and to making
completing their studies by working with
rice pilaf and risotto.
real clients, both inside and outside the
college. Outside of SLC, Spark is working with
Kingston’s Twirl Clothing Design, a cloth-
Spark also allows SLC to transition toward to get more info on Spark
ing company created by Joanne Langlois
becoming a world-class hybrid learning
to promote Canadian artists through
environment by creating instructional vid-
clothing and inspired by a local Kingston
eos, introductory videos, and other digital
artist Heather Haynes who is the cur-
tools that can be used in the classroom to
rent featured artist. The clothing, which
enhance the students’ experiences. for several different faculty members and
consists of leggings, dresses, and tops
schools within the college,” said Ricardo
Spark began producing e-learning media turns paintings into clothing by using the
Giuliani, Spark’s faculty supervisor. “We’ve
services for faculty to provide information female form as the canvas.
also provided placement opportunities
to future and current students. The pro- for students from different areas of study “Spark’s goal is to have 20 per cent of
jects will help to supplement and improve within the college such as Graphic Design its work from external or fee-for-service
the traditional classroom learning experi- and Integrated Marketing Communica- clients to enable us to invest back into
e nce. tions.” Five students were given place- the production house and provide more
The creative team is made up of five stu- ment opportunities with Spark, and two students this unique working opportunity
dents and two staff (SLC graduates) who were hired on to continue the work they while completing their post-secondary
bring a lot of expertise and guidance to were doing on placement and become education,” Guiliani said.
6
MEDICAL LABORATORY learning opportunities for students’ field
placements and ensure our students are
ASSISTANT/TECHNICIAN
able to receive the best training possible.
PROGRAM RECEIVED HIGHEST
Having this strength reflected through
ACCREDITATION LEVEL POSSIBLE our accreditation is a real bonus for our
graduates.”
St. Lawrence College’s Medical Labora-
tory Assistant/Technician program was “The Canadian Medical Association
accorded six-year accreditation status by accreditation means that employers can
the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). have a great deal of confidence that our
This is the highest accreditation status a students are receiving excellent training
program can achieve. and work placement experience. From
an employer recruitment point of view,
Receiving the six-year accreditation
our graduates are career-ready,” added
status will have a significant impact on
Young.
our students, according to Don Young,
Dean of Faculty of Applied Science at St. The CMA’s Committee on Program Ac-
Lawrence College. “We forged strong re- creditation accorded the six-year status
lationships with our community partners until August 31, 2018, for St. Lawrence
in Ontario that are active members of our College’s Medical Laboratory Assistant/
professionals. Accreditation is part of the
Advisory Committee. Working with our Technician program. CMA applies nation-
college’s continuous quality improvement
partner sites, the faculty explores clinical al education standards to ensure that
process to deliver quality programs that
opportunities that provide experiential physicians work alongside highly qualified
meet provincial and national standards.
NEW CONCURRENT PROGRAM
WITH QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY IS
MUSIC TO STUDENTS’ EARS
“ This program will allow our
students to expand their skills in music
and opens the door to what is possible
for both of our institutions when we join
forces,” - Glenn Vollebregt
Queen’s University and St. Lawrence “This program will allow our students to music video while they hone their musical
College announced a new concurrent expand their skills in music and opens abilities.”
program in music beginning in September the door to what is possible for both of
2014. The five-year Bachelor of Music/ our institutions when we join forces,” said “This one-of-a-kind program partnership
Music and Digital Media interdisciplinary Glenn Vollebregt, President and CEO of cannot be found anywhere else in Can-
program will allow students to jointly earn St. Lawrence College. “We are both equal- ada,” said Dr. Adrienne Shannon, Program
a Bachelor of Music from Queen’s Univer- ly committed to providing our students Coordinator, Music and Digital Media, St.
sity and a diploma in Music and Digital with innovative opportunities for learn- Lawrence College. “We are pleased to be
Media from St. Lawrence College. ing.” a part of creating this unique pathway
for our current and future students. Like
“We know that today’s students will need “Musicians working today need to be
a symphony that has the contributions
a combination of skills as they go out into entrepreneurial,” said Dr. Margaret Walk-
of many musicians for their performance,
the workforce,” said Queen’s University er, Director of the School of Music at
this new partnership reflects that type of
principal, Daniel Woolf. “This exciting new Queen’s. “This program will allow students
collaboration and teamwork.”
program will allow them to pursue the to develop the interdisciplinary skills they
academic rigour of a music degree with will need, whether they want to produce
hands-on technical training that will serve an album, build a website, or create a
them well as they build their careers.”
