Inside
WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY
Waterloo | Brantford | Kitchener | Toronto
Photo: Stacey Morrison
SEPTEMBER 2014
The Golden Hawks women’s soccer team got an early start with August practices at Alumni Field in Waterloo. The team’s next home game is Sept. 17 against the Brock Badgers.
First phase of website will launch in fall Content creation and usability testing for new site is underway
The development of Laurier’s website continues to make progress, with the first phase scheduled to launch in mid to late fall. Over the summer, Laurier’s core web project team worked closely with departments and faculties to evaluate external-facing content within their current sections of the website and to develop new content. This ensures that only relevant and accurate information will appear on the new site. This new content is being written with proper web style guidelines to improve search results, readability and engagement. The first phase of Laurier’s website rollout will focus on prospective undergraduate and graduate students between the ages of 17 and 30. A common question being asked is: What about web content for current students, staff, faculty and others? All content for these audiences will stay on the current website until fresh content is created to replace it in later stages of the website redevelopment. In fact, when the new website launches in the fall, both sites will be running concur-
rently until all of the phases are complete. Visiting wlu.ca will take viewers to the new site; from there, they can access Laurier’s current site by clicking an audience gateway page (e.g. “Information for Current Students”) or by clicking links in the new content where appropriate. The web team acknowledges the transition from Laurier’s current website to the new website will be a complex task not without its difficulties, and encourages all members of the Laurier community to bookmark pages frequently accessed. Next year the web team will introduce intranet/portal solutions for current students, and for staff and faculty. All information for these audiences will then be moved to the appropriate intranet/ portal. Any remaining content that is relevant to external audiences will be moved to the new website. Because Laurier’s current website is so large, launching the new website in phases ensures the proper focus is placed on each audience. To that end, the core web project team encourages the
university community to delete outdated content from the website now — it will help reduce the number of pages that need to be reviewed later and it will keep the current site clean during the transition. The web team is happy to meet with anyone at Laurier who wants to learn more about the web project and its phases. Please contact Heidi Maissan, web manager, at hmaissan@wlu.ca, or Jadranko Jerkovic, senior project lead, ICT, at jjerkovic@wlu.ca. On the technical side of the
website redevelopment, the web-project team is now implementing the website’s new content management system, Hannon Hill’s Cascade Server. User testing with prospective students (undergraduate, graduate, domestic and international) will be conducted to ensure usability of the site. Once the first phase of the new wlu.ca website is launched, the core web project team will begin training users in late fall to ensure they are comfortable using the system and at ease with web best practices. Departments
who are part of Phase 1 will be trained first, but everyone will be fully supported as the website continues to roll out. A governance plan, which will be reviewed and approved by the web steering committee, will further support users by outlining clear guidelines that will also maintain the integrity and spirit of the new site. Images of the new website design are posted online. To view them, and for more information on the website redevelopment process, visit www.wlu.ca/ webreview.
Website redevelopment timeline: 1.
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Strategy Phase (WinterSpring 2014): Planning the site’s navigation, marketing and communications strategy and governance structure. Creative Phase (WinterSummer 2014): Designing web-page concepts and prototypes, creating a suite of web-page templates, auditing the current
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website’s content and developing new content. Implementation Phase (Summer-Fall 2014): Building and implementing the design of the new CMS using Cascade Server, creating and uploading Phase 1 content, and usability testing. Additional Phases (2015 and beyond): Content creation, content migration and
usability testing will continue to occur in stages past the website’s launch to accommodate the immense amount of data that needs to be moved to the new CMS. Additional projects, such as intranet/portal solutions for current students and for faculty and staff, will also occur in additional phases past launch.
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Laurier’s Waterloo campus gears up for 2014 Homecoming celebrations.
Meet Sheila Forler Bauman, physiotherapist for the Canadian women’s wheelchair basketball team.
Can public institutions be food producers? Project SOIL aims to find out.
Inside
september 2014
president’s message
A year of challenges and opportunities There is nothing like the start of a new academic year to remind us of the most important part of post-secondary education: the students. As they return to campus, our students bring with them an irrepressible sense of optimism, energy and joy. They are bright, curious and exuberant, eager to explore life and brimming with the vitality of youth. It is a privilege to work with our students and to be entrusted with the important task of providing higher education to new generations of keen young people. It will be essential to keep this in mind as we embark on a year that promises to present challenges for the post-secondary sector. Over the coming year, the Laurier community will have to make some choices to ensure that we can continue to provide high-quality education and an excellent student experience well into the future. Some of our challenges include: Financial constraints Like most universities, Laurier’s costs are rising faster than
our revenues. The Ontario government has said that it will not provide new operating money to the post-secondary system. As well, the provincial tuition framework places constraints on what we can charge students, thus limiting a key source of revenue. Finally, increasing pension costs and relatively low investment returns continue to fuel a situation in which our pension obligations consume a significant portion of the university’s operating budget. It is crucial that the Laurier community work together to develop strategies to address these long-term financial challenges. Enrolment The market for post-secondary education has become fiercely competitive at the same time that a transformation is taking place in what students want and expect from higher education. For many universities, including Laurier, this has resulted in a softening of first-choice applications and in final confirmations. We have studied the situation and are implementing a strategy
that will continue to enhance our reputation, improve awareness of the university, and strengthen the full cycle of our recruitment process. However, longer-term measures are required, including the ongoing development of relevant, high-quality academic programs, incorporating more technology into the learning process, and providing students with more flexible learning options. IPRM The university has taken a very constructive step forward with its Integrated Planning and Resource Management (IPRM) initiative. After more than a year of consultation and hard work, the IPRM working groups have evaluated hundreds of program templates submitted by departments and faculties and are now developing recommendations that will come forward this fall. The IPRM process was designed to identify the academic and administrative priorities of the university and recommend how to operationalize and fund these priorities — within our existing
resources — to position Laurier for future success. Hard decisions will be required in the coming year, but these decisions are essential for the long-term health of the university. In the midst of challenges, there are also opportunities. Earlier this year the Ontario government approved Laurier’s Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA). This document outlines the role Laurier currently plays in Ontario’s post-secondary system and how we will build on our strengths to achieve our vision and help drive the province’s system-wide PSE objectives. I am confident that our SMA will bring focus to, and awareness of, our efforts to position Laurier for success. You can read the SMA at: http://bit.ly/1BdEkC2 Another significant opportunity is the potential for a Laurier campus in the Town of Milton. We have been hard at work developing a proposal to submit to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities as part of its Major Capacity Expansion Request for Proposals.
