Belleville, Ontario, June 6, 2013 – At the 46th Annual Convocation Ceremony on Thursday, June 6th at 2:30 p.m., Loyalist College proudly presented 405 successful candidates in the School of Health Sciences and Centre for Justice Studies with 293 diplomas, 74 certificates and 38 Bachelors of Science in Nursing. The Convocation ceremony was the second of four, recognizing a total of 2,204 Loyalist graduates.
The Convocation address was delivered by guest speaker David MacKinnon, retired CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association. Mr. MacKinnon served as Director, Planning and Economics and Executive Director, Development Strategy, in the Nova Scotia Department of Economic Development. He also served in several senior capacities for the Ontario Public Service, the Bank of Montreal, and as CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association. Mr. MacKinnon is a public member of the Council of the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons and serves on several boards. He completed a five-year term on the Standards Council of Canada and was subsequently elected to the board of the Canadian Standards Association.
During his speech, Mr. MacKinnon shared five suggestions from his own life that he hoped would prove useful to the graduating class:
- Reinforce constructive behaviour in others;
- Think outside the box;
- Dream about what could be and dream big;
- Recognize that it is healthy to be paranoid; and
- Help build community by strengthening public institutions, like Loyalist College.
“In many ways, the face of this community is the architecture of the Loyalist campus,” said Mr. MacKinnon during his speech to graduates. “However, the central role of the College is much more than a matter of appearance. Without Loyalist, the people of this community and the surrounding region would have reduced access to the skills needed to make their way in the world.”
In appreciation of his memorable address to the graduating class of 2013 and in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the province, Mr. MacKinnon was presented with an Honorary Diploma in Applied Arts and Technology during the ceremony.
Loyalist College prepares students for a rewarding career by combining rigorous academic standards with hands-on training from industry experts. Programs range from apprenticeships and certificates to diplomas and post-graduate studies. Loyalist offers more than 60 full-time programs and 77 university transfer agreements around the world. A testament to the College’s strength is the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) released on April 17, indicating that 87% of Loyalist College graduates found employment within six months of graduation, compared to the average provincial rate of 83.6% for Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. Loyalist is committed to helping students find great jobs, as well as supporting and enhancing the economic and social development of all individuals in its communities.
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Media Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Interim Director of Marketing and Communications, Loyalist College, klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2536