N E W S A N D V I E W S F R O M C O L L E G E O F T H E N O R T H AT L A N T I CSeptember 2002, Vol. 3 No. 1

9/11 Remembered by Tanya Alexander

Along with the rising sun, early morningSeptember 11, 2001 brought news of the

most heinous terrorist attack in NorthAmerican history to residents of Newfoundlandand Labrador. With it descended a heavy fogof helplessness.

The usual 9 a.m. bustle at Bay St. Georgecampus/Headquarters of College of the NorthAtlantic slowed to a crawl as people trickledin around the lobby television in disbelief.They were watching the aftermath of whatwas then thought to be a bizarre air trafficaccident involving a commercial jet and theNorth Tower of New York’s World Trade Center,when a second commercial jet appeared fromnowhere and slammed into the South Tower.As the world watched through live telecast,one tower collapsed, one was ablaze, and thehorrendous had turned into the utterlyincomprehensible.

Little did students and employees of CNAknow at that moment that they would become

a beacon of light in the darkest of hours.Cyril Organ, Associate District

Administrator at Building 432 of the Bay St.George campus, was at work and wasparalyzed in horror along with the crowdgathering in the lobby. Then he received atelephone call informing him that up to 27planes would be landing at Stephenville Air-port en route from Europe and other countriesto the US (poor weather allowed only eight toland). He quickly sprung into action to readythe college to host the passengers, and thefeeling of helplessness began to dissipate.

Organ first cancelled afternoon classesthen called a staff meeting to determine teamleaders who would arrange for the necessaryfood and accommodations for the unexpectedguests. Next, students were called to thedining hall where the situation was explainedand their input was encouraged. Students roseto the occasion. Those from Tourism Studiescreated an information booth, Cooking and

Baking students began preparing quality food,Music Industry and Performance and RecordingArts students prepared to perform in and out-side the two campus buildings where passen-gers would be gathered, and many studentsliving in residence offered to give up their rooms.

When the eighth and final plane toucheddown in Stephenville on September 11, thetown of 9,000 rallied to provide food,lodgings and comfort for 1,113 people. Afterhotels were filled, they turned to institutionsin the area including College of the NorthAtlantic. Some were bussed into Corner Brook.

Wade Pinhorn is the CoordinatingInstructor for the Music Industry andPerformance program at the L.A. BownBuilding of the Bay St. George campus. Hewas in class when he was informed of thesituation. The response was immediate.

“We were informed by the EmergencyMeasures Organization (EMO) that flights wereon the way,” he says.

Eight planes landed in Stephenville, rerouted from their American and Mexican destinations. This was the view fromHeadquarters/Bay St. Georges Campus.

4 College Friends Return

4 Culture Confusion

5 Mac Turner Award

5 Respiratory Therapy students

breathe easy after exams

6 Letters from Qatar

8 Qatar Joint Oversight Board

8 Qatar Project Update

8 Qatar Airways Fare Reduction

9 Funding for Geospatial

Research Facility

9 BayBYTES Conference 2002

10 New Export Internship for

Trade Graduates Program

11 Texas Company

“Pays it Forward”

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

continued on following page»

2 CURRENTS September 2002

«continued from previous page“EMO started things rolling with blankets,pillows and other supplies, then the collegekicked into high gear.”

Pinhorn says that lodging, email, andInternet access were some of the interventionoffered by the college, along with food,beverages, shower facilities and as many cotsas they could fit in the L.A. Bown auditorium.Ensuring that the impromptu visitors were wellcared for eased the feelings of helplessness.

“The college had facilities available, andwe all felt like we should do something tohelp. It was partly self-serving, in that wewanted to make ourselves useful, but mostlyit was just instinctual.”

Back at Building 432, Elvina Robson hadbegun her shift in the dining hall. She andher co-workers received news from Cyril Organabout the turn of events later that day. Thefirst thing she did was call her children to seeif they were okay.

“They are teenagers, and didn’t really showmuch interest in the news at first. It wasn’tphasing on them. They just said, ‘yeah Mom,we’re fine’,” she laughs.

“I just didn’t know for sure. You don’t expectsomething like this to happen so close to home.”

Once she knew her children were safe, thesecond thing Elvina did was offer her servicesto College of the North Atlantic for as long asshe was needed. By this time, several planeshad landed, so the kitchen staff beganpreparations. However, aircraft remained onthe runway until the next day beforepassengers were allowed to disembark. By thistime, everyone at the college was ready andwaiting. Elvina and her co-workers had beenworking through the night to prepare whatthey thought would be enough food for anundetermined number of people.

When they arrived, Elvina says her heartwent out to each and every one of them.

“You saw a lot of really frightened people,and most of them didn’t know where in theworld they were - literally!”

Many passengers were from Mexico andGreat Britain, says Elvina, and had never evenheard of the province, let alone known whereit was on the map.

“Once they knew they were in a safe place,they relaxed a little.”

In fact, the college became like anotherhome. Parents looked to kitchen and othercollege staff for things like help with makingbaby formula, and sitting with the smallchildren while they ate.

There was a language barrier, says Elvina,

but they worked through it. She says thekitchen staff is accustomed to an occasionalcontingent of international visitors, and wereable and willing to accommodate vegetarianand kosher meals, and the cultural differences,even in English.

“We have fries listed in our menu, but weknow that in England they say chips. Eventhose from Mexico who didn’t speak Englishwould recognize the word chips, so that’swhat we used.”

By the time Elvina looked up, she had spentover 24 hours at work feeding some 400 peo-ple. That’s when Cyril Organ insisted she go home.

“I had gone home, gotten cleaned up andrested a little, and when I returned Elvina wasstill there. Now that’s dedication,” says Organ.