The Laurier plan, which will be submitted later this month, will allow the university to grow while preserving the intimate sense of community and the exceptional student experience that characterize the Waterloo and Brantford campuses. It is important to note that a campus in Milton will not divert funds away from other Laurier campuses. Any provincial money for a Milton campus would be targeted to address PSE access issues in the western Greater Toronto Area, and therefore would not be available to other campuses. The year ahead will present challenges for Laurier. But I am confident that the consultation and strategic planning that we have done, and will continue to do, will strengthen the university to ensure a bright future for this remarkable institution.
Max Blouw President and Vice-Chancellor
Joel Peters joins Laurier as AVP: External Relations By Stacey Morrison When the CN Tower EdgeWalk attraction opened in 2011, the thought of undertaking the feat — walking along a steel grate the width of a sidewalk suspended 116 storeys above the ground — would keep Joel Peters awake at night. Peters is afraid of heights. Then senior vice-president and chief marketing officer for Tourism Toronto, Peters knew he would have to face his fear eventually. The day finally came in the form of a team-building exercise. Peters was picked first from the group to lean out and “put his arms around Toronto.” “The guy next to me was actually hyperventilating and looked a lot worse off than me,” he said. “I ended up coaching him through it. That helped get rid of my fear!” Peters says he could not have
asked for a better way to bring a team together. Peters, who joined Laurier in August as the new assistant vicepresident: External Relations, has a knack for building relationships. With degrees from Harvard in biochemistry and landscape architecture, his career in communica-
tions and marketing has been an evolution. The common thread, in hindsight, is the social perspective. “Landscape architecture is first of all about looking holistically at ecosystems and people. To find workable solutions and develop plans, one has to learn to understand and manage human
areas. He worked in coastal planning and developed park plans, which led to projects in tourism planning. The Toronto Zoo is where he cut his teeth in marketing, developing sponsorship strategies and Peters see page 4
Send us your news, events & stories Email: insidelaurier@wlu.ca Joel Peters, far right, and the Tourism Toronto team lean over Toronto while doing the CN Tower EdgeWalk.
InsideLaurier is published by Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing (CPAM) Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5
InsideLaurier Volume 9, Number 1, September 2014 Editor: Stacey Morrison Contributors: Erin Almeida, Lori Chalmers Morrison, Kevin Crowley, Justin Fauteux, Kevin Klein, Sandra Muir Available online at www.wlu.ca/publicaffairs.
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behaviour in public places,” he said. “You’re looking at the public realm in a social way.” Early in his career, Peters worked on resource management plans, and developed plans and programs to interpret and provide access for visitors to special and occasionally-protected resource
Deadline for submissions: Sept. 15, 2014 All submissions are appreciated, however not all submissions will be published. We reserve the right to edit all copy for accuracy, content and length.
InsideLaurier welcomes your comments and suggestions for stories. Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 3341 | Fax: (519) 884-8848 Email: stmorrison@wlu.ca InsideLaurier (circ. 2,100) is published eight times a year by CPAM. Opinions expressed in InsideLaurier do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the university’s administration.
Printed on recycled paper
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Next issue of Inside October 2014
september 2014 Inside NEWS
What’s new and notable at Laurier
Laurier launches Mental Health First Aid training for faculty and staff Laurier is offering a new Mental Health First Aid training program to faculty and staff. Mental Health First Aid is a program that improves mental health literacy, and will teach faculty and staff how to recognize symptoms of mental health problems, provide initial help and refer students to the appropriate professional services. This program is an important component of Laurier’s commitment to enhancing a culture of health and well-being. More than 200 faculty and staff participated in the first round of training, which started in August. Particpants were chosen based on several criteria, including significant frontline contact with students. The two-day training is now open to the broader university community and registration is available at www.wlu. ca/lauriertraining under Wellness programming. This program was made possible through a grant from the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund, in addition to support from the university.
Province announces final Strategic Mandate Agreements The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has concluded its discussions on the
2014-2017 Strategic Mandate Agreements (SMAs). Laurier, along with all Ontario post-secondary institutions, submitted its SMA to the province on Dec. 20, 2013 as part of the province’s efforts to understand key areas of differentiation among Ontario institutions. Individual SMAs were subsequently negotiated between the province and each institution, with a focus on the strengths of individual institutions. The province released the final Strategic Mandate Agreements on its website in August. To view them, visit www.tcu.gov.on.ca/ pepg/publications/vision. Laurier’s 2014-2017 SMA can also be found at www.tcu.gov. on.ca/pepg/publications/laurieragreement.
