Food Sustainability Moves Forward with Acadia

University Affairs reported on the new hydroponic system at Acadia University. It will permit the harvesting of hundreds of pounds of greens within a month in a refurbished shipping container. This means that Acadia University now has a year-round source of greens only steps away from the campus dining hall.

A Growcer unit was installed in October, 2019, at the university, which is 40 feet by 8 feet, set with shelving, a hydroponic system, and seeds, along with a climate control and monitoring system. It is a joint initiative between Chartwells (the universities normal food supplier) and the campus sustainability office.

The sustainability coordinator, Jodie Noiles, for Acadia University said, “It’s based on our food plan for Acadia, which focuses on healthy, sustainable and affordable food.” Peter Welton, Acadia University’s executive chef, stated that they harvested 100 pounds of greens for the salad bar in the first month; 400 pounds are expected for the following months once everything is set at full capacity.

Immune Responses in the Central Nervous System in Molecular and Computational Analysis

The Science Advisory Board reported on how advanced analyses, computational and molecular, of the immune responses in the central nervous system sheds light on blood immune cells’ ability to enter the site of a lesion after injury or not.

Two types of immune cells, microglia and CNS-infiltrating macrophages, enter after an injury or can enter after an injury. Microglia account for 10% to 15% of all cells found in the brain. They are a first-response of the immune system. The CNS-infiltrating macrophages start in the bone marrow.

Researchers from the University of Calgary, the University of Alberta, and McGill University wanted to look at the “activation profile,” how they became active over time, of the microglia.

Dr. Jason Plemel, a Medical Researcher from the University of Alberta, stated, “We expected the macrophages would be present in the area of injury, but what surprised us was that microglia actually encapsulated those macrophages and surrounded them — almost like police at a riot. It seemed like the microglia were preventing them from dispersing into areas they shouldn’t be.”

Being able to study the microglia at this level may help researchers develop more effective therapies to treat some neurological disorders and diseases.

Artificial Photosynthesis in Action

SciTechDaily talked about the fascinating world of artificial photosynthesis to turn carbon dioxide into methane with simply sunlight. This may be an assistance in making natural-gas-powered devices zero net carbon contributors, as the methane can be used as a clean burning fuel.

A collaboration between McGill University and McMaster University resulted in a methane-generating method for a new type of catalyst. Even better, the type of solar-powered catalyst is abundantly, or readily, available because of the bounty of available materials used to make it.

Zetian Mi, a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, said, “Thirty percent of the energy in the U.S. comes from natural gas… If we can generate green methane, it’s a big deal.”

Emissions Reduction Alberta and the Natural Sciences, Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Blue Sky Program at the U-M College of Engineering funded the initiative’s research. U-M is seeking partners in order to bring the multiple patents on the catalyst (its own) to the market.

According to The Canada Immigration Newsletter, the number of international postsecondary students have been increasing with some post-secondary institutions “calling for more,” as the number of international students at Canadian colleges and universities permits the expansion of programs through additions to the funding of the universities.

Canada has made it easier for international students with programs such as the Student Direct Stream, or SDS, which allowed students from Morocco, Pakistan, and Senegal to pursue their educations with more ease, including students from China, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam receiving study permits within 20 days.

The President of Universities Canada, Paul Davidson, said, “It’s really important for the future of Canada that we continue to increase the number of international students and that they have positive experiences and contribute to the Canadian economy and Canadian society.”

Indeed, many students seek permanent status after the completion of their educations. Based on information from the Canadian Bureau for International Education or CBIE, 60% of the international students who complete their educations within Canada intend to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Cuts to Alberta’s Postsecondary Education Becomes Reality

GlobalNews stated that the new funding most for the postsecondary institutions in Alberta have ties to some performance measures. In that, if a college or university, potentially, fails to meet some performance criteria, then the funding may be reduced or cut.

Demetrios Nicolaides, Advanced Education Minister, said that up to and including 15% of the operational funding for the postsecondary institutions in Alberta will be linked to enrolment and graduation rates, and then the filling of the job market needs. This is by April, 2020. By 2022, the number is expected to move up to 40%.

“We can build a stronger post-secondary system… that ensures young Albertans can find rewarding careers (and) a stronger system that ensures taxpayer dollars are being used to support teaching and research instead of growing administration.” Nicolaides stated.

He noted how the model is being used in the United States, Hong Kong, and some European countries at the moment. He further commented on how many leaders and policymakers are looking at the relationship between government funding and the labour-market outcomes of colleges and universities, which comes down to remaining “competitive.”

Athabasca University Launches PowerED

“The addition of PowerED signals an exciting new chapter of accessible, life-long learning at Athabasca University. PowerED provides learners with opportunities to enhance their competencies with relevant, professional development learning, while earning credentials other than a formal degree,” said Dr. Neil Fassina, Athabasca University President, in a recent press release.

The goal of PowerED is to make individuals and organizations more able to quickly develop the skills needed for them. PowerED offers online and innovative professional development certificates ad courses suitable for the modern complex business environment.

With an unprecedented rate of transformation of jobs by “technological changes, demographic changes and economic challenges in the workplace,” CEOs may find and workers will find great utility in the opportunities available through PowerED.

New Centre for Joining and Welding Opens at the U of A

According to The Gateway, in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta, there has been the creation of a new academic centre. It is called the Canadian Centre for Welding and Joining (CCWJ). The focus, as given by some of the title of the centre, will be materials engineering and welding.

On October 23, the Academic Planning committee considered and eventually passed the formal proposal stipulating the establishment of the centre. Welding is a complex and in-demand field involving “design and selection of alloys, machinery, and processes.” The CCWJ functions mostly from a $2.1-million-dollar-endowment.

As reported, “The CCWJ will equal or surpass existing facilities worldwide in terms of the scope of its interdisciplinary research, state-of-the-art infrastructure, collaboration with industry, and education and training of welding engineering and researchers.”

Cuts to Alberta’s Postsecondary Education Becomes Reality

Edmonton Journal described how the cuts to advanced education – often rumoured to be coming since the election of the UCP – became reality for the post-secondary institutions in Alberta with the reductions in provincial grants. Those cuts will be up to 7.9% for some institutions.

The tuition fee freeze will be cancelled in 2020-2021. Finance Minister Travis Toews stated, “Our goal over these next four years is to adjust the way we deliver education in the province to reduce the funding requirement of government and, again, to align our spending with that of our comparator provinces.”

Cuts include $225 million in tuition and education tax credits for the following three years. The Advanced Education budget dropped 5%, on a budget of $5.1 billion. Expected cuts will be 12.5% over the next four years. This means a budget drop from $5.1 billion to $4.8 billion.

There will also be an increase on the interest on student loans. The decisions were strongly informed by the MacKinnon panel report from September.