“In fact, I would say the highlight of thosefour days was the exceptional service in thedining hall. If any one moment was evidenceof what we had to offer, it was found there.”

He says faculty and support staff wereequally dedicated, along with students.

“Everybody did the right thing for the rightreasons. Enough said.”

Another beaconIt happened that some of the flights

expected in Stephenville were routed to otherareas. The Gander campus of College of theNorth Atlantic received a call that morningfrom college President Pamela Walsh, puttingthe campus on alert to assist in the crisis. Mac Moss, Associate District Administrator forthe Gander campus, helped with organizingteams to provide basic services like food andwater, accommodations, telephone andInternet services, and luggage storage.

Later that evening, the local EmergencyResponse Centre advised Moss that of the 38aircraft lined up on the tarmac, the campuswould be receiving 234 passengers from an AirFrance 747 aircraft. Within the hour, instructors,support staff, and the cafeteria food serviceoperator, Western Catering, were ready to roll.

A Commercial Cooking program had starteda few days before, and Coordinating InstructorBarry Steele and Instructional AssistantElizabeth Moss offered their services to getthings ready for the passengers. They headedstraight out to grocery stores to gather food.

“By the time the passengers arrived at9:30 p.m., our cafeteria, which is normallyequipped for 150 students, was equipped tohandle the 234 Air France passengers,” saysElizabeth.

“The first night we could only make quickthings, but a couple of days into it, we were

Passengers and locals kept abreast of developments onSeptember 11 and the ensuing days through television at thecampus in Stephenville.

“You saw a lot ofreally frightenedpeople, and most ofthem didn’t knowwhere in the worldthey were - literally!”

CURRENTS September 2002 3

preparing very nice meals.”She says that when they revealed a full

course meal including stuffed chicken breast –something akin to what you would see cateredat a wedding - the guests were amazed.

“Some were on their way home to New Yorkafter a holiday in Paris, and said that theyhad not eaten as well there as they did here!They really appreciated the efforts we made.”

Other things were appreciated as well, saysElizabeth.

“Our staff arrived ready for the long haulwith overnight bags, and some stayed for upto 30 hours at a stretch.”

There was someone on all shifts, includingsecurity for the luggage room, because manypassengers were lugging all of therepossessions everywhere they went.

“We tried to make them feel at home andoffered to look after their luggage so theycould move around freely. At first they didn’tunderstand that in Newfoundland, it’s so safe,you don’t even lock your doors.”

In retrospect, Elizabeth says she is veryhappy to have helped these people in need,and she would do it again without hesitation.

“I think everybody gained from it. Itmakes you stop and think… the world is notas secure as we thought it was,” she says.

“You have to put yourself in their shoes –dropped down in the middle of nowhere withvery scanty information. It could have beenany of us.”

Mac Moss says the success of those fewdays was due to a community effort. Localbusinesses donated toiletry items to theSalvation Army, which prepared basic survivalkits for the thousands of passengers, includingthose at the college.

On the morning of September 14, Gandercampus had just said goodbye to the AirFrance group and were putting the campusback in order to resume classes when theyreceived another call.

“Passengers from a Lufthansa flight werestaying at a church camp where the wells randry. We immediately recalled our staff and bythe time the passengers arrived at 4:20 p.m.,we were set up again to provide basic services.”

The flight was called for departure laterthat evening and by 10 p.m. they were ontheir way back to Germany.

Unexpected GiftsWhile passengers were at Gander campus,

they took up a collection and donated approx-imately $3,500 toward a scholarship fund.Since last September, a total of approximately

$16,000 has arrived at the Gander campusfrom these passengers, along with a plaque ofappreciation.

In May of 2002, Mac Moss was partof a delegation from Gander andHalifax that was flown toFrankfurt, Germany to witnessthe christening of a newaircraft in honour of the twotowns. Frankfurt Mayor PetraRoth was one of thepassengers stranded inGander, and personally metwith the delegation inGermany and treated themto an honorary dinner atCity Hall.

ABC’s Prime Time cameto Gander last year andfilmed a documentary onthe event, and returnedagain in July when two women who had beenstranded in Gander on September 11 returnedto the college to visit the volunteers whoassisted them. Some of the footage will beaired during a day-long special hosted by PeterJennings on the anniversary of the tragedy.

The campus has also been approached byCBC, CTV and NBC for interviews in connectionwith 9/11 which will be aired on the anniversary.

Pain and passageAs the one year anniversary arrives, the

world’s thoughts undoubtedly drift back to theevents that changed a nation. Ruth andRonald Hardey have reason to reflect. Theywere two of the many thousands who werestranded in Newfoundland and Labrador onSeptember 11. They were on their way hometo New Orleans, Louisiana from a vacation inEurope. The couple had no idea why theirplane was being rerouted, and they say theyweren’t extremely worried at first.

“We had no idea what had occurred,” saysRuth.

“As time went on, and we were kept in theplane, I decided to get some sleep. Then wefound out we were going to be guests ofCollege of the North Atlantic.”

At that point, they had been grounded formany hours, and were apprehensive, anxiousand fatigued, all further exacerbated by abody search.

“We didn’t know why we were beingsearched,” says Hardey.

“It didn’t really bother me, but I wasperplexed.”

Once settled in to Building 432 of the Bay

St. George campus (students had kindly giventhem a room), they were well taken care of.

“It was a remarkable kind of experience.We were given our own roomand access to telephonesand Internet so we couldcontact our loved ones, wewere entertained and wewere fed,” says Hardey.

“We were fed very well.In fact – and we laughed atourselves about this – weate constantly. When wewere worried, we ate. Whenwe were bored, we ate. Whenin doubt as to what to do,we ate,” she laughs.

