lest

work for students system
c

Looking
for a job?
Bennett
will help

1 worked with the union, and we did our
best to find reassignments that were a good.
match for each individual based on their skills
and personality.

?
through continuous learning.
The final criteria is a teaching
demonstration,, observed’ by
several faculty members.
Aside from replacing faculty, Bennett deals with hiring
support staff and contract

Chronicle Staff__________

positions.
"I worked with the union,
and we did our best to find
reassignments that were a
good match for each Individ-

By Rochelle Boivin
Chronicle staff________

Sandra Bennett

By Peter Mitskinis
If you’re looking for work
and want to be part of the
dynamic team at Durham
College, Sandra Dennett director of Human Resources is the
person to see.
Bennett has been working at
Durham College for 20 years,
starting in the School of
Business as support staff, and a
few years later moving to
Human Resources where she
has been working for the past
10 years.
Her role is to replace retiring
staff’ members. The postings
for fall opportunities arc advertised in early spring, and that’s
when people begin applying.
Bennett encountered significant funding cutbacks in 1996
at Durham. As. a result, some
support staff lost their jobs and
otheis had to be given new

lists
teacher
absence

Photo by Polor Mitsklnis

SANDRA BENNETT:
Working hard for students who want to find
jobs.

she* likes to see information

about what individuals have
done at their previous jobs."
"Once the decision has been
made we are quick with getting in touch with people. We
don’t like to leave people waitworkers.
ing to hear back, and we want
This includes Information to get the new employee on
Technology members, physi- staff quickly," Bennett said.
When hiring is complete,
cal resources, REACH office
and student support In school Bennett will hold an orientation where new staff members
offices.
"Support staff must have will learn the policies of the
tons of experience, a post-sec- school, its values and any
ondary degroe or diploma and other pertinent information,
enjoy working with students," such as the rules of the campus
as well as expectations and
Bennett said.
During the course of one policies.
The final requirement for
year, Bennett helps new managers with interviews, about new hires is for them to get a
chance to meet other staff.
100 of them each year.
Once new employees are in
The most important part of
applying for any position is their place, Bennett has one
having a well-developed more task to fulfill. That is to
resume, says Bennett who help the department managers
looks for resumes that are error do a performance review at the
free, not too long and that pro- end of their probation period.

ual based on their skills and
personality," Bennett said.
Telling staff members they
liad to change jobs was a difficult task for Bennett to handle.
Bennett has a set criteria
when she is hiring for new
positions.
She looks at resumes of
potential candidates and will
look for specific documentation. A teaching degree and
7’his ensures tliat all new
teaching experience is impor- vide information about a peremployees maintain a high
son’s abilities.
tant.
Bennett says having just a standard of work ethics and
The candidate should have
a certificate in adult education list of job titles isn’t enough, competency.

Life may become a little easier tor students of
Durham College. A new
phone-in system will be
tested this month for faculty to report their
absences.
According to Judy

Moretton,

Vice-

of Academics,
many students commute
from out of town daily
and occasionally, they
arrive at class to find a
professor is absent or a
class has been cancelled.
To address this issue,
Durham College will provide students with a hotline number, giving
them a recorded message
of faculty absences.
Faculty should call
905-721-3111. Ext. 2784
to report their absence
for classes that begin at 8
or 9 a.m.
In order to assist the
college with testing the
president

new system, faculty are
asked to use tills number
from April 5 to 30.