UNews - Brock ��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

The Cade Decade

trevor.kenney — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:58:29 +0000

UPDATE: Dr. Bill Cade will receive an honorary degree at the Fall 2012 Convocation ceremony, Saturday, Oct. 13, 10 a.m. at the 1st Choice Savings Centre gymnasium

When President Dr. Bill Cade first laid eyes on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2000, he saw an institution on the verge of a growth spurt, ready to come of age. Still not completely sure of its identity, the U of L was a young, emerging ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ poised to break out of its adolescence.

A decade later, as Cade prepares to wrap up his 10-year presidency, he sees an entirely different picture – the U of L's growth as a comprehensive university reflected by its stunning physical profile atop the Oldman River valley.

"I think it was a well-kept secret," says Cade of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ when he arrived on campus. "I think we were known well in some quarters, but I thought we needed to become more well-known in others.
"Today, I love to stand on the other side of the river with my dogs and look at the campus. I especially like it when the lights are on in the new stadium."

The Community Sports Stadium is the most recent addition to campus (it opened in September of 2009), and when Markin Hall opens this fall (Cade will return for the ceremony), it will bookend the Cade Decade, a 10-year period of unprecedented expansion and self-awareness at the U of L.

"For the past 10 years, as Bill and I worked together to advance the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's relationships with Canada and Alberta, he has been a visionary and dynamic force to identify and further the goals of programs, advancement and infrastructure development," says Dr. Jim Horsman (LLD '04 ), U of L chancellor emeritus (1999-2003) and a former member of the Board of Governors.

The building boom was just beginning in 2000 with the addition of Anderson Hall, a multi-purpose classroom and office facility. A year later, the $34 million Library Information Network Centre (LINC) and Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) would follow, and while their planning had begun before Cade's arrival, it was he who introduced the new U of L look to the broader community. It was a role he was ideally suited to perform.

"Bill is the greatest cheerleader the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has ever seen – it must be the Texan in him," says Greg Weadick (BSc '77), MLA for Lethbridge West. "Under his watch, the U of L has become a stronger community partner and a source of immense pride for all southern Albertans."

Cade recognized early that the U of L had a great story to tell, and a southern Alberta community eager to not only listen to that story but become a part of it, too.

"Initially, I don't think I had an appreciation for the prominence of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the office of the president in this community, and that turned out to be one of the very enjoyable aspects of the job," says Cade.

His previous position, at Brock ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in St. Catharines, Ont., did not afford that luxury. Whereas Brock was one of many players in the eight-million person Golden Horseshoe region of southern Ontario, the U of L is a benchmark southern Alberta industry.

"When Dr. and Mrs. Cade arrived in Lethbridge, it became clear quite quickly that their outgoing and positive approach to community involvement was going to make a difference in the connection between the community and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," says Cheryl Dick, chief executive officer, Economic Development Lethbridge.
"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has grown during his tenure through new facilities, but its footprint has also grown in terms of influence. By association, the reputation and respect of our city has also increased."

Cade and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ couldn't accomplish this simply by putting up buildings. Growth for the sake of growth, in Cade's own words, "is stupid," and what the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ was able to do over the last 10 years was identify areas of need and create programming that connected with emerging trends.

"We grew because we're in the business of admitting students to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, we're not in the business of excluding them. I've always been proud of that fact," says Cade.

Already blessed with a solid base of undergraduate programs, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ sought to increase its presence in the graduate world. The spring following Cade's installment saw the CCBN taking shape and the first doctoral students for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's PhD in Neuroscience program being accepted.

While expanding graduate programming along with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's research portfolio stood out as key priorities, to do so required money – a lot of money. The answer came in the form of an advancement office.

"I'd learned the advancement structure at Brock, and I enjoyed asking for money," says Cade. "It's easy to ask if you've got people who know what they're doing and will point you in the right direction. I thought building our reputation, letting people know who we are and what we were doing was a real priority.
"Asking for money is the easiest part of it; the hardest part is building up to it. If you've done the proper work leading up to it, I think you're OK to ask."

As funding for graduate programming grew, so did the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's research portfolio. In the past 10 years, the U of L's research funding has soared a phenomenal 610 per cent, taking what was a primarily undergraduate university to a research-intensive, comprehensive university with a focus on both undergraduate and graduate studies.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Community of Research Excellence Development Opportunities (CREDO) initiative, a new grant program for researchers in the social sciences, humanities, fine arts, education and management, was established. The U of L's allocation of Canada Research Chairs, nine, was met, and unique, issue-driven programs such as the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research were established. In 2008, the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB) opened, and in 2009, the U of L attracted foremost neuroscientist Dr. Bruce McNaughton and $20 million in funding to the CCBN, earning the inaugural Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Polaris Award.

