Some cheap champagne after a hangover.

My last post on this ULSU blog as Vice President Academic…

What to say? This year has been amazing, its been thrilling and most of all, incredibly rewarding. I cannot think of the words that could express just how I feel leaving this organization.

So, in few words.

Thank you. To all who supported, all who detracted, to all who came in to visit, to rant, to cry and to demand retribution. I drink a glass of cheap champagne in your honor.

Love,

Jenn Prosser, no longer Vice President Academic of the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union.

(I dig the) Campus Roots Cooperative Garden

This weekend the Campus Roots Cooperative Garden club dug up the new and soon to be planted Campus Community Garden. I missed a bunch of the fun times, but still took some photo’s of the work done and felt a twinge a pride of the UofL community. Call me sentimental but I am pretty stoked to see all these individuals come together from different groups to create something beautiful.

This has been a long process and over the past two years Kyle Robinson and others have worked incredibly hard to make this happen, and now that it is I can only imagine the excitement these individuals must feel.

Well done, Roots Club, well done!

You can sign up for the Garden’s communal and individual plots here.

Love,

The ULSU (and the earth)

Gimme Shelter? Housing resources in Lethbridge

A little known program is available to Alberta residents here in Lethbridge to help out with high housing costs. The Rent Supplement Program, funded by the Alberta government and other stake holders and administered through Lethbridge Housing Authority, this program pays anything above the threshold of 30% of the tenants income to subsidize the difference between a negotiated market rent and 30% of the household income.

Any Alberta citizen is eligible to apply, but all applicants are prioritized based on need. This is a great program if you’re a student forced to live off campus due to residence being full and unable to accommodate your necessary monthly spending on your income because of the high cost of off campus housing. Families also benefit from this as it is total monthly income of the household. Application forms can be accessed here.

The LHA offers other housing programs to help individuals get into safe and affordable housing, if you or anyone you know need any help in this respect please contact them.

Housing remains to be a serious concern here in Lethbridge and although we have seen some movement in the number of rental proprieties available this past few months, it still is hovering at only about a 1% vacancy rate. Social Housing in Action (SHIA) and the Affordable Housing Task Forces (a joint committee with SHIA and the City of Lethbridge) have developed a plan to end homelessness, The Bringing Lethbridge Home Plan is available through the City of Lethbridge website as is Bob Tarleck’s personal vow to end homelessness. For information on what the province of Alberta is doing to combat this social issue, see their 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness.

CAUS: Budget 2009 Gives Students More of the Same

Budget 2009 gives students more of the same

Edmonton, AB – The Alberta 2009 budget puts the government into the red, but avoids passing down cuts into post-secondary education. Minister of Finance and Enterprise Iris Evans announced that Government of Alberta would be continuing their previous commitments in post-secondary education but unveiled little in the way of new spending or programs that were not previously announced.

“There is a missed opportunity to make post-secondary education the key to our economic recovery,” said Beverly Eastham, chair of the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS). “But students are relieved to see that the government is not reversing the many gains that have been made in the last few years.”

Included in yesterday’s budget is a 6% increase to the base operating grants for universities. This will ensure that tuition does not go up past inflation and that Alberta’s universities do not face cuts similar to the early 1990’s. However, students and universities will continue to face serious challenges next year and throughout the duration of the economic downturn, as no new funding was announced within the student financial aid program despite rising costs in getting a degree.

“We are still far from having the most affordable universities in Canada or meeting the challenges in providing a higher quality education-but it is good that the province is not looking to put more of the cost onto students this budget,” concluded Eastham. “We wanted to see more funding and lower tuition, but this is fortunately not a step backwards.”

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The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) represents the interests of students at the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge.

For more information contact:
Beverly Eastham
CAUS Chair
tel: 780-492-4236
cell: 780-237-1707

Last Lecture 2009 podcasted

As a gift,

The lovely folks at CRDC recorded the 2009 Last Lecture series featuring Craig Milner, Robin Bright and Chris Kukucha. The video podcast is available on the Uleth itunes found on the new Unews site.

Or just click on THIS.

Love,

The ULSU and CRDC

Final show down TONIGHT!

Rumble in the cage!

By cage, I mean Andy’s Place and by rumble I mean a verbal melody of high minded ideals and hopes for the future.

Tonight is the final for the 2009 Changing the World: Student Speakers Challenge and it will be held at 7pm in Andy’s Place (Anderson Hall 100). From four rounds of speakers and six contestants we have now reached the end where two excellent speakers will challenge each others presentation skills and world changing idea’s to be the one. The one who wooed audience members and judges alike, the one whose smooth words and solid insight had impressed enough to pass them through three separate rounds of judging. The one who will walk away with a cool $500.00.

