Queen’s gives out free Microsoft program

Office 365 ProPlus is now free for all Queen’s students, with all Microsoft Office applications available to download and install.

Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, Access and Lync are all included in Office 365 ProPlus, a subscription service for Office applications. Unlike Microsoft Office, ProPlus can be installed on up to five different devices.

ProPlus is available due to Microsoft’s “Student Advantage” program, which provides students with free access to Office during their time at school.

Queen’s students can install ProPlus by logging into the Microsoft Portal using their Queen’s email address.

Because the Campus Computer Store has been offering Office 365 University to students at $79 for a four-year subscription, many students may already have purchased Microsoft Office.

A subscription purchased through the Campus Computer Store has some advantages. ProPlus will expire after a student graduates from Queen’s, whereas Office purchased through the Campus Computer Store will only expire at the end of the subscription term.

— Chloe Sobel

New mental health program in works

A progressive new training program designed to support employee mental health has been announced.

The program was developed by Morneau Shepell, Canada’s largest human resources consulting firm, and Queen’s Faculty of Health Sciences. It complies with the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, introduced last January.

The program will be delivered first to nearly 5,000 front-line managers at Bell Canada. It consists of three phases, entailing a blend of online and in-class learning, along with an assessment process that involves final exams.

The material involves developing empathetic coaching skills, successful management practices focused on early intervention, recovery and return to work, and identifying leaders’ influence in fostering a mentally healthy work environment. The Faculty of Health Sciences will review the program annually in order to improve the quality of the program.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada estimates that between 10 and 25 per cent of mental disability costs incurred by employers could be prevented by implementing psychologically healthy and safe workplace strategies.

Mental health challenges and illnesses are the top cause of disability in Canada.

— Chloe Sobel

Students place at CEO competition

Four Queen’s students are semifinalists for the Chief Executive Officer for a Day (CEO x 1 Day) competition run by global executive search firm Odgers Berndtson.

Susan Wang (Comm ’14), Hasina Daya (ArtSci ’14), Stephanie Spagnolo (Comm ’14), and Chu Wang (Comm ’15) are among 18 semifinalists for CEO x 1 Day. Earlier this week, the semifinalists performed group and individual exercises in Toronto.

Seven finalists will be chosen to shadow a CEO in February.

Although Daya is studying global development studies and religious studies, she believes students of the humanities are capable of excellence in corporate environments.

CEO x 1 Day was created by Odgers Berndtson with two goals: identifying Canada’s most promising future leaders, and helping current CEOs understand what drives the next generation of leaders.

— Chloe Sobel