Dear Colleagues,
I have good news and bad news.
The good news is we are getting a great number of submissions of content for the newsletter. Each week I am impressed by the achievements of our faculty, students, and support staff (on that note it was a real pleasure chatting with Student Advisor Olivia Trivisonno and Scheduler Alisha Carr last week – stay tuned for their episodes on the Dean’s Desk!)
The bad news is that our fearless editor Devin Andrade is spending more and more time tracking down key details/pics/etc. for different stories.
So, in order to streamline the process, we will be using the submission form below – if you have content you would like to see in the newsletter, please input the info using the link. Devin will receive all the forms.
In addition, I would like to invite all of you to submit photos for the cover of each month’s newsletter. You can send them using the form, or just email to Devin. Please include some info about the photo as well.
This is the time of year where we have multiple end-of-year showcases for student work and industry-related networking. From Redefining Design in the School of Fashion, to Make it Happen in the School of Marketing, to Coalesce in the School of Creative Arts and Animation, and everything in between, attendees can count on being inspired and impressed.
Last week the School of Media held its Convergence event, connecting industry with students in multiple programs. For the first time, it was held at S@Y and was a great success (kudos to chair Tina Cortese and the organizing team). During a panel discussion, moderator Brandon Gonez made an observation that resonated with me. He described how he recently won a key role in a new television series, because of an encounter he had years ago with the hiring manager, in which Brandon treated this person with his customary consideration and respect.
Years later, the hiring manager remembered the encounter, and it was key in winning Brandon the role.
“Kindness is your most valuable currency,” noted Brandon – who is a Seneca School of Media alumni.
I couldn’t agree more – and this is yet another example of the importance of Human Skills, the communications, relationship-building and problem-solving abilities so crucial to career success, regardless of industry. Again, it is heartening to see Seneca leading in this regard – we are the first post-secondary institution in Canada to launch a polytechnic-wide initiative focused on ensuring our students have these key competencies. You can find more information on the initiative and support materials here.
Stay well and stay safe,
Kurt
Redefining Design brings together multiple programs from the School of Fashion for one night to showcase their talent to countless industry professionals - an evening of networking, inspiration, food, and drink. Over 200 industry guests were welcomed with 21 stunning Floral Design program creations, each with an armature component, followed by an impressive exhibit from the Fashion Resource Centre showcasing Canadian designers - including pieces belonging to School of Fashion faculty.
Once on the second floor of CITE, guests interacted with five Visual Merchandising Arts installations - each speaking to sustainability or accessibility, and sponsored by an external partner. Up one more floor, 24 inspiring tabletops from the Event Management - Creative Design program were on display. Select guests then attended the fashion show where 39 designers showed off a total of 133 looks on the runway.
This fantastic evening is supported by the Cosmetic Techniques & Management program students who ensured models looked their best as they handled their hair and makeup, while the Event Media Production program students produced the fashion show - from calling the show to tackling all technical elements. To add to the excitement of the event, each program had a panel of judges to critique the student work - resulting in awards presentations before the night was done. A special 'thank you' to Seneca Alumni for their generosity. For the first time, the Faculty of Continuing Education joined in the event by displaying work from their current students.
The Fashion Business Management program is proud to share that the FIELD event celebrated its 14th year! FIELD stands for "Fashion Industry Educational Exchange and Leadership Development." It is a celebration of student accomplishments and a hallmark of the Seneca Fashion Business Management program.
The industry partner this year was Sasha Jardine, Founder of Ste.Marg.Scot., the world’s first ungendered outerwear company with a free-from plastics and free-from metals ethos, made with love in Canada. Sasha worked with and mentored our students for seven months and provided unique insight into the challenging landscape of today’s fashion industry.
At the FIELD event gala evening, student teams presented their brand recommendations to a panel of esteemed industry experts and an audience of faculty, friends, family and peers. Congratulations to the winning team, and the dedicated team of professors guiding our students to deliver unique, professional and engaging presentations.
During the Business Analytics Symposium hosted by George Brown College., Scott Megginson, President of Kantar Canada, and Peter Rodriguez, CMO of Brand Igniter® Inc. and Seneca School of Marketing professor, shared a success story of their collaboration as business partners at Warner Lambert Inc.. The story showcased how insight-driven strategy revived a major brand from collapse to market leadership. Their success underscores the vital role of insights and bold strategic decisions in achieving remarkable outcomes.
Key takeaways emphasized the indispensable link between insights and effective strategy. Emphasizing a consumer-centric approach, they highlighted the risks of marketing myopia and the importance of challenging assumptions to prevent brand downfall.
