Dear Colleagues,
Last fall, Seneca became the first post-secondary institution in the country to launch a polytechnic-wide initiative focused on ensuring our students have what we are defining as “human skills”. These are the creative thinking, communications, and problem-solving abilities so crucial to career success, regardless of industry – but that have historically been difficult to define and measure. In addition, the arrival of artificial intelligence in many workplaces means teamwork, empathy and creativity are more important than ever as students learn to work alongside machines.
“We have heard over and over again from employers, industry partners and our program advisory committees that we need to build these skills into our curriculum,” said Marianne Marando, Vice-President Academic, when the project was launched. “While our programs include many of these skills already, this program will incorporate them in a holistic way right from day one. This will uniquely qualify Seneca graduates to meet the needs of employers and contribute meaningfully to society.”
Informed by interviews with alumni, professors, program coordinators, chairs, deans and industry partners, this new initiative is at the core of Seneca’s new Strategic Plan. The Next. I’m proud to share that of the first 10 programs in this key initiative, six are in the Faculty of Communication, Art and Design. They are:
- Public Relations - Corporate Communications, led by Professor Mary Pretotto
- Brand Management, led by Professor Duncan Reith
- Broadcasting – Radio, led by Professor Peter McKeown
- Marketing Management, led by Professor Domenic Gasparro
- Esports Marketing Management, led by Professor Brandon Mcarthur
- Digital and Social Media Marketing, led by Professor Margo Bock
A big thank-you to these professors for their hard work and leadership in this space. The image below illustrates the key overarching skills that have emerged – Critical Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration, with the qualifiers of curious, ambitious and reflective for all three.
The work of the Human Skills Team is now available for all faculty through this link:
The Teams site includes great examples of how faculty are embedding human skills into their curriculum. For example, this critical thinking assignment from Domenic Gasparro, which leverages artificial intelligence and Microsoft Co-Pilot to have students explore how Human Skills are crucial to their future careers:
And this template from Margo mapping Human Skills learning outcomes into course curriculum:
If you are interested in adding your program to the next group of programs in the Human Skills initiative, please reach out to your chair. We are looking for an additional 10-15 programs across Seneca to take part. If you have any questions about Human Skills, please reach out to Claire Moane, Dean of Academic Initiatives.
Stay well and stay safe,
Kurt
On Monday, March 18th, the 6th annual Make It Happen Marketing Career Forum, took place at the beautiful Flato Markham Theatre, captivating and inspiring over 300 attendees, including students, faculty, and alumni from the School of Marketing. The half-day event featured distinguished industry speakers who delved into topics such as personal branding, the impact of AI on marketing, and embracing authenticity through a DEI lens.
More than 90 per cent of survey respondents highlighted the speakers as the event's standout feature, with over 75 per cent expressing their intention to recommend the event to their peers.
A few attendee comments:
“I absolutely loved the networking opportunity and the energy of the speakers. They were extremely inspiring, and I resonated with every single one of them. All the speakers gave a sense of authenticity which was amazing and somewhat comforting. I love how the speakers showed how "marketing" has changed as is steering away from typical stereotypes of people being "salesy." The speeches about AI and how it will change marketing and how businesses operate were also incredible.”
“I loved the introduction videos and how diverse the topics of panel discussions were and how we had a chance to hear experienced professionals who worked in agency and corporate environment.”
“I liked the presentations the most and the networking lunch where we were able to talk to and connect with other students and the speakers themselves.”
The exceptional keynote speakers included Ron Tite, Founder & CEO of Church+ State Agency, Dr. David Rice and Martin Waxman of the Future of Marketing Institute, Alex Zamkow from Intelligent Marketing IBM, Hugh Lawson, Chief Development Officer at Hilco, Carolyn Shaw, President, and Ryan Hughes, Chief Strategy Officer of Humanity Agency, and Shiri Gabriel, Seneca Professor of Marketing & Executive Coach. Zak Mroueh, Canada’s award-winning Creative Director of Zulu, Alpha, Kilo, created a personalized video message encouraging students to ‘pat themselves on the back’ and acknowledge their achievements.
LinkedIn has been buzzing with positive comments on the event from the speakers:
Ryan Hughes shared his heartfelt experience, stating, "Taking the stage Monday at Seneca Polytechnic's annual Make It Happen conference was one of the most meaningful speaking opportunities of my career. I opened up about navigating my life with neurodivergence... following my time on stage, I was quickly re-energized by the number of Seneca students who approached me, embraced vulnerability themselves, and opened up about their own neurodivergence.”
