UNews - Alison Nussbaumer

Nicol appointed ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian

trevor.kenney — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 16:11:57 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has named Dr. Christopher J. Nicol as its new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian, an appointment that took effect on July 1, 2013.

Nicol, the former Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, had been serving as Acting ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian since Sept. 1, 2012. He took that position in the wake of former ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian Alison Nussbaumer's move to the role of Interim Dean, Internationalization.

"Chris Nicol's service to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as Dean of Arts and Science has been both remarkable and exemplary," says Bob Boudreau, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Vice Provost. "His contributions in advancing the Faculty of Arts and Science will be felt for years to come. Building on this legacy, we are absolutely thrilled that Chris will continue to serve and lead the U of L in his new role of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian."

A native of Scotland, Nicol earned his master's and PhD in economics at Queen's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Kingston, Ont., before spending 16 years as a professor of economics at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina. He arrived on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campus in 2001 and assumed his duties as a professor in economics while also serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science. He will continue on as a professor of economics in the Department of Economics while serving as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian.

An esteemed researcher, Nicol's interests are in econometrics, applied econometrics and the theory of consumer behaviour. He is also keenly interested in macroeconomic policy debates, especially those arising in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008.

Nicol is also an accomplished swimmer, having competed internationally and at the post-secondary level for Queen's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. In 1985, Nicol won both the 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke events at the inaugural World Masters Games in Toronto.

International initiatives the focus of new Interim Dean

trevor.kenney — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:48:41 +0000

"I thought we already internationalize. Why do we need to do anything about internationalization? Is this a priority? What is the purpose of internationalization? Are we doing anything in China? What is internationalization?"

These are some of the comments and questions that I've heard from faculty and staff during my first few months as Interim Dean (Internationalization).

In the early years of internationalization, the focus was on student mobility – bringing international students to Canadian campuses and creating a variety of overseas learning opportunities for domestic students.

Internationalization now encompasses the full range of teaching, learning, research and service opportunities; it looks to engage students, faculty and staff.

Alison Nussbaumer assumes a key role within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, as internationalization takes on even greater importance.

In 2007, the Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada (AUCC) surveyed Canadian post-secondary institutions about internationalization. The findings identified five key reasons why Canadian universities engage in internationalization, in rank order: to prepare internationally knowledgeable graduates; to build strategic alliances with institutions abroad; to promote innovation in curriculum and diversity of programs; to ensure research and scholarship address international and national issues and to respond to Canada's labour market needs.

In the President's Open Letter (May 2012) he states, "We will develop an international strategy that builds on our present activities in research, student and faculty recruitment and exchange, and study-abroad opportunities while advancing new directions".

How can we move this forward? In my role, I've been asked to facilitate the creation of university-wide strategies for internationalization. I am in the first stage of this effort, which involves having conversations with faculty, staff, administration and students to identify what we are currently doing that contributes to internationalization.

As a university, we are engaged in numerous activities related to internationalization across campus, and what I've discovered is that in many cases one individual/group (i.e. Faculty, department, unit or individual) is largely unaware of what another individual/group is doing. It is my goal to pull all of this information together to create a holistic view of our campus engagement with internationalization and to communicate this out to the campus community. This is just the first step in the process.

Internationalization is both a process and an ethos. What do you think? What are you doing? I look forward to hearing about your contributions and engagement in internationalization. I am available to meet with you, your department, Faculty, unit, in person or virtually.

Alison Nussbaumer (alison.nussbaumer@uleth.ca, ext. 4433) is the Interim Dean, Internationalization, for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

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

Hughes gift supports library

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:54:30 +0000

It is said that "no man is an island" and neither is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Library. Many initiatives undertaken in the library are collaborations with individuals and groups that allow the library to expand the services provided to meet the needs of its patrons. One such collaboration is the recent addition of multimedia computers.

The specialized computers, installed in October 2011, provide students with equipment that can produce professional-quality multimedia projects. In addition to the computers and software, Peer Assisted Technology Support Students (PATSS) provide a human component to assist users of the stations.

The official launch of the multimedia service, honoured Dr. David and Shirley Hughes, whose generous donation helped to make the service possible. Hughes has long been active in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community, serving as Chair to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Finance Committee from 1976 to 1982 and as a member of the Board of Governors from 1989 to 1995. He was also part of the Library Information Network Centre campaign that was instrumental in establishing the structure that currently hosts the library.

