Mahon installed as 6th U of L President

trevor.kenney — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 22:06:39 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge officially installed Dr. Mike Mahon as its 6th President and Vice-Chancellor at a Friday, Oct. 15 Installation Ceremony in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gymnasium. The traditional affair featured a number of addresses from members of the U of L community as we officially welcomed Mike to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ family. The afternoon event concluded in a very non-traditional manner with a mob dance routine put on by students from G.S. Lakie Middle School. The routine is featured here in this video.

The complete text of Dr. Mahon's Installation address can be viewed by following this link.

Each month, Dr. Mahon writes an article for the Legend newspaper, an internal publication geared primarily for staff and faculty at the U of L. The article is titled, Open Mike, and discusses various happenings here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Following is the text from Mike's October column.

As well, for Dr. Mahon's biography, or for any information on the Office of the President, follow this link.

Open Mike - October

In the past few weeks I've had the opportunity to vacuum floors, pilot a street sweeper, get lost in a corn maze and assist in the delivery of a baby. Add in an engaging panel discussion about the future of Canadian universities and a fun run through campus and it gives you a sense of the breadth of experience you can gain at a liberal arts university such as the U of L.

President Mike Mahon continues to familiarize himself with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, its people and his role as President.

The first few months of my tenure as President have been fascinating. I have spent a lot of time trying to experience as much as I could here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, introducing myself to you and in turn, gaining an appreciation for the work you do on a daily basis. At times it has felt like an introduction, and at others it has been an initiation.

I appreciate the time you have taken to help me gain an understanding of the inner workings of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, and the patience you have exhibited in teaching me some of the finer points of life at the U of L.

The caretaking staff was especially kind in their review of my vacuuming skills, while the crew in grounds was surprisingly confident in my ability to handle a street sweeper. Physical plant took me into the bowels of the building and gave me an education on what really keeps this university running, and Ancillary Services taught me about foods, beds and books, while the people in Health Sciences trusted me with the virtual delivery of a baby in their new Nursing Skills Lab.

My participation in the Arts & Science panel discussion on challenges facing Canadian universities was a very lively and thought-provoking exercise, as was the Team Jeopardy Challenge hosted by the Faculty of Management. The Faculty of Fine Arts gave me the opportunity to flex my acting chops in a drama class and try my hand at sculpting, while the Faculty of Education presented me with a host of student experiences and Human Resources led me into the heart of a corn maze. I also learned so much about how our library is changing to be a student focused learning centre and met many of our Pronghorn athletes at a breakfast for champions.

All of these experiences have been framed by my many opportunities to interact with our students, from SU breakfasts and Fresh Fest festivities to FNMI barbecues.
When you add in all the informal meetings I have had with units in the Registrar's Office, Financial Services, CRDC and the International Centre for Students, I have gained a real understanding of the deep commitment people on campus have for the work they do across a wide spectrum of disciplines.

As I approach my Installation address, I am enthusiastic in taking this new-found knowledge of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and moving from a phase of transition into one of action. That includes action committed to a learning environment centrally focused on a student-first attitude; action that is dedicated to building a comprehensive university across disciplines ranging from the social sciences to the sciences, humanities and fine arts; action dedicated to creating a person-first university environment for staff and faculty; and action dedicated to social responsibility and community engagement.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming Convocation and Installation events and furthering the discussion of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's future.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ hosts Boat Race

trevor.kenney — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:21:16 +0000

If you want an entertaining way to spend an hour on Wednesday, Nov. 25, visit the Max Bell Regional Aquatic Centre beginning at 1 p.m. to witness the sailing (and likely sinking) of a number of cardboard boat creations that will be put to the 'water test' by 29 teams of students in grades seven to 12 from Lethbridge and southern Alberta.

The 2009 Chinook Regional Cardboard Boat Race gives students 90 minutes to build a boat capable of supporting their team's weight during a morning session which begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Students' Union building, Ballrooms "A" and "B."

After lunch they compete in two challenges -- speed and weight. Most importantly, the objective is to stay afloat and make it across the shallow end of the Max Bell Regional Aquatic Centre.

The 2009 Chinook Regional Cardboard Boat Race participating schools include: Picture Butte, Hays, Father Leonard Van Tighem, Warner, St. Joe's (Coaldale), G.S. Lakie Middle School, Kate Andrews (Coaldale), St. Catherine's (Picture Butte), Magrath, Vauxhall, Chamberlain, Wilson Middle School, Enchant, Coalhurst, RI Baker (Coaldale), St. Mary's (Taber) and Catholic Central High School.

UNews - G.S. Lakie Middle School

Mahon installed as 6th U of L President

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