When they finallydeparted Stephenville, it waswith mixed emotions – theywere so moved by the warm

and genuine care they received at the college,but were anxious to return home at last. Whenthey touched down in the US, they werepleasantly surprised by the welcome.

“When the plane touched down in Atlanta,we noticed a large crowd gathered outsidewaving American flags and “Welcome Home”banners,” says Ruth.

She says that from the moment they leftthe plane until they reached the luggagecarrousel, they were hugged and welcomed bythese strangers.

“We were stunned once we realized theywere there for us. Then someone thrust asmall flag in my hand, and I just sobbed.”

It’s been a challenging year, says Ruth.One filled with sorrow for those who lost theirlives, a fierce patriotism for their belovedcountry, and a gratitude unending for thelittle remote province that kept them safefrom harm.

“There’s not a day goes by, where we don’tspeak of you all. We’ve told countless peopleof your generosity,” says Ruth.

And it goes beyond that, she says.“There was a touching of human beings

that transcended boundaries, politics…everything. It was human and humane whatyou people did, and we’ll never forget you.”

As we look back on what happened onSeptember 11, 2001 in New York, USA, weremember it as a tragedy, and a crime againstall human kind. But the elements of honour,kindness and courage have brought usthrough and will continue to sustain us.

The fog has lifted.

Passengers of Air France flight 004 sent Gandercampus of College of the North Atlantic aplaque of appreciation after returning home.

4 CURRENTS September 2002

Photo: Shannon Quesnel/The Beacon

JOYFUL VISIT – Two former 9/11 passengers receive a warmwelcome from Mac Moss, Associate District Administrator atGander campus, on the college lawn, July 25.

Sue Ricardelli and Maureen Murray, both ofNew Jersey, were just two of the thousands

of airplane passengers stranded in Ganderduring the Sept. 11 crisis.

They, along with other passengers of AirFrance Flight 004, had stayed at the Collegeof the North Atlantic campus during theeventful six days.

In July, after almost 10 months, the twowere warmly welcomed back to the college byabout 50 of the friends they had made.

Immediately hugs were given to the twowomen, after only seconds of leaving theirmini-van.

Ms. Ricardelli told her college friends thatcoming back to the campus, and seeing wherethey watched TV, ate and slept when theycould, gave her mixed feelings.

"Being back here, I feel happy, but thisalso (brings) back a lot of anxiety," she said.

But this was a trip they both wanted tomake. Another female passenger also plannedto make the trip to Gander, but a family

situation caused her to cancel her plans.Ms. Ricardelli and Ms. Murray said what

amazed them about being stranded, was theabundance of caring and warm treatment thepassengers received from college staff and thetown of Gander volunteers.

The two women toured the collegepointing out places they remembered, such aswhere they sat in the college’s front lobby,watching CNN for news and updates of theterrorist attacks.

When I sat down to write this editorial Ihad no idea where to begin. What is left

to be said about September 11, 2001 thathasn’t already been said?

I was going to talk about where I was andwhat I was doing when I found out the firstplane had hit the North Tower. I was going towrite about the selfless acts of kindnessdemonstrated by Newfoundlanders andLabradorians – including many of our staff –as they reached out a helping hand to thethousands of stranded passengers who, for abrief time, called this province home.

But then it occurred to me. In some way,shape, or form, all of us suffered after theattacks on September 11. Obviously, thefriends and family of the victims wereimpacted most. But while the healing processwas beginning all across the United States,another tragedy was taking shape.

September 11, 2001 was a day thatcreated untold grief, untold compassion, andfinally untold hatred in America. In the daysimmediately following the attacks, manyAmericans wanted instant revenge. One mansuggested on a national radio call-in show,that the US should bomb all the Muslims inthe Middle East.

His rage had blinded him to the pointwhere he believed all Muslims were terrorists.That’s like saying all Christians are Nazis(Hitler was raised Catholic). It’s ludicrous, it’swrong, and it’s unfair.

Most Middle Eastern countries are peacefulnations, and Muslims believe that life isprecious.

We need to look no further than ourpartnership with the State of Qatar to see thetrue Muslim faith and the beauty of theMiddle Eastern culture. The people of Qatarhave welcomed our staff to their country withopen arms. We have been treated like friendsfrom day one, and never has there been anyhint of animosity between our cultures.

So, today, when memorial ceremonies areheld across the US and Canada and images ofthe aftermath of September 11 are repeatedon TV, mourn for those lost and their lovedones left behind, and condemn the acts ofviolence perpetrated by the terrorists. Butalso keep in mind that those terrible actswere committed by a faction of extremists, asmall band of cowards driven by their hatredof the United States - not by Muslims.

Old college friends returnby Shannon Quesnel/The Beacon, reprinted with permission

Cultureconfusionan editorial by Stephen Lee

From left, Sue Riccardelli, Morris Plains, New Jersey; LizGilbert, Clerk III Gander campus; Ula Turner, WPEO, Gandercampus; and Maureen Murray, Morris Plains New Jersey. Thetwo women visited the Gander campus in July.

“One man suggestedon a national radiocall-in show, that theUS should bomb allthe Muslims in theMiddle East.”

CURRENTS September 2002 5

Holly Morris, Informa-tion Technology

instructor at the Clarenvillecampus of College of theNorth Atlantic (CNA), is thewinner of the 2002 MacTurner Professional Dev-elopment Award. The awardrecognizes employees ofCNA who have made a sub-stantial personal commitment to their pro-fession, have developed an individual programof professional development, and have improvedthe quality of programs offered by the college.

The award was founded in 1994 for theClarenville campus, and this year marks thefirst that it is open to all CNA employees.

Morris was thrilled to receive the award,and decided to use the cash grant of $2,500to attend a conference in Prince EdwardIsland from July 29-August 2, to learn newtechniques for the classroom.