The focus of their talk was not on tools, but on strategic tool application, including TURF analysis, Conjoint analysis, Gap analysis, and the innovative "Frankenstein" test. They stressed that successful marketing decisions are not random but result from validating the marketing mix.
They underscored the significance of translating insights into actionable strategies that resonate with top management, enabling effective communication through Profit & Loss statements.
Lastly, they celebrated the power of collaboration between insights leaders and brand strategists in driving successful outcomes.
Professor Ken Wong’s thought-provoking research paper on learning in a car using Presentria GO has been included by the World Health Organization.
The research paper explored how an innovative solution like Presentia GO could address learners' needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. It enables students from K-12 to higher education to learn experientially from their cars during a city excursion. Through a survey with 74 educators and a series of expert interviews and focus group discussions, insights into the feasibility of this active learning mode are explored. Ken's paper proposes the concept of 'in-car location-based experiential learning' as one of the methods to engage students during the pandemic and beyond.
The full text is now accessible for free via the 'Fulltext' link on the WHO website.
School of Marketing students recently had the unique opportunity to learn and network with Shyam Patel, Consultant, Digital Adoption & Engagement at CIBC.
The workshop was marked by advice on writing effective resumes, tips on formatting for Applicant Tracking Systems, skills needed for positions at advertising and media agencies, and one-on-one review sessions. The workshop transitioned into an informal coffee session where students exchanged stories about their interview experiences and shared personal journeys, enriching the experience further.
“What advice can I share with you today? Sign up for that workshop, event or talk at your university/college. Take advantage of the opportunities you have now. Connect with people. Build your network as much as you can. You are going to thank yourself sooner or later!” said Carla Goachet Praeli, a Marketing Management student who reflected on the key takeaway from the session.
Second semester Creative Advertising (CAB) students were given a briefing on a business problem for The Annex Hotel...at the hotel. The brief to students was to improve The Annex Hotel's coffee shop traffic, particularly among the nearby U of T students. By holding the briefing at the hotel the students could get a feel for the hotel's atmosphere and were then taken on a tour of the hotel.
Afterwards, they were invited to explore the surrounding neighbourhood to better understand the area and the competition.
This was a live client briefing as part of the CAB295 “Intro to Consumer Behaviour” course. The assignment is to try to drive new customer behaviour to their coffee lounge. One of the partners from the hotel, Mackenzie Saunders, and his GM led the briefing. They also brought in two experts in customer experience, one of whom was Philip Ireland. Philip has won an award for the best customer experience of any private club in the world, this includes all of the most expensive and exclusive private clubs in London and Asia, and all of the most famous golf courses around the world. He now advises private clubs, golf courses around the world and he took time out to talk to the students.
Once the assignments were handed in, they were marked by professor Lance Saunders, then Mackenzie also looked at them and picked a winning team. That team was then invited back down to the hotel for free drinks and dinner, courtesy of the hotel.
The students were really excited that this was a real world pitch. This was set up to be as close to a very thorough real world agency brief that a top ad agency would receive by a great client.
Sandy Kedey is a professor in Seneca’s Creative Advertising program. She has 20 years advertising experience in Tier One international agencies and has won numerous national and international awards for integrated creative campaigns and innovation. She also managed her own communications company, SLK Communications Inc., resulting in profitable and continuing relationships.
She spoke with Dean Kurt Muller on how Convergent Communications works today, and how we are challenged with hyper - choice, consumer fatigue and making strategically correct assessments of communications solutions that will ultimately ignite brand loyalty and revenue.
Theresa Seto is the Administrative Coordinator for the Schools of Marketing and Media. Her professional career includes working in brand management at Clorox, a consumer-packaged goods company, as well as in post-secondary education, including the University of Toronto, Dankuk University and Hanyang University (the latter two, in Seoul, Korea). In her current role, she manages contracts for faculty & TAs, handles the budgets, as well as coordinates college-wide and school specific events. Her attention to detail and love for bringing people together is what drives her passion in planning these events.
She spoke with Kurt about her love of travel and her favourite experiences she's had in the 25 different countries she's visited. They discussed their love of adrenaline-spiking adventures like sky diving. Theresa also shares how she grew from being an introvert, to the party-planning, community building, confident leader she is today.
Illustration grad Sara Sarhangpour created one of the posters for Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) this year. It is very prestigious and creates a high profile for the artist and Seneca locally and internationally.
TCAF is an international comics festival held annually at the Toronto Reference library. It is a festival that gets alot of attention from artists, writers and animators, publishers and other visual creators. Under JoAnn Purcell’s direction, Seneca has been the (exclusive) school sponsor for years and students are able to participate in the festival alongside other big artists and publishers. TCAF selects an artist or two to create their poster every year. This year, they gave the opportunity to Seneca and JoAnn selected Sara to work with. JoAnn imagined the concept as a decolonized Gulliver's Travels. Sara applied her magic and thus the poster. She used this image from the 17th C to riff off of.