Sonnet L’Abbé named Edna Staebler writer-in-residence Sonnet L’Abbé, an award-winning poet and frequent Globe and Mail reviewer, has been chosen as the upcoming Edna Staebler Laurier Writer-in-Residence. She will fulfill her term at Laurier from January to April, 2015. L’Abbé will be the third writer to hold the position, after the inaugural writer-in-residence Andrew Westoll in 2013, and the popular playwright and filmmaker Colleen Murphy in winter 2014. L’Abbé is the author of two
Sonnet L’Abbé
collections of poetry, A Strange Relief and Killarnoe (both published by McClelland and Stewart), as well as a poetry critic and the 2014 guest editor of Best Canadian Poetry. In 2000, she won the
Bronwen Wallace Award for most promising writer under the age of 35. She is now at work on two new manuscripts, Sentient Mental Flower Book and Sonnet’s Shakespeare, her third and fourth collections of poems. L’Abbé was chosen from a pool of 21 applications for the residency from writers of all genres. During her term at Laurier, L’Abbé will give public lectures, provide one-on-one feedback to student writers and writers in the community, and conduct writing workshops.
Laurier hosts Women in Physics conference
Faculty of Music announces 2014-15 concert calendar Music lovers rejoice! Laurier’s 2014-15 concert series has been announced and the full schedule is available online. This season will feature more than 100 performances, including student recitals, large ensemble concerts, the popular noon-hour concert series and special events. Most performances are free and open to the public. For the full schedule of events, visit www.wlu.ca/music, and click the 2014-2015 concert calender link in the left-hand menu.
In August Laurier’s Waterloo campus hosted more than 200 woman physicists from around the world for the International Conference for Women in Physics. It was the first time a North American institution hosted the event. Photo: Lori Chalmers Morrison
Waterloo campus prepares for Homecoming Tickets are available for this year’s Homecoming weekend on Laurier’s Waterloo campus from Sept. 26-28. Homecoming on the Brantford campus will take place
Nov. 8 and a full schedule of events will be posted soon. At the Waterloo campus Homecoming, look for favourite events and new traditions as part
of this year’s festivities. Kick off the weekend with the annual free pancake breakfast in the quad, and attend the Legends of Laurier Lecture Series featuring Jim McCutcheon, former professor of business. If you are a Laurier alumnus/a and celebrating a reunion this year, meet up with fellow alumni from your class at one of the special graduation anniversaries, ranging from five to 50 years. The Laurier Golden Hawks will face the Carleton Ravens in
Laurier student to solve more than 3,000 Rubik’s Cubes at Scotiabank Nuit Blanche Fourth-year business student and Canadian speed-cuber Eric Limeback will soon spend another all-nighter at Laurier. He’s not cramming for an exam. And unlike his October 2013 all-nighter where he set the world record for the highest number of Rubik’s Cubes solved in 24 hours at 5,800, this time Limeback will be spending all night creating a large-scale Rubik’s Cube sculpture at Laurier’s Toronto office Oct. 4 as part of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. In his installation, “Cubed,” Limeback will solve more than 3,000 Rubik’s Cubes to create a sculpture, as well as displaying his extraordinary talent for solving
the puzzle in record time, and even blindfolded. The event begins at 6:52 p.m. and lasts until sunrise. It will be punctuated by Laurier’s Jeffrey Jones, director of the Laurier Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, who will host an interactive presentation at 10 p.m. based on mapping Limeback’s brain activity while he is solving the cubes. Limeback is a world-class Rubik’s Cube competitor who has broken eight different national records since he began competing at the age of 14. Scotiabank Nuit Blance is a distinctive arts initiative produced
by the City of Toronto. It is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca. Laurier’s Toronto office first participated in Scotiabank Nuit Blance in 2012, with “Spin” by Kitchener-based artist Katrina Jennifer Bedford. Laurier’s Toronto office is located at 130 King Street W. on the main floor of the Exchange Tower. The event is being sponsored and supported by Laurier Alumni’s Toronto chapter, which will also host an alumni reception. The cubes were donated by Kroeger Toys, the Canadian supplier of Rubik’s Cubes.
University Stadium for the annual football game and tailgate party Saturday afternoon. This year, the new Alumni Endzone tent allows alumni to watch the game at field level while enjoying a cash bar, barbecue and the chance to reconnect with old classmates. Continue the celebration at the Homecoming HawkTail Party, where you can enjoy refreshments, hors d’oeuvres and a performance by Blackwater Trio & Friends with your fellow Hawks. Other Saturday night favourites include alumni
parties at Wilf’s and The Turret, as well as Come to the Cabaret, an evening of musical highlights performed by award-winning alumni from the Faculty of Music. Tie up the weekend (and your laces!) with the seventh annual Laurier Loop on Sunday. Participate in the run to support Laurier’s Sun Life Financial Movement Disorder Research & Rehabilitation Centre. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit laurieralumni.ca/homecoming.
Sudoku
See solution on page 6. 3
Inside
september 2014
IPRM working groups preparing recommendation reports After a productive spring and summer, the Integrated Planning and Resource Management (IPRM) working groups have completed their evaluation processes. “This is no small feat,” said Planning Task Force co-chair Kim Morouney. “Arriving at this stage represents thousands of hours of careful work on the part of these teams. They should not only be proud of completing the task, but also of the integrity and thoughtfulness they brought to the process.” The prioritization teams evaluated 185 academic and 194 administrative program templates. The teams aim to submit recommendations in separate reports to the PTF by early October. The resource management team completed its review of budget options for academic units, revenue-generating and ancillary units and the university fund for support/cost centres. The team provided its findings and recommendations for a budget model in a report to the PTF, which will be reviewed and discussed at the PTF’s
mid-September meeting. “The PTF is now rolling up its sleeves and will be meeting regularly throughout the fall to review and discuss the working group reports and prepare a final recommendation report for Senate and the Board of Governors,” said PTF co-chair Mary-Louise Byrne. “It goes without saying that the PTF will bring the same level of focus and consideration to the task that we saw from the working groups.” The PTF report will recommend a budget model and the priorities that will guide Laurier’s resource allocation. The report will go directly to the Senate and Board of Governors from the PTF without modification. The president and vice presidents can comment on the report independently of the views contained in the report. The Board and Senate will review the PTF’s recommendations, and an implementation process will be developed to put into place the approved recommendations. For more information, visit wlu. ca/iprm.