The conference was held at the Universityof Prince Edward Island’s Faculty DevelopmentSummer Institute on Active Learning (the onlyone of its kind in Canada), with the focus ofimproving teaching and learning of studentsby enhancing the knowledge and skills ofprofessors.

It was time well spent, says Morris.“I learned so many new active learning

techniques. We learned how to handle groupsin the classroom, how to make sure studentsunderstand everything being taught, and howto improve our questioning techniques.”

Techniques taught to the 31 participantsat the conference were hands on, says Morris,and would benefit many instructors in theclassroom.

“One of the activities was called Micro-

Teaching, and had each of us teaching a 5-7minute class in groups of five with afacilitator taping us. We then reviewed thetapes and critiqued each other’s teachingmethods with suggestions on how to makeimprovements.”

Participants had ample opportunity toactively take part and observe, making theexperience an extremely valuable one. Anexperience, Morris says, which has given her anew zest for teaching.

“It was one of the best organizedconferences I have had the pleasure ofattending. Now I’m armed and ready to go forthe new school year!”

Mac Turner, the namesake of the award,worked at the college level for some 20 yearsbefore his death from cancer 10 years ago.The award was created posthumously in hishonour, to recognize his contribution toprofessional development.

Turner began as an instructor at the BaieVerte campus teaching Math and Sciences, andthen moved to Supervisor of Instruction. Hewas later transferred to Clarenville’s EasternCollege as Supervisor of Instruction, where

Steve Quinton was Principal. It was there that Turner was asked by the

President of Eastern College take the lead ona Faculty Evaluation/Professional DevelopmentModel for the college.

“Mac was instrumental in developing aProfessional Development plan for faculty,”says Quinton, now District Administrator forthe Prince Philip Drive campus in St. John’s.

“There was no formal program before that.”The two became good friends during the

years they worked together at the college. Heremembers Turner with great respect.

“He was the sort of guy (personally andprofessionally) that everyone liked. He had along service record with the Kinsmen, heldsupervisory roles with the college, and wasCampus and Area Director for a period of time.Throughout his ongoing illness he maintainedhis positive attitude and continued tocontribute to the college and the community,”says Quinton.

“In his humble non-assuming way, hewould be very pleased that this award isencouraging people to pursue furtherprofessional development.”

The results are in… graduates of College ofthe North Atlantic’s Respiratory Therapy

program have done it again!For the second time in as many years,

graduates of the program have achieved a 100per cent pass rate on the Canadian Board forRespiratory Care (CBRD) national certificationexaminations. This year’s achievement is madeeven greater as College of the North Atlanticstudents had the highest average marks of anyschool across Canada writing the Juneexaminations.

Pamela Walsh, President of College of theNorth Atlantic, says the graduates should bevery proud of their achievement, and that itspeaks highly of the quality of the RespiratoryTherapy program and the faculty delivering it.

“Our graduates of the Health Sciencesprograms do extremely well on their nationalcertification examinations. In the past twoyears we have had graduates achieve 100percent pass rates in this program, in MedicalRadiography, and in DiagnosticUltrasonography,” she says.

“The students, and the faculty and staffworking in the School of Health Sciencesshould be very proud of theiraccomplishments.”

Dr. Donna Henderson, Chair of the Schoolof Health Sciences, attributes these results tothe hard work of the students and thededication of their instructors.

All of the June graduates have foundemployment in their field.

Morris used grant funds from the award to attend a conference on enhancing teaching skills in Prince Edward Island.

Holly Morris is thisyear’s winner of theMac Turner ProfessionalDevelopment Award.

Mac Turner Award Encourages Professional Development

Respiratory Therapy students breathe sigh of relief

6 CURRENTS September 2002

Well, it’s hard to believe we’ve been herea month already. It’s been a busy four

weeks trying to get two toddlers into aroutine while at the same time trying to adaptto our new surroundings.

Our flight from Newfoundland to Qatar waspretty uneventful given the fact that webrought enough luggage to supply a smallcountry. We did miss our flight from Londonto Doha due to thunderstorms in Toronto,however, this turned out to be a blessing aswe were provided with a day-room where wecaught up on some much-needed sleep. Whenwe arrived in Doha, Trent Keough (campus pres-ident) and Enid Strickland (vice president) wereat the airport ready to take us the Sheraton Hotel.

The Sheraton made us feel like we werewalking into a palace. Marble walkways in ahuge open lobby, fountains and beautifuldisplays of local culture were all around. Wewere told in our information sessions thatQatari culture treasures family. This becameapparent in very short order. On one of the

cooler August days, the temperature was onlyin the high 30s. We decided to walk the short15 minute trek to the City Center Mall. We putthe children in their strollers, lathered themwith sunscreen, made sure their hats were inplace, and set off for the mall. Less than fiveminutes into our journey a Qatari familypulled over in their minivan and motioned usto get in. Under normal circumstances Iwouldn’t even entertain this notion, however,we had been prepared for this eventualityduring our orientation session in Stephenville.The driver got out of the van and put thestrollers in the back while the four of ushopped in. On the way to the mall he describedthe various buildings we passed and asked usquestions about our work and Canada beforedropping us off in the underground entranceto the mall. It seems that wherever we go,whether it be the Souqs (markets), shoppingin the various malls, or out for a walk on theCorniche, the children are the focus of atten-tion being given candy, toys and warm smiles.

While taxis are cheap and plentiful inDoha, getting a driver’s license has opened upmuch of the city to us. You haven’texperienced real driving until you are facedwith navigating a roundabout in Doha. Itputs us in mind of driving through Montreal atrush hour, but with a lot more turns!

