UNews - Tim Hortons

Aramark readying for changeover

trevor.kenney — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:17:18 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge food services begins a new chapter May 1, 2013 when Aramark Higher Education officially joins the U of L community.

Marking the most transformative food services change at the U of L in 30 years, the introduction of Aramark as the new food provider is the culmination of a comprehensive and consultative review of food services on the Lethbridge campus.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge prides itself on the experience it offers its students," says U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon. "We recognize that food quality is critical to that experience, and we are thrilled that our campus community will be provided with a variety of high-quality food options for the foreseeable future."

A number of renovations are planned over the summer to accommodate the significant changes that Aramark will bring to campus, all focused on taking the campus dining experience for students, faculty and staff to a new level.

"We are excited to begin serving the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community," says Jeff Marcellus of Aramark as his company begins a 10-year agreement with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. "Our goal is to enhance the dining environment and experience for students, faculty and staff, and to build partnerships across the campus community."

Tim Hortons will be the first location to open under Aramark's leadership on May 1 in the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness. This will continue to be a full Tim Hortons that will offer everything from classic hot beverages and donuts to sandwiches and chili.

A fully renovated dining hall, a convenience food outlet, a full Starbucks, Subway and an Express Tim Hortons will open at other campus locations in the fall.

The change to the current ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall dining hall will be significant as Aramark transforms the space into the Urban Market, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Renovations include the installation of a flat top grill, pizza oven, entrée station, deli and a build-your-own salad bar, soup and coffee station. An artist's concept drawing is attached for reference.

Further down ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall, a Subway, connected to another Tim Hortons will be introduced. This Tim Hortons will be an express location, offering hot beverages and bakery items.

In Markin Hall, a convenient food outlet that will offer an assortment of grab 'n' go items including "We Proudly Serve Starbucks" coffee, bakery, soup, snacks and cold beverages, will remain. The Express menu will also include items such as sandwiches, salads, snackers, fruit and veggie cups and yogurt parfait cups.

The final addition to campus is a full Starbucks location in the space formerly occupied by Mr. Sub (directly across from Security Services and the Helen Christou Gallery on the walkway to the Library). This location will offer everything patrons expect from Starbucks, including a full food and beverage menu as well as a seating area for studying or just meeting up with friends.

Information outlet has the right answer

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:24:17 +0000

You no doubt have noticed the friendly faces greeting you at the Campus Information Services outlet located directly across from Tim Hortons in the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness. This operation, which just recently opened, is yet another initiative from the Recruitment and Retention Project.

To develop the initial operation, Ryan Hall has been seconded as the operational manager in a strategic partnership with Sport & Recreation Services. Campus Information Services (CIS) team members are also members of the U-Crew, a group of students trained by Recruitment and Student Life in way-finding, general service information and conducting campus tours.

"This pool of trained students is an enormous benefit in pulling together a knowledgeable team," says Hall.

Operational manager Ryan Hall chats with a student at the Campus Information Services outlet.

Although the majority of inquiries CIS receives have been related to way finding, team members are also equipped to provide Faculty information, general assistance and ID Card information, as well as distribution and pick-up services for departments.

Way finding includes the physical location of spaces on campus, as well as the location of service information on the web; e.g., the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Calendar. Slightly more than half of the inquiries to date are from students, with the other inquiries coming from faculty, staff and the local community.

Other duties for CIS team members include assisting several student service units across campus in developing programs and databases and monitoring the Services for Students web page to ensure all web links are active.

"This is a win-win situation, because it allows our students the opportunity to gain more information about our student services from across campus, then turn around and share that information more broadly," says Hall. "It also gives these units increased and more sustainable service levels and provides much more information to our clients."

When major campus events such as convocation, Horns Athletics, New Student Orientation and the campus open house take place, the CIS outlet space is shared.

Campus Information Services will also co-ordinate the services within the Collaborative Learning Centre located in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall Atrium, along with a support team of service professionals such as Library Peer-Assisted Technology Support Students (PATTS), and the I.T. Solutions Centre staff.

