UNews - Career Resources Centre

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

Career Resources Centre on the move

trevor.kenney — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:01:49 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Career Resources Centre (CRC) is on the move.

The Career Resources Centre, which houses the offices of Career & Employment Services, Management Co-op, Arts & Science Co-op and Applied Studies, is relocating to Anderson Hall. To accommodate this move, the office will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 2 through Tuesday, Dec. 7.

The CRC will reopen in its new space, located at AH154, on Wednesday, Dec. 8.

Career Fair opening doors

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:11:37 +0000

It has proven to be one of the most important days of the year for some ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students. By the number of corporate clients that choose to participate every fall, it's obviously a key date on the calendar for them. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's annual Career Fair is the epitome of a win-win situation.

Presented by the Career Resources Centre and specifically the Career and Employment Services office, Career Fair runs Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the indoor track of the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness.

More than 90 organizations will once again take part in the event, providing U of L students with access to information on careers in government, agriculture, the oil and gas industry, banking, health, human and social services, criminal justice, education, retail fitness and more.

A volunteer contingent of up to 70 students helps co-ordinate the one-day career blitz and with ample evidence of past success stories, organizers are confident in saying it's a must to attend for students beginning to plan their career path.

"The feedback we get from both students and employers is wonderful," says Pat Tanaka, director of Career & Employment Services. "So many of our students have started their careers with this fair, and even for those who have no idea what they are planning on doing in the future, it's a valuable information resource for them to start getting ideas."

Wendy Peters, manager, internships at Alberta Municipal Affairs, has used the Career Fair setting to benefit her organization.

"In my experience, this is the best fair offered in terms of how well prepared the students are and how well the employers are treated when they come to campus," says Peters.

Alberta Municipal Affairs has an already established relationship with the U of L's Geography Department and, combined with their Career Fair presence, received great interest in their internship program for new graduates this past year. A total of 19 students applied, four of whom were hired as interns in the Administrator Program and two others who were accepted to the Land Use Planner program, giving the U of L six interns in total.

This year, it's expected a number of alumni will be back on campus, this time representing employers looking to bring more U of L students on board. Tanaka says they will welcome
18 alumni, with the promise of more to come.

"Simply put, it works for both students and employers," she says.

Cooper tells WorldCom fraud story

trevor.kenney — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:37:25 +0000

Cynthia Cooper brought a corporate giant to its knees and now she's filling seats by telling her story.

Known internationally as the WorldCom whistleblower, Cooper and her team of internal auditors launched a 2002 investigation that uncovered $3.8 billion in fraud — the largest corporate fraud in history at that time. The journey she took in first finding the fraud, and then getting it out in the open is part of Cooper's presentation today (12 p.m. to 1 p.m.) in the Students' Union A & B ballrooms.

"It's an absolutely fascinating story about how she and her team became aware of the issue and the effort she had to go through to get anybody to pay attention," U of L Assistant Professor of Management Dr. Carla Carnaghan says. "She initially couldn't get the board of directors to pay attention, couldn't get more senior people in the hierarchy to pay attention and several people tried to tell her to stop looking. She really had to fight to bring this to light."

Carnaghan has seen Cooper speak in the past and says her story and its presentation is riveting.

"I think this appeals to anybody who's interested in ethics, who's interested in corporate-social responsibility or the issue of how one person can make a difference," Carnaghan says. "I think she's just a fantastic example of someone who worked hard to make a difference and worked hard to correct a wrong that she saw."

It was 2002 when World-Com, an American telecommunications behemoth was caught painting a false picture of financial growth and profitability to prop up the price of its stock. Cooper and her team of internal auditors brought the fraud (the company's total assets had been inflated by an approximate $11 billion) to light, resulting in a host of firings and resignations, the company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the eventual conviction of WorldCom co-founder and chief executive officer Bernard Ebbers on fraud and conspiracy charges.

As Cooper speaks today, the world's financial picture is grim and business ethics are a key topic of conversation.

"There may well be other people who have to do similar things and step forward," Carnaghan says. "What she did took a lot of courage, and I think it's a wonderful human interest story."

Cooper, along with fellow corporate whistleblowers Sherron Watkins (Enron) and Coleen Rowley (FBI), was named one of Time's 2002 Persons of the Year.

"I've definitely encouraged all my students in accounting theory to go to this presentation," Carnaghan says. "I've mentioned it to all the faculty too because I just think it's an absolutely fascinating story."

Tickets for the Cynthia Cooper event, part of the CMA Alberta Leadership and Innovation Speaker Series, are free and available at the Career Resources Centre (B610).

GET THE FACTS

• Cooper currently serves as the Chairperson of the Louisiana State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Center for Internal Auditing Advisory Board and the Mississippi State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Executive Advisory Board

• A mother of two, Cooper was featured as one of 25 influential working mothers in the November 2004 issue of Working Mother

• Ebbers, the WorldCom co-founder and CEO, was born in Edmonton. He is currently serving a 25-year prison term for his role in the fraud and conspiracy

• WorldCom is now identified as MCI, Inc. Formerly known as LDDS and then LDDS WorldCom, it merged with MCI to form MCI WorldCom and then just WorldCom prior to filing for bankruptcy protection in 2002. It emerged from bankruptcy as MCI, Inc. and was purchased by Verizon Communications in 2006Dr

Cooper to tell WorldCom fraud story

trevor.kenney — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:38:19 +0000

Cynthia Cooper brought a corporate giant to its knees and now she's filling seats by telling her story.

Known internationally as the WorldCom whistleblower, Cooper and her team of internal auditors launched a 2002 investigation that uncovered $3.8 billion in fraud — the largest corporate fraud in history at that time. The journey she took in first finding the fraud, and then getting it out in the open is part of Cooper's Jan. 29 presentation (12 p.m. to 1 p.m.) in the Students' Union A & B ballrooms.

Carnaghan has seen Cooper speak in the past and says her story and its presentation is riveting.

As Cooper speaks today, the world's financial picture is grim and business ethics are a key topic of conversation.

"There may well be other people who have to do similar things and step forward," Carnaghan says. "What she did took a lot of courage, and I think it's a wonderful human interest story."

Cooper, along with fellow corporate whistleblowers Sherron Watkins (Enron) and Coleen Rowley (FBI), was named one of Time's 2002 Persons of the Year.

Tickets for the Cynthia Cooper event, part of the CMA Alberta Leadership and Innovation Speaker Series, are free and available at the Career Resources Centre (B610).

GET THE FACTS

• A mother of two, Cooper was featured as one of 25 influential working mothers in the November 2004 issue of Working Mother

• Ebbers, the WorldCom co-founder and CEO, was born in Edmonton. He is currently serving a 25-year prison term for his role in the fraud and conspiracy

UNews - Career Resources Centre

Championing the U of L mandate

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Career Resources Centre on the move

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Career Fair opening doors

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