TRU 40 by Kamloops Daily News

2010

2000

Meeting the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs for higher education. Providing innovative programs that draw students from around the globe. Shaping the future of Kamloops for 40 years.

Congratulations, TRU! New Gold applauds TRU for its spirit of innovation and commitment to excellence, and for the important role it plays in the Kamloops community.

New Gold is currently developing one of Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emerging large-scale underground block-cave mining operations, the New Afton Copper-Gold Project. The New Afton development project is slated for production start up in the second half of 2012. New Gold is proud to be part of the Kamloops community.

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TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

Table of contents

President’s Message ............................................................................... 4 Looking back and charging ahead ............................................................ 6 No longer just a ‘resource’ town . ........................................................... 10 Success a result of community support .................................................. 10 More than bricks and mortar . ................................................................. 12 TRU Kamloops’ bridge to the world ........................................................ 14 Happy Birthday to TRU . .......................................................................... 16 Thompson Rivers University’s 40th Anniversary magazine is a product of The Kamloops Daily News, 393 Seymour St., Kamloops, B.C. V2C 6P6. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission. Publisher: Tim Shoults Manager, Special Publications: Kevin Dergez Editor: Danna Bach Layout/Design: Jennifer Poohachoff Advertising Sales: Darlene Kawa photos front cover (from L to R): Madeline Laberge and Brian Rostek, TRU respiratory therapy students. BART CUMMINS/

Quenching the thirst .............................................................................. 18 Celebrate & support ............................................................................... 20 Comprehensive training defined ............................................................. 22 A purposeful partnership ......................................................................... 23 Mobile lab puts trades training on the road ............................................ 23 Playing to win ........................................................................................ 24 Open Learning . ...................................................................................... 26 A campus without borders . .................................................................... 28 Building a dream .................................................................................... 30

TRU

Students Carmen Harker and Brian Ouellette from Edmonton outside the Campus Activity Centre. KEITH ANDERSON/DAILY NEWS WolfPack Soccer. Tru photo archive TRU World. KEITH ANDERSON/DAILY NEWS photo Back cover: July 1983. TRU photo archive photo this page: Robin Scoebel of the TRU WolfPack at the Tournament Capital Centre. MURRAY MITCHELL/THE DAILY NEWS

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

Message from the President

ould any one have imaged that such great things could come from such humble beginnings? Perhaps they did, the school board t r u stees a nd com m it tee member s f rom throughout the region, when they established the philosophy of Cariboo College with a public commitment to comprehensiveness. The doors opened on September 8, 1970 at Cariboo College’s temporary location at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. There were 30 faculty offering 367 full-time and 200 part-time students 16 academic transfer programs, 6 technical (BCIT)-transfer programs and 6 career programs. Today, Thompson Rivers University is BC’s fourth largest university, with nearly 13,000 students on campus and another 11,000 registrations for distance and on-line courses. Our campuses at Williams Lake and Kamloops have attracted 2,234 aboriginal students, the most in BC’s post-secondary system and we host 2,000 international students. Our campuses serve students from 90 countries and 15 first nations. This incredibly diverse student body is served by some 1,058 faculty and 667 staff. We compete provincially, nationally and

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

through that success, are able to attract students and faculty from all over the globe. Being centres for destination universities has sparked a dramatic change in the economies of Kamloops and Williams Lake. As a major economic driver, last year’s TRU’s annual budget of $158 million had an estimated economic impact of over $500 million, $92 million in salaries. Indirect economic impacts include research and development, student and faculty studies, business support, graduate start-up enterprises, a diverse and accessible labour pool, and community promotion through national and overseas initiatives and international students. TRU began committed to the post secondary needs to the people of this region and continues to meet those needs. We take pride in our under-graduate researchers, hands-on learning opportunities, and our connections to the community, accessibility and building the leadership potential of our students. There is indeed a bright future ahead for Thompson Rivers University, with thanks in part to those visionaries from throughout the region who committed to establishing a comprehensive Cariboo College.

Dr. Roger Barnsley was appointed president of University College of the Cariboo in 1998. He retired in 2008, but returned to TRU a year ago as interm-president. Dr. Barnsley was named TRU’s first President Emeritus during the Oct. 8 convocation. President Emeritus recognizes that the individual has gone beyond the expectations of the description of the president’s position held while at TRU. The honour is bestowed following retirement of a president who has provided service to TRU over a sufficient period and has come to be clearly identified with Thompson Rivers University. TRU will get a new president on Dec. 1. Alan Shaver, an academic and an administrator, received his doctorate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, taught at McGill University and spent the last four years as vice-president at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Transforming visions into reality.

Proud to be celebrating and supporting TRU in our commmunity!

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to help. Congratulations Thompson Rivers University on 40 years of success. KPMG in Kamloops and the KPMG Foundation are proud supporters of the university. We know our success as an organization comes from our people. We take pride in knowing that so many KPMG staff and alumni are graduates of the university.

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www.weatheroffice.pyr.ec.gc/icbctravelalert/dtables_e.html TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

Looking back and charging ahead More than buildings and endowment lands, TRU exists because people believed in it

Cariboo College moves to McGill Road. Buildings open on campus include Main, cafeteria, facilities and faculty annex.

1972

1971

1970

Cariboo College opens at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Jack Harrison appointed Principal of Cariboo College.

Vocational Wing offers programs including welder, electrical, carpentry and heavy duty mechanics. Nursing courses offered.

By Danna Bach

orty years sounds like a long time, and it’s a milestone, certainly. But when building an institution — a community within a community — it’s a tiny space in history. All that has been accomplished in the past 40 years, however, is, frankly, astonishing. How did a hodgepodge of a campus transform from the dust and dirt into an internationally renowned place of higher learning in a mere 40 years? Because of its people. They believed in what they did each day, and knowing that, they believed in what could be done tomorrow, and the day after that. Forty years later, they still believe. When a person sits down to consider all that has been accomplished in such a short space in time, the results are incomprehensible. Cariboo College, as it was known until 1989, like everything that becomes grand with time, came from humble beginnings. The need for a community college outside the Lower Mainland was identified in the early 1960s, following a report to the Ministry of Education, which found few students in the Interior of British Columbia continued with higher education, simply due to proximity. Finally, on Sept. 8, 1970, Cariboo College 6

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

opened its doors at its temporary location at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Students had their pick of a college introductory program, 16 academic transfer programs, six BCIT technical transfer programs, or six ca-

How did a hodgepodge of a campus transform into an internationally renowned place of higher learning in a mere 40 years? reer programs. At first, there were about 30 faculty members serving the needs of 367 full-time and 200 part-time students. Jack Harrison was then the Principal of Cariboo College. This g rassroots concept sudden ly took shape, and it wouldn’t be long before the college grew out of its temporary location and became the college on the hill – setting up shop off McGill Road, where the campus currently

resides. Back then, however, there was no lush landscaping, nor very many buildings – just Old Main, which was called Main back then, as it was still brand new, a cafeteria, and a few portables strung out in the dirt with a concrete pad nearby for air conditioning units. Glamorous, it was not, but then, that wasn’t the point. It was what was on the inside that counted, and thankfully there are several people who were on the inside back then, whom are still on the inside today, who contribute to the vibrancy that has made Thompson Rivers University’s name synonymous with success and triumph. Susie Safford arrived at Cariboo College to take a job as a first year English teacher in 1974. It wasn’t long after she arrived that she began working in adult basic education. The program’s name has changed through the years, but the goals and ideals have always remained. Her role, and the role of those in her department, has always been to encourage students and enable them, and hopefully give them the confidence they need to continue with their education. Between 1980 and 1988, adult basic education was run out of the former Allan Matthews

109 full-time faculty serve 1,268 full-time and 1,330 part-time students. New library and new gymnasium open at Cariboo.

