Gauging the Climate on Campus Survey Asks Students If They Feel Welcome, Supported COLLEEN MACPHERSON
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November 22, 2013 Volume 21, Issue 7 Publication Mail Agreement #40065156 ON CAMPUS NEWS [email protected] news.usask.ca MASK MAN Professor Dwayne Brenna uses masks to teach character development to third-year students in the Department of Drama, and to groups around the world. Masks challenge actors to remove their own idiosyncrasies, he said, and the result is that no two people wear a mask in exactly the same way. Read more about Brenna’s work with masks on Page 5. COLLEEN MACPHERSON Gauging the climate on campus Survey asks students if they feel welcome, supported COLLEEN MACPHERSON A survey sent to all U of S and inclusive community.” this is a welcoming environ- there’s usually an opportunity students on campuses across the Robertson-Frey said the ment or if they’re running into to provide additional comments province is designed to gauge first step in building the survey any difficulties.” after each section.” how welcome, respected and was to research various defini- The survey also explores Robertson-Frey admitted it supported they feel as members tions of campus climate. The the classroom experience of is challenging to do an objective of the university community. one chosen for the U of S survey students and their interactions analysis of subjective responses Tanya Robertson-Frey, a describes campus climate as with faculty and staff through to questions about personal research analyst in the Institu- the perceptions and attitudes questions like whether there is experiences and perceptions tional Planning and Assessment regarding issues of diversity on a staff person the student feels “but by getting a good response office, put the survey together to campus. comfortable talking to and rate, we believe we would have collect information about “the “Research has shown that whether they have seen stereo- a representative sample from overall campus climate and the the campus environment can typing in class. which to draw objective conclu- experiences and perceptions of influence learning outcomes for “We also have a section about sions. We’re hoping everyone students.” A link to the survey students,” she said, “and their their experiences with a variety takes part, which would allow us has been emailed to every attitudes about staying in school of support services on campus,” to look at the results of different student, along with a request to so it’s important to try to under- said Robertson-Frey, including subgroups of the student popu- complete it by Dec. 6. stand their experiences.” various students centres, the lation.” The project stems from a She explained the survey library and Student Central. Robertson-Frey A report will be prepared strategic goal identified in the is divided into a number “We’re looking here to determine based on the survey results, university’s third integrated of sections, the first being how helpful or unhelpful these likely by spring 2014. It will plan. That goal calls on the “questions that ask students support services are.” sity training for staff and faculty, evaluate the responses and “will U of S to provide a “safe and whether they see themselves Students are also asked how or similar training for students. highlight both the positive and welcoming environment in as part of the university the university might enhance “We’re also asking them for any negative in the campus envi- attitude, support services and community. We want to know or improve the campus climate. other recommendations they ronment.” That report, she said, infrastructure,” and to “carry if they’ve witnessed or experi- There are a number of options might have.” will be part of the development out efforts to encourage and enced harassment, exclusion or for students to choose from, The survey requiresof future strategic plans around support activities that lead to the insensitive comments or jokes,” said Robertson-Frey, including students to respond to questions student experiences at the development of a more diverse she said. “We want to know if cross-cultural dialogue, diver- on a scale of one to five “but University of Saskatchewan. INSIDE HUNGRY PLANTS 7 MEOW MIX 8 Construction expected to start summer 2014 2 November 22, 2013 TAKING THE FIELD Scott McHenry (#18) and Ben Heenan (#65) are two of the six Saskatchewan Roughriders with connections to the U of S who will take to the field Nov. 24 in the 101st annual Grey Cup game at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. Other alumni and former Huskies include Graig Newman, Paul Woldu, Levi Steinhauer and Graeme Bell. Also at the game, two alumni will be part of the entertainment – Kurt Dahl of SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS One Bad Son and Ewan Currie of The Sheepdogs. AWARD-WINNING DESIGN Two U of S projects were recognized in this year’s Design Council of Saskatchewan Premier’s Awards of Excellence competition. The new Graduate House at College