UNews - Susie Kennedy

Fall reading break approved for 2016

trevor.kenney — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 18:13:22 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge continues to introduce initiatives that address the mental health and well-being of its students, approving the implementation of a fall reading break for the 2016 Academic Schedule.

The break will run Nov. 7-10 and, with Remembrance Day included, amounts to a full week away from classes in the midst of the Fall 2016 Semester. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has traditionally incorporated a spring reading break into its academic schedule, and will continue to do so.

Mental health and well-being of students is at the heart of implementing a new fall study break. The 2016 break will run Nov. 7-10.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s students and faculty saw this as a priority and we are pleased that we have a solution that is so well supported,” says Susie Kennedy, U of L registrar. “We are always looking at strategies to better support our students and put them in the best possible position to succeed in their studies.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s General Faculties Council initiated discussions on whether a fall reading break should be added to the academic schedule and a work team was created that included faculty members, graduate and undergraduate student representatives, as well as stakeholders from the U of L’s northern campuses, the registrar’s office and ancillary services.

Further consultation through the Strategic Enrolment Management Committee and open meetings resulted in overwhelmingly positive feedback to implement the fall break.

“This break will have a positive impact on students and is consistent with the Students’ Union goal to advocate on the importance of student mental health,” says Brenna Scott, president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students’ Union. “The first semester can be a stressful one for students, especially new students that are still adjusting to the transition to university life. This break will not only give students the breather they need mid semester, but will help them in achieving academic success. I am thrilled to have the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s support of this initiative and glad to see this break becoming a reality.”

The U of L has been active in enhancing its student supports in recent years, specifically highlighting student mental health and wellness. The creation of the Student Success Centre was one such initiative and just this fall, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ became the first Canadian post-secondary institution to join The Jed & Clinton Health Matters Campus Program in support of student well-being and mental health.

“Student demand for counselling services has never been greater,” says Dr. Mark W. Slomp, manager of Counselling and Career Services and acting director of Student Services. “A fall reading break will bring much needed relief to students at a time when it is most needed.”

Dr. Judith Lapadat, associate vice-president (students), adds that the approval of a fall break is in keeping with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s overarching philosophy towards mental health.

“I am very pleased that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has committed to student wellness in such a significant and concrete way,” says Lapadat. “The addition of a fall reading break builds on a lot of excellent work that is being done under the auspices of the provincial Mental Health Grant to support student mental health.”

Banner revitalization underway

caroline.zentner — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 18:12:28 +0000

The Banner system, the platform for most administrative operations at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, is undergoing some reconstructive surgery. With some nips here and tucks there over the next couple of years, Banner will emerge sleek, smooth and more nimble.

“We are going to a baseline, Banner-delivered, best practices system,” says Susie Kennedy, registrar. “As enterprise solution providers, Banner by Ellucian supports best practices in the post-secondary system. We can appreciate and take advantage of those features once our revitalization project is completed.”

Right now, the Banner system is a hybrid of the baseline Banner product and additional modules developed in-house. The IT Services department provides the infrastructure for the Banner suite of applications that includes student information, finance, human resources and alumni systems.

When Banner was first adopted in the late 1980s, it was largely a place to record and store student information. The system wasn’t set up to perform certain functions the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ required, so U of L programmers and analysts were tasked with developing their own solutions to Banner’s shortcomings and embedding them into the system.

“We had to build functionality onto their system,” said Debi Sandul, program manager for Banner Revitalization.

A few years later, the parent company added finance, human resources and alumni applications to the Banner system. Those applications and the in-house modules have created the system in use today.

One of the biggest problems the U of L experienced with the system was that its own customizations of Banner interfered with performing system upgrades.

“We can’t just lay their new services over top of the existing because our U of L modifications are in the way. As a result, we haven’t been able to implement many of the improvements in the Banner system,” says Kennedy.

Banner has evolved over the years and a Canadian solutions centre was added to ensure the system met the needs of Canadian post-secondary customers. The Banner suite is now robust enough to perform all the functions the U of L needs. The Banner Revitalization project was launched earlier this year to begin the process of removing U of L customizations from the Banner system.

