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Your Mount Royal News
Sept. 15, 2023

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Top stories

A child reading a book with an adult sitting next to him.

Building a foundation for early literacy

How reading skills affect individuals and community alike. 

Read more…

Sarah Hewitt smiling with a camera

Beakerhead's Alien Talk Show draws on MRU expertise

Neuroscientist speculates on extraterrestrial beings and what they might look like.

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A bumble bee on a pink flower

A buzz on campus

Multiple bee initiatives are underway at MRU.

Read more…

 

Announcements

You’re invited to Breakfast with the President

Employees are invited to join President Tim Rahilly for breakfast on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Drop in as your schedule permits between 7:30 to 9 a.m. (on campus; exact location TBD) to chat, enjoy a meal and share ideas with your colleagues. This event is limited to 15 participants and will be offered on a first-come basis. Preference will be given to those who have not yet had a conversation with the president in an effort to have representation from management, exempt, support staff and faculty. Please note that only those selected will receive a confirmation to attend. We hope to schedule additional opportunities in the future. If you are interested, please fill out this form.

 

Save the Date: Leaders’ Dialogue: The New University Strategic Plan and Our Way Forward

Employees are invited to join President Tim Rahilly and others for the first Leaders’ Dialogue of the academic year. The University Strategic Plan 2023-2030 will be the focus of the event. Unpack Vision 2030, understand how the goals will be achieved, and learn what’s still to come for university planning on Wednesday, Oct. 11 from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Bella Concert Hall.

Submit questions or comments on the University Strategic Plan for consideration to be included in the Dialogue to comments@mtroyal.ca. Please note that these emails will not receive a direct reply.

 

Journey to Indigenization: Truth, Reconciliation and Decolonization

Mount Royal University commemorates the Signing of Treaty 7, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Orange Shirt Day and Sisters in Spirit Day within a series of institutional activities over nine days. Join one of the numerous on-campus educational opportunities from Sept. 22 to Oct. 4 to start or continue your decolonization journey. Learn more.

 

Create a human spiderweb: Ani to pisi

Ani to pisi is a creation story that came from the late Elder Clement Bear Chief, from Siksika Nation. It has been shared and utilized at the leadership, macro and micro levels to create awareness and understanding that indigenous creation stories are relevant in institutions such as MRU. As part of Journey to Indigenization, Elder Roy Bear Chief wants to bring it to life by creating a human spiderweb and ani to pisi’s vibrations. More information will be provided upon sign up.

 

Schedule of Classes listing

On Aug. 29, employees received an email about supporting a safe start to the academic year. As work continues towards enhancing the safety and well-being of our campus community, access to the Schedule of Classes has been removed from our website. To search for scheduled classes, use the Look Up Courses tool in the Registration menu via your MyMRU login. All current students, instructors and faculty will continue to have access to the information they need for their classes.

 

Announcing the 2023 Catamount Fellowship Faculty Mentors

The Institute for Community Prosperity (ICP) is excited to kick off the fifth year of the Catamount Fellowship in partnership with 14 community organizations and 14 faculty mentors from across campus. Each year, the ICP welcomes a cohort of senior-level MRU students to this transformative learning journey, and they are immensely grateful to the faculty that will be mentoring this year's cohort of students. To view the list of our faculty and community partners, visit mru.ca/catamount.

 

Your ticket to IT support

Information Technology’s updated online Service Desk interface has a new look and feel. In one convenient location, you can submit and check the status of your IT help requests; access resources on common IT problems; and manage your experience through a user-friendly interface. Learn more at mru.ca/ITShelp.

 

Employee wellness resources if your September is stressful

The Employee Wellness theme for September is Finding Ways to Support Yourself During Times of Stress. Join free weekly meditation classes, sign up for the Take This Stress and Love It webinar, and sign up for the last Inkblot Therapy info session on Sept. 20. Find other stress and self-care resources from Sun Life and Inkblot to help understand and support yourself during this hectic month. Learn more about other upcoming wellness sessions.

 

Four words equal cybersafety

A four-word passphrase is harder to crack than you think. Add in a few numbers or symbols and you’re sitting pretty in cyberspace. For instance, the passphrase “four w4rds equal= cybersafety” would take a computer years to crack! Learn more.

