GREETINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT
I am delighted to report that the fall term at Mount Allison University has been intensely active, ambitiously eventful, and spectacularly successful on many fronts. This reflects the dedication and commitment of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of Mount Allison, whose efforts make the Mount Allison experience so wonderful.
Rave Reviews
Mount Allison again received a report card we can all be proud of from this year’s Globe and Mail University Report (www.globecampus.ca). The Globe and Mail awarded us A+ ratings for academic reputation, the quality of education provided, campus atmosphere, class size, and student-faculty interaction, and A’s in student satisfaction, campus technology, extracurricular activities, and the quality of teaching, giving us one of the best reports in the country.
Our annual Fall Open House was a huge success with over 500 guests coming to campus. Special thanks to the entire campus community for organizing such a great day and being such wonderful hosts.
Campus Announcements
The Commerce department celebrated big news with a $5-million gift from the Ron Joyce Foundation, established by Tim Hortons’ co-founder and Mount Allison honorary degree holder Ron Joyce. The gift will help to establish the Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies, which will put Mount Allison at the forefront of undergraduate business studies in Canada.
The Commerce department received additional good news this term, when it became the first university in New Brunswick to receive institutional accreditation from the Certified Management Accountants (CMA), and the award for “Best Overall Research Performance” at the 38th annual Atlantic Schools of Business Conference — Canada’s longest-running conference for business academics.
Student Success
Our 2008-09 Bell Scholars and Achievement Award recipients are already making their mark at Mount A. Valued at $12,000 and $9,000 annually, these scholarships, generously founded by the Bell Family, are the University’s most prestigious entrance awards. This year’s scholarship recipients are Keleigh Annau, Rebecca Dixon, Erik Fraser, Christina Free, Tristan Roddick, and Mitchell Stewart. Achievement Award recipients are Rachel Gardner, Susan Rogers, Amelia Thrope-Gosley, and Caroline Whidden. Amy Dalziel received the Mary Emerancy Pickard Music Scholarship. Congratulations to all!
Many of our senior students continue to make us proud, receiving several external awards. Physics student Rory Woods received top prize for his paper at the Canadian Undergraduate Physics Conference at the University of Toronto in the astronomy, geophysics, and space physics division. Fine Arts student Clare Halpine was honoured with the Canadian Red Cross Young Humanitarian Award for New Brunswick for her work with the World Youth Alliance. Environmental Sciences student Carrie White received top prize for best student paper at the 20th Annual Meeting of the Atlantic Association of Geographers, hosted at Mount Allison this fall. Eco-Action, DELTA, and the SAC organized a voter awareness campaign to encourage student voting during the federal election, which resulted in a higher than average turnout among youth on our campus. The SAC also organized a ‘shanty town’ demonstration on campus this month to address student debt.
Campus News and Events
November began with a poetry event celebrating one of our own. White Salt Mountain, honouring poet (and former Mount Allison professor) John Thompson brought poets from around the region, including many Allisonians. Of course, the Owens Art Gallery continues to bring in fabulous exhibitions and has recently launched a wonderful new web site (www.mta.ca/owens). Windsor Theatre was on Cloud Nine with their stunning performance this semester and is already hard at work for next semester’s headliner, as is the Garnet and Gold society as they prepare for FAME! (Jan. 22-24 in Convocation Hall).
These activities were all complemented by the Sackville Cultural Capitals Project’s Songs on Stage Festival, which welcomed, among other Canadian greats, Ron Sexsmith and Bill and Joel Plaskett.
Campus also became a soccer haven with Mount A hosting the AUS Men’s Championships. Quarterback Kelly Hughes was selected as the 2008 Atlantic University Sport Most Valuable Player. Hughes led the Mounties to a berth in the playoffs. Seven Mounties also made the AUS All-Star teams, soccer Mounties, Ian Kelly, Curtis Michaelis, football Mounties, Kelly Hughes, Gary Ross, Scott Sheffer, Adam Molnar, and Callan Exeter. Gary and Callan also were named First Team All-Canadians. Congratulations to all. Be sure to cheer on your Mounties as the Winter sports begin (http://athletics.mta.ca)
Giving Back
Another organization many of our staff and students are working closely with is the Tantramar Family Resource Centre. The group is preparing for Family Literacy Day this January and will be holding a families’ day out event on January 25. In preparation for this event, they are collecting new and gently used children’s and youth books to give to participating families and build their own library for the Centre. If you would like to donate a book, please send it via inter-campus mail to the communications office before the holidays (http://www.tantramarfamily.ca/).
It has certainly been a busy semester, with lots of good news for Mount Allison. Keeping in line with one of the five vertical pillars of the Strategic Statement, my next e-newsletter will carry a “green” theme, showcasing the many environmental initiatives happening on campus. Part of this will include highlights from Eco-Action’s C3 Challenge, happening right now, as well as a look at our 2008 Environmental Audit.
Allow me this opportunity to wish you all a safe and peaceful holiday. I look forward to working with the Mount Allison community in 2009.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert Campbell
President and Vice-Chancellor
Mount Allison University
MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY FACULTY PUBLICATIONS COLLECTION
In order to document faculty research activities and to bring them to the attention of the campus community, the University Archives collects faculty publications and often organizes displays of these items in the Library. “Publications” is interpreted in the widest sense to include research or critical papers, articles, monographs, and notes published or read before a group, as well as poetry, prose, drama or music either published or performed.
Each publication donated will be listed on the Library catalogue and will be available in the University Archives for reference and research purposes. By donating copies of your work, the products of your research will be preserved and will be available to future researchers. Contact Rhianna Edwards, University Archivist, (x2563) if you have questions about the Faculty Publications program, or if you wish to donate.