Strategic plan mid-point progress report (highlights)
Strength through community 2021-2028
Fall 2024
MSVU
is located in Mi’kma’ki
Mi’kmaw
MSVU etek Kjipuktuk, Mi’kma’ki, Mi’kmaq wmitkiwew ta’n mna’q iknmuetasinuk. Ula maqamikew wiaqtek Wantaqo’tie’l aqq Ila’matultimkewe’l Ankukamkewe’l kisutasikipn 1725ek aqq 1779ek. Ula ankukamkewe’l ketlewite’tasikipn Mawi-espe’k Ilsutekemkewey Kanata aqq keknuite’tasik Teli-alsutmi’tij ula Maqamikew L’nu’k (wiaqwikasik kitk 1763ewey Eleke’witewey Teplutasik aqq elt ankukamkewe’l weja’tekemkek aqq Pkesikn35(1) 1982ewey Wi’katikn Teplutasik Tel-pukuik Kanata). Ankukamkewe’l na keknue’kl kisa’matimkl ta’n wettaqne’wasikl tplutaqnn wjit Te’sunemiksijik telwije’wmi’titl Ankukamkewe’l tela’matulti’tij. Kepmite’tmek kjijitaqnwesko’tmi’tij Mi’kmaq wjit teli-anko’tasik maqamikew aqq sam’qwan aqq elt telikina’muksi’k kisiku’k wejkwa’taqnik, kiskuk aqq elmi’knik.
English
MSVU is located in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), part of Mi’kma’ki, the unceded ancestral territory which remains the homeland of the Mi’kmaq Nation. This territory is covered by the Covenant Chain of Treaties of Peace and Friendship signed between 1725 and 1779. These treaties are affirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada and recognize Aboriginal Title (which is embedded in both the 1763 Royal Proclamation and in section 35(1) of the 1982 Constitution Act). The treaties are living agreements that establish the rules for an ongoing Treaty relationship between nations. We pay respect to the knowledge embedded in the Mi’kmaw custodians of the lands and waters and to the Elders, past, present, and future.
Message from the President
As we near the halfway point in the implementation of our strategic plan, Strength Through Community, I’m pleased to share with you highlights of our progress to date. Though by no means an exhaustive account of our past few years, these updates reflect the many strides we’ve made toward our vision of being a model of creative teaching and learning that nurtures socially responsible global citizens.
In recent years, we’ve broken down barriers to education for equity-denied groups; advanced the teaching and research that the world needs now; built bridges through partnerships with communities and industry; and helped build healthier societies across the lifespan (from early childhood to older adults). We’ve also celebrated 150 years of challenging the status quo, and we’ve started important conversations about the critical role MSVU will play for our communities in the next 150.
While many of the factors that influenced our plan’s objectives and strategies have stayed the same, much has changed. In fact, we held the community consultations that formed the basis of our plan before the pandemic began. Fast forward a few years and not only has our health context changed, but so too have our economic and geo-political contexts, for example. And like our sister universities in Nova Scotia and beyond, we’ve also faced a number of challenges unique to our sector, for example changes in Federal policy affecting international students and new bilateral agreements with the Province.
This evolving context requires that our university remain responsive, including in our implementation of our strategic plan. In the years ahead, we’ll stay focused on the themes we’ve laid out, while adjusting our sails as needed.
The progress captured in this booklet reflects the hard work of many across this exceptional university, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, supporters, and partners. My sincere thanks to them for their unfailing commitment to MSVU. Together they exemplify the true meaning of Through Community.
Dr. Joël Dickinson President and Vice-Chancellor
Our Purpose
Mount Saint Vincent University fosters the education of women and other engaged thinkers, while committing to social justice and to an equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible community.
↑ Read the MSVU strategic plan in full and view additional progress reports
1 Transformative teaching and learning
Portion of programs at MSVU with a workintegrated learning opportunity attached.
Largest gift in MSVU’s history supports early childhood teaching and research
In October 2023, the Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain made a legacy gift of $10 million to MSVU in support of teaching, research and practice on early childhood education. This marks the largest gift in the university’s history.
Mrs. McCain is a passionate advocate for quality early childhood education. She’s long recognized the benefit of quality playbased early childhood programming and the unparalleled opportunities it provides to Canada’s youngest citizens. And she has been an unwavering champion of MSVU’s work to help build capacity in the sector in Nova Scotia and beyond.
