February 2006
Ex-premier to speak at TRU
February 2, 2006
Dave Barrett, BC Premier from 1972 to 1975, will be in Kamloops Sunday at a book launch at 3:30 pm at The Brownstone Restaurant to celebrate the release of Child and Family Welfare in British Columbia: A History, co-authored by two TRU faculty members, Diane Purvey and Christopher Walmsley.
The next day, Barrett will deliver a guest lecture at 11:30 am in TRU's Grand Hall on "A Social Worker in Public Life," then participate in a panel presentation, "Pioneer British Columbia Social Workers," involving practicing social workers from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s at 1:30 pm that day in the Panorama Room, located on the 3rd floor of TRU's International Building.
All three events are free and open to the public, although those wishing to attend the Sunday book launch are requested to rsvp to 828-5364 or by email.
Barrett, who was a social worker in the 1950s before entering the BC legislature as an MLA in 1960, continuing to serve in that capacity and as premier until 1984, was also a Member of Parliament from 1988 to 1995. He was recently named an Officer of the Order of Canada.
For more information, please contact Chris Walmsley at 250-371-5559.
Thompson Rivers University President receives honorary degree
February 2, 2006
TRU President and Vice-Chancellor Roger Barnsley received an honorary degree from Saint John's University in Bangkok, Thailand January 29th.
The university conferred its Doctor of Education, honoris causa upon Dr. Barnsley for his outstanding knowledge, leadership and expertise in the field of education.
Dr. Barnsley has had a long and distinguished career in public education. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Victoria (1965), Dr. Barnsley completed his Masters (1968) and PhD (1971) degrees at McGill University. From 1973-80 he was Associate Professor and Chair in the Psychology Department at the University of Lethbridge, when he took a position as Associate Superintendent of Schools for School District #51 in Lethbridge, Alberta, a position which he held until 1987.
Dr. Barnsley moved back into post-secondary education as Dean of Education and professor at St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a post he held until 1992, when he was hired as professor and Vice-President (Academic) at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick. In 1998, he left St. Thomas to assume the presidency of the University College of the Cariboo in Kamloops, BC.
As President of UCC, Dr. Barnsley led the process to have the university college declared a full university, an exercise which came to fruition April 1st, 2005, when UCC became Thompson Rivers University. The title Vice-Chancellor was added to Dr. Barnsley's title at that time.
This is the first honorary degree Dr. Barnsley has received. It is noteworthy that Dr. Barnsley initiated honorary degrees at TRU during his tenure.
For more information, please contact Roger Barnsley at 250-828-5001 or by email.
TRU celebrates final CIS home game
February 7, 2006
The TRU WolfPack's final home game of the CIS regular season will be held this Saturday starting at 3:00 pm, with the first 100 fans receiving free pizza compliments of weekend's sponsor, Domino's Pizza.
Fifteen minutes before the match begins, the TRU Athletics Division will hold a short ceremony for retiring VP Student Services Neil Russell in recognition of his many years of strong support for and commitment to campus athletics, recreation and student life.
"We will take a few moments just prior to our final CIS match this year to recognize the contributions Neil has made to the Athletics and Recreation Division at TRU," said TRU Athletics Director Ken Olynyk.
"Neil has been a long-time advocate of student life and experience at the university and has always been in our corner. We are in the CIS in part due to Neil's diligence and support," he said.
The weekend features men's volleyball vs the University of Manitoba Bisons. TRU employees and their families will be admitted free to Saturday's match upon proof of TRU employment.
For more information, please contact Ken Olynyk at 828-5273 or 320-4263.
New governance structure includes alumni
February 7, 2006
When the TRU Board of Governors holds its inaugural public meeting tomorrow, two TRU alumni will be sworn in as members of that new board.
This is the first time that alumni of the university will sit as members of the Board of Governors.
The two alumni members to be sworn in tomorrow are Brian Christianson and Karl deBruijn.
