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September 2018
Welcome back! TRU has had a busy summer with so many initiatives either getting underway or coming to fruition. My first report as president (interim) highlights the major events, announcements and milestones—from the purchase of Upper College Heights to our new Industrial Research Chair—since May. Most recently, we began the new academic year with a farewell to Alan Shaver, who completed his eight-year presidency on Aug. 31. Please read on for a digest of recent news, the TRU community's publications and accomplishments, and a reminder of upcoming campus events. If you would like to share a publication, presentation, external award or other recognition from within the past six months, please send the details to president@tru.ca. This report covers up to Sept. 7; the deadline for submissions to the next report is Oct. 3. Warm regards, Christine Bovis-Cnossen, President and Vice-Chancellor (Interim) |
With an investment by federal and industry partners valued at more than $2.5 million, TRU has established the first NSERC Industrial Research Chair (IRC) in Ecosystem Reclamation. Announced on Aug. 22, Biological Sciences faculty member Dr. Lauchlan Fraser (at right) will lead a research hub for ecosystem recovery that supports the development of reclamation technologies, tools and protocols that can be exported globally. Read more |
TRU is increasing access to affordable student housing with the purchase of private rental complex Upper College Heights (UCH). Premier John Horgan and Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training Melanie Mark (at podium) were in Kamloops for the June 22 announcement. The province provided a loan of $25.5 million toward the $37 million housing project. Following renovations, UCH will add 533 rooms to TRU's student housing and includes adjacent vacant land that can be used to create student housing in the future. Read more |
A new $180,000 scholarship fund from the provincial government will support TRU’s graduate students in priority areas and boost research and economic growth throughout the province. The $15,000 merit-based scholarships are research-focused with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Other research disciplines and professional programs will also be eligible. Nearly 500 students are enrolled in TRU’s graduate programs, which include six master’s degrees. Read more |
A ground-breaking ceremony on June 22 marked the start of construction on the second building of TRU's university village community, The Reach. Legacy Square, a five-storey, 77-apartment project being built by Kamloops-based developer Kelson Group, is expected to open in late 2019. Read more |
Forty years ago, there was no internet. The era of home computers and modern email was a speck on the horizon, and Moodle was but a twinkle in some developer’s eye. But there was Open Learning, and on June 1, OL celebrated its 40th anniversary of delivering flexible, accessible education to learners in BC and beyond. Read more An anniversary perspective: One student's success |
Elder Mike Arnouse, Aboriginal Affairs Executive Director Paul Michel and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Councillor Katy Gottfriedson were among the speakers at TRU's celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, held at the Secwépemc territorial marker in Old Main. New staff and faculty were also welcomed to TRU and Secwepemcúlucw, the traditional territory of the Secwépemc people on which TRU is located. About 50 people attended the gathering, including students, staff, faculty, administrators and the public. Read more |
Four TRU graduate students have been awarded prestigious federal scholarships valued at $17,500 each—a significant federal investment in our students and a validation of our graduate programming. Recipients of the 2018 Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s (CGS-M) awards are: Jessica Bauer, Master of Nursing (shown at right)
Rhyannon Garant, Master of Education
Justin Mufford, Master of Science in Environmental Science
Pate Neumann, Master of Science in Environmental Science Read more |
TRU and the City of Kamloops formalized our long-standing co-operative relationship with a Memorandum of Understanding signed on Aug. 24 at the Tournament Capital Centre. Read more |
More than 150 Indigenous and allied scholars and student researchers from across Canada attended the National Gathering of Graduate Students, July 9-13 at TRU. Hosted by Ombaashi, the Indigenous mentoring network project led by BC Regional Innovation Chair in Aboriginal Health Dr. Rod McCormick, the event provides graduate students with validation with regards to Indigenous research philosophies, ideologies and approaches. Read more |
