Announcements
Chris Lee named chair of MRU’s Board of Governors
On Nov. 30, the provincial government appointed Chris Lee as the chair of the Board of Governors at Mount Royal University. His three-year term began Dec. 1. Lee brings a wealth of experience to the role, including service on the Board of Governors since 2019 and most recently as acting chair since the departure of Alex Pourbaix in October 2023. Read the full announcement.
New director of Institutional Research and Planning
After an extensive search, Mohammad Amin will start in the role of director of Institutional Research and Planning on Jan. 2, 2024. With 10 years in the education realm, Amin has served at Northwestern Polytechnic in Grande Prairie and at the Sooke School and Surrey School Districts in B.C. He holds a Master of Science — Applied Statistics from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia.
Save the date: Budget event in January
Join Mount Royal’s Provost and Vice-President, Academic, Dr. Chad London, PhD, and Vice-President, Finance and Administration, Mustansar Nadeem, at a budget information session at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. More information on this event will be shared closer to the date.
Timesheet submission and paydays this month
Due to the holiday closure — Monday, Dec. 25 through Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 — there are changes to the payroll process this month. Enter hours and submit your timesheet for pay period 25 (hours worked Dec. 3 to 16) — including hours worked up to and including Friday, Dec. 15 and Saturday Dec. 16 — before midnight on Thursday, Dec. 14. The pay date for this pay period is Friday, Dec. 22, rather than the standard Tuesday, Dec. 26.
Timesheets for pay period 26 (hours worked Dec. 17 to 30) will open on Friday, Dec. 15 for early entry. If you can, submit your timesheet before the start of the holiday break. This timesheet needs to be submitted by midnight of Saturday, Dec. 30, which falls during the break.
The deposit day for this pay period is Jan. 9, 2024, which may seem longer because of the early deposit day for pay period 25. Benefits will not be deducted from this pay as it is one of the two non-benefit pay periods of the year. This occurs when there are three pay period ending dates in a month.
Vacation time
Under the MRSA’s Collective Agreement, there is a new timeline for MRSA members on using vacation days: unused vacation days that exceed your annual entitlement must be taken by Dec. 31 or they will be paid out. If you’re an Exempt employee, you have until Feb. 29, 2024, to take unused vacation days that exceed your annual limit or they will be paid out. Please work with your leader to plan and schedule vacation time.
Check your vacation balance on MyMRU under the Employee/Resources & Timesheet tab. Click on Employee Self-Service at the top of the My HR Profile section. Your current leave balances are displayed at the top of the Employee Dashboard. Click Full Leave Balance Information for detailed information.
Apply for the Hybrid Work Program
Mount Royal’s Hybrid Work Program comes into effect Jan. 1, 2024. Eligible employees interested in taking part (including those in the Hybrid Work Trial) should apply now if you haven’t already done so. Learn more.
Let's celebrate outstanding alumni!
Alumni are out in the community making a difference every day, and we want to recognize them. You can help celebrate alumni by nominating them for an Outstanding Alumni Award. Nominations close on Jan. 31, 2024. Learn more.
Research and Scholarship Days 2024
Save the date! Research and Scholarship Days will be held from March 25 to April 5, 2024. As you plan for your winter term courses, please consider incorporating undergraduate research and participation in this celebration of research into your course work. Further details will be coming in the new year.
Friend or phish? Don't get bit, always verify
Even if an email looks like it comes from someone you know, if something feels off or unusual, contact the sender via a chat, new email or a phone call. That’s what someone in Mount Royal’s Payroll department did and thwarted a potential data breach. Learn more about how you can stay cyber safe at mru.ca/Cybersecurity.
Get a better sleep sleep and develop mindfulness with Employee Wellness
Good sleep habits are a large component of overall health. A sleep diary is an example of a tool to self-reflect on your sleep patterns. You can learn more and ask questions during the Improve Your Sleep webinar on Dec. 13 with Bridget Jensen, Canadian director of the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants. Beginning Jan. 8, join Employee Wellness for weekly Monday Mindfulness Meditation sessions in U111. Learn more.
Winter New Student Orientation
We are excited to welcome our winter intake of first-year Mount Royal students during our Winter Orientation on Jan. 3, 2024. We look forward to welcoming these students and sharing our MRU pride! Interested in learning more? For more information visit mru.ca/NSO.
Faculty: Apply for an Open Educational Resources Grant
The Academic Development Centre (ADC) and the University Library invite applications for the Open Educational Resources Grant program available to all full-time and contract faculty. Grant recipients can receive up to $2,000 in funding that can be used toward locating, updating and testing open materials, as well as in-kind support from both the Library and ADC for effectively incorporating open pedagogy and materials into their course. Applications will be accepted until Jan. 17, 2024. Grant recipients should plan to expend the funds by Dec. 1, 2024. Learn more about this opportunity.
Mobile grocery store coming to Wyckham House
FreshRoutes mobile grocery store will pop up weekly in Wyckham House in 2024 to help students and staff with food insecurity by providing competitively priced groceries conveniently on campus. Find them from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays until the end of the winter semester.
Winter program registration is open at Recreation
Many of Recreation’s fall recreation programs were at capacity or had waitlists. Secure your spot for winter programs including swim lessons, intramural sports leagues, climbing and registered-only fitness classes like the Big Three. Register now.
RLLC closed Dec. 10 (5 a.m. to 7 a.m.)
Due to plumbing repairs, RLLC will be closed on Sunday, Dec. 10 from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. Learn more at mru.ca/BuildingNotifications.
Did you know? A new hub is launching at Mount Royal University!
QriTical is a connector and intellectual hub created by, with, and for 2SLGBTQIA+ MRU faculty, students, staff and the broader community. The goal is to create a space for engagement with research, pedagogies and social change mobilizations that challenge cisgender and heterosexual norms from an intersectional lens. Join the membership list by sending a message to qritical.mru@gmail.com. Follow QriTical on Instagram at qritical.mru. Three great events will kick off the new year.