UNews - student/professor

Significant And Mentionable

trevor.kenney — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:54:14 +0000

HISTORIANS SCORE 100%

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge History Department celebrated 100 per cent participation in Supporting Our Students for the second year in a row.

"This is an incredible accomplishment," says Debi Sandul, who is co-chairing this year's SOS campaign. "Students have always been at the centre of what we do and this demonstrates the continued commitment of the History Department to enhance the student experience and create opportunities."

Supporting Our Students is an annual internal fundraising campaign to raise money for student awards. Faculty and staff donations are matched by the Government of Alberta's Access to the Future Fund, doubling the impact of all contributions.

The goal for this year's campaign is 300 contributions and thanks to the dedication of faculty and staff like those from the History Department, the campaign already has 255 participants.

"This year's campaign is about participation and this group has come together to demonstrate the strength of the U of L community," explains Dr. Rob Wood, the campaign co-chair.

"We are very proud of what we've been able to do as a group and I hope this is just the beginning," says History Department Chair Dr. Chris Epplett, who went on to issue a friendly challenge to other U of L departments.

GRAD STUDENTS HONOURED

When the School of Graduate Studies and the Office of Research Services handed out their Research Excellence awards recently, there were no trophies, only cold hard cash to the tune of more than $700,000, which was shared by 36 student recipients of graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral studies awards.

The investment in research funding directed toward candidates in master's and doctoral programs is critical to help grow the
U of L's research programs and its place as a comprehensive research university.

The research funding was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Alberta-based agencies Alberta Ingenuity Fund, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, the Alberta Cancer Foundation, and the Alberta government-funded Ralph Steinhauer Awards of Distinction.

NATIONAL RANKING SHOWS DRAMATIC GROWTH FOR U OF L RESEARCH FUNDING

The U of L is ranked second nationally by Re$earch Infosource in terms of research income growth over the decade 1999-2009 for undergraduate universities – with an overall growth rate from $3.295 million to $15.956 million.

"This is the highest gain of any Alberta school and any Western Canadian school – and we are still growing," says U of L Vice-President (Research) Dr. Dan Weeks.

"These figures do not reflect the additional people we have attracted, the income from this past year or the many new programs that we have launched."

As assessed by RE$EARCH Infosource, the list ranks universities by their research income and research intensity (research funding per faculty member).

ACCESSIBILITY AND INNOVATION LEAD TO RECORD ENROLMENT

This September brought with it the largest student enrolment in the U of L's history. The official enrolment number is 8,472, with the growth being credited to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's dedication to being an accessible and innovative institution.

EDUCATION STUDENTS TAKE A STAND AGAINST BULLYING

The third annual ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Anti-bullying and Cyberbullying Awareness Week was held Oct. 4 to 6. Organized by the Education Undergraduate Society, the event is the only student-organized anti-bullying campaign in Alberta and aims to increase the awareness of cyberbullying and bullying in the community.

The ever-increasing use of technology among children is rapidly leading to a transformation in the traditional forms of bullying, with cyberbullying becoming more prevalent.

The anti-bullying campaign highlighted the need for schools to develop policies and procedures related to cyberbullying, while providing teachers with techniques and tools to address the issue.

STUDENTS' UNION HELPING PAINT A BRIGHTER FUTURE

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union Executive Council worked on their home-improvement skills this past summer by volunteering with Project Paintbrush.

Working with Volunteer Lethbridge and Project Paintbrush, the students laboured to fix up homes for those who are not able. Specifically, the four council members grabbed brushes and aided in painting the exterior of a local home.

Project Paintbrush focuses on assisting seniors and individuals with special needs who are physically and/or financially unable to maintain the exterior of their property. There is no cost to the homeowner and the program operation is based solely on volunteers.

Taz Kassam, SU president, believes that "making positive changes through volunteering in the community provides for greater experiences and opportunities for all. Lethbridge supports its students and it is important for students to support Lethbridge, too."

By taking part in this project, the ULSU hopes to not only spark knowledge of Volunteer Lethbridge and Project Paintbrush, but also showcase the impact volunteering has on individuals and the community.

"At the end of the day, we can look back and realize that we made a difference, and the families are more than grateful for the help," says Kassam.

IGEM TEAM CLEANS UP

A group of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge undergraduate chemistry, biochemistry and neuroscience students has been awarded a $20,000 international research grant from the Oil Sands Initiative to find a biological solution to improving the environmental sustainability of Alberta's oil sands.

The students are members of the
U of L's multiple-award-winning International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) team, which competes each year at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, Mass. Regarded as the premier undergraduate synthetic biology competition in the world, the conference attracts competitors from around the world but the U of L group was the only team to receive a $20,000 award.

The money will help support the development of a petrochemical-eating bacteria that the group plans to design. If successful, the bacteria could be used to help clean up water in ponds that have been polluted in the refining process.

CONGRATULATIONS

The U of L extends sincere congratulations to the following members of our community for their awards and recognitions this fall.

U of L Chancellor Richard Davidson was named one of the 50 most influential people in Alberta by Alberta Venture magazine.

Dr. Trevor Harrison, sociology professor, was awarded a Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Canadian Studies at Kennesaw State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

The Honourable Rick Casson, who is a Member of Parliament for Lethbridge and a former U of L employee, was appointed to the Queen's Privy Council of Canada.

Dr. Susan McDaniel, director of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, was named Vice-Chair of the Council of Canadian Academies' Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).

Dr. Joseph Rasmussen, biological sciences researcher, was appointed to the National Oil Sands Review Panel.

GLOBE & MAIL REPORT CARD

The Globe and Mail's annual report card on Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ performance is out and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has been given high marks, ranging from B's to A's in more than 80 per cent of 17 categories.