For a short period of time we were goingthrough withdrawal symptoms not being ableto shop at Canadian Tire, Wal-Mart or thePrice Club. This, however, was short lived aswe soon discovered the Souqs where you canget anything from computers, electronics,clothing, tools - even a hair-cut. If youfrequent yard sales and are adept at bargaining,you can often find a bargain in the Souqs.

About two weeks after we arrived in Dohathe renovations were completed in ourapartments and we were able to move in. Theapartments are very spacious with threebalconies, three bathrooms, a dining roomtable that seats eight, as well as seating foreight in the living room. The only trouble is

Letters

We put the children in their

strollers, lathered them with

sunscreen, made sure their hats

were in place, and set off for

the mall. Less than five minutes

into our journey a Qatari family

pulled over in their minivan and

motioned us to get in.

CURRENTS September 2002 7

that all apartments have the same roomconfiguration and the same furniture. If you’recoming home from a late night BBQ at theneighbors’, or are not paying attention, it’seasy to walk into someone else’s apartmentand think you’re in your own. It comes asquite a surprise when you’re sitting quietly inyour living room watching a movie when acolleague walks straight in and sits downthinking they are home.

Apartment living does have a lot ofadvantages, especially on the weekends. It’snever a problem finding a group willing tohave a BBQ or order from one of the manytake-out restaurants in the area. Doha has animmense number of restaurants and virtuallyany type of cuisine can be found. It’s a goodthing we can work off all the good food bytaking night time bike rides or by working outat the Al Dana sports club.

The Qataris have purchased faculty andstaff memberships at the Al Dana club in lieuof facilities being constructed in our

compound. The Al Dana is a fitness club withan indoor and outdoor pool, nautilusequipment, restaurants, lounges, games room,squash courts, tennis facilities and even acouple of hair salons. During the month ofAugust it was not uncommon to have theQatari’s outnumbered by Canadians, as it isonly a short walk from our compound.Visiting the Al Dana has been a great way tomeet local Qataris as well as other ex-pats inthe area. With student orientation underwayand a very busy term now upon us, a visit tothe Al Dana is an excellent way to unwindafter a busy day!

To sum up our experiences here, we havebeen having a wonderful time. The weather isgreat and we have just stopped looking outthe window in the morning to see what it islike – it is always sunny! Our children arehaving a super time, both in their day careand within the compound. Many of thechildren play in each other’s apartments andour children love to have their friends over.

It has been great for them socially as well asfor us. Work is getting under way with classesstarting next week. The students are verywarm to us and share information about theirculture and tips about living in Doha, forexample, where to get the best and cheapesthair cut! We both greatly miss the facultyand staff at Clarenville campus, but do notregret our decision to come to Qatar. Wehope everyone is doing well back home. Allthe best and drop us a line if there isanything we can do for anyone.

Warmest regards,Kevin Deveau and Mary Vaughan

Kevin and Mary are just two of the many CNAstaff from Newfoundland & Labrador currentlyworking at the college’s newest campus in theMiddle Eastern State of Qatar. CURRENTS willfeature a letter home from Qatar staff in eachissue. Stay tuned!

from Qatar

L to R: Children cool off during a day trip to the Sea LineResort in Doha; Camels are a common site in Qatar; Tropicalview from the Sheraton Hotel; Opposite page: People buytheir everyday items and even have their hair cut in the Dohamarkets called Souqs.

8 CURRENTS September 2002

College of the North Atlantic-Qatar (CNA-Qatar)employees are extremely busy and gearing up for

the year, with registration and orientation currentlyunderway. Some 570 applications have been received,with almost 300 students accepted thus far.Administration and staff moved into the facility onSeptember 9. Larry Reid, Director of the QatarProject, says that overall, the project is going verywell and everything appears to be on track.

“Employees that I’ve spoken with seem to besettling in and adapting to the Qatari culture verynicely,” says Reid.

Recruits are almost entirely from College of theNorth Atlantic (CNA). In total, CNA-Qatar is staffedwith 32 faculty and counselors, seven support staff,and eight management employees.

Enid Strickland, Vice-President of CNA-Qatar,

says that excitement is in the air as the start datedraws near.

“There is a very positive atmosphere.” Classes begin on September 14 in temporary

facilities. Work on the new facility is ongoing, witha number of wings at various stages of developmentand design. The move to the new campus will occurin stages, with the engineering wing expected to bethe first to open in September 2004.

The academic Master Plan remains the same withone exception - there will be an addition of twoHealth Science offerings: Emergency MedicalServices (Paramedic) and Environmental Health.Jane Gamberg has been hired as the new Director ofHealth Sciences to assist the college in thepreparation and implementation of the new HealthScience programs. Other programs include

Engineering Technology options, Office Adminis-tration and Business Administration options, andInformation Communications Technology options.

CNA-Qatar is currently doing comparativecurricular analysis for Hamad Medical Corporation’s(HMC) Nursing program. HMC may want CNA todeliver a nursing program in partnership with themin September of 2003. Karen Kennedy, nursingconsultant for CNA, travelled to Qatar in June to doa presentation on nursing and allied health inCanada.

The designated budget has increased sig-nificantly because of the addition of new staff.

The potential for corporate training issignificant – with opportunities for the major oiland gas companies to send students to CNA inNewfoundland and Labrador.

Before College of the North Atlantic signed a dealto develop a comprehensive college of

technology in Qatar, there weren’t many people inNewfoundland and Labrador who had even heard ofthe tiny Middle Eastern country.

Now you can actually visit Qatar for less than itwould cost to visit many Canadian provinces, thanksto the announcement of a new reduced fare fromQatar Airways and Air Canada.

The new “Qatar Express” fare was alreadyannounced to the Canadian community living inDoha, Qatar. Now it is being announced all acrossCanada and is available to travelers from 24different cities nation-wide.

