UNews - Department of Political Science

Poll shows rural Albertans opposed to provincial police force

caroline.zentner — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 15:47:07 +0000

An online survey in February delivered by Leger and sponsored by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy and the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) shows a distinct lack of support for the creation of a provincial police force among rural Albertans.

Dr. Lars Hallstrom

The survey gauged the public perception of policing and was particularly focused on rural Albertans. Created as part of a collaboration between the RMA, Dr. Lars Hallstrom, a political science professor from ULethbridge, and Dr. Tanya Trussler, a professor in the Department of Economics, Justice and Policy Studies at Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, the survey asked respondents about their views of policing, crime and criminal justice. Some 1,470 participants completed the survey, which was designed to over sample rural residents.

The majority, approximately 54 per cent of respondents, disagreed with the idea of Alberta having its own police service. Only 23 per cent of respondents agreed that Alberta should have its own police service.

The majority of respondents reported having a high level of trust in the RCMP and felt police funding should be maintained. Most respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the police are doing a good or excellent job.

“At the end of the day, our priority is safe rural communities,” says RMA President Paul McLauchlin. “The RMA and its members support the work of the RCMP to address rural crime and don’t see any need for a fundamental change to how policing is delivered. The results of this survey show that individual rural Albertans share a similar view.” “The conclusions of this survey for rural Albertans are quite clear,” says Hallstrom. “Similar to the results of other recent polling, there is limited support for the removal of the existing police structure and replacing it with a provincial police force. Although there is some variation, depending on where people live in the province, the emphasis is really upon maintain and improve, not replace.”

Three quarters of rural Albertans who responded to the survey indicated they feel safe in their community. However, more than half also felt crime had increased in their community.

“These results are similar to national statistics, as most Canadians say they feel safe,” Hallstrom says. “While they do feel safe, close to 56 per cent indicated they felt crime in their communities was increasing. This also varies by region.”

While there was clear support for the current policing model, overall perceptions of the justice system were not favourable, with close to 79 per cent either agreeing or strongly agreeing that the court system is not hard enough on criminals. Close to three quarters of respondents agreed with the statement that the criminal courts are too lenient.

“Our focus is on improving policing, improving social services and improving the justice system to ensure that rural communities are safe and supported. This is a key target and manageable without the development of an Alberta Provincial Police Service,” says McLauchlin. “At this point we’d like to see the province re-direct the time, energy and money spent on pushing a provincial police service towards further enhancing social supports and the justice system.”

“Both rural and urban Albertans tend to have a positive view of police and feel they can be trusted, but this is not always universal nor consistent. Police are often the ‘first point of contact’ for citizens, and the larger judicial system and process can be quite complex,” said Hallstrom. “There are clearly areas for improvement, both from a practical and a policy standpoint, but there is really very little support for discarding what is already in place. When we factor in the well-documented costs associated with that approach, it’s pretty clear where public opinion lands.”

RMA values the partnership with ULethbridge in undertaking this type of polling in rural communities. Rural municipalities and residents want police services that are as responsive as possible and allow Albertans to feel safe in their homes. While the current model is not perfect, there has been a recent commitment on the part of the RCMP to prioritize rural safety, which has resulted in significant decreases in rural crime rates.

Love of teaching inspires Distinguished Teaching Award winner Dr. Harold Jansen

trevor.kenney — Mon, 27 May 2019 16:53:30 +0000

To put it simply, Dr. Harold Jansen loves to teach.

A political science professor in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Arts & Science, Jansen is the winner of the Distinguished Teaching Award. He will receive the award at 2019 Spring Convocation Ceremony II at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 30 in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gymnasium.

Jansen has been teaching his entire adult life – and then some. He first discovered his predilection for the craft during his high school years, when he led ad hoc Chemistry 20 tutoring sessions for his classmates, filling in the gaps left by an underwhelming high school teacher.

He worked as a teaching assistant for both chemistry and history classes while an undergraduate student at the King’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College in Edmonton. Later, when completing his BA at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, his master’s at Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and then his doctoral studies back at the U of A, Jansen always found himself at the front of a classroom.

At the heart of his teaching philosophy is a focus on empathy, understanding what it is like for his students who are approaching a subject for the first time, or are learning about it from him for the first time. Jansen strives to capture the excitement of being a student while quelling the uncertainty students feel exploring new concepts and big ideas.

In Maclean’s annual guide to universities and colleges, Jansen was named one of the U of L’s popular profs for six consecutive years, while his Digital Politics class was cited in 2018 as one of two cool classes at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. In 2018, he was also awarded the Teaching Excellence Award from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students’ Union.

