UNews - Andrew Hakin

Scotiabank supports establishment of International Student Emergency Bursary

trevor.kenney — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 20:08:30 +0000

The creation of an International Student Emergency Bursary is now a reality, thanks to a $4,070 matching donation from Scotiabank.

Jamie McMullin (BMgt ’06), branch manager of Scotiabank West, recently presented Dr. Andrew Hakin, Provost and Vice-President (Academic), with a cheque toward the establishment of the International Student Emergency Bursary. Scotiabank matched funds that were raised at the 24th Annual International Dinner’s silent auction on March 21, 2017.

This fund will be made available to students who are in dire financial need and without any alternative options available to them. It has been a much-needed fund over the years, and is now available to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's international students.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ unveils design selection for new Science and Academic Building

trevor.kenney — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 22:57:30 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has chosen a design option for a new Science and Academic Building as part of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Destination Project.

The Hub, a concept that creates a vibrant core in the heart of the building where paths between laboratory blocks and the general campus intersect, was recently approved by the U of L’s Board of Governors from three proposed massing options shared with the community earlier this fall.

The new building aims to enhance and support entrepreneurship through the training of students in leading edge teaching and research laboratories.

“This is a significant milestone in our process and to see our planning efforts beginning to take form is extremely exciting,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon. “This new building will move our institution forward in a transformational way and provide significant opportunities for students, faculty, staff and the southern Alberta community.”

KPMB/Stantec Architects and the Destination Project Steering Committee developed three massing options before presenting them to the community in early September.

Over the course of developing the three design options, five project charter goals for the Science and Academic Building were considered. They included: Connection to Campus & Community; Enable Transdisciplinary Learning and Research; Provide a Supportive Environment; Incorporate Sustainable Design; and Create Signature Architecture.

The new Academic and Science Building will serve as a catalyst in attracting leading faculty and high-achieving students to the U of L’s already outstanding academic and research programs.

“Selecting between the options that were presented to us by KPMB/Stantec Architects was difficult, but The Hub concept best incorporated goals of the project charter identified by the Destination Project Steering Committee,” says Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Dr. Andrew Hakin. “The design encourages interaction and collaboration between faculty, students and the community, while the building respects the wonderful coulee landscape presented by the Oldman River valley and our campus.”

Community feedback forums were held over the past month before the Destination Project Steering Committee made a final recommendation to the Board of Governors.

“To reach this stage of the planning process is exciting and a little daunting,” adds Hakin. “It’s exciting because we have a broad concept in The Hub from which to work. The daunting part is now before us, where we will make the key decisions as to how the interior of the building will take shape. These decisions will define how we can achieve our primary objectives and create a world-class facility that will engage our faculty, students and the community for generations to come.”

The new Academic and Science Building will serve as a catalyst in attracting leading faculty and high-achieving students to the U of L’s already outstanding academic and research programs. Further, new science facilities will allow instructors to more easily incorporate modern teaching methodologies into evolving curriculums.

The new building aims to enhance and support entrepreneurship through the training of students in leading edge teaching and research laboratories and will provide high quality space to foster industry collaboration and potentially the development of new companies. It will also contain a state-of-the-art, highly sustainable energy centre that will serve the entire U of L campus.

The Government of Alberta has invested $12.5 million towards the planning process of the Destination Project, and in December 2013, announced a $200-million commitment towards construction.

For more information about the project, visit the Destination Project website.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ unveils design choice for new Science and Academic Building

trevor.kenney — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 16:28:51 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has chosen a design option for a new Science and Academic Building as part of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Destination Project.

The new building aims to enhance and support entrepreneurship through the training of students in leading edge teaching and research laboratories.

KPMB/Stantec Architects and the Destination Project Steering Committee developed three massing options before presenting them to the community in early September.

The new Academic and Science Building will serve as a catalyst in attracting leading faculty and high-achieving students to the U of L’s already outstanding academic and research programs.

Community feedback forums were held over the past month before the Destination Project Steering Committee made a final recommendation to the Board of Governors.