Tonight Trish Silk will be speaking on the merit of tolerance and acceptance and will be challenging Jeff Henry’s thoughts on modern media, corporate and independent.

An excellent evening of insight and thoughtlessness, free admission and refreshments will be served.

Myself and incoming executive Alex Masse will be  moderating so come by and say hello!

Jenn Prosser,

VP Academic

Vice President Research candidates present

Over the past year I have been involved in the search for the new Vice President Research for the University of Lethbridge. We have two excellent candidates now and they are both presenting for the university public next week.

Dear Members of the University Community:

I am writing to update you on the progress of the search to appoint a new Vice-President Research and to invite you to participate in the next phase of the progress.

The Search Committee has met several times over the last few months and reviewed the files of a number of individuals who had expressed an interest in the position.  Most recently, we conducted interviews on campus with a few of these individuals.

The Committee has invited two candidates to visit campus and to participate in the public part of the interview process.  These individuals are Dr. Keith Archer and Dr. Daniel Weeks.  Dr. Archer is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary and Director of Research at the Banff Centre.  Dr. Weeks is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University.

Each candidate will present a public lecture on “The Challenges in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity and How They Can Be Addressed at a Canadian University in the 21^st Century”. I encourage you to attend these presentations.

Dr. Archer will present at 9:00 am on Wednesday, April 1 in W646 (the Board Room)

Dr. Weeks will present at 9:00 am on Thursday, April 2 in W646 (the Board Room)

I also want to encourage you to comment in writing to me on your views of the two candidates.   Your comments must be received by the end of the day on Tuesday, April 7. These will be made available only to the Search Committee on a strictly confidential basis to aid them in the evaluation of the candidates.

Each candidate will also meet with representatives of ULFA, the Deans and Executive Directors, the Students’ Union, the Graduate Students Association, Human Resources, Research Services staff, and the Search Committee.

I look forward to seeing you at the public presentations and to receiving your comments.

Thank you.

Bill

All are welcome to come out to see the presentations and give feedback to the committee members about the candidates and how you believe they would fit in with the University community and how they would drive the research opportunities here at the University.

Please feel free to contact me further in any questions you may have about this process,

Jenn Prosser

VP Academic

March 25th: ULSU Last Lecture series

ULSU Last Lecture series is in its second year and this year is featuring three more professors ready and willing to impart their venerable wisdom upon you. Started in 2008, this series gives the opportunity to University of Lethbridge professors and students alike to learn something about the little things.

The speakers this year are Dr. Chris Kukucha, a Political Science professor, Dr. Robin Bright, an Education professor and Dr. Craig Milner, a Management professor. They will be sharing advice and stories on love, life, how to achieve perfect success…all the things they cannot or will not tell you in the classroom.

The Last Lecture is based on Randy Pausch’s inspiring lecture “Really Achieving your Childhood Dreams” which he did after learning of a fatal illness which took his life in July of 2008. Wanting to impart real wisdom and life lessons to his students, this lecture has become well known and well watched. The ULSU has created a series for our UofL professors to give thier hypothtical “Last Lecture” to students and community alike.

Time: 7pm-9pm
Place: PE 264 (in the First Choice Savings Center)

Everyone welcome, admission is free.

5days for homeless kicks off at the UofL

The 5 Days for Homeless kicked off last night and the five very generous souls who have volunteered for this great cause will be sleeping outside the Students’ Union building for this entire week raising visible awareness and money for the Wood’s Homes here in Lethbridge.

If you are in around the university this week be sure to have some spare change to throw in their canisters or keep your eyes peeled for their donation stations set up around the school.

For more information on this cross country fundraiser initiative and very worthy cause check out 5days.ca

Their goal is to raise $10 000.00 this year and with everyone’s help and donations I fully believe it can be achieved. Private and corporate donations are welcome just contact Amanda ( a tireless coordinator) at amanda.miller2@uleth.ca or check out the Facebook event.

Myself, Brodie, Adam and Eric will all be there Wednesday night after the Zoo show and Thursday morning so come by to drop off some change and give a little to those who very much need it.

Jenn Prosser, VP Academic

Where is the Dan Savage talk live at the UofL?

Well, as promised we do have Dan Savage’s “Savage Love Live”  lecture from the UofL on February 9th recorded and available as an mp3 file. Sadly, this file is technically unable to be uploaded to the blog or to our website (we are working on this, I promise….but it will take a little more time) SO if you are interested and having a burning desire to listen to it right now, then please feel free to e-mail the VP Academic at su.academic@uleth.ca with the subject line “mp3 of Dan Savage of UofL”.

Thanks and apologies for the delay,

Jenn Prosser