While the operation has only been open a few months, Hall and his team have already accumulated a great deal of information for distribution, and made connections across campus. They are now entering the next phase of implementation by co-ordinating their services for the downtown Penny Building and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Calgary and Edmonton campuses. As well, the creation of a web site is in the planning stages, bringing the information to an online format. The end goal is to provide one central location for the collection and distribution of general ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ information, as well as a meeting place for campus tours.

Campus Information Services operates from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday with reduced hours heading into the holiday period. All inquiries are logged, in order to monitor traffic to adjust the hours of operation to meet client demand. The Campus Information Services team invites everyone to let it know how to better assist in the collection and distribution of information to make the U of L a more welcoming and service-friendly university.

This story first appeared in the January 2013 edition of the Legend. To view the entire issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

A mature path to education

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:24:57 +0000

Not every university education begins after high school. There are many ways to achieve a post-secondary degree and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is home to a variety of mature students pursuing their educational goals across all disciplines.

"I may not have been able to attend university straight out of high school," says English-Education major Alisha Sims, "but looking back I don't think that was a bad thing."

English-Education major Alisha Sims balances a career, family and post-secondary studies.

Indeed, Sims points out that her work experience has been a great benefit to her academic progress: as a mature student she knows how to manage her time and focus on the tasks at hand.

Sims also brings journalistic experience to her literary studies. Having worked for newspapers since the age of 15, when she was a junior sports-reporter in Manitoba, Sims went on to Saskatchewan and Alberta, picking up a couple of provincial writing awards along the way. Presently, she is with The Lethbridge Herald, where she is editor of the Lethbridge Sun Times weekly newspaper, Great Reads (Books) page and special sections. She also writes freelance feature articles for Bridge magazine.

All the while, Sims juggles the demands of home life.

"My children know I'm in university and it's been a real learning experience for them, too," she says. "While my four-year-old associates the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with Tim Hortons, my nearly 12-year-old sees me getting my homework done on time, and sees the work I put into my assignments. She's already talking about pursuing post-secondary education after high school."

Despite her busy schedule, Sims exhibits a continued passion for her studies in English.

"I get to read well-written literature every day. What's not to enjoy? The classes offered are interesting: Literature and Nothingness, Mother Figures in Literature, Portrayals of Madness in Women's Writing – this is not the stuff of dusty old books," she says. "I look at the calendar and would have no problem filling my schedule up with five English classes if I had the time to take that many in a semester."

When asked why she chose the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge over other institutions, the choice was logical.

"For me, other institutions were not an option," says Sims. "I work in the city, my husband works in the city, my daughter goes to primary school and my son is in daycare. It would have been impossible for us to uproot and move to another city so I could attend university. I'm just fortunate enough to live in a city where the Education program is second to none."

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

Bringing the Strategic Plan to the individual level

trevor.kenney — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:50:54 +0000

What does the Strategic Plan mean to you?

It's a question we have been asking over the past month in a series of meetings with all of our campus units. In recent weeks, and continuing through the end of April, we are holding meetings with all the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Faculties, their deans, campus groups such as AUPE and APO, all asking the same sorts of questions. What does the Strategic Plan mean to you and how can we bring the Strategic Plan to life at an individual level?

These meetings give us an opportunity to look at the plan, reflect upon how far we've come with it and seek out the opportunities that exist as we move forward. This exercise will identify tactics to push the strategic directions in the plan at a broad ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ level, but maybe even more importantly, we are looking to bring the plan down to the individual level.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ President Dr. Mike Mahon asks what the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Strategic Plan means to you.

I am eager to know if you relate to the plan, and if not, how we can provide the support you need to incorporate its directions into your day-to-day decision-making.

Many people I talk to, whether they are doing it consciously or not, incorporate aspects of the Strategic Plan into their workflow. As we move forward, I want to identify ways in which we support those people who have aspirations as it relates to the plan, and allow them to move forward with these ideas.

