UNews - Saint Mary's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

U of L leads way in establishing ACCRU

trevor.kenney — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:44:35 +0000

This story by Léo Charbonneau appeared in the Sept. 12 edition of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Affairs. It is re-posted here with their permission.

There is a new university group in Canada: the Alliance of Canadian Comprehensive Research Universities.

Created at a meeting in Ottawa in June, ACCRU brings together the vice-presidents, research, of the smaller comprehensive universities in Canada that have "a strong commitment to research," said Dan Weeks, vice-president, research, at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The creation of the alliance is in part a reaction to the group known as the U15, which advocates on behalf of what it calls "Canada's 15 leading research universities."

A graphical representation of ACCRU.

That group, previously called the G10 and then the G13 before it expanded to its current 15 members, has given those institutions "a strong unified voice for consultation and lobbying activities on their behalf," said Dr. Weeks.

However, ACCRU is not meant to be a lobbying group, he stressed. Rather, the aim of the new alliance is to discuss the challenges and issues that these smaller universities face, and to pool resources and best practices with like-minded colleagues.

"If we do have advice and things that have policy implications, the route would be through either AUCC [Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada] or our individual presidents," he said.

Dr. Weeks set the ball rolling for the new group with a letter he sent to colleagues this past January.

The letter reads in part: "There are a number of unique challenges associated with conducting world-class research at Canada's small institutions. Effectively meeting these challenges and ensuring that research investments made in our institutions are of maximal benefit to all Canadians prompts me to suggest that Canada's 'small' research universities might benefit by informal discussion of the merits of forming a group or forum. This would give us the opportunity to discuss and react collectively to issues we face now or that will arise."

The response was "absolutely fantastic," said Dr. Weeks. "Everybody was excited about getting together." The respondents agreed on a date and venue for the event, and of the 25 universities initially contacted, 19 sent representatives to the Ottawa gathering – in most cases, either the vice-president or associate VP research.

While stressing that membership in ACCRU is "meant to be inclusive," Dr. Weeks acknowledged he had to come up with "some sort of algorithm" to choose who to invite.

He and William Bridger, a former vice-president at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Western Ontario, devised a plan. First, they said the university had to describe itself as a comprehensive university.

Second, they did a rough calculation of the percentage of tri-council funding that each university receives, and "there was a pretty obvious breakpoint, and so we invited everybody below that line," said Dr. Weeks.

But he added, "I really wouldn't put too much stock in this 'who's in, who's out' type of thing. It's really more about the scope of your operations and would you benefit from being at these discussions."

The attendees to the Ottawa meeting "talked a lot about faculty recruitment and, related to that, the general perception of small universities by the public and by other institutions," said Dr. Weeks.

They also discussed research ethics, infrastructure, animal care, research centres and institutes, contracts, "and all the things that we have to fulfill in terms of policies and regulations" but often with far fewer resources than the larger universities, "so we have to be more clever about how we get some of these accomplished."

Katherine Schultz, vice-president research at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Prince Edward Island, attended the meeting and said the conversations "were frank and open." She noted that, unlike vice-presidents, academic, there is no national meeting for VPs research, so this group "fills a gap that many of us perceived. … It's a forum for information exchange that didn't exist."

André Manseau, dean of research at Université du Quebec en Outaouais, said it was "very enriching" for him to have his colleagues share their experiences. "We face many similar issues," he said. "Our offices are of relatively modest size and we don't have a lot of specialized personnel."

The ACCRU members agreed to meet again in Ottawa in early December, before the annual Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council's leaders meeting (of senior university administrators who serve as points of contact with the council).

The alliance also created three working groups that will report at the December meeting: one looking at best practices, one on governance of the group itself, and a third tasked to craft a mission statement.

Universities represented at the ACCRU meeting in June:

* Acadia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Bishop's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Brandon ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Brock ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Cape Breton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Lakehead ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Nipissing ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* St. Francis Xavier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Saint Mary's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Thompson Rivers ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Trent ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ
* Université de Moncton
* Université du Québec en Outaouais
* ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge
* ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia
* ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Prince Edward Island
* ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina
* ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Windsor
* Wilfrid Laurier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

Non-profit payback

trevor.kenney — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 04:36:59 +0000

There have been many nights over the last 16 years that Dr. Mary Runté has gotten little, if any, sleep. Raising two children has been no small factor in the equation, but even before Runté took on motherhood – the role by which she admittedly defines her life and holds most dear – she sacrificed shut-eye while out on the streets of east Vancouver, up at all hours of the night to do what she could to ease the plight of drug addicts, pregnant prostitutes and anyone else she encountered who was living their lives on the fringe of society.

