Roger Fitch and Paul Vogt

Roger Fitch is an instructor of Red River College’s Administrative Assistant Certificate Program (AACP), and is the honoured recipient of the 2018 BRAVO award for Teaching Excellence.

As an award recipient of the highest level of recognition for RRC employees, Fitch is being recognized for his exemplary instructional qualities and for making an outstanding contribution to both the AACP and its students.

Fitch embodies a teaching style second-to-none; he thoroughly prepares prior to each term, incorporating experiences from previous course deliveries in an effort to continuously strengthen and improve future sessions. His positive attitude, upbeat disposition and clever sense of humour create a welcoming and safe environment where students enjoy the process of learning course concepts and applications.

It’s not surprising to hear that subject areas such as math and accounting may not be among students’ favourites, but if you were to ask a student in Fitch’s class, the answer may be different! 

Fitch genuinely wants his students to succeed, and his experience gives him the skill to identify students who may need additional support. His ability to create a positive and non-threatening environment where students are encouraged to ask questions enables his students to fully understand the concepts and applications taught before moving on to the next topic.

Over the years, circumstances have unfolded in which an innovative teaching approach was needed to be introduced to successfully support student success. Again, Fitch rose to the occasion. A pilot program called Transforming Futures created an opportunity for intellectually challenged students to receive the college experience while completing their AACP. Fitch ensured that the 12 students and their teaching assistants were fully integrated into the classroom and could keep pace.

Fitch is also mindful, considerate, and respectful of the individuals and cultures within his classes; his easy-going manner elicits an environment of trust and interaction where all students feel at home and have the same opportunities to succeed.

As one student summed up in a course evaluation, “I wish I had Roger as my teacher for all of my courses. He is the best!”

The AACP provides training and development to administrative assistants and covers a range of current and future needs, including Common Technical Skills, Communications and Writing, Interpersonal Skills and Wellness, and Diversity, Inclusiveness and Accessibility. AACP sessions are delivered through a blended learning approach, including both in-person with some courses available online courses.

In addition to the classroom training, the AACP also provides an annual professional development and networking event, an online resource site specific to administrative assistants, and a monthly lunch-and-learn webinar and discussion series.

Whether becoming an administrative assistant is your career plan, or if taking the program to complement your area of study is your goal, the AACP program provides job-ready skills that employers are looking for — and with Roger Fitch as your instructor, you won’t be disappointed!

Congratulations Roger on your well-deserved accomplishment.

Learn more about the Administrative Assistant program.

Scott Hinkson, a Red River College (RRC) instructor, truly understands how industry and workplace requirements can impact customers, clients, investors, companies, and products and services. Effective business analysis and project management can “facilitate the planning, management and implementation of business and technology solutions”¹ that align with organizational strategies and are built with flexibility to withstand changes in the marketplace and achieve solutions more effectively than traditional methods.

A former student of both the Business Analyst Program and the Project Management Program, Hinkson is a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) and the first Manitoban to have obtained PMI-ACP certification (Project Management Institute Agile Certified Practitioner). Even when these programs were in their infancy, Hinkson foresaw the opportunity of how crucial these skills are, and would continue to be, to employers in the future.

Hinkson took the initiative to approach RRC with the goal of developing two specific courses. The College shared in his desire to meet the growing needs of business analysis and project management, provide employers with a knowledgeable workforce and prepare students with the job-ready skills needed to succeed. The result: the Agile Business Analysis course and the Agile Project Management course were born!

In RRC’s Agile Business Analysis course, you will learn how to utilize agile concepts for software development. As agile methodologies,tools and techniques become more familiar, you will learn how to compose agile documentation deliverables, create agile releases and develop iteration and daily plans. In the real world, requirements often change regularly, so Hinkson has built this course to embrace the changing of options and the re-prioritizing of requirements. The result encourages flexibility and teaches you how to change the process as you go,instead of defining requirements at the onset and facing immense difficulty and challenges in making necessary alterations at a later point. This process provides a more superior solution than traditional analysis has in the past, and it allows clients to define requirements and validate those requirements have been met.

