News from the Nov. 25 Board meeting
A brand new program of study was approved at the Nov. 25 meeting of the Board of Governors. The Medical Ultrasound Technology Program will be offered at Dawson College for the first time in the fall of 2021.
Faculty member and program developer Ania Stosiak presented the new program to the Board. She said Dawson is the fourth college to offer the program and the first to offer it in English.
“It is a completely new approach,” she said. “It used to be part of the Diagnostic Imaging Program and in the past, many people learned it on the job. It has become more complex.” Monica Lopez from the Office of Academic Development collaborated on the development project.
Ultrasound technologists are in high demand because their work is essential for diagnosing patients and developing treatment plans. They perform ultrasound examinations and acquire images, videos and information, which they communicate to a specialized physician. The three-year program will have two years of didactic learning and one year of clinical learning.
Students will learn and work together in an inter-professional pedagogical approach. When they graduate, they will be ready to work on inter-professional health teams in hospitals and health facilities.
The Board members were impressed by the quality of the presentation and by the thoroughness of the proposed curriculum.
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The Board of Governors will be putting together a Selection Committee in the New Year to select a new Academic Dean. This work is expected to get underway in February and conclude in June. Carmela Gumelli was appointed as the interim Academic Dean beginning Jan. 1.
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The auditor attended the Board meeting and reported that they were satisfied with the answers and documentation provided. Based on the results of the work, the auditor has issued an unqualified opinion for the 2019-2020 financial statement.
Director of Finance Glenys Ronnie recognized the work of the Finance team and others who assisted in the audit process from the Registrar’s Office, Payroll, Information Systems and Technology, and Facilities Management. “I would like to congratulate the team on their hard work,” she said.
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CRISPESH, the centre collégial de transfert de technologies (CCTT) that is affiliated with Dawson College and the Cégep du Vieux Montréal, presented their annual report. CRISPESH is particularly focused on the inclusion of people living in a disabling situation.
They have been celebrating the 10th anniversary of CRISPESH with lunch ‘n learns and a symposium. One of the highlights this year has been working with Indigenous communities on projects since there have been very few studies about improving services to Indigenous people. Roch Ducharme, the Director of CRISPESH, mentioned a negative impact of the pandemic. Prior to COVID-19, there was great interest in hiring people living in a disabling situation and now that interest has declined.
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In other news, the Board accepted the annual report of the Research Ethics Board and approved revisions to the Smoking Policy, which now includes references to cannabis.
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Board Chair Michael Goldwax mentioned that it was the last meeting for Maurice Hughes (representing labour market partners) and highlighted the service of Director General Richard Filion, who attended his last Board meeting. It was also the last meeting of Igor Gorelyshev, who had represented the Dawson Teachers Union.
The Chair said that the retiring Director General has attended 105 meetings of the Board plus executive meetings. “You turned Dawson into a reputable organization,” Michael said. “You have been and will continue to be an inspiration.”
Richard replied by saying that he has enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the English community of Montreal and added that he has worked on breaking down the two solitudes. “If English colleges are restricted,” he said, “it will reduce the opportunity of people from different backgrounds to come together. When I was hired, one of my beliefs was that Dawson is a crucible of what Quebec is becoming. I still believe that and in my last days, I had many occasions to reiterate it, despite the current opposition against our institution. I did it with pride and confidence in the future of the College.”
The Chair concluded the meeting by noting it was also the last meeting of Diane Gauvin as Academic Dean since she will begin as the new Director General on Jan. 1. “I look forward to our new chapter, which will be tremendous for the school, faculty and students,” he said.
