UNews - Heather Mirau

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge joins the Little Lethbridge Library movement

caroline.zentner — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 21:44:51 +0000

Reading material for all ages is now available at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, as several Little Lethbridge Libraries have made their appearance on campus.

Thanks to Dr. Andy Hakin, provost and vice-president (academic), six little libraries, three indoors and three outdoors, will soon be installed and their shelves ready for books. The City of Lethbridge teamed up with the Ability Resource Centre to build and maintain the little libraries. The little library movement has grown across the country and when Hakin first heard about it, he knew he wanted to get involved.

At right, Jerry Firth, neighbourhood support co-ordinator with the City of Lethbridge, and Kimber Norbury-Sulin, services co-ordinator with the Ability Resource Centre, joined Nicole Eva (centre), U of L librarian, Heather Mirau, U of L integrated planning director, and Dr. Andy Hakin, U of L provost and vice-president (academic), at the installation of the first Little Lethbridge Library in the Atrium.

“The little free library movement based on the theme of “Take a book, leave a book” is perfect for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ campus,” says Hakin. “It’s a way to further engage with community members coming to campus for sporting events, speaker series and conferences. It’s wonderful that we can share and promote reading on campus with our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and local communities through the Little Lethbridge Library program. This program is also a way of promoting general reading within our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library. I would like to personally invite everyone to enjoy this supplemental reading.”

The three interior little libraries have already been installed — one in the 1st Choice Savings Centre, another near Starbucks in the LINC building, and the final indoor library in the Atrium.

An outdoor little library will soon be installed by the bus loop by the Students’ Union Building and others will be installed near the Campus Roots Community Garden and Anderson Hall next spring.

The Lethbridge Public Library and the U of L Library have supplied the first books for the little libraries on campus. Books are already being scooped up and everyone is encouraged to donate general reading material for children, teens or adults. Books can be delivered to the U of L Library, Room L1142. Representatives from the Lethbridge Ability Resource Centre will check on the little libraries weekly.

Mirau and Newberry to lead Supporting Our Students campaign

trevor.kenney — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 16:51:38 +0000

Heather Mirau and Dr. Jan Newberry have teamed up on several projects at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in the past, but their current joint effort is one the duo is particularly passionate about: Co-Chairing the 2014-15 Supporting Our Students (SOS) campaign.

Heather Mirau, left, and Dr. Jan Newberry are the Co-Chairs for the 2014-15 Supporting Our Students campaign. Last year, the U of L awarded 2,100 scholarships and bursaries to students, more than $3.5 million in total, and SOS is an essential part of that support.

Newberry, a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology and long-time SOS contributor, says the opportunity to Co-Chair has given her a broader perspective on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, something she says her counterpart, Mirau, has always had.

“As director of Integrated Planning, Heather has a comprehensive view of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, which as a faculty member, I don’t always see,” says Newberry. “Being Co-Chair of SOS gives me a sense of the U of L on a global scale and how important it is to create a caring university community.”

Last year, the U of L awarded 2,100 scholarships and bursaries to students, more than $3.5 million in total. SOS is an essential part of that support. Participation in the program reached its highest level in 2013, with a total of 377 faculty, staff and retirees supporting the campaign – a number that Mirau and Newberry would like to see increase.

“It doesn’t matter if you give $5 or $100, your participation is what matters,” says Mirau. “Through SOS, we have the opportunity to make a real difference with students and have a positive impact on campus life. SOS donations go directly to students to help pay for books and tuition, enabling them to graduate. With SOS, everybody wins. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ isn’t just a place to attend classes – it’s a community unto itself. We have a responsibility as faculty and staff to help create a positive, caring community.”

Kathy MacFarlane, manager of development programs and a long-time SOS contributor, says that SOS helps to inspire and support student potential, and is a great example of why the U of L is Alberta’s Destination ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

“The U of L is a phenomenal place to be, as a student and as an employee,” says MacFarlane. “If we can show students and each other that we care about our people, that speaks directly to the kind of university the U of L aims to be.”

Among the thousands of recipients of SOS funds is Kevan Bryant (BA/BED ’12), a graduate student completing a Master of Education degree in counselling psychology. Bryant says that the support she received through SOS was game changing on many levels.

