UNews - Maclean's

Increase in student scholarship support key factor in Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings jump for ULethbridge

trevor.kenney — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 20:56:40 +0000

A surge in student scholarship support combined with continued excellence in research led the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to the biggest jump of all schools in the annual Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings report, released Thursday.

ULethbridge jumped five spots in the primarily undergraduate classification, moving to sixth of the 20 post-secondary schools in the class. The ranking is in line with how the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has been scored over the past several years (sixth in 2019, fifth in 2020, second in 2021, sixth in 2022), besides last year’s 11th place anomaly.

ULethbridge moved up five spots in the primarily undergraduate classification.

An increase in student scholarship support led the way for ULethbridge, reflected in a rankings jump from 16th to seventh overall in the category. A further commitment to student support through the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors’ pledge of $10 million in match funds for the establishment of new endowed student scholarships will continue to enhance scholarship dollars moving forward. Not coincidentally, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s reputational ranking also jumped six spots to sit fourth overall.

“It is evident the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is consistently among the best post-secondary schools in the country, which has been reflected in the Maclean’s rankings over a number of years,” says ULethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Digvir Jayas. “Looking ahead, the investment by the Board of Governors in our students, coupled with the tremendous support we’ve been receiving from the community, shows how connected southern Alberta is to our university and the success of our students.”

What hasn’t changed is the consistent research excellence on campus. For the third consecutive year, ULethbridge ranks as the leader in securing medical/science grants. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has not been outside the top two in this ranking measure for the last six years.

“The research opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students on campus are endless and reflect a depth and breadth of activity across disciplines,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, ULethbridge vice-president (research). “We also saw a three-spot jump in social sciences and humanities grants and it speaks to the excellence of our researchers throughout our campuses and the work they are doing on a daily basis.”

Each fall, Maclean’s magazine ranks 50 of the country’s universities, dividing schools into three classifications: Medical Doctoral, Comprehensive and Primarily Undergraduate. They then utilize 12 indicators to determine the overall rankings.

Jayas says that while the rankings provide a snapshot of certain aspects of a university’s operation, they cannot reflect the actual student experience, something which has long been a unique aspect of ULethbridge.

“Statistics and indicators can create certain measurements and ULethbridge has consistently fared very well when compared to other schools across the country in those aspects, but they cannot capture what the student experience here in Lethbridge is all about,” says Jayas. “I am new to the culture here, and in my short time I have seen how unique the ULethbridge experience is — it begins with our people and the work they do to inspire, engage and support our students in their academic careers.”

The 2024 Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings report is available online at education.macleans.ca/rankings.

Open Mike — October updates and a look to upcoming town hall

trevor.kenney — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 16:03:25 +0000

I trust everyone had a good Thanksgiving weekend and I hope you were able to spend some time with loved ones, whether virtually or in-person.

I’d like to pass along a few short updates on some upcoming campus activities as well as congratulate everyone for some of the successes we have been celebrating in recent weeks. At the top of the list is our recent standing in the Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings Report, where we achieved our highest-ever standing of second in the primarily undergraduate classification. This is truly a campus-wide achievement and all of our faculty, staff and students deserve credit for continuing to put the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ at the top of the rankings list year after year.

As we look ahead, a key area of emphasis that will allow us to further strengthen our campus is the continued growth of diversity and inclusivity throughout our community. We are currently recruiting for the newly created and continuing role of Executive Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). This will be a vital role on campus, helping to shape our community going forward as we strive to effect systemic change and enable a university community that is equitable, diverse and inclusive.

Recently, we communicated our decision to continue instruction in the 2021 spring term through a blend of face-to-face and online modalities. This decision supports meaningful learning and engagement activities that are essential to the student experience and will maximize the number of students who can safely be on campus. Course delivery will continue to be primarily online, but with an increase in the number of face-to-face offerings. I fully expect our outstanding faculty and staff will continue to meet the needs of our students as we navigate these unprecedented times together, and thank everyone for their efforts.

Later this week, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will host representatives from Navitas, an Australian-based company that works in partnership with post-secondary institutions (such as Simon Fraser ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Ryerson ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba) for the purposes of recruiting, retaining and supporting international students. As part of this visit, representatives from Navitas will meet with U of L senior leaders, student leaders, ULFA executive and representatives of units responsible for supporting our international students. The Navitas visit is the beginning of a process to understand options and ask and address questions that would inform future considerations of their service.

The internationalization of our campus and support for international students has been a long-held priority for our institution. International students enrich our campus and broader community and contribute to the overall experience of all our students. Further, increased international enrolment is important in ensuring the financial sustainability of our institution, which is becoming increasingly important in the face of operating grant reductions from the Alberta government. Regardless of any future outcomes, discussions like these are critical in ensuring we chart a course forward that is in the best interests of our students, faculty, staff and the broader southern Alberta community.

On October 29, we will deliver another town hall update to discuss a number of important developments on campus, including the effects of COVID-19 on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s budget, further details regarding our Spring 2021 delivery model and an update on the various task forces looking at university transformation. These town halls are valuable opportunities to share information with each other that informs our collective work and I look forward to connecting with as many of you as possible through this forum.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ achieves highest-ever second place position in Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings

trevor.kenney — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 19:15:12 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge achieved its highest-ever position in the annual Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings Report, placing second overall in the primarily undergraduate classification.