“It is exciting to be able to offer friends andfamily affordable fares to visit College staff workingin Doha,” says Janet Rivers, Vice President of Salesand Marketing in Canada for Qatar Airways. Riverswas at College of the North Atlantic’s Prince PhilipDrive campus in St. John’s to make theannouncement on Friday, August 16.

“Having recently returned from escorting aCanadian press group to Qatar, I can tell you it was

very gratifying to see the many myths and fearsabout this region quickly vanishing. They discoveredQatar to not only be beautiful, but modern,hospitable and above all else, safe. This is awonderful opportunity for Canadians looking for asafe adventure to discover the Middle East in apeaceful setting.”

The Qatar Express promotion also allowsBusiness Class passengers to save 15% off thepublished Business Class fare. It offers economyyear-round fares, excursions, as well as child andinfant fares. For example, a return trip to Qatar fromSt. John’s on the excursion fare is only $1,656Canadian.

Unlimited European stopovers are allowed freeof charge for Qatar Express Economy and Businesspassengers, while one free European stopover and asecond at $150 is permitted with Qatar ExpressExcursion fares. These connections and stopoversare valid on Air Canada and Qatar Airways flightsvia London - Heathrow, Paris - Charles de Gualle,Munich, Milan, and Frankfurt. Also, Qatar AirwaysFirst and Business Class passengers have unlimited

use of the luxurious Virgin Clubhouse at London –Heathrow Airport.

Qatar, a peninsula nation situated along thewestern shore of the Persian Gulf, is safe, friendlyand pristine. Leisure and business travellers are nowdiscovering this jewel and its many opportunities.While in Qatar, visitors will enjoy the architecture,souqs (markets), camel races, golf, luxurious hotelsand spas, and historic landmarks. Off-road 4-wheeldrive dune adventures, sunset cruises, deep seafishing trips, camel safaris and sightseeing tours arejust a few of the countless touring options.

Qatar Airways boasts a modern fleet of Airbusaircraft, with the latest fleet addition being theAirbus A330-200 now operating out of Europe.Doha’s state-of-the-art International Airport isclean, efficient and offers all services to travellers.Currently serving over 33 destinations in Europe,the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Sub-continentand Asia, Qatar Airways provides a personalized,professional service to its passengers and standsalone in the Middle East as the airline of choice.

Members of the Joint Oversight Board (JOB) forthe College of the North Atlantic-Qatar (CNA-

Qatar) project will meet in St. John’s on October 3,2002. The board, chaired by His Excellency SheikhAbdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thaini, includesthree other appointments from Qatar, four membersappointed by College of the North Atlantic, andthree international members to be jointly appointed.Current board members include: His Excellency(chair), Mr. Saeed Al- Misnad (vice chair), Dr. LatifaAl-Houty, and Dr. Mohd. Al-Sada from Qatar; PamelaWalsh, Moya Cahill, Susan Adams, and Tim Cutt from

Newfoundland and Labrador; and from France, Mr.Bruno Revellin-Falcoz.

The Joint Oversight Board provides oversightand direction to CNA-Qatar in respect to specifyingthe academic programs to be provided at thecollege; specifying total student enrolment targetsfor the college; specifying and approving trainingand research programs to be undertaken by thecollege; specifying and approving relationshipsbetween the college and businesses orgovernmental agencies in Qatar; overseeing theperiodic review and evaluation of the quality of theoperations and academic programs at the college;

reviewing and approving each Annual Plan andBudget for CNA-Qatar; assisting in disputeresolution related to the Agreement; and such otherduties as may be assigned to the Joint OversightBoard by mutual agreement of the Parties.

During their visit, members of the board have afull business agenda including their regularmeeting, a meeting with the College of the NorthAtlantic Board of Governors, and other officialfunctions. Although the agenda is a very busy one,the Qatari delegation will also be touring thecollege’s facilities in St. John’s.

Qatar Airways announces lower fares

Qatar Project Update

College Welcomes CNA-Qatar Joint Oversight Board

CURRENTS September 2002 9

The BayBYTES 2002 Rural Technology Forum,an annual event created through a

partnership between College of the NorthAtlantic and the Canadian TechnologyNetwork, will take place again this year atTerra Nova Park Lodge September 23-25.

The conference, the only one of its kind inthe province, has continued to expand sinceits inception in 1997, and this year featuresspeakers from all across Canada, Greenland,New Zealand and Mongolia.

“The BayBYTES conference began as a wayto bring together operators of rural businessesin the information technology sector withinthe province,” says Lee Warren, conferencecoordinator. “The idea was to provide themwith a forum where they could share theirexperiences with trying to operate a businessin a rural environment. Over the past fiveyears, participation has expanded to includepeople from all over Canada and from manyinternational destinations.”

For instance, this year’s conference willfeature a session called Circumpolar

Perspectives in which panelists will discusstechnology and innovation in the agriculture,tourism, and sustainable development sectorsfrom the Northern/Circumpolar regions ofGreenland, Iceland and Russia.

Another session, featuring presenter IforFflowcs-Williams, founder and CEO of ClusterNavigators from New Zealand, will look atexamples of successful economic developmentusing clusters of small businesses workingtogether. Mr. Fflowcs-Williams has worked withclients in New Zealand, Australia, Scotland,Canada, the United States, Sweden, and SouthAfrica.

“We also have some great sessions beinghosted by successful entrepreneurs andconsultants from various parts of Canada,including some great speakers from right hereat home,” says Warren.

Another highlight of this year’s conferencewill be the announcement of the first winnerof the BayBYTES-Aliant Telecom RuralTechnology Start-Up Grant competition. Thiscompetition will see a third-year student orrecent graduate of one of College of the NorthAtlantic’s technology programs awarded$10,000 toward the start up of a ruraltechnology-based business.