1980

1976

1973

Satellite campus opens in Merritt. Cariboo employs 90 faculty serving 1,105 fulltime and 655 part-time students.

School. “ We w er e on ou r ow n dow n t here. Or ig i na l ly we were sharing the building 700 people applied for the with the school disfirst 23 faculty positions at trict, but then things Cariboo College? changed and we had the entire building.” Safford and the rest of the faculty and staff conducted ESL courses, worked with students with learning disabilities, and also taught workplace retraining courses. By 1989, however, when Cariboo College become University College of the Cariboo, it was decided all programs would be run off the same campus, and an expansion was completed to the Old Main building to accommodate the Allan Matthews faculty, staff and students. Safford recalls receiving a call from UCC president Jim Wright’s office, asking exactly how many faculty and staff there were. When they arrived in their new digs on the McGill campus, Safford says, each faculty and staff member received a small bud vase with a red carnation and a card that read “Welcome Home.” She still has that bud vase. Safford started as part of the teaching faculty, and then became chair of the department – a role she kept for 11 years. She moved up the ladder once more, be-

New Science Building opens. Cariboo establishes B.C.’s only Respiratory Technician program. Bookstore expands.

Did yoU Know?

Above photos (from l to r): Cariboo College women’s soccer 1982/83 TRU photo archives

Karie Russell with her degree.

MURRAY MITCHELL/THE DAILY NEWS

Human Service Diploma graduate Corea Ladner during convocation. MURRAY MITCHELL/THE DAILY NEWS

Janet Benson, left, and Melissa Voth. MURRAY MITCHELL/THE DAILY NEWS

Brian Ivan during a CCBC preliminary game at Norbrock Stadium. SHANE KURKI/ THE DAILY NEWS

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

Construction begins on Clocktower and student residences. Hillside Stadium is built.

But Kamloops then was a fragment of the vibrant city it has since become. Now, says Safford, “You don’t have to explain yourself anymore when people find out where you work.” Even in those early days, however, when the staff was so small that they were able to gather for a party at the president’s house, when each one knew the others’ name, and when each face was familiar, Safford could tell this small, close knit community that was Cariboo College would not stay secret for long. And even with the exponential growth – from a few dozen faculty at a party in the dean’s rec room, to hundreds that now converge on campus each fall – Thompson Rivers University hasn’t lost its sense of community. “There is an aesthetic sense of continuity here, and whenever I’m away and come back that it feels like putting on something that’s both familiar and exciting.” That excitement won’t end, either, as Safford has no immediate plans to pull up stakes or retire. Why would she? “It doesn’t get any better than this – doing work that you know makes a difference. It matters, and you know what you do matters.” Forty years is a long time, but then again, Safford says, it’s a drop in the bucket as far as an institution is considered. “Maybe when we’re 240-years-old 40 years

1989

coming the dean of preparatory programs and regional operations, then became associate dean of student development. Another step up the ladder saw her as dean of student development, and then finally as assistant vice-president of student affairs. Since then, she’s come full circle, and is once again a university preparation instructor and the co-ordinator of the university’s Early Alert program. This constant change and the accompanying excitement is what TRU is, and has always been about, Safford says. “It’s always been a pretty compelling place.” But she hasn’t always found Kamloops a ‘compelling’ city. No, when she first moved here, she would never have thought she’d still be calling it home some 36 years later. “I don’t know if ‘shock’ covers it. It was a small, dusty, arid place and it really did not have its best foot forward when I arrived,” Safford says while admitting she was ‘green blind’ from having spent time in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia. “I’d been here nine or 10 months and one day, when I was waiting to cross the street downtown, I thought ‘Oh my God, this place is beautiful!’ I had not been able to see it for what it was. It was absolutely stunningly beautiful.”

Theatre and Digital Art and Design courses offered. Williams Lake campus moves to 55,000 squarefoot Hodgeson Road facility.

1988

Meat cutting facility opens. First graduates from CSOM and CADD programs. Williams Lake Campus opened.

1985

1984

1982

Cariboo introduces 2-Year Associate Diplomas in Arts and Sciences. Animal Health Technology Small Animal Clinic opens.

Cariboo offers 5 degree programs, in education, science, arts, nursing and business. Arts and Education building under construction.

Did yoU Know? the college offered 37 day courses and 27 night programs from its original campus at the old residential school.

won’t seem like such a big deal,” she says with a laugh. Colin James retired three years ago, but he couldn’t stay away. Today, the 70-year-old works on a contract basis doing special projects for research and graduate studies opportunities. James’ career path is winding. He arrived at Cariboo College in 1981 as a faculty member, his specialty chemistry. Eventually, he became the chairperson of the sciences and engineering department, then acting director of the division of sciences and health sciences. The list goes on: Associate Dean of Science, Dean of Science, Associate Vice-President Academic and then finally Associate Vice-President of Open Learning. “I changed about every three years or so, and that helped to sustain me,” says James,

UCC Bachelor of Journalism degree offered. Dr. Roger Barnsley named President. First UCC B.A. degrees awarded.

1999

who admits to being a bit nomadic before finally settling down in Kamloops. James received his PhD in 1966 from the University College of North Staffordshire in England. He then embarked on a research career, which took him to the United States, and then Canada, where he worked for a time at the University of Alberta. He then went back to the U.K., to Cambridge, and then again moved to Canada, where he picked up at the University of B.C. Then, for a complete change of pace, he shipped his car to India and drove it back to England, just because he could. Finally, he wound up at the University of Toronto, and from there, Cariboo College. “I came to Cariboo on a contract, and my wife and I really liked it,” so they stayed. James says his life has always been ‘open to opportunity,’ which is why he fit right in at TRU. “When I came here I wasn’t expecting to be here for so long. It’s been such an enjoyable place to be, and it’s been great to see the evolution of this place.”

CAC opens. UCC hosts Canada Summer Games events. Canada Games Pool and Hillside Stadium opens. Ashcroft Centre opens.

1998

UCC adopts new logo. Campus Activity Centre under construction. Canada Games Pool under construction.

1993

1992

1991

First joint university degrees awarded. AE building opened. Bachelor of Natural Resource Science degree program planned.

Honorary degrees awarded to Hon. Len Marchand and Nancy Greene Raine. UCC student radio station established.