The Strategic Plan can seem like a broad document but its essence is rooted in individual acts that support its ideals. I look to the goal of enhancing the sustainability of our campus as an example. At face value this may seem like a daunting task when approached from an individual or unit level, but it is being done and a Students' Union initiative is a testament to this. In fall 2010, ULSU Food Court vendors and the Zoo established a composting program for their recyclable food materials. Since that time, Coulee Junction, Fresh Express, Mr. Sub and Tim Hortons have all joined the initiative, showing just how quickly a good idea can grow.

As you read this issue of the Legend, you will see a number of other examples that speak to the campus sustainability strategic direction. There are students working with environmental organizations, donors supporting the study of sustainability research in the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building and initiatives encouraging commuters to bring their bikes, rather than their cars, to campus.

It's not just about the environment however, sustainability also relates to our programs and supporting our faculty and staff to help create a sustainable work environment where people feel that they are valued and supported in their goals and aspirations.

This is the Strategic Plan at its most basic level, and I hope over the next few weeks you'll take the time to meet with me and discuss how you see yourself in the strategic direction of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ so that we can take the words of our Strategic Plan off the page and put them into action.

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

Open Mike - April

trevor.kenney — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:21:08 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Mike Mahon chats about what's happening in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community

What does the Strategic Plan mean to you?

It's a question we have been asking over the past month in a series of meetings with all of our campus units. In recent weeks, and continuing through the end of April, we are holding meetings with all the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Faculties, their deans, campus groups such as AUPE and APO, all asking the same sorts of questions. What does the Strategic Plan mean to you and how can we bring the Strategic Plan to life at an individual level?

These meetings give us an opportunity to look at the plan, reflect upon how far we've come with it and seek out the opportunities that exist as we move forward. This exercise will identify tactics to push the strategic directions in the plan at a broad ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ level, but maybe even more importantly, we are looking to bring the plan down to the individual level.

I am eager to know if you relate to the plan, and if not, how we can provide the support you need to incorporate its directions into your day-to-day decision-making.

Many people I talk to, whether they are doing it consciously or not, incorporate aspects of the Strategic Plan into their workflow. As we move forward, I want to identify ways in which we support those people who have aspirations as it relates to the plan, and allow them to move forward with these ideas.

The Strategic Plan can seem like a broad document but its essence is rooted in individual acts that support its ideals. I look to the goal of enhancing the sustainability of our campus as an example. At face value this may seem like a daunting task when approached from an individual or unit level, but it is being done and a Students' Union initiative is a testament to this. In fall 2010, ULSU Food Court vendors and the Zoo established a composting program for their recyclable food materials. Since that time, Coulee Junction, Fresh Express, Mr. Sub and Tim Hortons have all joined the initiative, showing just how quickly a good idea can grow.

As you read this issue of the Legend, you will see a number of other examples that speak to the campus sustainability strategic direction. There are students working with environmental organizations, donors supporting the study of sustainability research in the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building and initiatives encouraging commuters to bring their bikes, rather than their cars, to campus.

It's not just about the environment however, sustainability also relates to our programs and supporting our faculty and staff to help create a sustainable work environment where people feel that they are valued and supported in their goals and aspirations.

This is the Strategic Plan at its most basic level, and I hope over the next few weeks you'll take the time to meet with me and discuss how you see yourself in the strategic direction of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ so that we can take the words of our Strategic Plan off the page and put them into action.

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

Students' Union looking to go green on campus

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:45:58 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union is taking steps to make the campus a little more green.

Since fall 2010, ULSU Food Court vendors and the Zoo have been participating in a composting initiative brought together by some dedicated students, the ULSU Executive and General Assembly members. The composting initiative has now branched out to include Coulee Junction (CJ's), Fresh Express, Mr. Sub and Tim Hortons.

Composting is a natural process of recycling uncooked fruit and vegetable waste, coffee grinds and tea bags into a rich soil or fertilizer known as compost.