7
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Our communities are the heart of our college and we believe we are the heart of
our communities; one cannot function well without the other. We will continue to
work with our community leaders to be responsive to the needs of the local
workforce with relevant programming and provide leadership with our Corporate
Learning and Performance Improvement opportunities for training.
CORPORATE LEARNING AND Building strong business relationships ton employees. This year, we facilitated
and a portfolio that reflects the needs the development of the strategic plan for
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
of the business communities allows SLC the City of Cornwall, the City of Prescott,
Corporate Learning and Performance to offer valuable learning experiences and for the Cornwall Police Service. A
Improvement (CLPI) leads SLC’s focus that support clients’ business objectives customized pilot leadership program for
and commitment to corporate community regardless of their resources. CLPI offers Corrections Canada graduated 25 partici-
integration. More specifically, CLPI focus- both open enrolment public programs pants this spring and will be expanded
es on meeting the talent development and customized solutions that focus on across Ontario in the near future.
needs of businesses and organizations in everything from strategic planning and
“We are exploring opportunities and
our communities. We are actively working better business writing, to managing con-
partnerships within the health care sector
with more than 350 organizations and flict in the workplace, and managing the
and are discovering that nurses working
thousands of employees developing pro- client experience.
within long term care environments need
grams, skills, and competencies that ad-
CLPI has developed a strong relationship refresher skills and development pro-
dress the demands of the new economy.
with CORCAN, which works to develop grams to provide a higher level of care in
“Our mandate is to meet the challenges programs for incarcerated individuals the community,” says Mignault. “We are
our partners face with relevant, flexible to help them succeed once they are building curriculum through one-day pro-
talent development solutions,” explains released. Their skills and abilities are grams to address training needs like PICC
Charlie Mignault, Director, Corporate assessed against labour market needs to (peripherally inserted central catheter)
Learning and Performance Improvement. ensure they can find employment. These lines and phlebotomy (blood removal).
“We offer on-the-job training and ac- trade programs include carpentry, land- We will continue to look at more nurse-to-
cess to talent with the goal of increasing scaping, small engine repair, and brick nurse training for the future.”
productivity and closing the skills gap. We and stone masonry. This partnership grew
The CLPI definition of ‘learner’ is extensive
ensure we’re covering the market in terms in 2013 to include another partnership
because those who benefit come from
of creating full programming to benefit opportunity with Habitat for Humanity,
different backgrounds and geographic
organizations ranging from a small local which worked with 10 male and female
locations. Corporate learning provides
company to a large enterprise organiza- offenders to build a home.
opportunities to individuals and commun-
tion like DuPont. We pride ourselves on
There are numerous additional cus- ities to give them the skills and experience
providing programs that truly address the
tomized programs including a business that will ultimately improve their quality
needs of our clients and work towards
solutions stream that focuses on LEAN of life, lead to employment opportunities,
being a competitive advantage for them.”
training, management techniques, and or- and improve the economic viability in
This strategy of bringing an outcome
ganizational efficiencies; and a workplace communities.
driven focus on client service has proven
wellness program that recently trained
effective; over the last four years CLPI has
Kingston Police officers and City of Kings-
increased its revenues by 197 per cent.
“ We pride ourselves on provid-
ing programs that truly address
the needs of our clients and work
towards being a competitive ad-
vantage for them.”
- Charlie Mignault
8
POWERFUL USER-FRIENDLY employees – people with the right skills job description library and communicate
and qualifications that an employer needs job expectations.