“I am pleased to support MSVU’s exceptional work in early childhood education, research and practice – work that will contribute to a Canada-wide early learning child care system that is universal, voluntary, high quality, aligned with public education, and organized to support parent’s work and study.”
- The Honourable Margaret McCain
MSVU is leading the way in Canada on early childhood teaching, research and practice:
We are home to the only universitybased Child & Youth Study programs (undergraduate and graduate) in Atlantic Canada.
A new Early Childhood Education concentration in the Child & Youth Study undergraduate degree provides even more focused learning opportunity for students interested in careers in early childhood.
Our on-site Child Study Centre provides care for young children while at the same time providing teaching and research opportunities.
Connecting the dots: MSVU’s Strategic Enrolment Management Plan in the making
Strategic enrolment management (SEM) takes a comprehensive view of the student experience toward achieving and maintaining optimum student enrolment. Aligned with the university’s strategic and academic plans, it considers the student experience from prospect to graduate and is most successful when the entire university is engaged.
Though MSVU is already doing some of the work associated with strategic enrolment management, there is significant value in a cohesive approach that unites various efforts and provides pathways for new ones. That’s why we are in the process of developing our first strategic enrolment management plan.
The work is being led by a pan-university SEM Committee with Dr. Marisha Caswell as Senior Advisor. A SEM Data Committee was also formed to support data collection, analysis and reporting – all key to the development of a successful SEM plan.
Internal and external reviews were the first step, including an environmental scan and enrolment funnel analysis. Next, a comprehensive consultation took place, providing faculty, staff and students the opportunity to share their perspectives. The resulting campus feedback report is an extensive summary of input on everything from course availability, sequencing and scheduling to student communication, cost of living, diversity and inclusion, and more.
In the weeks and months ahead, the SEM Planning Working Group will use all inputs to thoughtfully develop a SEM Plan and Implementation Strategy to guide MSVU, while continuing to consult with the MSVU community along the way. The aim is to have the plan in place by fall 2025.
Additional highlights
CELEBRATING 45 YEARS OF CO-OP EXCELLENCE:
Since 1979, the MSVU co-op team has connected thousands of students with valuable work-integrated learning opportunities and helped them launch successful careers across the public, private and non-profit sectors.
MSVU’s co-operative education offerings have grown over the years and today, every single undergraduate degree has a work-integrated learning opportunity attached.
ONLINE/DISTANCE LEARNING:
While we remain strong in our offerings, we are planning to soon undertake a full evaluation of our online/distance learning opportunities. This will further access to education to those who either cannot attend campus ever or often.
ADVANCING AN INCLUSIVE CURRICULUM:
MSVU course offerings are being updated to include material related to equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and truth and reconciliation, for example:
• Directed Studies courses in Chemistry focused on developing learning assets based on Universal Design for Learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and pedagogy that pays respect to Indigenous knowledge.
• Women’s Studies courses in Global Gender Studies, Ecofeminism & Environmental Justice, and African & African Diaspora feminisms.
• Biology and Chemistry labs incorporating Indigenous knowledge and practices.
• English courses in Indigenous Literatures and Indigenous Feminisms & Sexualities.
STUDENT AWARDS:
Scholarships and awards are one reflection of student success and, in this regard, MSVU students are shining bright. Nanette Black was among the latest recipients of the prestigious Frank H. Sobey Awards (valued at $45,000) for Excellence in Business Studies. MSVU Modern Languages student Olivia Bazot was recently named one of only two 2024 recipients of the Prix du Consulat general de France dans les Provinces atlantiques. And in April, we celebrated a long list of academic and athletic award winners at our 2024 academic awards receptions and Best of the Blue Awards
NEW SCHOLARSHIP FOR WOMEN ESTABLISHED:
The Julie Ann Carroll Memorial Graduate Studies Scholarship was established through a gift in the will of MSVU alumna Julie Ann Carroll, BA ‘63. The scholarship supports students who identify as women, with a preference for those in the Master of Arts in Women and Gender Studies program. The first of these new scholarships were given out to two students in 2024.
2
Research, scholarly work and professional activity
336,976
The number of unique reads of articles published by MSVU faculty via the Conversation Canada in the past two years.
A strategic roadmap to advance research
Research is a core mission of any university. Across a diversity of disciplines, the work of MSVU researchers is improving lives, building better societies, and deepening our understanding of the world.
