The Bob Simmons Studio to honour late instructors’ lasting impact on people and industry

You would be hard-pressed to talk with an alumnus of the Media & Communications (formerly Broadcast Arts and later Interactive Media Arts) program at Assiniboine who wouldn’t speak fondly about their time in class with “Audio Bob”. The late instructor was honoured on Friday with the official naming of the Bob Simmons Studio, a recording space in the college’s Centre for Creative Media.

Throughout his 37-year career, Simmons would become a favourite of many students, often keeping in contact with them long after they graduated. His guidance and the impact on what the program has become is indicative of his drive to see students be successful. The recording space will bear his name as a representation of the hundreds of students he shared his time with.

“It is an honour to have Bob’s name associated with our Centre for Creative Media,” said Mark Frison, President of Assiniboine College. “His time at Assiniboine impacted generations of students, and having his family and former colleagues join us to memorialize him in this studio feels very fitting for Bob’s passion for people and the industry.”

Simmons began his career at Assiniboine College in 1980 in the Adult Basic Education (ABE) department, shortly after completing his teaching degree at Brandon University.

During the summers, he took audio recording and production courses in Winnipeg, and when the Broadcast Arts program launched, he began teaching audio courses. He retired in 2017 and passed away in 2022.

“Bob was a wonderful instructor and a mentor to so many students now working in the industry today,” said Jana Sproule, Chair of Media and Office Technology at Assiniboine. Sproule, a former student of Simmons, reflected on the impact Bob quietly had on so many who had the pleasure of taking his class.

“He really cared deeply about the student experience. I think because of his own interests in all thing’s music, audio, and technology, it rubbed off on all who were around him.”

Alumni and colleagues impacted by Bob’s time at the college have come together to donate to the college in his honour.