Representatives from government and universities in Punjab, India, visited TRU on June 6 and 7 to solidify a partnership which began last year. Discussions included collaborative opportunities in technology, trades and business education for students from I. K. Gujral Punjab Technical University, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University and TRU. Read more |
A memorandum of understanding signed on Aug. 24 with Autonomous University of Guerrero (UAGro) builds on TRU's three-year relationship with the Mexican university to open doors to further collaboration, dual credential programming, and training for UAGro’s English teachers and for Indigenous women in both countries. Read more |
Eight faculty members have been awarded grants through TRU’s Strategic Initiative Fund (SIF) to create new open education resources. The 11 resources will be available on BC Campus—free to use, peer reviewed, rigorously tested and copyright approved—and will directly affect about 2,200 TRU students a year for a total savings of about $250,000. A recognition event was attended by recipients Renée Anderson (School of Nursing), Mitchell Clingo representing Shawn Read and Jamie Noakes (Career and Experiential Learning), Shannon Smyrl (Communications and New Media), Christine Miller (University-Employment Preparation) and Bruno Cinel (Department of Chemistry). Not shown are Crystal Huscroft (Geography) and Gloria Ramirez (Education). Read more |
The 2018 volume of the Canadian Journal of Comparative and Contemporary Law was published on Aug. 11. Titled "Privacy, Identity, and Control: Emerging Issues in Data Protection," volume four features eight papers and a foreword by TRU honorary degree recipient Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella of the Supreme Court of Canada. Read more |
OrientationTRU Orientation on Sept. 4 welcomed 964 new-to-TRU students to meet peers, faculty and staff, explore campus supports and resources and learn about the expectations of their academic program. The day included orientations for first-year graduate students. In addition to the main event, International Orientation from Aug. 26 to 31 gave new-to-TRU international students a chance to get settled in before the semester began, and included an opening ceremony and a lunch with the president. Mature and transfer students were invited to a mixer on Aug. 30, and Cplul'kw'ten held a Welcome Home Breakfast on Sept. 5 and 6 for Indigenous students. Distinguished guests Canadian Bar Association President Margaret Mereigh, Law Society of BC Executive Director and CEO Don Avison and Mayor of Kamloops Ken Christian addressed 126 new-to-TRU law students at the Faculty of Law Welcome Assembly on Sept. 4. |
The Admissions/Advising team from Enrolment Services celebrated the start of fall semester on Sept. 4 with a #myTRU photo outside Old Main. |
Back to School BBQThousands of students, faculty and staff kicked off the new academic year with free food, live music and games at the 31st annual Back to School BBQ on Friday, Sept. 7. Students learned more about campus resources and services, community organizations and local businesses at dozens of booths around the Campus Commons. |
Farewell, Alan ShaverThe TRU Board of Governors hosted a farewell celebration on Sept. 7 in honour of Alan Shaver, whose term as president concluded on Aug. 31. Among the special guests reminiscing about the impact of Alan's eight years at TRU was Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian, who presented Alan with the city's 2018 Overlander/Pioneer Spirit Award. The send-off included a welcome and honour song by Executive Director of Aboriginal Affairs Paul Michel, a ceremonial presentation to Alan of moccasins hand-crafted by Secwépemc Elder Loretta Seymour on behalf of Aboriginal Affairs and the Secwépemc community, and performances by Dance Afreaka and the Sage Hills Drummers. |
Pride ParadeStudents, faculty and staff turned out in droves despite blustery weather to show support for the LGBTQ+ community at the seventh annual campus Pride Parade on Sept. 13, hosted by the TRUSU Equity Committee. |
President's CircleAt the 2018 President’s Circle reception on Aug. 20, the TRU Foundation inducted five new members—recognizing donors who have contributed a lifetime amount of $100,000 or more to TRU. Receiving President's Circle plaques were the Kamloops Sports Legacy Fund, Kinder Morgan Canada, the BC Lottery Corporation, the Royal Inland Hospital Evening Auxiliary, and former Foundation Board and TRU Board of Governors member and chair, Fiona Chan. The 74 guests enjoyed tours of the new Industrial Training and Technology Centre (ITTC) and the Horticulture Gardens. |
TRU launched the Employee E-bike Program on July 6 to aid employees in purchasing an electric bicycle for commuting to work. The program offers access to a loan, provides a Health and Wellness discount, has additional discounts with some preferred vendors, and includes repair clinics, safe riding clinics and a free TapBike Smart Lock for increased security. The program is capped at 100 bikes this year. Read more |