There’s still time to register for this year’sBayBYTES conference. Registration is $300,and includes entry to all sessions, nutritionbreaks, meals, a social and a reception, andall conference materials.

This past June, College of the North Atlanticreceived $3.1 million in funding from the

federal Atlantic Innovation Fund, administeredby the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency,to assist with the development of theGeospatial Research Facility at the CornerBrook campus.

Gerry Byrne, the Minister of State forACOA, said during the announcement that thisfunding celebrates and showcases the researchand development capabilities of the college,noting that community colleges are playing anincreasing role in applied research anddevelopment – activities which directlybenefit the economy.

Robert Rideout, the college’s Director ofAdministration, says the new funding willallow the Geospatial Research Facility

partnership to hire four research personnel,three technical support people, and graduatestudents. A portion of the funding will also gotowards developing office space in the facility.

“Collectively, the expertise of this team,along with the considerable skills within theexisting partnership and its networks, willconstitute a critical mass of expertiseexpanding the research and innovation systemin Atlantic Canada. The team will be focused

on using geospatial technologies forsupporting sustainable development ofterrestrial resources in the new economy,”says Mr. Rideout.

The total value of the Geospatial ResearchFacility project is $5.17 million. This newfacility will enhance the college’s capability toundertake research and development in areassuch as biodiversity modeling, forest andecosystem modeling, digital 3-D visualizationtools, and software tools and methods forapplication to sustainable forest management,resource assessments, and eco-tourismmarketing. The facility will also havesignificant computing capacity necessary forwarehousing large resource and ecologicalinventory databases and associated analysis.

“The conference, theonly one of its kind inthe province, has con-tinued to expand sinceits inception in 1997...”

“...community colleges areplaying an increasingrole in applied researchand development...”

Rural Technology Forum has global perspective

$3.1 million in funding for Geospatial Research

Jim Organ of Aliant speaks at last year’s BayBYTESconference. The 2002 conference boasts to be even moresuccessful.

10 CURRENTS September 2002

The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister ofState for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities

Agency (ACOA), recently announced $300,000in funding support for the Export Internshipfor Trade Graduates program. MemorialUniversity of Newfoundland’s Centre forInternational Business Studies and College ofthe North Atlantic have teamed up to deliverthis new program, which will place post-secondary international trade graduates withcompanies having strong export potential.

“This initiative will help us meet our goalof helping local companies to pursueopportunities in international markets,” notedMinister Byrne.

“Graduates will have the benefit of gainingsolid work experience in their field, whilecompanies draw on the training andexperience of graduates with trade expertise.”

Through this cost-shared industryinternship program, graduates will receivepractical, hands-on experience in trade and

investment, and local companies will be ableto develop and implement export marketingplans. In addition, the program will helpcreate a closer working relationship between

the province’s educational institutions and theprivate sector.

Pamela Walsh, president of College of theNorth Atlantic, highlighted the importance ofconnecting the academic and businesscommunities.

“This program will be an important way for

us, along with Memorial University, to developstronger links with our province’s businesscommunity. This will assist current and futuregraduates, and will also enable our economyto grow through exporting.”

The program will place 10 university andcollege graduates in one-year internships withhost companies. Their work will be in areassuch as developing and implementingmarketing strategies, participating in tradeshows, and liasing with clients. The programis available to local companies from acrossNewfoundland and Labrador with an interestin growing the exporting side of theirbusinesses.

Graduates or businesses interested insigning up for the program can contact SusanVaughan with Memorial University’s Centre forInternational Business Studies at (709) 737-2086 or Linda White with the College of theNorth Atlantic at (709) 643-7953.

The following appointments were recentlyannounced at College of the North Atlantic:Anthony Oguntuase has been appointed to

the position of English instructor at theHappy Valley-Goose Bay campus and willteach courses in the College-UniversityTransfer Year program.

Andrea Best has been appointed to theposition of Business Management instructor atthe Grand Falls-Windsor campus and willreplace Gerald Burton who will be working atour Qatar campus. Andrea's appointment willbe for a two-year period and she will teach inboth the Business Management program andthe College-University Transfer Year program.

Wayne Gidge has been appointed to theposition of Academic instructor at the Gandercampus. Wayne will replace Ed Thorne who hastransferred to the Grand Falls-Windsor campus.

Gordon Mayo has accepted the position ofinstructor, Electrical Engineering Technology,Burin campus. Gordon is replacing WayneLegge. Gordon has extensive experience in theprivate sector and has most recently been anElectrical instructor at the Seal Cove campus.

Lori Lynn Lynch has accepted the positionof Instructional Assistant, Chemistry, at theCarbonear campus. Lori Lynn is replacing BillGosse. Lori Lynn is a recent graduate havingcompleted her B.Sc. degree and is working

towards her Masters of Engineering degree.She has most recently worked with MemorialUniversity.

Nick Donovan has accepted a temporary45-week position as Academic instructor withthe Horticulture, Farming, Storage, Processingand Production program. This is part of theBridging the Gap program, a partnershipbetween the college, the Random NorthDevelopment Association, and the Farmer's Co-op. Nick has been an instructor with theClarenville campus for a number of years.

Theresa Pittman has accepted the positionof Instructional Design Specialist, DistributedLearning Service (DLS), replacing KevinDeveau. Theresa has experience in the privatesector and has previously done some workwith the college.

Darlene Feltham, a Computer SupportTechnician with the Distributed LearningService, has been promoted to the position ofInstructional Design Assistant, also with theDLS. Darlene is a graduate of the college andhas worked in the centre since December, 1999.