“The scholarships I received took a lot of pressure off. I was able to focus on my studies, pursue other interests and avoid working excessive hours while attending school,” says Bryant. “I’m not sure I would have continued with a master’s program if it weren’t for SOS – and it wasn’t only academic achievement I was rewarded for. I received awards for volunteering and leadership as well. SOS made me realize that going the extra mile is really worth it.”

And at the end of the day, that’s what Newberry says SOS is all about.

“We are all here because of students, so it’s only right to support them. I’m happy to support today’s students because they’re the people who will build and shape our future.”

Support our students and contribute to SOS today. Sign up through payroll deduction.

Open Mike - September 2014, Welcome to the fall 2014 semester

trevor.kenney — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 21:17:28 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon, addresses faculty and staff about what's happening at the U of L

Welcome to the fall 2014 semester at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

As we get ready to welcome approximately 8,300 students to our campuses in Lethbridge, Calgary and Edmonton tomorrow, including approximately 2,300 new students, I would like to thank each of you for your hard work and dedication to make this happen.

Because of you, our university is one of Canada’s top-ranked universities and leading research institutions. When our students graduate, they are prepared not only for the careers of tomorrow – but to create a better tomorrow. The results of our efforts are evident in communities around the world.

Thank you for making our university, Alberta’s Destination ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

September is shaping up to be a busy and exciting month.

At this year’s NSO we celebrated our very first Commencement ceremony. Commencement is a way to introduce students to the U of L’s history and traditions. This year, we also introduced a new U of L tradition. Each student who attended received a commemorative coin to mark the beginning of his/her post-secondary journey.

Challenge coins are used around the world to symbolize belonging. Unique to our university, the front of our coin features the U of L’s coat of arms, representing signature elements of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ; the back includes the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s shield along with the word 'Commencement' and the year.

In a few weeks, the Supporting Our Students program will proudly welcome this year’s co-chairs, Dr. Jan Newberry and Heather Mirau, and their team of dedicated volunteers. Last year, 2,101 awards were given out, totalling $3,512,193. These funds support student scholarships. I thank all faculty, staff and retirees for supporting our students and the volunteer committee for leading this important initiative.

On September 23, Pronghorn Athletics will host the 2014 Pronghorns Scholarship Breakfast. This year’s featured speaker is Brian Burke, president of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League’s Calgary Flames and one of the most accomplished and prominent personalities in professional hockey. He has spent time with professional hockey organizations in Hartford, Vancouver, Anaheim, Toronto and now Calgary over the last 20-plus years. If you haven’t already purchased your tickets, they are available online (uleth.universitytickets.com). Thank you for supporting our student athletes.

That same week, Stantec Architecture and KPMB architects will be on campus presenting three possible design concepts for the Destination Project. I encourage you to attend the presentation at 11 a.m. on September 24 in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre and help shape the future of our university.

September promises to be an exciting month. I hope you will take a break from your busy schedules and reconnect with your colleagues at the annual Welcome Back BBQ, which will be held on September 8 at noon on the South Plaza Patio, just outside the SU Building.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Mike Mahon, PhD
President and Vice-Chancellor
��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

Committed to caring, Mirau supportive of SOS

trevor.kenney — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 22:12:34 +0000

Heather Mirau began her career at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as director of Housing, Food & Conference Services. It was a position that suited her ambitions well – not just professionally, but personally too. Mirau always felt a responsibility to help students succeed, and as the department’s director, she monitored the pulse of the campus population and addressed the needs of residents as they arose.

Heather Mirau may have changed roles at the U of L but her commitment to students remains.

While Mirau has many memories and stories over her years at the U of L, the plight of one particular student stands out in her mind above the rest. Mirau describes the student as a shy, but friendly young man with a bright mind and positive attitude. By all accounts he had a promising future, but there was one problem: the student was struggling financially – and rather desperately at that.

“Every once in a while I’d buy his lunch to keep him going,” Mirau recalls. “Unfortunately there were a lot of stories on campus like his, and there continues to be today. Financial struggle is a very real issue for a lot of students, and it has ripple effects across the entire university.”

