Paul Dangerfield to Lead NYIT-Vancouver August 5, 2014

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) announces the appointment of Paul Dangerfield, an experienced senior leader in Canadian higher education, as the new campus dean and executive director of NYIT-Vancouver. Dangerfield, who has lived and worked around the world, has been a senior executive in military, private sector, and academic organizations.

Since leaving Canadian military service after a 20-year leadership career, Dangerfield has worked as vice president for education, research, and international at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). Prior to that, he oversaw Capilano University’s School of Business as a dean and instructor. He also was a member of the university’s executive team for planning and operations.

NYIT Provost Rahmat Shoureshi, Ph.D., welcomed Dangerfield, stating, “We are very pleased to have Paul, a high caliber academic leader, joining NYIT. Given his vision and experience, as well as an outstanding reputation for building teams to deliver high quality, sustainable education, Paul will help us to expand NYIT-Vancouver’s reputation and program offerings.”

“I am honored to have been chosen to lead NYIT-Vancouver,” said Dangerfield. “I especially look forward to working closely with students and faculty. Our goal is to continue NYIT-Vancouver’s growth, including increasing collaborating with NYIT’s New York and other global campuses.”

Dangerfield is a Ph.D. candidate in Human and Organizational Development at Fielding Graduate University. He graduated with an M.B.A. from Royal Roads University after earning a B.Sc. in Chemistry at Carleton University. As a career officer in the Canadian army, he also completed the prestigious Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, where he specialized in strategic and operational planning.

NYIT’s Vancouver campus is located in downtown Vancouver’s Pacific Centre. It currently offers two master’s degree programs: a Master’s in Business Administration (M.B.A), through NYIT’s School of Management, and a master’s of science in Information, Network, and Computer Security through the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences. NYIT-Vancouver’s programs are authorized by British Columbia’s Ministry of Advanced Education, Innovation, and Technology. NYIT-Vancouver has also achieved British Columbia’s Education Quality Assurance (EQA) designation.

About NYIT

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has more than 12,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan; in Nanjing, China; in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.; in Vancouver, Canada; at other global partner universities; and online.

Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, nearly 100,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

Lee’s interview July 8, 2014

Lee Harris is the new Career Service& Alumni Coordinator at NYIT Vancouver Campus. Lee holds a Masters of Arts in Intercultural and International Communication.  This degree focuses a great deal on intercultural competency, communications and development communication.  As part of her residency, she traveled to India to work with non-government organizations and assisted in developing strategic plans for sustainable living in a small suburb of Ahmedabad. It was one of the most rewarding, positive experiences, she has ever had. Lee provides Career services to students during their learning experience at NYIT Vancouver campus and after students graduate, Lee maintains contact with students as the Alumni Coordinator. Last week, we had the pleasure of interviewing with Lee, and she shared a lot of interesting information with us.

Q1: Hello, Lee. Can you tell us a little bit about your work experience?

Lee: My work experience is somewhat eclectic as I have worked in few industries from holistic health, to administration, to education and finally property management.  Each opportunity came with unique challenges and skillsets that have been honed over the years.  Perhaps one of the most rewarding work experiences was when I taught English as Second Language (ESL) in Japan (six years), and in India and Thailand as a volunteer teacher.

Q2: We know that you are on the Board for the Society of Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SIETAR) BC. What is SIETAR?

Lee: SEITAR is a global non-profit organization that supports the education, training and research of current global and local concerns in the areas of intercultural competency, the effects of transnational migration, bridging the gap in multi-national communication.  SIETAR BC is the local chapter in Vancouver and our mission is “to encourage the development and application of knowledge, values and skills in all individuals as a way to enable effective intercultural, inter-racial and inter-ethnic relations at the individual, group, organization and community levels”  (http://www.sietar.bc.ca/about_us).  This year we hosted an International Congress here in Vancouver as well as in Sts’ailes where SIETARIANS visited from around the world to come together and discuss “Shaping Identity: Land, People, and Systems”.

Q3: You have been to many countries before you returned home to Canada; why have you chosen the NYIT Vancouver campus as your new start?

Lee:  NYIT has campuses in many different places in the world, and this aligns with some of my core values around supporting individuals who are part of and/or effected by globalization. As transnational education has become more commonplace, it is important for us to understand diversity in educational styles and development.  As someone who has traveled extensively, I wanted to work with international students in a higher education capacity and when the position at NYIT came up, I was thrilled to apply.  I am delighted to be part of the Vancouver campus!

Q4: What kind of support can you provide to the students at the NYIT Vancouver Campus?

Lee: As the Career Services and Alumni Coordinator, I am here to help NYIT students in developing their career plan.  I can assist with identifying strengths, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing practice and professionalism coaching. I can also assist with finding internships and employment as well as finding an alumni mentor.

Q5: Do you have any suggestion for students who want to find a job in Canada after graduating from NYIT?

Lee: Finding a job in any country can be challenging – Canada is no different.  As an international student, it is VERY important that some volunteer experience and / or membership to local groups have been developed while you are in school.  If you are able to land a part-time job, this will better your opportunities for full-time work after graduation as well.  It is vital that by the time you graduate, your resume & cover letter are as perfect as they can be; that you have taken as many steps as possible to perfect your English skills and perhaps made an effort to understand Canadian culture and customs.  How do you do this?  You need to just “get out there” and talk to people, volunteer at any event possible, network everywhere – you just never know who you might meet.  At NYIT, we offer the BUSI 610 class which will give you an opportunity to learn many of these skills and more.  For one-on-one assistance with resume/cover letter development, please sign up to meet with me and we can work on this together.

