UNews - Jaxon Reiter

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge launches development process for Comprehensive Strategic Plan

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 19:58:04 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is looking to the community for input into the creation of its new Comprehensive Strategic Plan, the roadmap that will guide the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and help shape the look of post-secondary education in southern Alberta and beyond for the next five years.

The strategic plan will set the course for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, and the input received through the strategic planning process will also inform the renewal of other guiding documents, including ULethbridge’s Academic Plan, Research Plan and People Plan. At the heart of any successful strategic plan is the process by which the plan was created, and the contributions made by its constituents.

“If I can emphasize one thing related to this process, it is to urge our campus community and our external community partners to be involved,” says Dr. Digvir Jayas, ULethbridge president and vice-chancellor. “This is not my plan — this is our plan, and we will only be successful if this plan is truly collaborative and aligns with the needs and aspirations of the communities we serve. There will be many opportunities to participate in the creation of this plan and to have your voice incorporated. Our goal is to achieve a shared vision and your participation is essential."

The community engagement process over the next several months will elicit the viewpoints of students, employees, alumni and retirees, as well as community members, research and industry partners, municipal and provincial government representatives and other key constituents.

“Faculty input will be vital in ensuring a successful strategic plan and our experience, insights, and perspectives will be invaluable in shaping the future of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Input from our academic community will contribute to a plan that promotes on-campus academic excellence and student success, and through our outreach, teaching and research activities, engages the many communities we impact locally and around the globe.”
Tracy Oosterbroek PhD, RN (BN ’95, MSc ’09)
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences

“Students are a guiding light for our institution, and our experiences, aspirations and needs should be at the forefront of our strategic plan. We are not just recipients of education; we are active contributors to our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community. Our perspectives and collective vision should shape the activities we undertake in the future to build a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ experience that is academically enriching, supportive, inclusive and aligned with the needs of the diverse student body.”
Maleeka Thomas
President, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students’ Union

“Graduate students play an important role in many crucial facets of our university. This includes driving novel research, securing research funding for our institution, and supporting a variety of undergraduate programs and offices on campus through teaching and academic employment. To develop a prosperous and inclusive strategic plan to guide our institution into the future, consultation with our graduate student body will be essential. We look forward to being involved in this process.”
Jaxon Reiter (BSc '22)
President, Graduate Students’ Association

“��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge non-academic employees, whether in administrative, support or operational roles, work behind the scenes to ensure that everything functions seamlessly, from finance to facilities management, student services and beyond. We understand the intricacies of our roles, the needs of our colleagues, and the expectations of our students. Input from employees, regardless of our responsibilities, will be paramount for a successful strategic plan.”
Nicole Bach (BSc ’19)
Planning Assistant, Campus Development

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s many external partners will also play a major role in the creation of the Comprehensive Strategic Plan.

“The success and vibrancy of our city is directly tied to the growth and development our post-secondary institutions. Our community’s collective voice was instrumental in establishing the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge 56 years ago and it is important now. Having our community share critical insights into this process will pave the way for a strategic plan that reflects the aspirations of our city, region and university.”
Blaine Hyggen
Mayor of Lethbridge

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is not just a place of higher learning; it is an integral part of our city's economic ecosystem. The decisions made by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ impact not only the education of our future workforce but also the economic development, innovation and prosperity of our community. On behalf of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, I commend the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for taking such a thoughtful approach to their strategic planning process and for seeking the valuable input of local businesses, entrepreneurs and community leaders."
Cyndi Bester (BMus ’95, MEd ’01)
CEO, Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce

Information about how to provide input can be found on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s strategic planning website, which was launched today.

Another vital element of this process is that it will not create a specific and separate Indigenous plan. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge (Iniskim) is located on Blackfoot Confederacy Territory, and Indigenous perspectives will inform the entire activity.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has a deep commitment to building and maintaining strong relationships with Indigenous Peoples. One recent example of this commitment is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ becoming the first post-secondary signatory of the Buffalo Treaty with a focus on education, research and cooperation. The priority to have Indigenous world views that are interwoven into the Strategic Plan, as well as other institutional plans, is paramount in ensuring that the incorporation of Indigenous perspectives is done so in a holistic manner.”
Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04)
Vice-Provost, Iniskim Indigenous Relations

“Our commitment to the relationship between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and Indigenous Peoples connects everything we do and must be woven throughout each plan,” adds Jayas.

As the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ begins consultations for the Comprehensive Strategic Plan engagement process and wanting to do it in a good way that is grounded in Blackfoot ways of knowing, culture and protocol, Jayas and Little Bear participated in a pipe ceremony led by Elder, Francis First Charger. The pipe ceremony was held Wednesday, Nov. 15, in the Iikaisskini Gathering Centre.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will share further details about the strategic plan engagement process in the coming weeks.

Dr. Michelle Helstein appointed Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

caroline.zentner — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:22:10 +0000

Accomplished researcher and senior administrator, Dr. Michelle Helstein, has been appointed Provost and Vice-President (Academic) by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Board of Governors, another significant addition to a leadership core that has seen a dramatic influx of new perspectives in the past six months.

Helstein, who most recently served as ULethbridge’s Interim Deputy Provost, will be a key voice on President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Digvir Jayas’s senior leadership team. Jayas assumed the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s presidency on July 1, 2023, and in addition, four new academic deans began their roles at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

“Throughout my introduction to ULethbridge and over the first few weeks of my time here, I see how respected Dr. Helstein is by faculty members and others within the senior leadership team,” says Jayas. “I am very impressed with how she is able to articulate the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s mission and am excited to work with her as we look forward and begin to develop, along with our internal and external stakeholders, the next ULethbridge strategic plan.”

