SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Mandate Message from the dean Message from the associate dean Highlights of the year
1 2 3
GRADUATE STUDENTS BY THE NUMBERS
3
ACHIEVEMENTS Recruitment and retention Awards Student awards Greening New programs and courses Postdoctoral Fellows
8 8 9 9 9 9
IMPACT OF GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS Ms. Felicia Pickard Mr. Ping Lu Dr. Johanna Wolf Mr. Justin Skinner
10 11 12 13
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
14
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
15
INTERNATIONALIZATION
16
SGS FACULTY/STAFF PROFILE Dr. Noreen Golfman, dean Dr. Faye Murrin, associate dean School of Graduate Studies staff (2009-2010)
17 17 17 17
A B O U T T H I S R E P O R T: This report covers the period of April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010. The School of Graduate Studies wishes to thank the following individuals for contributing to this report: Ms. Nancy Fagan, Mr. Steve Lawlor, Ms. Elizabeth Noseworthy, Mr. Ivan Muzychka, Ms. Janet Harron, Ms. Kelly Foss, Ms. Jackey Locke, Mr. Chris Hammond, Ms. Helen Houston and Ms. Lisa Riggs.
MANDATE The School of Graduate Studies (SGS), established in 1975 under the first dean, Dr. Frederick A. Aldrich, enjoyed a total of 830 graduate students enrolled in the 51 programs offered at that time. The SGS now offers over 100 programs to almost 3,000 graduate students and oversees more than 60 postdoctoral fellows at the university. It is a central agency responsible for the collection, maintenance and distribution of materials concerning all graduate students at Memorial. The school also assists academic units in developing new program proposals and administers their approval. Through its Academic Council, the SGS also provides a forum for representatives from all faculties, schools and the Graduate Students’ Union to discuss matters pertaining to graduate education and to ensure standards across all graduate programs.
E G A S S E M HE FROM T
DEAN
MEMORIAL’S STRATEGIC PLAN, launched in 2007, rightfully located graduate studies as central to the future health and growth of the university. Vigorous growth in the graduate cohort would both reflect and complement a renewed commitment to research and enhance teaching capacity. Although the goal was noble, many members of the university community considered a target graduate student cohort of 3,900 to be unreachable. Today, the School of Graduate Studies boasts 3,000 students, almost a 30 per cent increase since the inception of Memorial’s Strategic Plan. We now believe the goal is well within our grasp. Almost every academic unit has seen an increase in its graduate student numbers, and although some departments have experienced remarkable surges, the growth phenomenon truly affects the entire university. Why did this happen? The answer seems obvious to me. We have built a strong and dedicated team in Graduate Studies, a team that well understands what today’s potential student wants from a university: ease of application, respectful and prompt attention to that application, competitive scholarship support, and, of course, an institution of high quality that will sustain and nurture them through their programs.
to eliminate wasteful use of paper, redundancy and inefficiency. Building trust in our site and in our processes has gone such a long way to increasing interest in our programs and in the number of applications. Today’s student — local, Canadian, or international — is wisely conscious of our social responsibility and respects our commitment to the environment. Our entire apparatus must be as up-to-date as our web pages. That we won the first national prize for these efforts, as you will see in the pages to follow, speaks to the success of our endeavours. Indeed, nearly everything we have been doing for the last few years has been student-centred, even as we appreciate the changing profile of the graduate applicant. With over 100 graduate programs across the disciplinary and interdisciplinary spectrum and with a variety of delivery formats with sensitivity to maintaining a healthy balance between professional and core academic programs, and a belief in encouraging more distancelearning options, the School of Graduate Studies aims to be nimble, responsive, flexible and creative.
First, we turned our attention to our website, working closely with other units at the university to build the most elegant home base imaginable. This year-long effort resulted in our award-winning microsite, easy to navigate and full of relevant information, from what St. John’s is like to inhabit to funding possibilities to links to academic units, and even a weekly dean’s blog. Students who come to our site either by accident or design ought to feel welcomed and informed, and so they do.
As dean, I could not be more proud of the team that has brought us to this point. The staff in the school work hard and collaboratively, and we all share the honour of our achievements, this year especially. I am deeply grateful to them for their loyalty to the office and to their continuing support of our entire enterprise. The document you are reading is effectively our report to the wider community, to our funders, to the university at large, and to the society in which we live, of how much we have done and hope to continue to do for you and our students. It is hard to believe anyone could enjoy going to work every morning as much as I do, but perhaps this report will tell you why.