In addition, the course teaches imperative skills including how to manage customer expectations, collaborate effectively, monitor team performance accurately, ensure products are consistently providing value, and perform incessant improvements for succeeding iterations while taking lessons learned into consideration.

Once agile knowledge, tools and techniques have been acquired, they can also be applied in software development projects in the Agile Project Management course. Further to learning and professionally developing skills within the agile field, you will also reap competencies in detecting problems and finding solutions that are flexible and capable of reacting quickly to unpredictable changes. This course also teaches you how to manage a team and tackle the largest and riskiest components first.

Jobs in business analysis and project management are applicable to any industry, enabling you to apply your knowledge and skill sets to a variety of fields. Whether you choose to take these courses for professional development and growth in your career path or to pursue the Business Analysis and/or Project Management Programs, these courses, along with Hinkson, are paving the way, preparing you for the jobs of our future.

¹ https://www.bapm.ch/en/company/

1. Have some fun.
   Like its name suggests, social media is designed to be social. The goal is to build relationships with your customers and clients, not sell them a product. Ask them to share a photo of their pets. Or their best tips for surviving Mondays. If you sell a scented product, ask them what their favourite scents are. Even though it might not feel like marketing, it is—it builds trust and people are more apt to buy from companies they like. And, the better you know your customer, the easier it will be to offer the products and services they want in the future.
2. Content is key.
   The number-one goal of any social-marketing campaign is to drive people to your website, and the best way to do that is with great content. What need do your customers have that you can fill? If you’re a museum, you can write a post of ten fun things to do on a rainy day. If you’re an auto-body shop, a list of spring maintenance must-dos would be helpful. By creating fabulous content for your website and sharing it on social media, you will attract customers to your site. Be sure to share others’ content on your social-media accounts as well.
3. Tread carefully.
   So you’ve gotten a bad review or a very public complaint from an unhappy customer. The lastthing you want to do is defend yourself, no matter how unjustified you think the complaint is. I’ve seen companies get defensive time and time again, and it always makes them look argumentative, unfriendly, and angry, no matter how carefully they word their rebuttal. If someone complains about your establishment, apologize. Offer a discounted or free service to lure them back. Your other customers will see this and appreciate how you handled a difficult situation. They might even speak up to defend you, and that’s what you want—your customers should be the ones discrediting negative reviews. Never, ever do it yourself. You can’t please everyone, and once you’ve posted a snarky rebuttal online, it’s out there forever.

Learn more about social media marketing with Holli: Beyond Hashtags

This spring, she will be teaching Beyond Hashtags, a social-media marketing course that goes far beyond the basics. Register today to make your online marketing skills sharper this summer.

About Holli:

For over two decades, Holli has been helping businesses

and non-profits navigate the choppy waters of social media. She is accredited with the Canadian Public Relations Society, and specializes in online relationship building and crisis management. Under the name J.H. Moncrieff, she’s also a bestselling horror and suspense writer.

After moving to Manitoba from China seven years ago, XiaoFei Zuo literally followed his nose to a new career he hopes will one day make him the next Ray Kroc.

In 2011, on the recommendation of a friend who’d told him of “a real nice college” in Canada, Zuo left an unsatisfying office job in Tianjin, China, to seek out new training opportunities half a world away at Red River College in Winnipeg.

Seven years later, Zuo, 32, is the owner of Dancing Noodle restaurant at 1393-A Pembina Highway. He’s also recognized as one of the only chefs in the city trained in the traditional art of noodle pulling.

But more on that later. First, what about that nose?

Back in 2011, Zuo was taking English lessons at RRC’s Language Training Centre near The Forks. He often ate lunch in the food court area, which is where he made a discovery that would change his life.