The revitalization of Banner is more complex than just hitting the delete button. Because U of L customizations support local processes and are implanted into many facets of Banner, removing them requires planning and organization.

“It’s going to feel different for some users but it’s definitely going to streamline some processes and result in some procedural and administrative efficiencies,” says Kennedy. “Letter generation will be automated, as an example, and there will be improved online self-service.”

Admissions and registration will be simplified, making it easier for prospective students to apply, enroll and manage their academic life from the device of their choice.

“Our whole communication plan with students will change for the better,” says Sandul. “If we can automate some of the more tedious types of tasks then our staff can spend more time on providing student support where it’s required and where it’s requested.”

Improving service to students is something Andy Hakin, vice-president (academic) and provost, wholeheartedly supports.

“Whether someone is considering studying at the U of L, is already a student or an alumnus, they expect an easy and smooth online experience,” says Hakin. “Once the revitalization process is completed, the Banner system will allow us to provide better service and better meet user expectations.”

Initial work is being done behind the scenes and it should take another four or five months to complete. A core technical team of eight to 10 people is working on the project, with additional personnel called in as needed. The majority of the work should be completed in early 2016. Anyone with questions is welcome to send an email to revitalization@uleth.ca.

“Once we’re done the revitalization, the stage is set for major enhancements to the system. We’ll be able to implement new features and technology as part of regular system upgrades,” says Sandul.

Susie Kennedy brings her passion for IT and people to her new role as registrar

caroline.zentner — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 16:13:51 +0000

Decades ago, maintaining student university records was strictly a pen-and-paper task.

Technology put an end to all that, eventually ushering in a new era where students and alumni access their records online and prospective students get acquainted with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s digital campus before they even set foot on the grounds.

“Systems has become an integral part of the registrar’s role now,” says Susie Kennedy, who took over as the U of L’s registrar on July 1. “I still think the front door is important for some and quality access there is important as well.”

Kennedy, whose first degree is in information systems, is adept at seeing the organization as a whole and how a small change in one area affects other parts of the system.

“I have a passion for the combination of IT (information technology) and people. It’s an interesting area to both work and do research in,” she says.

Kennedy is currently working on her fourth degree, a doctorate through Aston ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in England. She’s focusing her dissertation on work groups and promotion in IT. While people who work in the technology field are specialized, they are also part of a team. Kennedy wants to know what happens to someone’s identity when they are promoted out of the team.

“There has been no other work that has reviewed the changing identity through promotion, so this is really new,” she says.

Being a student herself, Kennedy brings a dual perspective to her role as registrar. Service to students is paramount, both in access and equity.

“I believe the Registrar’s Office should work from a determined institutional perspective, with student service, access, accuracy and equity as priorities. Our role is also to serve institutional needs, provide Faculties and programs with support, to ensure they can also fulfil their roles,” says Kennedy.

The Registrar’s Office and its 45-member team report to Dr. Judith Lapadat, associate vice-president (Students).

“It’s a well-rounded team in terms of expertise; we’re really fortunate here,” she says.

Kennedy was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and raised in the Ottawa Valley, the second youngest of nine children. Her mother, widowed when Kennedy was only two years old, moved to Lethbridge when Kennedy was in high school, following in the footsteps of some of her older children who had already moved west.

After high school, Kennedy attended the U of L without a clear idea of what she wanted to do. She took a couple of years off to work and then attended Lethbridge College to study business administration. She subsequently took advantage of the post-diploma agreement between the college and the U of L and continued her studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

“I thought I’d be interested in human resources but then I saw that management information systems major. It was a phenomenal program and I really enjoyed it,” she says.

She started teaching in IT at Lethbridge College and completed a master’s degree in educational technology at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary. She later completed a master of science in management at the U of L.

In her rare spare moments, Kennedy enjoys spending time with her husband Dave and their children, cultivating her flower garden and travelling.

UNews - Susie Kennedy

Fall reading break approved for 2016

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