The Government of Alberta has invested $12.5 million towards the planning process of the Destination Project, and in December 2013, announced a $200-million commitment towards construction.

For more information about the project, visit the Destination Project website.

ULink web portal the latest addition to student services

trevor.kenney — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 22:27:46 +0000

Student service is in the spotlight at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as the new student web portal has officially been named and launched.

ULink, the new web portal, is the latest initiative designed to further optimize the student experience at the U of L and pave the way for enhanced student success.

“There is no doubt that technology plays an important role in the student experience, and ULink is an exciting addition to the technology services available to our students,” says Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Dr. Andrew Hakin. “This portal was designed as an electronic gateway for students to access all the elements that affect their daily interaction with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in one place.”

The single sign-on functionality of ULink allows students the ability to map out their entire web environment in terms of dates and deadlines, courses and grades, account balances, course registration and so on. Student input and feedback was invaluable throughout the design phases of ULink with the goal of creating a web experience that best suited the needs of students.

“That’s the most important aspect of this entire project, that the end result reflects what matters to students and provides them with a tool that enhances their interaction with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ,” adds Hakin.

The ULink name came out of a campus-wide naming contest. Sue Kovach in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Scholarships and Student Finance office submitted the winning entry.

Enrolment picture points to long-term sustainability

trevor.kenney — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 21:32:38 +0000

Increased graduate student numbers and an influx of first-year high school students are reflecting the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s continued transformation into a comprehensive research and teaching university.

Students enrolled in graduate programs at the U of L increased from 458 students to 533, an increase of 16.4 per cent.

“While the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge remains very committed to attracting undergraduate students from across Alberta, Canada and the world, this year’s increase in graduate students is reflective of the U of L’s continued maturation as a comprehensive university,” says Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Dr. Andrew Hakin. “In an increasingly competitive landscape for graduate students, the
U of L is a university of choice for these world-class students.”

Also significant is the growth of new high school students to the U of L, rising 11.3 percent to 1,142 students overall. This trend was also evident among Lethbridge high school student numbers as they rose from 168 in Fall 2012 to 221 in Fall 2013 – a 31.5 per cent increase.

“This is an important development for our university,” says Hakin. “The creation of two new Alberta universities has significantly decreased our transfer numbers from these institutions. We have made up the gap with an increase in new high school students. This strong first-year enrolment will add increased stability in the coming years as these new students move through their programs.”

The number of transfer students received by the U of L dropped from 982 students in Fall 2012 to 827 in Fall 2013.

International student enrolment is up 8.1 per cent from 447 to 483, with students representing 88 different countries.

Overall, the U of L’s total enrolment remained steady and currently sits at 8,311 students. The number of students attending the U of L’s Lethbridge campus increased slightly by 0.3 per cent.

Hakin says this year’s enrolment numbers are a positive trend for the U of L.

“The numbers suggest the institution is responding well to a changing and increasingly competitive landscape. We remain an institution of choice for local, provincial and international students. We remain committed to providing students access to a high-quality university experience,” says Hakin.

RRP finds success points

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 16:05:22 +0000

It’s been nearly three years since the Recruitment and Retention Project team was established, and over that time a number of student-focused initiatives have been put in motion. To date, there have been 13 projects delivered or in the process of being delivered.

Responding to the needs recommended by student associations, units on campus, as well as many learner focus groups, this collaborative team has provided a rich environment of ideas to be acted upon in the pursuit of serving learners, helping create a real sense of community and support on campus that aligns with President Dr. Mike Mahon’s vision of a destination university.

“The RRP team’s energy, dedication and commitment in guiding and delivering these innovative projects focused on the recruitment and retention of our students is outstanding,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Provost and Vice President (Academic), Dr. Andrew Hakin.

Student success is at the heart of the RRP team's mission.

As the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ opens the Fall 2013 Semester, four more projects are moving forward, all examples of the co-operative effort that has been a hallmark of the RRP mission:

• The introduction of an online graduate application process under the leadership of Alice Miller (Admissions) has put to rest a timely, labour-intensive paper application system and help streamline the manner in which students apply for graduate school.