Why branding needs a good strategy? December 4, 2013

Why do brands need a good strategy? How does a brand stand out? Why are Apple’s iPhones sought out by most cell phone users?  Can this intrigue over Apple’s product be brand related?

We invited Anthony C Taylor to our class to share his experiences and insights about branding. Anthony is CEO and chief strategist of SME Strategy and has 10 plus years of entrepreneurial experience. So we asked Anthony, ‘what is branding?’ “Branding means promise. The promise that a company is going to do something” Anthony said. As soon as we start our business, we have a brand and our brand promises something. If we fulfill what we set out to, our brand will succeed and we will build brand loyalty. If we fail to deliver our promise, our brand will suffer.

Then when it comes to brand loyalty, the experience of a brand matters Most people have brand loyalty simply based on experience and value they received. If they think the brand is valuable to them and they have had a good experience with the brand, they then stick to the brand. “It also has to be the culture of the brand,” Anthony added. A brand should be able to generate emotions. That is the power of a brand. The more attached people are with the brand, the more likely they will buy.

We then asked Anthony what the difference is between branding and marketing? Anthony mentioned that branding is an image, and marketing is how you share this image. A brand builds its image in order to create brand equity. Brands across the globe are successful because they have created this brand equity. For example, Apple has developed brand equity. They constantly deliver quality products which people are accustomed too, creating a loyal customer base all across the globe which is reluctant to change companies.

Anthony left us with a question before he finished: “How do you brand yourself?” That is a crucial question that we, as MBA students, should always ask ourselves. Let’s take the example of competing for a job opening. An employer gets various resumes for a job opening so who does the employer choose for that particular position? How do we stand out from our competitors? This is a question we all have to find the answer too according to Anthony.

DELTA MU DELTA HONOR SOCIETY CHAPTER ALPHA XI SECOND INDUCTION CEREMONY FOR 2013 HELD ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 AT NYIT’S VANCOUVER CAMPUS October 29, 2013

The New York Institute of Technology’s School of Management in Vancouver held its second Delta Mu Delta (DMD) International Business Honour Society induction ceremony for 2013 on Thursday, October 24. This was our chance to honour and recognize the achievements of four of our MBA degree students in front of their friends.

Dr. Izelde van Jaarsveld, secretary of the Delta Mu Delta’s Alpha Xi Chapter, welcomed students and staff to the meeting. Four MBA students were inducted into Delta Mu Delta, namely, Sitan Jin, Anoop Kumar, Frankie Leung and Jaskaran Singh. They were called upon to pledge the Society’s honour code and received a certificate, DMD honour pin and cord, making them official Delta Mu Delta members and providing them with a keepsake. Mr. Lanny Liew, assistant registrar, congratulated the new inductees on behalf of the NYIT’s management. Five new Delta Mu Delta members were inducted into Alpha Xi Chapter last May. They are Jackie Prakash Jagger, Srikanth Kalappurackal, Bhupinder Singh, Manvir Singh and Eros Tuladhar. Congratulations – we are proud of all of you!

DMD membership is based on the following rigorous criteria: a 3.65 cumulative GPA upon completion of at least 24 credits in the Business program

An MBA student balances study and work October 24, 2013

Mr. Debojyoti Guha Roy is currently an MBA student at NYIT Vancouver. While studying here, he also manages to work part-time at Direct Sales Force as a Team Leader/Assistant Manager. We recently sat down with him and chatted about his studies at NYIT Vancouver, work and his experiences in Vancouver and Canada.

Why did you choose NYIT Vancouver?

NYIT is a global brand.  There are many campuses all around the world and this was very attractive to me. I also thought that if I can get a master’s degree here in Vancouver, I will have better chances to get a job here. Furthermore, the degree would provide me with a back up plan so if I could not find employment in Vancouver, I would also have a better chance to find a job in India with a master degree on my resume.

How has NYIT Vancouver helped you?

Studying at NYIT Vancouver has proved to be very beneficial. For example, the video conference facilities, which showed us how to communicate in North America, how to shake hands in North America, and how to introduce ourselves to new people have proved to be important in my professional development. I did not have a chance to take part in such activities in my home country, so I found them very helpful. Professional enrichment programs on campus have also helped me build up my resume, cover letter, etc. I also benefited when companies did presentations on our campus as this allowed me to network and seek employment.

What are some of your accomplishments?

I became one of the best sales agents in the MBNA TD Bank MasterCard program. Also, I was chosen one of the best co-workers in the Direct Sales Force.

Do you have any professional experience?

My professional experiences include working for Direct Sales Force and community fund-raising. With Direct Sales Force, I work as a Team Leader/Assistant Manager in Sales. For community fund-raising, I was charged with the task of convincing people how beneficial it was for a community to donate $20 per month for 2 months.

Who is your role model?

My role model changes all the time. When I work in a new environment, I always consider my senior manager as a role model. I try to learn something from them; specifically, how they became a manager. This helps me as I can constantly improve myself moving forward.

What are your future plans?

In the next 5-year plan, I want to become a program manager or a senior manager in my company.

In the next 10-year plan, I want to open my own marketing company. As you know, that requires a lot of time, effort and research. Therefore, I work for other companies to try to learn how to run a business. I will learn their strengths and how they succeed. On the other hand, I will also look into mistakes they make and where they have failed so I will not repeat similar mistakes in my ventures.

What are your hobbies?

When I have free time, I usually listen to relaxing music such as country music. Because I am under certain amount of pressure as a team leader/assistant manager in my company, I have to relax once in a while. By listening to music, I can comfort myself!