Hugh Lawson expressed his thoughts, saying, "After I presented the learnings of my recent leadership journey overcoming immense stress, anxiety, and imposter syndrome, Ryan and Carolyn so eloquently amplified their thought-leadership regarding the importance of women representation in leadership … challenging us to rethink our approach to recruitment to be inclusive of those with invisible disabilities."
Shiri Gabriel reflected on the honor of “leading a dynamic networking session for the eager audience of students all hungry for growth and ready to elevate their networking game to a professional level.”
Make It Happen was organized, produced, and emceed by students in the Sports, Entertainment & Event Marketing (SEM) graduate program, who also crafted this concluding video. As one SEM student cited, “ I am grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the event. Not only did I have the chance to apply the theoretical knowledge gained from classes in a practical setting, but I was also able to leverage my background in computer science …. my interactions and communication with my classmates, along with their support and assistance, profoundly underscored the importance of teamwork.”
On March 15th, 2024, students in the Professional Selling Program at Seneca showcased their talent at the National Sports Sales Competition, a prestigious event run by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) in partnership with Baylor University. The dedicated team of eight students - Ahmed Diab, Stella Nguyen, Dylan Teodora, Ryan Absin, Adrian Dutta, Shraddha Hatankar, Xialin Xie, and Syeda Zarha - competed against some of the finest universities and colleges across Canada.
Participating in challenging role plays and speed selling competitions, the team demonstrated exceptional skill and determination. Their hard work paid off, with four out of the seven team members advancing to the second round. Notably, Ahmed Diab achieved remarkable success, placing 6th overall in the competition and securing 2nd place in the speed selling competition.
“The event was extremely dynamic and engaging, providing valuable insights into the sports sales industry,” said Xialin Xie, a student at the competition. “I had the chance to interact with a diverse group of individuals, and I was impressed by their talent and friendliness. The knowledge I gained and the connections I made will undoubtedly benefit me in my future endeavours.”
On Tuesday, February 13, the Broadcasting - Television program (RTVT) hosted Cosmetic Techniques and Management (CTM) students and faculty in the large studio for on-camera make up demonstrations and networking. Faculty in both programs have been looking for opportunities for their students to gain more practical experiences. While the CTM program trains their students in such techniques as studio and SFX make up, they do not have studios able to replicate the experience of working on a professional, fully-lit set. Luckily, the RTVT program has such resources and was happy to invite the CTM students to come over and play. Kyle Francis, Professor, RTVT, School of Media and his fourth semester students spent the day building a remarkable glamour set up to inspire everyone.
“It was such a valuable experience for the students to see how lighting impacts their makeup and have a taste of the environment they can expect to work in. The feedback from our students was great and left them wanting to have more collaborations such as this. They were inspired,” explains Karen Ellis, Professor, CTM, School of Fashion.
As for the RTVT students, throughout their studies they are constantly producing, filming, and editing material. Getting to meet and work with the CTM students allows them to gain another piece of industry knowledge while also leading to future collaborations on upcoming productions.
“The night turned out really well. I can’t wait for the next one. There are so many programs at Seneca that fit perfectly for collaboration with our TV & Film production activities,” said Francis.
The RTVT program has long had collaborations with the Acting and Journalism programs but is actively looking for further opportunities to expand the pool of partners within Seneca. Conversations are ongoing to build on this success.
“I don’t know who is most excited about these opportunities,” says Christopher Sweeney, Professor, RTVT, School of Media, “We had many faculty pop in to check things out. When you see the students laughing and meeting new people and having new experiences, it is energizing. The students – and the profs - left the studio absolutely buzzing.”
Werner Zimmermann is an award-winning artist, illustrator and educator. He has had a successful career in illustrating children’s books and teaching, which both started in 1986. His books include Snow Day, Porcupine in a Pine Tree, At The Pond and more.
Werner discusses the other artists that inspire him and the difficult decision to leave teaching after 20 years. If you know Werner’s classes, you know he loves field trips and he shares some of his favourite places to take his students. Werner also shares a preview about the book he’s working on next!
Honours Bachelor of Communications & Media (BCMM) students, joined by Seneca team members Anastasiya Ivanova, Donna Gall, Megan Noble and Holly Cybulski, got ready for their close up with a recent experiential learning opportunity to visit CTV’s The Social!