New Student Profile (2009) Thompson Rivers Okanagan Metro Vancouver Northern BC Fraser Valley Vancouver Island / Sunshine Coast Central Kootenay Out of Province

DOMESTIC STUDENTS BY BC REGION BC

China

Alberta

Saudi Arabia

Ontario

India

Above photos (from l to r): UCC Library TRU photo archives

Susie Safford

TRU Photo Archives

Campus

TRU Photo Archives

DOMESTIC STUDENTS BY PROVINCE (TOP 3)

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN (TOP 3) TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

No longer just a ‘resource’ town

f the goal of the staff and faculty of Cariboo College had been to cement the institution in the lives of its residents and the culture of its region, it has succeeded in spades, says current city administrator Randy Diehl. Diehl moved to Kamloops in 1984, and has watched with pride as the city’s centre of learning has expanded and grown beyond anyone’s expectations. “I think the university has added a whole new dimension to the city,” Diehl says, and one of the greatest benefits the university has given the city is its view of itself. Diehl insists that had the university not developed in such a way, Kamloops would be the poorer – financially, physically and culturally. Residents of Kamloops 2010 see themselves as belonging to a vibrant and enlightened community. “Citizens here started to want different kinds of things. They wanted the city to look beautiful … we changed our internal view of

ourselves.” Granted, Diehl says, TRU wasn’t t he on l y f ac tor changing the way K a m loops residents felt about the city in which they lived, but it was a huge boost. “We were basically a mill town, a nd w e’v e now blossomed into an Randy Diehl oasis in the desert, and TRU has blossomed at the same time.” As well as enhancing the way residence feel about their city and what it has to offer, Diehl points out that the existence of TRU has done wonders for the local economy. “We were doing very well with the resource industries, but when those slowed down in the

early 80s, this city suffered dramatically. We had extremely high unemployment, higher than elsewhere, and we probably lost 10,000 people. We went from being the leading community in the Interior to not doing very well at all.” Thompson Rivers University has not only diversified the local economy in a direct way, with jobs to staff and faculty, but the university has also marketed the community on a national and world-wide scale. Diehl says it is not uncommon to hear of wealthy foreign families investing in the city as a result of their ties to TRU. The more recent recession was hugely significant on a worldwide scale, but less so in Kamloops, which is a direct result of how diversified the city’s economy has become. “We would have suffered just as much as we did in the ‘80s. This recession was a true testament to why communities need to move away from being solely reliant on the resource economies.”

Success a result of community support

ho better to offer comment on what T hom p s on R i v e r s Un i v e r s it y h a s brought to Kamloops than the man who has chronicled the city’s news for the past 40 years? Mel Rothenburger arrived at what was then the Kamloops News Advertiser in August 1970, at t he ex act sa me t i me Ca r iboo Col lege opened the doors at its temporary location in t he Ka m loops Ind ia n Ba nd’s resident ia l school. “It was a very big deal,” Rothenburger says, though reflecting on the institution’s humble beginnings. The college, as he recalls, was “trade focused,” and even then it was unique to find such a blend of trades and academics. Even after the college opened its doors at its new and current location in 1971, it wasn’t much to look at, and few paid much notice. “It was a brand new cement block building perched up on the hill w ith nothing else 10

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

around it,” Rothenburger recalls. C e r t a i n l y, he says, “it was nice t o h a v e ,” b u t clearly, the community as a whole didn’t feel connected to it. “It was physically disconnected, and that was a time when we were focused on Mel Rothenburger a ma lga mat ion, and people were mostly fighting with one another. It was a very disjointed place.” Through the years, however, that “cement block building” brought the community together. “It’s such a part of our identity now,” he says. Back then, Kamloops was known for its indus-

try. It was a pulp mill town — that’s how the world outside viewed Kamloops, and that’s how Kamloops residents viewed themselves. Did the creation of the university decide where and how Kamloops as a whole developed? Rothenburger doesn’t think so, but thinks it certainly added another dimension. “I think it comes down to luck and good planning. We are the envy of a lot of cities because of (Thompson Rivers University’s) location. I can’t imagine if we’d have developed that site as light industrial.” When it comes down to it, Rothenburger says, credit for the success of the institution goes to the people of Kamloops — specifically those people who saw more than just a cement block building in the middle of nowhere. “What it is today is in large measure because of the community itself. Whichever government directed certain funding and support doesn’t matter — it was the wishes of the community that got it done.”

City of Kamloops

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Proud to be part of TRU's 40 Years of Growth!

#300 - 180 Seymour St. Kamloops, BC V2C 2E3 Telephone: 250-374-3344 Fax: 250-374-1144

Congratulations Thompson Rivers University

www.morellichertkow.com

Celebrating 40 Years of Success The City of Kamloops extends our warmest wishes to Thompson Rivers University in honour of your 40th anniversary. The City is extremely proud of all your accomplishments and welcomes the addition of the new Law School in 2011.

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TRU is a vital partner which contributes to the diversity and expansive future growth of our vibrant community.

www.kamloops.ca TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

Aboriginal cultural centre “The Gathering Place” opens. New transit hub opens. First UCC Canada Research Chair appointed.

2004

Black Box Theatre and International Building funded. Animal Health Techology Centre opens. Independent Centre addition opens in CAC.

2003

Child care diploma program launched. Respiratory Therapy program opens sleep clinic. UCC gets $1.5 million Research Chair grant.

2002

2001

2000

Pioneer Wall created. UCC website launched, new medical clinic opens on campus. Ground is broken on Merritt UCC/NVIT joint campus.

University status announced, Nancy GreenRaine named chancellor of TRU. Actors Workshop Theatre opens.

More than bricks and mortar: Growth of a university city By Danna Bach

magine, for a moment, that Thompson Rivers University did not exist – had never existed. Imagine how Kamloops would look today had a group of pioneers not gotten together several decades ago with the goal of bringing higher education into what then would have been a small town in a sparsely populated region. Cliff Neufeld doesn’t have to imagine what Kamloops might look like, he’s well aware of how it did look – and feel – when he arrived as assistant controller of finance in 1976. “We moved here for five years,” Neufeld, now Vice-President of Administration and Finance, says of what was then meant as a short stop on his resume. “When I got here the Sahali Mall had just been built. There was no such thing as Aberdeen Mall – there was just us and the garbage dump.” At that time, Cariboo College was known collectively to Kamloops residents as “the college on the hill,” he says, noting that Kamloops back then was nothing like Kamloops today. It was a much more fractured community. One of the overarching desires of the faculty and staff at Cariboo College was to cement itself in the culture of the city. “We wanted to make sure the community was part of the campus. We welcomed the community on campus – it is their university, it was their university-college and it was their college.” Back then, based on a first impression, it might not have been an institution with a particularly awe-inspiring physical composition. W hen Neufeld arrived there was the Main building, the gym and about half the science building. As late as 1989 the land that the Trades and Technology building sits on did not even belong to the university, and University Drive was the boundary. “I don’t think we ever spent a lot of time