U of T Tops National Innovation Rankings

Reuters/University of Toronto stated that the University of Toronto is the most innovative university in the postsecondary institution national landscape. The University of Toronto is among the top 30 universities in the world.

In the World’s Most Innovative Universities 2019 ranking, the University of Toronto moved into 27^th place, which is 8 spots up from 2018. It moved 19 places up in 2017. U of T continues on an upward innovation streak.

The President of the University of Toronto stated, “This ranking reflects the growing recognition of the University of Toronto as a major global hub of discovery and innovation across a wide range of fields… It is a tribute to the ingenuity of U of T researchers and their success in addressing pressing problems with practical solutions. The number one ranked university in the world is that of Stanford University.

University of Saskatchewan Most Active Lobbyist

IPolitics stated that the University of Saskatchewan and the “national advocacy body for universities were the most active organizations” for lobbying at the federal level based on figures from the Office of the Commissioner on Lobbying.

The University of Saskatchewan filed 19 communication reports for the office of the commissioner in September alone. Jennifer Thomas, spokesperson for the University of Saskatchewan, stated, the university is “working to more actively participate in the national conversation in areas of interest to the university including water, agriculture, Indigenous research and scholarship and Indigenizing the academy.”

Sara Daniels, the associate vice-president of government relations, has been working to build the relationships with the federal government for the university. Many recent meetings for Daniels, according iPolitics, have been focused on the work of “the school’s Canada 150 Research Chair in Hydrology and Remote Sensing, Dr. Jay Famiglietti.”

All-around interesting fellow, our AUSU President, Brandon Simmons, reflects and comments on his life, books and television, kids and education, and hopes for the 2019-2020 Council period.

How did you originally find our wonderful AU community?

I was working as a contractor and due to my high school football injuries, it was difficult for me to keep up with the demands of my career.  As a result, I started looking to see if there was anyway that I could go to school and change careers.  Since business was a passion of mine I looked into the process of becoming an accountant and that is how I found AU.  I attended a CMA webinar and they listed all of the accredited universities in Alberta and they mentioned that AU was a great option for someone who did not live near a university or if they were working, both of which fit my scenario.

What is the last book you read?

Aside from textbooks it has been a long time since I have finished reading a book, but I am currently reading the Effective Executive by Peter F Drucker.

What show do you think everyone should binge watch?

Due to my work for AUSU, full time studies, part time business consulting company, and four kids I don’t have much chance to watch TV, so I wouldn’t know what to recommend.

Why did you choose to run for AUSU council and, of course, the President of AUSU?

I first ran for council back in the byelection that occurred in 2015.  At that time there were a lot of challenges facing the student union and I thought that with my business background I could help.  Once I got on council I ran for the VPFA role and then later VPEX.  Throughout the past three and a half years I have loved working for AUSU and having the opportunity to stand up for students.  With the experience that I had had in both the VPEX and VPFA roles I felt that I could continue to help AUSU move forward as I had a strong understanding of all aspects of AUSU and a strong relationship with our external partners, so I decided to run for president.

What are your academic goals for 2019?

I am hoping to nearly be finished my third year of my Bachelor of Commerce program by the end of the year, but my big focus is on completing LGST 369 before the end of March so that I can receive my certificate in marketing at this year’s convocation ceremony.  Yes, starting in 2019 students will be able to convocate with certificates which is a very exciting change.

If you could have a meal with someone from history, who would it be?

It may sound boring, but I would love to sit down with Peter F Drucker.  He is often revered as the father of modern management.  I have always been fascinated with his writings and his views on business management.  One of my all time favourite quotes comes from Peter Drucker.  He states that businesses need to stop solving problems and pursue opportunities, this is a concept that I have tried to implement in all my work.  I actually ran for AUSU on that principle and am happy to say that we are now at the point where we are looking at opportunities rather than just solving problems.

What is the smartest thing you have ever heard?

I would have to say it is the quote I just referenced by Peter Drucker.  To often in our lives and our businesses we get caught up in the day to day problems that arise.  When this happens, we do not grow.  Solving problems is absolutely necessary but we need to make sure that we are always looking for and taking advantage of opportunities that arise so that we can continue to progress in life.

What is the wisest advice you have ever been given?

I would have to say the wisest advice I was ever given came from my father.  He is a contractor and at a very young age I would spend my summers working with him.  As he taught me various skills he would always tell me to watch others around me because you can learn from everyone.  This concept of learning from everyone has helped me throughout my life.  Sometimes you end up learning what not to do but there are many times where you are able to learn ways of doing things better.

What is one thing you would like to complete personally in 2019?

With everything on my plate, I am often happy to just keep moving forward with school, work, and still spend time with my young kids.  With that said it is always a goal to get into better shape the challenge becomes trying to fit working out into my busy schedule.

Since being elected as a councillor and as the President (congratulations!), what are your hopes for the 2018-2020 period?

This is a very exciting council term because we have an amazing council to work with.  Everyone is excited, ready to work, and willing to bring fresh ideas to the table.  On top of this AUSU is in a great place compared to prior years.  Over the past three years we have worked hard to address the problems that the organization faced.  We have re written our bylaws, policies, and financial controls.  We have also created a multi year strategic plan and implemented an annual council retreat so that we can spend a few short days all together to really do some great strategic planning.  All of this work has now left AUSU in a position to really start looking for new opportunities.  Right now, we are working on developing plans for increased government advocacy, increased student engagement opportunities, and looking at how we can help provide more career services.  It is exciting to be able to start pursuing new opportunities to enhance our members educational experience.

Dr.

What is the current state of the discipline in providing explanations of human motivation? How does a modern psychotherapist work with a patient, e.g., assess their problems if any, gauge their therapeutic needs, and decide on treatment for the short-haul or the long-term, and so on?

Psychotherapy has been dominated by the medical model with abnormal or self-destructive behaviour seen as symptomatic of an underlying disease.  The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychological Association is the “bible” for diagnosing such diseases in Canada and the list keeps growing with every new edition.  If you use psychometrics to make diagnoses, you are basically using the Bell Curve – the top 2% on any given scale are considered “clinical.” Sometimes it makes sense to look at clusters of symptoms for common themes, and sometimes it is instructive to measure a person’s responses against a normed control group; however, it is possible to do so without relying on the medical model.  It is possible, for example, that getting depressed is a logical decision given one’s circumstances and past experience.  If that is the case, then anti-depressant medication is, at best, a band-aid and a diagnosis is, at worst, an excuse for accepting that band-aid.  There is no virus that caused the “disease” of alcoholism.  You didn’t get it from the saliva of another alcoholic.  No, the alcoholic made some life choices based a host of needs and circumstances and can choose to make better choices.  Granted, given the chemical effects on brain chemistry, this can be difficult, difficult but not impossible.  I think my profession, especially Counselling Psychology, is moving away from the medical model and toward collaborative and educational models.  I am encouraged by the recent popularity of Positive Psychology which works on client strengths and client definitions of what is pleasurable and meaningful.