Dorys Crespin-Mueller, Institutional Planning and Effectiveness, was appointed by Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training Melanie Mark as a member of the BC Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) for a one-year term starting Aug. 31, 2018. Melissa Jakubec, Learning Design and Innovations, Open Learning, and the late Cameron Reid received the award of Excellence and Innovation in Instructional Design from the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE) for the course ENGL 3991: Voices of Protest and Rebellion in Contemporary American Fiction. The award acknowledges innovative work around the effective application of instructional design principles to ensure meaningful learning experiences. Read more Rosalie Hilde, Open Learning Faculty Member, received an Emerald Literati Award from the editors of the EDI Journal. Her 2017 article, "Making Sense from the In-Between State" was selected as the 2018 Highly Commended Paper. George M. Johnson, English and Modern Languages, received an Award of Excellence (Honourable Mention) from the New Renaissance Film Festival, London 2018, for his screenplay, Peace Pledge. He was a finalist in the 2018 Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest for his children's story, Sophia's Secrets, and received honourable mention in the 10th Biennial One-Act Playwriting Contest from Theatre In The Raw, Vancouver, for his one-act play, Search Me!. |
Michael Bourassa was a mature student pursuing a new career as a chef. He impressed both faculty and students in the Culinary Arts program, his quick wit, sense of humour and exceptional work ethic making him a leader who inspired his younger classmates. In November 2017, he received the Kamloops Rotary Culinary Arts Award, recognizing his great culinary potential. Mike happily began his new career in January 2018, and often expressed how much he had found true passion in his work. |
Note: These citations follow MLA Handbook (8th edition) format. We respectfully ask that you please format citations for your work in MLA prior to submitting them for inclusion in the President’s Report. Thank you! |
PRESENTATIONSConnor Arduini, fourth-year physics student, and Lauchlan Fraser, Natural Resource Science Arduini, Connor, et al. “Evaluation of the Use of Wetlands in Arsenic Sequestration of Mine-Influenced Effluent using Synchrotron XRF and XANES Spectroscopy.” Poster presentation. 14th International Conference on X-ray Microscopy (XRM2018), 20-21 Aug. 2018, Teachers Credit Union Place, Saskatoon. Connor Arduini, Mark Paetkau, Physics, Kingsley Donkor and Sharon Brewer, Chemistry, and retired faculty member Kent Watson Arduini, Connor, et al. “Evaluation of the Use of Wetlands in Arsenic Sequestration of Mine-Influenced Effluent using Synchrotron XRF and XANES Spectroscopy.” Poster presentation. 14th International Conference on X-ray Microscopy (XRM2018), 20-21 Aug. 2018, Teachers Credit Union Place, Saskatoon. Kelvin Booth, Philosophy Booth, Kelvin J. “George Herbert Mead and the Evolving Enactivism of Hutto and Myin.” Third European Pragmatist Conference, 13-15 June 2018, University of Helsinki. Booth, Kelvin J. “Reconceiving Cognition: Radical Enactive and Embodied Behavior and Cognition.” Reconceiving Cognition Conference, 27-29 June 2018, University of Antwerp, Belgium. Melissa Jakubec, Learning Design and Innovations, Open Learning Jakubec, Melissa. “Non-Linear Design Models for Learning.” 11th International Conference of the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE), 15-17 May 2018, Laurentian University, Sudbury. Matti Haverila, Marketing & International Business Haverila, Matti, Russell Currie, and Harold Richins. “Customer Satisfaction in Winter Resort Destinations: Measures for Different Types of Customers at a Winter Ski Resort in Canada.” Tourism Naturally Conference, 16-18 May, Tauern Spa Zell am Zee - Kaprun, Austria. Laura Lamb and Belayet Hossain, Economics Lamb, Laura, and Belayet Hossain. “Cultural Attachment and Indigenous Wellbeing in Canada: The Urban-Rural Divide.” 93rd Annual Conference of Western Economic Association International, 26-30 June 2018, Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. Carol Sparkes, Learning Design and Innovations, Open Learning Sparkes, Carol N. “Blended Flipped Classroom versus Traditional Classroom: A Meta-analysis on Student Achievement in Higher Education.” 11th International Conference of the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE), 15-17 May 2018. Laurentian University, Sudbury. |
JOURNALSConnor Arduini, physics student, and Lauchlan Fraser, Natural Resource Science Arduini, Connor, et al. “Evaluation of the Use of Wetlands in Arsenic Sequestration of Mine-Influenced Effluent using Synchrotron XRF and XANES Spectroscopy.” Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on X-ray Microscopy (XRM2018), vol. 24, supplement S2, 2018, pp. 516-517.