“We would go there and it just smelled so good, so I followed that smell and I found Tall Grass Prairie Bakery,” he recalls. “At that time, I made a decision to be a baker. They had an open kitchen there and I could stand and watch what they do. I like to work by hand, I don’t like just sitting and writing or something like that. I wanted to learn to bake.”

Zuo enrolled in RRC’s year-long Baking and Patisserie program, where he would arrive 90 minutes early most mornings so he could fit in extra practice.

“At Red River, I learned so many new things I never saw before,” he says. “I learned to make croissants, pies, desserts, bread. In China, most families don’t have ovens, we only have the stove, so we don’t bake at all. Here, I bake all the time and I keep learning.”

Zuo completed the program’s co-op education portion at Tall Grass’ Wolseley bakery, where — following graduation — he had the opportunity to fill in for the night baker, who was off work because of sleep issues. When the regular baker returned a month later, Zuo moved on to Stella’s Bakery on Sherbrook Street, where he baked bread for the restaurant chain’s half dozen Winnipeg locations.

“It was hard, but you can only learn a lot when you work hard,” he says. “I just kept doing bread all the time… and I got a feeling for the dough. You make the bread, you have to make the dough first. That’s the best experience I got from Stella’s and Tall Grass.”

After a subsequent stint as a baker with Diversity Food Services at the University of Winnipeg, Zuo returned to China for an extended vacation. There he came upon a restaurant where a cook was making hand-pulled noodles.

“It looked amazing,” he says.

Working with a mound of prepared dough, the noodle maker stretches the dough and folds it back and forth from one hand to the other, doubling and redoubling the raw noodles until the desired thickness is reached.

Zuo enrolled in a two-month long noodle pulling course and then spent four months working for free at a restaurant, in return for the opportunity to refine his noodle-pulling skills.

“The dough is real picky,” he explains. “You have to keep pulling it, but if you pull it too many times, you can’t use it anymore… You have to keep practicing to make it faster and faster.”

Zuo returned to Winnipeg in 2014, and continued to practice noodle pulling several hours a day at home while scouting for a restaurant location.

Six months later, he opened Dancing Noodle with a staff of two. Today, Zuo’s team has grown to six and he has a growing legion of dedicated diners.

In April, Zuo will share his noodle-pulling expertise through a series of workshops delivered through RRC’s School of Continuing Education. He says he doesn’t mind if the workshops result in more restaurant owners practicing the art.

“I just want more and more people to know this way of making noodles,” he says. “In China, we have lots of new things which here have never been seen before. This is just one of them.”

Oh, and what was that about McDonald’s icon Ray Kroc? Zuo says there’s nothing stopping him from becoming the next franchise success story.

“If McDonald’s can have burgers all over the world, why can’t I do the same with noodles?” he says. “That’s my dream.”

— Profile by Dean Pritchard (Creative Communications, 1994)

When Courtney Brown was a student at Red River College, little did she know her career path would bring her right back where she started.

Brown completed the 17-week Administrative Assistant program in 2014. After building up her experience with a real estate firm and in the Winnipeg school division system, she joined RRC’s School of Continuing Education in 2017 as a Customer Service Representative (CSR).

“It is kind of funny to be back at Red River,” Brown says. “I certainly didn’t expect it or plan it.”

As the member of a small team of CSRs, Brown fields all kinds of queries from current and potential Continuing Education students. Being a student herself not so long ago is an asset in the role, Brown says.

“I know the campus and I’m familiar with Continuing Ed. programming, even if every program is different. Having been here full-time was a great background. Not that you need to attend RRC to work here, but I feel like it’s helped me perform well in my role.” 

Whether it’s a straightforward issue with a password, for example, or a potentially more complex question about tuition, Brown is there to help students.

“It’s a very rewarding part of the job to put students at ease. It might be someone who’s returned to school after decades in the workforce. Every call is different. People feel they have a branch to grab on to and they’re so appreciative of the help.”

Brown, who graduated high school in 2011, credits the Administrative Assistant program for getting her ready for the working world.