Brian Christianson, a university transfer student who completed two years at Cariboo College in 1983 before completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Calgary and a Master of Architecture degree at Miami University, is now a managing principal at Stantec Consulting. He served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors for four years, from 1994 to 1998.
Karl deBruijn, an inaugural member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, served from 1990 to 1998. He completed two years of university transfer before leaving Cariboo College for SFU in 1974 to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1976 he earned his Master of Education degree from Gonzaga University, and in 1995 was a recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award for Service to the University. Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services for School District 73.
When Thompson Rivers University was established March 31st, 2005, its governance structure changed through legislation from that of a university college. TRU now has the bi-cameral structure typical of universities.
Under the Thompson Rivers University Act, the Board is comprised of the Chancellor, the President, elected members, consisting of two faculty members, two students, and one non-faculty employee, and eight members appointed by the BC government, including two alumni association nominees.
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For more information, please contact Josh Keller at 250-828-5008.
Attached: TRU Governance Structure backgrounder
Thompson Rivers University Governance Structure
When Thompson Rivers University was established March 31st, 2005, its governance structure changed through legislation from that of a university college. TRU now has the bi-cameral structure typical of universities.
As mandated by the Thompson Rivers University Act, decision-making is now split into two distinct areas: academic (including course quality, type, etc), under the purview of the University Council, and corporate (including matters of expenditures, facilities, finance, labour relations, etc), under the purview of the Board of Governors.
Because the operations of Thompson Rivers University include a division devoted to distance and on-line learning programs, the University's academic governance structure also includes the Planning Council for Open Learning.
Academic Decisions-University Council: The newly formed University Council is an autonomous body that has power to deal with academic matters at the university including setting curriculum content and setting criteria for awarding certificates, diplomas and degrees. In addition, the Board must seek advice from the University Council before the Board develops policies in a number of important areas including the objectives of the University.
On University Council sit the Chancellor, President, VP Academic, Chief Librarian, Registrar, all deans, two faculty members representing each TRU school or faculty, an alumnus of the university, four students, two non-instructional employees, one administrator of the Open Learning Division, and four Open Learning teaching staff.
The University Council has a number of standing committees with their own terms of reference and meeting schedules. These committees include: Awards Committee; Academic Honesty Committee; Academic Policy & Regulations Committee (APRC); Appeals; Education Planning & Program Review Committee (EPPR); Library Advisory Committee; Research Ethics - Human Subjects Committee; Research Ethics - Animal Subjects Committee, and; Scholarly Activity Committee
Meetings of University Council take place on the fourth Monday of each month, with additional meetings from time to time.
Corporate Decisions-University Board: The Board of Governors has a legislated set of responsibilities for directing the affairs of the institution and setting policies in accordance with the Thompson Rivers University Act. In summary, the Board is responsible for the management, administration and control of the property, revenue, business, and affairs of the university except those vested in the University Council or the Planning Council for Open Learning.
The composition of the Board of Governors is described in the Thompson Rivers University Act. Under the Act, the Board is comprised of the Chancellor, the President, eight members appointed by the BC government, including two alumni association nominees, plus elected members, consisting of two faculty members, two students, and one non-faculty employee.
Board members appointed by government are eligible for re-appointment and elected members are eligible for re-election, but those members must not hold office for more than six consecutive years. The Governors' varied backgrounds provide valuable contributions during Board deliberations. Board members bring the views of various constituencies to the Board, but there are no advocates for any one group. Decisions are made in the best interests of the University.
The Board of Governors has three committees: Finance & Audit; Facilities & Risk Management, and; Executive. Other ad-hoc committees may be established as required.
The Board committees meet regularly and report to the Board, which has public meetings five times a year.
Distance & On-line Education-Planning Council for Open Learning: TRU is unique in that its governance comprises a third body, the Planning Council for Open Learning, which has the power to set the admission requirements for courses and programs, and residency requirements for awarding credentials offered through the Open Learning Division. The Planning Council for Open Learning must report any resolutions it makes to the University Council.