Helstein’s role as interim deputy provost offered her the opportunity to work within the senior leadership structure and build on her vast experience as an administrator and academic. Helstein has explored multiple administrative opportunities from her first days at ULethbridge and been eager to lend her voice to the institutional narrative. She has taken on several significant roles characterized by increasing levels of scope, complexity and responsibility. These include oversight of Academic Advising, the Indigenous Student Success Cohort and Cooperative Education, as well as serving as co-Chair in the Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education and as both Associate Dean and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science.

“You can already see a sense of her leadership tenacity,” says Dr. Olu Awosoga, professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences. “She co-chaired the COVID-19 management team and worked through approving Navitas at the General Faculties Council, amongst others. Her stance on governance is focused on transparency, collaboration and a practical approach to decision-making.”

He adds that Helstein is a respected voice throughout the institution and will provide invaluable support to Jayas in his early days as president.

“Dr. Helstein has promised a more transparent, collaborative and effective governance approach with the ability to carry the students (ULSU, GSA), staff (APO, AUPE), and faculty (ULFA) associations along in the decision-making process,” says Awosoga. “She brings a matchless knowledge and a fantastic understanding of the governance structure of the U of L into the job. This will minimize the transitional hurdles, and she will be able to guide the new president in navigating the system with minimal stress.”

Emma Scott, professional librarian in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library, says Helstein is sincere in raising those around her.

“Alongside a wealth of institutional knowledge, Dr. Helstein brings a passion for supporting all units across the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and a desire to see students, staff and faculty succeed,” says Scott. “I am excited to see Dr. Helstein bring her servant leadership style to her new role.”

With several new perspectives coming to campus this summer, Helstein is enthused about the opportunity to connect those voices and help shape the future of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

“It’s an exciting time on campus,” she says. “We have a host of new programs and areas of study, we have great interest in terms of both domestic and international student applications, and we have new faculty members and administrators across the institution who are bringing so much energy with them — it’s an invigorating atmosphere.”

Helstein is confident in the collective strength of the campus community.

“I believe strongly that a university is its people. This role allows me to support the important efforts of faculty, staff, and students and to build contexts that facilitate their teaching, research, and learning so that our university, its people, and the communities we serve, can thrive.”

Jaxon Reiter, president of the Graduate Students’ Association, is excited about the opportunity to work with Helstein.

“I look forward to Dr. Helstein’s initiatives to support undergraduate and graduate students at our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ,” he says. “I am excited to work with her in creating an environment within which our students, current and future, as well as alumni, can realize success and foster a sense of great pride in our institution.”

Helstein earned a Bachelor of Arts from Augustana ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College and a PhD in Physical Education and Recreation from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. She began her ULethbridge academic career in 2003, focusing her research on breaking down the notion of sport and popular culture as simply innocent, playful, and not worthy of study by highlighting the significant impact and use of popular sporting culture within larger social, political and economic processes.

Her research has been recognized through funding support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and a number of other internal and external research funds, allowing her to explore questions related to representations of female athletes, the complex intersection of public and private sector funding within Canadian sport, and most recently, perspectives of labour within the concussion crisis in sport. Through her research she has actively supported both undergraduate student research and graduate education at ULethbridge.

Her term as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) commences September 1, 2023.

Dr. Digvir Jayas begins term with well attended Welcome Walk

trevor.kenney — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 21:38:55 +0000

Billed as a 30-minute tour of campus, Dr. Digvir Jayas’s Welcome Walk stretched past 45 minutes as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s new president and vice-chancellor engaged with multiple members of the ULethbridge community as he made his way around the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s sprawling property.

(From left) Dr. Jennifer Copeland, associate dean, Faculty of Arts & Science, Maleeka Thomas, president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union, Dr. Digvir Jayas, president and vice-chancellor, and Jaxon Reiter, president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Graduate Students' Association, lead the way during Tuesday's Welcome Walk.

More of a walk-and-talk, Jayas was quick to stop and chat with the various people who continued to join in on the event as it progressed through the scenic route — even earning a cheer from an exuberant Destination Exploration summer camp group. Staff, faculty, student representatives, local politicians and southern Alberta community members all participated to celebrate the first official workday for Jayas.

“I certainly am excited to be here,” says Jayas. “I think this went very well.”

Maleeka Thomas, president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students’ Union, says the walk served as an excellent opportunity to hear from Jayas about his institutional priorities, of which students are top of mind.

“It was pretty amazing to get to experience this and to see the new president come in and prioritize student leadership and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as always being at the forefront of his thoughts,” says Thomas. “It was great to talk about how we can work together to ensure we are seeing the betterment of our student population.”

Jaxon Reiter, president of the Graduate Students' Association, also took part in the walk.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to meet Dr. Jayas and hear about his excitement for this new role and his commitment to bettering the student experience," says Reiter. "I look forward to working with him to advance graduate student supports."

Jayas says that continuing to build relationships both within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and externally with the broader community is key in maintaining the upward trajectory of ULethbridge. He says his priority now is to continue to make connections and utilize an engaged community to establish the path forward for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Tuesday’s Welcome Walk, enthusiastically attended by all corners of campus and the broader southern Alberta community, was an outstanding first step.

UNews - Jaxon Reiter

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge launches development process for Comprehensive Strategic Plan

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