Hello everyone! I cannot believe that it is already October! Midterms have just passed, and the semester is in its second half. With our midterms passing us by, that means that our Board of Trustees has taken some various actions at the Oct 12. meeting.

There were many good events at the college that were discussed, and I am here to inform you about the three that I found the most exciting.

First off, the board was treated to a presentation by the Director of Human Resources, Leslie Hofer. In this presentation, Hofer presented us with information about the different demographics of the employees at IVCC.

It was nice to see that IVCC is becoming more diverse, although a bit alarming to see how many employees will be eligible for retirement in the upcoming years.

The second important point that was the approval of a $2.5 million sum to improve the college’s safety and accessibility. The most costly project is the replacement of all existing video cameras with digital cameras.

The old video cameras were analog cameras which are becoming obsolete as we move further into the 21st century.

The next project will be improving accessible seating in the Dr. Mary Margaret Weeg Cultural Centre. Part of the plan is the construction of a ramp on each side of the stage so people who utilize wheelchairs can access the stage without the use of a lift.

The final part of the upgrade project is the repair of crumbling exterior steps and different rails in the courtyard.

The final important thing that came up is the ceremony to name CTC 124-125 the “Ralph Scriba Conference Center.” Ralph Scriba was a graduate of LPO Junior College in 1951 and has since donated $250,000 to IVCC. The ceremony took place Oct. 23. If you have any concerns that you would like addressed, do not be afraid to come to a board meeting or contact me personally. My email is on the IVCC website under the Board of Trustees member list.