What were failed hypotheses in the history of psychotherapy? What were successful hypotheses in the history of psychotherapy?

I think Jung’s theory of the collective unconscious could be best described as “unfalsifiable.” But a more immediate failure was Freud’s notion of penis envy.  Adler immediately broke with Freud on this issue pointing out that if women are envious of men it likely has more to do with being in a subordinate position with respect to power relationships and not that they actual want to have a penis.  The idea that we begin life as a “blank slate,” popular in the 1960s, has been debunked.  In the modern era, the notion that testosterone leads to “toxic male sexuality” is another sexist idea rooted in a dominant ideology.

I think the early notion of the inferiority complex has stood up well.  I think the idea that behaviour can be shaped by operant conditioning is sound providing that is not taken to be the whole story.  I think the genetic basis of “the big five” including extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness and neuroticism has been demonstrated.  The efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in treating certain conditions such as depression, anxiety and psychological trauma has been demonstrated.  The importance of the therapeutic relationship in predicting outcomes has been demonstrated with implications for the individualization of therapy.

Looking at the history of psychotherapy, the people most of us know about are Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.  What made their contributions to the history of psychotherapy important?

Freud is best known for his tripartite division of the psyche into id, ego and superego presaging modern psychologists like Susan Blackmore who contend that nature and nurture are both equally deterministically oppressive.  I think Freud’s greatest contribution is that he popularized the idea that psychology is a science.  And he was a scientist if you use, as a definition, the careful observation of phenomena leading to reasoned inference as exemplared by classical Greeks like Plato, Aristotle, and the humanist Democritus.  He was not a scientist in the modern sense that relies on hypothesis testing and random sampling.  Freud’s second greatest contribution was that he brought the study of human sexuality out of the constraints imposed by Victorian prudishness by making it central to his theories.

Jung’s conceptualization of archetypes from which we create meaning has application to cultural and self studies.  His notion that there exists a collective unconscious is controversial.  Clearly all cultures at all times cannot have the same collective unconscious, and when the notion is broken down to human collectives it becomes problematic.  Although Jung was never a Nazi, his conceptualization of the collective unconscious was used to support the notion that the so-called “Aryan race” had a particular mission and destiny.  Jung’s earlier comment that the psychology of Freud and Adler might be okay for the Jews but his psychology is for the “Volk” did not help.

And who should we know about in the history of psychotherapy but probably don’t?

Alfred Adler.  It is instructive that you failed to ask me about him along with Freud and Jung, yet his contributions may be more lasting.  That is not your fault, or the fault of popular culture, but a reflection of the historic power relations within my profession.  For example, you are aware that Humanist Psychotherapy began in the 50s and 60s as a “third wave” reaction to Behaviorism and Psychoanalysis.  Therapists like Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers said people had a striving for self-actualization and therapy should be client centred.  Yet, Adler had been saying the same things, using different terminology, half a century earlier.  He said people have a striving for perfection and that there are at least two experts – the therapist who is an expert in how people change and the patient (the term “client” was not yet in vogue) who is expert on his self.  Therapy was pictured as a collaboration between two experts.

Perhaps the humanist psychotherapists failed to credit Adler because he also had a foot in the Behaviourist camp.  His “homework assignments” were a method of shaping and reinforcing behaviour.  But the classical behaviourist might have been put off by Adler’s support for the idea that mankind has consciousness and the power of choice.  In this way Adler anticipated Cognitive-Behaviourism.  The founder of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, Albert Ellis, did credit Adler’s influence in the development of his school of psychotherapy.

In the late twentieth century, Narrative Therapy proposed that humans are meaning makers and that clients are in need of re-writing their self-narratives to edit out self-defeating assumptions.  Adler did something similar in suggesting that our worldviews are shaped by numerous influences, beginning in childhood, and that therapy included editing (re-authoring) self-defeating worldviews and motivations.

Previously, I noted that psychotherapists are increasingly describing themselves as “eclectic” as they borrow from various traditions.  In Adler we have the means to unite most psychotherapies under one theoretical tent.  Were that to happen, psychology would have matured into a true science united in a Khunian paradigm.

Dr.

Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson is a Faculty Member in the Master of Arts – Integrated Studies Program of Athabasca University, who is now in career transition.  He has a private practice as an educational psychologist and counsellor.  Here we get to know about his life and views.

How did you grow up, e.g., place, time, language, and religion or lack thereof?

My parents were fundamentalist Christian.  More correctly, my mother was fundamentalist Christian.  When my stepfather proposed (I was seven at the time), my mother insisted she would marry him only if he found the Lord.  He had been a nominal member of the United Church but this did not count as Christian in her view. The Church of Christ, that she belonged to, was what was acceptable.

Meal time was a bit of challenge in our home.  Mom had a deck of cards with scripture on one side (King James Version) and chapter and verse on the other.  Each person who wished to eat had to first read a scripture and then, without looking at the back, name the chapter and verse.  Failure did not mean unplanned fasting.  One simply read the next card and so on until one found a known scripture.  When that got too easy mom flipped the deck over and we had to read the chapter and verse and then recite the passage verbatim.  Because I had a healthy appetite, I learned a lot of scripture.

Baptism, in this variation of Christianity, involved making a choice to set aside a life of sin and lead a life of righteousness.  The second last song of every religious service was a hymn of invitation inviting sinners to make this choice.  I responded to the call at age 12.  No one in our congregation had previously been baptized so young.  Tradition had it that Christ was baptized at age 12.  The council of elders was immediately convened in a board room and as my worried stepfather looked on, I had to answer questions about the nature of sin, redemption, and my purpose in pursuing baptism at my age.  As each succeeding question was answered with quoted scripture, my father began to smile.  After a gruelling two-hour ordeal, the elders came back to the waiting congregation and announced that the baptism would proceed.  We did not have a baptistery.  So the minister led a caravan of believers to a small lake north of Lloydminster where men of the congregation cut a three foot square in the January ice and then punched a hole in the bottom allowing unfrozen water to bubble up filling the crevice.  The minister and I went down into the icy water as the congregation, holding candles, sang hymns.  As I was lifted out of the immersion process, I believed the holy spirit had entered my body.

As a baptized male, I had the rights of an elder.  I could lead singing, say prayers for the congregation, give sermons, and of course, vote on the affairs of the Church.  My mother, who was the devout one in our family, could do none of these things.  This troubled me and may have led to my identification with Women’s Liberation some years later.

When did you begin to develop an interest in psychology, psychotherapy, and the qualitative sciences of the mind?

