The Rural Voice, 1993-02, Page 32economics, set up by principal
Jim MacDonald and associate
principal Molly McGhee.
Eight full and part-time
instructors completed the
roster.
Courses changed as the
need for specialization bec-
ame apparent. By 1969, the
Agriculture program was re-
vised to Agricultural Business
Management, and the Home
Economics course was divi-
ded into Food Service Man-
agement and Fashion. The
latter was phased out in 1978.
The Animal Health Tech-
nology course was transferred
to CCAT from Ridgetown in
1969, and renamed Veterin-
ary Technology in 1990 to
better describe program and
graduates.
Enrollment peaked at 319
in 1977. Currently, 170 stu-
dents are taking one of the
three two-year diploma
courses; Veterinary Technol-
ogy attracted 60, another 60
are studying Agricultural
Business Management, and a
further 50 will graduate from
Food Services Management.
Staff — instructors, adminis-
trative, maintenance and farm
research — now totals 80.
Environmental issues and
responsibilities are now part
of all three diploma courses.
For example, waste handling,
whether foodstuff, biomedical
or livestock, is pertinent to
all.
"Curriculum development
is an on-going process. Les-
sons are revised annually,"
director Kathy Biondi notes.
Continuing education has
been an integral part of
CCAT since the first short
courses for adults were
offered in 1968. Growth has
been phenomenal, especially
in the past decade. Kathy
Biondi was hired in 1983 as
head of communications and
continuing education, with a
mandate from then director
Doug Jamieson, and sub-
sequently Bill Allen, to make
her department a very visible
one. By the time she stepped
28 THE RURAL VOICE
Kathy Biondi (top,
left) has guided
Centralia through its
anniversary year.
Librarian Marie
Kenney (top right)
oversees a library that
has doubled in size.
CCAT s computers
and software were
upgraded in 1992.
Systems officer Stuart
Spracklan (left) has
100 new software
packages to choose
from.
Helga McDonald
(below) co-ordinates
continuing education
and rural and
community
development.
up to director, extensions
courses had expanded from
20 to 100, ranging from one -
day courses to certificate
qualification, with subjects as
diverse as beef production,
hoof trimming, organic
gardening, or the highly
popular Christmas baking
workshop repeated three
times each year.
Helga McDonald, who
took over the department
when Kathy was promoted,
is continuing the policy of
passing on CCAT's expertise
to the public.
"Courses grow and change
each year," Helga notes.
Once a need has been
defined, "we are happy to
pull a course together, or do
training on-site", giving as
one example instruction in
food -handling at a nursing
home or hospital.
Peer teaching has proven
effective in off -campus
workshops. People within
the community are em-
ployed to pass on skills like
welding, farm safety or
setting up a rural business.
The lap -top computer has
allowed instructors to ar-
range computer workshops
in 13 surrounding counties
to teach people how to use
these modern wonders for
tasks such as ration formu-
lation and record-keeping.
Dr. Ralph Topp, co-
ordinator of Veterinary
Technology, is writing man-
uals to allow VT students to
take part of their diploma
course by correspondence.
They would still come to the
college for hands-on lab
training.
"The food course is an-
other possibility for distance
education," Biondi believes.
McDonald is a member of
the South Huron Economic
Development Committee,
formed three years ago as a
joint effort by municipal and
county officials to attract
business, pinpoint problems,
and devise solutions. Exeter
administrator Rick Hundey