Mirau’s career has advanced over the years and her commitment to student success has grown right along with it. Three years ago she became director of Integrated Planning, a position that gives Mirau the opportunity to serve the needs of students in a much broader way. While her professional contributions have undoubtedly made a difference in countless students’ lives – as she did with the financially struggling resident years ago – Mirau continues to contribute personally to students as well by making ongoing donations to the Supporting Our Students (SOS) fund.

“If you care about students and want to help them succeed, the SOS fund is a great way to do that,” says Mirau. “SOS alleviates some of the financial pressure that many students face, which allows them to focus on their studies and become more engaged in university life. When you contribute to SOS, you become part of a caring community. You help shift the social dynamic on campus and proactively create the kind of university the U of L aims to be.”

Mirau believes that the size of the U of L gives the institution a unique advantage in its ability to become the type of university that attracts students based not only on programming, but also on cultural climate.

“We are a closely knit community. There’s a connective thread that runs throughout the institution,” says Mirau. “We are Alberta’s Destination ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and that defines how we support our students.”

SOS offers financial assistance to students in all Faculties and programs at the U of L. Contributors can choose a fund designation for their gifts or leave the allocation to the discretion of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

“It brings us together as a caring community and that’s something I really want to be a part of,” says Mirau of SOS. “Everyone who contributes to SOS feels the energy that’s created through the fund, and it grows with every new donation. The positive effects absolutely snowball.”

Join Heather and support our students today.

RRP finds success points

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 16:05:22 +0000

It’s been nearly three years since the Recruitment and Retention Project team was established, and over that time a number of student-focused initiatives have been put in motion. To date, there have been 13 projects delivered or in the process of being delivered.

Responding to the needs recommended by student associations, units on campus, as well as many learner focus groups, this collaborative team has provided a rich environment of ideas to be acted upon in the pursuit of serving learners, helping create a real sense of community and support on campus that aligns with President Dr. Mike Mahon’s vision of a destination university.

“The RRP team’s energy, dedication and commitment in guiding and delivering these innovative projects focused on the recruitment and retention of our students is outstanding,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Provost and Vice President (Academic), Dr. Andrew Hakin.

Student success is at the heart of the RRP team's mission.

As the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ opens the Fall 2013 Semester, four more projects are moving forward, all examples of the co-operative effort that has been a hallmark of the RRP mission:

• The introduction of an online graduate application process under the leadership of Alice Miller (Admissions) has put to rest a timely, labour-intensive paper application system and help streamline the manner in which students apply for graduate school.

• Predictive Modeling, under the leadership of Mandy Moser (Institutional Analysis) for early intervention with an applicant to enrolment model, as well as a student retention model to aid Faculties and campus services to direct their future actions with greater efficiency and effectiveness, thereby increasing the likelihood of student success.

• The business case and analysis for new housing led to the opening of Mt. Blakiston House this fall, the newest campus residence building, directly targeted at retaining learners into their second year and beyond, all the while freeing up additional rooms for first-year learners.

• With the guidance of James Graham (New Media), the innovative online virtual campus environment created by the RAVE project will be introduced this fall, allowing users to virtually visit campus in a 3D environment. It allows peopl to get a look at all of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s facilities and services, granting users a sense of the campus community available to them.

“The entire Recruitment and Retention project has been very collaborative from the beginning,” says Heather Mirau, director Integrated Planning. “The RRP team and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community have all been fantastic, and the spirit I’ve encountered while working on these projects has been fabulous. It’s the students who benefit from this work, and that has been the goal of this project from day one.”

Mirau credits the success of the Recruitment and Retention Project due to the strong support from students, faculty and staff, and senior leaders. Much change has taken place in just a few years with nine initiatives piloted (four more are in the process of being delivered), which is testament to the broad support the project has received.

“I look at the Game Day Shirt project under the leadership of Trevor Flexhaug that grew out of work from the Enhancing Community & School Spirit subject matter team,” says Mirau. “The project team thought a great way to enhance Pronghorn pride on campus would be to encourage faculty, staff and students to wear Game Day Shirts on the day of Pronghorn Athletics games. It started small and now we have a number of campus units requesting shirts so that they too can take part.”

