On Point & On Time: The Students’ Association – Your one-stop FUN

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Welcome (Back) to RDC! Hope your summer went great.

We, at the Students’ Association, are excited to have you back! All summer, your student executives have been working hard to ensure that you have a great year regardless if this is your first year or your last year at RDC.

We believe that every moment counts and right from the get go, during your first week (back), we have activities organized for you! Blitz Week as we call it, is in the courtyard located next to 1400 and were giving out FREE FOOD, facilitating FREE GAMES, and doing other fun stuff.

We are also throwing a party to welcome the new school year! This is on September 6, at the Far Side! Again, it’s for free and it’s going to be fun and fantastic! Meet new people, have a free bevvy, have fun!

Your Students’ Association is here for you, the students. Our job is to represent you around the College, to local and provincial governments, and the community.

We also offer a number of services that are beneficial to your educational success. In addition, our businesses provide employment for students looking for a part-time job. The Far Side Bar & Grill and the Lift work with student’s schedules, meaning you can have a job between your classes!

Your student executives were elected in the spring. I’ll be your President for the year, with Rebecca and Jhymylyn (pronounced: Jaime-Lyn) as your VP Operations and your VP Student Life.

As your President, I’m responsible in ensuring that you are represented well. My task is to ensure that your voice is heard. Rebecca is responsible for finding 12 fun people to represent their peers on Student Council. This could be you! If you are interested, be on the look out for her. Jhymylyn on the other hand is tasked to ensure that you have a fun time with the events and parties she has planned for you!

Usually, there is another executive member who helps students with their academic or non-academic issues. If you’re passionate about helping your peers, this might be the position for you! Nomination forms are available on September 17, after the Fall General Meeting.

The Students’ Association provides not just employment and services, but we also offer opportunities for students to expand their resumes by volunteering for SA events or by joining a student group.

We will provide a letter of recognition for those that have spent their time helping the SA with the awareness campaigns and events. We also house more than 20 student groups! If you are interested in joining or forming your own, stop by the SA Office (we’re located next to the Train Station in Room 2010).

For this year to be great, we need your help! We want to know what kind of events you’d like to see or what kind of changes you want to see. We are here to listen!

Our offices are always open — stop by with your ideas or if you just want to say hi! To find out more about your Students’ Association, please join us on Sept. 17, at 11 am at the Far Side Bar & Grill for the Fall General Meeting.

Always remember, College isn’t about the books or the classes, its about the fun times you’ve spent with your friends!

— Martin Cruz, SA President

Date With A Deadline: Great people make time as executive a memorable learning experience

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As I write my last article as President of the Students’ Association I feel very fortunate to have worked with an association that promotes and supports student interests at RDC.

It has been an interesting two years with the Students’ Association at Red Deer College — first as VP College Affairs and then as President. My work here has afforded me many great learning experiences which I will take with me when I go to work and study elsewhere.

I have been fortunate to have worked with many great students on Students’ Association Council and on committees where the student voice is accepted and heard.

The role of the VP and President are very busy ones dealing with issues from concerned students, listening to appeals, addressing issues and concerns from the perspective of what is best for students at RDC and attending many meetings. The RDC executive are very good at asking for the view of the students so this keeps our Students’ Association involved and busy with the many changes and developments at the college.

I want to acknowledge some of the great things I have been able to be a part of during my time here. I have been able to work on many different College academic policies that affect every students and to help make sure they benefit them. These policies lay the foundation for academic study and are important to students and their life in academics at RDC.

I have been involved in the review of more new and updated courses than I could place a number on as well as several complete program reviews. I was fortunate enough to participate in the review and approval process for several new programs being brought to the college like the Bachelor of Business Administration.

I was even given the opportunity to sit on the hiring committees for two important positions within the college as well. All of these experiences have helped me to develop good questioning skills and, slowly but surely, a good understanding of policy which I have been able to apply to my work. While all these committees may take up a lot of time they are very important because we are always focusing in on how students will benefit and how to ensure that student interests are a focus.

Along with all these great experiences there have been a lot of great people. Through my role I have worked on a great deal of committees, each with a different focus, and most often with new people on each one. The hard work I have been a part of and the great attitudes of those people have made that work a pleasure.

It is amazing to see all the time and effort that goes on behind the scenes to keep the College going. Red Deer College brings together people from different backgrounds to look at projects and challenges to bring about meaningful solutions. It is great to see this work firsthand — you get to see how much these people care about their work and the students for whom they are here.

When you get to work with people who are often masters in their field of expertise who treat you as an equal you feel that the College does value your input and values their students.

Both of the student executives that I was fortunate to be a part where made up of some very hard-working, positive people who were always working diligently for student interests.

There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work to develop and support student activities, student policies, academics and in order to provide a smooth year for students, your executive works hard along with the team members in our office to ensure that students are supported.

So in closing, I would like to thank each and every one of you for allowing me to represent you at RDC and to all the great people who I have had the pleasure to work with these past few years I am thankful for this learning experience and I wish the incoming executive the best of luck in the new academic year.

— SA President Eric. Peppinck

 

 

ARTICLE AUTHOR: ERIC PEPPINCK