TCAF will begin using it to promote the festival and it will get a permanent place among other poster artists.
Bryan Hayes, the host of TSN's Overdrive show, dropped by to speak with Seneca Radio students. Bryan's father Bill teaches the Introduction to Talk Radio class! Bill Hayes is a Professor in the RTVR program following a distinguished career in Toronto radio.
Bryan Hayes has been a part of an amazing rise in sports radio. Bryan was frank with the students as he discussed his career, his views on where radio is today, and talk radio specifically. Bryan took questions from the class and explained how important it is to be prepared for whatever you have to deal with, be it a show, an issue, even losing a job. The important part isn't falling off the horse, it's getting back on! His career trajectory was an inspiration to our students.
Partnering with industry equipment suppliers, TV students get to approximate the feel of a large scale feature film set while working collaboratively to make a short film.
On Tuesday April 9th 2024, fourth semester School of Media - Broadcast TV students took over the Seneca@York Stephen E. Quinlan building to make a short film. William F White International provided a state-of-the-art Grip & Electric generator package truck. Cameras were provided by Ontario Camera and HD Source.
With faculty overseeing, the students got invaluable hands-on experience to produce a short film that they can add to their portfolios. Filling all the roles required for a professional film shoot, students acted as directors, cinematographers, camera assists, sound recordists, grip & electric teams, script supervisors, and assistant directors. The experience was further enriched by partnering with talent from both Seneca’s Acting program and Cosmetic Techniques & Management program.
"This 45-person production was a significant level-up challenge for me. However, my experience at Seneca gained from past projects had prepared me,” explains Sin Yeun (Skye) Chan, student Producer. “The sense of accomplishment from seeing the project come to life was unparalleled. This journey as a producer has not only expanded my skills but has also deepened my appreciation for the collaborative effort and dedication that goes into creating cinematic magic. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute to the vibrant world of filmmaking.”
Overseen by Cinematography professor, Kyle Francis, the students also had the on-set support of professors Rouzbeh Heydari and Christopher Sweeney and Program Coordinator Blair Richardson. The script, Final Decision, was written by RTVT student Emily Albert. RTVT alumni participating included Taher Bhujwalla and Aditya Jagath, who provided industry knowledge for Camera & Lighting teams and Sabina Wong, who works as a continuity supervisor, and supported Production Management teams and Script Supervisor.
“During the process of script writing my professors Kyle and Chris wanted something simple yet entertaining,” said Emily Albert, Writer and Script Supervisor. “Of course, I did the first part of the work, but the real magic is being able to look at your work on set and through the camera lenses. The simplicity of being able to write a couple words on a piece of paper and then turning it into a film is honestly one of the most amazing experiences I have ever tried.”
The Big Production Day event, now in its 6th year, has been a regular part of the fourth semester – and everyone was thrilled to have it come back again this year as a culmination of the skills the students have learned over the program.
“RTVT students mostly work on smaller scale sets with 2-4 person crews,” said Kyle Francis. “This activity allows them to see how a larger production operates. The students rotate through various on-set positions so everyone gets to try their hand at a bit of everything. Through industry partnerships, they get to utilize some higher-end equipment that they otherwise wouldn’t see until they got out into the industry after graduation. It makes for a long, chaotic day but it ends up being one of the highlights of their time here at Seneca. We are tremendously proud of the work these students put in this year.”
Sin Yeun (Skye) Chan, student Producer on the project, shared why she enjoyed the experience.
Kyle Francis explains the value of the project and what it involves.
Nine years running and going as strong as ever, Seneca Broadcasting - Television students attended the “Emerging Content Creators” networking event hosted by Melissa DiMarco and OUT THERE PRODUCTIONS INC. This event started as an in-person one, with the students being invited to the OUT THERE hospitality suite at TIFF to meet and network with some of our industry’s big names in directing, producing and post-production. When the pandemic hit everything was moved online and continues that way today.
The Speakers Session featured Melissa Moments interviews, where students viewed clips and learned invaluable insights from many celebrated industry experts like Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer), Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon) and Kenneth Branagh (Belfast), who shared their behind-the-scenes insider’s knowledge.
The event also facilitated interactions for students to connect and engage with industry professionals during the Speakers Session. Students actively engaged with the speakers, asking them specific questions, and getting first-hand industry know-how.
