FRANCIS RACINE francis.racine@eap.on.ca
and has served with several organ- izations in that community. Her education, combining a Master’s of Education with Business (Accounting) and Provincial Instructors diplomas, supports her integrated approach to fostering constructive relationships with industry, business, educational partners, community agencies and First Nations groups. As a committed life-long learner, Stava has completed professional development supporting all areas of her work, fromHuman Resource Practices and the Chair Leadership Academy, to Project Management and statistical analytics. With three campuses in Brockville, Cornwall, and Kingston, St. Lawrence College is an integral part of the economic life and so- cial fabric of Eastern Ontario with
From her new office on the third floor of the St. Lawrence College, Debra Stava, the institution’s newest dean, looks down on the peaceful St. Lawrence River. “I’m a coffee type of person, so I often stand right here early in the morning and enjoy my coffee, while looking at the river,” she said, a smile on the corner of her lips. “I give my thanks.” Taking over the reins of retired dean Don Fairweather was quite the endeavor for Stava, who recentlymoved to Cornwall, wasn’t a resident of the province, let alone the time zone. The woman is an accom- plished community college administrator with over 25 years of progressive experi- ence in post-secondary education. Shemost recently was Associate Vice President at Northwest Community College in Terrace, British Columbia. She has provided leader- ship in a mix of academic programs and in an environment that mirrors the offerings of the Cornwall campus. “It makes for quite a long plane ride,” she said, before bursting out in laughter. “I came to visit Cornwall when I saw the job posting, to see what exactly this city was made of. I loved what I saw, a welcoming community with a great size.” Yet before leaving her province, Stava did quite a good amount of research. She says that the city boasts of several web- sites, which she visited before coming to Cornwall. “There’s a lot of information on those,” she stressed. “I’m talking about sites like Choose Cornwall and the city’s, just to name a few.” Stava is quick to point out that the move was well worth it. “I love the campus here and I love coming to work every day,” she admitted, still smiling. “I’mvery impressed with our staff, our faculties and , above all else, our students.” According to the dean, there aren’t that many differences between Northwest College and her newest employer. “They both strive for the same goals, student success.” To that end, Stava can’t help but realise just how much the education staff at the post secondary institution are dedicated to their students. “These people are there for their students, they want them to succeed.” In addition, the staff also helped her get settled in and offered to help her get to know her new community. “They were very help- ful and welcoming,” she exclaimed . The many books on the big bookcase in her office prove that the woman holds education quite close to her heart. “There is value to education throughout our lives, for personal and professional gain,” she pointed out. “St. Lawrence College continues to look at innovative ways to help people discover the knowledge that excites them themost.”
Debra Stava stands next to the window of her third storey office in the St. Lawrence College.
Already quite busy The illustrious woman has yet to un- pack some of the boxes in her office, yet she’s already met with several community partners, such as the St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences, the economic development department of the city, Akwasasne and Cornwall’s Chamber of Commerce. “It’s very important that we maintain these connections,” added Stava. “We work
hand in hand together, not only for our insti- tution’s prosperity, but also for our students’ successes. Once they graduate, they often get hired by our partners.” It seems that creating and maintaining connections is Stava’s strongpoint, for she forged several partnerships with community and economic development organizations, back in her native province. She is a former president for the Prince Rupert andDistrict Chamber of Commerce,
a close-knit community of 7,000 full-time students, and more than 70,000 alumni. Hundreds are also enrolled in online and continuing education courses each year. SLC College has many Applied Research projects in progress, and its Corporate Learning and Performance Improvement group has helpedmore than 350 organiza- tions grow and prosper.
Les selfies étudiés
En préparation de leur examen final, les élèves en arts visuels et médiatiques senior de l’École secondaire publique L’Héritage, s’approprient des composantes du style de Lucien Freud Cindy Sherman, afin de créer un autoportrait qui commente l’obsession courante des selfies dans la société ou l’impact des croyances spirituelles sur la construction identitaire. Généralement pris sur le vif, le selfie (ou égo-portrait), un type de photographie, est réalisé avec un appareil porté à bout de bras, ou à l’aide d’un miroir lorsqu’il ne comporte pas de caméra frontale. Ci-dessus, Brianne Huot.
The Journal Cornwall
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Wednesday, January 27, 2016
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