While some of the projects are focused on pride building, others are academically focused, such as the introduction of the Liberal Education 2850 course. Described as “Mapping Self, Career, Campus, Community”, the course was introduced as a pilot for the Spring 2013 semester and went over extremely well with students. Designed to help students with the transition to university life, it provides an active learning component focussing on the U of L’s student resources, including those that are imperative in supporting student success from their first semester through to graduation.

“It was very encouraging to see the positive comments students had for the LBED 2850 class,” says project team leader, Dan Kazakoff (Management). “It was evident that many students appreciated the exposure to the value of our liberal education foundation and the many support services that are at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to help them reach their goals. The key in the future will be to learn from the pilot class and expand the number of first-year students exposed to such an endeavour. A big thank you to Dr. Jan Newberry who taught the pilot class.”

The reworking of the Writing Centre within the Academic Writing Program provides students with a wider base of support within a multi-disciplinary approach.

“The greater level of support and expertise now enables writing skills and methods to be targeted to the various disciplines and needs of students,” says Dr. Cliff Lobe, coordinator of the Academic Writing Program.

The academic support project led by Dr. Heidi MacDonald (History) provided further emphasis on tutoring and learning strategists. This project resulted in several professors piloting the very successful visit from campus service professionals to their classes and the establishment of the 24-hour Collaborative Learning Centre (W650).

Other initiatives established through the Recruitment and Retention Project include the Learning Circles pilot project under the leadership of Dr. Craig Milner, the introduction of a Campus Information Services outlet, a campus service web page design, a services for students web page providing one online location for student support connections, and a Fun With Math program created through the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science with leadership from Dr. Hadi Kharaghani. Other project proposals have received approval for delivery over the next year.

“There’s been a real emphasis on talking to our learners and finding out what supports they need to be successful,” says Mirau. “We are trying to give them every opportunity to find that success. It starts with getting them engaged with our community the day they walk through the front door and then reinforcing those supports as they work their way through to graduation.”

For a look at the RRP team and for more on the project, visit www.uleth.ca/recruitment-retention.

RAVE project virtually ready

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:20:41 +0000

For new and prospective learners and their families, one of the best ways to gain an appreciation for what sets the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge apart from other post-secondary institutions is to visit the campus in person. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's relatively small size, accessibility and quality are readily apparent to anyone who has spent even a day here, but visiting the campus isn't always an affordable option for learners from other provinces and countries. Language barriers can also make the process of selecting a university difficult for prospective international learners and their families.

In response to this challenge, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has produced an innovative multilingual online virtual campus environment that will allow anyone with web access and a free copy of Google Earth to experience the Lethbridge campus in a way that mirrors an actual campus visit.

This wide campus view is the starting point for your virtual tour.

Visitors to the RAVE (Reaching Audiences through Virtual Entryways) virtual campus site will be provided several options for exploring the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, its services and facilities.

"Instead of finding out about a club you would have liked to participate in when you might be in your final year, new students have the opportunity to know it all before they even arrive on campus," says Jeff Bingley, a RAVE production member and videographer. "It has the potential to really streamline your ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ experience."

Navigating the RAVE world can be accomplished through 3D virtual campus tours, whereby visitors can get a look at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's facilities and services, all described in a number of different languages.

Users can also access the RAVE web environment through traditional hyperlinks on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's website. Each link on the RAVE web page will take you to specific locations – such as department offices, the Students' Union Building – in the virtual U of L environment. Another click on that office will connect the viewer to a relevant YouTube video describing the resources that the office provides.

The third method of navigating RAVE is as an unguided explorer of the 3D buildings and their contextual information links.

In summer 2013, the U of L will release the first stage of the 3D RAVE virtual campus environment.

"RAVE uses a combination of advanced video game and Google Earth technologies to produce highly-detailed, interactive 3D environments," says professor James Graham of the Faculty of Fine Arts Department of New Media, RAVE's lead designer and production manager. "These feature architecturally accurate campus building models using the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's CAD drawings, interactive video components, photographs, audio, web-interactivity and pre-programmed animated camera sequences."

The release of RAVE this summer will focus initially on student and administrative services and clubs for new learners who will be arriving at the U of L.