• Predictive Modeling, under the leadership of Mandy Moser (Institutional Analysis) for early intervention with an applicant to enrolment model, as well as a student retention model to aid Faculties and campus services to direct their future actions with greater efficiency and effectiveness, thereby increasing the likelihood of student success.

• The business case and analysis for new housing led to the opening of Mt. Blakiston House this fall, the newest campus residence building, directly targeted at retaining learners into their second year and beyond, all the while freeing up additional rooms for first-year learners.

• With the guidance of James Graham (New Media), the innovative online virtual campus environment created by the RAVE project will be introduced this fall, allowing users to virtually visit campus in a 3D environment. It allows peopl to get a look at all of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s facilities and services, granting users a sense of the campus community available to them.

“The entire Recruitment and Retention project has been very collaborative from the beginning,” says Heather Mirau, director Integrated Planning. “The RRP team and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community have all been fantastic, and the spirit I’ve encountered while working on these projects has been fabulous. It’s the students who benefit from this work, and that has been the goal of this project from day one.”

Mirau credits the success of the Recruitment and Retention Project due to the strong support from students, faculty and staff, and senior leaders. Much change has taken place in just a few years with nine initiatives piloted (four more are in the process of being delivered), which is testament to the broad support the project has received.

“I look at the Game Day Shirt project under the leadership of Trevor Flexhaug that grew out of work from the Enhancing Community & School Spirit subject matter team,” says Mirau. “The project team thought a great way to enhance Pronghorn pride on campus would be to encourage faculty, staff and students to wear Game Day Shirts on the day of Pronghorn Athletics games. It started small and now we have a number of campus units requesting shirts so that they too can take part.”

While some of the projects are focused on pride building, others are academically focused, such as the introduction of the Liberal Education 2850 course. Described as “Mapping Self, Career, Campus, Community”, the course was introduced as a pilot for the Spring 2013 semester and went over extremely well with students. Designed to help students with the transition to university life, it provides an active learning component focussing on the U of L’s student resources, including those that are imperative in supporting student success from their first semester through to graduation.

“It was very encouraging to see the positive comments students had for the LBED 2850 class,” says project team leader, Dan Kazakoff (Management). “It was evident that many students appreciated the exposure to the value of our liberal education foundation and the many support services that are at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to help them reach their goals. The key in the future will be to learn from the pilot class and expand the number of first-year students exposed to such an endeavour. A big thank you to Dr. Jan Newberry who taught the pilot class.”

The reworking of the Writing Centre within the Academic Writing Program provides students with a wider base of support within a multi-disciplinary approach.

“The greater level of support and expertise now enables writing skills and methods to be targeted to the various disciplines and needs of students,” says Dr. Cliff Lobe, coordinator of the Academic Writing Program.

The academic support project led by Dr. Heidi MacDonald (History) provided further emphasis on tutoring and learning strategists. This project resulted in several professors piloting the very successful visit from campus service professionals to their classes and the establishment of the 24-hour Collaborative Learning Centre (W650).

Other initiatives established through the Recruitment and Retention Project include the Learning Circles pilot project under the leadership of Dr. Craig Milner, the introduction of a Campus Information Services outlet, a campus service web page design, a services for students web page providing one online location for student support connections, and a Fun With Math program created through the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science with leadership from Dr. Hadi Kharaghani. Other project proposals have received approval for delivery over the next year.

“There’s been a real emphasis on talking to our learners and finding out what supports they need to be successful,” says Mirau. “We are trying to give them every opportunity to find that success. It starts with getting them engaged with our community the day they walk through the front door and then reinforcing those supports as they work their way through to graduation.”

For a look at the RRP team and for more on the project, visit www.uleth.ca/recruitment-retention.

Update from President Mahon on the Budget Adjustment Process

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 22:26:27 +0000

April 11, 2013

At the Community Update held on March 27, 2013, I committed to developing a values-based process to guide the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ through the operating budget adjustments that we as a community must participate in. In his presentation, our Provost, Dr. Andrew Hakin, outlined the process through which those values will be determined and endorsed, and the timeline under which we would conduct this process.

The values that will guide us are those that we, as a community, have collectively developed over multiple years, through many inclusive, collegial processes. They are a distillation of the values that are the foundation of our Strategic Plan, our Academic Plan and our Research Plan. Most importantly, the values are reflective of our community, and have been endorsed by both governance bodies of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, the General Faculties Council and the Board of Governors.

While much work has been done to develop the 2013/14 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ budget, there is much yet to do. Using these values as a compass we will over the course of the next month develop and debate options and ultimately bring forward the 2013/14 consolidated budget for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Using the pre-existing budget development entities and processes I expect to make a recommendation to the Board of Governors to approve the 2013/14 consolidated budget in mid-May to allow the Comprehensive Institutional Plan (CIP) to be submitted to Enterprise and Advanced Education for the May 31 deadline. The budget is a key component of the CIP.

At the end of this message I have included the values statement that has been presented, vigorously debated and refined by Deans' Council, Executive Directors' Council, President's Executive, the Budget Advisory Committee, the Budget Priorities Advisory Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, General Faculties Council, and the Board of Governors. I encourage you to read the document.

The Budget Advisory Committee will begin its deliberations on the budget adjustments, which include reductions as well as revenue opportunities, on Saturday morning. Their recommendations will be reviewed and refined by the Budget Priorities Advisory Committee. The Strategic Planning Committee will review the proposed adjustments and provide guidance on whether the proposed adjustments are respective of our values and to help the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ ensure that the adjustments being proposed are not being made solely for expediency and do not compromise the long term development of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as it relates to our priorities and aspirations as an academic community. President's Executive will be fundamental through this process and will review all of the proposed adjustments before the budget is presented to GFC and to the Board of Governors.

While this process will be challenging and must be conducted in a very compressed time period, I do encourage you to continue to provide your feedback and ideas via this website.

To date, I have received over 50 submissions from U of L community members on the Letter of Expectation as well as suggested budget adjustments. A fair summary of those ideas has been posted to this web page

for your review. I am grateful for the thoughtful and considered ideas that have come forward to date. All ideas that are proposed will be provided to the Budget Advisory Committee.

On April 23 from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Students' Union Ballroom Level 3, we will host another Community Update to discuss the budget progress made to date. I am hopeful that there will be additional clarity with regard to the Letter of Expectation by that time. As well, I hope to be able to share with you the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's response to the Letter to Enterprise and Advanced Education.

This continues to be a stressful and challenging time for our sector and our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. I am buoyed however by the positive support and collective will of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community to work together to address our current challenges. Our Board of Governors, our General Faculties Council, the Senate, the alumni of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and our community have been rallying in their advocacy and support of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. I am proud of and grateful to members of our academic community who have engaged in public debate and civil dialogue on these issues. I am proud of our students who have actively engaged with government in a positive way and have regularly exercised their rights to express themselves and their opinions. I am assured through this very tangible support that our future remains ours to determine and is bright.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mike Mahon
President and Vice-Chancellor

Reaffirming our Values:
A ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Response to the 2013-14 Provincial Budget

We commit to maintaining the forward vision of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Our Strategic priorities remain priorities independently of the financial challenges our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ encounters. To take us to our desired future the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will pursue its established strategic directions and identified priorities.

The Alberta Provincial Budget 2013-14 has imposed severe reductions and thus introduced significant financial challenges for the post-secondary sector in our province and for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. A reduction to our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Campus Alberta Grant of 7.3% will require the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to eliminate $11.9 million from its continuing operating budget.

An increase of 2% to the Campus Alberta Grant for 2013-14 had previously been communicated by the Government of Alberta to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, as part of a three year funding commitment. This was presented with the intention of enhancing future financial planning and sustainability. Although it became increasingly clear during the 2012-13 fiscal year that the 2% increase was becoming less likely, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, and others in the post-secondary sector, were not informed or warned by the Ministry of the deep financial reduction that has been applied to our continuing operating funds.

In managing the impact of this severe funding reduction, members of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ senior administration have committed to clear, timely, and transparent communication to all members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Our first order of business is to enter into a process that will address our required reductions. To do this our institutional values will be reaffirmed and will be used to guide and influence all budget related decisions and processes that lie ahead. The processes by which these values will be endorsed and reaffirmed by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and by which the 2013-14 budget will be established are provided within Appendix 1 of this document. They follow closely the paths already utilized for budget approval within our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Fortunately, in the last few years much work has been completed with respect to the values of our institution. They are contained within the documents that provide the framework for the operation and the establishment of priorities for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. These documents include our current Strategic Plan, Academic and Research Plans, and our Comprehensive Institutional Plan. All of these documents were approved utilizing the full scope of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ bicameral governance framework. Although they were created and approved at times in which significantly different financial conditions were anticipated, these documents enshrine both our values and our priorities as an institution. These values and priorities are independent of our immediate financial future as the long-term future of our three-campus ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ extends well beyond immediate budgetary issues.

To intentionally follow our priorities will require all constituents of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to work together. Working together provides strength. As we address our financial challenges we will strive to ensure that all groups within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ are engaged in the protection of the academic integrity and the future of our institution. There are no aspects of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's operation that will be excluded from consideration in constructing the path by which we will best ensure the continuing financial sustainability of our institution. Indeed, in moving towards this desired outcome it will be necessary to explore all possible operational collaborations to achieve efficiencies. New forms of revenue generation will be considered an important component of any plan to mitigate our financial challenges.

The values presented below are purposely non-prioritized as they provide a holistic framework to guide and influence the budget processes and decisions that lie ahead. Underlying these values is a commitment to open, transparent and timely communication to our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community. And fundamentally, as president Sam Smith asserted in his August 1, 1967 address to the students of summer session, our core commitment is still "to the individual student as a person and as of ultimate worth.

Our people define our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and are our greatest strength

People are the essential resource of our institution and as such the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will strive to preserve employment. All ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ employee groups will be treated with fairness and with respect in all that lies ahead in our work to maintain our student centred focus and to ensure the continuing financial sustainability of our institution.

High quality is central to all that we do

Our commitment to maintaining high quality undergraduate and graduate academic programmes is key to our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ mission to build a better society. High quality instruction and teaching are essential to this commitment. Research and creative activity are also key to our mission and their vitality and vibrancy serve as a differentiating feature of our institution and a central part of our culture as a comprehensive academic and research institution. High quality facilities and services support our mission and best serve our students, staff, and academic staff.

Access to our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is a foundational value

As a Comprehensive Academic and Research ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, dedicated to liberal education, that was born out of the needs and aspirations of our local communities we are committed to providing student access to our high quality academic programs throughout the province without creating unnecessary financial barriers. Community engagement with our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and community use of our facilities play a role in defining us as a public institution.

Jurkowski named Dean of Faculty of Fine Arts

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:37:48 +0000

The Faculty of Fine Arts will be under the stewardship of a new Dean after the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge appointed Dr. Ed Jurkowski to the role, succeeding Dr. Desmond Rochfort.

"It is always exciting to announce the appointment of a new Dean, and it is especially gratifying to be able to promote someone from within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community," says Dr. Andrew Hakin, provost and vice-president (academic). "Dr. Jurkowski has been with the U of L for 17 years now and brings with him a wealth of knowledge, experience and a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities that face the Faculty of Fine Arts."

Jurkowski has been at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge since 1996 when he began a term appointment as an assistant professor of music in the Faculty of Fine Arts. During his tenure here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, he has continually progressed, earning tenure as an associate professor of music in 2001 and then full professor of music in 2007.

He most recently served as the Chair of the Department of Music (2003-2009) and has been in the role of Associate Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts since 2011.Jurkowski earned his bachelor's degree in music (composition) from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba before completing his master's and PhD designations at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Rochester in Rochester, NY, where he was also a teaching assistant and instructor from 1989 through 1996.