The Distinguished Teaching Award was established in 1987 to recognize the importance of teaching to the philosophy and goals of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Two U of L scholars elected to The Royal Society of Canada

caroline.zentner — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 20:45:09 +0000

The Royal Society of Canada recently welcomed 70 new members to The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, including two ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty members.

Dr. Yale Belanger

Dr. Yale Belanger (BA ’98), a member of the Department of Political Science, is a leading scholar of Indigenous Studies whose research breaks new ground in the understanding of First Nations’ gambling enterprises, urban Aboriginal policy and the role of federal housing policy in addressing homelessness among Indigenous peoples.

“Being named to The Royal Society is a real honour for me,” says Belanger. “The U of L also benefits by having the quality of scholarly work and research being conducted here highlighted. As an alum who finished his BA in 1998 only to return as a faculty member, this is an especially proud moment.”

Dr. Ute Kothe

Dr. Ute Kothe, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, has made pioneering discoveries regarding the role of RNAs and proteins in gene expression with relevance for several diseases. RNA stands for RiboNucleic Acid and is a critical biomolecule derived from DNA, the well-known genetic material in all cells.Her leadership in the international RNA community and in science outreach has gained her numerous awards.

“Being elected to The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists is a tremendous privilege,” says Kothe. “As part of the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute at the U of L, I am enjoying an inspiring environment to conduct groundbreaking RNA research. And I’m passionate about our outreach work with the Let’s Talk Science team to engage children and youth in science.”

The College is a handpicked selection of top mid-career scholars and artists in Canada, representing the emerging generation of scholarly, scientific and artistic leadership in Canada. Its members have already received recognition in their fields for excellence and serve as ambassadors of their fields.

“We sincerely congratulate Yale and Ute in their election to The Royal Society of Canada,” says Dr. Erasmus Okine, vice-president research. “Their dedication and hard work in their respective fields have earned them this honour. We are proud of their accomplishments and wish them continuing success.”

The Royal Society of Canada, founded in 1882, comprises the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences, in addition to The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Its mission is to recognize scholarly, research and artistic excellence, advise governments and organizations and promote a culture of knowledge and innovation in Canada.

Jansen's devotion to political world, student engagement indicative of department

trevor.kenney — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:41:46 +0000

Dr. Harold Jansen has never been shy to profess his love for the political world, nor his desire to see the general populace more informed about and engaged by the democratic process.

It shaped his academic career, both as a student and then as a professor in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Department of Political Science. It is also why he carried great expectations for what the digital revolution of the late 1990s might do for the political process.

As the new Chair of the political science department, Harold Jansen sees great potential in the U of L being able to offer an experience like no other school.

“Democratic politics is so much about communication and here we were at the beginning of a communications revolution,” says Jansen, who on Thursday presented the latest PUBlic Professor Series lecture at Lethbridge City Hall. “We convey our demands through communications, governments communicate to us and we mobilize coalitions of support or opposition based on communication and persuasion. It all requires communication, so any changes to those technologies are profound.”

Jansen and his fellow political scientists were hopeful that with greater access to information and direct contact with politicians possible, digital technology would enrich the practice of democratic citizenship. As he discussed in his presentation, it is now 20 years later, digital technology is everywhere, and yet there are few signs of a democratic renaissance.

“I had this initial burst of optimism and I think fairly early on in the research I realized this wasn’t suddenly going to rejuvenate democracy,” he says.

Jansen has been a political junkie since he can remember, fondly recalling that, as a seven-year-old, he asked his dad what were the differences between Liberals and Conservatives.

“It’s actually an analytical question and one which I have devoted an entire class to answering,” he laughs. “My dad had me write a letter to the NDP leader to find out and he never wrote me back – in fact Stephen Lewis still owes me an answer to that.”

Always fascinated with the machinations of the political process, that question was the first of many for Jansen. Rather than looking to influence or change the political world, he sought to understand how and why some parties won elections and others did not.

“I was never interested in running for office, rather I’d always been interested in understanding how it worked and why things happened the way they did,” he says. “It was natural for me to go on to graduate school with those questions, and by the end of my undergraduate degree, I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to do a PhD.”

A predilection to teach was something he discovered at King’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College as an undergraduate student.

“It was such a small school, just 130 students, that I was able to work as a lab assistant as a second-year student and was able to teach tutorials very early on,” says Jansen. “That was really formative for me and really helped me to clarify what I was good at, what I liked and gave me experiences only graduate students got elsewhere.”