It's not exactly the professional history you might expect a professor of management to have, but then again, Runté isn't your average management professor. Prior to 1998, Runté had no inclination at all to study anything remotely related to business. Her heart was then, as it is now, in the not-for-profit sector – although she also came to love management in a rather roundabout way.

Initially, Runté wanted to be a teacher, and was enrolled in the Bachelor of Education program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta en route to that goal. It was during that course of study that Runté discovered the impact she wanted to have on students went beyond teaching them the finer points of Shakespeare.

"You know how there are people who are into extreme sports? I'm into extreme jobs," Runté says with laughter. "I wanted to work in the inner city, so I was teaching kids who were dealing with huge life issues – drugs, gangs, various kinds of abuse. I quickly realized that I wanted to make a different kind of impact on their lives. That's when I went into social services."

Runté abandoned the BEd and instead pursued a BA in psychology, all the while working in the non-profit sector. After graduating, she spent more than a decade willingly subjecting her professional self to some of the grittiest and most challenging circumstances imaginable, and moved up the ranks of social work with expediency. While she loved the work, Runté found that she lacked many of the basic management skills necessary to run the programs. Suddenly, and unexpectedly, earning an MBA became a logical move.

"A lot of people were absolutely shocked and even viewed me as a traitor," Runté says reflectively. "In the non-profit sector, management is seen as the big bad world of business. Debunking the myth that all business is bad was, and still is, very important to me."

Dr. Mary Runté takes business to the streets, saying its power can be used as a positive influence.

Determined to remain true to her non-profit roots, Runté chose York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for her MBA because, at the time, it was one of the only business schools in Canada that researched non-profit organizations.

"It was extraordinarily positive for me to interact with faculty who understood that business has power, and that the power can and should be used carefully," says Runté. "It's possible to prioritize people over dollars, the environment over profitability – or at least find a respectful blend of both sides."

Runté graduated from York in 2000 and began teaching sessional classes at the U of L that year. She completed a PhD through Saint Mary's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 2005. Today, on track to become a tenured faculty member, Runté feels fortunate to be able to combine both of her professional disciplines, teaching business courses within the area of social responsibility – a declared minor that the Faculty of Management has now offered for a few years.

"It's core in the Faculty's vision to promote social responsibility in business. Every student takes a required course in it. In recent years, social responsibility has become more fashionable in business schools, but the U of L was one of the first universities to make a demonstrated commitment by offering a minor in the subject," says Runté. "I'm absolutely blessed to be teaching here."

A segment of the required course Runté teaches in social responsibility in business deals with non-profit management. Students must complete a minimum of nine hours of volunteer work and are free to choose any non-profit organization they wish to support. Runté says that it's very common for students to become impassioned with volunteerism and continue to be active within the organizations indefinitely.

"They intend to do nine hours of volunteering, and at the end, they're treating it almost like a part-time job," says Runté.

While Runté continues to champion the non-profit sector, emphatically pointing out that it's a significant employer within the country (constituting 13 per cent of the labour force) and contributes a surprisingly large percentage of the gross domestic product (seven per cent in 2003), she is quick to balance her view.

"Business isn't evil. It's important to our society. It has power, and that power gives us resources to do great things. It can help shape a more positive world. That's what I teach my students."

U of L Health Sciences Researcher Among YWCA Lethbridge Women of Distinction Award Recipients

trevor.kenney — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:30:41 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences researcher Dr. Bonnie Lee joins Lethbridge College president Tracy Edwards, special needs supporter and community volunteer Nadine Chandler and addictions/recovery advocate Mallory Kristjanson, the YWCA Young Woman of Distinction, as recipients of the 2010 Women of Distinction Awards.

Brief biographies are outlined below.

The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony 2010 will be held on Friday, March 19 starting at 5 p.m. at the Lethbridge Lodge. The Master of Ceremonies is Kaella Carr, CTV reporter and Young Woman of Distinction 2009.

The guest speaker is Tara-Jean Popowich, winner of the 'So You Think You Can Dance' Canada competition 2009.

Please call 329-0088 or stop by the YWCA for your tickets ($75 with a $50 tax receipt).

YWCA Women of Distinction Awards recognize outstanding women who live and work in Southern Alberta. This year four women have been selected.

Through a competitive process, the honourees are chosen from a group of nominations. The awards are based on the candidate's accomplishments, commitment and leadership. It is important for the YWCA to recognize these accomplishments on an ongoing basis.