“The program not only builds your technical skills like keyboarding, but also things like event planning and overall professionalism. The program equips you to work in all kinds of office settings.”

Part of that preparation was a three-week practicum with Downtown Winnipeg Biz, a full-time experience in which Brown was paired with a staff member of that organization to learn how they run their day.

Last November, Brown was invited to be the minute-taker for RRC’s Administrative Assistant Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations on course content and resources required to ensure the program stays relevant, effective and efficient. It was a great opportunity to share her insights as a recent graduate.

“I told the committee that it’s a well-rounded program and that the practicum is also valuable. It’s about what employers are looking for. The work I’m doing now definitely mirrors what I learned in terms of customer service, but if I went into an accounting-oriented role, I’m confident what I learned in the program would still serve me well.

Brown also offers advice for anyone considering entering the Administrative Assistant program.

“It’s a fast-paced program and you have to be ready. You move through things quickly. You need to grasp the concepts in order to complete one course and move on to the next. And it’s a significant workload; I was fortunate to be living at home, so I was able to make studying or getting extra help my 100% focus.”

Along with the CSR responsibilities in her current role, Brown also provides support to Continuing Education instructors who teach evening courses, helping ensure they have supplies, printed materials and anything else they might need.

For Brown, the Administrative Assistant program has provided the background to handle diverse responsibilities in a range of employment settings. It’s a base she plans to continue building on.

“Becoming an office manager would be a long-term goal. It’s kind of the natural progression for office life and the path I’m on.”

— Profile by Randy Matthes (Creative Communications, 1993)

Sharon Steward’s cooking is a real crowd-pleaser — and her new cookbook is sure to be, too.

A Continuing Education instructor at Red River College, Steward is busy prepping for the launch of Volume: Cooking for a Community on Sat., Dec. 2, at McNally Robinson Booksellers.

The book is inspired by Steward’s role as the kitchen manager and head chef at InterVarsity Pioneer Camp Manitoba, a Christian summer camp located on MacKinnon Island at the north end of Shoal Lake.

During camp season, Steward and her staff are responsible for serving three meals a day (plus snacks) to anywhere from 180 to 200 people at a time. Suffice it to say, she knows how to cook for a crowd.

“Each recipe in the book has an amount for four to six people, and then also for about 80 servings,” Steward explains. “It’s a very exciting tool — one I’m hoping a lot of other places, facilities and individuals can use to help them serve their communities.”

Learn more about Seward’s RRC training here. To order a copy of the book — or to peruse Steward’s recipes and blog posts — visit volumecookbook.com.

Amanda Simpson, Program Manager of IT and Professional Studies, and Steve Thompson, 2017 Teaching Excellence Award winner

Steve Thompson has been a Project Management instructor (in IT and Professional Studies) for the last 12 years, and has been instrumental in the development of the Project Management Fundamentals course content.

As of this term, he has now taught 2,000 students in the Project Management Fundamentals course alone.

He’s also developed a reputation for always putting his students first — finding ways to adapt his teaching methods to best reach them, and regularly updating content to ensure it’s relevant and easy to follow.

As a winner of the 2017 Teaching Excellence Award, a nominator commented that “Steve further enriches the learning for students by drawing on his vast experience leading and working in project teams.”

Thompson holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation from the Project Management Institute, and has served on the board for PMI’s Manitoba chapter of which he is still a member. He graduated from ConEd’s Digital A/V Production program in 2010.

But in her current role as an instructor for the Red River College’s Youth Recreation Activity Worker program, Kerry Coulter gets to re-connect with many of those same kids as they prepare to make a similar difference in the lives of others.

“My students are youth with multiple barriers, so often times they’re kids I used to work with, but now they’re all grown up and seeking access to post-secondary [education], and a supportive environment in which to be successful,” says Coulter.

“It’s full circle. These students want to go back and be helpers in their own communities … They grow up, come to college, and are trained and educated in how to be helpers themselves.”