The Planning Council for Open Learning is comprised of the TRU academic vice-president, who is its chair; presidential appointees, including two deans, two officers of the university, two persons nominated by the presidents of the public universities of BC, two persons nominated by the presidents of the BC public college sector, and up to two additional persons; plus elected members, including two faculty members, two members of Open Learning Division teaching staff, one Open Learning student, plus one alumni member.
For more information about TRU governance, go to About Governance, or call Maryanne Bower, Executive Assistant to the Board of Governors at (250) 828-5318 or by email.
Two TRU athletes provincial sport award finalists
February 7, 2006
Two athletes who competed for Thompson Rivers University in the 2004/05 season are among three finalists selected from a field of seven nominees for the 2005 Sport BC College Athlete of the Year award.
Lisa Strachan, who wore jersey #4 for the women's volleyball team in CCAA play last year, helped her team to provincial gold and national bronze. The 6'0" setter from Kamloops was named Academic All-Canadian in the 2003/04 and 2004/05 seasons. She graduated with a diploma in Sports Event Management last year.
Sean Garvey, who wears jersey #21 for the men's basketball team this year, helped his team to provincial and national gold medals in CCAA play last year. During the 2004/05 season the 6'3" point guard from Kamloops who is pursuing a degree in Business Administration was named All-Canadian and BCCAA Men's Athlete of the Year-All Sports last year. He is currently ranked seventh in assists and eight in three-point field goals in the Canada West conference of the CIS. He plays his final game of the CIS regular season when the WolfPack meets the Clan on the hardwood at Simon Fraser University this Friday at 8:15 pm.
The winner of the College Athlete of the Year Award will be announced at Sport BC's annual recognition event to be held March 8th in Vancouver.
For more information, please contact Ken Olynyk at 828-5273 or 320-4263.
Call for Aboriginal Artists
February 8, 2006
A consortium of local groups is hoping for a wide representation of Canadian aboriginal art this spring at an art exhibition to be held at the university beginning March 12th.
A call for submissions for the exhibition was issued this week by the TRU First Nations Students' Association, the Interior Aboriginal Artists' Society, the TRU Department of Visual and Performing Arts, and the newly-created TRU Centre for the Study of Canada.
The exhibit, called ImagiNative, will include the work of aboriginal photographers, ceramic artists, painters, bead-workers, handicraft artisans, carvers, film-makers, leather workers, and installation artists.
"ImagiNative holds the promise of a truly egalitarian art exhibition," said exhibition co-coordinator Martin Whittles.
"All aboriginal artists in the region-First Nations, Métis, and Inuit-of all ages and abilities, using all varieties of media, modern and traditional, are invited to submit their work."
"One dividend of ImagiNative is that it will bring to TRU and the Central Interior an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable cultural diversity of the region's aboriginal peoples, past and present," he added.
"Given the array of geographical landscapes encompassed by the province, including rain forests, near-deserts, boreal forests, coastal flood plains, mountains and glaciated regions, visitors to ImagiNative can expect an opportunity to share and celebrate a remarkable collection of artistic styles and themes."
ImagiNative will run in the TRU Art Gallery from March 12th to April 7th. The exhibition will coincide with the TRU Aboriginal Awareness Week celebrations of Aboriginal heritage and culture and the 2006 BC Aboriginal youth conference Gathering our Voices, hosted at TRU by the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres from March 12th to 15th.
Exhibitors are requested to submit their work, including the title and a description of the work, plus a brief biography of the artist by email in JPEG digital format to csc@tru.ca by February 17th, 2006.
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For further information, please contact:
- Dr Martin Whittles, TRU Centre for the Study of Canada, by email or call, 250.371.5914
- Ms. Deb Draney, President, Interior Aboriginal Artists' Society, by email or call, 250.374.5047
- Professor Terryl Atkins, TRU Department of Visual and Performing Arts, by email or call, 250.377.6060
- Mr. Vernie Clement Jr, President, TRU First Nations Students Association, by email or call, 250.376.4024
Calling all bridge builders
February 9, 2006
Amazingly, a bridge made of 100 popsicle sticks can hold over 500 pounds if it?s well-constructed. Therein lies the key aspect of TRU?s 3rd annual popsicle-stick bridge contest, sponsored by TRU Electronics & Engineering and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC (APEGBC).
