Vanier College is pleased to announce the appointment of Karina Leonard to the position of Continuing Education - Coordinator of Academics, effective May 22, 2023. Reporting to the Director of Continuing Education and Community Services, Karina will be responsible for all aspects of credit courses (ACS and DCS courses evening-weekend) in Continuing Education.
As Coordinator, Karina will collaborate in the implementation and evaluation of educational programs and activities, revise and develop programs and curriculum for the changing market, draft projects, then consolidate and create partnerships to promote their deployment. She will also be responsible for seeking new sources of funding and new partners in the labour market, and coordinating recruitment and promotional activities for Continuing Education. As well, she will ensure the development and updating of processes, procedures, tools, guides and forms for optimal operation.
Karina Leonard was first hired at Vanier College in 2021 as the Interim RespectWorks Advisor. In August, 2022, she changed position to become the Strategic Plan Advisor, focusing on cultivating staff awareness and engagement with the Strategic Plan through the lens of employee well-being, social justice and community building.
"I am extremely pleased to announce that Karina is our new Coordinator of Academics for the Continuing Education Department. It is clear that our students will benefit greatly from Karina's in-depth experience in collegial Education, her profound care for student and staff well-being and her dedication to student academic success, not to mention her previous excellent work in Strategic Planning and Community Engagement," said Greg De Luca, Director of Continuing Education.
Prior to working at Vanier, Karina worked as a pedagogical counsellor from 2006 to 2021 (Academic Development) at Dawson College. She started her career as a high school teacher with the English Montreal School Board in 2002. Her ongoing research interests include well-being and mindfulness, a pedagogy of play, and transformative learning.
"I am delighted to continue to serve the Vanier community. I believe that education is a vehicle to foster a more just and sustainable world, but that this change starts with each individual finding their path and having access to the professional support to navigate it. I will do my best to uphold this belief and the legacy of opportunities in Continuing Education for students and employees alike," says Karina Leonard.
Karina Leonard has a Bachelor's of Education (McGill University), a Master's of Arts: Educational Studies (Concordia University), a Certificate in Project Management, a Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership (McGill University) and is currently working on her ICF life coach professional designation.
We wish Karina well in her new position.
