Showing posts with label Sault College. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sault College. Show all posts

Monday, January 16, 2012

News Release: Sault College Continuing Education to Offer Music Programs


(Sault Ste. Marie, ON January 16, 2011) Sault College is introducing music programming for Winter 2012. Courses are being offered through the School of Continuing Education.

For those new to the music scene, Adam King will offer an introductory course in Acoustic Guitar. “This is a ‘learn to play’ opportunity,” states King. “The focus will be on learning the basic chords and patterns and upon completion of the 10-week course; students will be playing some of today’s most popular songs.”

Band without Audition, another course being offered, is a unique opportunity for musicians who have the basic ability to play an instrument. Students will participate in group practice, playing the instrument of their choice, guitar (bass and electric), keyboard or percussion.  During the 16 workshop-style sessions, students will have the opportunity to develop playing expertise as well as learn about the music industry.  The first 2 hours of each session will be dedicated to group practice led by an instructor as well as studying the “business of bands.” Each evening will end with the entire group participating in a jam session.

Leading the band course is Mike Case, a well- known musician and music instructor in the community.  Case is also a member of the Northern Ontario Country Music Hall of Fame and founder of Case Music and the Case All Stars. A slate of up to 4 musicians will be on hand to work with students in their various instrumental groups. There is the potential for one or more bands to evolve from the class that could then be involved in college activities on campus.

“We are gauging interest at this point, and seeing whether development of a full-time applied popular music program will be in the works for the future,” states Colin Kirkwood, Dean of Natural Environment, Business and Technology at Sault College. “We’re expecting to have a preliminary advisory meeting before the end of February to explore the possibilities.” The advisory committee will be drawn from a wide variety of people with expertise in the music industry to serve as resources to guide the possible program.

Introduction to Acoustic Guitar begins January 26.  Cost is $199.11. Band without Audition runs January 31 through March 22, on two evenings per week from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at a cost of $841.53. To register or find out more about these courses, please call Sault College at 705.759.6700 (option 3).

-30-

About Sault College
Sault College transforms the lives of students through providing innovative education and training, and granting Ontario College certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, graduate certificates, and degrees to its graduates. The College is the largest deliverer of apprenticeship training in all of Northern Ontario.   Maclean’s magazine has ranked the College at the top of the province in graduate satisfaction, with 85% of graduates saying that they were highly satisfied with their education at the College. Educating over 4,500 students each year, Sault College has a significant economic impact on the community, with spin-offs in excess of $100 million.  Over $2 million dollars in scholarships, bursaries and awards is distributed annually to students at the College.  Located on the border to the United States and situated in the middle of three of the largest great lakes on the planet, Sault College is one of 24 publicly-funded colleges in the province of Ontario. Nearly 85% of graduates are employed within six months of graduation. Visit our website at www.saultcollege.ca to learn more.

Please contact:
Tessa Pino, Communications Officer
Sault College
705.759.2554 ext. 2830

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The Flexibility of Maths

In the latest OPSEU bargaining bulletin #9 OPSEU indicates the increase would be 3.25% however it is painting the most negative picture possible. Mathematically, one needs to consider _all_ the increases. You just can't add up the increases in year 2 and 3 and say it's only 3.25 over three years. Well, you can, and that's what you'll get but it's not very accurate.

The increase would be more like 4.78%, or if you want to use a bleaker and somewhat false number then 3.28%, but not 3.25% as the bulletin states.

For example:

Using a ten dollar hourly wage, times 70 hours times 26 weeks = 18,200 per year

Year 1 of a new contract you would not get an hourly wage increase. Instead you would get a lump sum of 1.5 %
or $273 for a yearly income of $18,473 : an increase of $273

In year 2 you would get a 1.5% wage increase. You are now making 10.15 per hour.
times 70 times 26 =18.,473 : an increase of $273

In year 3 you would get a 1.75% wage increase. You are now making 10.327625 per hour.
times 70 times 26 = 18,796.277500 : an increase of 323.2775

Total increase = 869.2775 That, as a percent of your pre-contract yearly income, is a 4.776250% increase over the three years.

Even if you ignore the lump sum, your increase is 596.2775, a 3.276250% increase

Neither is close to 3.25%, at least not mathematically.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

PERSPECTIVES ON A PLANET with CBC’s Bob McDonald


Sault College is hosting a free seminar, yes FREE!!!!!!!

PERSPECTIVES ON A PLANET with CBC’s Bob McDonald

  • When: Monday, May 30th
  • Time: 1:00-2:30 PM
  • Where: Sault College Multimedia Center (room B1170)


To register, please contact humanresources@saultcollege.ca


We live on a single living organism called planet Earth. By planetary standards, it is a small world, with only one quarter of its surface poking above a salty sea, frozen poles and spotted with brown deserts. When you think about it, there really isn’t much room for 7 billion humans to live on. Yet according to our current knowledge, there is no other world like it. Of the more than 500 planets found around other stars, and the other seven planets in our own solar system, none of them are suitable to life as we know it. We live in the garden of Eden.

Bio: Bob McDonald has been communicating science internationally through television, radio, print and live presentations for more than 30 years. He is the host of CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks, the award-winning science program with a national audience of nearly 500,000 people. He is also a regular reporter for CBC Television’s The National as well as Gemini winning host and writer of the children’s series Head’s Up. McDonald has also hosted Greatest Canadian Invention and the seven-part series Water Under Fire.

As a print journalist, McDonald has authored three science books and contributed to numerous science textbooks, newspapers and magazines including The Globe and Mail, Owl Magazine and many others. His latest book is Measuring the Earth With a Stick, and he has written the introductions to The Quirks & Quarks Question Book, The Guide to Space: 42 Questions (and Answers) About Life, the Universe, and Everything as well as Nasty, Brutish and Short, the Quirks Guide to Animal Sex.

Beyond his work in media, McDonald is Chairman of Geospace, an exciting new environmental centre and planetarium for the Toronto Waterfront.

McDonald has been honoured for his outstanding contribution to the promotion of science in Canada as the recipient of the Michael Smith Award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Sir Sanford Fleming Medal from the Royal Canadian Institute and the McNeil Medal from The Royal Society of Canada. McDonald was also the recipient of a 2008 Gemini Award for Best Host in a Pre-School, Children’s or Youth Program or Series.

He has received six honorary Doctorates.