In the exclusive 2-hour virtual VIP Networking Session, students were given direct access in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sit down with some of the speakers. The students met with, asked questions and made direct connections with industry professionals and decision makers like: Screenwriter/Producer Joel Cohen (The Simpsons), Director Sergio Navarretta (The Cuban), Picture Editor Roderick Deogrades (Halo), Writer/Producer Manu Chopra (Little Italy/Dr. Cabbie), Assistant Director Shamso Bihi (Suits/ Murdoch Mysteries), Director of Photography Kristin Fieldhouse (Orphan Black: Echoes/ Workin’ Moms), Sound Editor Dash Naidoo (The Shape of Water), Award-winning Cinematographer Bryce Zimmerman (CSC and Leo Award winner), Director Marni Banack (The Next Step), Production Assistant Yoann Amzallag (Reacher), and more.
This was an incredible opportunity for the students to learn how to get their names out there and networking with industry professionals who can help them in their careers down the road.
A special thanks to Melissa DiMarco and OUT THERE PRODUCTIONS INC. who have offered this very exclusive opportunity to Seneca students since 2016. They have taken on students for field placement opportunities and currently have two grads on as full-time employees!
FCAD Dean Kurt Muller was interviewed live on S@Y radio! Kurt dropped by S@Y Radio's studios to speak live to Radio students Keon Cunningham and Jack Mancini on April 10th. Kurt took questions from the students and addressed many topics including the growth of Seneca, and the momentum the audio space is experiencing. Kurt also asked the students about their experiences in the RTVR program.
Dean's Desk is a podcast you can hear on S@Y Radio where Kurt interviews faculty and staff involved in the FCAD program. Our second year students thank him for taking time out of his busy day to chat live on air!
Nguyen Hong Lam Le, Onyedikachi Mandy Nwajagu, Annika Hambleton and Anwesha Nair were the selected students from School of Fashion who recently attended an invitation-only networking event hosted by ProServIT and Immigrant Women in Business at the mesmerizing Microsoft Canada's head office in Toronto.
The special Women’s Day event, co-hosted by Advica Health, YMCA of Greater Toronto, and MacKay CEO Forums, was a powerful gathering of change-makers, visionaries, and advocates driving positive change in the community. It was a privilege to hear from 30 remarkable women speakers who shared their journeys, insights, and wisdom. Their stories resonated deeply, reminding of the strength and resilience of women across diverse fields.
Thank you to Professor Raunica Ahluwalia from the School of Marketing for sharing the opportunity, joining the students at the event and capturing the experience.
A recent article from 80 Level featured animations of a rhinoceros created by Nav Singh, Professor, School of Creative Arts & Animation, who is also a graduate of the 3D Animation and Visual Effects for Film & Television programs.
The animation was set up as part of Seneca's three-class creature lecture, which delved into the techniques and references required to create realistic body mechanics and animating the rhino's muscles using jiggle controllers.
Seneca professor James Cullingham recognized the passing of filmmaker Roger McTair with a piece in The Globe and Mail.
From 1997 until 2014 Roger McTair was a professor in various media and communication programs at Seneca Polytechnic.
Roger was known for documenting the lives and struggles of Black Canadians in a series of groundbreaking films, as well as writing poetry, columns and short fiction, and influencing countless young people as a professor.
The family is holding a Celebration of his life and legacy on May 4 6pm at The Theatre Centre in Toronto. All are welcome.
Announcements
Getting ready to welcome students in May - From President David Agnew
As we gear up for the start of the May 2024 Term, we’re excited that thousands of students will be joining us starting May 6. As some continue their Seneca Polytechnic journey and others are just beginning, your warm welcome can make all the difference.
Please consider helping make this start a memorable one. Whether it’s helping students find their way around, answering their questions or simply just saying hello, your support is invaluable.
A dedicated Startup space on MySeneca gives you more information on specific dates as well as the online and in-person supports and activities planned for students. I encourage you to take a look around the site and then register to assist during Startup.
The first few days and weeks at Seneca are among the most important for our students. Thank you for coming together to kick off another great term and for your ongoing support of our students.
Yorkgate Campus programming update
To improve the student experience at Yorkgate Campus, we will be moving our academic programs to Newnham and Seneca@York campuses for the start of the 2024-25 academic year. We are working with government on the relocation of the Academic Upgrading program. Learn more.
Commuting to Seneca@York
As of May 6, our campus shuttle bus pick up and drop off is moving to the driveway between the York University School of Continuing Studies building and the Student Services parking garage, just off Ian MacDonald Blvd. And happening later this summer: The Pond Road and Haynes Avenue parking lots will be reduced in size. The available spaces will be on a first come, first served basis for permit holders.
#SenecaProud moment
Thank you, Seneca! The 2023-24 Campaign for Students has achieved remarkable success once again, raising $391,473 through generous donations and employee participation in various fundraising events. Your continued commitment and support of our students throughout the year is on full display in this video.
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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