Peters continued public education campaigns. He then moved on to the Royal Ontario Museum in 1999 as vice-president, marketing and commercial development, and worked at Tourism Toronto for the past eight years. “I’ve been very lucky. It makes it very easy to get out of bed in the morning when you work at organizations that have a social and an educational mandate,” said Peters. “These organizations exist to better society. It’s very special to go work when you are working alongside dedicated people with the same goals.” It’s this sentiment that drew him to Laurier. Peters’ experience with Laurier dates back to his student days. As a high school student, Laurier was the only Canadian school he visited when considering where to go for his post-secondary education. “I visited the campus and saw the quality of the teaching first hand. It left a really strong impression.” The role of assistant vicepresident: External Relations
Arno Kopecky wins Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction By Stacey Morrison Arno Kopecky has won the 2014 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction for The Oil Man and the Sea: Navigating the Northern Gateway (Douglas & McIntyre). Award receptions to honour Kopecky will take place Nov. 13 at Laurier’s Waterloo and Brantford campuses. In The Oil Man and the Sea, Kopecky, along with photographer Ilja Herb, spends 12 weeks sailing the treacherous coastal passages of the Great Bear Rainforest, slated to become a busy oil tanker route for the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, which would transport bitumen from the Alberta oil sands to the British Columbia coast. Along the way, the novice sailors spend time with local residents, including many First Nations members, listening to their concerns about the pipeline and how it will affect their way of life, and the rainforest’s fragile ecosystem. Part investigative journalism and part environmental
travelogue, the story puts a human face on a complicated and controversial issue. “Few of us will probably ever have the chance to visit the Great Bear Rainforest, meet the people who live there and hear first-hand their concerns about the pipeline project,” said Bruce Gillespie, an award juror and professor in the Digital Media and Journalism program on Laurier’s Brantford campus. “Kopecky’s book takes us there and lets us hear the concerns of the people who will be most affected by the pipeline in a compelling way.” Based in Squamish, B.C., Kopecky is a journalist and travel writer, whose stories have appeared in publications ranging from The Walrus and The Globe and Mail, to Reader’s Digest and Foreign Policy. He has reported from five continents, including civil uprisings in Mexico, cyclones in Burma, politics in Zimbabwe and election violence in Kenya. The Oil Man and the Sea is his second book. In his first book, The Devil’s Curve: A Journey
into Power and Profit at the Amazon’s Edge, Kopecky spends one year in South America chronicling how affluent Western corporations and lifestyles impact impoverished and indigenous communities in Peru and Columbia. In addition to The Oil Man and the Sea, the shortlist for the 2014 Edna Staebler Award also included: Confessions of a Fairy’s Daughter by Alison Wearing (Knopf Canada) and The Memory of Water by Allen Smutylo (Wilfrid Laurier University Press). On Thursday, Nov. 13, the award presentation will take place from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Senate and Board Chamber on Laurier’s Waterloo Campus, followed by a reception at 8 p.m. A reception will also be held on Laurier’s Brantford campus earlier in the day; details will be available at wlu.ca/staebleraward.
replaces the former position known as assistant vice-president: Communications, Public Affairs and Marketing (CPAM). Reporting to the university president, the AVP: External Relations will lead CPAM and University Community Relations, and will also work with deans, faculty and administrative leaders to promote the continued integration of entrepreneurship and innovation
“ It makes it very easy to
get out of bed in the morning when you work at organizations that have a social and an educational mandate.”
across all facets of the university. “I see a university committed to exploring new ways to partner and collaborate, all of which will be in greater demand as Laurier endeavours to advance its reputation and core programs. I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute to these efforts,” said Peters. With a long track record of
partnership building, Peters is particularly proud of the collaborations during his tenure that Tourism Toronto enjoyed with Tourism Montréal. “I don’t know of two competitive destinations anywhere else in the world which developed mutually beneficial marketing programs.” Laurier’s challenge, he said, is to capture and communicate the strong feelings that people associate with their Laurier experience. “Laurier is not sufficiently well known for how good it is both academically and socially,” he said. “There are wonderful, contagious feelings associated with Laurier and our challenge is to find how to best spread the word given we aren’t inclined to shout from the rooftops.” Peters lives in Toronto with his wife Jayne and dog Sooki, a white German shepherd the couple adopted from the Toronto Humane Society. They have two grown sons ages 27 and 23. The former Harvard track team captain will spend his weekdays in Waterloo, where he can be found on the treadmill at the Athletic Complex during his free time.
What are you eating? Name: Melissa Huszczo Job Title: Administrative Manager, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Brantford campus Eating: Vegetables galore!
This is the time of year when the sun is still shining bright, the flowers are in full bloom and barbecues are sizzling everywhere. For my family, it’s also the time of year we enjoy the bountiful harvest of our vegetable garden. We grow everything from lettuce to squash. I’m lucky because my husband is a chef and knows what to do with all this home-grown goodness! My favourite dish is leek and potato soup!