 

Free period products on campus

You can find free period products in women’s, all-gender and single-user washrooms on campus. Only taking what you need means someone else can have what they need, too. Learn more at mru.ca/period.

 

ITS news you can use

Get real-time info on performance issues with systems like WiFi, D2L and mruGradU8, as well as planned ITS maintenance, at mru.ca/ITSUpdates.

 

Volunteer as a Curiosity Rover at Beakerhead

MRU is a sponsor of Beakerhead and is looking for Curiosity Rover volunteers from Sept. 14 to 17. Be a part of the dynamic street crew dedicated to spreading ingenuity and inspiring awe. Engage attendees by asking questions to spark their curiosity, encourage them to think deeply about the installations and motivate them to actively participate in the Beakerhead experience. Sign up to volunteer and be sure to include "MRU" after your name. Contact Melissa Clemence at crew@beakerhead.com with questions.

 

Winterization of MRU's irrigation system

The annual winterization of MRU's irrigation system is scheduled from Friday, Sept. 22 to Wednesday, Sept. 27. This procedure involves expelling water from the lines through irrigation heads, preventing freezing and potential damage to the lines during the winter. Please note that this is a noisy procedure. Learn more.

 

EA washrooms closed Sunday, Oct. 1

All the washrooms in the EA building will be closed from 6 to 9 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 1 for plumbing repairs. Kitchenettes (sinks) and fountains will be without water. Signs will be posted.

 

Join the Student Appeals Committee

The Office of Student Community Standards is on the lookout for enthusiastic and empathetic students, staff and faculty to join their committee. If you're fair-minded and interested in making a difference, check out the Appeals Committee Application for more information or to apply.

 

MOVE MORE with MRU Group Fitness

Group fitness returns to MRU with Rec’s new MOVE MORE program. Participate in exciting new classes including HIIT, barre, yoga, spin and strength. Through these classes you will improve your muscle strength, tone and endurance while having fun and experiencing joy in movement. Purchase your MOVE MORE pass for unlimited access at mrucougars.com/movemore.

 

Wishing Dr. Martin Davies a happy retirement

After over 30 years of providing exceptional medical care, Dr. Martin Davies will be retiring from Health Services in December 2023. Current MRU employee-patients have the option to transition to a new shared-physician team who will take over his clinical practice starting in January 2024.

 

MRU in the Media — In case you missed it

MRU to expand its focus on experiential learning

Calgary Economic Development – Chad London, provost 

 

Child literacy: Boosting reading at home

Global News Calgary – Jodi Nickel, faculty

 

How students use artificial intelligence to their advantage

The Shift with Shane Hewitt – Crystal Chokshi, faculty (episode published Sept. 5)

 

COLUMN: My time with Airdrie City View and Rocky View Weekly

Airdrie City View – Ethan Seaborn, student

 

'We were heartbroken': Fort Macleod Pride event disrupted by vandalism, disturbances

Calgary Herald/Calgary Sun – Corinne Mason, faculty

 

Mount Royal University, faculty, students and alumni are often featured in the media. To subscribe to the daily MRU Media report, email mediarelations@mtroyal.ca.

 

Events

Featured event

Graphic reading "Thunder Clash Classic. Sept. 16, 2023."

Beakerhead: Thunder Clash Classic

Sat., Sept, 16 at 2:30 to 4 p.m. — The Dome at Contemporary Calgary

Think of the Thunder Clash Classic as the Crowchild Classic: research edition. This captivating competition brings together the brightest minds from Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary in a friendly competition to showcase their research prowess. No tickets needed, just show up and cheer on your Cougars! More info.


Check out all the events happening in and around campus on our new events calendar.

 

Have a story, announcement or info to share?

Summit and website stories

We would love to hear about your story! Go to the online story submission tool and guidelines.

MyMRU announcements

Please send announcements for MyMRU's homepage to mymru@mtroyal.ca. Review the guidelines.

Start of semester emails, with option for distribution list
sign-up

As each semester begins (August/September and December/January), areas with ongoing employee activities can send an email to all employees describing their semester activities. Employees can then choose to opt in to that area's distribution list (Google Group) for regular updates. If you would like to send an email and/or set up a Google Group for your area, please contact Marketing and Communications for guidelines.

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