Changing our gateway, so to speak, meant we needed to improve our application services, greening our space
DR. NOREEN GOLFMAN DEAN, SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES
School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT | 1
FROM E G A S S E M CIATE O S S A E H T
DEAN THIS DOCUMENT, the first progress report of the School of Graduate Studies here at Memorial, is the product of a dedicated group of people with whom I have had the pleasure to work for the last three years and whom I would like to acknowledge. They are a bright, hardworking, highly efficient and always interesting crew, and in our office lively discussions regularly arise on topics both mundane and critical. If there is anything I have learned here, it is that rarely are things black and white so that a thoughtful colleague is worth his or her weight in gold. Beyond this group is a wider community dedicated to our graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and their programs, which reaches out into every corner of Memorial. My background and training in biology have shaped my way of thinking and it is an honour and pleasure to have that perspective challenged and expanded by the wider exposure to the university community in my work here at the School of Graduate Studies. Over the past three years the School of Graduate Studies has made a great deal of progress in many different areas — which has resulted in a significant increase in enrolment and the winning of numerous awards — much of which you will find presented here in this document. I hope you find it interesting and useful. My thanks go out to all our students, graduate officers, graduate secretaries, postdoctoral fellows and staff for their continued support and camaraderie. I look forward to working with you in the coming year. DR. FAYE MURRIN ASSOCIATE DEAN, SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES
2 | School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT
E T A U D GRAENTS BY THE
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR
STUD
S R E B NUM
The School of Graduate Studies’ recruitment strategy has resulted in a 16 per cent increase in total graduate student enrolment (fall 2009 versus fall 2005). Memorial University has received four national awards for its work in the areas of graduate student recruitment, marketing and admissions.
THE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS enrolling in graduate programs and ultimately earning master’s and doctoral degrees have increased significantly over the years. Memorial University has continued to attract graduate students locally, throughout Canada, and internationally. Since 2005, there has been an eight per cent, 34 per cent, and 33 per cent increase in the number of Newfoundland and Labrador, out-of-province Canadian and international students, respectively.
A total of $8,770,811 in financial support was provided to graduate students at Memorial with an additional $7,031,910 provided by external sources.
TABLE 1. GRADUATE ENROLMENT BY FACULTY AND SCHOOL Faculty/ School
Fall 2009
Fall 2008
Fall 2007
Fall 2006
Fall 2005
Change 2009 vs. 2005
Arts
398
390
380
333
339
17%
Business Administration
138
109
115
111
130
6%
Education
691
600
567
556
583
19%
Engineering & Applied Science
274
262
256
240
232
18%
Employment Relations
66
52
59
46
45
47%
Human Kinetics & Recreation
89
61
36
36
35
154%
Marine Institute
19
22
14
17
21
-10%
Medicine
224
208
199
185
166
35%
Music
20
24
26
20
14
43%
Nursing
86
68
66
73
95
-9%
7
7
9
8
6
17%
572
527
504
475
479
19%
Social Work
85
73
61
51
59
44%
Unspecified
4
12
10
121
91
-
2,673
2,415
2,302
2,272
2,295
16%
Pharmacy Science
Total
Graduate students at Memorial continue to excel in national Tri-Council scholarship competitions with an 84 per cent success rate of those selected to go forward. There has been a 29 per cent increase in all graduate degrees awarded (2009 versus 2005), including a 148 per cent increase in doctoral degrees. The SGS continues to contribute to the internationalization of Memorial with an increase in international graduate student enrolment of 33 per cent (fall 2009 versus fall 2005) and through active pursuit of agreements with international universities and partners.