Budding engineers in Elementary School, Secondary School, Open, and Corporate Cup categories may enter as individuals or teams, so there are opportunities for all to take part regardless of age.
Early registration is encouraged. Contest rules, specifications, entry forms, highlights from last year's competition and judging-day itinerary are available on the TRU website.
The contest goal is to construct the strongest bridge possible with 100 standard 4.5-inch wood popsicle sticks and white glue. The bridge must span a 500 mm gap and allow a matchbox car to traverse its construction paper deck. Otherwise, the design details are left up to each builder's imagination.
Winning entries will be determined by testing each bridge to the point of failure. For pointers on bridge design fundamentals, contestants can download a free copy of the Westpoint Bridge Designer software from http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/download.htm . Judging will take place during National Engineering Week at the TRU Trades & Technology Centre on March 4, 2006 from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm.
For more information, please call Ben Giudici at 250-828-5108.
Monia Mazigh to speak at TRU
February 14, 2006
Monia Mazigh, who led an international battle to free her husband from jail in Syria, and forced the Canadian government to launch an inquiry into its handling of the case will speak at TRU on Monday, February 27th in a free public presentation at 7:30 pm in the Alumni Theatre, located in TRU's Clock Tower building.
Mazigh led an international battle to free her husband from jail in Syria and forced Paul Martin to launch an inquiry into the government's handling of the case. Her husband, Maher Arar, a 34-year-old wireless technology consultant, was born in Syria and emigrated to Canada with his family when he was 17, becoming a Canadian citizen in 1991.
On September 26th, 2002, while in transit in New York's JFK airport after a vacation in Tunisia with his wife and their two small children, Maher Mazigh was detained by US officials and interrogated about alleged links to al-Qaeda. Twelve days later, he was chained, shackled and flown to Jordan aboard a private plane and from there transferred to a Syrian prison. In Syria, he was held in a tiny "grave-like" cell for ten months and ten days before he was moved to a better cell in a different prison. He was beaten, tortured and forced to make a false confession.
During his imprisonment, Monia campaigned relentlessly on his behalf. After many representations from Canadian Human Rights organizations and a growing number of citizens, the Government of Canada, on Jan. 28, 2004, announced a Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar.
Monia Mazigh expressed concern about the government's attempts to keep some information out of the public eye. "I hope very much for an open, transparent process that will shed some light on whatever involvement the Canadian government had in my husband's arrest, deportation and imprisonment in Syria," she said. "Hopefully this inquiry will ensure that something like this will never happen to another Canadian."
Mazigh's visit to the university is sponsored by the TRU Human Rights Committee.
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For more information, please contact Derek Cook at 250-828-5244 or visit www.maherarar.ca
Bill Richardson featured by CSC
February 14, 2006
Bill Richardson, revered CBC radio personality, columnist, and author of over a dozen books, including Leacock Medal of Humour winner The Bachelor Brothers Bed and Breakfast, will speak at TRU as the Canadian Studies Day speaker for 2006.
Born in Winnipeg, Richardson worked as a children's librarian before beginning an illustrious career as a broadcaster in the 1990s. Among the CBC shows he has hosted are Crosswords, RSVP, As You Like It, Richardson's Roundup, Bunny Watson, and, most recently, Canada Reads, the popular annual week-long event broadcast on CBC Newsworld in which five Canadian personalities each advocate for their favourite book until, on the fifth day, the single book that is deemed the best is selected.