He’d go on to earn a master’s at Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and return to Edmonton and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta for his PhD studies. But it was that early experience at King’s College that would set him up well for his role at the U of L, which he has enjoyed for 17 years.

“I’m really passionate about involving my students in research. Our department is small and that makes it difficult for us to do a lot on the graduate level but it does open up opportunities at the undergrad level,” he says. “Because of our class sizes, I’m able to bring research methods into the classroom and work with students one-on-one. That would not be the case at other research focused institutions in the country.”

As the new Chair of the political science department, a position he assumed following the retirement of Dr. Peter McCormick last year, Jansen sees great potential in continuing to carve out that niche for the U of L.

“Let’s make our undergraduate program innovative and give students something they can’t get anywhere else,” he says.

Jansen deeply respects the legacy McCormick leaves behind and is enthused about working with his colleagues to further the reputation of his department and the U of L.

“Peter was a tremendous mentor for me. I’ve always said I learned to be a political scientist in graduate school but Peter taught me to be a professor,” he says. “I’ve got a tremendous department here. You take the six faculty members I have and if you were to randomly grab six faculty members from any other department in Canada we would be as good as, if not better. I have nothing but amazing things to say about the quality of research and the care for students my colleagues provide.”

And what about that optimism that digital technology and social media could be the great catalyst to a new wave of democratic participation?

“It’s funny, the more I research social media, the less I find I want to use it.”

2013 President's Award recipients

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:57:24 +0000

Each year, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge presents the President's Award for Service Excellence Award recognizing exceptional service to the U of L and members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community. This year, the award is given to one AUPE staff member, one APO/Exempt Support Staff member and one team.

AUPE Recipient - Barbara Hodgson

Described as the "best-kept secret at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge," Barbara Hodgson has been the administrative support for the Department of Political Science and now fulfills that role for the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.

In her administrative support roles, Hodgson makes sure all the parts of a university department work together smoothly, and innovates to make things work better. Taking a genuine pride in her work, she strives for perfection, and has done so at the U of L for over 30 years.

Hodgson takes initiative to learn new skills and improve the operation of the department. She has developed new ways to efficiently organize information and make it easily available to those who need it. For example, she learned basic HTML and web development software to maintain departmental web pages. To aid in the completion of Professional Activities Reports, Hodgson created a collection of records of the department's teaching activities, broken down by course, year and instructor, which was invaluable to faculty members for completing these reports. In all her work she demonstrates excellent know-how, experience and sheer hard work, combined with an ability to connect with people.

Supportive beyond the call of duty, Hodgson strives to treat all she works with as individuals. She often attends undergraduate thesis presentations, helping and reassuring first-time presenters. Always friendly and courteous, she admires, respects, and cares for people, and helps to make the university a better place for those who work and study here.

With skill, dedication, and care, Barbara Hodgson has given exemplary service to faculty and students.

APO Recipient - Barbara Williams

Described as a "wonderful colleague and supervisor," Barbara Williams works hard to provide exemplary service to all the students who come to Counselling Services, inspiring and encouraging her colleagues to do the same.

Williams is completely dedicated to meeting the needs of students. Her focus is always on ensuring that students have access to the supports they need to be successful. She is committed to ensuring that all Counselling Services programming is accessible and targeted to areas of need. Under her leadership and encouragement, Counselling Services goes beyond individual counselling sessions to offer services that address the total well-being of students.

In the Counselling Services office, Williams has been dedicated to building and nurturing a strong and committed team. She has worked hard to select and retain diversely skilled professionals and to facilitate the teamwork required to serve the student population. A compassionate supervisor, she offers her staff opportunities for growth and supports their initiatives. She is also known as an extremely positive person who brings out the best in others.

Before Counselling Services, Williams spent many years in Recruitment & Student Life, where she played a significant part in growing the student population. When prospective students inquired about the U of L, Williams would ensure that everyone was well prepared to show off the strengths of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Among the initiatives she developed for recruitment was the Student for a Day program, which allows prospective students to come to the U of L campus for one day to tour the facilities and attend lectures in their areas of interest. This successful program is still running today.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is proud to recognize Barbara Williams for her enthusiasm, dedication and passionate support of student success.

Team Recipient

Pictured (back row L to R) are Diane Layng, Judy Westcott, Kim Selk and Tyler Hayward, (front row L to R) Greg Martin, Murielle Guitard, Fiona Randle and Jeanette Leusink.