Where are you volunteering?
eProcurement implementation continues The transition to SciQuest eProcurement is well underway. This new software is the new requisitioning and ordering tool for Laurier staff, faculty and researchers involved with purchasing at the university. It will centralize all purchases at Laurier, simplifying the requisitioning and purchasing process. A focus group was held the end of May with more than 40 participants from various departments on both campuses. This meeting gave the implementation team 4
new insights on business processes that the team took away to ensure business needs are addressed in the new solution. A second focus group with the same participants will take place Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 to show the group what has been designed based on their feedback. The naming contest has closed and the anonymous submissions are being evaluated. The top three names will be submitted to the focus group, which will vote on the final name. The system’s new name will be announced in October.
The new eProcurement system is scheduled to go live Dec. 8, 2014 for a pilot group. University-wide implementation will begin in January 2015. The Questie photo contest is still underway! If you see the SciQuest mascot on campus, take a photo and send it to eprocurement@wlu. ca. A gift card will be awarded to the best Questie photo. For more information about the eProcurement system, visit www. wlu.ca/eprocurement or email eprocurement@wlu.ca.
Name: Stacey Morrison Job Title: News & Editorial Officer, CPAM Volunteer Organization: The Burlington Humane Society
I’ve been volunteering at the Burlington Humane Society for about three years. I photograph the dogs and cats waiting for adoption for the shelter’s social media platforms and promotional materials. I believe showcasing each animal’s personality — outside of their cages and roaming free — and helping them put their best “paw” forward through professional photographs, will help them all find forever homes faster. I’ve photographed more than 1,000 dogs and cats since I’ve started volunteering. Not only do I love helping the animals, but for me, it’s the best animal therapy you could ask for!
september 2014 Inside
Common Reading Program unites new Arts students Program provides a forum to discuss the book My Life Among the Apes By Lori Chalmers Morrison Laurier’s Faculty of Arts kicked off its second annual Common Reading Program with the short story collection, My Life Among the Apes, by Toronto author Cary Fagan. But rather than reading the same book in isolation, each of Laurier’s nearly 1,000 incoming first-year Faculty of Arts students, who received a free copy of the book in early July, have been encouraged to join the program’s Facebook group (www.facebook. com/groups/LaurierArtsCommonReading) to discuss the book and use it as a conversation starter to meet one another before they arrive at Laurier in September. With stories ranging from “The Floating Wife” and “Shit Box” to “The Brooklyn Revenge,” the collection, which was long-listed for The Scotiabank Giller Prize, is sure to appeal to students’ desire for an enjoyable summer reading experience. Each story promises to transport students to a different world where people experience life, confront decisions and make choices. “For me, this collection of stories is about dreams,” said Michael Carroll, dean of Laurier’s Faculty
people at Laurier
New appointments: Rose Agg, accounts payable assistant, Financial Resources (Waterloo campus). Joseph Beer, associate director, academic development- Centre for Teaching Innovation Excellence (Waterloo campus).
of Arts. “What happens when you pursue your dreams, what happens when you don’t, and the gains and losses that can come with either scenario. I look forward to hearing how these stories connect with our new students.” In addition to the book’s broad appeal, the themes in My Life Among the Apes also support the underlying academic purpose of the program. There will be a first-year Arts seminar devoted to the book, and faculty members are invited to incorporate My Life Among the Apes into their courses. “The predominant themes in the book are wide ranging, which lends itself to the possibility of incorporating discussions into many program curricula in the Faculty of Arts,” said Mercedes Rowinsky-Geurts, associate dean: student affairs and special projects, Faculty of Arts. “The stories speak to themes of memory, relationships, identity,
Milena McCormack, administrative assistant, SBE MBA program (Waterloo campus). Alison McLaren, senior recruiter, Recruitment & Admissions (Brantford campus). Heidi Northwood, dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts (Brantford campus). Amanda Nosko, instructional design specialist, CTIE (Waterloo campus).
Emily Carruthers, coordinator, music therapy practicum, Faculty of Music (Waterloo campus).
Tara Olheiser, designer I, CPAM (Waterloo campus).
Amanda Gallant, administrative Assistant, FGPS (Waterloo campus). Julie Gamble, mental health nurse, Wellness Centre (Waterloo campus). Elizabeth Gnoinski, medical secretary, Student Affairs (Waterloo campus). Laura Mae Lindo, director, Diversity & Equity, Student Affairs (Waterloo campus).
Julie Lewis, information specialist – data entry, Registrar’s Office (Waterloo campus).
Author Cary Fagan to visit campus Laurier’s Faculty of Arts is pleased to welcome Common Reading Program author Cary Fagan to Laurier’s Waterloo campus Sept. 17 and 18: Wednesday, Sept. 17: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.: In-class visits 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.: Hawk’s Nest Fagan will deliver a presentation on the process of creating short stories and will read passages from his books. A question-andanswer period and reception will follow the presentation. Thursday, Sept. 18: 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.: BA403, Writing Workshop Fagan will offer guidelines and inspiration on how to write a short story. Registration is limited. Visit the Common Reading Program website to register.
For a complete list of appointments visit www.wlu.ca/hr
Steven Budafalvi, intake/learning strategist, Accessible Learning (Waterloo campus).