In addition to the Bachelor Brothers series, Richardson has authored Scorned and Beloved: Dead of Winter Meetings with Canadian Eccentrics; Queen of All the Dustballs and Other Epics of Everyday Life; a collection of columns, Oddballs@Large; Dear Sad Goat, a collection of letters and stories from his listeners; the novel, Waiting for Gertrude, and several children's books. An occasional columnist for (among others) the Globe and Mail, Richardson is in high demand as a master of ceremonies, keynote speaker and book reviewer.
Richardson will meditate on the media, middle age, literature, censorship, dogs, money, and federal politics in "The Ice Hotel is Melting: A Last Chance Tour of Several Rooms," at a free presentation Friday, March 3 at 12:30 pm in the Alumni Theatre located in TRU's Clock Tower building.
TRU Centre for the Study of Canada director Ginny Ratsoy urges those who wish to hear Richardson to come early. "The event is free of charge and open to all, but seating is limited," she explained.
The presentation is hosted by TRU's Centre for the Study of Canada with help from the Comprehensive University Enhancement Fund, the Community University Research Alliance, and the TRU School of Journalism.
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For more information, please contact Ginny Ratsoy, CSC Director, at 828-5238.
TRU Actors Workshop presents award-winning play
February 14, 2006
The third production in the TRU Actors Workshop Theatre 2005/2006 season is Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind, winner of the New York Drama Critics Award as the best play of 1986.
Considered by many to be one of his most accessible and romantic works, A Lie of the Mind is described by Shepard as a "love ballad...a little legend about love."
Told in three acts set in the gritty American West, the story alternates between two families after a severe incident of spousal abuse leaves all their lives altered. The play opens with a desperate phone call from an empty highway. Like a howling coyote, Jake cries out his pain to his brother, Frankie. His wife, Beth, wakes up in a hospital wrapped like a mummy. Beth's family emerges from the wilds of Montana and Jake's from the Mojave Desert to protect these wild lovers from each other.
"Jealousy, rage, and obsession are present as well as plenty of zesty humour and intense drama. Laughter and passion are the magnets that keep us glued to their story," said Robin Nichol, an assistant professor in TRU's Theatre Arts program, adding that 37 Theatre Arts students are involved in the production on-stage and behind the scenes.
The play opens March 9th, continuing through March 10th and 11th and staged again the next week, March 16th to 18th. Shows start at 8:00 pm in the Actors Workshop Theatre located on Student Street in TRU's Old Main building.
Tickets are $10, available at the Actors Workshop box office February 27th to March 18th from 11:00 to 2:00 pm, or by reservation by phone to 250-377-6100.
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For more information, please contact Robin Nichol at 250-377-6136 or by email.
TRU World wins national award
February 14, 2006
TRU was presented with the Lyn Howes Award at a ceremony in Victoria Feb. 8 in recognition of the university's innovation, work and dedication in the area of international student services.
The award, named for Lyn Howes, a founding member of the Council who was known for her unfailing commitment to the development of quality and professional standards, was given to TRU by the national accreditation association, the Canada Language Council (CLC), whose Institution Accreditation Board nominates institutions based on the assessment resulting from a formal review conducted during its official accreditation visit.
TRU World Associate Director, Vera Wojna, who accepted the award on behalf of the university, said, "I would like to congratulate all of my colleagues in TRU World for the role they individually and collectively played in the support and delivery of services at the level that deserved national recognition by our fellow colleagues."
For more information, please contact Vera Wojna at (250)371-5529 or by email.
Practical nurses graduate in traditional ceremony
February 17, 2006
It's a novel juxtaposition of old and new.
Students from TRU's Practical Nurse program, who took many of the courses on line using state-of-the-art technology, will wear traditional white uniforms and caps and be pinned as nurses were in earlier days at their graduation ceremony Feb. 23 at 2:00 pm in Room 1611 of TRU's Old Main building.
It's only the second graduating class to have completed the program, jointly offered by TRU and NorQuest College.
The graduates are now eligible to write a practical nurse national examination to obtain a license to practice in British Columbia acute care hospitals, continuing care centres, community care settings, client homes and clinics.