The survey was prepared by higher Education Strategy Associates in partnership with the Globe and Mail, and asked more than 35,000 students 100 questions that were distilled down to the final 17 categories. Individual scores (such as the U of L's) are based on a minimum number of responses from U of L students.

The Faculties of Health Sciences and Management recorded high marks from students for providing a quality education, and "A" level grades were received for the number of small class sizes, the quality of student/professor interaction, and the institution's athletics and recreation services.

"This survey is a solid reinforcement of our strength as an undergraduate university, but we're moving along a new path to become a comprehensive research university – without losing sight of the very important factors that put all of our students first," says U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon.

U OF L'S CANDO PARTNERSHIP NETS STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP

Faculty of Management student Shermayn Menicoche (photo, right) is one of three people to receive a $3,000 National Indigenous Economic Education Foundation (NIEEF) scholarship from the charitable arm of the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO).

CANDO is an Aboriginal-controlled, community-based group that builds partnerships with educational institutions, Aboriginal leaders and senior corporate and government representatives.

The U of L is now one of nine post-secondary institutions accredited by CANDO to deliver courses that help economic development officers working in First Nations communities obtain an Aboriginal Economic Developer Certificate in addition to their U of L degree.

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

U of L earns top-10 in Maclean's ranking

trevor.kenney — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:28:19 +0000

The annual Maclean's Magazine ranking of Canadian Universities has placed the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge among the top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Canada for the fourth consecutive year.

Reinforcing the U of L's core strengths of small class sizes and student engagement, the ranking results show an improvement in the 20th annual survey – from sixth to fourth place in the overall standings.

"We know our students and their families are making very mindful choices about the university they attend. We also know people are choosing the U of L as their education destination in ever-increasing numbers – especially from Calgary, out of province and international locations, which provides a significant boost to our local economy," said U of L President Mike Mahon.

"The acknowledgement through Maclean's is a helpful way for prospective undergraduate and graduate students across the country to learn about us – and also for people in our community to see how we rank on the national level," Mahon said.

The U of L also maintained or improved its standing in approximately half of the 22 categories, including library acquisitions, the faculty/student ratio, and the number of awards per full time faculty members.

Mahon pointed out additional rankings or surveys in which the U of L has scored favourably, including a recent second-place standing in a national Research InfoSource ranking of universities, and an extensive survey recently published in the Globe and Mail.

"The 2010 Globe and Mail Report Card gave the Faculties of Health Sciences and Management high marks from students for providing a quality education, and we received a number of "A" level grades for our small class sizes, the quality of student/professor interaction, and the institution's athletics and recreation services departments," Mahon said.

He added that growth in graduate studies and in significant increases in research funding are among the many factors making the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge a destination for more than 8400 students.

"We plan to build on the past decade of growth and position our programs to attract even more graduate and doctoral level candidates."

High marks for U of L in Globe poll

trevor.kenney — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:05:37 +0000

The Globe and Mail's annual report card on Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ performance is out and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has been given a rating from B to A in more than 80 per cent of 17 categories.

The survey was prepared by higher Education Strategy Associates in partnership with the Globe and Mail, and asked more than 35,000 students 100 questions which were distilled down to the final 17 categories. Individual scores (such as the U of L's) are based on a minimum quantity of responses from U of L students.

The Faculties of Health Sciences and Management recorded high marks from students for providing a quality education, and "A" level grades were received for the number of small class sizes, the quality of student/professor interaction, and the institution's athletics and recreation services.

"This survey is a solid reinforcement of our strength as an undergraduate university, but we're moving along a new path to become a comprehensive research university – without losing sight of the very important factors that put all of our students first," says U of L President Mike Mahon.

"We will ensure that students at the undergraduate and graduate levels are exposed to top flight faculty and researchers and that the U of L continues to make significant contributions to the development of Alberta's knowledge economy."

U of L gets high marks

trevor.kenney — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:20:39 +0000

Student satisfaction gets top grades at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, according to the results of a Maclean's magazine poll.

In areas such as class size, student/professor interaction, overall quality of education and student satisfaction, the U of L ranked consistently high. Maclean's magazine posted the results of the 2008 Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Survey Consortium (CUSC) poll on its website Thursday, and the results for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge show high marks ranging from 96 per cent to 87 per cent on seven indicators of student satisfaction. More than 12,000 students participated nationally.

The U of L scored best in the area of class size, with 96 per cent of respondents either very satisfied or satisfied with the average size of classes.

Following is a breakdown of the seven indicators and where the U of L scored, in terms of percentage.

2008 Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Survey Consortium results

How satisfied with the average size of your classes?
96% Very Satisfied/Satisfied

Most of my professors encourage students to participate in class discussions
95% Agree Strongly/Agree

Most of my professors are reasonably accessible outside of class to help
students
94% Agree Strongly/Agree

How satisfied are you with the overall quality of the education you have
received at this university?
94% Very Satisfied /Satisfied

My learning experiences at this university have been intellectually
stimulating
92% Agree Strongly/Agree

At this university, professors treat students as individuals, not just
numbers
87% Agree Strongly/Agree

Improvement needed on teaching ability
36% None/Very Little

All participating universities and their respective rankings can be found on the Maclean's Website.

The CUSC was created in 1994; it is a Canada-only survey, and is in large part about student satisfaction. In 2008, 31 institutions took part, including two universities — UBC and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of New Brunswick — that surveyed multiple campuses.

Surveys were sent to a random sample of approximately 1,000 undergraduates at each university. Institutions with fewer than 1,000 undergrads surveyed the entire cohort.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge also measures student satisfaction through a variety of additional surveys.

UNews - student/professor

Significant And Mentionable

Related Topics

U of L earns top-10 in Maclean's ranking

Related Topics

High marks for U of L in Globe poll

Related Topics

U of L gets high marks

Related Topics