On March 13 everyone met at the iconic 299 Queen St. W. building to tour the set and join as a live studio audience member. Watching hosts Melissa Grelo (Seneca alumni), Andrea Bain, Jessica Allen, and numerous guest co-hosts in action, BCMM students got a taste of the fast-paced world of live television production. Seneca alumni and Floor Director Kwame Hills was equally inspiring and encouraging to the next generation of the industry, inviting students to explore the set. Students enjoyed a warm welcome from Talent Coordinator Derek Forgie, a live on air shout-out to Seneca Polytechnic from Grelo herself, and one lucky student even had a chance to check out the camera equipment during a commercial break!
Journalism grads Camille Wilson, Victoria Alvarado, and Niza Nondo visited Seneca to share their advice with current students. Their panel emphasized the importance of versatility and preparedness as key qualities they use in their work every day.
Current journalism student Meaghan Franchi summarized their visit for an article on Seneca Journalism’s website.
“Literally at the Weather Network they were calling me the Swiss Army knife,” said Victoria Alvarado. “There is no one else in the history that has had four on call positions from on-air to a technical job like that.”
Creative Advertising students Rica Joy Cabanog, Kyrie Eleison Jamir, and Dunc Urquhart were guests on APG Canada's Grow Op Podcast recorded at Seneca's podcast studio. The episodes were produced by Seneca's radio student Kristian Walker.
The Grow Op Podcast gives strategic thinkers and creative tinkerers opportunities to grow. Each week, Michelle Lee talks to planners, creatives, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry legends on everything from working with creatives, to overcoming imposter syndrome, to staying curious, and much much more.
The episodes will be dropping soon!
Once again Radio Broadcasting students were live on location with S@Y radio in a collaborative effort with the SSF. This live event happens every Wednesday at The Hive with the 4th semester radio students building their skills each week. Each student is assigned a role from being on-air on S@Y radio, Seneca's campus radio station to producing and making original digital content.
Thanks go out to Professors Craig Robertson and Jim Carr for facilitating such a positive, collaborative and purposeful experience for students.
On March 6th radio students from colleges and polytechnics across Ontario came to be a part of the Ontario Association of Broadcasters Career Day. The event, held at The ZoomerPlex, a 2.6 acre state of the art production and live event complex in Toronto's Liberty Village, was attended by RTVR and JRN students from Seneca. Accompanying the group were Professors Jim Carr, Craig Robertson and Program Co-ordinator Peter Mckeown.
Panels opened and closed the day with speakers such as Alan Cross, Alan Carter from Global News, and Alex Cairns from TSN taking questions from students and talking about their career journey.
The highlight of the day for students was being able to sit and chat with industry professionals, ownership, and hiring managers in the radio business and ask questions directly in an open, rotating forum. As a bonus, Seneca students were invited to tour the studios of Indie88, also in Liberty Village. Rave reviews on the day from the students like this one from Ron Dhingra....
"I wanted to share with you the incredible experience I had yesterday during the visit to Zoomer Media and Indie88 studios. The opportunity for students in broadcasting and journalism, including myself, to learn and network was truly remarkable.
Personally, the studio tours reignited my passion for radio broadcasting, making me fall in love with the radio and media industry all over again. The networking aspect was equally fulfilling, and I particularly cherished my conversations with Mike, the Programming Director at Indie 88. Additionally, we explored potential internship opportunities for the future.
Overall, the day was incredibly enjoyable, providing a great learning experience that will undoubtedly contribute to my growth in the field."
Shiwangi Singh, a graduate of the Digital & Social Media Marketing program (DMM), was on The Mentorship Podcast where she shared her story of career success in marketing and social media.
Shiwangi talked about her career journey that started with completing her bachelor’s degree in banking and insurance in India. After working in finance, she made a career transition and explored marketing. Shiwangi then moved to Canada and studied marketing management at Humber College, followed by social media marketing at Seneca.
Blair Packham, Professor, School of Creative Arts & Animation, is performing a concert in Oro-Medonte this September. This folk and roots series is presented in a quaint historic church in Oro-Medonte, located in the hamlet of Coulson and hosted by local singer-songwriter Anne Walker.
Blair has been writing songs for over 40 years. For the past 15 years, he has taught songwriting at Seneca, and via SongStudio, his annual songwriting workshop. Blair’s band, The Jitters, crossed Canada countless times in the 1980s, headlining, and opening shows for legends like The Kinks, Heart, Huey Lewis and the News, The Beach Boys, or sharing stages with Blue Rodeo, Gowan, and the Northern Pikes.