Alison Dailey, coordinator, student leadership, Student Leadership Centre (Waterloo campus).
careers versus passion, as well as the environment, contamination, religion and gender.” When the first-year Arts students arrive on Laurier’s Waterloo campus in September, they will have the opportunity to meet Fagan during in-class visits, attend a presentation about the process of creating short stories and take part in a writing workshop with the author (see sidebar). Students can also enter a Common Reading contest where
they are invited to share their own graphic design or photo to represent an image that comes to mind when reading the collection. Winners will have lunch with the author. Fagan has written many novels as well as children’s books. Valentine’s Fall was a finalist for the City of Toronto Book Award, and his short fiction was included in Best Canadian Stories. He has received two Jewish Book Awards and a Mr. Christie Silver Medal. My Life Among the Apes is published by Cormorant Books, an independent, Canadian-owned literary publishing house. It is available in e-reader versions until Sept. 30 for $1.99. The book is also available for purchase at the Bookstore on Laurier’s Waterloo Campus and the Stedman Community Bookstore in Brantford. The Common Reading Program began in 2013 with Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, and is supported by the dean of the Faculty of Arts, Student Life Levy, Council for the Intellectual and Cultural Development of the Arts (CICDA), Cormorant Books and Laurier Bookstore.
Joel Peters, assistant vice-president: external relations, CPAM (Waterloo campus). Lindsay Petteplace, compensation and benefits administrator, Human Resources (Waterloo campus).
Denoja Kankesan, administrative assistant, ACUNS (Waterloo campus).
Jennifer Schill, administrative assistant, Faculty of Arts (Waterloo campus).
Jane Koehler, nurse/health educator, Wellness Centre (Waterloo campus).
Sondra Schwartz, interim director, University Relations (Waterloo campus).
Megan Chipman, administrative assistant, CAU (Brantford campus).
Tammy Lee, acting manager, Special Constable Services (Waterloo campus).
Rosemary Springett, financial analyst (Science/FGPS), Financial Resources (Waterloo campus).
Sorina Ciucurita, senior finance assistant: research grants, Financial Services (Waterloo campus).
Roger Mainland, BSW practicum coordinator, Faculty of Social Work (Kitchener location).
Retirements:
Jennifer Casey, acting assistant vice-president, Enrolment Services (Waterloo campus).
Valerie Clement, research assistant ONCAT (Brantford campus). Rachel Dann, intermediate administrative assistant I, Library (Waterloo campus).
Staff changes: Una Adamcic-Bistrivoda, lab coordinator, Health Studies, (Brantford campus). Claire Bennett, manager, Sustainability Office, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus). Siobhan Bhagwat, coordinator, events, University Relations (Waterloo campus).
Susan Diep, acting manager, compensation and benefits, Human Resources (Waterloo campus). Allison Dietz, student support coordinator, Dean of Students Office (Waterloo campus). Elaine Francombe, program development and assessment, Central Academic Unit (Brantford campus). Peggy Freymond, programs assistant, Faculty of Social Work (Kitchener location).
Ron McKenzie, director, business and facilities operations, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus). Cherie Mongeon, graduate financial aid and awards officer, FGPS (Waterloo campus). Scott Murie, online learning production coordinator, Teaching Support Services (Waterloo campus). Charity Parr-Vasquez, director, Office of Research Services (Waterloo campus).
Heather Blain-Yanke, production and editorial projects manager, WLU Press (Waterloo campus). Angie Kobbert, Scantron clerk/ exam assistant, Office of the Registrar (Waterloo campus). Carole Leclair, faculty, Indigenous Studies, Culture and Environment (Brantford campus). Thomas O’Connor, faculty, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary.
Mark Pancer, faculty, Psychology (Waterloo campus). Julie Pong, manager, ceremonies and events, University Relations (Waterloo campus).
Angelo Santi, faculty, Psychology (Waterloo campus).
Nedjo Sarenac, special constable, Special Constable Service (Waterloo campus).
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Inside
september 2014
coffee with a co-worker
A look at staff and faculty across campus
Name: Sheila Forler Bauman Title: Lecturer, Kinesiology & Physical Education Where you can find her: Bricker Academic Building, fifth floor, Waterloo campus Drink of choice: Coffee with cream and sugar.
Sheila Forler Bauman is the physiotherapist and medical coordinator for the Canadian women’s wheelchair basketball team.
How long have you been at Laurier? I joined Laurier in 1988 in a shared position between Athletics and what was then the Department of Physical Education. I taught one course (KP 321) and was also the physiotherapist for Athletics, where I was in charge of coordinating and providing athletic injury management and treatment for all of the varsity athletic teams. I left that position in 1993, but have continued to teach in the Department of Kinesiology (CAS). I currently teach two courses for third- and fourth-year students in the area of sports medicine. What is your typical work day like? When I am not on campus teaching or
mentoring students, I’m at my clinic, Woolwich Physiotherapy, in Elmira, which I’ve owned and operated for over 20 years. How did you become involved with the Canadian women’s wheelchair basketball team? For eight years my clinic hosted a Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion Event in Elmira and I had the opportunity to meet several local wheelchair basketball players, which introduced me to the sport. In 2006 I was looking for a new sport to become involved with and I covered some events for Wheelchair Basketball Canada as a physiotherapist. When the lead therapist left the program I found myself travelling the world with
coming Events
@OntUniv Hear about COU’s Faculty At Work report in @1310news interview w/ #Laurier’s Deborah MacLatchy: buff. ly/1wIyFFl #cdnpse @downtownbrantfd Looks great! RT @LaurierNews New signage at #Laurier’s Brantford campus instagram.com/p/r-XparHFf9/ @OUAsport Congratulations to @WLUAthletics @D_Campbell34 on winning the #OUA14CoverVote! @CIGIOnline CIGI announces collaborative research awards for profs at @LaurierNews and @UWaterloo: ow.ly/AxGsW @craignorriscbc Jobs numbers were released on Friday. How’s our region doing? @LaurierNews’ Christine Neill dissects the results. 7:10 @CBCKW891 #kw On video: Laurier welcomes students to campus. Watch it at youtube.com/lauriervideo.