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

thinking of what we could be,” Neufeld says, explaining t hat t he campus grew physica lly whenever t he oppor t u n it ies a nd f u nd i ng showed up to make it so. One good example, he says, is the creation of the playing field that is now Hillside Stadium. It used to be a huge hill, hence, Hillside. Neufeld called up the Operating Engineers based out of the Lower Mainland, and asked if they would be interested in conducting a heavy machinery training course. They were willing, and the project moved ahead, with Cariboo College footing the bill for the cost of fuel to get all the large machinery to Kamloops. The students learned to use the machinery while they leveled out the hillside. “Basically, that hill was leveled and turned into a playing field for the $40,000 in fuel it cost to get the heavy machinery to Kamloops at the time.” A first campus plan wasn’t instituted until 1993, and by 2003 that plan had once again been reworked to more resemble what visitors to the campus see today. Planners, Neufeld says, “decided they had to densify the campus. Everything needed to be within 10 to 15 minute walking distance,” and the new plan built endowment lands into the bigger picture. “We needed to densify, but without spoiling the view lines. Wherever we could we put higher buildings without impacting the view corridors, and by doing this it allows all sorts of developmental potential.” The McGill Corridor Plan, which was undertaken with the City of Kamloops in 2001 was another piece of the puzzle. The goal of that plan was to answer a variety of questions, including what Kamloops would do with a university of 16,000 people, what they wanted that to look like, and what they wanted the traffic patterns to be. “There were a lot more things moving into this zone, and it was heavily influenced by the university.” The goal for staff and faculty was to create a

Cliff Neufeld

“We welcomed the community on campus — it is their university, it was their universitycollege and it was their college.”

community within a community. “We wanted the campus to be vibrant.” A significant part of that vibrancy comes with on-campus housing. The first residence building was constructed in 1989, with the further 11-storey, 580-room TRU Residence and Conference Centre opening in 2006. The success of Thompson Rivers University has been its ability to move quickly and jump when opportunities arise, Neufeld says. “TRU can take pride in not being rigid with its t hin k ing,” he says, ex pla ining t hat it doesn’t hurt that the community as a whole has grown and developed and become a destination rather than an arid, dry, dusty stop on the road. “Our greatest selling point is Kamloops and the campus. When decision-makers read it on paper, that’s one thing, but if we can get them to come to Kamloops and give them a campus tour, then they’re hooked.”

The B.C. Centre for Open Learning officially opens. Three master degrees in environmental science are announced.

2008

The 11-storey TRU Residence and Conference Centre opens. A second $1-million grant is awarded to TRU prof. Will Garrett-Petts

2007

The inaugural convocation of TRU is held. Prime Minister Paul Martin is the first official visitor. The first masters program is announced.

2006

2005

reenllor of op

Ground breaks on TRU House of Learning. Foundation awards nearly $2 million to students during the 2008/2009 year.

below photos (from l to r): Old Campus Aerial TRU photo archives

Residential School

TRU photo archives

TRU Arts & Education Building

KEITH ANDERSON/THE DAILY NEWS

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

TRU Kamloops’ bridge to the world BY JOHN O’FEE >> TRU ALUMNUS

ere I to attempt to distil the essence of TRU into a single word, that word would be “access”. For forty years TRU has served as the bridge between students and their goals. For me, being able to complete the first two years of my undergraduate degree in Kamloops was what enabled me to attend university. I simply did not have the financial resources to both pursue an education and provide for living expenses away from my home town. When I attended what was then Cariboo College, I viewed it as a compromise way of affording a university education. It was not until I reached UBC that I came to realize I had made no compromises at all. My transition into courses there was seamless and the supportive environment of the college had provided me with all I needed to succeed at a much larger school. As it grew TRU demonstrated that access was what it was all about. The university pioneered laddering concepts so that skills could be recognized and applied towards higher

learning. Where else could a university produce a tradesperson and then equip them with the courses they needed to get a business degree in project ma nagement? T h i s combination of practical, hands on experienc e w it h bu si ne s s management training is the sort of thing that sets TRU apart from its peers. It’s difficult to spend a d a y i n K a m lo op s w it hout i nteract i ng with a TRU alumnus. They care for us or our loved ones in the hospita l, ma nage ou r businesses, and keep our city running. Tens of thousands of TRU

‘TRU is no longer our bridge to other institutions ... It has instead become the world’s bridge to us.’

alumni are turning the wheels of commerce, arts, trades, health and a wide variety of enterprises around the world. TRU is no longer our bridge to other institutions of higher learning. It has instead become the world’s bridge to us. Students come from quite literally around the world to live and learn in Kamloops. Our alumni include men and women from dozens of countries who have made our city part of their educational journey. These links to a global network of alumni foster synergies and business opportunities that can only benefit our region. With the addition of the TRU-Open Learning, the university is now the link and the ladder for people around the globe seeking a quality education. Barriers of geography or work requirements are being bridged by the ability to earn credits online whenever you can and wherever you are. From its modest beginnings just four short decades ago, TRU has grown and developed at a pace far beyond all expectations. It makes me proud to count myself among its growing ranks of alumni.

a celebration OF HISTORY 1885

Fulton & Company LLP is founded. CPR is completed.

1891

Electricity is brought to Kamloops.

1926

Broadcasting is introduced to Kamloops (CFJC).

1939

Kamloops Museum & Library opens.

1964

Kamloops Airport opens on Fulton Field.

1970

Cariboo College opens.

2010

T.R.U. celebrates 40 years

250.372.5542 | 300-350 Lansdowne Street, KAMLOOPS, BC www.fultonco.com 14

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

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And Many Wishes for a Bright Future! Congratulations from Fulton & Company LLP

644778 644781

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

Happy Birthday to TRU

Celebrating 40 years

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

By Linda Komori

passionate performance by a First Nations drumming group and an orchestra performing Handel: you don’t usually get to experience these two things in the same evening. But of course, if you’re at TRU’s 40th anniversary celebration, you have to expect a little diversity—as evidenced by the colourful parade of TRU students bea ring f lags from around the globe. Among the f lags carried across campus to the Campus Commons was the Shuswap Nation flag. Delyla Daniels, a T’kemlups Indian Band member, came to the celebration as a singer with the Sage Hills Drum Group. “I’m here to honour the raising of the Shuswap flag,” she explained. The flag raising was just one piece of a diverse evening of ceremony and entertainment—as befits a university that’s embraced diversity not only in its program offerings, but also in its student body. “The campus has grown so much. When I was here, it was just the main building, really,” said Terence Byrne, who attended the celebration as an alumnus from a corrections program taken back in Cariboo College days.

“And I really notice the diversity of the people here now.” Al Thompson, who taught a communications course on campus a number of years ago, came to the event with his wife, Vera, to take in a campus tour and find out what was new at the university. “We talked to a couple of students from Russia,” said Thompson. “It’s fun to see how the university is developing and growing.” Cathy Ferguson was at the celebration as a volunteer, and reminisced fondly about obtaining her bachelor of science in nursing at the institution in 1991. Now sitting on the TRU Senate, Ferguson is always looking for opportunities to give back to the university. “You get so much out of an education,” she explained, adding that in her current job she works with graduates from the nursing program every day. “TRU graduates excellent nurses.” Beth Andrucson, a student working toward her bachelor of science in chemistry, also spoke enthusiastically about her education at TRU. Originally from the lower mainland, Andrucson came to TRU after her husband had had a positive experience at TRU’s science labs one summer. “He called and said, ‘This school

is so amazing—you have to come see it,’ and here we are, five years later,” she explained. Others at the celebration also had stories of moving to Kamloops because of an opportunity presented by the institution. Linda Early, who now lives in Sorrento, came to Kamloops to teach English at the institution in the ‘70s, and stayed until retirement a few years ago. She remarked on the growth she’s seen at the university over the years. “40 years isn’t a long time for a university. It’s been pretty amazing growth.” Jessie Fedorak, a retired elementary school teacher, also shared memories of the early years of the institution. “I took two computer courses here years ago, and some courses just for fun—like cake decorating,” she adds with a laugh. “It’s just nice to celebrate 40 years.” While the wind threatened at times to waylay the celebration’s grand finale, it died down as if on cue when the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra took the stage. The fireworks, set to a movement from Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks, seemed to say it all: TRU, there is much to celebrate.