"Composting can be done in a number of different ways and serves as a great way to reduce your contribution to the waste stream by recycling yard and kitchen waste," says Taz Kassam, ULSU president. "It also provides a value added benefit to our land and can act as an aid in gardens, landscaping, horticulture and agriculture.

Vendors currently dispose their compostable waste in personal compost bins in the Students' Union building and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ caretaking staff transport the compost to the boneyard – an open compost pile on the south end of campus. The grounds department then uses the finished product for various projects around campus.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ needs a composting program because it is a fairly simple, yet extremely effective way at reducing the amount of waste we produce," says Zack Moline, ULSU General Assembly member and compost co-ordinator. "It feels good to think that most of the food waste produced at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, which used to rot in the landfill, is now being recycled and used for constructive purposes around campus."

This program is about to start a trial phase that will also include on-campus residences. The Piikani residence building in Aperture Park will have 48 personal compost bins placed in its suites.

"Getting students engaged in the composting program will be difficult, but will nonetheless be of vital importance," says Moline. "On the campus-wide scale, it will happen through an active marketing campaign with the ULSU, promoting the ease and benefits of composting."

The ULSU believes that with proper promotion, education and efficient management of the program, this trial phase can be expanded into the remaining buildings in Aperture Park.

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

Red Nose numbers impressive

trevor.kenney — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:32:40 +0000

The holidays remained a time for celebration, thanks, at least in part, to Operation Red Nose (ORN), a national program run in conjunction with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge that ensures partygoers and their vehicles get home safely.

Lethbridge is one of only three communities in Alberta that offers the program and donations go to support the Pronghorn Booster Club. This year, ORN provided 894 safe rides home and is happy to report that donations are up.

"We're estimating that we've probably brought in just over $40,000 in funding this year," says Sandy Slavin, executive director of Sport and Recreation Services. "That includes in-car donations, contributions from local organizations booking the service for their holiday parties and sponsorship dollars."

Lethbridge has truly embraced the program and in addition to using the service, many organizations support the operations of the program.

"There are a number of organizations that have been very good to us from the beginning," explains Slavin of a program that just concluded its 15th year. "Gas King, Tim Hortons, the Regent and the City of Lethbridge have always helped provide what we need. In addition, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is our provincial sponsor and they provide the insurance, without which we wouldn't be able to operate and support the basic organizing costs of the program."

This type of support enables more than 500 volunteers to do what they need to do: get people home safely. However, in talking to Dr. Jon Doan and Robin Hopkins, two longtime Red Nose volunteers, there's more to it than that.

Hopkins has been involved since high school when she started volunteering her time answering phones. When asked why she continues to volunteer, she doesn't hesitate: "Besides for the fun?" laughs Hopkins. "Operation Red Nose allows people to come out one night a year and make a difference. Volunteering doesn't necessarily require a huge time commitment – you can give back in just a few hours."

Giving back is what ORN is all about, which is why 70 per cent of the volunteers are Pronghorn athletes.

"ORN provides a great opportunity for student athletes to give back to the community," notes Doan, who first got involved as a grad student and continues to volunteer now that he's faculty. "It's also a great way for the community to see Pronghorn Athletics as something off the ice, or the field, or the court – these programs add value to the community."

While funds raised support Pronghorn Athletics, the primary goal of ORN is to prevent drunk driving by offering a safe alternative.

"Sometimes people feel they have to make a donation, and I think it's important that people understand that it's a service; we're here to get you and your car home safely," explains Hopkins. "If you can make a donation, that's a bonus."

Volunteer effort makes a success of Red Nose campaign

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:36:06 +0000

Lethbridge has truly embraced the program and in addition to using the service, many organizations support the operations of the program.

Giving back is what ORN is all about, which is why 70 per cent of the volunteers are Pronghorn athletes.

While funds raised support Pronghorn Athletics, the primary goal of ORN is to prevent drunk driving by offering a safe alternative.

UNews - Tim Hortons

Aramark readying for changeover

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Information outlet has the right answer

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Students' Union looking to go green on campus

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