"The Students' Union partnership has been critical in delivering the learner interest components, and the Faculty of Fine Arts partnership has provided RAVE with a secure production lab and equipment," says Graham.

The RAVE project grew out of collaboration between Mike Spiteri (IT), Graham and Heather Mirau (director, Integrated Planning). RAVE is a Recruitment and Retention Project with one-time seed funding from the U of L Strategic Enrolment Management Committee.

A team of eight new media learners (including six undergraduates, one co-op and one master's student) worked on the project. The Department of New Media also loaned computer and camera equipment, while use of the RAVE lab is by loan from the Faculty of Fine Arts Dean's Office. Close to 90 per cent of the RAVE project costs are paid to the production team, allowing learners to offset educational expenses and continue with their studies.

"This student, faculty and staff collaboration drives the project," says Mirau. "James is masterful at building in the latest technical applications with a solid focus of growing an online community for the recruitment and retention of our learners."

RAVE has also been designed and constructed using a layered approach, allowing it to grow organically and logically moving forward. This gives the project the ability to serve multiple functions, such as showcasing our faculty research to interested audiences.

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.

Removing fear from math

trevor.kenney — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:02:48 +0000

There is no denying that for many high school students, there is a fear factor associated with mathematics. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Department of Mathematics and Computer Science is looking to ease those fears, and in the end, maybe inspire more students to pursue, rather than retreat, from studies in math.

"We need to bridge that gap from fear to fun," says longtime professor Dr. Hadi Kharaghani. "This is a very big issue, to try and show students that there is a fun side to math, and if we can do that it can lead to better understanding."

Kharaghani, along with Drs. Abbas Momeni and Soroosh Yazdani (both former silver medalists at the World Mathematics Olympiad), has partnered with the Recruitment and Retention Project (RRP) to leverage seed funding from the Strategic Enrolment Management Committee (SEMC) to secure support from the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) and the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) to create a free Fun With Math program at the U of L.

Since November 2012, the department has invited middle school and high school students to campus, every Friday from 3 to 5 p.m., to take part in fun and informal math problem solving. Students of varying levels of ability are welcome to attend, with the emphasis on presenting math in a fun atmosphere that helps eliminate fear.

"When we get the students here, they quickly see the fun side of math and it really helps them feel more comfortable with it," says Momeni. "The biggest struggle is to get them here in the first place."

To that end, the department is trying to work with middle school and high school teachers to get the word to their students that the program exists. Done right, it can be a major influence on a young student's attitudes, not only toward math, but the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ itself.

"I went through a program very much like this when I was a high school student in Ontario and it had a great influence on me," says Yazdani of programs developed by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waterloo and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto. "I was fortunate to go to a very strong high school but even then, the enrichment program they provided was at a whole new level. They introduced me to so many new concepts and in the end, it worked for Waterloo because I ended up going there over other institutions."

That the initiative started as an RRP project is only natural as it speaks to both the recruitment of potential students and their subsequent retention once on campus.

"It's first about building a relationship with potential students and showing off what we have to offer here on campus," says Heather Mirau, director, Integrated Planning. "We then want to see students succeed once they come here. If they are comfortable with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and are better prepared when they walk in the door, there's a much greater opportunity for them to find that success."

While just a pilot project now, Mirau sees great potential for the Fun With Math initiative and likens it to the start of the extremely successful youth science programs proudly offered by the U of L.

Yazdani and Momeni currently work with 10-15 students every Friday, and while producing top scholars isn't the goal of the sessions, they have identified a handful of students strong enough to participate in Math Olympiad events.

The group is now putting together a one-day math competition, Apr. 13, where Grade 9-12 students from across southern Alberta are invited to participate. Once again, the day will be unique, offering both group and individual problem solving with having fun the major theme of the day.

"At the end of the day, math is not always individualistic," says Yazdani. "We're trying to make it different than your standard math competition where you lock students in a room with a bunch of problems and see which one of them comes out on top. In this one, we'll have questions where students will get together to solve them, or problems where each person solves one part of the question."

Cash prizes of $300 for the winning team and $225 for the second-place team are also up for grabs.