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

research

Quenching the thirst for knowledge

t Thompson Rivers University, it’s not just the students who thirst for knowledge — often it’s the faculty leading the charge, exploring new ideas and contributing to their fields in profound ways. And it’s been like that since the Cariboo College days, when faculty would embark on research projects with encouragement, and enthusiasm but no funding. Colin James, who retired three years ago but now works on a contract basis doing special projects for research and graduate studies, remembers when the institution wasn’t funded for research so it was done working in the labs and with the students. It was done off the side of the desk, so to speak,” James says with a laugh. Back then, they weren’t even supposed to have ‘research rooms,’ so faculty called them ‘project rooms,’ and got to work. ‘I really liked the Even then students fact that TRU was participated on research projects, called more teachingthem directed studies focused... that my and wound up being published. research matched It’s hard to imagine T RU ’s humble reup here was just searc h beginnings when this year alone a bonus.’ 11 graduating students qualified for the most prestigious graduate studies scholarships in the country. The students received a total of $200,000 of funding through Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). It was in the early days of the University College of the Cariboo when research took on a more prominent role, as UCC became the first University College recognized by the NSERC, with its faculty eligible to apply for funding.

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

Also as UCC students began paying into the Comprehensive University Enhancement Fund, which was an attempt to generate funding to support student research. Every student pays into the fund, and each year, as many as 40 students qualify for a research grant. Now research is firmly embedded as part of the Cynthia Ross-Friedman, a botanist researching dwarf mistletoe. university’s strategic plan. In 2001, faculty applied for and received ea forests, behind the mountain pine beetle. the Community-University Research Alliance Ross-Friedman didn’t come to TRU because (CURA) grant through the SSHRC. That grant of the mistletoe, but the mistletoe is a good has since been awarded a second time, and is example of what this small, boutique univernow going into its tenth year of funding. sity has to offer that other institutions don’t. Since the first grant was installed, TRU has “I really liked the fact that TRU was more managed to establish a national and interna- teaching-focused. We’re focused on the stutional profile as experts on the cultural, envi- dents — that my research matched up here ronmental and economic sustainability of was just a bonus,” she says. small cities. When Ross-Friedman and other faculty apply In recent years the appetite for research for and receive research grants, it allows them among faculty has been voracious. There are to take on students as research assistants. Those dozens of research projects going on on cam- students not only get paid for doing the work, pus. In the humanities, Kelly-Anne Maddox they also get unparalleled experience conductexplores Popular Culture and the Subversion ing research and using equipment that otherof Nationalism in 21st Century Quebec Litera- wise wouldn’t be available to them. One good example is the scanning electron ture, while Chris Montoya focuses on Olympics Year Impact on Physical Activity Rates. In microscope that Ross-Friedman acquired community health, Donna Daines explores through a Canadian Foundation for InnovaFood Insecurity and Older Adults in Kam- tion grant. The microscope — worth in excess loops, while Tracy Christianson finds out all of $500,000 — arrives later this fall and will there is to know about the Rural Approach to be the only one like it in the Interior of B.C. To have access to such sophisticated equipCommunity-Based Healthcare. In the sciences, Cynthia Ross-Friedman, ment as a fourth year undergraduate is inwho arrived in Kamloops in 2004, is conduct- credible, Ross-Friedman says. This way, ing a research project on dwarf mistletoe — a should students decide to pursue their education and go onto graduate studies, they alparasite that attaches itself to other trees. As a botanist, Ross-Friedman is interested ready have a solid foundation in research and in “every angle” of the mistletoe, from its ge- specialized equipment. “We hear from their employers and we hear netic profile, to how it reproduces. The ultimate goal, she says, is to find some part of it from the students themselves who are workto target for control purposes, as the dwarf ing on masters degrees. We’re being recogmistletoe is the No. 2 cause for concern in ar- nized more and more.”

“There is a pioneering spirit in Kamloops.” Dr. Alan Shaver, newly appointed President and Vice-Chancellor, Thompson Rivers University The future of Thompson Rivers University has never looked more promising. As a national leader in delivering comprehensive post-secondary education, TRU takes pride in its hands-on learning opportunities, under-graduate researchers, its connections to the community and building the leadership potential of our students. As British Columbia’s fourth largest university, TRU competes nationally and globally and through its success is able to attract students and faculty from all over the world. At TRU, students are inspired by a world of ideas, challenges, possibilities and great leadership. In selecting its new president—one who would create even greater opportunities for its students, the Board of Governors endorses Dr. Alan Shaver to become the leader of one of Canada’s most comprehensive universities. He will take up this role on December 1, 2010. An accomplished academic and administrator with senior leadership experience at Dalhousie and McGill; two of Canada’s best known universities, Dr. Shaver has embraced Thompson Rivers University for its pioneering spirit and flexible delivery model of academic programming. Dr. Shaver recognizes that in the past 40 years an innovative and dynamic institution has been built at TRU. Many of the great Canadian universities are founded upon the vision of pioneers such as fur trader James McGill and British colonial administrator Lord Dalhousie, both believed that society must be built on education and free thought. That legacy of vision and spirit continues at TRU. He will lead that legacy onto the global stage and continue innovating strategically to build a better world. With Alan Shaver as president, Thompson Rivers University will continue to define, articulate and navigate its position in the Canadian university landscape. The Board of Governors is delighted to support this bright future for Thompson Rivers University.

www.tru.ca

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

First nations

Celebrate & support

y all accounts, Thompson Rivers University is well on its way to becoming the university of choice for aboriginal students. Nathan Matthew came on board as executive director of aboriginal education in 2008 — his appointment a sign that TRU was making recruitment and retention of aboriginal students one of its top priorities. In that time, not only has Matthew focused on bringing students to the institution, but also on how to make them feel comfortable when they get here, and as a result, more likely to succeed. “There is still cultural acclimatization needed when (aboriginal students) come from outside to the university,” Matthew says, adding that his goal is to minimize that adjustment period, and make the transition a simpler one. “The resources aren’t limitless, but we have been able to put services into place.” So far, he says, there is an aboriginal counseling service available, as well as a transition worker and program coordinator. The Aboriginal Education Centre is now a couple of years old, and will be housed in the Learning Centre once it opens in 2011. The mere existence of