The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony is a wonderful venue to showcase the talent and leadership of women in Southern Alberta. Women honoured have been trail blazers, entrepreneurs, innovators, social advocates, and volunteers.

BONNIE LEE

Bonnie Lee, Ph. D. of Lethbridge is 2010 YWCA's Woman of Distinction in the Spirit of Women category.
Bonnie¹s experiences as a global citizen took her from Singapore where she was born to nine other cities in Asia and North America before locating in Lethbridge in 2005. The positive influence of her mother and early education with the Maryknoll Sisters in Hong Kong is reflected in her values and sense of purpose.

Her undergraduate degree in English Literature is from Smith College, Massachusetts and her Ph.D. and postdoctoral studies from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Ottawa.

Bonnie's life and career have gone through numerous metamorphoses: speech-language pathologist, marriage and family therapist, Unitarian Universalist minister, and now: professor and researcher at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

One theme remains constant, her dedication to draw out people's innate gifts through creating supportive relationships. Her research and clinical contributions using "couple relationship" to work on problem gambling and other addiction issues are gaining recognition nationally and internationally.

In spite of a major loss in her life, Bonnie's zest for living and learning remains strong as she enjoys close relationship with her two adult children. Since moving to Lethbridge, she has grown to love the land and skies of Southern Alberta that inspired her paintings which express her connection to nature and the earth.

NADINE CHANDLER

Nadine Chandler of Lethbridge is YWCA's Woman of Distinction in the Social Advocate category. Nadine is a pioneer in the integration of special needs students into the public schooling system.

What began as "looking after the interests of her own child" grew to be an international norm in the field of education. She is a role model and a leader in prevention and intervention programs in Lethbridge and all of Alberta.

She grew from being a new mother who reached out for support and education about what was best for her son, to being a visionary and advocate in equality education for children with special needs, a support to other mothers, a resource to teachers, administration and support staff, and a coach and friend to young women with special needs.

While others may have ceased this level of involvement when their child graduated from high school, Nadine has continued to give, staying current of the latest knowledge in the field of special needs, coaching for the Special Olympics and volunteering in organizations that serve the needs of adults with disabilities.

TRACY EDWARDS

Dr. Tracy L. Edwards of Lethbridge is our Woman of Distinction in the Community Commitment category. Originally from Ontario, Tracy worked fifteen years for the Nova Scotia Community College before moving to the United States to pursue doctoral studies.

She has twice been designated as a Kellogg Fellow and is the recipient of numerous scholarships and leadership awards. She was recognized in 2007 as a Distinguished Alumnus of the Community College Leadership program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas at Austin.

Tracy holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees from Saint Mary's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Halifax and her doctorate is from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas at Austin, with a specialization in community college leadership.

She has been the President of Lethbridge College since July of 2005. Tracy and her husband reside in Lethbridge and are the proud parents of four grown children and doting grandparents to five grandchildren.

MALLORY KRISTJANSON

Mallory Kristjanson of Lethbridge is YWCA's Young Woman of Distinction in the Turning Point category.

Mallory was born June 30, 1986 in Lethbridge and attended Wilson Middle School and graduated from Winston Churchill High School. She is deeply involved with a recovery program and sponsors women of all ages through their journeys.

She has volunteered with the Lethbridge Regional Hospital in the pediatrics ward, at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, working directly with inmates struggling with addiction and other problems; and as a server at the Soup Kitchen.

Mallory loves walking her dog, Timber, in the Old Man River bottom, writing songs, journaling, Hip Hop dancing and swimming. To stay grounded and spiritually filled, she attends the Celebrate Life Recovery Service at Central United Church in Calgary weekly.

The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony 2010 will be held on Friday, March 19 starting at 5 p.m. at the Lethbridge Lodge.

Master of Ceremonies is Kaella Carr, CTV reporter and Young Woman of Distinction 2009.

Guest speaker is Tara-Jean Popowich, winner of the 'So You Think You Can Dance' Canada competition 2009.
Please call 329-0088 or stop by the YWCA for your tickets ($75 with a $50 tax receipt).

Please feel free to contact Barbara Pittard, Chair: Women of Distinction Committee at 320-2912 or btpittard@shaw.ca if you have any questions.

Non-profit payback

trevor.kenney — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:12:54 +0000

"They intend to do nine hours of volunteering, and at the end, they're treating it almost like a part-time job," says Runté.

"Business isn't evil. It's important to our society. It has power, and that power gives us resources to do great things. It can help shape a more positive world. That's what I teach my students."

UNews - Saint Mary's ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ

U of L leads way in establishing ACCRU

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