The tireless efforts, commitment and expertise of the Printing Services team – Greg Martin, Tyler Hayward, Fiona Randle, Kim Selk, Judy Westcott, Murielle Guitard, Diane Layng and Jeanette Leusink – results in superb customer service and beautifully printed products.

The Printing Services team makes extra effort to help its customers meet their printing needs and deadlines. Whether by phone, e-mail, or in-person, the team guides its customers through the printing and copying process, helping resolve any issues or challenges. Even when faced with difficult, time-sensitive jobs, the team's response is "we'll take care of it, and call you when it's ready."

The group has never been late in delivering on a job, and is often done in advance of a deadline. The Printing Services team is tightly co-ordinated, working under intense deadlines with confidence and care.

The team consistently strives to offer an expanding array of products and services. In a world of changing technology, Printing Services does an outstanding job of keeping the U of L at the forefront. Its ongoing goal is to produce the best finished product at the most affordable cost.

On top of being an excellent service provider, the Printing Services team makes the effort to educate its customers in the field of printing. The team takes the time to discuss the file type, file quality, colour separations, paper type and weight, adding a "bleed" to a document, and so forth. They make the effort to advise on issues such as matching the needed paper quality and weight to the length of use of the publication. The team at Printing Services is always there to answer questions and guides its customers through the process.

Renowned for exceptional craft and friendly, high quality service, the staff of Printing Services excels in supporting the needs of campus.

This story first appeared in the May 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Jansen named BOG Teaching Chair

trevor.kenney — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:33:30 +0000

Regarded as one of the country's top political science experts, Dr. Harold Jansen is a leader in his field, respected for his vast knowledge of Alberta politics and government.

With research interests that speak to the future of politics and the influence that the Internet plays on political communication in Canada, Jansen is considered to be an active and innovative researcher, constantly pushing the boundaries of his discipline.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is proud to recognize Jansen as the Board of Governors Teaching Chair for 2013. His two-year appointment will commence July 1, 2013.

Jansen attended the King's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta in Edmonton, Alta., earning a bachelor's degree in political science.

He went on to obtain his master's degree in political science from Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Ottawa, Ont. before returning to the U of A to complete his doctorate.

Hired as an assistant professor by the Department of Political Science in 1998, Jansen has since carved out an impressive career, focusing his research interests on Canadian politics, including elections and voting in Canada, party finance, representation and electoral systems and particularly the use of preferential voting in Canada.

Most recently, he has concentrated his studies on the impact of the Internet on political communication and political participation in Canada.

Jansen is currently the principal investigator of a research team studying the impact of the Internet on political communication that received a $296,000 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant in 2012.

Always adept at blending his teaching and research responsibilities, one of Jansen's former undergraduate students, Dr. Royce Koop of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba, is a co-investigator on the project.

Alumna Thomas earns ULSU honour

trevor.kenney — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:20:20 +0000

Melanee Thomas, who led the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union as President in 2002-03, is the recipient of the Students' Union Alumni Achievement Award for 2012.

Thomas, originally from the Granum area, graduated from the U of L in 2003 with a degree in political science (Great Distinction)

She went on to achieve her masters in political science with a specialization in Canadian Politics from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary in 2006, and completed her PhD in political science at McGill ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 2011.

Now back in Alberta, Thomas is an assistant professor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary in the political science department. Prior to her position at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary she was The Skelton-Clark Post Doctoral fellow in the Department of Political Science at Queen's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"The reason we chose Melanee as the recipient for the ULSU Alumni Achievement Award is we were blown away with the success she has had in her academic career, and the fact that she was highly-esteemed by her co-workers and colleagues at the ULSU," says Shuna Talbot, the SU vice-president, internal.

Among numerous awards, Thomas received a Young Woman of Distinction award from the YWCA in 2003 and a Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) 2005 scholarship for her research into how gender influences the participation of women and men in politics.

She also has direct political and election experience as a candidate for the NDP in the Lethbridge Riding during the 2004 federal election.

Outside of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Thomas is also an accomplished runner and maintains an interest in music, having studied piano at the ARCT level with the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

McCormick the go-to resource for political information

trevor.kenney — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 17:20:10 +0000

Dr. Peter McCormick is a professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

In this episode, McCormick describes his involvement with the Tripolis Senate as well as his research and study of the Superior Courts of Canada and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

McCormick is one of Canada's foremost experts on the political process and is routinely featured in media circles when election issues come to the forefront. He is an excellent example of the expertise residing on the U of L campus.

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