Connor Arduini, Mark Paetkau, Physics, Kingsley Donkor and Sharon Brewer, Chemistry, and retired faculty member Kent Watson Arduini, Connor, et al. “Synchrotron Characterization of Metal Distributions in Soils Collected in the Greater Kamloops Region, British Columbia, Canada.” Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on X-ray Microscopy (XRM2018), vol. 24, supplement S2, 2018, pp. 514-515.
Tracy Christianson, Nursing Christianson, Tracy M., Lesley Bainbridge, and Colleen Halupa. “A Pilot Study on Interprofessional Education: How Prepared Are Faculty to Teach?” Professional Development in Education, 31 May 2018. Michelle Harrison, Learning Design and Innovations, Open Learning Harrison, Michelle. “Space as a Tool for Analysis: Examining Digital Learning Spaces.” Open Praxis, vol. 10, no. 1, 2018, pp. 17–28. Belayet Hossain and Laura Lamb, Economics Hossain, Belayet, and Laura Lamb. “Economic Insecurity and Psychological Distress among Indigenous Canadians.” Journal of Developing Areas, vol. 53, no. 1, Winter 2019, pp. 109-125. Eric Lien, Marketing & International Business Lien, Che-Hui, et al. “Positive Moods and Word-of-Mouth in the Banking Industry: A Moderated Mediation Model of Perceived Value and Relational Benefits.” International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 764-783. Jackie Stokes, Adjunct Professor, Social Work Stokes, Jackie. “Substance Use Decision-Making – Are Clinicians Using the Evidence?” Journal of Social Service Research, 17 August 2018. |
CHAPTERSAirini and Sereana Naepi, Education and Social Work Airini, and Sereana Naepi. “University Practices That Help Canadian First Generation Student Success.” Understanding Experiences of First Generation University Students: Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Methodologies, edited by Amani Bell and Lorri J. Santamaria, Bloomsbury Academic, 2018, ch. 4. George M. Johnson, English and Modern Languages Johnson, George M. “Excavating the Psyche as Constructed by Pre-Freudian Pioneers.” Excavating Modernity: Physical, Temporal and Psychological Strata in Literature, 1900-1930, edited by Eleanor Dobson and Gemma Banks, Routledge, 2018, pp. 9-25. |
Sept. 27This fundraiser for WolfPack Athletics features a keynote address by Olympic medalist Kelsey Serwa on what it takes to become a champion in the world of ski cross. |
Sept. 27TRU celebrates Indigenous youth and Residential School Survivors during this campus event for Orange Shirt Day (Sept. 30). Survivor Phyllis Webstad, who initiated Orange Shirt Day, will be the guest speaker. |
Sept. 29Students are invited to explore knowledge, skills and values as they relate to leadership through the unique perspectives of Kamloops and TRU community members. |
Sept. 29Cheer on the WolfPack as they take on the Trinity Western Spartans. Bring your Alumni Access Card for a free ticket into the game along with VIP privileges. |
Oct. 3–6, 10–13The Actors Workshop Theatre kicks off its 2018/19 season with a dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres and 90s pop culture. Directed by Robin Nichol. |
Oct. 5Discuss new business ideas with experienced founders and mentors. Get feedback on the business idea you’ve been thinking about. |
Oct. 5Get an overview of the tools, resources, mentorship, workshops, events, and support available to you in Kamloops. |
Oct. 8TRU campuses are closed Monday, Oct. 8 for the Thanksgiving holiday. If you require assistance, phone campus security at 250-828-5033. |
Oct. 9Setting up a business properly from the start can save a company time and money in the long run. |
Oct. 11Dean of Arts Richard McCutcheon presents, “When Conflict Comes Knocking, Get Curious,” a primer rooted in his experiences on how we understand and respond to conflict, whether in the home or the workplace. |
Oct. 12Celebrate the successes of graduates at the annual fall ceremony, 10 a.m. at the Fieldhouse, Tournament Capital Centre. See tru.ca/convocation for the schedule, opportunities to get involved and the livestream link. |
Oct. 13Reconnect with your education and social work classmates. This alumni event will feature a keynote speaker, panel discussion, marketplace, gifts and social. |
Oct. 23Starting off on the right foot legally can save a lot of headaches later on.
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