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What do you like most about working at Laurier? The courses I teach keep me involved in current aspects of physiotherapy and
sports medicine — my two passions. I particularly enjoy teaching the smaller fourth-year class because I can really get to know my students, and many of them are interested in pursuing a health-related career. What are your plans for the future? Well, I really don’t have any more free time on my hands at the moment! But I do hope to go to Rio in 2016 for the summer Paralympics with the team. As for my clinic, I just hired one of my former students and I’m looking forward to working with her in the fall.
By Erin Almeida
For a complete list of events visit www.wlu.ca/events
Heard on Twitter Check out what the Laurier community has been tweeting about at twitter.com/lauriernews. Laurier also has official sites on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LaurierNews and YouTube at www. youtube.com/LaurierVideo.
a fabulous group of athletes and staff! I’m also the lead medical coordinator for the team. I’ve had the chance to travel with the team to Beijing in 2008 for the Paralympic Games and to London for the 2012 games. The women on the team are truly an inspiration. Each athlete comes with her own personal story of struggle and triumph. It’s unfortunate that disability sport and wheelchair basketball in particular is such a well-kept secret in terms of media and spectator appeal — it is extremely athletic, strategic and fun to watch.
Bring your lunch and enjoy performances from a variety musicians and instruments.
Yellow Brick Wall Exhibit: Field of Dreams by Aaron Robbins When: Sept. 1 – Oct. 15 Where: 97 Dalhousie St., 2nd floor, Brantford campus Cost: Free Artist Aaron Robbins draws on his travels, experiences and memories to paint the vast and diverse wilderness of the Canadian landscape. Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) Information Session When: Sept. 17 (Brantford) & Sept. 19 (Waterloo) 11:30 a.m. (Brantford), 1 p.m. (Waterloo) Where: DAL 007 (Brantford) and Paul Martin Centre (Waterloo) Cost: Free This 40-minute presentation will help you learn more about your EFAP, and how it can benefit you and your family. Register at www. wlu.ca/lauriertraining. Music at Noon When: Sept. 18 & 25 Noon – 1 p.m. Where: Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, Waterloo campus Cost: Free
Employee Achievement Awards When: Sept. 23 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Where: Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, Waterloo campus Cost: Free Come out and celebrate the contributions and achievements of staff and faulty, and long-service employees at Laurier. For more information visit www.wlu.ca/ achievementawards. Werewolves and Medievalism in Harry Potter When: Sept. 24 Noon – 1 p.m. Where: Kitchener Public Library, Central Branch Cost: Free Join Renee Ward from Laurier’s Medieval Studies program as she shares her expertise and insight on the use of medievalism and werewolves in the popular Harry Potter series as part of the Continuing and Part-time Studies Ideas & Issues Lecture series. Homecoming 2014 (Waterloo) When: Sept. 26 – Sept. 28 Where: Waterloo campus Cost: Varies Celebrate Homecoming with family and friends, and cheer on the Golden Hawk football team as they take on the Carleton Ravens. For a full schedule of events and
tickets, visit www.laurieralumni.ca/ homecoming.
Central Branch Cost: Free
Peacekeeping in the Central African Republic and DR Congo: Can International Intervention Prevent Genocide? When: Oct. 8 Noon – 1 p.m. Where: Kitchener Public Library,
Join Alistair Edgar, executive director of ACUNS, as he examines the possibility of international assistance to address the crisis in the Congo as part of the Continuing and Part-time Studies Ideas & Issues Lecture series.
Free football tickets for faculty and staff In appreciation of everything that Laurier’s staff and faculty contribute to the Golden Hawk family, Athletics and Recreation is offering all staff and faculty two free tickets to the Laurier football game against the York Lions on Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. at University Stadium in Waterloo. Tickets can be picked up during the week leading up to the game, starting Sept. 22, by showing a valid Laurier employee card at the U-Desk or the Athletic Complex. Any additional tickets can also be purchased at either location or online at tickets.laurierathletics.com. Sudoku solution from page 3.
