Academic College Council Update | Academic Newsletter | Seneca Polytechnic

by JoAnn Purcell, Academic College Council Chair

in the December 2018 issue

The other day, I overheard my daughter say that when the days get shorter, it seems easier to focus on school, noting that with fewer distractions, she can get down to the necessary academic tasks. While the school calendar may cycle in parallel to the seasonal calendar, here at the college, we won’t be heading into hibernation. On the contrary, amidst the creation or grading of final assignments and exams, and the planning for the coming winter semester, we can take stock of what guides our actions.

A survey went out to Academic College Council (ACC) members in a request for items to consider at council in the academic year ahead. The survey was divided into priorities that were a) burning and exploding, b) smouldering, or c) accelerant and fuel in close proximity. The deadline for the survey just closed and so when the results are collated, they will be fed into the ACC work plan in order of priority to address items raised by the Seneca community.

Communication is valued at ACC; by this, I mean communication from the college community to their ACC representatives and in return from the ACC back to the community. Seneca is a large college and with such diverse programs, delivery methods, students, faculty and campuses, it is a real challenge to ensure all voices are heard and, in turn, informed of the work of ACC.

As a start, you can access the ACC website from the Employees tab of Blackboard: ACC is listed under Faculty Resources on the left-hand side.

You can also access the ACC website at in MySeneca: .

We do invite the college community to bring items forward through their area representative as they arise. We are committed to improvements and innovations in communication and, as such, it will be an agenda item in the coming meetings.

The snow will fly soon, the leaves will be swept away, the cycle will continue. While we might feel like hibernating on those particularly blustery days, there is always much to do in the quest to continue to evolve in the complex learning environment that is Seneca.

View the December 2018 issue of the Academic Newsletter.