For more information, please contact Inga Thomson Hilton at 828-5210.
Students mean business
February 17, 2006
TRU's Grand Hall will look like a business convention March 9 as students dressed in business attire and equipped with resumes flock to the TRU Student Employment Centre (SEC) Annual Job Fair.
Each year, the fair attracts a huge pool of individuals with training and education in specialized areas like computing, nursing, tourism, engineering, business and more; last year, over 1100 well-trained students and graduates looking for full and part-time work, summer employment, and casual labour opportunities came ready for on-the-spot interviews with some of the 34 participating employers.
"The environment of Job Fair is professional, but also relaxed and friendly," explained SEC coordinator Shawn Read. "The 'open house' concept makes it very easy for students to approach employers to network, identify job openings, explore career options, and set up interviews," he said.
Due to last year's success, this year's event is filling up with employers fast, but Read has extra space on standby.
"I don't want to turn anyone away. If there are employers out there who want to employ our students and graduates, then I'll do my best to accommodate them," he said.
The fair will be held this year on March 9 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm in TRU's Grand Hall located in the Campus Activity Centre.
TRU's Student Employment Centre runs year-round, and employers who aren't able to participate in the Job Fair can post jobs anytime. Employer's log-in is free, and once signed in, employers can post and delete positions at their leisure, for local, national and international positions.
To book a table for the fair, or to find out more about opportunities for employers and job-seekers through the TRU Student Employment Centre, call Shawn Read at 250-371-5669, by email, or visit the website.
For more information, please contact Shawn Read at 250-371-5669.
What's the difference? Spring break 2006
February 28, 2006
There's a big difference between high school and university, and hundreds of secondary school students will find out just what those differences are at TRU's mid-March Spring Break Experience.
Timed so high-schoolers can get a taste of campus life while classes are in session, this year's event, to be held March 13 to 17, features tours and information on scholarships and awards, course selection, student resources, and specific programs of interest. Friday wraps up the week with the Discover the Difference Spring Break Conference for High School Students.
"Spring Break Experience is like a mini-orientation to university," explained TRU Marketing and Communications Director Josh Keller.
"The main event, a conference for secondary students and their parents, is on Friday, the 17th. We're calling it 'Discover the Difference' because it's set up to let high school students actually experience what going to university is like."
The conference, open to students in grades 10 to 12 and their parents, starts off with a complimentary Welcome Breakfast at the Campus Activity Centre from 8:30 to 9:20 am.
"No matter where a student has applied, the TRU Spring Break Conference will help them find valuable resources and strategies to see them successfully through their first post-secondary year," said Keller.
Students can choose to attend workshops to find out about career development, financing their education, and surviving first year. The day gives students a choice of three timeslots for each workshop: 9:30 or 11:30 am or 12:30 pm.
Grade 12 students can also compete for prizes in the on line scavenger hunt in which they also find out how to electronically timetable, look up grades, check exam schedules, and enroll in courses.
There's also a chance for students to get an inside look at university by attending a class. Classes are available at 10:30 am or 1:30 pm.
But Friday's conference won't all be workshops and talks, said Keller. "Students can relax and have fun at the recreation event starting at 2:30 pm, with games, contests and snacks.
"I'd also like to emphasize that the day isn't just for students who have firmly committed to coming to TRU after graduation. This experience will give any student and/or parent a good overview of campus life."
Keller recommends early registration, and notes registration closes March 10. Interested students and parents can register by phone at 1-888-522-4822 or 250-377-6105, or by email by fax to 250-371-5717 or online.
Registration isn't required for guided 90-minute tours, which will be held Monday to Thursday at 10:00 am, 2:00 pm or 6:00 pm, or at 10:00 am, 2:00 pm or 3:30 pm on Friday. Those wanting a tour are invited to assemble at the Clock Tower building 2nd floor foyer five minutes before the scheduled tour time. -30- For more information, please contact Josh Keller at 250-828-5008 or by email.