The recipient of this year’s RRC Students’ Association Teaching Award of Excellence, Coulter has been a Youth Rec instructor since 2002. Before that, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba (and later, a Masters degree in Education from Central Michigan University), and worked for a number of child and youth care organizations, including Child and Family Services and adolescent treatment centre New Directions.

Each year, the College’s Youth Rec program trains 16 participants — many of whom face socio-economic barriers themselves — to work with inner city youth as recreational leaders. Graduates of the program often find jobs with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg (a program partner) and other inner city youth agencies, or as childhood educators and teachers’ aides.

Over the course of the 10-month program, Coulter watches her students gain confidence and expand their knowledge base — often, as a precursor to additional post-secondary studies. She says their accomplishments are all the more impressive given the specific obstacles they must overcome.

“I’m not a person who came to the field because of my own experiences,” she explains. “So I find [my students] very inspirational, because I know how much easier it was for me.

“They’re stronger, I think, and much more deserving of an opportunity for post-secondary. Because that’s what will change their lives, is having the education to help them get the jobs they want.”

For their part, the students who nominated Coulter for the award seem to hold her in similarly high esteem, crediting her with helping them to start a new chapter in their own lives.

“Kerry has helped me overcome barriers that I thought I would never be able to overcome,” said one student. “I’ve started accomplishing my academic goals, fighting anxiety, and using deadlines to my advantage thanks to the tools and tips I have received from her.

“Kerry helped me get back on track when I was lost, nearing failure. I thought I was done for, that I would flunk out once again. I am lucky to have an instructor as great as she is, because if I didn’t, I know I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

The Red River College Students’ Association Teaching Award of Excellence is awarded annually to an instructor in recognition of outstanding teaching practices and dedication to students.

And this year, they find themselves the very worthy recipients of ConEd’s Teaching Excellence Awards, presented annually to those who demonstrate innovative and effective teaching practices, a willingness to assist and mentor students, and an appreciation for (and response to) diversity among students.

Debbie Phythian, 2017 Teaching Excellence Award winner

The first of this year’s winners, Debbie Phythian, has taught ConEd’s Aboriginal Child Care post-diploma certificate for more than two decades.

A dedicated mentor who is student-centric in her approach, Debbie is known for going above and beyond to ensure her students get the most from their learning experiences.

For their part, students tend to appreciate how quickly Debbie responds to their questions and concerns, and how committed she is to providing helpful and informed feedback on their assignments and their progress.

“She is passionate about the program, the content and her students — and it shows,” according to her nominators.

Amanda Simpson, Program Manager of IT and Professional Studies, and Steve Thompson, 2017 Teaching Excellence Award winner

Fellow recipient Steve Thompson has been a Project Management instructor (in IT and Professional Studies) for the last 12 years, and has been instrumental in the development of the Project Management Fundamentals course content.

He’s also developed a reputation for always putting his students first — finding ways to adapt his teaching methods to best reach them, and regularly updating content to ensure it’s relevant and easy to follow.

“Steve further enriches the learning for students by drawing on his vast experience leading and working in project teams,” according to his nominators.

Thompson holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation from the Project Management Institute, and has served on the board for PMI’s Manitoba chapter of which he is still a member. He graduated from ConEd’s Digital A/V Production program in 2010.

See the photos of the 2017 Instructor Appreciation Reception here.

Long Service Certificate of Appreciation Recipients:

10 Years:

• Peter Awender
• Marco Corda
• Jason Deprez
• Andrew Dolhy
• Christel Dyck
• Angela Hanischuk
• Jeff Henry
• Bryan Laurie
• Kenneth Malczewski
• Dennis Nikkel
• Mark Queen
• Susan Sydorchuk
• Jason Taylor
• Timothy Wall

20 Years:

• Anne Grewar
• Joseph Hoskins

30 Years:

• Roger Fitch

45 Years:

• Linda Ament