ACIFA 2016 is Calling and I Must Go
“ACIFA 2016 Is Calling and I Must Go”, an appropriate acronym for this year’s Annual ACIFA Spring Conference. This year’s Conference host will be Bow Valley College, and the event will be held at the pristine Jasper Park lodge. The Lodge has accommodated ACIFA several times over the years for this event. The picturesque scenery surrounding the Lodge is quite breathtaking, and for those individuals that have never experienced the rugged tranquility of Jasper, they owe themselves the opportunity to embrace it.
The ACIFA Conference is a pedagogical melee of innovative ideas and presentations, accompanied with numerous workshops for both participation and observation. All the venues are delivered by an eclectic variety of educators from the broad spectrum of colleges in Alberta. There is no price that can be put on the value of interacting with colleagues from the many Post-Secondary Intuitions that will be present, the sharing of ideas and the networking with colleges in invaluable. Furthermore, having the opportunity to listen to the Keynote Speaker; Brian Keating (Adjunct assistant professor of Anthropology at U of C) will appeal to the conservationist in many of us.
Main topics for engagement are:-
Treasure the Past /Embrace the Present/Shape the Future
Revitalize the Core Energies OF Teaching and Learning
Rediscovering the Heart of the Profession
We are now at the realization that Alberta as a province has and is experiencing a down turn in the economy for well over a year. Institution like SAIT apply an inordinate amount of resources to accommodate the fiscal and physical changes that impact our educational and operational sections. However, in keeping aligned to the Institutions Strategic Plan for Employee Success and Applied Education Innovation…we are committed to: –
- Continue to cultivate best practices to improve productivity through better processes
- Developing and implementing leading edge applied education technology for the classroom and beyond
These statements resonate to all Faculty here at SAIT. The strategic principles are fundamentally significant in the progression of SAIT as an innovative leader in Post-Secondary. The opportunity for Faculty members from SAIT to participate in the ACIFA Conference will be exemplified by the support from the Deans, Academic Chairs and Upper management, which sustains the initiatives outlined by Dr. Ross. Moving forward through the Academic Year, Faculty are very aware of budget restraints and unnecessary spending. However, the ACIFA Conference is an investment in – that ever changing knowledge pool – and not, as it has been mentioned in the past … a Union gathering.
The conference is May 15 to May 17, 2016. SAFA will sponsor up to 40 members for the conference; done on a first come basis (contact the SAFA Office for more details).
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit”. Aristotle.
James McWilliams
SAFA President