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

economics course is in development. The dithe centre is telling, Matthew says. “There have been various initiatives through ploma program will focus on areas of specific the years, but now we’re being more strategic. interest to aboriginal students, including the There’s now a centre here where we can par- economic development of reserve lands, for example. ticipate in the educational decision making.” Another course already underway is called In September, the doors opened to the newly renovated Cplul’Kw’ten, Secwepemctsin for Essentials of First Nations Governance, and ‘gathering place.” The Gathering Place has teaches students how to become effective nearly tripled in size, and its purpose is to 2305 2500 be a welcoming envi(of that 870 TRU-OL) ronment for students to me et a nd st ud y. 2000 1751 There will also be ab(of that 602 TRU-OL) original art on display, and the added space 1500 w i l l a c c om m o d a t e TRU’s Elders in Residence program, which 1000 796 781 provides support for 724 721 710 696 aboriginal students. 470 The Gathering Place 500 on the Williams Lake campus also opened 0 in September. 2000/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 09/10 On t he prog ra m THROUGH THE YEARS: FIRST NATION ENROLMENT side, a First Nations

TRU becomes university of choice for aboriginal students members of band councils, or boards. A First Nations language course is in development, and will be taught through the language faculty, and intends to provide teachers with the skills to teach the three Interior Salish languages. Aboriginal students make up approximately nine per cent of TRU’s overall student population, and the hope is that in future, where possible, courses and programs will incorporate aboriginal knowledge and culture, thereby making the transition to university as seamless as possible for a student group that already faces several barriers. “Funding is a big issue as it relates to housing and transportation and getting around, as is being academically prepared,” Matthew says. Matthew hopes that with the focus on programming specific to cultural needs, students will opt to continue. “If we keep connected with the communities and make sure we know what the needs are, we’ll be able to retain more students and have more success. “We’ll be widely known as an institution that looks after its aboriginal students.”

The Kamloops Daily News is proud to be a TRU partner and to have TRU grads working in our editorial, production, advertising and departments. dm mailroom ai oom dep departments p a rtments.. The Kamloops Daily News is also proud to be a major sponsor of the Thompson Rivers University Foundation, pledging $150,000 in support from 2009 to 2011.

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TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

trades & technology

Comprehensive training defined

hompson Rivers University is the only place in British Columbia where students who want to become heav y-duty mechanics mingle with those working toward a graduate degree. The university defines the term ‘comprehensive,’ and there’s no better place to explore that diversity than within the new Trades and Technology building, which opened its door since 1997. The No. 1 focus of instructors is to create successful students, and that success hinges upon quality programs that are industry driven, says the Dean of the School of Trades and Technology, Lindsay Langill, who took the position in March 2009. Before arriving at TRU, Langill worked for the Industry Training Authority, overseeing the Red Seal Program and Program Standard Division. Due to his position, Langill had the opportunity to observe training programs nationwide, and was duly impressed by TRU. “TRU always stood out. There are fantastic instructors and exceptional facilities, and in my view it was in a part of the province that was a hidden gem.” Cementing his decision to take the position was the fact that at TRU, trades training is giving as much credibility within the institution as academic programming. The key to maintaining such high standards is to develop valuable programs, and to do that it’s imperative to keep in touch with industry, making sure all the programs are up to date, and adding new ones when necessary. Mining is a perfect example, says Langill. “We’ve got mine and labour readiness training going on right now, especially through the aboriginal community,” he says, adding that they’ve also got students enrolled in a heavy equipment operator course at the New Afton Mine, running the large dozers, excavators and rock hauling trucks. All this is over and above the general apprenticeship training provided on campus. “We have a huge hand in training to industryspecific needs,” Langill says. After all, the successes of the programs are judged by how employable the students are upon completion. Typically, industry, whether that be mining, pulp and paper, construction trades, or even in the technology sector, will contact TRU ex-

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

pressing a need for employees w ith extremely specific skills. “TRU always “Most of the time it’s up to us to pull the curriculum tostood out. There gether and find the instrucare fantastic tors,” Langill says. Instructors most often work in the instructors and field, or have taken early retirement. Typically, Langill exceptional says, those professionals facilities.’ find TRU and ask to come on board. These instructors, who still have direct ties to the industry, not only know what is relevant to ticeship training, he worked mostly with mettheir field, but also have the appropriate con- al pipes. These days, students work with varinections, giving their students that extra leg- ous plastics, adhesives and sealants. The focus on safety is also paramount. up when it comes to finding employment. “Thirty years ago we didn’t know what safety Langill is convinced nobody present at Cariboo College’s humble beginning foresaw the harnesses were,” now they are commonplace. The success of students is the best marketscope of trades programs that would be availing tool the trades and technology programs able to students in 2010. “Even the changes in trades training from have at their fingertips. According to Langill, then to now are day and night, with the tech- 60 per cent of electrician apprentice students nical changes, the equipment and the systems come to TRU from outside Kamloops. “Quality of programs, quality of instruction used. It’s almost become a science.” Back when Langill took his piping appren- and quality of facilities says it all.”

A purposeful partnership TRU, the Canadian Home Builders and the YM-YWCA create template for cooperative learning

y the time they complete their program Thompson Rivers University construction trades students have had hands on experience unavailable to students at most other institutions. The Canadian Homebuilders Association-Central Interior has worked with TRU students for 19 years, and both have participated in creating the Y Dream Home for the past 15 years. This year, students were part of an award-winning project in sustainability. The Equilibrium Green Home is an example of how a house can be built so that it produces its own electricity and heat. From its solar panels to the geothermal heat coming up from the ground, this is a Green Dream Home. “Certainly, we’re setting new standards, setting new benchmarks,” says Lindsay Langill, TRU’s dean of the School of Trades and Technology.

TRU student and 2010 Green Dream Home designer Jody Martens.

Green features of the home include automated lighting, powder-coated rebar railing rods, cork flooring, recycled polished con-

crete kitchen countertops, bamboo cupboards, Energuide appliances, concrete and foam insulation exterior walls, triple-glazed balcony

doors and a digital meter that shows how much solar electricity the house is creating and how much it’s using.

Mobile lab puts trades training on the road Thompson Rivers University is always looking for different ways to deliver its programs. That’s why, in 2007 TRU partnered with the Kamloops-Thompson School District in the form of a state-ofthe-art mobile trades training lab. “There are different ways to deliver trades training, and no one way fits all for delivering training,” says Lindsay Langill, Dean of School of Trades and Training. The lab is designed to improve access to skills training in the trades for rural and First Nations communities throughout the Interior. The Thompson Interior Mobile Training Trailer is another ele-

ment in the ongoing efforts of the school district and the university to create seamless transition opportunities for students to move from secondary to post-secondary education. Both high school

trailer unit that expands to a 1,000 square foot “There are training facility. Designed different ways to be highly flexible, it has the capacity to provide up to deliver trades to 12 training stations for the welding, electrical, training, and no plumbing, piping, refrigerone way fits for ation mechanic, heavy duty mechanic and milldelivering all wright trades. Currently, the trailer is training.’ set up in Lillooet, where 12 students are enrolled students and adult learners enroll and receive train- in a Welding Level C course. So far, more than 50 students have ing simultaneously. The training lab, which cost ap- completed programs through the proximately $1.3 million and took a mobile training lab in the outlyyear to build, is housed in a 53-foot ing areas of the Interior. TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