I would like to blame one of my profs at the University of Regina.  He berated me for wasting my time on three undergraduate degrees.  Then, in 1982 or early 1983 he called and informed me that I had been accepted.  I asked, “Accepted into what?” He said “Graduate school, the committee met and you have been accepted.” I replied, “But I haven’t applied.” He said, “We discussed that too, the papers are on my desk ready for you to complete.” But I think my interest in psychology probably predates this interaction.

I entered puberty when I was 12.  One night, an aunt accommodated my erection.  I believed that I had committed a grave sin and my sensual pleasure was a sign of my wickedness.

Unlike the Catholics, who could confess their sins in private, members of the Church of Christ were expected to confess their sins before the entire congregation.  I could not see me walking to the front of the church during the song of invitation and describing the incident while my mother and aunt sat together in the second pew to the right.  Baptism was meant to wash away undisclosed sins, and it struck me that I had been innocent when baptized earlier, I had had no real sins from which to repent.  Therefore, my baptism was not legitimate.  Now I needed to be truly baptized.  Again, there was a council of elders and I was able to convince them that the first baptism may have been conducted for the wrong reasons, but if not, a second baptism would merely be a reaffirmation of my faith.  As far as I know, I was the only member of the church to be baptized twice.  Ever since, I have had an interest in how people build worldviews and rationalize their behaviours.

You are now the Vice-President of Humanist Canada.  Freud, famously, regarded God as an illusion; indeed, an infantile need for a father figure with great power.  Has psychotherapy influenced your personal views on faith and spirituality?

I was an atheist long before I studied Freud.  I was questioning religion by the time I enrolled in the University of Saskatchewan at age 17.  It wasn’t just the status of women in the church.  It was the illogic of salvation.  How was it I had the good fortune to be raised to be one of the saved who would go to heaven when the church did not even exist in many parts of the globe? I did a count of church membership worldwide and half were from Texas.  The idea that heaven was populated by people who speak English with a slow drawl did not strike me as authentic.  The Church of Christ was started by Joseph Campbell in the early part of the 19^th century but members of the church are taught not to believe that.  They believe their church has existed continuously and have an elaborate conjecture on how this could be.  By this time I had some experience with how people rationalize their worldviews in the face of conflicting evidence.

Humanism has its roots in classical Greek writings in Europe, the atheist Siddhartha Gautama in India, and the collective voices that have come to be known as Confucius in China.  The starting point of humanist thought is almost axiomatic in modern society – that reality exists outside of our subjective understandings and humans have the cognitive abilities to gain a clearer understanding of that reality.  An alternative view, and one that the held sway during the Dark Ages in Europe, was that reality is unknowable except as may be provided through divine revelation.  Freud chaffed at the latter suggestion, and in particular, the Cartesian dualism that set back the scientific study of psychology by as much as two hundred years.  You will recall that Rene Descartes reached an understanding with the Catholic Church that the natural world may be studied scientifically but the mind or soul could not because it was of God.

You’ve been teaching the History of Psychotherapy at AU.  How does psychotherapy provide a lens into the human mind and our motivations?

Psychotherapy is, of course, applied psychology and it has been subdivided into hundreds of schools each resembling sects in a world religion.  In recent decades, however, psychotherapists are increasingly describing themselves as eclectic as they borrow from various traditions.  This is possible because these schools share common basic understandings such as each person is a unique individual who is nonetheless part of a social system.  All psychotherapies believe in the interrelatedness of emotion, thought, and behaviour.  Interventions at one level are understood as holistically affecting the entire person.  Interventions using appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication, community resources and the client’s natural support systems, building a supportive client-counsellor relationship, and the co-construction of goals and interventions are common across schools of psychotherapy.

In my own work, I have mapped the selves of individuals from both individualist and collectivist cultures noting similarities.  I believe the modern self with qualities we now associate with mind such as the capacity to form objective beliefs and internally consistent thought, were the product of cultural evolution prior to the Axial Age.  I have published on the idea that the concept of mind is tied to our self-definition as a rational species and that the project of psychotherapy is to teach our clients to exercise these qualities of mind in their personal lives.

And a few questions just for fun, if you could have a meal with one person in history, who would it be? What would the meal be?

George Catlin.  He was an artist who partnered with a Plains Cree woman in the early 19^th century and described the Cree as “A nation of atheists.” I suspect we could have a good conversation on this topic.  The meal would be bison, wild rice and Saskatoon berries.

What is the one thing in life to never forget on a road trip?

In northern Saskatchewan, where I am from, an extra spare tire.  Seriously, the roads up here are that bad especially during spring “break-up” and fall “freeze-up (the northern Bush Cree incorporated freeze-up and break-up as separate seasons for a total of six).  More generally, I would say take your sense of humour.  Why? Because the unexpected can and will happen and appropriate humour helps to put things in perspective.

If you could do it all over again, what would you be?

I think I would like to come back as a sentient Douglas fir living in a protected area on the west coast.  Why? They live a long time and I have a curiosity over what comes next.  Of course I would want all my memories and the power of observation.  The internet would be nice.

With respect to living my life over, I think we would all make different decisions; however, those decisions would only be possible if we carried with us the wisdom and knowledge we have developed to date.  In my case, I was driven by an undisciplined curiosity that led me in different directions.  I am tempted to say if I had it to do over I would have gotten a PhD.  before I was in my fifties; however, then I would have had to eliminate some of the choices I made tangential to this goal.  How would I have known to eliminate that which I had not first experienced?

Doctor Jeff Chang, Ph.D., R.Psych., is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Disciplines at Athabasca University.  He is the Program Director of the Master of Counselling Psychology program at AU.  He joined the AU community in 2007.  Here we explore his life and work with AU.

What is your personal and family background? How does this build into postsecondary experience getting education and certification in psychology?

I thought that I would be in a helping profession.  I had a lot of teachers in my family.  Then I went to Trinity Western University in 1977.  I was doing work in a youth ministry.  I thought, “Maybe, ministry is where I could end up.”

Then I got married young and ended up needing to work and slow down on school.  I have done all my school full-time plus.  School or work full-time while doing the other.  This is not necessarily a good thing when you end up in a profession where self-care is important.

I ended up getting a job at a residential treatment centre for adolescents.  I thought, “I do not know anything about this.” So, I was fortunate to get into a master’s program in counselling psychology at Simon Fraser University.

I did that from 1982 to 1985.  In 1986, I moved to Alberta.  There were a lot of interesting things going on in the family therapy community in Calgary.  It was a bit of a hotbed of family therapy at that point.

In Alberta, you can be licensed as a psychologist with a master’s degree, which I did.  For fifteen years, I worked in children’s mental health, employee assistance programs, and in private practice.

So what brought you to AU?

There is a bit of a fast forward there.  I ended up in a Ph.D.  program starting in 2001.  When I was to close to finishing my Ph.D., a faculty position was posted.  I had not considered a career as a full-time academic up to that point.