Quarter, designed by Stantec Architecture Ltd., received the top award in the architecture category. Stantec was also responsible for the learning commons in the College of Nursing’s Regina campus, left, which received the Award of Merit in the interior design category. Below is a photo of the pre-renovation learning commons. STANTEC ARCHITECTURE LTD. Viterra invests in GIFS A $2-million investment from Viterra Inc. in the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the U of S will help support the institute’s mission to address the increasing global demand for safe, reliable food. Viterra will also provide the GIFS with land adjacent to its rural facilities, and will identify farmer participants for GIFS’ research field trials. The institute is focused on meeting the demand for reliable food and sustainable crop production through research and innovation. The five-year funding agreement will make Viterra the lead grain industry partner joining GIFS founding partners PotashCorp, the Province of Saskatchewan, and the U of S. The funding agreement covers a five-year period. ON CAMPUS NEWS November 22, 2013 3 The principle of mindfulness New master teacher takes intentional approach to work WENONA PARTRIDGE “Being named a master teacher is Being really honouring and touching. It’s also very humbling,” said intentional in Debbie Pushor of the College the things we are of Education about becoming the university’s latest master doing and making teacher. conscious decisions, The award has been recog- nizing faculty who excel in is joyful, and is their profession and invest in about relationships outstanding teaching at the U of S since 1984. Pushor is and friendships. the 60th recipient, having been presented with the award at fall Debbie Pushor convocation in late October. For Pushor, the title is and refine her teaching philos- both an honour and a respon- ophy and said about the move sibility. “We all could get better to a university setting, “all at teaching all the time,” she that’s happened is the age of my said. “Being recognized brings students has changed; the prin- a humility and a weight at the ciples of teaching and learning same time because teaching is have not. There are some really such a large responsibility. It core beliefs that underpin those is complex work and it is my teaching principles and ways of Debbie Pushor of the College of Education SUBMITTED responsibility to do it well and learning. I try to live those here to continue to become better just as in any other context.” way of being in the world – it’s to promote not only their own relationships with and promote at it, and to honour the title of One of the principles affective work, communitylearning but also the learning the learning of others.” master teacher.” Pushor advocates is mind- work and relational work. It’s of others. For example, she Pushor began teaching in fulness, which she described about my students’ relationship explains that attendance is Wenona Partridge is an 1980 in the public school system as being “intentional in the to the content, to me, and to the required “because each student instructional design assistant in Alberta. In January, she will things we are doing and broader context.” matters to other students and in the Gwenna Moss Centre for celebrate 10 years of teaching making conscious decisions.” Pushor puts her principles their presence is needed to build Teaching Effectiveness at the U of S in the Depart- For Pushor, teaching is joyful, into practice while teaching by ment of Curriculum Studies. and is about relationships and asking her students to consider She has continued to develop friendships. “Teaching is a the things they are going to do Trimming back from the archives on the monthly Betatron history phone bill The buying power of an orga- themselves, plus it would be so nization the size of the Univer- much easier if we could have just sity of Saskatchewan can yield two plans - talk and text, and the significant savings on many same but with data.” fronts, including how much the In her discussions about the organization pays for cell phone situation with SaskTel, Hoefli- and wireless service. cher was asked if the university Valerie Hoeflicher, aqualified for government rates, procurement and contracts “and when they sent them to me, specialist in Purchasing I said we have to have that.” Services, said although the The result of the negotia- U of S is one of SaskTel Mobil- tions is that the university now ity’s largest customers, its offers its employees just two plan previous corporate contract choices, said Hoeflicher, talk and was not giving the university text or an unlimited data plan. the best deals available. With “Even by switching all data users talk, text and data plans costing to the unlimited plan, that alone various amounts depending creates a savings of about $7,000 on plan features for the almost per month.” 1,000 employee cell phones and The new contract will also wireless devices, the university’s result in savings on what has been monthly bill was about $47,000.