Jody Locke, half-time Computer SupportTechnician with the Distributed LearningService, has been moved to Darlene's positionwhere he will now be a full-time employee.Jody is also a graduate of the college.

Kevin Deveau and Mary Vaughan of the

Clarenville campus, Bill Gosse, Carbonearcampus, Wayne Legge, Burin campus, andDave Jewer, Bonavista campus, have allaccepted positions in Qatar.

Marian Andrews has been appointed Chairof Programs with the Programs Division. She isreplacing Enid Strickland who has acceptedthe position of Vice President at CNA-Qatar.Marian has held a variety of positions at thecollege over the past 25 years. Most recently,she was seconded to the position of Chair ofPrograms. Her experience includes:Department Head, Business and Applied Arts;Chairperson, Provincial Business StudiesReview; Instructional Coordinator; ProgramDevelopment Coordinator; ProfessionalDevelopment Coordinator; and Instructor ofbusiness courses across all disciplines. Sheholds a Master’s Degree in EducationalLeadership with Fellowship distinction.

John Oates has been temporarily appointedto the position of Associate DistrictAdministrator of Ridge Road campus and willreplace Danny Wong who will be concentratinghis efforts on our Qatar and China projects.

Guy Fillatre has been appointed on a per-manent basis to his position as Wide Area Net-work Administrator at the Ridge Road campus.

Congratulations to all on their newappointments.

“This initiative willhelp us meet our goalof helping localcompanies to pursueopportunities ininternational markets.”

New trade program to benefit graduates and local companies

Appointments

CURRENTS September 2002 11

We’ve heard many stories about thecompassion shown towards stranded

passengers by the residents of Gander,Stephenville, and Happy Valley-Goose Bayduring the September 11 crisis. We’ve alsoheard stories about those passengers repayingthat kindness with thank-you letters anddonations of money to the campuses forscholarships.

Well Kevin Tuerff, one of the thousandsstranded in Gander last year, has decided torepay that kindness a different way. Thepresident of EnviroMedia, an Austin, Texas-based advertising company, says he wasoverwhelmed by the response of the people ofGander and wondered if, as Americans, theywould have done the same had the tablesbeen turned.

“Most of us are sadly taught to distruststrangers,” he said in a memo sent toemployees of his company last week.

“We don't talk to our next-door neighbors,much less the person sitting next to us on anairplane, or that person standing behind us

in-line at the grocery store. Why? Becausewe've all had a bad experience somewherealong the way. Maybe we should rethink this,try a new approach, and see what happens.”

His new approach is to “pay it forward.”On September 11, employees of

EnviroMedia will pair up and be given $100 USto spend performing an act of kindness for atotal stranger.

“We’re essentially closing operations onSeptember 11 for the day of remembrance,and all staff are charged with going out intothe Austin community to find a stranger, thendo something completely unusual - dosomething extra nice for them. Each team oftwo staff members will be given $100 cash tospend on that stranger,” said Tuerff’semployee memo.

“Last year, on September 11, most of youwere coping with coming to work when itseemed the world was falling apart. Plus, youhad no idea where your bosses were. Val andMillie had just been in the World Trade Centera few days before they fell, and Kevin T. and

Kevin J. were supposedly headed home fromParis to Austin when their plane was divertedfor three days to Gander, Newfoundland in

Canada. We were stuck in a foreign country,wanting desperately to get home.

The people of Gander (pop. 10,000)housed, fed and cared for more than 7,000stranded airline passengers for almost threedays while American airspace was closed.They donated their own pillows, blankets andsleeping bags. They baked food. They stoppedtheir cars on the street to offer rides toanyone who was walking to the store. TheCanadians' compassion for Americans in ourtime of need was remarkable.”

Tuerff randomly chose the two-memberteams of full-time staff members to.l hit thestreets and provide this list of rules: 1) Youmust spend the money on Wednesday,September 11; 2) You must spend the moneyon a total stranger (Yes, it will be tempting togo spend the money and the day on your-selves in a bar or movie theater, but thatwon't cut it). You may choose, if you want, tospread the money out by helping severalstrangers. You are not required to support anorganized charity, or even environment orpublic health causes (which normally wewould); 3) You may not tell the stranger whoyou are, or where the money came from; 4) Ifpressed, you may explain the story about thepeople of Gander on 9/11. 5) You must returnto the office at 4 p.m. to share your storywith the rest of the staff.

And hopefully, they will share those storieswith us.

If you know any other companies or peoplewho might want to try this experiment, passit on. You can contact Mr. Tuerff by visitingEnviroMedia’s website at www.enviromedia.com.

“Each team of two staffmembers will be given$100 cash to spend onthat stranger.”

“They donated theirown pillows, blanketsand sleeping bags.They baked food. Theystopped their cars onthe street to offerrides to anyone whowas walking...”

Texas company will “pay it forward”

You may have noticed that CURRENTS

looks a little different this month. We hope you

like the changes we’ve made. In the coming

months we will be continuing to improve your

college newsletter. Hopefully with your input!

Do you have a college story to tell? Do you

know a student, faculty, or staff member that

should be recognized for their achievements?

CURRENTS is looking for a few good stories

about our public college and the people who

make it such a success. Send us your photos,

announcements, and alumni updates. If you

have any ideas, suggestions, or criticisms, please

drop us a line. Please let us know how we can

make CURRENTS a better newsletter for you.

Communications Office

College of the North Atlantic, Headquarters

432 Massachusetts Drive

P.O. Box 5400

Stephenville, NL, A2N 2Z6

Canada

709 643.7929

communications@northatlantic.nf.ca

CREDITSEditor Stephen Lee

Text Tanya Alexander

Design Paul O’Keefe

Printing Graphic Arts,Prince Philip Drive

Publisher Division of CollegeDevelopment