"The research side of our mandate has certainly grown tremendously and is as high a quality as you could find around the country and around the world," says Cade, noting that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has worked hard to maintain its foundation of providing a personal, supportive small-school approach.
"We've done that while keeping our undergraduate and graduate programming very strong as well. If you don't grow in terms of new programs and evolve your interests in other degrees, you stagnate, and if you're starting to stagnate by resting on your laurels, you're in trouble."

Modestly, Cade is the first to admit that some of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's growth was a matter of being in the right place at the right time. While the U of L worked hard to create the community alliances necessary to open the new 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness in 2007, the Community Sports Stadium, a crown jewel for southern Alberta sport, was basically dropped on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's doorstep.

"Clearly there were things that we went after and we got them, but there were things that came out of the blue. Serendipity is a wonderful thing," says Cade.
"We didn't see the stadium coming, we didn't know that was something the city would propose, but seizing the opportunity is a really important part of it; that's something the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has done since its inception, seize opportunities."

With more than 8,000 students, a new home for the Faculties of Health Sciences and Management ready to open and a continually emerging research presence established, is Cade comfortable with how he is leaving the U of L?

"At the risk of sounding egotistical, yes, I think so," he says. "I think in terms of our academic development and in terms of having a functioning advancement office and having an outstanding faculty and good facilities, yes, I think so. There's always more you can do, but I feel pretty satisfied."

He pays no heed to trying to write his own legacy.

"I hope I have a legacy," he laughs. "I feel extremely good about the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. It is without question the most satisfying experience of my professional life. But as to a legacy? Somebody else has to figure that one out."

Perhaps it's the western skyline that will tell his story, now pierced by the glass and steel that represent a transformed campus and a new, confident identity.

"I scan the horizon and I can see the new stadium, the residences we put in, I can see Markin Hall rising, and from a certain vantage point you can see the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre satellite dish, the AWESB and, of course, the new gymnasium. If you had told me 10 years ago that all of these things would be happening on campus, I would have thought it was wishful thinking."

A timeline of major ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge events occuring over the previous 10 years

2000
• Dr. Bill Cade officially jumps into his new role as president and vice-chancellor of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.
• The U of L actively takes steps toward moving from a small, undergraduate institution to a comprehensive university – the first graduate students are admitted into the Master of Science in Management program, as well as the first doctorate students to the PhD Neuroscience program.

2001

• The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ recognizes its third Rhodes scholar, Russell Goodman.
• On the first day of fall classes, the $34 million Library Information Network Centre (LINC) opens. The 201,922 square foot facility stands as one the largest construction projects to take place on campus since the completion of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall in 1971.
• Two months later, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ celebrates the opening of the $7.3 million Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience. As the only research building of its kind in Canada, it helps lay the foundation for the U of L to emerge as an expert in the mysteries of the mind.

2002

• The traditional Blackfoot name, Medicine Rock, is given to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to recognize its 35th Anniversary.

2003

• Six new townhouse units open to house 96 students in 24 four-bedroom suites. The $6.15 million expansion project also includes the construction of a 5,000 square foot amenities building.

2004

• Continuing to meet students' needs, doctoral degrees offered at the U of L grow to include Bio-molecular Science; Biosystems and Biodiversity; Earth, Space and Physical Sciences; Evolution and Behaviour; and Theoretical and Computational Science.
• At spring convocation, the first graduates of the neuroscience PhD program cross the stage.

2005

• The U of L continues to grow beyond anyone's greatest expectations, and in September, combined enrolment for the U of L's Lethbridge, Calgary and Edmonton campuses exceeds 8,000 students.
• As plans form to build a new regional health and wellness centre, students agree to contribute $2.5 million and the City of Lethbridge approves a $5.3 million contribution.
• Then-Premier Ralph Klein visits the Lethbridge campus at the end of October to announce $1.2 million in provincial funding to help purchase scientific equipment for the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre.
• A $3 million donation from Dr. Allan Markin kicks off the Legacy of Leadership campaign – the most ambitious campaign in the U of L's history.

2006

• A year of milestones: the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ proudly holds its 100th convocation ceremony, while the Faculty of Management celebrates its 25th anniversary.
• President Dr. Bill Cade is inducted into Kainai chieftainship, a group limited to 40 living individuals recognized by members of the Blood Tribe for their service to the community.
• The Prentice family announces an $8.25 million gift to establish the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy.

2007

• The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge launches its 40th anniversary celebrations at the grand opening of the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness, with more than 2,000 people attending the celebration.
• The Government of Alberta invests more than $78 million toward developing the U of L campus, including Markin Hall, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall and the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB).

2008

• With more than $35 million raised, the Legacy of Leadership Campaign concludes. When combined with government funding, the result is a $113 million investment in the U of L.
• The U of L is the recipient of the inaugural Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Polaris Award, which brings Dr. Bruce McNaughton, one of the world's foremost brain scientists, and $20 million in research funding to the U of L's CCBN.
• The U of L campus continues to transform with the opening of both Turcotte Hall and the AWESB. The AWESB brings experts together and allows for up to 100 new graduate students.

