NSAC E-Bulletin

Please forward your submissions to the NSAC E-Bulletin to Stephanie Rogers (news@nsac.ca) by Friday at 3:00 p.m. for inclusion in the next week's edition.

May 25, 2004 --- Week 180

Monthly Feature on Stress: Article Four

Since May is “Mental Health Month”, Student Services is offering a series of information articles on stress, and maintaining your mental and physical health. Today’s article will be Preventing Stress. The article deals with techniques for making decisions, avoiding procrastination and delegating. To see article, click here. Next week's article, the last in our series, will offer resources to help you cope with stress.

Co-Op Archives Project

The MacRae Library was successful in getting funding for an Archives Assistant for the summer, under the summer employment program of HRDC for University Entry level positions. It is being coordinated through the Cooperatives Council and the Sheep Breeders Associations with the MacRae Library as one third participant. The candidate will start in June working in the Agricola Archives, starting with the Sheep and Wool Archives and also the big Cooperatives Collection.

Mexican Contingent Visit Campus

As in past years, English as a Second Language (ESL) camps will be taking place at AgriTECH Park this summer. A Mexican contingent from the University of Campeche visited our campus on Friday, May 21. The university is sponsoring 37 Grade 11 students from their feeder system to a four-week camp at AgriTECH Park this July. For one of the weeks of this camp the students will be living in residence on campus. Our Teaching Associates Group is working to develop some science sessions that can be offered during their camp schedule. The group included Dr. Jorge Osorno, Director General of the University of Campeche; Norma Lozano, Director of Continuing Education at the university; Jose Arenda, an education agent from Mexico; Bill Lee, an education agent with AD ASTRA International Inc.; Paul Millman, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia International Student Program, and Angela Dwyer James, Program Manager with the Chignecto Central School Board. Thanks to Jim Goit, Dian Patterson, Krista Lake, Sarah Macdonald and Anne Swan for helping host this group at lunch and to Robin Robinson, Peter Havard and Gefu Wang-Pruski for providing brief tours of some of NSAC's research.

(From left to right) Bill Lee; Krista Lake, International Student and Exchange Coordinator with NSAC; Dian Patterson, Dean of International; Jim Goit, Executive Director of NSAC External Relations; Dr. Jorge Osorno; Norma Lozano; Paul Millman; Brian Crouse, NSAC Assistant Dean, Career Services and Awards; Jose Arenda;

Print Room Open

Ray Priest has returned from sick leave. The Print Room in Cumming Hall is now open again for business as usual. He can be reached 4745.

Continuing Education Goes Organic

To meet the demand for high-level, scientific training in the organic sector, the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC) and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) have developed a Certificate of Specialization in Organic Agriculture. This program provides a flexible, learner-centred approach while giving students the vital tools and breadth of understanding they need to work in this rapidly growing sector. The program consists of eight web-based courses, five of which were developed at NSAC with the remainder originating from academic institutions across Canada. Students who successfully complete four of these courses (including at least two from NSAC), with an overall average of 60%, can apply to receive the Certificate.

Recent International Contacts
NSAC recently hosted two delegations of international visitors. In addition to the Mexican delegation noted above, on May 11, Ron Guan and Daniel Zhao of C & C Immigration Service (Canada) Inc. (which operates between Canada and Beijing) along with Chris Musial, the Marketing Director, International Language Institute, Halifax, NS, toured campus to familiarize themselves with our program offerings. Thanks to Claude Caldwell, Shannon Kilyanek, Raj Lada, Wayne Paquet and Dian Patterson for helping host this group over lunch that day.

Dr. Hicks arrives back on campus this week following an extensive trip to Central Europe establishing contacts for student recruitment and relationship building. Dr. Hicks' travels took him to the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra; Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno, CZ; the Czech Agricultural University and the Academy of Sciences in Prague; the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria; Szent Istvan University in Budapest and Godollo, Hungary; and additional travels through Romania. Thanks to Dr. Viliam Zvalo of AgraPoint for accompanying Dr. Hicks on the visits through the Slovak and Czech Republics.

A welcome back is also extended to Prof. Kevin Sibley who last week traveled to the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and also visited Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna.