UNews - Ottawa

Border policies greatly affect communities

trevor.kenney — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:45:55 +0000

Close co-operation between municipalities and chambers of commerce on both sides of the border is important to ensure that decisions made in Washington, DC and Ottawa will serve the interests of most residents of the region, according to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge political scientist Geoffrey Hale.

Groups like the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) do an excellent job of promoting broader regional interests on cross-border economic co-operation, says Hale, but there are enough different interests at play on border issues that area business groups can't take political responsiveness for granted.

"Governments in both countries naturally tend to be focused on big ticket items and the busiest border crossings, especially when they're stretched financially" says Hale, noting the ongoing work of the "Beyond the Border" Task Force announced by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper in early 2011. "This can lead to the emergence of 'nickel and dime' irritants that create unnecessary barriers to economic activity."

Recently, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed that the U.S. Congress authorize a study to explore the feasibility of collecting a fee for both Americans and visitors returning to or entering the United States across its land borders with Canada and Mexico. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, about 193 million people crossed the U.S. land border in 2012 – including 1.5 million across Montana's 13 border crossings with Canada.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee quickly passed an amendment to the comprehensive immigration bill now before Congress to scrap the measure. Congress is also considering proposals to allow Canadian "snowbirds" not working in the United States to stay an additional two months (above the current six) if they own or rent property there without triggering tax penalties under complex IRS rules. Canadians have invested heavily in vacation and other properties in the Flathead Valley and elsewhere in Montana in recent years.

In 2012, almost one million vehicle crossings occurred at 13 ports of entry into Montana, including 737,724 personal vehicles, with 1,300,642 passengers, 175,770 trucks, 843 buses, 21,342 passengers; and 5,145 pedestrians – most of the latter between the border communities of Sweetgrass and Coutts. The top three crossings – Sweetgrass (I-15); Roosville (US-93), and Peigan (US-89) – account for 86 per cent of passenger vehicle and 84 per cent of truck traffic entering Montana from Canada.

"Cross-border travel, particularly for tourism and recreation, is a major engine for the economy of Flathead Valley," says Hale, who studies economic, security, and other cross-border issues between Canada and the United States. "In addition, Canadian travelers have generated much of the traffic growth at Kalispell / Glacier Park and Kalispell Airports in recent years."

Hale notes that Montana's members of Congress and area legislators have a record of engaging business interests from Montana's northern border regions with a view to promoting economic development and job creation. With members of Congress from both northern and southern border states weighing in on these types of issues, sometimes with very different priorities, it's important for Montanans who benefit from continued cross-border traffic to ensure their voices are heard on these issues, says Hale.

Horns swimming in top-10

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:27:05 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's swim team has cracked the 2012 CIS Top-10 swim rankings for the first time in more than 10 years.

Fresh off an excellent performance at the Dino ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Invitational in Calgary last weekend, the 'Horns have jumped into the seventh spot nationally. The Dino meet continued a run of positive early season results.

Highlighting the weekend for the men's side was a third place finish in the 200-metre medlay relay. The 'Horns were just behind CIS powers UBC Thunderbirds and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos. The team of Nick Vander Sloot, Jeff Nicol, Ryan Thornley and Tiha Konyves set a new school record by more than two seconds and beat the defending CIS bronze medalist ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Golden Bears.

The 'Horns also finished fourth in the 200-metre free relay, breaking the school's best time by more than a second. The team of Vander Sloot, Thornley, Konyves and Hunter Scott finished with a time of 1:34.52.

"It was a good start to the season for us against some of the top teams in the CIS," says first-year Pronghorn head coach Peter Schori. "Canada West is the toughest swimming conference in the country and we are closing the gap between us and the top schools."

To date, the 'Horns have 18 qualifiers (10 men and 8 women) for the Canada West Championships that will be hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria, Jan. 25-27, 2013. Five Pronghorn men have also already qualified for the CIS Championships in February.

Following are the current CIS rankings.

MEN'S SWIMMING
(points) / (previous rankings)

1. Toronto 610 points / (1)
2. Calgary 603 / (2)
3. UBC 263 / (NR)
4. Laval 260 / (3)
5. Alberta 218 / (8)
6. Montreal 170 / (4)
7. Lethbridge 160 / (NR)
8. McGill 148 / (5)
9. Ottawa 113 / (7)
10. McMaster 105 / (9)

WOMEN'S SWIMMING
(points) / (previous rankings)

1. Calgary 399 points / (3)
2. Montreal 368 / (1)
3. Toronto 365 / (4)
4. UBC 354 / (NR)
5. McGill 249 / (2)
6. Alberta 157 / (9)
7. UQTR 149 / (6)
8. McMaster 126 / (5)
9. Guelph 104 / (7)
10. Dalhousie 103 / (NR)

McAleenan enthused about opportunity

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:04:25 +0000

Erin McAleenan has no problem admitting she has a competitive side that sometimes gets the better of her. It's a feisty edge she's ready and willing to bring to the Pronghorns women's basketball program as its new voice and leader.

McAleenan was tabbed as the 10th coach in the program's history in April, taking over a team searching for some bite and subsequent success.

"I played the point and I was very competitive," says McAleenan, a point guard for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Acadia Axewomen from 1999 to 2003. She comes to the Horns off a three-year stint as assistant coach with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas.

"I wasn't afraid to be physical to the point that the game allowed. I played in the women's league in Edmonton while I coached there . . . my competitive edge maybe takes over sometimes," she laughs.

New Horns women's basketball head coach Erin McAleenan is ready to get to work.

A Sussex, New Brunswick native, McAleenan is getting her first crack at being a head coach at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) level. Her pedigree is impressive, including a wealth of provincial and national team coaching experience. Currently, she is in her second year as head coach of Alberta's U17 provincial team, and later this month she'll spend two weeks as an apprentice coach/manager with the Canadian National Women's Team as it prepares for the London 2012 Olympic qualifying tournament.

Her penchant for coaching stems from her father, a high school teacher and coach, who she describes as turning Sussex into a basketball town when they moved to the area in the 1970s. McAleenan began coaching as a Grade 8 student when she would help out at summer basketball camps for kids.

"When I went to university, I wanted to be a physiotherapist, probably because I had suffered a lot of injuries and was really interested in that line of work," she says. "Over time I realized that I really preferred working with kids. I ran all the summer camps at Acadia while I played there and when I was graduating (with a BSc) I knew I wanted to get into education."

She worked at a private school as an associate faculty member while she pursued her education degree at Trent ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, coaching high school boys and girls and earning provincial team experience within the Ontario Basketball Association. After working as the lead assistant coach for the Ontario U17 provincial team, she met Alberta coach Scott Edwards at 2008 Nationals tournament in Charlottetown, and he encouraged her to move out west for the assistant's position at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

"While I loved teaching and working with high school kids, I think both my competitive side and my personal experience of playing CIS led me to want to try and make a difference with athletes at this age level," she says.

She comes to the Horns with her eyes wide open, understanding she's entering a basketball hotbed with deep community roots. Gaining the trust of that community will be central to her success.

"I don't think it's going to be easy but I think I'm the right person for the job," she says. "I'm definitely a people person, I want to go out into the community and develop those relationships. It's not going to happen overnight and like any relationship it'll take time for people to get to know me and to trust me and support the program I'm leading."

Her approach is grassroots.

"I want to connect with people, get involved with the high school and junior programs and expand our summer camp options," says McAleenan. "The more I can get out in the community and give back, the more people will get to know me so that we can create those relationships."

The Pronghorn program has the capability to lead basketball development in southern Alberta and McAleenan says her players can benefit from taking on that responsibility.

"I want to be able to give my student athletes opportunities to develop their leadership skills in the community and to do their part in being better role models, especially for younger females, whether that is through basketball specifically or other things I think we could get involved in," she says.

It all lends to creating an environment for success, both as students and as student-athletes.

"I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with these young student-athletes and I value the role we have in their development," says McAleenan.

GET THE FACTS

· McAleenan considers herself a defense-first coach whose teams score off transition opportunities and good shot selection

· She was an assistant coach with the Canadian Developmental National Team at the 2011 Pan Am Games

· Adopted, McAleenan has a brother who played basketball at Bishop's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and is currently living in Ottawa, as well as three half-brothers and two half-sisters, all living in New Brunswick

· McAleenan had never met U of L President Mike Mahon while they were both at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, but she did teach his son Seann a physical activity course at U of A and his other son, Brennan, was a physical therapist for the men's basketball program in her first year with the women's team

This story first appeared in the May issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Williams earns interim appointment

trevor.kenney — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:43:22 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors has confirmed the appointment of Lorne Williams as the Interim Assistant Dean of Northern Campuses, effective May 1.

Reporting to the Vice-President Academic and Provost, and working closely with the faculties and the School of Graduate Studies on campus, Williams will provide a voice at Dean's Council and a perspective on the U of L's presence in Calgary and Edmonton.

Currently, more than 1,000 students are enrolled in the two locations, which have been in operation since 1996. Courses are taught primarily in the evenings and on weekends and geared to working professionals.

"We are pleased to have Lorne move into this new position, given his long-term service to the U of L, and his excellent work as a past director and current faculty member of our Calgary campus," says Dr. Andy Hakin, the U of L's Vice-President, Academic and Provost. "The U of L is committed to serving students in Calgary and Edmonton, and this new position will provide more resources for those campuses as we move to take advantage of future opportunities."

Williams moves to this new position with more than 20 years of U of L experience, including more than a decade of work in the Calgary market as a director, instructor and co-ordinator at the U of L Calgary campus. During his time there, he won six teaching awards.

As well, Williams has served on the Faculty Association executive, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Senate, the executive of the Alumni Association, and was recently inducted into the U of L Alumni Honour Society.

Williams spent nearly 15 years in managerial positions in the housing and hospitality business units at the U of L and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, while furthering his education with four degrees: A Bachelor of Arts, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary; a Bachelor of Management, U of L; a Master of Arts, Leadership and Training, Royal Roads ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ; and a Master of Education, U of L.

He also consults widely on team building, leadership and corporate culture for public, private and not-for-profit organizations of all sizes. Personally, he invests volunteer time with the Calgary Board of Education, Kamp Kiwanis and Scouts Canada.

Before arriving at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Williams helped administer the Olympic Village during the 1988 Winter Olympic games and worked in the political arena for several years, serving two Prime Ministers and a provincial Premier in Calgary and Ottawa.

"I'm excited to work with the Directors, staff and faculty members in Calgary and Edmonton as we move ahead," says Williams. "We have a number of opportunities to take advantage of as we reinforce our presence in Calgary and Edmonton, and I am looking forward to bringing more of the U of L further north."

For the love of the North

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:50:09 +0000

While many are seduced by the big city lights, it was northern lights that called to J. Michael Miltenberger (BASc '75).

Since graduating from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 1975, he has used his political positions to protect the unique people and environment of the Northwest Territories (N.W.T.).

Born in Ottawa but raised in various communities in the N.W.T., Miltenberger served with the Third Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry before deciding to further his education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

It was a life-changing decision. Not only did he earn a BA (sociology) that paved the way for a career in human services, but he met Jeri, his wife of 37 years, with whom he's raised their daughter Michaela, who now attends the U of L.

J. Michael Miltenberger was honoured as the U of L's 2011 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year at Fall Convocation in October.

After studying at the U of L, Miltenberger pursued graduate studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. "Neither of us liked big-city life in Edmonton, so we bought an old truck, packed up our stuff and headed north to live a simpler life for a while," he says.

The family settled in Fort Smith, N.W.T. – a primarily Aboriginal community of 2,400 people – where Miltenberger built the family's timber-framed house. After a few years as a carpenter, he put his U of L degree to good use while working for the Department of Health and Social Services.

Miltenberger didn't begin his career with political ambitions. But after serving on town council, he was inspired to run for mayor, even though it meant a 50 per cent pay cut.

"The work interested me: the ability to enact laws and help the community develop," he says. In 1987 he completed his first term as mayor. He returned to the Department of Health and Social Services as regional superintendent shortly after that.

In 1995, he ran for MLA – and won – and has represented Fort Smith ever since. Presently, Miltenberger serves in cabinet as deputy premier, government house leader, minister of finance, minister of health and social services and minister of environment and natural resources.

"I've worked hard to make sure the community is well-served by the territorial government," says Miltenberger. He's also a passionate environmental advocate, working to protect at-risk species and water systems.

On the border between the N.W.T. and Alberta, Fort Smith is situated in the middle of the boreal forest and adjacent to the Slave River, best known for its powerful rapids that occasionally attract contentious hydroelectric dam proposals.

As minister of environment and natural resources, Miltenberger has worked closely with Aboriginal communities and other stakeholders to establish a water stewardship strategy for the N.W.T. and has been a significant figure on the international water-policy stage. Earlier this year, he was one of five Canadians on an expert panel at the Seventh Annual Rosenberg Water Policy Forum in Argentina where he delivered a paper on traditional knowledge and water-policy development in the N.W.T.

Water and other environmental issues, negotiating a final devolution agreement with Canada, an upcoming Canada-wide review of health care and a project to implement fibre-optic capability all contributed to Miltenberger's decision to run for office one last time. On Oct. 3, Miltenberger was elected to a fifth term.

"I'm grateful for the continued support of the constituency," says Miltenberger, reflecting on his re-election in an area renowned for its political toughness. "I look forward to spending the next four years working on the issues I'm passionate about. After that, I can pass the torch."

This story first appeared in the Fall 2011 issue of SAM. If you'd like to read the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Championing the U of L mandate

trevor.kenney — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:57:30 +0000

By RICHARD WESTLUND

A key part of most successful government relations strategies is to identify and utilize champions for your cause. For federal initiatives, the
U of L has found a literal champion of its own.

The Deputy Minister ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Champion Program is an initiative housed in the Canada School of Public Service, and is aimed at strengthening linkages between the Government of Canada and Canadian universities.

Earlier this year, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge was granted membership into this program. Subsequently, Dr. James Ralston, the Comptroller General of Canada, was named as the U of L's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Champion.

Ralston received his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, his Master of Arts (Economics) from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Ottawa and a Doctor of Philosophy (Political Science) from Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Beginning his career with the Provincial Auditor of Alberta, he later joined a national accounting/consulting firm in Edmonton and Ottawa. He was appointed the Comptroller General of Canada after working for the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) for 15 years.

The role of a deputy minister champion is flexible. In speaking with my counterparts across Canada, it is clear that relationships between universities and deputy minister champions vary greatly and are unique to each institution. It is hoped that the relationship between Ralston and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will create new opportunities for our students and faculty, such as stronger co-op arrangements between the
U of L and the federal government, the facilitation of interactions that link U of L research and teaching strengths with appropriate federal departments and continuous information sharing of university and government directions and priorities.

Ralston has been an eager and willing partner with the U of L from the outset of the champion program. He had already taken the time to tour the U of L and meet with a variety of folks from different parts of campus, including meetings with President Mike Mahon, Provost Andrew Hakin, the Career Resources Centre and our co-op programs office. He also toured the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building, the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience and the U of L Art Gallery.

Now that Ralston has an understanding of the programs offered and research conducted at the U of L, he is in a better position to identify links and opportunities between the federal government and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Furthermore, he is in a better position to represent U of L interests and, when appropriate, facilitate and advise on effective strategies.

Richard Westlund is the Director of Government Relations at the U of L. In an effort to better inform different parts of our campus and external communities about the various government relations activities that occur at the U of L, he has started a blog. Visit it at blogs.ulethbridge.ca/government-relations

U of L leads way in establishing ACCRU

trevor.kenney — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:44:35 +0000

This story by Léo Charbonneau appeared in the Sept. 12 edition of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Affairs. It is re-posted here with their permission.

There is a new university group in Canada: the Alliance of Canadian Comprehensive Research Universities.

Created at a meeting in Ottawa in June, ACCRU brings together the vice-presidents, research, of the smaller comprehensive universities in Canada that have "a strong commitment to research," said Dan Weeks, vice-president, research, at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The creation of the alliance is in part a reaction to the group known as the U15, which advocates on behalf of what it calls "Canada's 15 leading research universities."

A graphical representation of ACCRU.

That group, previously called the G10 and then the G13 before it expanded to its current 15 members, has given those institutions "a strong unified voice for consultation and lobbying activities on their behalf," said Dr. Weeks.

However, ACCRU is not meant to be a lobbying group, he stressed. Rather, the aim of the new alliance is to discuss the challenges and issues that these smaller universities face, and to pool resources and best practices with like-minded colleagues.

"If we do have advice and things that have policy implications, the route would be through either AUCC [Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada] or our individual presidents," he said.

Dr. Weeks set the ball rolling for the new group with a letter he sent to colleagues this past January.

The letter reads in part: "There are a number of unique challenges associated with conducting world-class research at Canada's small institutions. Effectively meeting these challenges and ensuring that research investments made in our institutions are of maximal benefit to all Canadians prompts me to suggest that Canada's 'small' research universities might benefit by informal discussion of the merits of forming a group or forum. This would give us the opportunity to discuss and react collectively to issues we face now or that will arise."

The response was "absolutely fantastic," said Dr. Weeks. "Everybody was excited about getting together." The respondents agreed on a date and venue for the event, and of the 25 universities initially contacted, 19 sent representatives to the Ottawa gathering – in most cases, either the vice-president or associate VP research.

While stressing that membership in ACCRU is "meant to be inclusive," Dr. Weeks acknowledged he had to come up with "some sort of algorithm" to choose who to invite.

He and William Bridger, a former vice-president at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Western Ontario, devised a plan. First, they said the university had to describe itself as a comprehensive university.

Second, they did a rough calculation of the percentage of tri-council funding that each university receives, and "there was a pretty obvious breakpoint, and so we invited everybody below that line," said Dr. Weeks.

But he added, "I really wouldn't put too much stock in this 'who's in, who's out' type of thing. It's really more about the scope of your operations and would you benefit from being at these discussions."

The attendees to the Ottawa meeting "talked a lot about faculty recruitment and, related to that, the general perception of small universities by the public and by other institutions," said Dr. Weeks.

They also discussed research ethics, infrastructure, animal care, research centres and institutes, contracts, "and all the things that we have to fulfill in terms of policies and regulations" but often with far fewer resources than the larger universities, "so we have to be more clever about how we get some of these accomplished."

Katherine Schultz, vice-president research at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Prince Edward Island, attended the meeting and said the conversations "were frank and open." She noted that, unlike vice-presidents, academic, there is no national meeting for VPs research, so this group "fills a gap that many of us perceived. … It's a forum for information exchange that didn't exist."

André Manseau, dean of research at Université du Quebec en Outaouais, said it was "very enriching" for him to have his colleagues share their experiences. "We face many similar issues," he said. "Our offices are of relatively modest size and we don't have a lot of specialized personnel."

The ACCRU members agreed to meet again in Ottawa in early December, before the annual Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council's leaders meeting (of senior university administrators who serve as points of contact with the council).

The alliance also created three working groups that will report at the December meeting: one looking at best practices, one on governance of the group itself, and a third tasked to craft a mission statement.

Universities represented at the ACCRU meeting in June:

* Acadia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Bishop's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Brandon ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Brock ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Cape Breton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Lakehead ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Nipissing ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* St. Francis Xavier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Saint Mary's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Thompson Rivers ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Trent ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Université de Moncton
* Université du Québec en Outaouais
* ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge
* ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia
* ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Prince Edward Island
* ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina
* ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Windsor
* Wilfrid Laurier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

Alumnus sees giving as a responsibility

trevor.kenney — Thu, 19 May 2011 17:48:34 +0000

Fundraising is not a taboo topic for JJ Machalski (BMgt '09).

As a student, he and his fellow ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Model United Nations members collectively raised nearly $40,000 over the course of three years in order to attend several Model UN conferences in Ottawa and New York City. This fundraising allowed all students in the club, regardless of financial situation, the opportunity to expand their learning. Now an alumnus, Machalski finds himself on the other side of fundraising.

Alumnus JJ Machalski, with his fiancé Christa Klapko, also a U of L alum, sees the value of giving back to future generations of students.

This spring, Machalski received a call from a student at the U of L Call Centre. When asked if he would like to support the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Machalski was happy to do so – knowing that with his help, current students could overcome financial barriers and gain unique learning opportunities just as he and his fellow Model UN members did.

"Money should never be a barrier to education," he emphasizes. "The more we can help those who can't afford to get an education, the better."

A 2009 graduate, Machalski earned a degree in accounting at the U of L. Leading a busy student life, he was president of the Model UN club for two years and acting president for a third, as well as Students' Union Management Representative and Director for two years. Machalski enjoyed the close-knit community at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"I enjoyed the relationships I was able to develop with students, faculty, and staff," he says. "The accessibility to professors was amazing. I was never a number at the U of L."

Although he now lives in Calgary working as an accountant at Encana, Machalski continues to be an engaged member of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community. He regularly attends alumni events in Calgary and occasionally returns to campus.

"Last year I attended convocation," he says. "Walking around the school gave me goosebumps, seeing the blue and gold flags and everyone in their gowns. I'm very proud to be an alumnus of the U of L."

Giving to the U of L is another way Machalski stays connected to his alma mater. Machalski supports the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ out of both gratitude and responsibility.

"I feel that it's my duty to give back to the institution that has given me so much," he says. "I think it's the responsibility of all alumni to support the U of L in order to enable current students to have the same experience they had – and maybe even better."

Machalski is proud to support the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and hopes that others will join him.

"I encourage other alumni to do what they can to support this wonderful institution," he says. "The U of L has a great reputation. Let's work to give it an even better one."

Mahon has government's ear

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 May 2011 20:02:16 +0000

By RICHARD WESTLUND

The arrival of a new president on campus has given the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ an opportunity to re-engage members of government at all levels. In the same way that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campus community has been interested in hearing about a renewed vision for our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, there has been significant interest shown by government officials across the province and country in learning more about President Mike Mahon and his priorities.

Shortly after his installation speech, President Mahon began to outline his four pillars: Student First, Comprehensive ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Community Centered and A Destination ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to a variety of government members. This was initially done in one-on-one meetings with select individuals – the Premier of Alberta, Minister and Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Technology and others.

In an effort to reach a larger number of government members, President Mahon then made formal presentations to the federal Alberta Caucus, the federal Liberal Caucus, the Alberta Rural Caucus, the Calgary Caucus, reeves and mayors of South West Alberta as well as to specific federal and provincial deputy ministers. At the conclusion of the upcoming Capital Region Caucus meeting, the four pillars presentation will have been shared with almost every MP and MLA in the province as well as a significant number of municipal leaders in our geographic area.

Introducing this vision to these groups has been important for a variety of reasons.

At the federal level, it has been an opportunity to reinforce the importance that research plays in creating a dynamic learning environment for our undergraduate and graduate students. In the past couple of years, larger universities have been pushing the federal government to concentrate research dollars to the larger institutions. Stories such as the success of U of L undergraduate students who developed an enzyme that cleans oilsands tailing ponds and subsequently received gold-medal standing at the MIT IGEM competition, underscore the benefits undergraduate students enjoy when research and learning are linked.

At the provincial level, the U of L story speaks to the need of having a destination university in the province. Currently 70 per cent of the students attending the U of L are from outside of Lethbridge. The U of L allows students from all over Alberta to benefit from a first-class educational experience without leaving the province. President Mahon has pointed out that the U of L is often described as a "best-kept secret". Certainly that perception is beginning to change and will no doubt continue to advance.

Finally, at the municipal level, underscoring the notion of community has resonated with local leaders. President Mahon has shared his goal of having all undergraduate students participate in a community engagement experience before they graduate. Some mayors are already contemplating how they too can play a part in this vision.

Despite the fact that the U of L is geographically removed from Edmonton and Ottawa, the U of L's contribution to teaching, research, culture, sport, economy and quality of life for all is becoming increasingly known. When federal ministers and northern Alberta MLAs alike give unprompted endorsements of specific U of L successes, as we have seen in recent months, it speaks to the institution's growing reputation. Maintaining that momentum in this area is extremely important. Knowledge about the U of L among the various levels of government is critical in ensuring the interests and aspirations of the U of L are realized.

Richard Westlund is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's government relations director

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Government listening

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:36:23 +0000

The arrival of a new president on campus has given the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ an opportunity to re-engage members of government at all levels. In the same way that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campus community has been interested in hearing about a renewed vision for our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, there has been significant interest shown by government officials across the province and country in learning more about President Mike Mahon and his priorities.

Introducing this vision to these groups has been important for a variety of reasons.

Despite the fact that the U of L is geographically removed from Edmonton and Ottawa, the
U of L's contribution to teaching, research, culture, sport, economy and quality of life for all is becoming increasingly known. When federal ministers and northern Alberta MLAs alike give unprompted endorsements of specific U of L successes, as we have seen in recent months, it speaks to the institution's growing reputation. Maintaining that momentum in this area is extremely important. Knowledge about the U of L among the various levels of government is critical in ensuring the interests and aspirations of the U of L are realized.

Richard Westlund is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's government relation's director

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - Ottawa

Border policies greatly affect communities

Related Topics

Horns swimming in top-10

Related Topics

McAleenan enthused about opportunity

Related Topics

Williams earns interim appointment

Related Topics

For the love of the North

Related Topics

Championing the U of L mandate

Related Topics

U of L leads way in establishing ACCRU

Related Topics

Alumnus sees giving as a responsibility

Related Topics

Mahon has government's ear

Related Topics

Government listening

Related Topics