2009

• The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ charts its course for the next five years with the release of the 2009-2013 Strategic Plan. The plan affirms what has taken place and promises to stay true to what the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has done well, while making a call to move into a more comprehensive framework and to expand graduate programs.
• In March, President Dr. Bill Cade announces he will step down at the completion of his second term.
• In late September, the new Community Sports Stadium officially opens. Built on partnerships, the estimated $12 million multi-purpose, public-access facility is equipped with an artificial field, a natural practice field, a 400-metre synthetic track and bleachers for 2,000 fans.
• The School of Graduate Studies celebrates its 25th anniversary.
• Pronghorns women's rugby team successfully claims its third straight CIS national title.
• Just before the new year, Dr. Michael Mahon is appointed as the U of L's next president.

2010

• The U of L celebrates with its littlest members and opens a daycare facility.
• The U of L community bids farewell to President Dr. Bill Cade and wife Elsa while looking forward to another decade of success and growth.

To view the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Call it clutter with a purpose

trevor.kenney — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:45:28 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Bill Cade has collected a carefully constructed mass of objects that fill his office.

One wall of windows overlooks the Oldman River, while another is lined with bookshelves housing artifacts that connect Cade to his travels, colleagues, students and interesting experiences or people he has met.

Space is reserved for his trusty office mates Stan, Stella and Steve, a trio of African veiled chameleons, who occupy well-appointed cages within arm's reach of Cade's desk space.

The overall result is one of continual surprise, a beginning for many conversations and a clear sense that this is an office occupied by a curious person who isn't afraid to put a South Park talking-cartoon key chain on his desk.

With Cade's open-door policy, many people have seen the space at some point in time, but for those who have not had the pleasure of sitting in his office, here is a snapshot of the "so-called clutter" and just a few of the many stories behind the objects.

ABORIGINAL ARTIFACTS
During his time in southern Alberta, Cade has developed a relationship based on a mutual respect with the First Nations community. Several gifts remind him of this: a pair of eagle feathers given to him by a student representative of the
U of L Native American Students' Association, as well as commemorative images of his induction into the Kainai chieftainship.

SKELETONS
Quick: which one is the turtle? Not many people get it right, and most people have no clue what the skeletons are, unless of course, they ask.

CHIRPING TOYS
As people found out about Cade's research, cricket toys started to appear. He uses them as a teaching tool for young children (and some adults) who visit. The most important fact people need to remember is that Disney got it wrong: Jiminy Cricket did not have six legs, as most insects would; he had four. And, crickets don't wear gloves.

Cricket cages come in all shapes and sizes.

PRICKLY CORNER
You don't want to trip and fall into the northeast corner of the office lest you meet this cactus. Brought from Texas years ago, it has now reached beyond the ceiling multiple times and its offspring can be found throughout the U of L campus.

ELEPHANT DUNG
Collected in Africa, this specimen the size of a bowling ball is from a herd of elephants that came though Cade's camp at 4:30 a.m. in search of food. To distract them, Cade got out of his tent, waved a flashlight in one of the elephant's face and tossed rocks at it. By startling it, Cade narrowly prevented his truck from being wrecked.

CRICKET CAGES
As a researcher of crickets, Cade's natural interest in these tiny, vocal insects and their communication and mating habits is well known. For years, people have given him cricket enclosures, ranging from fancy to plain, which are used in some cultures to keep crickets for good luck or to transport crickets en route to cricket fights.

AUTOGRAPHED MEMORABILIA
Reflecting Cade's Pronghorn pride, this autographed basketball was a gift from the 2009/2010 men's team and was signed by the players as well as the1999/2000 men's team during a recent alumni reunion and game.

THE KILLING TRAIL
A paperback western story about a man named Jubal Cade who is "Trained to Heal but Born to Kill" sits on Cade's desk. The fact that Cade shares his last name with a character in a pulp fiction western makes him laugh.

CRICKET SYMPHONY
This trio of green crickets was a gift from a colleague at Brock ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Josephine Meeker, who encouraged Cade to move forward in his career and run for dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science at Brock ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, a position he formerly held that served as a stepping-stone to his presidency at the U of L.

ANTILOCAPRA AMERICANA
Cade's interest in the U of L pronghorn symbol started as simple curiosity then grew. He found pronghorn stamps dating to the late 1950s and others have given him pronghorn stuffed toys, sculptures and items related to the second-fastest land mammal.

HOOK 'EM HORNS!
The "other" horns, that is. A proud dual citizen of the United States and Canada, Cade is a triple-degree graduate of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas at Austin and a fan of the legendary UT Longhorns teams.

STAN, STELLA AND STEVE
Common names for very uncommon office guests, this chameleon trio, known fondly as Stan, Stella and Steve, have it pretty good with constant visitors, a spectacular view and an endless supply of their favourite food, crickets.

To view the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - Brock ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ

U of L leads way in establishing ACCRU

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