With the New Year quickly approaching, let’s take this time to reflect on the achievements of Mount students, faculty and staff in 2010.
Leadership
In October 2010 the Mount officially welcomed its 12th President and Vice-Chancellor. Dr. Ramona Lumpkin came to the Mount from Huron College, where she was the first woman leader in the College’s 147-year history. Installed as president of the Mount at fall convocation, Dr. Lumpkin has been actively engaged in the Mount Community and is taking a leadership role in advancing the University’s strategic initiatives and building relationships with the Mount community and its supporters.
Prior to Dr. Lumpkin joining the Mount community, we were well served by Alexa McDonough who acted as Interim President and Vice-Chancellor for the best part 2010. Under Alexa’s leadership, the Mount continued to advance its Capital Campaign, and hosted a International Peace Conference. She also was actively engaged in speaking to the media and representing the Mount’s many strengths earlier this fall. Alexa’s leadership was invaluable, and created a strong foundation for a successful year to come.
Sustainability and Accessibility
The Mount is committed to remaining environmentally and fiscally responsible and in providing students with the best experience possible on campus.
As part of its Plan for a Sustainable Campus, the Mount has made a commitment to reducing its environmental footprint by improving upon and creating new environmental initiatives and sustainable policies as part of a Facilities Improvement Project. While there are more than 40 initiatives underway, two large-scale projects were completed this fall and winter:
September:
The Mount completed its transition to natural gas, decreasing operational costs for the university and reducing its carbon footprint on the environment.
December:
With the launch of the newly renovated student space in Evaristus, the Mount has successfully provided students with fully accessible state-of-the-art chemistry and biology labs, a common study space and a multi-faith and reflection area.
Student Achievement
Here are a few of the exciting achievements from Mount students in 2010.
March:
Six Mount athletes were named as 2009-2010 SIRC-CCAA Academic All Canadians–the highest number awarded in the country. Congratulations to Adam Jewkes (BEd), Amy Peveril (BEd), Jamie Brown (BBA), Emily Burke (BSc), Graham Kreig (BEd), and Sarah Parker (BEd).
Mount students, faculty and staff participated in the first ever Metro Universities Relay for Life, a joint initiative between students from the Mount, Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s. The relay brought the three schools together to take part in a 12-hour marathon of activities to raise money for cancer research. Their efforts brought in an astonishing $20,000.
September:
The Mount launched the Co-Curricular Recognition Program, that provides students with an official record of their extracurricular activities. The first Co-Curricular Record was presented in December to Darryl Simmons, a Bachelor of Education student.
October:
The Mount graduated its first student from the Master of Arts (Public Relations) program. The graduate, Gerald Bartels, also presented the first MA(PR) thesis in September.
During convocation ceremonies, the Mount presents honorary doctorates to people who have made a difference in their communities and beyond. In 2010 honorary doctorates were conferred on four exceptional Canadians: Stephen H. Lewis and Roberta Jamieson in May and Arlene Dickinson and Josephine Johnson in October.
Programs and Courses
The Mount is known for its innovation in program development and offerings and continued with this long standing tradition throughout 2010.
September:
The Mount enrolled its first class in the Bachelor of Science (Science Communication) program. This interdisciplinary degree capitalizes on the Mount’s strengths in the areas of communication studies and science to fill a gap in Canada’s need for well-qualified science communicators. The department also implemented a minor in Communication Technology.
To reflect the growth within its communication offerings, the Mount’s former Department of Public Relations was renamed to become the Department of Communication Studies.
October:
The Mount’s Tourism and Hospitality Management program celebrated the 20th anniversary of its first graduating class.
November:
The Mount began accepting applications for its first doctoral program, a PhD in Educational Studies. A joint initiative with Acadia University and St. Francis Xavier University, the program is the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada.
Special Honours
The Mount has a long standing tradition of being socially responsible and encourages its students to be thoughtful engaged citizens, who make a positive impact on their worlds.
Its reputation of being a peaceful, diverse and welcoming community has seen the following honours in 2010:
October:
The Mount was honoured by Peaceful Schools International with a Peaceful School Designation. The Mount is only the second school in the world to receive this designation, along with Saint Mary’s University (SMU).
The Mount was also given the great honour of raising the Mi’Kmaq Treaty Flag to kick-off Mi’Kmaq History Month in Halifax, enforcing the Mount’s ongoing commitment to growing its cultural diversity.
November:
The Mount was chosen to house the Atlantic regional repository for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre collection. This constantly expanding collection holds more than 6,000 works of children’s literature by Canadian authors, and mirrors collections housed in Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Edmonton.
Events and Conferences
The Mount is constantly buzzing with activity, and there is almost always something going on around campus. In 2010 the Mount hosted a number of unique events, with attendance at an all-time high.
July:
The Mount hosted the groundbreaking Peace Conference: Being the Change: Building a Culture of Peace. The conference explored how peace education, women’s activism and the disarmament movement have contributed and can contribute to building a more peaceful world.
September:
The Department of University Advancement organized a number of events to celebrate and support Mount students, alumnae and donors. Alumnae relations supported the annual Alumnae Weekend and MSV Golf Classic hosted by the Mount Saint Vincent Alumnae Association. Alumnae Weekend brought students, staff, faculty and alumnae together for a variety of activities ranging from professional development, to socializing, to varsity sports games. The MSV Golf Classic generated revenue in support of Mount scholarships, bursaries, awards and the capital campaign.
October:
The Mount Business and Tourism Society hosted the 36th Annual Business and Tourism Conference, which sold out days before the event. Over 300 students, staff, faculty and members of the local business community attended discussions on such things as finding employment, interview skills and current industry trends.
November:
The Mount hosted the second annual Celebrating Writing at the Mount, a week-long, campus-wide initiative promoting and celebrating writing and the significance of writing at the Mount.
November:
The development office, with the volunteers from the Board of Governors, organized another successful Black Tie Dinner & Bingo in support of the Mount’s Scholarship and Bursary program. Development also organized the annual Scholars’ Luncheon which brought donors and students together to celebrate academic achievements.
November:
The Mount held a sold out National Body Image Conference, which hosted more than 250 delegates from across the country, and covered topics ranging from anabolic steroid use and eating disorders, to issues faced by both young people and the aging population. The conference received an overwhelmingly positive response, and opened up important discussions about body image amongst experts and attendees.
The Mount hosted a Café Scientifique in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. “Alternative Bathroom Scales” involved presentations and discussions on issues related to body image and disordered eating.
Thanks to all who helped to make 2010 such a wonderful year for the Mount’s students, staff, faculty and the greater community and we look forward to 2011.
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