"Everybody Counts" PD Event

On Wednesday, May 26, 2010, service staff at Fanshawe's London campus met for a Professional Development half-day. Over 300 employees attended the two-hour morning event, titled "Everybody Counts," in J Gym 3.

After a presentation by Dr. Lane Trotter about Fanshawe's new Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) initiative, attendees were introduced to the guest speaker for the day, author and professional speaker Alvin Law, CSP. Born without arms as a result of thalidomide, Law has spent his adult life speaking motivationally at high schools and corporate events. His message has left footprints on the lives of over 2 million people throughout Canada, the United States and six other countries.

Speaker Alvin Law plays a drum.

After Law's address, Accessibility Services Counsellor Rick Madzia spoke on his concept of 'diff-abilities' rather than disabilities while promotional flashlights were handed out among the crowd. The lights were used as part of a group exercise to demonstrate how the work of each department contributes to the College as a whole.

The PD morning concluded with a clip from the popular TV show Glee, featuring an emotionally powerful demonstration of inclusiveness and acceptance set to the music of John Lennon's "Imagine." Lunch was served in the Oasis, and then staff returned to their desks to finish the day.

Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive, with more than 88 per cent of employees indicating the event was beneficial. Plans are already in place for the next Service Staff Professional Development opportunity, expected to take place in February 2011.