Minerva Foundation bursary means more than money to single mothers at Douglas College Paula Kozak jumped up and down when she heard the news: she was going to be one of the first two recipients of the $1,000 Minerva Foundation Bursary for BC Women, sponsored by the Vancouver-based foundation. “I was ecstatic. A thousand dollars. How can you not be ecstatic?” says Kozak, a single mother who is studying science. “When you get a bursary, it’s like a gift from God.” Fellow recipient Janice Bennett, a student in the Print Futures: Professional Writing Program, says, “Getting this bursary Was a total su rprise. There are sO Many challenges already with being a single mother and a student, that it’s such a blessing when something comes to make it easier.” The Minerva Foundation donates $2,500 a year and the Douglas College Foundation matches the money, creating five $1,000 bursaries per year aimed at improving the lives of single mothers, mature female students, women studying in non-traditional areas, women with disabilities, First Nations and immigrant women at Douglas College. Asa single mother and a student, Kozak is constantly juggling mounting expenses and a limited cash flow If you can't find what you want, create it! A new appointment booking system is making life easier for academic advisors, and the students who want to see them. Before it was implemented on June 16, students who wanted to book an appointment at the David Lam Campus had to call the David Lam Campus and likewise for the New Westminster Campus. Now, one call serves all. “T looked all over fora Banner-compatible system that could do what we needed it to do,” says Registrar Trish Angus. “Our purpose was to make our services more efficient tor students. What we wanted didn’t exist, so we had to create a new system.” Angus worked with the Manager of Application Services Sue Alcock and Programmer/Analyst Amy Dong to design the system, and Dong did the progra mming. “We're really happy for Amy that she pulled it off so well. She stretched the limits of what we've done before in programming and added some really neat features not typically found in Banner,” says Alcock. The system allows staff to make appointments, register students for Information Sessions, take notes about an appointment for future reference and compile statistics and reports. Because it is compatible with the Banner system currently used by the Registrar's Office and other areas of the College, existing student and College information is already in the system. So far, the system is being used by academic advisors and is available to Student Services and Financial Aid. For training purposes it operates in the same way as Banner. Mary Hatch of the Centre for Educational and Information Technology is creating a user guide. Interest in the new system is so great that other institutions have been calling and Alcock, Angus and Dong are scheduled to showcase the system at the Canadian Banner Users Conference in Kelowna this October. The next step is to put the appointment booking system on the Web. “We're trying to move as much of our services to self-serve as possible. Ifa student is sitting at home at midnight and decides to book an appointment, we want them to have the : » opuon, Says Angus. | | | | | provided by student loans. Sometimes it seems the money just slips through her fingers. “I just found out that both my boys need glasses. My oldest is asthmatic and the medicine is expensive. Money just seems to go. And then they grow. One day he’s wearing a size two and the next he’s a size four.” After getting her Associate Degree in Science, Kozak plans on studying molecular biology at SFU, with a focus on either genetics or forensics, and aims to eventually get her Master’s anda PhD. “My kids see me going to school and my oldest wants to be a scientist, just like me. My youngest wants to be an engineer and build bridges. IfT can do it, my kids can do anything,” says Kozak. For Bennett, receiving the bursary was a validation of her commitment to her education. “Getting the bursary felt like a huge positive vote of confidence for me,” says Bennett. “It was great to realize there’s acommunity out there that cares about my efforts to further my education.” Student e-mail system coming down the pipeline Luminis (formerly known as Campus Pipeline) is scheduled for launch in September 2004, and for faculty and staff who want to learn more about it, there will bea demonstration held on October 1 from 4 to 6pm, location TBA. Registrar Trish Angus is ecstatic. “We've hada difficult time communicating with students without an e- mail function. Soon they’ll all have a Douglas College e-mail address and we'll have a direct line of communication » to our students. Faculty will have access to the system but won't be required to use it. Volunteers are needed to help implement the new system. For more information, call Angus at local 5358. a Receiving the Minerva Foundation Bursary was a welcome surprise to Janice Bennett (left) and Paula Kozak (right) and who are both single mothers studying at Douglas College. Exhibit examines the Changing Places of Greater Vancouver Changing places is what the Institute of Urban Ecology is all about, so it’s a fitting theme for their annual Greenlinks art exhibit, opening August 15 at the Amelia Douglas Gallery in New Westminster. Changing Places melds art with an educational display about the Institute’s work in education, restoration and research. The Institute has been busy changing places, restoring native habitat in hydro corridors to create what they call Green Links, green highways which allow animals to move HSRC gets award from the Alzheimer Society ti e Students Kim Ewacha (second from left) and Joanne Wightman (not pictured) each won the $500 David Macaree Award from the Alzheimer Society of BC for their strong showing in the Home Support Resident Care Attendant Program, in a presentation attended by (left to right) Douglas College Board Chair Diana Miles, Ewacha, Home Support Resident Care Program Coordinator Silvia Wilson, Dean of Health Sciences Joy Holmwood and College President Susan Witter. a freely in urban areas from one green space to the next. They've conducted research, creating inventories of species in Surrey parks and of street trees in Coquitlam, and they've led educational programs at schools and day camps. Along with the display, the art exhibit will feature the mixed media works of Vancouver artist Kirsty Robbins — titled Artifacts: recollections of nature — along with the winners of the Institute’s annual art contest who depicted the their favourite plants and animals under the theme What is the face of your favourite green space? As an artist and educator, Robbins aims to encourage awareness and appreciation for the natural world through her art. Originally from Scotland, she received her Master’s Degree from the Royal College of Art in London, England. The exhibit runs from August 15 to September 12 in the Amelia Douglas Gallery at Douglas College’s New Westminster Campus at 700 Royal Avenue. A reception, volunteer appreciation night and awards ceremony will be held on September 10 from 5 to 8pm.