A visiting exchange professor at Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Sapporo, Japan in 2006, Jurkowski has published four books, including his latest, The Collected Works of Eduard Tubin: Double Bass and Balalaika Concertos (Series II, Volume 3) in 2013.

"I want to thank Dr. Rochfort for his fine work within the Faculty of Fine Arts over the previous five years," adds Hakin.

Jurkowski's appointment is effective July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2018.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ appoints Cooper as Dean of Arts & Science

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:25:20 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Craig Cooper as the new Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science.

"It is with great pleasure that we are able to announce Dr. Cooper as our new Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science today," says Dr. Andrew Hakin, provost and vice-president (academic). "We had a number of outstanding applicants for this role but Craig quickly emerged as the ideal candidate to succeed Dr. Chris Nicol. The appointment committee was very enthusiastic in its support of Craig and I'm confident that his innovative ideas and enthusiasm for the Faculty will play a key role in helping shape the direction of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ over the next five years."

Cooper comes to the U of L from Nipissing ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in North Bay, Ont. where he was a professor of classical studies and served as the Dean of Arts and Sciences since 2008. He spent the majority of his academic teaching career at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg, beginning as a sessional instructor in 1993 and eventually serving as the Associate Dean of Arts.

Cooper earned his bachelor's degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta before completing his master's and PhD designations at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia.

A member of the American Philological Association, the Association of Ancient Historians and the Classical Association of Canada, Cooper received the 2007 Robin H. Farquhar Award for Excellence in Contributing to Self Governance. His current areas of scholarly interest include Athenian law, Athenian orators and Greek rhetoric, Greek historiography and ancient biography. He has also published three books, including his most recent, Epigraphy and the Greek Historian, in 2008.

"I want to express my gratitude to Dr. Nicol for his leadership of the Faculty of Arts & Science since 2001. Many fine things have been accomplished," adds Hakin.

Cooper's appointment is effective July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2018.

The future of Liberal Education

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:45:11 +0000

Aaron Nakama (BA '98) has encountered a few false impressions when explaining how the Bachelor of Arts in French he completed at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge prepared him for a position as senior technical recruitment manager for Knowledgetech, a boutique IT Services company in Vancouver, B.C.

"Looking back, I can see how my choices evolved over the five years it took me to complete my degree," reflects Nakama. "I started in management, considered education and finally ended up with a BA in French with a heavy concentration of math, statistics and computer science courses. As a result, I am a well-rounded, global citizen, agile enough to take on new opportunities as they present themselves."

Advocating for liberal education, which emphasizes a breadth of knowledge and develops intellectual skills, comes naturally to Nakama who says that his own world view and interests don't fit neatly into any one subject. His university experience reflects these divergent and yet complimentary interests.

"The U of L enabled me to explore my interests and make connections between disciplines and with faculty, staff and other students that I rely on to this day," says Nakama, who has put his degree to use in a variety of fields ranging from broadcasting to technical recruitment since graduating from the U of L 14 years ago.

Alumnus Aaron Nakama has seen great value in his liberal education through the variety of career fields he has explored.

Indeed, a liberal education implies breadth and depth: broad knowledge in a range of disciplines, focused by more concentrated work in one. Liberal education degrees, which aim to prepare the next generation of well-rounded and responsible citizens, are not the new kids on the block – they've been around since 400 BC and represent a classical approach to university education.

While liberal education is common at universities across North America, it has a special context at the U of L. Forty-five years ago, a forward-thinking group of citizens believed that southern Alberta merited its own university. Over the course of four days in the fall of 1967, 20 delegates and a trio of invited resource guests charted the course of the fledgling ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge at the Waterton Conference, producing a statement of philosophy that is reflected in the academic program of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ today.

The principles of liberal education were deemed essential to what the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge would become and would serve as the foundation for inspired teaching, a personalized supportive learning environment, and student engagement in learning, creative activities and research.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is not located in a large metropolitan area as are the other two universities in this province," writes former acting president Dr. Russel J. Leskiw (LLD '93), in a document dating back to early 1967. "There is some reason to believe, therefore, that if the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is to succeed, and in fact survive, it must become an institution that is unique. It must somehow be an institution that differs from the two older ones in this province."

