New Career Lab open at Interurban
A new Career Lab recently opened at Camosun’s Interurban campus. The lab is meant to engage students in co-ops and applied learning at the college. During an open house event at the Career Lab on Wednesday, November 28, a new student platform called MyBluePrint was launched; MyBluePrint is an interactive digital program that helps students with educational and career planning. The Career Lab building is located in the former Enterprise Point office.
Camosun students design college food truck
Camosun recently unveiled their new food truck, which features art designed by students from the Comics and Graphic Novels department (see page 1). The college also announced the name of the truck—after fielding numerous student suggestions (including “Foodtrucky McFood Face” and “Trucky McTruck-Face”), the college has decided to name the food truck—which is operated by Camosun stuadents—the Camosun Cuisine Machine. Camosun Automotive and Metal Trades student Kyle Broad won free food from the truck from its launch up until Christmas of last year for coming up with the name. The food truck will be operating at both campuses; see camosun.ca for a schedule and menu.
Camosun VP of admin leaves college
Camosun vice president of administration Shane Busby is leaving Camosun to pursue other opportunities. The college has said they will begin a search in the new year to fill the position; in the meantime, Camosun chief financial officer Deborah Huelscher will assume the role of acting/interim vice president of administration. Busby played a key role in creating the new Alex and Jo Campbell Centre for Health and Wellness at Interurban.
Paid internship to Indigenous graduates available in BC
A new intern partnership is available to all Indigenous post-secondary graduates in BC. It’s a joint effort between the province of BC, the BC assembly of First Nations, the Business Council of BC, and Vancouver Island University; the partnership will set up the graduates with a two-year paid internship through the Indigenous Intern Leaders Program.
Sisters of St. Ann make $1-million donation to Camosun
Victoria’s Sisters of St. Ann have donated $1 million to support teaching at Camosun’s Alex and Jo Campbell Centre for Health and Wellness. Camosun has set a $5 million goal for a space built for the college’s Health and Human Services program; 60 percent of that goal has been reached. The members of the Sisters of St. Ann belong to a Roman Catholic order of nuns.
Students ask for standards around sexual violence support
As part of the Canadian Alliance of Students Associations (CASA) lobby week, which happened in the last week of November in Ottawa, Canadian students took to Parliament Hill to ask politicians for standards regarding sexual violence support. According to CASA, 41 percent of young people who experience sexual violence are also students. $5.5 million was invested in sexual violence prevention last year, which CASA recommends be used to create standards that detail the minimum services needed on campus for sexual violence support.
Ontario government cuts funding for French-language university
On November 15, the Ontario government backpedalled on their plans to open the province’s first French-language university. The university was set to open in southern Ontario in 2020. The government will also cancel the positions of French language services commissioner, the environmental commissioner and Ontario child advocate; the duties of all three will now go to the offices of the auditor general and the provincial ombudsman.