School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT | 3
TABLE 2. GRADUATE ENROLMENT BY REGION Province
Fall 2009
Fall 2008
Fall 2007
Fall 2006
Fall 2005
Nova Scotia
111
111
111
90
75
48%
Prince Edward Island
28
31
21
17
10
180%
New Brunswick
46
44
39
30
31
48%
Quebec
26
30
29
27
25
4%
Ontario
162
150
131
132
136
19%
Manitoba
12
12
18
14
13
-8%
Saskatchewan
12
11
7
4
7
71%
Alberta
39
37
35
32
33
18%
British Columbia
44
37
31
29
25
76%
Northwest Territories
8
6
5
6
6
33%
Nunavut
5
4
3
2
1
400%
Yukon
2
2
2
1
2
0%
Other*
89
98
89
85
73
22%
Out-of-province sub-total 584
573
521
469
437
34%
International sub-total
465
405
410
371
349
33%
Newfoundland & Labrador sub-total
1,624
1,437
1,371
1,432
1,509
8%
Total
2,673
2,415
2,302
2,272
2,295
14%
*Canadian citizens applying with an international address
FIGURE 1. GRADUATE ENROLMENT BY REGION
4 | School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT
Change 2009 vs. 2005
TABLE 3. INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE ENROLMENT BY CITIZENSHIP
Region Asia
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
Change 2009 vs. 2005 26%
258
233
245
213
205
Europe
47
43
42
48
47
0%
Latin America/Caribbean
19
13
17
19
13
46%
Middle East & North Africa
85
65
61
41
40
113%
North America
40
38
34
38
31
29%
Pacific Oceania
2
2
0
1
2
0%
14
11
11
11
11
27%
465
405
410
371
349
33%
Sub-Saharan Africa Total
FIGURE 2. INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENT ENROLMENT
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ but rather ‘hmm ... that’s funny…’ – Isaac Asimov
School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT | 5
There was an overall increase of 29 per cent in the number of graduate degrees awarded at the Convocation ceremony in 2009 versus 2005. Memorial awarded a total of 623 graduate degrees in 2009 compared to 483 in 2005. TABLE 4. GRADUATE DIPLOMA/DEGREES CONFERRED BY DISCIPLINE
Degree/Diploma Doctoral
2008
2007
2006
2005
Change 2009 vs. 2005
Arts 14
7
7
4
3
367%
Professional 19
19
23
13
8
138%
Sciences 29
20
25
23
14
107%
46
55
40
25
148%
75
69
86
64
58%
Division
Sub-total Master's
2009
62
Arts 101 Interdisciplinary 17 Professional 352 Sciences 80 Sub-total
Graduate Diploma Total
12
21
13
8
113%
318
386
362
315
12%
74
56
74
59
36%
550
479
532
535
446
23%
11
13
13
9
12
-8%
623
538
600
584
483
29%
The present and future of research and innovation in Canada hinges on graduate students and consequently graduate education must be appreciated as being a vital component of the Canadian education system and must be strengthened as part of a federal strategy on research and innovation. – Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, 2010
FIGURE 3. DOCTORAL DEGREES CONFERRED BY DISCIPLINE
FIGURE 4. MASTER’S DEGREES CONFERRED BY DISCIPLINE
School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT | 7
S T N E M E V E I ACH RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION The SGS actively recruits new graduate students electronically as well as through a host of information sessions and programs. In 2009, the SGS launched a new recruitment microsite that generates around 100,000 page views each month. Understanding the importance of a strong social media profile in student recruitment and admissions, the school communicates and shares information with students through Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and the Dean’s Blog. Memorial was also the first Canadian university to participate in GradShare — an interactive social website for graduate students developed by ProQuest. Through a partnership with the Academic Advising Centre and the Office of Student Recruitment, the SGS also offers an instant messaging service, MUNlive, to prospective and newly admitted students. AWARDS The SGS has won a number of awards for its recent work in graduate recruitment, marketing and admissions: Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) and the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Award for Excellence and Innovation in Graduate Admission, 2010 Gold medal, Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education Best Department or Program Site on the World Wide Web, 2010
Through our unprecedented investments to improve student aid and make post-secondary education more affordable, Newfoundland and Labrador has become a national leader in post-secondary accessibility. – Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Budget, 2010
Silver medal, Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education Best Program: Student Recruitment, 2010 Silver medal, Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education Best New Idea: Creativity on a Shoestring, 2009
NEW PROGRAMS AND COURSES Three new graduate and interdisciplinary programs were approved in 2009-2010: master of arts and education, master of technology management, and master of maritime management. A new master of environment policy based at Grenfell Campus is currently in the works, expecting a 2011 launch.