Throughout late 2021 and into 2022, the MSVU Research Office, led by Dr. Jacqueline Gahagan, consulted MSVU faculty, staff and students towards developing a new five-year Research Strategic Plan for the university.
Noted Dr. Gahagan, “The development of a research strategic plan offers a unique opportunity to take stock of various existing research strengths and challenges and to use these insights to help create a new vision and path for research success going forward.”
“Research at MSVU is inspired by our strong tradition of social responsibility, the delivery of academic excellence through a rich and rewarding university experience, the pursuit of knowledge including scholarship, teaching and intellectual endeavours of the highest quality, and the promotion of accessibility through flexible learning opportunities and services.”
- Dr. Jacqueline Gahagan, AVP, Research
Launched in 2023, the plan features five pillars:
1 Gender, Sexuality, & the Advancement of Women & Girls & Other Historically Underrepresented Populations
2 Intersectional Ways of Knowing & Knowledge Mobilization
3 Health, Wellness & Social Justice Across the Life Course
4 Life, Computational, & Physical Sciences
5 Supporting the Research Lifecycle
Ultimately, the Research Strategic Plan is a guide to ensuring a world class research culture and ecosystem at MSVU, with equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility at the fore.
Canada Research Chairs leading world-class research programs at MSVU
The Canada Research Chair (CRC) program promotes leading-edge research and innovation by attracting the world’s best researchers to Canadian universities. MSVU is proud to be home to four Canada Research Chairs currently, including two who were renewed this year (2024):
Dr. Maya Eichler, Associate Professor – Political Studies and Women’s Studies
Tier II Canada Research Chair in Social Innovation and Community Engagement
Dr. Eichler leads the Centre for Social Innovation and Community Engagement in Military Affairs at MSVU. Her research focuses on feminist international relations theory, gender and armed forces, veterans and military families, and security privatization.
Dr. Jennifer Khoury – Assistant Professor – Department of Psychology
Tier II Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Studies in Neuroscience
Dr. Khoury leads the Developmental Psychobiology Research Centre at MSVU and seeks to understand how early life experiences influence biological, psychological, and social development.
Dr. Jessie-Lee McIsaac – Associate Professor – Faculty of Education and Department of Child and Youth Study
Tier II Canada Research Chair in Early Childhood: Diversity and Transitions (renewed 2024)
Dr. McIsaac is the director of the Early Childhood Collaborative Research Centre (ECCRC) at MSVU. The ECCRC engages families, as well as partners in policy and practice, in research and evaluation to enhance early childhood well-being.
Dr. Zachary Zimmer, Professor – Family Studies and Gerontology
Tier I Canada Research Chair in Global Aging and Community (renewed 2024)
Dr. Zimmer is the Director of the Global Aging and Community Initiative. Broadly, his research applies a global demographic perspective to concerns of health and wellness of older persons worldwide.
Learn more about MSVU’s four Canada Research Chairs →
Additional highlights
MSVU PROFESSOR’S RESEARCH SUPPORTED BY CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY:
Dr. Tamara Franz-Odendaal, a Professor of Biology and researcher at MSVU, has recently received approximately $500,000 in research grants (including funding from the Canadian Space Agency) to support her groundbreaking work on the impact of space travel on the skeleton.
ALEXA MCDONOUGH INSTITUTE REVITALIZATION:
Work is underway to revitalize the Alexa McDonough Institute for Women, Gender and Social Justice (AMI). With Dr. Tegan Zimmerman in place as Chair for the next two years, steps are now being taken to hire an event coordinator and reconstitute the AMI Steering Committee.
PARTNERING WITH THE CONVERSATION IN KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION:
The Conversation Canada is an independent source of news and views from the academic and research community, delivered direct to the public. As scholars at a partner university, MSVU faculty are publishing stories which are being republished under creative commons license by media around the world. A recent article about the US Presidential election by MSVU professor Dr. Meredith Ralston was read more than 40,000 times in just two days.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS FROM EQUITY-DENIED GROUPS:
Dr. Tamara Franz-Odendaal (Biology) launched a program that gives Indigenous, Black, and international students paid research opportunities with MSVU Science faculty. In its first semester, the program received 18 student applications and awarded eight research assistantships (fall 2022). More students have been hired through the program since.
EMPOWERING STUDENT RESEARCHERS:
Working alongside MSVU researchers at the top of their fields, students are setting the stage for their own future research careers.
In 2024, seven students received Scotia Scholars Awards from Research Nova Scotia, while three students received NSERC Student Research Awards.