Maria Vasserman, a graduate of the Business Administration - Marketing program (BAM), discussed her career and her work as a wedding photographer with The Wedding Planner & Lifestyle magazine. Through a Q&A Maria shares what her day as a photographer looks like, her go-to software, and her favourite photo moments.
For the second year in a row, Independent Music Production (IMP) grads have garnered well-deserved recognition among their Canadian peers at the 53rd Juno Awards.
Derek Hoffman, previously nominated as Producer of the Year (2020) and Recording Engineer of the Year (2023), was part of the team that won for Songwriter of the Year for his work with Aysanabee.
Other alumni Chris Savage (Christian Selvaggi) and Nick Selvaggi were nominated for their group Crash Adams as Breakthrough Group of the Year.
For the last five years, the 4th semester students in the Cosmetics and Techniques Management Program (CTM) have been treated to a visit from two celebrity Drag Queens who participated in Canada's Drag Race.
This year Juice Boxx (season 1, Canada's Drag Race) and Gia Metric (season 2) were guest speakers in the Creative Makeup FX class.
This dynamic duo demonstrated character transforming application techniques for drag makeup while sharing experiences and advice for not only makeup application but life in general.
Prompted by a suggestion from Jasmine Bashaj from the School of Creative Arts and Animation, Seneca Libraries has implemented a 3D print waste recycling program. This program will regularly collect 3D print waste from 3D printers in the Libraries' Sandbox studios and the labs in the School of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering Technology. The collected waste will be sent to a Filaments.ca facility in Mississauga, which offers free recycling. Jennifer Peters can be contacted by other 3D printing services at Seneca to incorporate their 3D print waste into the recycling process.
Seneca Polytechnic has earned a Gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) in recognition of its sustainability achievements. STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, recognizes Seneca's commitment to environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic sustainability.
AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework for publicly reporting comprehensive information on a post-secondary institution’s sustainability performance. Institutions are measured on more than 60 credits, providing data on their academics, engagement, campus operations, planning and innovation.
Seneca set a path toward sustainability years ago, marked by a Silver rating of 50 out of 100 in its 2020 inaugural submission. The culmination of dedication from students, faculty, staff, and administration is reflected in the achievement of the Gold rating, scoring 67, which exemplifies the enduring commitment to sustainable excellence.
Once again, it is time to nominate an outstanding student for this year’s 2023-24 Seneca Cup. The Cup is awarded at convocation and is one of the highest honours for graduates.
The annual award acknowledges academic proficiency and contributions made to improving the quality of student life at Seneca.
Seneca employees can nominate a student until Friday, April 12.
Any student qualified to graduate from a certificate, diploma, or degree program in the summer 2023, fall 2023 or winter 2024 semester are eligible. Nominees should demonstrate the following characteristics:
- scholastic achievement
- personal integrity, sound, and good character
- contributions to others and to the community
- involvement in student life
- a proven ability to balance personal responsibilities and school involvement
Seneca employees can nominate a student by completing the Seneca Cup Nomination Form. Please email the completed form to Jade Nguyen no later than Friday, April 12.
Please contact Jade Nguyen if you do not receive a confirmation of receipt after submitting your nomination.
AI in Higher Education
Seneca made a huge announcement – our students will be among the first in Canada to experience the power of Microsoft Azure AI technology through several new initiatives including an AI tutor that will support enhanced learning of course materials and personalized job interviews based on job postings. In the coming months, we’ll share more details on what this exciting collaboration means for our students and faculty. The latest edition of Seneca in the News includes media coverage of the big announcement and other items that matter to our community.
York University Strike
Some York University employees are on strike. If you intend to be on our Seneca@York Campus soon, we’ve put together information on how to navigate the disruption. We’ll continue to update MySeneca as more information becomes available.
Fiscal Year-end FYI
Seneca’s fiscal year ends on Sunday, March 31. A schedule has been created with important submission deadlines for purchase orders, travel expenses, invoices, Visa reconciliation, journal entries and more. Also, T4/T4A and T2200S forms for 2023 are now available in i3.
Resources
- Discover teaching tips to help launch your virtual and in-person courses.
- Online nutshells are available, including Designing for Emotion in Online Courses, Getting Started with Online Teaching and Setting up Question Pools, Tests, and Assignments.
- Register for an upcoming Blackboard Ultra webinar.
- Find out how to meet the Learn@Seneca minimum requirements in Blackboard Ultra.
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