STUDENT AWARDS The School of Graduate Studies awarded more than $128,000 in internal scholarships during the 20092010 fiscal year. Approximately 84 awards and scholarships have now been created for graduate students, nine of which were newly created last year. GREENING The SGS has undertaken a number of initiatives to create a greener workplace. Some of these initiatives are: A process for graduate students to create and submit electronic theses Electronic reference letters as part of Memorial’s graduate application process A web-only graduate application process Paperless recruitment and events marketing No bottled beverages at the SGS events Reduced print for meetings and distribution of notes electronically Recycled paper and empty ink cartridges Staff engagement in Memorial’s Paperle$$ Pay-Opt out project
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS Memorial University is strongly committed to supporting its community of postdoctoral fellows, a community which has increased from 45 to approximately 65 over the past year. As highly trained scholars who have recently completed their doctoral degrees, fellows contribute significantly to our research and teaching efforts. While Memorial continues to attract an increasing number of fellows in disciplines where they have been traditionally represented, such as the Faculties of Science and Engineering and Applied Science, the breadth of research taken on by our newest postdoctorals has expanded both geographically and conceptually and now includes research on student identity in the Faculty of Education, on environmental policy at our Grenfell Campus and on social responses to climate change at the Labrador Institute. The School of Graduate Studies takes a leadership role in highlighting and supporting these researchers. As home to Memorial’s postdoctorals, the SGS offers a variety of services. The SGS hosts a website dedicated to memorial’s fellows including an
online directory of current fellows, and maintains a list serve for rapid communication of issues of interest to postdoctorals. The Postdoctoral Policy Review Committee, formed under the auspices of the SGS and the Office of the Vice-President (Research), has university-wide representation and hosts the Annual Postdoc Appreciation Luncheon with university brass. Memorial is a leader in its offerings for professional development, offerings which are extended to postdoctorals, and which span seminars, workshops and one-on-one tutorials in research, career development and teaching opportunities. The school acts as liaison with national groups to remain up-to-date on concerns of postdoctoral fellows in Canada — in particular through the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies (CAGS) and the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Fellows (CAPS). Recently, Memorial committed to host CAPS teleconference meetings and to supporting the travel of our CAPS representative to the annual CAGS conference. This is a time of significant advancement for postdoctoral fellows nationally. Memorial and the SGS are committed to being at the forefront of that change.
School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT | 9
IMPACT OTF GRADUATE STUDENSTSAND PO L DOCTORA
FELLOWS
MS. FELICIA PICKARD “The results from this study will help determine associations between housing and lead concentrations in children.”
Memorial’s graduate students continue to carry out meaningful research in a broad range of academic fields and contribute significantly to the social, cultural and economic development of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Just a few of the excellent student researchers are profiled in this report.
FELICIA PICKARD is originally from Woodstock, NB where she completed an honours degree (biology major with a geography minor) at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB. Her decision to come to Memorial for her graduate studies was due in large part to an interesting project proposed by her supervisor, but also because of Memorial’s reputation for exceptional research. Currently completing a master of science in environmental science degree with a specialization in environmental health, Ms. Pickard’s research project, “Environmental Lead Exposure in Children from Pre-1970s Housing in St. John’s, NL,” involves a multimedia environmental assessment of lead exposure pathways in households selected for biomonitoring of lead levels in children’s blood. The research seeks to determine the relationship between children’s blood lead levels and the levels of lead in environmental media, the potential sources and pathways of lead exposure in housing stock in St. John's of differing ages. It also looks at whether or not soil lead bioaccessibilty varies by housing age as well as by other factors which may affect lead exposure for household residents in the sample population. “The results from this study will help determine associations between housing and lead concentrations in children,” she
10 | School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT
explains. “Using these results we will be able to identify areas of St. John’s that represent a high risk to children's health and therefore can work on preventative measures. “The study will help raise general awareness of environmental health and chemicals in Newfoundland and Labrador, contribute to the national debate on the effects of lead on children’s health and inform communities across Canada about risks of lead exposure — especially cities of similar size and age throughout Atlantic Canada.” Approximately 260 participants between the ages of six months and six years who live in a range of housing ages throughout the city have been selected to take part in the study. The environmental exposure pathways to be measured for lead include: dust, soil, water, paint chips and garden produce. Upon completion of her master’s degree, Ms. Pickard hopes to enrol in medical school at Memorial University and focus on women and children’s health. She has received funding from the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research and is the winner of the O’Brien Foundation Fellowship, APICS Best Graduate Poster, NSERC’s Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship and the School of Graduate Studies Dean’s Excellence Award.
