Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology - Yearbook (Welland, Ontario Canada)

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' Administration

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The Dean Speaks Out At times during our first year we consoled ourselves with the thought that things at the College could only get better. The start of our second year showed how overly optimistic we had been. Construction delays, due to strikes and lockouts, held up completion of the gymnasium area, Data Centre, and all the new laboratories until Christmas. Some classes were held in the corridor, in the library and the student lounge during the first few weeks of the Fall term. One hundred and fifty students were packed into the Horticulture building in St. Catharines, treble its designed capacity. For the entire Fall term, all Divisions of the College worked on shifts, with classes running for fifteen hours from 8:00 a.m. to 1 1 :00 p.m. We survived. The primary credit for this belongs to the students and faculty. January, 1969 saw a gradual return to more normal conditions, though problems remained. particularly the inadequacy of the drafting facilities. The Spring brought some further bad news, primarily, in terms of budget restrictions for the 1969 70 academic year. A number of uncertainties developed in the future of the permanent building program. Planned freshman enrolment was virtually frozen at the 1968 figure, with the inevitable consequence that many aspiring students will be disappointed. The start of a number of approved new programs has been postponed to a later year. There is a great responsibility on all of us, therefore, to make full and proper use of the facilities that we have. We are fortunate to have an excellent College spirit, with considerable participation by students on numerous Col lege committees. I am confident that together we can successfully overcome all hurdles. With very best wishes, Sincerely, A. Wyatt, Dean of Faculty 5