WEBSITE & DIGITAL JOB BOARD
at the right time.
LEADS EMPLOYMENT SERVICE INTO This tool is designed for all community
“The new website facilitates connections members including students and gradu-
THE FUTURE
between employers and job seekers and ates transitioning from school to employ-
Finding the right employee for the right provides an in-depth guide to career ment. Job candidates will benefit from
job became easier in the spring of 2013 opportunities based on the current and accessing an online resource centre that
with the launch of a new and fully cus- projected economic needs of Eastern includes updated labour market informa-
tomized website and job board: Ontario, supported by the newest tech- tion to support their job search prepara-
www.employmentservice.sl.on.ca. nology,” says Charlie Mignault, Director tion, application, and outcome.
of Business Development at St. Lawrence
Using a new cloud-based tool called the “Our website and job board are driving
College. “We have implemented strat-
Job Description Template Builder (JDB), key performance metrics,” explains Mig-
egies to ensure this becomes the number
companies of all sizes are able to cus- nault. “We expect over 300,000 visits this
one resource for job postings and em-
tomize job description templates while year and we anticipate having business
ployment readiness resources in Eastern
allowing job seekers to fully customize clients post 2,400 jobs. The job board
Ontario.”
their job search. The JDB also includes a now accounts for 17 per cent of all new
profile of the ideal candidate for each de- The website and job board provide useful clients. Moreover, this digital strategy
scription created. This profile can be used tools for employers looking to access a will contribute to another strong year; we
in tandem with pre-assessment tools and deep pool of candidates and support in have over 230 job postings daily – this
job-fit testing to make hiring decisions their recruitment processes. HR profes- goes a long way to tackle the almost 20
even easier and the hiring process more sionals will have the ability to access a per cent youth unemployment rate in
efficient. growing, cloud-based resource for build- Eastern Ontario and will continue to drive
ing job descriptions. The website also us as a leader in the Ontario Employment
SLC Employment Service is committed to
allows a company to easily organize their Service network.”
developing and supporting ‘ready now’
CARPENTRY STUDENTS different framing techniques at the same The handiwork of carpentry students isn’t
time – stick framing to build walls for the only demonstration of SLC students’
BUILT OUTDOOR LEARNING
Habitat for Humanity and timber framing abilities in the skilled trades. “We used a
LABORATORY FOR THE
at the Outdoor Learning Laboratory. Both lot of metal brackets to bolt the framing
ST. LAWRENCE RIVER INSTITUTE projects were also great opportunities for together and these were fabricated on-
OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES the students to give back to the commun- site at the college’s Cornwall campus by
ity they study in.” Welding and Fabrication students,” said
St. Lawrence College carpentry students MacDonell.
in Cornwall built The St. Lawrence River The Outdoor Learning Laboratory was
Institute of Environmental Sciences’ new completed in spring 2013 when a second The Outdoor Learning Laboratory will
Outdoor Learning Laboratory from the group of carpentry students finished the benefit Environmental Technician stu-
ground up over the course of two aca- remaining work including flashing, fascia, dents who do laboratory work, research,
demic years. bracing, landscaping, and adding topsoil and field work at The St. Lawrence River
and a walkway. The students also built a Institute of Environmental Sciences.
In spring 2012, the students began work fenced-in compound for outdoor storage
on the impressive structure built for on the same site.
outdoor learning, wet research work, and
community programs. The
group of 24 carpentry stu-
dents, under the supervision
of Professor Mark MacDonell,
dug the holes and installed
the piers, poured the foun-
dation, framed the walls and
roof, and more.
While building this labora-
tory, the same group of stu-
dents simultaneously worked
on building a house for Habi-
tat for Humanity rather than
forego one of the projects as
both addressed needs in the
community.
“Building the Outdoor
Learning Laboratory for The
St. Lawrence River Institute
of Environmental Sciences
and a house for Habitat for
Humanity at the same time
gave our students tremen-
dous hands-on learning
experience,” said Mark Mac-
Donell. “For example, stu-
dents were able to learn two
9