MR. PING LU
Education is the best provision for old age. – Aristotle
PING LU is from Dalian, China where, in 2003, he completed a bachelor of science in applied physics from Jilin University. Since arriving at Memorial, he has completed a master of science program in condensed matter physics in 2007. He is currently pursuing a PhD in physics with a focus on fibre optics. Mr. Lu says that fibre optics has changed the way we communicate with each other and is increasingly influencing our daily lives. He is passionate about this fascinating technology and willing to contribute to its development. “I was drawn to Memorial University by my PhD supervisor [Dr. Qiying Chen, Canada Research Chair in Photonics] photonics laboratory,” he explained. “Memorial is equipped with many stateof-the-art research tools which enables me to carry out world-class research.” His current research utilizes different chemical, physical and optical techniques to fabricate fibre optics architectures on the micrometer scale. These micro-
“I was drawn to Memorial University by my PhD supervisor’s (Dr. Qiying Chen, Canada Research Chair in Photonics) photonics laboratory.” structured optical fibre devices are promising for applications for telecommunication networks and environmental sensing. “I am creating a revolutionary communication and sensing platform based on fibre optics technology to monitor our environment in the province and in Canada,” explains Mr. Lu. “This will also greatly benefit researchers who demand advanced equipment to explore the microscopic and macroscopic world.” Mr. Lu was the recipient of the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship in 2009. He intends to pursue a postdoctoral position and continue his research upon completion of his PhD at Memorial.
School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT | 11
DR. JOHANNA WOLF DR. JOHANNA WOLF’S postdoctoral research looks at climate change adaptation — specifically how climate variability and change affect people and how they adapt to these changes.
“Certain groups in society feel the effects of climate change more significantly than others — those living in the Arctic and Subarctic are already dealing with the effects.” Originally from Germany, Dr. Wolf has been in Canada for much of the past 10 years. She chose to study climate change while she worked on a project dealing with greenhouse gases as an undergraduate student. That experience got her thinking about our collective contribution to climate change and the combination of this unpredictable issue with complex human behaviour.
Dr. Wolf believes that adaptation to climate change is an urgent necessity for all communities and that both households and communities need help to adapt effectively. “Certain groups in society feel the effects of climate change more significantly than others — those living in the Arctic and Subarctic are already dealing with the effects,” says Dr. Wolf. “Long-term adaptation has to be thought about carefully to avoid creating new problems or making existing issues worse,” she comments. Recently awarded funding for research from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and from the Department for Indian and Northern Affairs, Dr. Wolf plans to continue to teach and research on environment and climate change. Dr. Wolf holds an undergraduate degree in environmental science from Royal Roads University in Victoria, and master’s and PhD degrees in international development from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. She has also held postdoctoral positions at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and with the Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS) project office.
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. 12 | School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT
– William Butler Yeats
MR. JUSTIN SKINNER A NATIVE OF PORT AUX BASQUES, NL, Justin Skinner chose to stay close to home for his post secondary education. After completing his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Memorial University, he selected Memorial for his master’s program. However, being close to family and friends was not the only reason Mr. Skinner chose Memorial for his graduate research.
“I chose Memorial for my master’s program for several reasons: The expertise of my supervisor, Dr. Thormod Johansen, in my chosen field of petroleum reservoir engineering, my familiarity with the school from my undergraduate degree as well as relative proximity to family and friends and cost of education.” Mr. Skinner’s graduate research involves developing new modelling techniques
for the near wellbore region of an oil well. He is hoping to improve upon the current simple productivity index models and connection factor techniques by using streamline modelling techniques to allow for an enhanced understanding of pressure, flow profiles and productivity in the near wellbore region of an oil well. “Using these models, we may determine the effects of changes within the near wellbore region, including homogeneities, perforation characteristics, wellbore damage, etc. This research will determine the most effective strategy to increase overall oil recovery,” he comments. Mr. Skinner decided to study petroleum reservoir engineering, and more specifically, near wellbore modelling, while he completed a work term on the Hibernia offshore oil field as part of his undergraduate program. Now, his research has significant potential for use in Newfoundland’s offshore, as well as petroleum fields worldwide. In addition to receiving numerous scholarships and awards during his undergraduate studies, Mr. Skinner received the NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canadian Graduate Scholarship, the School of Graduate Studies Dean’s Excellence Award, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Resource Development Scholarship.