I worked as an instructor or tutor in several institutions.  I was briefly an undergrad tutor at AU from 1989 to 1991, teaching PSYC 289 (Psychology as a Natural Science).  After that I taught mostly in counselling-related graduate programs.  Then this job appeared, I applied for it, and was successful.

I think my broad practice experience made me attractive.  I had a bit of a publication track record as I occasionally found opportunities to write while working full-time in practice.  Also, I had had some leadership experience, having run a large practice and a children’s mental health program, so I think that helped.

But mainly, I had had a 20-year practice career.

What was the last non-AU book that you read?

The last non-AU book that I read….  I must remember the title: The Devil’s Bargain.  It’s about how Steve Bannon planned the election of Donald Trump.  I generally read history and biographies.  The last novel I read was Crazy Rich Asians, and I think it’s kind of cool that the movie is now out.  The book came out about four years ago, so that’s how often I read fiction.

If you could have a meal with one person dead or alive, who would that person be? What meal would you have with them?

This is a bit trite, but Barack Obama, because he has a nuanced view of so many things.  He has an idea of how the world fits together.  There are so many moving parts in what he had to do, and I think he gets it.

Also, when you see him on TV, he seems like a down to earth guy.  I like the fact that he apparently has a great family life.  I would be so curious about how he managed to do that while being president of the United States.  I think he is an intriguing person for those reasons.

The meal, solely for myself, because I have no idea what he would enjoy eating.  I would want prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, a baked potato, and asparagus.  How would I look to your readers if I did not include a vegetable? Also, some good horseradish would be necessary.

What is your position now? What tasks and responsibilities come along with this position?

I am an Associate Professor, and I am currently the Program Director of the Master of Counselling Program.  A typical academic position is 40% teaching, 40% research and publication, and 20% service.

Service includes university service (committees and administrative work), and external service (sitting on boards, consulting in the community, and in the case of counselling professors, some kind of practice).

In an administrative job, it shifts – teaching and research and publication are reduced.  So it’s more like 50% administration and 25% the other two.  I have been the Program Director for 2 years.

There are many responsibilities related to being Program Director.  The responsibilities are pretty wide-ranging.  One is general program quality.  For example, every program at every university in Alberta does a 5-year program review.

With the help of the Office of Institutional Studies, we collected data from students, alumni, instructors, faculty, and practicum supervisors, faculty and administrative staff, and so on.  We did focus groups with our students when they attended in-person 4-day practicum seminars in March.

My job as Program Director was to compile all this data and make sense of it all, to figure what we are doing well and not so well, and create a plan for improving what we do.

As Program Director, I also deal with some unpleasant issues, such as plagiarism and other academic integrity issues.  I also deal with grade appeals.

I make final decisions about admissions to our program when an applicant is marginal, review course evaluations and give feedback to instructors, do performance reviews of faculty, and make sure our course revision schedule stays on track.

One of the unexpected pleasures is dealing with students who need support.  Sometimes students have health problems, including mental health issues, or they have family crises.  At times they end up going MIA in a course, and they think they are in trouble.

As a program, we’re not interested in washing them out.  Since we are a professional training program, we try to teach students that they are learning is much more than academic content, but skills and attitudes for professional practice.

As professionals, it is an ethical imperative to care for ourselves so we can care for our clients.  When we cannot, we must learn to ask for support.  Some students think that, if they express weakness or distress we will consider them unsuitable for the profession.

Quite the opposite; they need to learn to recognize their limits and ask for support when they need it.  They may need to take time off or to slow down their studies to make sure they can attend to their health or family needs.

Some students who are distressed are quite surprised that they are welcome in the program, and we want to support them to attain the competencies they need to become professional counsellors.  I ask them to check in with me to let me know how they are doing, and tell me about the changes they’ve made.

I did not anticipate that this would be become a part of the job that I enjoy as much as I do.  It’s allowed me to connect with students at a vulnerable point in their lives, and I have a sense of satisfaction that they learn the value of self-care.

On the other hand, sometimes I have to be the person to tell a student that, despite our best efforts and theirs, they are not going to be successful acquiring the competencies necessary to be a professional counsellor.  That’s not pleasant, but it’s necessary to protect the public.

Another part of my gig is dealing with regulatory bodies.  Because we train students from across Canada, we want to keep on top of the licensing requirements in each province and territory.  Recently, I met with the College of Alberta Psychologists.

They’ve been trying to streamline their process for evaluating applicants; to make this happen, we need to change some of the things we do, but this will make it much easier for our grads to start the process of being Registered Psychologists in Alberta.

Also, I am working on an application to the Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario to preapprove our program so our Ontario grads can be fast-tracked.

I have a pretty active research agenda.  I research, write, and present on high-conflict divorce, clinical supervision, school-based mental health services, and family therapy.  I have a couple of books out – one on working with children, and anther on family therapy.

Is it a problem that counsellors take on the issues of their clients?

That is a great question.  Because our program is a professional training program, students need to learn more than theoretical approaches to counselling.  They must learn to manage their own behaviour and emotional reactions to clients’ stories and difficulties.

In their practicum placements, our students hear about depression, suicidal ideation, trauma, sexual victimization and exploitation, family violence, marital conflict, affairs, substance misuse, and many other problems.

In our program, we work hard to teach students to reflect on their own biases and be self-aware about client issues, or the way clients present, that might be issues for them.  We try to model that too.

I share about times when I have had to consult another professional to make sure I can maintain good judgement with clients and deal with them constructively.

Is there any such thing as a ‘typical’ student in your program?

We have many working students who are established in their career as teachers, social workers, and in other helping professions, who want to stay working in the same field and take our program to advance their careers.

We also have people who are looking for a career change.  We’ve had a military officer, or people who have worked in government at a high level, who want to be therapists as a second career.

The average student age in our program is about 34, but the most striking thing about our student body is that it is 85-90% female.  This is the case with counsellor education programs all over Canada and the US.  I have had entire classes – sections of 20 students – with not a single man in the class.  This has been the case since the beginning of our program in the early 2000s.

This has implications for the supply of counsellors and therapists.  If the pool of available counsellors is over 80% female, it might be tougher to engage male clients in therapy.  This is not to say that the female therapists cannot be effective with men or with heterosexual couples.

But I think that it would probably a good thing to have more men in the field.  When I was doing on a full-time practice, I did a lot of couples’ therapy with heterosexual couples.

When I was doing full-time private practice, I think I got a lot of business because I am male because a man might have a certain comfort in knowing, or at least believing, that he is not going to be ganged up on by a female therapist and his female partner.

So a lot fewer men. Do you know why men have been self-jettisoning from psychology?

I don’t know.  It is possible to make a good income as a counsellor or as a psychologist.  But there are certain professions that make better money, right? I think universities have a higher proportion of female students.