"He got excited about the fact that we were talking about responding to student needs for new services in a new era," said ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian Alison Nussbaumer at the opening ceremony. "We weren't talking about building with bricks and mortar, and weren't talking about adding layers to existing services. We were talking about some transformational services."

In times when budgets are leaner, the library continues to work in a collaborative manner to further augment and expand the services available to U of L students. It is through the valued and visionary contributions made by patrons of the library, such as the Hughes, that the library is able to respond quickly to the changing needs of students.

This story first appeared in the February 2012 edition of The Legend. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Uncovering the lessons of war

trevor.kenney — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:46:01 +0000

UPDATE: Brett Clifton has been awarded The Historical Society of Alberta's $1,000 award for the best student essay of 2011.

Entitled "From Bridges to the Ridge", the essay deals with Lethbridge soldiers who fought and died at Vimy Ridge in World War I. The author examines the careers of two officers and 17 men from the Lethbridge area who came from all walks of life, but in 1917 died together. They were among the 3,598 Canadians who died that day in a battle that the author says was the turning point in the war.

Clifton is pursuing a degree in Canadian Studies and Education and has spent several years pursuing his interest in military history.

Undergraduate student Brett Clifton has self-published two local history books related to the Lethbridge Cenotaph.

"This award is a great reflection on Brett and his accomplishments," said Dr. Heidi MacDonald, a U of L history researcher and Clifton's academic supervisor.

"Brett not only has remarkable intellectual curiosity, but is committed to disseminating his research in a number of ways, including among the families of his Lethbridge First World War veteran subjects."

The following is an original story created in 2010 on Clifton's research interests.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge puts great emphasis on providing undergraduate students with access to research related opportunities they may not receive at larger institutions.

With a smaller school atmosphere and low student to teacher ratios, undergraduate students like Brett Clifton can take full advantage of what the
U of L has to offer.

Clifton, a third-year Canadian Studies major with a keen interest in military history, has done just that while attending the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"History is very important and relevant to today's society. It helps us understand where we came from and where we are going," says Clifton, who is pursuing a BA/BEd combined degree. "Too often Canadians focus on the heroes of war and not on the ordinary day-to-day people who fought for Canada. I want to do research which focuses on ordinary people from our community who had to suffer for our freedom."

Clifton's interest in military history is influenced by his own family history, coupled with a high school trip to France in 2007 that marked the 90th anniversary of The Battle of Vimy Ridge.

"My great grandfather served in the First World War and received the Distinguished Conduct Medal. My grandfather is also a veteran, and he served in the Second World War," says Clifton.

Clifton's first military-related research project was in 2008, and it involved working with names on the Lethbridge Cenotaph. It was a project that again hit close to home and was generously received by the historical community.

"I was surprised that no previous work had been done regarding this subject, and I feel honoured that I was able to complete the cenotaph research," he says.

In the summer of 2009, Clifton completed an independent study on Canada's participation in the Dieppe Raid. He worked under the tutelage of history professor, Dr. Heidi MacDonald. Following her advice, Clifton applied for the Canadian Battlefields Foundation (CBF) scholarship program and was subsequently granted a trip to France and Belgium to further his research.

"Dieppe holds a close place in my heart, and was really the highlight of my trip," he says. "My grandfather had been taken prisoner of war there during the Second World War, so it is especially significant to me."

Clifton was one of two ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge undergraduate students to receive the CBF scholarship. Only six were handed out nationally.

"It just shows that students from a smaller university like the U of L can compete with those attending larger institutions," he says.

In the summer of 2010, Clifton received the Chinook Research Award to research under the supervision of Dr. Amy Shaw. The award aims at encouraging research and advanced training of undergraduate students from the U of L by providing students the opportunity to study under the guidance of a faculty member. Their study efforts focused on the 113th Lethbridge Highlander Battalion, and the award only served to further inspire his research goals.

Clifton now plans on completing another independent study project in May 2011, this time travelling to Europe with the help of a bursary from the U of L. He will have the chance to study some of the most famous battle sites in the European theatre.