Moving up three spots from its fifth place ranking a year ago, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ bettered its previous best standing, a third-place ranking spot that it occupied for six consecutive years, 2013-2017. At the heart of the surge was the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s continued focus on investing in its students and pushing the boundaries of research across all disciplines.

“It’s exciting to see the efforts of our faculty, staff and students recognized, because it takes our entire community working together to achieve success,” says Dr. Mike Mahon, president and vice-chancellor. “We strive at every level to provide the best student experience, academic experience and research experience for our community of learners and teachers. We believe we offer the best option in the country and one of the best experiences in the world, so it is gratifying to see this reflected in the ranking metrics.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ saw gains in four of the 13 main ranking categories, while maintaining its standing in several other key areas. One such area was the percentage of its funding devoted to student services, which ranked fourth of the 19 schools in the primarily undergraduate classification. It’s a metric where the U of L has been amongst the top five schools for six consecutive years.

“There is a culture of support for our students that exists on campus, it’s in everything we do and is integral to our students achieving their academic goals,” adds Mahon. “More than the resources we invest in student services, it’s an attitude amongst our faculty and staff that I believe truly sets us apart from other schools.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ continues to bolster its reputation as one of the top research institutions in the country, with faculty members and student researchers at both the undergraduate and graduate levels earning substantial funding awards. The U of L ranked second of 19 schools in medical and science grants received, the sixth consecutive year it has ranked either first or second, and jumped two spots to seventh overall in social sciences and humanities grants.

“There is a breadth of research activities across the institution that has positioned the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a major driver of discovery, creativity and innovation,” says Dr. Robert Wood, vice-president (research). “Our success in medical and science grants is consistently among the best in the country in our category, and includes many professors who are world-leaders in their research areas. The growth of our humanities, social sciences, and arts portfolios continues a trend that has seen more-and-more of our faculty members across the university recognized for their ground-breaking research and creative activity.”

U of L overall student satisfaction also jumped two spots, placing the institution eighth overall, while the reputational ranking among its 19 peers also rose to sixth overall, a jump of one position.

“Our focus is and always has been on providing an unparalleled learning environment for our students, research experiences at both the undergraduate and graduate stages of their academic careers, and growing a research program that betters the lives of people in southern Alberta and beyond,” adds Mahon. “To have that recognized externally and showcased nationally is very good news.”

The full Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings Report is available here.

Student and faculty successes push ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to top-five position in latest rankings

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 15:27:42 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students and faculty continue to excel as leaders in research and innovation, their successes reflected in the annual Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings report.

The U of L earned a fifth-place overall ranking amongst 19 schools from across the country in the Primarily Undergraduate category, a standing that has been consistent over the past several years and speaks to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s continuing focus on students and student outcomes.

“We know who we are and what we are trying to accomplish, and that’s to provide an accessible, quality educational experience for our students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels,” says U of L President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon. “These sorts of rankings can offer a glimpse at aspects of a university’s operation and while we continue to fare extremely well comparatively across the country, data alone cannot define the experience we provide and the impact our students and faculty are making in the world.”

Of the 14 main markers used by Maclean’s, the U of L was buoyed by the performance of its students and faculty. Student awards improved to fourth overall and medical and science grants (the average size and number of peer adjudicated grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Canadian Institutes for Health Research) jumped to first overall. Faculty awards also jumped up a spot and total research dollars improved by one ranking place to put the U of L seventh overall in the category.

“Our faculty members are amongst the world’s leading researchers in a breadth of fields and what sets us apart is that they are not just working in the lab, they are also in the classroom, teaching their students and involving their students in that research work from the time they are undergraduate students through their graduate programs,” says Mahon. “The opening of Science Commons this fall will further enhance this experience and allow even more students the opportunity to be involved in hands-on research from the beginning of their academic journey.”

The U of L was ranked fourth of 19 schools in the percentage of its total operating expenditures devoted to student services and saw both its student retention rate and percentage of students who graduate (undergraduate students who receive a degree within seven years) improve. The U of L was ranked 10th overall in terms of student satisfaction, consistent with previous years. One area of improvement, as indicated by students, was in the steps to prevent sexual assault category where the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ moved up four spots to seventh, reflecting the U of L’s new sexual violence policy — an initiative led by student input.

Reputationally, the U of L is ranked 35th in the entire country, which also includes comprehensive and medical/doctoral institutions. U of L students, meanwhile, were ranked 24th across the country as leaders of tomorrow, a jump of four ranking spots.

The complete Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings report is available online: https://www.macleans.ca/education/university-rankings-2020-canadas-top-primarily-undergraduate-schools/

UNews - Maclean's

Increase in student scholarship support key factor in Maclean’s ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ Rankings jump for ULethbridge

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Increase in student scholarship support key factor in Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings jump for ULethbridge

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ achieves highest-ever second place position in Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings

Student and faculty successes push ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to top-five position in latest rankings