"We want our department to be known as a good place for students, and this gives us an opportunity to show off what we have here," adds Yazdani. "We also have the idealistic goal of wanting to make math more accessible to young students."

Visit www.uleth.ca/artsci/math-computer-science for more information on the Fun With Math program.

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

Finding the factors that influence students

trevor.kenney — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 19:04:50 +0000

The Recruitment and Retention Project (RRP) Team has identified a need to better understand the risk factors that impact new high school students and their persistence (retention) rate from the first to the second year of post-secondary studies. Further, the RRP Team is looking to develop strategies to enhance recruitment and improve student retention as a result.

The Predictive Modelling Subject Matter Team (SMT) was created to identify and review risk factors that impact persistence of new high school students. Through Institutional Analysis, the SMT evaluated data with Noel-Levitz, a higher education consulting firm, to identify significant factors that influence U of L learners' persistence rates. The result was a model that can now be used to predict new high school student persistence.

The Predictive Modelling SMT subsequently identified the need to develop an applicant-to-enrolment model to effectively target recruitment efforts. Noel-Levitz assisted in the development of this second model.

While related, the created models are very distinct, since risks and potential solutions for the applicant to enrolment phase are unique from the risk and solutions to the first- to second-year phase of a student's time at university.

"These two models will improve our ability to target recruitment and retention initiatives much more effectively," says Mandy Moser, team leader of the Predictive Modelling SMT and manager, Institutional Analysis.

"Identification of risk factors and the knowledge that is generated by the application of predictive models is critical to a student-centred approach that will permit the delivery of more timely and effective services for our learners," adds Heather Mirau, director of Integrated Planning.

The goals of the models and the resulting strategic initiatives are to further increase learner engagement and satisfaction, to enhance recruitment and to improve retention. As an added benefit of the consulting process, the U of L now has an improved understanding of how to effectively employ institutional data that, in turn, allows for future in-house development of predictive modelling to inform and facilitate recruitment and retention strategies.

The Predictive Modelling SMT is now entering the next stage of the process – sharing the information with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a whole.

Later this month (Feb. 14-15), a Noel-Levitz representative will present the two models and facilitate sessions with ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ employees to develop potential recruitment and retention strategies. Any inquiries regarding these sessions can be forwarded to either Mandy Moser (mandy.moser@uleth.ca) or Heather Mirau (mirau@uleth.ca).

The following factors significantly impact an applicant's likelihood of enrolling

Residence
Geographic region
Program
Application date
Entering average
Campus

The following factors significantly impact a first-year student's likelihood of persisting

Residence
Application date
Entering average
Loans
Scholarships

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.

Enhancing student engagement the focus of learning circles

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:49:52 +0000

How better to engage students in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community than to involve them in building the supportive culture they want and need?

This creative method of developing a supportive campus community is the basis of the Learning Circles project, and involves the creation of high performance teams (HPTs). Learning Circles is another Recruitment and Retention Project (RRP) with a goal of enhancing the student-centred service commitment of the U of L.

Craig Milner, an instructor in the Faculty of Management, and Heather Mirau, director of integrated planning, have been co-leading a group of employees and two sets of students who represent various disciplines and years of study in this pilot project. Its goal is to establish a process for developing a culture of HPTs based on self-management principles.

"Each team develops its own team culture within a guided process for achieving a level of high performance," explains Milner, who is well acquainted with the use of HPTs, and has a rich background in guiding and training high performance teams. He brings this knowledge into the classroom as well, teaching management students on how to construct effective HPTs.

Through valuable teamwork, students support each other in helping to build a supportive campus community.

To date, the teams have been meeting on a weekly basis, sometimes independently and sometimes in a group setting.

The employee team is known as the Dots and is meant to serve only as a source of connectivity for the students to find the expertise they need on campus to help them succeed. In cases where the employees may not know the department or person a student needs, it is their role to find that contact. In so doing, both the employee and the student learn what services are available and how they can be accessed.

"We really have great resources and expertise on campus, and sometimes it's a matter of simply finding those connections," says Mirau. "This is a great opportunity for both our students and employees to learn about all the services that are available to our students."

