News

Student Charity Dallmann passes away

I am sad to report that a mature-age 1^st year student in the Faculty of Arts, Charity Dallmann, passed away suddenly on Tuesday or early Wednesday, April 3, 2019. We have passed on condolences to her family and have offered assistance and support as we are able. Charity’s death has impacted many members of our community, and specifically our Indigenous student community. We are in the process of working with our Indigenous students to organize an appropriate recognition of her life here at CUE.

 Implementation of the Academic Plan:

When the new Academic Plan (AP) was approved by GFC last fall, all units across campus were asked to develop area-specific implementation plans. The intent was to ensure real engagement with the AP, allowing each unit to identify specific metrics as well as to address them in ways that are most relevant and meaningful. Most of these plans have now gone to the VPA & Provost, and various conversations are underway to ensure all of the goals are “SMART” goals so that we can measure progress and success going forward. Once finalized, all plans will be posted to Alfresco, with a view to full transparency internally, and to making possible increased collaboration. A high-level summary for each Vice-Presidency will be posted to the external-facing webpage, alongside the Academic Plan itself. Each Vice-Presidency will be responsible for annual reporting on their implementation, by July 1 of each year of the AP (beginning July 1, 2019). The VPA & Provost would like to extend warm thanks to everyone for the evident thought and care that has gone into developing these implementation plans.

 Supporting our Reservists:

In 2018 all public colleges in Alberta signed an MOU supporting reservists who are faculty, staff or students when they are called to service or training. CUE, along with the majority of Alberta’s universities is now joining as a signatory to the MOU. In doing so, we are committing to the following:

1. A) Military leave may be granted to an employee:
2. Where his/her services are required by the DND to meet a civil emergency, for the duration of the emergency.
3. Where during a national emergency, he/she volunteers for service or training, or is called up by the Armed Forces for the duration of the emergency.
4. Where he/she volunteers for military training, special training, or special duty for a period not exceeding six weeks.
5. B) We also recognize the contribution of Student Reservists to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and agree to the following accommodations:
6. Rescheduling of tests and assignments as appropriate.
7. Deferment of a semester or program if a student reservist is required for an extended deployment. (Training or deployment for reservists exceeding six weeks will be reviewed on a case by case basis).

If changes in policy are required for these accommodations, I will be setting the appropriate processes in motion.

Termination of the MA in Biblical and Christian Studies program:

In Spring 2018, the MA in Biblical and Christian Studies was suspended, owing to very low enrollment over an extended period of time that had led to the program becoming non-viable. The Office of the VPA and Provost struck a widely representative MABCS Review Committee, chaired by Dr. Colin Neufeldt and including (inter alia.) Dr. Stephen Muir and MABCS student Erin Archer, to consider the matter. This committee met over the course of the past year, and explored a number of options for the MA, ultimately presenting two recommendations to the VPA&P: 1) suspend and/or terminate the MABCS program; and2) provide adequate and appropriate notice to the CUE community. PEC has decided to formally terminate the MABCS, with appropriate arrangements for allowing the one current student to complete her program, and so the VPA&P will now liaise with the CAQC regarding the formal steps for termination. CUE’s administration thanks the committee for their conscientious work.

International update

CUE has signed 2 new exciting agreements with Vilnius University, Lithuania, and The University of South Bohemia in the Czech Republic.

There are currently 7 applications for Study Abroad in Fall 2019, one application for an internship in Brazil, and 10 students are heading to Brazil with D. Xin Chen as a part of his senior Environmental Science course.

An MOU between Goethe- Institute and the OEC (Office of Extension and Culture) at CUE has been signed. This is the first Goethe-Institut exam location in Edmonton and northern Alberta. The agreement between CUE and Goethe-Institut entitles CUE to administer Goethe-Zertifikat A1 (Start Deutsch 1) , A2, A1 (Fit in Deutsch 1), A2 (Fit in Deutsch), B1, B2, C1, C2 (GDS) exams and the Goethe-Test PRO. An MOU between IISLE (Institute for Innovation in Second Language Education) at EPSB and the CCS (Centre for Chinese Studies) at CUE was signed on March 22. This MOU has strengthened the collaboration between EPSB and the CCS in promoting and developing excellence in Chinese language education, including professional learning in Chinese linguistic study, assessment, pedagogy, and leadership for language educators.