Women are more attracted by the helping professions and men are more inclined to be in trades or in technical fields.  So if the proportion of men in undergrad programs is smaller, it makes the applicant pool for graduate programs smaller.  One can make a decent living as a counsellor or therapist, but it is certainly not a profession in which one will get rich

Why would income be the main reason for men?

I am speculating here.  There is still a very strong cultural belief that men are to be providers.  But it would be an interesting research study to explore what attracts men the field of counselling, why they stay in the field, and what their career paths look like.

Dr. Shawn Fraser is a Professor and the Interim Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Athabasca University.  Here we talk about his background, inspiration at AU, acquisition of education, demographics of graduate students at AU, popular courses and programs, and more!

What is your own narrative? What is family and personal background, e.g., geography, culture, language, religion, and so on?

I was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan.  My father was a city police officer and my mother was a welder.  Having working class parents and being a first generation university graduate and first generation professor colors my view of higher education in terms of access to education and the role of education in society.  In terms of culture, I grew up on the prairies of Saskatchewan and this means I am a Roughriders and Canadian Football League fan.  For fun and some activity I play football in the Edmonton Flag Football Association.

What is the most inspiring story seen coming out of AU by you?

It is too difficult to pick any one story.  Many Athabasca University students are the first in their family to go to university.  The strong support and pride from families is always palpable and inspiring at convocation.  However, working with a student who was eventually awarded a degree posthumously was inspiring on many levels.  The degree was accepted by the student’s partner and I had the privilege of shaking her hand on stage at convocation.  This was a special and humbling experience showing how precious higher education can be.

What work took most of the time for you, in early life into young adulthood and prior to the interim position? Where did you get an education, and in what? And why those areas of study?

I attended the University of Regina where I obtained a BSc in Mathematics.  With no lab component and no term papers, Math was the perfect major for me since I needed to work most evenings to pay for school.  After finishing my Math degree I decided to pursue a more applied science, Kinesiology.  I eventually obtained an MSc in Kinesiology from the University of Saskatchewan and went on to complete a PhD at the University of Alberta from the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, where I studied rardiac rehabilitation.

Graduate school is a challenge and takes a great deal of persistence.  I was fortunate to belong to a strong and supportive research group and to obtain Tri-council funding as a doctoral student.  I joined Athabasca University in 2006 as an Assistant Professor in the Centre for Nursing and Health studies.  Prior to the Interim Dean position I served as the Program Director for the MN and MHS programs, Acting Dean of FGS in 2014, and most recently as the Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning for the Faculty of Health Disciplines.

What are the demographics of the graduate students of AU?

The demographics of our students varies a great deal depending on the program.  According to our Office of Institutional Studies, the average age of an incoming graduate student is 35 years of age.  About 74% of our graduate students are women, but most of the students in our DBA (67%) program and MSc-IS (81%) programs are men.  There are also slightly more men than women in our MBA (56%) and Architecture (55%) programs.  In contrast, about 92% of our MN students are women.

What course is the most popular? Any speculation on the reason?

Given the size of our Master of Nursing (MN) program, the first required MN course, Nursing 608, is the most popular graduate course at the moment.  The top 20 graduate courses by registration are all Nursing courses.

Also, what degree program is the most signed onto for graduate students?

The Master of Nursing program is by far the most subscribed graduate program taking in nearly 300 students annually.  There are currently over 1500 student in the MN program.

What tasks and responsibilities come with the interim position?

I basically oversee the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) team which provides services in the support and administration of AU’s graduate programs.  I also chair the Faculty of Graduate Studies Council, the body responsible for developing and approving policies and guidelines related to graduate programming and program delivery.  Daily tasks include representing FGS on various governance committees and in other meetings and working with the other AU Faculties on tasks to help achieve the goals outlined in our strategic plan.

What books are you currently reading, AU and non-AU?

I mostly read reports these day such as the recent Horizon Report on technology trends in higher education and the recently released The State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada.  However, I am working my way through AU Press’ new book An Online Doctorate for Researching Professionals: Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation.  For fun I am currently reading Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses and .  learning statistics with jamovi: a tutorial for psychology students and other beginners (for free here).

What are the current initiatives ongoing in graduate studies?

We have many initiatives in FGS designed to improve the support of quality graduate education at Athabasca University.  An ongoing initiative we have is to provide support for the professional skills development of graduate students.  These are offered through webinars, in-person workshops and now we are developing some online modules and courses.  Other initiatives include supporting faculty development with workshops around thesis supervision, for example.  Major initiatives to support students include an annual 3MT competition for AU graduate students and the annual Graduate Student Conference, co-hosted with the Athabasca University Graduate Students’ Association.

If you could have a meal with a person living or dead, who would it be? What would be the meal?

I would be terrified, but I would love to have a meal with Kurt Vonnegut or Bertrand Russell, two of my favorite authors.  The meal might include some Thai food or maybe American Barbeque.

For students interested in AU graduate studies, what are the main things needing doing prior to application?

It is important to check that you have all of your materials and to check that you’ve met the qualifications for admission.  Each program has slightly different requirements and deadlines and program options (e.g., thesis vs.  course-based).  Since each program has different administrators, if you have questions about admission it is important to contact the graduate program administrators for the specific program you are interested in.  Incomplete applications can cause a big delay.  It may be helpful to consider how much time you can devote to graduate studies.  A thesis or dissertation can take much longer than one anticipates.  A course based masters takes a great deal of time and many years.  Support from family, friends and employers is cited as extremely important for our graduates.  A long term plan to cover costs and the potential disruption to work and family is best done prior to starting a degree.

AU students tend to forget or not take the time to know enough about scholarships and awards.  What awards are available for the graduate students? How can they apply? What are the best means by which to strengthen awards and scholarships applications of the students?

There are many awards available to AU graduate students and some of these are listed on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.  In fact, some funding is underutilized and can go unclaimed.  Some of these  Masters  and Doctoral awards are administered from the registrar’s office and some are administered by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.  Provincial and federal awards are also available.  The Research Office also has funding for travel to conferences and for research software.  Work closely with FGS and your home Faculty to identify upcoming awards and requirements and for information on how to apply.

Regarding the direction of AU for 2018/19, what most excites you?

Athabasca University is undergoing a period of renewal having just developed a new strategic plan, Imagine: Transforming Lives, Transforming Communities.  Following this plan, the Faculty of Graduate Studies has developed a new strategic plan.  We anticipate a period of growing graduate enrollments and new and exciting programs are being developed.  We are excited for AU to expand graduate programming options to new students.

As we enter into the final season of 2018, what are some updates on the services for students for AUSU since the first half of the year for the student union?