ADVANCING DIMENSIONS:
We continue to participate in the federal TriAgency Dimensions program to advance EDIA in research – the only Nova Scotian university participant. Currently led by Dr. Phillip Joy at MSVU, the Dimensions Committee is overseeing the implementation of the university’s Dimensions Action Plan.
3
Equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility
70+
Countries represented by MSVU’s diverse student population
Meet MSVU’s first African Nova Scotian Community Pathways Navigator
In April 2024, Amélie Gero joined MSVU in the new role of African Nova Scotian Community Pathways Navigator, funded by the Windsor Foundation.
Amélie will guide the university in breaking down barriers to higher education and promoting successful transitions for students from African Nova Scotian communities. She is currently prioritizing consultation with those communities as she undertakes a thorough needs assessment.
Said Amélie, “By building trust and authentic connections with historic African Nova Scotian communities and their members, I will help foster a sense of belonging for the African Nova Scotian community at the Mount. I will be providing recommendations to the university on how to identify and address the challenges and barriers African Nova Scotian students face on their pathways through post-secondary to ensure that they feel like they belong and can succeed in higher education. I will provide insight on course content, campus life, community involvement, and any other facets of our institution that African Nova Scotian students will interact with to ensure that our campus is safe, inclusive, and welcoming for all.”
Amélie comes to MSVU with experience in student support. She held the role of Black Student Advisor at St. Francis Xavier University, her alma mater. Amélie is of African Nova Scotian descent and grew up in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St. Francis Xavier University (2020).
Implementing MSVU’s accessibility plan
The MSVU Accessibility Plan: 2022-2025 was introduced in December 2022 by the representative MSVU Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC), chaired by Dr. Brook Taylor, then Interim Vice-President Academic and Provost. The plan reflects MSVU’s commitment to fulfilling the requirements of the Accessibility Act that was passed in Nova Scotia in 2017 and aims to make NS inclusive and barrier-free by 2030.
The plan aims to achieve full and equitable access to education, programs, and services. At its core is a collaborative and value-based commitment to accessibility that prioritizes institutional accountability within a human rights framework.
Consistent with the 2020 Nova Scotia PostSecondary Framework, the AAC identified eight areas of focus, including:
• Awareness and Capacity Building
• Teaching, Learning and Research
• Information and Communication
• Delivery of Goods and Services
• Employment
• Transportation
• Built Environment
• Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation
The MSVU Accessibility Plan builds on the many accessibility initiatives already completed or underway at MSVU. Of important note: it will evolve over time as new standards are introduced, new collaborations are formed, and new technologies become available.
In the spring of 2025, we’ll finalize an updated Accessibility Plan for MSVU, including a refreshed governance structure, assessment and update of each action in the original plan, and additional accountability measures.
Additional highlights
MSVU 150 FUND CREATES ACCESS AND IMPACT:
With a view to a future filled with more students who have access to a life-changing MSVU education, the MSVU 150 Fund: Access & Impact was established to mark the university’s milestone anniversary in 2023. The fund is enabling the university to open doors to education for those who face barriers, and nurture socially responsible global citizens by emphasizing social justice and EDIA.
GETTING TO BETTER DATA:
We have embarked on an important equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility data collection project at MSVU with funding support from the Government of Canada’s Canada Research Chairs EDI Stipend Fund. In short, we are developing a comprehensive EDIA data collection, storage and reporting system for the university.
BLACK AND INDIGENOUS SPEAKER SERIES:
Organized by the MSVU Research Office, this series is initiating important conversations by inviting Black and Indigenous scholars to share their knowledge, worldviews, and contributions to their academic fields. Recent speakers have included Randy Headley, Dr. Krista Collier Jarvis and Dr. Barb Hamilton-Hinch.
A DIVERSE APPROACH TO STUDENT RECRUITMENT:
Throughout the last full student recruitment season (fall 2023/winter 2024), the student recruitment team continued outreach in a diversity of regions, including visits to Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and West Africa. At the same time, the team visited high schools across Canada, and completed a six-week tour of every Nova Scotia Community College campus.
INCREASED DIVERSITY IN LEADERSHIP GROUPS:
The Management Forum team has been expanded to include the EDIA Advisor, Special Advisor to MSVU on Indigenous Affairs, and Harassment and Discrimination Advisor. These new members ensure greater diversity of perspectives.