The project will look to add more individuals to each team in the spring semester, giving them an opportunity to ease into the team culture, at which time the teams will organically split and repeat the process to continue to take in more students and employees.

The Learning Circles have been well received by those participating in the pilot project.

"The experience has helped me analyze my own education and in turn create a strategy to improve my campus experience," says Nicole Meurs, a second-year management student majoring in human resources. "With the support of my fellow teammates and the knowledge sharing and resources of our Dots, it has really opened my eyes to everything that is available to us."

Jennifer McArthur, a learning strategist in the Counselling Services office, says her involvement with the HPTs has been very rewarding.

"It's been great to work with the students and help create those connections for them, and it's also been a real learning experience for our group too," she says.

Anyone wishing to participate in a Learning Circle is urged to contact any of the following: Kristy Burke (kristy.burke@uleth.ca), Lynette LaCroix (lynette.lacroix@uleth.ca), Nicole Leusink (nicole.leusink@uleth.ca), Jennifer McArthur (j.mcarthur@uleth.ca), Craig Milner (craig.milner@uleth.ca), and Heather Mirau (mirau@uleth.ca).

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

Long Service & Retirement Recognition Ceremony

trevor.kenney — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:44:43 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is holding its annual Long Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday, May 9 at 1 p.m. in the Students' Union Ballrooms.

A total of 103 employees, including 20 retiring employees and those who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service, will be honoured.

All employees are invited to the ceremony and reception to honour the award recipients listed below. The reception will include light refreshments.

Retirees

Nola Aitken, Pat Anderson, Bill Cade, Maria Draper, Carol Gaetz, Mary Anne Hellinga, John Johnston, Cindy Kabelka, Frank Klassen, Michael Kubara, Christina Lastuka, Rita Law, Kathy Lee, Marg McKeen, Bruce McMullin, Shari Platt, Charlene Sawatsky, Richard Tedesco, Barbara Wolstoncroft and Joan Zimmer

Long Service Recipients

40 Years

Lois Boras and
Jean Mankee

35 Years

Barbara Dickinson, Heather Mirau and Brian Parkinson

30 Years

Rene Barendregt, Annette Bright, Peter Heffernan, Barb Hodgson, Kurt Klein, William Krysak, Judy Lacey, Phill Lema, Valerie Richardson, Kim Selk and John Vokey

25 Years

Candace Dueck, John Eng, Frank Klassen, Sheila Lowe, Fiona Randle, Thomas Staples, Greg Tompkins, Kelly Vaselenak, Peter Visentin and Diana Young

20 Years

Lynn Ambedian, Robin Bright, Naomi Cramer, Mary Dyck, Rod Gelleny, Michael Kern, Judith Kulig, Rick Peter, Robert Runte, Sandy Slavin, Maxine Tedesco and Jeff Vucurevich

15 Years

Dwayne Armstrong, Mara Baldwin, Kerry Bernes, Lesley Brown, James Clark, Tom Doyle, Larry Flanagan, Carolyn Gaebel, Cam Goater, Bradley Hagen, Rob Johnson, Ed Jurkowski, Angela Luck, Goldie Morgentaler, Dan O'Donnell, Kent Peacock, Brent Selinger, Marlo Steed and
Nicole Wilson

10 Years

Peter Alward, Christine Anderson, Ebenezer Asem, Roberto Bello, Shawn Bubel, Kris Caldwell, Michael Campbell, Connie Chaplin, John Claassen, Melanie Collado, Dagmar Dahle, Alesha Farfus-Shukaliak, Bev Garnett, Daya Gaur, Joanne Gedrasik, Betsy Greenlees, Trevor Harrison, Linda Janz, Sharon Kanashiro, John Kometz, Igor Kovalchuk, Olga Kovalchuk, Bette Jo Kulak, James Linville, Douglas MacArthur, Claudia Malacrida, Kyla McFadden, Jacqueline Montain, Mandy Moser, Bob Muskovich, Janice Newberry, Tammy Paskuski, Jill Payant, Wilf Roesler, Edward Sandzewicz, Daryl Schacher, Darren Schell, Arlan Schultz, Daniela Sirbu, Debbie Tarnava, John Usher, Derek Vincent, Bernie Wirzba and Cindy Yee

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