2018 has been a blur in so many ways.  We have such a great team here at AUSU, which allows us to cruise along and accomplish so many things within this high paced environment.  In my first year as Executive Director, we were very much focused on establishing a solid structure to which the organization would operate.  This included overhauling our bylaws and policies, developing solid control processes within our financial structure, building a professional and highly motivated team of staff who are passionate about student success, developing our 3-year strategic plan, and preparing for our 2018 general election to just name a few.

Now that I’m closing in on the end of my second year as ED, we have started to dive into more specific areas of the organization, such as student engagement, how we communicate to students throughout the year, identifying the actual needs of an AU student, as well as ensuring we continue to foster positive transition activities for our executives and council to engage in.  The latter might be the most important of them all.

Lately, I’m really loving what our council, and more specifically our member engagement and communications committee (MECC), is currently doing regarding our AUSU services.  We have some cool ideas being generated like, the creation of an AUSU podcast, partnering with ProctorU (online exam invigilation service), plus more and more AUSU events and student engagement opportunities like our Meet & Greets and FaceBook Live.

Our executive team is one of the best I’ve worked with and I anticipate much more will be accomplished as we get closer to 2019 and the second half of the EC term.

Did AUSU meet most of the goals for the year?

Yeah, definitely.  The 2017-2018 year was incredible for AUSU.  We went from being a small organization trying to find its identity into a dynamic, professional students’ union that is healthy and sustainable moving forward.  AUSU is officially on the map when it comes to having a presence in the students’ union industry and we are proving ourselves to AU as being an amazing student resource for the university.  Something we are very proud of.

What have been the most exciting developments for 2018?

There are a few things that stand out to me, one is how great our 2018 general election was.  We went into that election needing to almost double our council from 7 councillors to 13.  Not only did we achieve this number, but we found some amazing students that have helped to elevate our council and take the baton from our previous council who really set the bar for this group.  The second element we are currently enjoying is the success of all the work that was put into our financial management last year.  Words like transparency and accountability come to mind as we have just wrapped up another AUSU budgeting season, which included review and consultation from all levels of the organization.

This has led us to our first balanced budget in a number of years.  A major contributor to this effort was the council approved fee increase that took place last spring and will go into effect starting with all course registrations that begin on October 1st and beyond.  We’ve also taken our social media to the next level with the addition of Instagram (@austudentsunion) this summer.  We’ve had a blast connecting with AU students on this platform and have brought some fun into our student engagement with new contests and loads of prizes for our members to win.  Stay tuned for more of this coming throughout the year.

Looking at 2019, what are the plans of AUSU? What can students expect to be rolled out in 2019?

I think 2019 will be an opportunity for our entire team to reflect on a busy couple of years.  First thing will be to continue to refine our executive transition activities as we head into another election in Feb ’19.  I will also be busy starting the collaboration process with council to establish our next 3-year strategic plan, as our current plan will conclude at the end of 2019.  You can anticipate the AUSU podcast will be ready in the new year, as well, we will be undergoing a face-lift to our AUSU.org website, so there will definitely be no lack of work to go around.

Since you’re the ED of AUSU, what different services does AUSU offer for students? Many newer students may not know about them.  Many returning students may not know about the updates to them.

You’re absolutely right, a big part of our role as a students’ union is to continually stay on the new trends and find unique and fun ways to offer them to our membership.  One way we will be connecting to new students this year is through a new student mailout.  As soon as a student at AU registers in their second course at AU, they will receive communication in the mail from AUSU outlining our services and how we can be of service to them throughout their academic career at AU.  It will answer the question, “What does AUSU do for you?”

The other primary service we offer is our awards program, which distributes approximately $64,000 in scholarships, awards, and bursaries annually to students.  We have developed our awards to be diverse, open, and inclusive, so every student can potentially have the opportunity to be eligible for one.  Many times students find us when they are in a jam and we want to be there for them.  Sometimes this can be in the form of advice, pointing someone in the right direction to get the information they need, or possibly in the form of financial support through our year-round bursaries.  Whatever form it might come in, we want to be a solid resource for students, so be sure to reach out to us if the needs arises.  Our toll-free number is 1-855-497-7003.

Also, for a fun question, what is the most exciting, intriguing, or funny development coming out of AUSU?

Well, there is no doubt the podcast project is going to be a blast and we’re looking to have some fun with this initiative when its ready.  We are currently developing a podcast project plan that will outline everything from cost, required equipment, content of topics, frequency, etc.  FB live has been successful for AUSU, and we hope that this will be another fun way to engage with students.  The last FB live hosted by our VPEX, Melinda, which provided a tour of the Athabasca University campus was a huge hit, so stay tuned for sure.

Any other news or updates, as the ED, students should be aware of?

Council is currently discussing the potential development of a Student Advisory Committee, which would be an ad-hoc committee completely made up of students-at-large.  I personally love this idea! The purpose of this committee will be to create an efficient way for AUSU council and the executive committee to garner student feedback on various topics throughout the year.  We want to become experts in being able to tap into students as a strong resource when opportunities come up throughout the year.  This will be a great way for students to get involved and become a resource for the students’ union.  Otherwise, I encourage students to stay tuned for our AUSU podcast, more Meet & Greet events, the bylaws will be undergoing some minor edits later this fall, and our awards season is right around the corner with applications going live on September 20th.  What student doesn’t love free money!

I was born and raised in a small town called Whitemouth in Eastern Manitoba.  It had 300 or so people.  It most likely has the same number of people now as when I left.  My dad was born in Germany.  He came over when he was 2-years-old.  My mom was born in Canada.  I went to a public consolidated school in Whitemouth.  I participated in almost every sport and club.  I wanted to keep busy.

I attended the University of Manitoba for my undergraduate degree in nursing and worked in public health in rural Manitoba for five and a half years after I graduated.  Then I went back for my Master’s in Nursing, also from the University of Manitoba.  I worked as a clinical nurse specialist in St. Boniface General Hospital in Winnipeg.  It had the largest geriatric wing in Manitoba.  I was there for a few years and then became an executive director for a community health organization.

I returned to the U of MB for my Ph.D. in the Faculty of Medicine in Community Health Sciences.  I specialized in Gerontology and Health Policy and Evaluation.  I became a professor at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba.  For a while, I was Associate Dean within the Faculty of Nursing for the Graduate Programs.  I was there for 16 years.

While at the U of MB, I was Associate Dean in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.  I oversaw the development of new innovative programs, program evaluations, and new projects across all the graduate degree programs.

Then an opportunity arose through AU.  They were looking for a Dean of Graduate Studies.  I was successful in attaining that position and so moved to Alberta.  That was 10 years ago.

At that time, my husband was a practicing lawyer, had his own firm, and, as well, was a member of the Legislative Assembly in Manitoba.  He ran for election and had won three elections.  He was an MLA for 9 years.  He finished his term and had to sell his law practice and building prior to relocating to Alberta.  That was two or two and a half years after my moving here to Alberta.