LANGUAGE MATTERS:
In January 2022, Communications & Marketing published a new Inclusive Language Guide designed to help ensure use of language that is inclusive of all. In particular, the guide features information on language with regards to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, race, age, disability, and gender, as well as trauma-informed language.
ACCESSIBLE RESIDENCE RENOVATIONS:
Two suites in Assisi Hall were recently renovated to include accessible beds, wardrobes and sinks. A new fully accessible washroom was created as well, including an automatic door opener, roll-in shower stall, height appropriate sink and lavatory with support bars and visual colour contrasting. An accessible laundry facility was also included in the Assisi Hall renovation.
4
Truth and Reconciliation
Increase in Indigenous student enrolment in undergraduate programs at MSVU from 2019/2020 to 2023/2024.
Kinu Tourism project welcomes first cohort
This September (2024), the first group of Indigenous students started their Kinu Tourism education at MSVU – a major milestone for the Kinu Tourism Project that aims to support authentic Indigenous tourism education (with a focus on Mi’kmaw tourism) and the growth of the Indigenous tourism sector in Mi’kma’ki.
In addition to supporting Kinu students in the pursuit of a Kinu Tourism education, the project includes curriculum enhancement for all Tourism and Hospitality Management students at MSVU. At the time of writing this piece, Indigenous-informed content has been embedded in 16 of the program’s courses with more being added each week.
By providing an Indigenous-informed education for all students, the Kinu Tourism Project is helping to build society’s awareness of Indigenous worldviews, ways of knowing, and the true history of Mi’kma’ki. Kinu, meaning “us/together,” is underpinned by Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing) guiding principles.
The Kinu Tourism Project is supported by an Indigenous advisory committee from across the Atlantic region. Over the past two years, the team has worked to connect with all Indigenous communities in Mi’kma’ki to ensure that multiple perspectives are reflected in the work that they do.
The Kinu Tourism Project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program.
Apology and commitments
In October 2021, Dr. Ramona Lumpkin, CM, then Interim university President and ViceChancellor, gathered with a group of Indigenous community representatives, including residential school survivors, First Nation community leaders, Elders, MSVU L’nu Advisory Circle members, and university representatives, for a ceremony of apology and commitment.
At the ceremony, Dr. Lumpkin apologized on behalf of the university to survivors, their families and communities, as well as all Indigenous Peoples, for MSVU’s role in the tragedy of residential schools in Canada, noting that the Sisters of Charity Halifax, the founders and previous owners of Mount Saint Vincent University, had members who staffed the Shubenacadie Residential School in Nova Scotia, which was open from 1930 to 1967, and St. Eugene’s Residential School in British Columbia, which was open from 1890 to 1970.
Referring to the traumas experienced by residential school survivors, their family members and communities, Dr. Lumpkin said, “Theirs is an immeasurable suffering that has left a legacy for subsequent generations. MSVU is deeply sorry for our role in the tragedy of residential schools.”
MSVU’s responsibility and apology extend to actions and inactions shared by many Canadian universities including a harmful delay in addressing the exclusion of Indigenous youth from the benefits of a university education, and inadequate education about the damage done to children by the residential schools.
MSVU’s apology was accompanied by a list of commitments the university has made to Indigenous Peoples. MSVU continues to make progress on these commitments. The commitments built upon work already being undertaken and are rooted in listening, learning, and enduring action.
← Read the most recent progress report on MSVU’s commitments to Indigenous Peoples
Additional highlights
DEDICATED L’NU SEAT ON SENATE:
The MSVU Senate has added to its membership a designated seat for an L’nu representative. L’nu Advisory Circle member and MSVU alum John R. Sylliboy became the first to hold this seat in January 2023.
FIRST INDIGENOUS COURSE IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES:
Led by Trina Roache, an award-winning journalist and assistant professor in the School of Journalism, Writing and Publishing at the University of King’s College and a member of the Glooscap First Nation, the new Indigenous Media Literacy course (GPRL 6203 / PBRL 4405) was launched through a collaboration between MSVU and King’s. It aims to critically analyze the representations of Indigenous Peoples in the media and explore ways to reimagine a decolonized media landscape.
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE:
In 2023, a pan-university Truth & Reconciliation Action Committee was established at MSVU through the Office of the President; all are welcome to participate. The commitment level is strong with an approximate membership of 42 faculty, staff and students.
RAISING AWARENESS OF THE ISSUE OF MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS:
To mark Red Dress Day on May 3, 2024, a number of red dresses were hung from the trees on campus and the Indigenous Student Centre team hosted a gathering featuring guest speaker Denise Pictou Maloney, the daughter of Indigenous activist Annie Mae Aquash who was murdered at 30 years of age.
BUILDING BRIDGES TO EDUCATION:
We continue to work with the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre to offer the Aboriginal Academic Access to Post-Secondary program (AAAPS), a university access pilot program. Made possible by funding from the Province of Nova Scotia, the program brings university courses and academic supports to Indigenous students at the Friendship Centre providing a solid foundation before students transition to their chosen university programs.
5 Community engagement
The new Centre for Child Study at MSVU will triple the number of child care spaces we offer while significantly expanding our capacity and leadership in early childhood teaching and research.
Shannex donates $500,000 to MSVU for healthy aging research & innovation
A $500,000 gift to MSVU from Shannex, announced in May 2024, will support the establishment of a new Shannex Centre for Workforce Wellbeing, including a new research chair, new learning opportunities for students and emerging scholars, and new research on innovative care practices and nutrition for residents.
Shannex is a family-owned organization with a vision of “Leading the Way to Better Living.” Across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario, Shannex offers a full continuum of services for seniors through Care at Home, Parkland Retirement Living, Faubourg du Mascaret and Shannex licensed long term care communities.
As home to the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging and a number of world-leading experts in related fields like nutrition, MSVU is well positioned to be a key research partner in Shannex’s commitment to helping older adults live long and engaged lives.
Through a living laboratory at the DePaul Hall, a future Shannex licensed long-term care home adjacent to MSVU, MSVU will undertake research on quality of life of long-term care staff and its impacts on residents; emerging care models and scope of practice; and cultural acclimation and support for newcomer workers.
New learning opportunities for students will help build a critical mass of early career specialists in long-term care. Further, Shannex’s gift will enable knowledge translation initiatives, as well as professional development and mentorship opportunities.
Lastly, Shannex’s donation will support the development of new food products while observing the environmental and individual factors that affect food intake, and help identify ways to enhance quality of life of older adults through food.
MSVU Child Study Centre growing with $5M government investment
In May 2024, the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia announced a multimillion-dollar expansion of the Child Study Centre at MSVU.
The total cost of the project is $10 million. Half is being contributed by government ($2M provincial and $3M federal); the university will raise the remaining $5 million.
When complete in 2026, the new 15,000 square foot centre (to be located at the current Meadows site on campus, 175 Seton Road) will be the region’s leading and largest resource for childcare that focuses on infants and young children.
The expanded centre will have triple the number of child care spaces it does now, including spaces for infants under 18 months (the current centre does not have infant spaces). But the story doesn’t end there.
That’s because the MSVU Child Study Centre is also a leading centre for teaching and research in early childhood education. And this initiative will mean expanded capacity in both of those areas too.
New high caliber teaching spaces will support professional development opportunities for those already working in the sector and will be key learning spaces for greater numbers of students pursuing early childhood education as their chosen profession.
And in the expanded centre, faculty, together with community partners, will engage in advanced research that will be disseminated across the early childhood sector in the Atlantic region and beyond. That research will contribute to public policy and help ensure the best possible evidence-informed early childhood experiences for kids everywhere.
Marking a 150-year legacy of challenging the status quo
Throughout 2023, we marked MSVU’s 150th anniversary with a year of celebration and reflection. And what a year it was! From storytelling to special events and so much more, the list of anniversary highlights is very long, but chief among them was the university’s 150th anniversary gala held on November 2, 2023 at the Halifax Convention Centre.
That evening, more than 600 local business, community and government leaders, friends of MSVU, donors, alumni, faculty, staff and students gathered for a sold-out celebration. The event featured a series of special presentations – speeches, videos and a performance by Jully Black (pictured above) – that together told the unmatched story of MSVU. The pride in MSVU as an institution that changed the face of education not just in Nova Scotia, but across Canada, was palpable that night.
Additional highlights
MICROCREDENTIAL PROGRAMS INTRODUCED:
We delivered MSVU’s first two non-credit pilot microcredential programs in the fall of 2023, including the community-focused Continue Caring and professionally-focused Case Management Fundamentals. Both received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants. A new leadership program for experienced frontline continuing care assistants launched this fall (2024) in partnership with Northwood and Shannex, and with funding from the NS Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration.
HOSTING MICHELLE OBAMA:
MSVU joined with a number of other local organizations to host former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama in Halifax in October 2023. Our focus was on providing event access to underrepresented individuals. Through the HER Impact and Diversity Delegation programs, we made it possible for a diverse group of more than 700 girls, women, youth and emerging leaders to attend her talk.
PARTNERING WITH PHOENIX YOUTH:
In the summer of 2022, MSVU and Phoenix Youth began a program (that continues today) to provide a unique on-campus experience for youth who attend programs at Mulgrave Park Community Centre. The students spent two days and one night on campus where they attended mini lectures, visited with Mount Mentors, and enjoyed gym time. The visit is intended to lay the groundwork for further pathway programming.
CELEBRATING
ALEXA’S LEGACY WITH A NEW GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP:
A new Graduate Scholarship for Women in Gender Studies was recently established to honour the legacy of the late Dr. Alexa McDonough, while supporting women graduate students doing feminist research. Fundraising continues, but, with help from the MSV Alumni Association, the first award was made in 2022.
MARKETING AWARD WIN:
MSVU’s 150th Anniversary campaign (dubbed “Challenging the status quo” and featuring MSVU representatives including faculty and alum) earned a Merit Award in the category of “Social Media Content – Campaign” at the 2023 Education Digital Marketing Awards.
SPOTLIGHTING MSVU’S PERMANENT ART COLLECTION:
From November 2022 to February 2023, the MSVU Art Gallery transferred select artworks in the university’s permanent collection from storage to the Gallery in order to photograph each piece and update collection records, and for display. The focus was on works by Alice Egan Hagen (1872-1972), a renowned Nova Scotian ceramicist and MSVU alumna. The university’s permanent collection holds over 100 paintings and ceramics by Alice Egan Hagen, which were donated to the school by the artist in 1966.
6 A healthy and safe campus for all
1.5 km
Prioritizing sexual violence prevention
The first few weeks of the school year mark the Red Zone, a period in which sexual violence on university campuses is most likely to occur. In keeping with our commitment to sexual violence prevention and providing a traumainformed, survivor-centered response, we’ve recently updated the university’s Policy Against Sexual Violence. But making policy changes doesn’t suffice. A big part of fostering a safe campus community for all is ensuring strong education in support of policy changes, and, in particular, sexual violence prevention.
To that end, a communications working group was formed to share policy and prevention information and important resources. We made sure that our communications channels (in particular social media) featured accessible information during the Red Zone.
Further, we continue to attend and host sexual violence prevention training, including sessions organized by the provincial sexual violence prevention group to train internal investigators for sexual assault cases at each institution in Nova Scotia. Additionally, we continue to provide sexual violence prevention training for student leaders from across campus, including Residence Assistants & Dons, orientation student leaders, Mount Mentors, and Peer
To learn more about MSVU’s Policy Against Sexual Violence and find out how victims of sexual violence can access supports on campus, visit msvu.ca/sexualviolence ↓
Length of the refreshed Freda Wales Trail at MSVU
Revitalized pathway to wellness
It’s well known that MSVU sits on a beautiful treed campus – a slice of country in the city. It’s also well known that being physically active in nature is good for you. To help our community reap the benefits of our setting, we recently undertook the revitalization of a 1.5 km loop of nature trail in the heart of campus: The Freda Wales Trail.
The trail is named for outdoor recreation enthusiast and physical education specialist the late Freda Wales. She was beloved by Mount Saint Vincent Academy students for organizing thrilling camping trips, canoeing adventures, and orienteering challenges. Her coaching prowess extended to the academy’s athletics teams and she found joy in walking and jogging around campus.
The reinvigorated Freda Wales Trail (including newly groomed paths and improved signage) winds through the university’s arboretum so features an impressive diversity of flora and fauna, as well as landmarks that tell the story of MSVU’s past and present.
Find a trail map and learn more about the trail →
Additional highlights
COURAGE TO ACT 2024 AWARDS:
MSVU Student Sexual Health and Safety Educators Lillian Flynn and Cassidy Plagos were recipients of the Courage to Act 2024 Award. Courage to Act is a federally funded initiative to address and prevent gender-based violence on Canadian campuses. The awards recognize changemakers doing exemplary work.
CREATING A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORTS:
MSVU’s first ever ‘Academic and Student Support Showcase: Facilitating Faculty and Staff Connections’ was held in September 2022 (the start of a new academic year). The event was designed to help students, faculty and staff learn more about how the academic and student support units can make a positive contribution to teaching and learning at MSVU.