School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT | 13
L A N O I S S E F PRO T N E M P O L E DEV
The Centre for Career Development offers resources seminars, workshops and online resources to graduate students in the area of career enhancement and job search. The Graduate Student Work Experience Program (GradSWEP) provides Memorial’s graduate students with the opportunity to participate in 75-hour job placements, providing relevant career experience in the student's area of study and connecting the student with a community organization for all or part of his/her hours worked and directed by a Memorial faculty or staff supervisor. The Graduate Program in Teaching (GPT) is a one-semester, non-credit program that provides graduate students with training and practice in teaching at the undergraduate level.
14 | School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT
The annual Graduate Student Orientation is designed to help new graduate students in their unique transition to graduate school. The orientation consists of an informative keynote address, lively roundtable discussions and an information and services fair. The annual Aldrich Interdisciplinary Lecture, named for Memorial’s first dean of Graduate Studies, Dr. Fred A. Aldrich, typically addresses issues that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries and are relevant to graduate students. The Writing Centre offers individual writing tutorials for students working on their proposals and/or theses. It can also offer group workshops on elements of graduate-level academic writing on request. The English as a Second Language (ESL) Resource Centre offers a course of language study designed to bring students’ English, in any or all of listening, speaking, reading and writing, to a level required for graduate studies. The Graduate Research Integrity Program (GRIP) is designed to provide all graduate students at Memorial University with the knowledge to make informed decisions on integrity issues commonly encountered in scholarship and the research process.
SERVICES AND
PROGRAMS
THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES INITIATES AND SUPPORTS pan-university collaboration to provide graduate students with professional skills beyond their disciplines. Designed for both prospective and current graduate students, Enhanced Development of the Graduate Experience (EDGE) is an array of professional skills development programs and services available to all graduate students at Memorial University, which cover global competencies, teaching and learning, professional skills and research. Some of the major services and programs are:
Career Development
Grad SWEP
GPT
ching Graduate Program in Tea
n Orientatiore Aldrich Lectu
Writing Skills
ESL GRIP
guage English as a Second Lan Graduate Research Integrity Program
L A I C N FINA
Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.
T R O P SUP MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY’S GRADUATE STUDENTS receive funding from a variety of sources, including scholarships from endowment funds as well as internal, external and provincial agencies, supervisor research grants, departmental funding, Canada research chairs and graduate assistantships (GA). In 2009-2010, financial support from all sources, internal and external, to Memorial graduate students was approximately $16 million.
– Samuel Johnson
TABLE 5. FUNDING FROM MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY SOURCES Fellowships
$6,073,584
SGS scholarships
$128,000
Departmental funding (includes GAs)
$2,537,891
Student conference travel assistance
$31,336
Total
$8,770,811
TABLE 6. FUNDING FROM SOURCES EXTERNAL TO MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY The SGS awards budget comprises numerous initiatives, including fellowships, graduate officers awards, dean’s excellence awards and matching fund programs as well as new partner support. The total funding allocated to these programs was $6,073,584. The main driver of the SGS support is assisting academic units in developing competitive funding packages that will attract the best and brightest students from around the world. By taking this approach, we leverage our funds to achieve the maximum level of impact within a limited resource environment.
NSERC
$898,795
SSHRC
$1,001,274
CIHR
$94,567
Canada Research Chairs
$244,879
Faculty Research Grants
$4,792,395
Total
$7,031,910
During the 2009-2010 fiscal year, Memorial provided financial support to 1,338 graduate students. The breakdown of those funded includes 900 master’s students and 438 PhD students. The average funding level per master’s student was approximately $15,900, while the average level of support per PhD student was $21,376. The funding sources include GAs, fellowships, departmental support and grant funding.