september 2014 Inside research file
Can public institutions also be food producers? Researcher Philip Mount explores the possibility through Project SOIL By Justin Fauteux Hospitals, schools and other public institutions already provide communities with vital services. But what if they could double as food producers? That’s the idea behind Project SOIL, a study being led by Laurier researcher Philip Mount that explores the potential for on-site food production at public institutions. Launched in September 2013, Project SOIL — Shared Opportunities on Institutional Lands — is investigating the feasibility of using institutional land to grow organic produce by examining on-site food production systems already in place at Ontario institutions and supporting five pilot projects around the province. “The project grew out of three ideas,” said Mount. “Public institutions in Ontario are being encouraged to provide more local food; many of these institutions have land that could grow that food; and many new and young farmers have the skills to produce this food, but no access to land.” In addition to Mount, the Project SOIL research team includes Irena Knezevic from
Laurier’s Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, and researchers from national non-profit My Sustainable Canada and from the University of Guelph, Carleton University and Lakehead University. Last fall, during the first phase of the project, the team looked at existing case studies of institutional food production. Among the projects they studied were: FoodShare Toronto’s
Laurier announces teaching fellows Three new Laurier Teaching Fellows were announced over the summer. The 2014/2015 recipients include Gavin Brockett, associate professor of Middle East and Islamic History and coordinator of the Muslim Studies Option; Deena Mandell, associate professor, Faculty of Social Work and Eileen Wood, professor of psychology. The Laurier Teaching Fellowship program honours faculty who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to teaching and learning and have established an exemplary record of achievement in educational leadership. During his fellowship, Brockett will explore various challenges produced by current pressures facing higher education: to make learning more meaningful and effective, to use ever-changing technologies, to engage the international at home, and to address multicultural issues in globalization. His project will study the degree to which these opportunities can be brought together in a global, engaged classroom, specifically through an active-learning course that includes students in two countries, linked by videoconferencing. Throughout her fellowship year, Mandell will focus on developing a training video for students, fulland part-time faculty, and teaching assistants to address issues that can arise between domestic and
School Grown project, which helps students run urban market gardens; the Ottawa Food Bank’s Community Harvest program, which collects local produce for people using the food bank; and McGill University’s Food System’s Project, which purchases produce from the university’s MacDonald Campus farm. Currently, the researchers are helping support five pilot projects that will grow produce
at institutions in different areas of Ontario. These projects will be used to study the economic and institutional viability of on-site food production models, as well as more specific benefits of the practice. At KW Habilitation’s microfarm in Kitchener-Waterloo and the GreenWerks Garden at the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital in Thunder Bay, the team will study what skills people can gain
from participating in on-site food production, as well as the impact of channeling fresh, local produce into the institutional food supply. Meanwhile, at health facilities Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria, Ont. — located near the Quebec-Ontario border — and Homewood Health Centre in Guelph, the team will study therapeutic benefits. The fifth pilot project is taking place at the Food School Farm, a participatory agro-ecological program at Centre Wellington District High School in Fergus. “The potential of on-site food production is largely untapped,” said Mount. “But one early lesson from these pilot projects would apply equally on the grounds of a daycare, seniors’ residence or hospice: the simple act of growing food for others has transformative power.” The next step of the project will apply these lessons to a select group of institutions, with in-depth feasibility studies that will identify the resources required for a successful food production project. For more information on Project SOIL, visit: http:// projectsoil.ca.
Selfie-directed learning is a snap Laurier educators integrate the social-media trend into the classroom with surprising results By Justin Fauteux
There isn’t much in popular culture today that’s more frivolous (l-r): Gavin Brockett, Deena Mandell and lighthearted than the cell and Eileen Wood phone self-portrait — or the “selfie” non-domestic students in the — as viewers of this year’s Academy context of university group work. Awards will probably recall. For The video is intended as a discia group of educators at Laurier, the selfie has become a portal pline-specific project within the into students’ lives, and in turn, a Faculty of Social Work, which will means of engaging and inspiring be transferrable to other schools their minds. of social work and related socialservice and social-care programs. Last term the group — made up Wood will pursue five direcof a course instructor, a librarian, two writing instructors, and tions of inquiry that together will a technologist — re-imagined allow her to engage in new and Sociology 102: Critical Analysis innovative teaching activities as of Social Issues as a multimedia well as consolidate ongoing issues extravaganza integrating tradithat impact instruction, especially in early undergraduate years. tional lectures, essays and quizzes These will include the introduction alongside workshops, one-on-one of labs as a writing/experiential sessions and social media-style learning opportunity in introupdates featuring selfies. The results, say both the instructors and ductory psychology courses; students, were improvements in participation in the development student outcomes far beyond what of a new online community service they had anticipated. learning course; assessment of “We were amazed by the response perceived and actual learning from the students,” said Kimberly gains following peer instruction Ellis-Hale, sociology instructor. “Not in academic integrity; evaluation only were they unusually engaged of learning gains for chemistry and inspired, but the quality of students when provided with their work on the assignments was instructional supports; and examination of technology policies, stellar. My feeling is that this type of integrated and engaged approach including faculty and student to learning has enormous potential, responses to the presence and uses and I’m hoping we can do more of it of technology in the classroom.
here at Laurier going forward.” At the beginning of the term, each student in the course chose a research topic of personal interest, ranging from ”volun-tourism” (volunteering while travelling) to music genres. The students then participated in a series of workshops and one-on-one sessions with Librarian Anne Kelly, who gave them hands-on guidance on researching their topics, and writing instructors Boba Samuels and Jordana Garbati, who worked with them to craft effective written papers. “I really got to know the students
at work and uploaded them to an online, social media-style platform developed by Educational Technologies Administrator Stefan Todoroff within Laurier’s internal MyLearningSpace platform. Alongside the photos, students shared comments recording and reflecting on their progress. Ellis-Hale intends to continue the course in future terms with ongoing assistance/collaboration with professionals across the Laurier campus, and to conduct research on how their collaborative, digitally integrated model can improve
“ Not only were they (students)
unusually engaged and inspired, but the quality of their work on the assignments was stellar. ”
and to get into the nitty gritty of library work with them,” said Kelly. “By the end of the course, they were referring to me as ‘my librarian’ — we built a relationship that will continue to benefit them as they move through their studies at the university.” So where did the selfies come in? At each step in the process of crafting their final papers, the students took photos of themselves
student outcomes, in order to verify and quantify their qualitative observations of the course’s impact. “The strength of the course is bringing people who excel in their teaching fields together with students in the class — to create a real community of learning,” said Ellis-Hale. “I’ve been teaching Sociology 102 for almost a decade, and this is the most successful group of students I’ve seen.” 7
Inside
september 2014
Photos: Sandra Muir
Laurier welcomes students on move-in day
Future home of business and math takes shape
Photos: Stacey Morrison
Four-storey, state-of-the-art building is scheduled for occupancy in fall 2015
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