athletics

Playing to win TRU sports teams enrich campus & community

n 1970, when Cariboo College first opened its doors, there was a men’s soccer team, and an ice hockey team. A year later there would be golf and volleyball teams added to the roster as well as both a men’s and women’s basketball team. A ll these groups did the best they could — even going so far as to win regional and provincial titles — despite having to borrow pract ice space f rom a rea high schools. It wasn’t until 1976 that Cariboo College finally got its own gymnasium. T he y ’ve been k now n a s t he Chiefs, the Gold Rush and the Sun Demons, and they’ve had successes in all forms. Today, they’re known collectively as the Thompson Rivers University Wolf Pack, and some of the province’s most dedicated student athletes can be found wearing the orange and black. Athletics and recreation director Ken Olynyk arrived on scene in 2003. Today, his office sits on the second f loor of the Tournament Capita l Centre — a space t hat could never have been imagined by his predecessors. “One of the attractions when I took this job was this facility. It h ad gone to r efer endu m a nd passed on Nov. 1. I got here on Nov. 4. That was pretty exciting,” Olynyk says. It showed him that not only was the University College of the Cariboo, as it was known then, committed to sports, but so was the city of Kamloops. The Tournament Capital program is a perfect example of that commitment. When UCC became Thompson Rivers University in 2005, the institution gained probationary acceptance in Canada West Univer-

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

Above, the TRU WolfPack volleyball. Right, WolfPack mascot Wolfie gives Lia Kung a lift.

sities Athletic Association for its basketba ll and volleyba ll programs. In May of this year, TRU was granted full membership status. Now, Olynyk and crew will have to decide which other teams will be next for the CIS and Canada West. So much has changed in sport at TRU — from new and improved facilities, to t he resurgence of teams that had previously been dropped from the roster. In 200809, the TRU men’s golf team returned to the fold after nearly a decade’s absence, and the result saw the team win gold at the Canadian College Nationals in P.E.I. For the 2009-2010 season, TRU has added a 10th club, with a return of hockey for the first time since 1980. While there has been growth in the athletics department, it’s all been well planned and strategic.

“We want to make sure that what we’re doing we do right, which means we have to be competitive. If I had a mission for our athletes it would be to try and w i n cha mpion sh ips w it hout compromising the academic integrity of the university,” Olynyk says. These days, TRU rea lly does have it all when it comes to sport, Olynyk says. “We have great facilities, good

leadership and support, and if we look at our financial situation, we’re OK.” If it’s true that every well-rounded institution has a vibrant athletic s de pa r t ment , t hen T RU i s among the best.

Did yoU know?

While TRU’s athletic programs have been ste adily growing through the years, so too has its intramural and campus fitness programs. In the 1990s, there were never more than 10 teams participating in intramural soccer, but this year there are 28 teams, and there would be more were it not

for limited gym space. In addition to the increased numbers in intramural sports, the campus fitness classes have seen astounding growth. It’s not uncommon to find up to 40 participants in each class, and there are 13 classes offered, from circuit to boot camp and even dance.

HAPPY 40th ANNIVERSARY

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AS PROUD SUPPORTERS OF TRU, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE AND THE BENEFITS OUR UNIVERSITY PROVIDES.

Take Exit 368 Shop ‘til 9:00 pm Thursday & Friday Guest Services 250.374.3400 aberdeenmall.ca 644031

2957 BOWERS PLACE • KAMLOOPS • www.gtmet.com

Congratulations

The Canadian Home Builders Association Central Interior has partnered with TRU School of Trades for 19 years on the Training House Project. We look forward to many more years of meaningful collaboration with them.

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On a historic milestone and proudly educating generations of Community and Business Leaders.

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS 261A Victoria Street • 250-372-7655 TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

open learning

Open Learning A success story Did yoU know? TRU-Open Learning employs approximately 130 full-time staff members on its Kamloops campus, and another 165 faculty members. TRUOL faculty members are experts in their fields and c o m e f r o m ins titu tio ns across the province. There are nearly 11,000 students taking an estimated 20,000 courses.

u r n i ng a rou nd a si n k i ng ship — that’s what the crew of Open Lea r ning was ta sked w it h doi ng, a nd they’ve managed despite seemingly insurmountable odds. When the University College of the Cariboo was granted full university status in 2005, one of the stipulations to gaining that certification involved taking on BCOU, which had been run out of MetroVancouver for 35 years. The Ministry of Advanced Education had decided, years before the reorganization took place, that it would cease to support BCOU as a separate entity. As a result of that decision, and due to the uncertain future of the institution, BCOU suffered, says Open Learning’s Chief Recruitment Of-

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

ficer Cameron Beddome. “There was an attrition of staff, and BCOU didn’t get the funding to susta in ongoing prog ra ms. There also just wasn’t the motivation to enhance programs,” he says. Before he retired, Colin James’ final position was as Associate Vice-President of Open Learning, and Chief Operating Officer of B.C. Open University and Open College. He commuted between Kamloops and Burnaby for more than a year, and was tasked with easing the institution’s transition to Kamloops. B.C. Open University had originally been created to provide student s w ho eit her d id n’t have physical access to courses at other institutions, or for whom space

wasn’t available. But in the late 1990s, the provincial government began opening up more and more seats in universities, which had a significant impact on enrollment at BCOU. With the start of a new century, as enrolments dropped, “the government saw the need to amalgamate BCOU with TRU, and saw TRU as an opportunity to turn around the fortunes of B.C. Open University.” And that’s just what has happened, despite the odds. “There had been six years of declining enrollment, so it wasn’t just picking up an organization and keeping it going,” Beddome says. Added to that, the institution was moving from Burnaby to Kamloops, and it was difficult for

most staff to follow. At the end of the day, of the 130odd staffers required to ma ke BCOU work, a mere 27 moved to Kamloops. “We had to hire 100 people in six months or less, while at the same time maintaining services to students. It was quite a challenge, and looking back on it, it’s actually quite remarkable how we did it.” The turnaround in enrollment nu mbers d id n’t happen overnight, but it did happen. “After nine years of declining enrollment we stopped the bleeding,” Beddome says. “Two years ago we had a 22 per cent increase in enrollment, and last year we had a 20 per cent increase.”

Today, enrollment in Open Learning is where it should be, and staff can finally look ahead as opposed to just trying to stay alive. Much of that turnaround occurred because of a different strategic approach, James says. “Open Learning hired a brilliant advertising person and that stemmed the tide of attrition . . . there was a really concerted advertising effort, not only in B.C. but across the country.” In the past, the majority of students enrolling through Open Learning did so because space in a course wasn’t available at the institution of their choice. Now, because so many spaces have been made available at traditional institutions, that’s no longer the case. Open Learning has since developed ‘suites’ of courses for students. There are also more course options available, as well as a variety of electives that aren’t available elsewhere. Another key to Open Learning is time — students aren’t locked into a particular schedule and can enroll whenever they choose. There is

also open admission, meaning that while certain prerequisites are recommended for certain courses, those prerequisites are at the student’s discretion, and the responsibility for learning the material is on the student’s shoulders. The fact that Open Learning is also part of a larger campus also boosts the distance learning institution’s credibility, says Beddome, who adds that student recruitment is a challenge in a field where the competition is just “a click away.” “It’s a little different when someone is physically at a campus, because they’re already here and they might not be able to pick up and transition,” whereas the draw of Open Learning means students are more transient, and can pick up credits and easily transfer to the institution of their choice. But now that Open Learning has established itself on campus, it means students have the

benefit of learning at their own pace, from wherever they choose, while also accessing the institution. Commencement, says James, is a good example, in that few students who graduated from a program at B.C. Open University attended the Burnaby-based ceremony. These days, however, it’s not uncommon to find Open Learning graduates in Kamloops for commencement. “That’s another big drawing card.” Now that the hardest work is done it is time to celebrate what the staff and faculty of Open Learning have accomplished in such a short time. While there is still much to do, it’s important to acknowledge the commitment of the people who have contributed to such a profound success.