Clifton is a third-year student but he's actually been a part of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ since he was in the ninth grade at Winston Churchill High School, attending U of L classes as part of an open studies program. After graduating from high school, he says there was no question as to where he was headed.

"A small school atmosphere and relatively small class sizes are important to me," he says. "I really didn't consider attending another university. I am so grateful for all the research opportunities I have been able to pursue here."

GET THE FACTS

· Clifton plans on continuing his studies beyond the undergraduate level, eyeing master's and PhD work in Canadian studies.

· Clifton's study focus will remain on military history, and he plans on one day teaching at the university level.

· Clifton, 20, is currently working on a combined BA/BEd degree and is doing his Professional Semester I course with a practicum at École Agnes Davidson. His Teacher Associate is David Nussbaumer, husband of U of L Librarian Alison Nussbaumer.

· Clifton has been employed as a student digitization assistant at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library since 2008.

For a look at the full issue of the December Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Copyright changes create framework for transition

trevor.kenney — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:23:41 +0000

When Access Copyright, the collective that administers creator and publisher rights, changed the model by which it would charge users for the use of copyrighted materials, it set off shockwaves across the Canadian university landscape.

Where previously universities faced a licensed model that charged libraries a little more than $3 per student and set the price of course packs at 10 cents per page, Access Copyright introduced a combined tariff that grouped charges together into one $45 per student price. Needless to say, universities across the country cried foul.

In stepped the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), who took up negotiations for Canadian post-secondary institutions with Access Copyright. Before long, the two sides were at the foot of the Copyright Board of Canada. AUCC is working closely with Canadian universities and colleges, including the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, providing information and recommending strategies and next steps.

With no agreement signed with Access Copyright, U of L faculty will not be able to create course packs as usual. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian Alison Nussbaumer says it necessitated the creation of a project team to lead and manage the transition. They have since created a website loaded with information to assist faculty and instructors with the process, including suggestions on where to find course materials and a feedback forum where faculty can submit questions.

"What we've done is try to think of all the questions people might ask, and then provided those answers under the FAQ tabs in the website," says Nussbaumer. "The most important thing about the site is the feedback area. If people look through the website and can't find what they're searching for, please post a question and somebody on the project team will do their best to find the answer."

As of now, there is no end in sight to the legal proceedings and even if Access Copyright and the AUCC were to come to an agreement, Nussbaumer says it could all become moot by copyright legislation currently being debated in the House of Commons. That debate is trying to address the emergence of the digital age and how it affects copyright.

"There's a transition in the publishing world, it is increasingly graduating towards electronic content," says Nussbaumer. "Even though we're being forced right now, in terms of timing, to respond because of an external situation, internally I think there will eventually be a shift away from print course packs anyway, based on student preference and blended learning."

She says it's a natural move into the digital age.

"Students are going after content in different ways. I see a lot of things now that are being born digital, there is no print equivalent," she says.
Presently, Nussbaumer advises faculty that the simplest route for next term may be to put items on library reserve for use. By the middle of December, the library will introduce a new search interface that will, where available in the license, inform the user if there is permission for a full text article to be used in course packs and learning management systems such as the U of L's new Moodle system.

"If faculty members want to know if an article is approved for Moodle or a course pack, they can search for it by journal title and a box will pop up and tell them whether it is approved for use," says Nussbaumer.

"Working without a collective license is a work in progress. It's new to every institution across the country, and here at the U of L we're trying to make it as easy for faculty as possible. Quite frankly, those who are most impacted are faculty who use a lot of course packs."

She urges those with questions to visit the website (www.uleth.ca/access-copyright/), and if they can't find the information they are looking for, to please contact project team members through the feedback option. If there is a demand for workshops on specific areas of copyright legislation, that too could be a consideration. In the end, Nussbaumer says it might be time for the addition of a copyright officer on campus to help wade through this new territory.

"It really is a shift for everyone and we're working through this the best we can," she says. "We haven't planned any workshops as of yet but if there is a need for them or any additional information, let us know through the website and we could put a workshop together to address specific needs."