INTERCULTURAL SPRING FAIR:
In late March 2024, an Intercultural Spring Fair was held in the McCain Atrium. The Fair was a celebration of cultural diversity and connection through sharing of food, music and traditions from the home countries of international students.
BIOLOGY BUDDIES:
In 2023, the Department of Biology initiated a Biology Buddies program: a peer mentorship program that matches first-year students with upper-year peers to help build meaningful interpersonal connections.
7 Operational excellence and sustainability
11.59
38.5 metric tonnes metric tonnes of cardboard and paper and of organics and compost
diverted from the landfill in 2023/2024 through MSVU’s waste diversion program
Giving students an eco-friendly lift
Thanks to a $50,000 grant from HCi3’s Accelerating to Zero Grant Program and in-kind support from Zen EBikes, MSVU is making available to students, faculty and staff a fleet of electric bikes for travel on campus and off (e.g. to work, etc. for students). This pilot program features a new solar powered e-bike storage and charging station near the entrance to Assisi Hall.
Electric bikes are pedal-style bikes with an electric motor attached to help power riders. Pedaling is still required, but the rider can determine how much of a boost from the motor they want as they pedal. The MSVU campus is well-known for its many steep hills. The electric aspect of the bikes will help propel riders up campus hills with ease, reduce traffic & parking related issues and improve air-quality on campus.
Not only will this initiative help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and positively impact parking pressures, but the hope is that it will also raise awareness about electric transportation options and ways of implementing clean energy technologies into everyday lives.
Zen Electric Bikes notes that during the product
lifetime, 15 E-bikes can eliminate 360 tons of CO2; with the addition of solar panels and a back-up charging system, the system is completely net-zero.
The new electric bike program at MSVU is believed to be the first of its kind on an Atlantic Canadian university campus.
Strengthening our global alumni network
In late January 2024, after an absence of a couple of years, we made a return visit to Bermuda to connect with alumni and prospective students.
The trip, which was attended by President Dickinson and a representative from each of Student Recruitment and Alumni Relations, included a number of recruitment stops at local schools, as well as a special alumni social at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.
In addition, President Dickinson met with representatives of our partner institution Bermuda College and the Bermuda Secretary of Education.
MSVU has long had close ties with Bermuda, including through an articulated degree agreement with Bermuda College that provides a pathway for continued university studies. We’re deeply proud of our alumni community in Bermuda and look forward to staying connected.
Additional highlights
STUDY PERMIT CAPS REQUIRE NIMBLE RESPONSE:
In 2024, tremendous efforts were taken to address changes required in response to study permit changes introduced by the Federal government, including the Registrar’s Office, the International Education Centre, Financial Services and MSVU’s Student Recruitment teams. Ultimately, our university community is made better by the presence of international students, so while perhaps laborious, the work to respond to this new reality is important.
BUILDING AND EXECUTING ON SOUND BUDGET PLANS:
We were able to avoid a projected shortfall at the end of the 2023/2024 fiscal year through a number of initiatives, including a successful summer melt program, increased recruitment and retention efforts, cost savings decisions, increased conference income, increased efforts to fill residence spots, etc. Due to a challenging fiscal context, recent budgets have been conservative in nature and have prioritized student-focused investments. We will continue working on revenue-generating opportunities and efficient resource management.
NEW AVP PEOPLE AND CULTURE ROLE:
Chris Hattie, began in the role in August 2024. Chris will focus on supporting the university’s most valuable resource – our people – which includes promoting a culture that upholds the university’s strong commitment to EDIA. The introduction of this role reflects an expanded view of human resources as encompassing not just the people, but also the culture in which our people work. Equally, this change aims to coordinate and amplify the important work of MSVU’s EDIA program leads.
ENHANCING CYBERSECURITY:
IT&S is implementing an Information Security Framework which encompasses policy, processes and technology, to enhance the existing cybersecurity ecosystem at MSVU. In addition, free cybersecurity training continues to be offered to students, faculty and staff.
MSVU NOW A SIGNATORY TO THE CEO CLIMATE ACTION CHARTER:
Co-created in partnership with business leaders across Halifax, the Charter encourages signatories to take meaningful climate action using operational levers within their respective organizations to do so. The Charter will support the growth of the green economy and materially reduce carbon emissions, and will enable Halifax to meet both municipal and provincial climate action goals.