40 Anniversary Congratulations th

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"A great place to study and a great place to work."

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TRU

TRU World

Did yoU know?

Currently, TRU offers accredited programs in China, India, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, and Singapore. There are more than 1,000 students currently studying in TRU’s programs abroad.

A campus without borders

hen Vera Wojna arrived at the University College of the Cariboo in 1992, there were 250 international students from 10 countries. When the special advisor to the Associate Vice-President of TRU International retired in September, there were about 1,400 internat iona l students study ing at Thompson Rivers University from more than 80 countries. Not a bad growth rate by any measure. “When I take a step back and look at what we’ve done and what we’re doing I’m impressed. We’re active in most possible venues,” Wojna says. For those unaware of just how big a component TRU World is to

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

the overall campus, consider that international students represent about 13 per cent of overall student numbers — about the same as Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia, despite hav ing on ly been granted full university status in 2005. The reason behind the success of TRU World is simple – focus. Sta f f a nd facu lt y have been committed to creating the kind of program they’d want their own children to experience, should they decide to study abroad. Once the students arrive in Kamloops, the city, the campus and the faculty and staff of TRU World give them no reason to doubt their decision.

“Every president that we’ve had has had a strong vision for the international program and what it could do for the institution,” Wojna says. W hat Wojna ha s w it ne s s e d within TRU International “is the power of intent.” “We realized the vision because as a n institution a nd sta f f we knew that we had to support our students.” And that’s what it comes down to – offering a high quality program that delivers the results dema nded by t he i nter nat iona l community. At t he end of t he day, “TRU World flourished because of word of mouth. Individuals were sharing their experiences with others.”

But t hose who choose to go abroad to st udy a re choosi ng Kamloops for the same reason they’re rejecting universities in bigger centres. Kamloops is “a boutique or niche universit y,” Wojna says, offering the same kinds of services and educational opportunities available at larger universities, in a close-knit, welcoming environment. While recruiting and addressing the needs of internationa l st udent s is a lways a pr ior it y, Wojna says added focus has also gone to assisting TRU students a nd facu lt y who choose to go abroad. Faculty are conducting re s e a rc h pr oje c t s ac r os s t he globe, and bringing that knowledge back to Kamloops and mak-

TRU World enriches campus, community ing the campus richer. “The global community is so small and intertwined now. People are so mobile and business and organizations come together so easily,” Wojna says, adding that these days, “it doesn’t really make a difference where you live.” “I remember the days when we were communicating with Telex and faxes and lots and lots of letters. Even when you traveled abroad you were less linked back to your workplace. Now you have your laptop, your phone, you’re just a touch away.” When Wojna began working with international students some 20 years ago, they based their decision to come to Kamloops on nothing more than a university calendar they received in the mail. Today, t here is so much information

available that students are able to make educated and informed choices, which leads to greater confidence and less anxiety upon arrival. “There’s so much awareness of different cultures and customs, and if you need to know something, you just Google it.” Technology has made studying abroad both simpler, and less frightening, says Wojna, for both students and their families. “You’re not out of touch with your son or daughter, and they’re not out of touch with their friends.” Wojna knows that with or without her at the wheel of TRU World, it will continue providing valuable services to students, and it will continue to grow. “I see TRU doing as we’ve always done, and doing it well and doing it thoughtfully.”

More than 400 Kamloops families are registered with TRU World’s Homestay Program. These family’s host students, help them adjust to the community and establish life-long friendships.

Science Building

House of Learning

The team of management and staff at

Old Main Building

Library

INLAND GLASS & ALUMINUM LTD.

would like to congratulate the Board of Directors, administration, faculty, staff and students, past and present, at Thompson Rivers University on 40 years of success.

Campus Activ

ity Centre

ns o i t a l u t a r g Con to all!

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uilding

International B

We are proud to have worked with Cariboo College, University College of the Cariboo, and the evolution and growth into Thompson Rivers University.

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

TRU Foundation

Building a dream on a solid foundation

Thompson Rivers University Foundation connects donors to students who need them

while its gala dinner and dance etting a university education tallies up another $75,000. takes commitment and perse‘...the foundation There a re cur rent ly more verance; it takes dedication than 100 endowment funds beand time. makes the dreams ing administered by the founAnd it takes money. dation — some of which are alThat’s where the Thompson Rivers of those who ready 20 years old. University Foundation comes in, with believe in W hen a ske d w hat ma kes its mandate to raise funds for the inpeople donate to the foundastitution and its students. Thompson Rivers t ion, V ice-President of AdThe foundation is entering it 28th vancement Christopher Seguin year of raising money, and in its histoUniversity come replies that the board and sociry, has managed to raise more than true.’ ety members do a fantastic job $25 million for student awards, proof illustrating the needs of TRU grams and infrastructure. This group students and faculty. of community leaders who volunteer “The foundation is a conduit. It’s a conduit to their time act as advocates, fundraisers and the students of TRU and a conduit to the buildchampions for TRU and its students. Through the years it has built up an endow- ings and to the research. You’re never giving ment fund of over $10 million, and last year your money to the foundation or a nameless, alone was able to provide scholarship funding faceless bank account you are making powerful relevant change to the community. to more than 800 students. “In essence, no one gives to the foundation, While much of the funding comes from individual donations, the foundation is always ac- but the foundation makes the dreams of those tively fundraising. The foundation golf tourna- who believe in Thompson Rivers University ment brings in approximately $50,000 annually, come true.”

TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

As far as generating income for infrastructure projects, the past year has been spent raising funds for the House of Learning, which is due for completion early in 2011. What makes the TRU Foundation different from other bodies at other institutions is the grassroots support behind it. People who live in this region believe in their university, and they show their support financially. Every donation counts, from the $10 off a paycheque, to the $2-million from Mark and Ellen Brown — it’s about local people investing locally, Seguin says. “Many other institutions rely solely on those donations from corporations and banks, and while we are making great strides in that area Thompson Rivers University has traditionally been built by those around it.” And while the foundation is known for “its big shiny gifts,” it is built on its volunteers who donate their time to make annual fundraising events possible. “Often the grassroots support is overshadowed by the big donations, but we can never forget what TRU is built upon,” Seguin says.

Happy 40th Anniversary TRU! Here's to another 40 years of success and we're excited to be a part of it.

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TRU 40th ANNIVERSARY

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