U of L Welcomes New Dean of Fine Arts and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian

trevor.kenney — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:09:20 +0000

U of L Welcomes New Dean of Fine Arts and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian Zimbabwe-born muralist Dr. Desmond Rochfort assumed the position of dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts in July, taking over for Dr. Ches Skinner, who had presided over the Faculty for the previous 10 years. Rochfort, who was president of the Alberta College of Art & Design in 1999, was most recently head of the School of Fine Arts at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. One of Britain's leading public mural artists, Rochfort was trained initially as a painter at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London before graduating with a master's in fine arts from the Royal Academy of Arts in London. He earned his PhD in art history from the Royal College of Art in London.

Also this summer, Edmonton-native Alison Nussbaumer began her term as the new university librarian. This is the fourth educational stop for Nussbaumer, who previously worked at Edmonton's Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) campus, as well as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan and most recently, Prince George's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). Nussbaumer is president of the Canadian Association of College and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Libraries, as well as a past-president of both the Library Association of Alberta and the British Columbia Library Association. She achieved her undergraduate and library degrees from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and her master of arts degree from Royal Roads ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Victoria, B.C.

New faces in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library are all about service

trevor.kenney — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:02:52 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Library continues to be an innovative campus leader, and it's reflected in the new personalities they bring into the fold.

A year ago, new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian Alison Nussbaumer was introduced, bringing a fresh approach to the highest post in the library's administration. This fall, two more new faces have been added to the mix in associate university librarians Brenda Mathenia and Wendy Merkley. And while their responsibilities may be unique to their positions, their philosophies are remarkably similar.

"One of my goals is to make sure our public service is at the top, that we're putting our users first," Mathenia says.

As the Associate ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian for Client Services and Facilities, Mathenia's group is often the first contact for people using the library. As such, customer service is at the forefront of her efforts.

A Michigan native, Mathenia has a wide and varied background, having worked in primarily academic settings throughout her career. A cartography and geography undergrad, she earned her first master's degree in urban geography.

After working in that field however, she soon found that the information aspects of her job, finding information, helping others find it and use it appropriately, led her back to library school.

"I've always been very inquisitive and liked to know a lot about a lot of things," Mathenia says, calling herself a jack-of-all-trades.

"Librarianship is the perfect discipline to go into because you can dabble in all manner of subject areas."

She was given that latitude in her last job, at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Nevada-Reno. For four years she worked primarily in the sciences but also managed a branch library and dabbled in major collection development.

"I've had my fingers in a lot of different things in the library and it's served me really well and been very good experience," she says.

"I like to help people navigate the world of information. It's always been easy for me, so I like to share those skills and make it easier for other people."

Merkley, a Manitoba native who worked previously in the Lethbridge public system, is all about simplifying the search for information. The difference is that her work is done behind the scenes as the Associate ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian for Information Systems and Technical Services.

"There have been major changes in how technology is being used in the library world, and this is a really good time with two new AULs and a relatively new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian, we're looking at how do we integrate some of these new things into what we're doing," Merkley says.

Her journey to librarianship was also non-direct. An English undergrad at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba, she worked in the faculty library while completing her degree.

"I would love to say it was a great passion and I always knew what I wanted to do, but it really came from that experience," Merkley says. "I really enjoyed the atmosphere of a library and the people I worked with and it just seemed like a logical thing to do."

From there she moved to Alberta and completed her master's degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta before coming to Lethbridge and entering the public library system. Positions in Lethbridge and then later in Calgary set up a three-year stint in the United Arab Emirates (2005-2008).

"I call it my running away period," she laughs, noting that the pull of her daughter, a third-year kinesiology-psychology double major at the U of L, was a major influence in her return.

"It was tremendous. You learn an awful lot about yourself when you go in and have to adjust to being a stranger in a strange land."

Her route to the U of L was delayed by a one-year stint implementing video conferencing services for rural Alberta libraries but saw this role as too good to pass up.

"In the end, it's about facilitating that process of helping people find information," she says. "We strive to find a happy medium between simplicity and still allowing people to do the kinds of research they need to do that sometimes requires a more elaborate search strategy."

She's enthused about the new technology being implemented and how it can reshape the way the library helps its clients.

"It's really exciting and I'm really looking forward to it. That's one of the reasons I've stayed in library so long, because it's such a changing environment."

U of L Welcomes New Dean of Fine Arts and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian

trevor.kenney — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:39:31 +0000

UNews - Alison Nussbaumer

Nicol appointed ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ Librarian

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