That the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's founders were so prescient in their thinking is testament to the visionaries that were at the table. They understood the importance of setting the U of L apart and saw liberal education as central to that mission.

The U of L's statement of philosophy, originating from the Waterton Conference and printed in every ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Calendar since 1967, says it best: "The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge endeavours to cultivate humane values; it seeks to foster intellectual growth, social development, aesthetic sensitivity, personal ethics and physical well-being; it seeks to cultivate the transcendental dimension of the scholar's personality. Its primary aims are to foster the spirit of free inquiry and the critical interpretation of ideas."

For 45 years, this statement has provided the foundation for how the U of L delivers its programming. However, since the original statement of philosophy was written there has been little discussion on the subject of liberal education or what it means for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and its students.

"Liberal education has historically been very important to us," says Dr. Andrew Hakin, U of L provost and vice-president (academic), who is leading the charge around a re-evaluation of liberal education at the U of L. "The question we need to ask today is, does it still have that importance to us as an institution?"

Today, the U of L is reimagining liberal education for tomorrow.

In the last 45 years, there have been enormous advances in technology, demographics, funding models, not to mention student habits and attitudes, to which the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has adjusted to better meet the needs of our students. Our approach to liberal education, however, has remained basically the same.

"The evolution of liberal education has been slow in the 23 years I've been here," says Hakin, who started in the chemistry department before moving into administration. "For many at the U of L, liberal education has been synonymous with the general liberal education requirement (GLER) that asks students to take courses from three different lists. Is that how we define a liberal education at the U of L?"

Hakin is arguing for a more purposeful approach and invited the U of L community to take part in the dialogue around liberal education at the second annual Fiat Lux Address, hosted earlier this fall. From the outset, Hakin made it abundantly clear he does not presume to have all the answers but he believes the time to forge a new conception of the time-honoured idea is at hand.

Hakin maintains that we need to consider the ideal of the educated person as a starting point for justifying curriculum content in liberal education.

"When we think about career paths for our graduates, the vast majority of them will likely go through multiple job transitions and changes in career direction. What I would hope, is that a liberal education will help our students to develop resilient skills that will serve them long after their formal schooling ends," says Hakin.

For him, this means reinvesting in curriculum to ensure the academic experience offered at the U of L addresses the needs of today's students. As the generators of curriculum, the challenge now lies with faculty to take a real look at the ideals of liberal education and how that translates to the teaching and learning philosophy at the U of L. The role of staff in supporting a liberal education experience will also be critical to success.

"We have some extraordinary courses and programs here," says Hakin, mentioning the U of L's liberal education classes as just one example. "Courses like these are challenging students to engage with our world, developing their analytical skills and prodding them to think through the ethical, civic and societal implications in the world around them.

These experiences need to be the norm for our students, not the exception, both within individual classes and across degree programs."

By educating students broadly so that they can move from one opportunity to another with confidence, the U of L is considering what it means to be an educated person in the 21st century and what contribution liberal education can make in addressing this question.

"As a student, I was able to direct the course of my own education," says Nakama, who credits the U of L for cultivating an openness that allowed him to chart a broad intellectual course, not just as a student but throughout his life. "My success underscores the value of liberal education for all students, regardless of their background, field of study or career aspirations."

With the next strategic planning exercise currently underway, Hakin wants liberal education to emerge as a key priority for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ resulting in a thorough examination of the subject by faculty and departments across campus.

"If we're serious about the quality of the whole of the degree we offer, then we have to try and build an experience not just around the major but around the whole degree experience. Our job is to help students gain the knowledge and skills they need to be successful, to eventually serve and to improve our society," says Hakin, harkening back to the ideals of liberal education. "These core values, held dear for the last 45 years, are still vital. However, we cannot be satisfied with simply being what we have been. I am suggesting that our greatest opportunity is to reimagine what liberal education means for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge today and how that can impact our society and our world."

To continue the conversation, contact hakin@uleth.ca

This story first appeared in the Fall 2012 issue of SAM. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

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