School of Graduate Studies 2009-2010 PROGRESS REPORT | 15
N O I T A Z I L A N O I T A N INTER THE SGS CONTINUES TO CONTRIBUTE to the internationalization of Memorial through the establishment of memoranda of understanding, enhancement of international student enrolment, collaboration with the province on immigration, and recruitment of visiting research students. The SGS actively pursues student exchange agreements and partnerships with international institutions and organizations. In March 2009, the SGS, along with the Department of Computer Science, signed an MOU with Mannheim University of Applied Sciences in Germany to recruit highly qualified applicants to Memorial’s doctoral programs. It is currently investigating partnership opportunities with universities and organizations in Vietnam, China and Australia. By working closely with the Division of Marketing and Communications and the Office of Student Recruitment, the SGS aims to better promote Memorial’s graduate programs internationally. Not surprisingly, international graduate student enrolment has increased significantly over the past several years. The SGS also works with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in fulfilling its Immigration Strategy. It actively recruits international students and collaborates with other service units,
including the International Student Advising Office, the ESL Programs Office and the Centre for Career Development to ensure the offering of proper support services. Every year, the SGS hosts an annual Graduate Student Orientation to facilitate transition of incoming students to graduate studies. Many of the participants are international graduate students. During fall 2009, about 300 graduate students attended and 96.1 per cent noted it was a useful experience. In 2009 and again in 2010, the school was awarded a grant from the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism’s Newfoundland and Labrador Settlement Integration Program to develop career resources and services for international graduate students to enhance employment rates and the likelihood of their staying in Newfoundland and Labrador upon graduation. Finally, the SGS welcomes graduate students from around the world to carry out research at Memorial. Visiting research students are graduate students at other recognized institutions who come to Memorial University to conduct research under the supervision of a Memorial University faculty member. Once admitted and registered, visiting research students have full access to university services and resources and conduct important research to fulfil degree requirements at their home institutions.
F F A T S / Y T L SGS FACU
E L I F PRO DR. NOREEN GOLFMAN, DEAN Dr. Noreen Golfman is dean of Graduate Studies and a professor of English and film studies. Her PhD is from the University of Western Ontario. She is currently president of the Canadian Federation of Social Sciences and Humanities, a national education advocacy group, as well as an advisor to the Canadian Studies program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dr. Golfman was president of the Association of Canadian College and University Teachers of English and a member of the Executive Committee of the Film Studies Association of Canada. Active in Canadian cultural issues and experienced with the media, Dr. Golfman is the founding director and chair of the St. John's International Women’s Film Festival, vice-chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation and chair of the board of the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting. In addition to publications in scholarly journals, Dr. Golfman has been writing on the arts and culture in more popular venues. She was the film columnist for the Canadian Forum, and has contributed to Newfoundland Quarterly, the Independent newspaper, and worked as a commentator, reviewer/performer for CBC radio and television.
DR. FAYE MURRIN, ASSOCIATE DEAN
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES STAFF (2009-2010)
Dr. Faye Murrin is associate dean of Graduate Studies and associate professor in the Department of Biology. She completed her B.Sc.(Hons.) at Memorial University, her M.Sc. at Acadia University and her PhD at Queen’s University. Her research interests have always been focused on fungi, in particular the cell biology of insect pathogenic fungi and, more recently, the ecology of mycorrhizal mushrooms in the boreal forest. Dr. Murrin has served in a number of positions on the Council of the Mycological Society of America and was awarded the title of MSA Fellow for her contributions. She was named a Women in Science and Engineering Lifetime Member as founding codirector of the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Summer Program. Dr. Murrin participates in public lectures and workshops, and is a director on the board of Newfoundland Foray, Inc.
Dr. Noreen Golfman, dean Dr. Faye Murrin, associate dean Ms. Ruby Barron, programs officer Ms. Leslie Coish, financial assistant Mr. Mark Collins, marketing co-ordinator Ms. Denene Cranford, applications officer Ms. Nancy Fagan, assistant to the dean Ms. Kim Hearn, admissions officer Ms. Nicole Hiscock, programs assistant Ms. Colleen Kennedy, receptionist Mr. Peter Kerrivan, committees secretary Mr. Andrew Kim, graduate enrolment manager Ms. Gail Lamkin, scholarships officer Mr. Steve Lawlor, manager of fellowships and awards Ms. Elizabeth Noseworthy, recruitment and retention co-ordinator Ms. Jennifer Noseworthy, applications officer Ms. Carolyn Squires, fellowships officer Ms. Jennifer White, senior career development co-ordinator Ms. Annette Williams, secretary to the deans Ms. Sharon Winsor, records and registration officer
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