April 26/96

Staff Career Development

by Elin Brnjac, Val Lautenschlager and Liz Morton

An Update on the Spring 1996 Staff Career
Development Workshop Series

The Spring Series of Staff Career Development Workshops is
well under way, with two well-attended sessions already com-
pleted and the final workshop rescheduled for May 9. The
series started off in February with “The World at Our Door-
step: Cultural Diversity on Campus’’. The workshop began
with a presentation by Rorri McBlane, International Admis-
sions, about the “internationalization” of the College. This
prompted a lively discussion as Rorri fielded questions about
the College’s activities, both locally and globally. A panel of
students, representing immigrants and international students
from Japan, Korea, Cambodia, the Philippines and Iran, then
related their experiences and impressions of Canada and of
Capilano College. Workshop participants found this particu-
larly valuable as it raised awareness of the difficulties experi-
enced by students from other cultures as they make the tran-
sition to study at our institution.

What did staff have to say about the event? “The student per-
Spective was eye-opening ... Rorri was enthusiastic, organ-
ized and extremely interesting ... having the panel of interna-
tional students present their stories brought home to me the
difficulties they face in a foreign country... I’m better able to
understand the students’ fears and realize that they see me as
a source of knowledge, comfort, direction and help.”

The general consensus was that staff members would be in-
terested in a future session with Rorri and would welcome
further opportunities to engage in dialogue with our students
— stay tuned for the Fall.

The second workshop, “Six Thinking Hats’’, was held in
March at the Seymour Golf and Country Club. Facilitator Jane
Durant put on a very brave and positive face when she was
chaperoned to our location by a tow truck at 8:55 a.m!

Jane’s presentation gave the audience a very interesting, in-
formative and interactive day learning how to use the tech-
niques of the “Six Thinking Hats”. Feedback on the session
indicates that many participants feel they can be more pro-
ductive in meetings having been exposed to this theory, which
they think will be helpful with problem-solving issues on a
day-to-day basis. Jane Durant was very well received for her
enthusiasm and leadership skills throughout the day. There
was plenty of active participation and staff enjoyed the cama-
raderie of having an interactive day in a tranquil setting.

If you’re interested in a refresher, or if you could not attend
the workshop and are curious about the subject, the Staff Ca-
reer Development Committee has purchased a copy of the
“Six Thinking Hats” workbook which is now available to
anyone through the Library.

May Workshop Rescheduled and Relocated!

The final workshop in this series is “Our Future in Educa-
tion: Responding to a New and Demanding Marketplace”.
A conflict in scheduling has made it necessary to change the
date and location; it will now be on Thursday, May 9 at the
Seymour Golf and Country Club, 3723 Mount Seymour
Parkway. Feedback from the previous workshops indicated
that participants felt Mount Seymour was an excellent facil-
ity for this sort of session, and the combination of no-cost
room rental with a move to a cold “sandwiches and salad”
lunch made a great location available at a reasonable cost.

What's in store for the last session? The College's strategic
plan highlights recognition as “an educational institution dedi-
cated to excellence and to providing the best possible service
to its students and communities.” This workshop will explore
the importance of service in the “business of education” and
the role staff will be called upon to play as the College seeks
to earn a reputation for excellence in every aspect of our in-
stitution. Greg Lee will join the group in the morning to offer
his perspective on how this strategic direction came to be in-
cluded in the College’s plans for the future.

Workshop leader Shelley Caro will then shed light on ways
to build this reputation for excellence. The workshop will give
you the opportunity to design a model of excellence for your
position, department or personal sphere of influence, and come
up with an action plan for making it happen and realizing its
rewards — personal and professional. Shelley will use exam-
ples of highly successful organizations in the private and
public sectors, to illustrate how a shift in perspective has
enabled these institutions and companies to meet their own
goals, at all levels of the organization.

The Staff Career Development Committee hopes that the
change in date doesn’t cause too much inconvenience to par-
ticipants. If this means that you can’t attend — or if you now
can, but were not previously registered, please contact Liz
Morton at local 2907 before May 3. If you were already reg-
istered for this session, consider yourself confirmed for the
new May 9 date.

@nformer