We have two daughters and four grandchildren.  One daughter still lives in Manitoba.  The other is in Calgary.  One of the activities that my husband and I did that we are very proud of was the creation of a food bank outside of an urban centre.  This was in 1991.  At that time, the Chretien government was in power and pledged to reduce and eliminate poverty in Canada.

We were on holidays visiting my husband’s brother in California.  We went to the shopping center to buy some snacks.  There was this woman with a sign saying, “Will work for food.” That was the first time that it alerted me to the fact that, “Hey, there are people who are struggling to for basics such as food.” Both of use were shocked and dismayed at how ignorant we had been.

When we returned to Manitoba, we started to gather some stats.  And yes, poverty existed with people living considerably below the poverty line for significant lengths of time.  There had been food banks started in major centres with one in Winnipeg called Winnipeg Harvest.  Rural areas tended to be ignored.  People seemed to have the perception that rural people could grow their own food and that would sustain them.  But a lot of people do not have gardens.

Rural areas tend to have lower incomes and poorer health status compared to people in urban areas.  There is also a lack of access to healthcare.  We started newspaper campaigns for about 6 to 8 months before the food bank opened its doors.  It took a long time and a lot of work.  Our daughters were small at that point.  It took about eight months of publicity in the paper about poverty, in-person presentations on the need for a food bank, and to answer criticisms about providing food at no cost.  We contacted groups such as the Co-Op, the hockey teams, the 4H clubs, the rural municipality, the town, and at least 40 other groups.

It became the first food bank outside a large urban center in Canada.  Shortly after that, we received donations for the food and the equipment – e.g., freezers, tables, chairs, shelving, and so on.  It was from individuals and groups.  That food bank is still going.  It is totally managed by volunteers.  There are no paid staff.  The food bank is totally supported by individuals and different organizations.  it.  Eventually, some of these groups started having food drives of their own, e.g.  the cadets, the Co-Op store would have their own event each year.  The community eventually adopted it.

After that, we were asked to help groups and share our policy manual with groups in other Canadian provinces who wanted to start a food bank We were nominated for and received the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award.

Now, as the Dean of Faculty of Graduate Studies at AU, how has this background in gerontology, in community care, in nursing, helped build toward this position done by you now?

The absolute and relative number of people aged 65 and over is increasing.  By 2040, 20 to 25% of the population will be 65 and over.  It has largely been a neglected area.  It was an area that I enjoyed working in, when I was in public health and home care.  I visited a lot of people in their home.  They appreciated the home visit, the health teaching, and the informational resources that I had for them.  So, I decided to continue in that area.  Part of that influenced my work in the university, where I taught courses on gerontology and health promotion in older adults, I participated in the development of a gerontology course in the faculty.  My main goal is to erase ageism and ageist views.  I repeatedly tell students you can’t assume that the pain, confusion, mobility problems, or vision problems are due to aging changes alone.  Health and aging are very complex.  Always look for a cause other than aging, because there will be other influencing factors besides aging, that can be treated or reduced.

Certainly, the work with people in AU graduate studies through supporting researchers working in that area has helped tremendously.  I have been able to collaborate and work with them as a collaborator on some of the research done here.  I am trying to increase the awareness of faculty and students in that area.

When you are working with researchers or mentoring them, what are you bearing in mind as a professional – in terms of making the research go as well as possible and the guidance given through mentorship is appropriate for the individual for the research by them?

Partly, it is to find their goals and passion in the area of research.  I work with students and some have not necessarily been in gerontology, but have been interested in multi-method research, research design, or research analysis.  I look at their passion and goals.

Certainly, it is being available and answering their questions, whether contacting by email, phone, or person.  Trying to be as helpful as possible and doing as much informal teaching as possible with them.  Examples, from my experiences of different situations, of how I dealt with it, or how I could have dealt with it differently – looking at different situations over time.

When it comes to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and as the dean, what are some of the initiatives or updates happening in later 2018, early 2019? How can students who are undergraduates about to graduate and enter graduate studies bear some of these updates and initiatives in mind?

I was the inaugural dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.  There was no website, no consistent regulations or guidelines across the faculties about how to select an advisor or guidelines for intellectual property.  My experience from the U of MB and as a student guided me.  I remembered my experiences as an undergraduate and graduate student and wanted to create a better experience for AU students.  I like the atmosphere and the collegial relationships at AU, which encouraged me to create a student-friendly and student-focused FGS.

Certainly, another priority was making them aware of awards and encouraging them to apply.  There are certain scholarships that cover their travel, supplies and equipment.  We have to continually remind them of these awards/scholarships.

I established a committee of faculty members that can review the applications and critique them.  We send them back to the students, so they can revise them and strengthen the applications to be competitive for a national award.

I started a graduate student conference.  The conference is held annually and is co-sponsored by FGS and AUGSA.  Students are strongly encouraged to submit an abstract, that is peer-reviewed before it is accepted.  I wanted a conference that would be modelled after the professional disciplinary conference they would attend as a professional but would have a supportive environment with fellow students and faculty members.  Because these abstracts are peer-reviewed, students have had them accepted at national and international conferences after that.

You may not know, but I am no longer dean for FGS but accepted the interim position as Associate Vice President at AU on July 1, 2018.

Congratulations! What are the tasks and responsibilities with the position?

There is less contact with students, which is disappointing, but there is still funding of student research.  The main purpose is to increase research capacity in the faculty members and increase the success in research proposal submissions.

It is helping them get resources to write research grants.  It is informing faculty of ways in which to include undergraduate and graduate students in their research.  We are one of the four research intensive universities in Alberta and therefore research is a high priority.

Has there been discussion between different domains of undergraduate and graduate life of AU – so the more motivated students can begin to build the early research careers?

There has not been any consistent formal discussions about encouraging and incorporating opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students into research.  We have the annual graduate student conference at which 2 years ago undergraduate students were invited to submit an abstract to present.

Discussion on the development of an Honours year in the undergraduate program would be another strategy to have students ‘try out’ a small research project.  Greater advertising of the independent study or readings courses could be another avenue to introducing them to independent work.

Unfortunately, there are no awards for undergraduate students to present at conferences.  Therefore, no incentive to cover their financial expenses to prepare a paper to present at a conference.  Another possible opportunity is for undergraduate students to be hired as research assistants.  I don’t have any numbers whether undergrads have been hired in these positions.

When I took the initiative to seek out researching positions, people in the university were thrilled to see a student with an interest.  I am sure there are other students with similar interests but how do we connect with them?

That is simply another big potential area to inform our undergraduate students, particularly the program ones about other research groups, because a lot of them do not know that it is available.  AU is a very unique university.  The staff really want to help students become successful and reduce/remove the barriers they may have to learning.  We all know that having an education is one of the most valuable assets an individual can possess and is a major contributor to the health and quality of life of their family and their community.