Announcements
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Campus is closed Monday, Sept. 30 and will be a non-working day for employees as it is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Recreation will be open as per regular operating hours. Please look for ways you can get involved in Mount Royal’s Journey to Indigenization events and continue on your journey to reconciliation.
Journey to Indigenization: Orange Shirt Day
Wear an Every Child Matters orange t-shirt between Sept. 25 and 30 to honour residential school survivors and commemorate the children who never made it home. Pins and t-shirts for adults and youth are available at the Cougars Campus Store. A portion of the proceeds goes to the maintenance and care of the white buffalo, as well as MRU's Indigenous Students Emergency Fund. Learn more about other Journey to Indigenization initiatives.
Last day for students to opt out of the Student Health and Dental Plan
If applicable, please remind students today is the last day they can opt out of their benefits plan. If students have existing and comparable coverage and would like to opt out, they must do so by the end of the day. Students can learn more about this process here.
Hot water shutdown Sept. 27 to 29
There will be no hot water in parts of the Main Building from 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27 through the end of the day on Sunday, Sept. 29 due to maintenance work. Kerby Hall, Recreation, B-wing and Wyckham will not be affected. However, all these areas will experience slightly cooler air temperatures.
Construction at Recreation entrance
Beginning Sunday, Sept. 29, the concrete sidewalk outside the main entrance of Recreation will be replaced. Foot traffic will still have access to this entrance during the estimated two-week construction period. For wheelchair access, please use the main doors at West Gate.
Employees are welcome to "Weigh in"
Do you commute to campus wearing a backpack? Learn from skilled practitioners about how heavy backpacks impact spinal health and get solutions, suggested habits and ergonomic practices to improve your well-being. Drop by the Backpack Clinic Wednesday, Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the main floor of the Riddell Library.
Learn about cancer prevention this October
Employee Wellness is focusing on cancer prevention with events through October. The Prostate Cancer Centre will have the Man Van on-site on Oct. 2 between the EA Building and Riddell Library from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to offer free PSA blood testing. No registration is required. On Oct. 9, AHS will deliver an information session on Alcohol Use & Awareness in T107 from 10 to11 a.m. On Oct. 16, Morgan Meneghetti from Ignite Nutrition will give a talk on 10 Diet-Focused Ways to Lower Your Cancer Risk in W312 from 2-3 p.m. Learn more and register now.
You’re invited to breakfast with the President
Employees are invited to sign up to join Dr. Tim Rahilly, PhD, for breakfast. This is a chance to chat, enjoy a meal and share ideas with your colleagues on Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. (drop in as your schedule permits or stay for the entire time). If you are interested, please fill out this form. This event is limited to 15 participants and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Preference will be given to those who have not had a conversation with the president with an effort to have representation from management, exempt, support staff and faculty. Only those selected will receive a confirmation to attend but we hope to schedule additional opportunities in the future.
Medical care available on campus
Physician appointments are available to employees at the Health Services Medical Clinic in U216. Call 403.440.6326 to book or drop by the clinic. Same-day appointments may be available. Just bring your provincial health-care card or number. Learn more.
HR Information Hub coming soon
Next month, the HR Information Hub, the new home of all HR-related material online, is launching. From employee resources such as benefits and bursaries to professional development and payroll, you can find what you need in this password-protected site accessed via your mtroyal sign on. This site consolidates all the HR information employees need in one easy-to-navigate place. An email from HR the week of Sept. 30 will have more information.
Benefit boost: Free courses through Continuing Education
Eligible employees can enroll free of charge in non-credit courses, workshops or seminars offered by the Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension and the Conservatory* (*some exclusions may apply.) Spouses and dependents of employees receive a 50 per cent discount on any non-credit course offered by the University. Learn more.
Celebrating Campus Changemakers Oct. 10
Hosted by MRU's Change Team, Celebrating Campus Changemakers will celebrate MRU's renewal of the Ashoka Changemaker Campus designation. MRU is one of only seven universities in the country to carry the Ashoka designation, which highlights the University’s commitment to campus-wide changemaking activities and social innovation education. Anyone from the MRU community may attend at 4 p.m. in the Ideas Lounge at the Riddell Library and Learning Centre on Oct. 10. Register.
2024 Sustainability Forum Open Classroom Week from Oct. 7 to 11
In conjunction with the MRU 2024 Sustainability Forum on Oct. 8, over the course of the Open Classroom Week from Oct. 7 to 11 faculty members from across MRU who are interested in seeing new ways to teach sustainability in action are invited to attend a sampling of classes that are exploring different teaching styles, methodologies, and student engagement strategies focused on sustainability in action. The 2024 Sustainability Forum Open Classroom Week will give instructors who are interested in integrating sustainable development goals into their teaching practice the opportunity to observe what others are doing in their classrooms and to engage in conversations about teaching sustainability with their colleagues. Sign up here or contact AnneMarie Dorland at adorland@mtroyal.ca.
Academic Integrity Week
Students, faculty and staff are invited to reflect on issues around academic integrity on Oct. 8 and 9, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Main Street and at East Gate with activities from the Office of Student Community Standards, Student Learning Services, MRU Library, the Academic Development Centre and SAMRU. Learn more.
New library space: Undergraduate Research HQ
The Undergraduate Research HQ is a flexible work and meeting space for undergraduate research, collaboration and research-related programming on campus. Interested research assistants and supervising faculty can register with the library for private bookings. Learn more.
Learn more about LAPP with webinars
Local Authority Pension Plan (LAPP) members, attend your choice of easy online education sessions to make the most of your pension. Starting Sept. 11, the three sessions cover topics such as increasing your pension and preparing to start your pension. Learn more and register now.
New cybersecurity training now live
Employees, access your required cybersecurity training by logging into the training platform with your mtroyal account. This year’s pretest features 22 questions designed to gauge your cybersecurity knowledge. Learn more. Contact the IT training security analyst at 403.440.6329 or securityawareness@mtroyal.ca with any questions.
Reminder: Use the Main Street table booking form
For faster and more efficient service, remember to use the Main Street Table Booking Form for event requests. Bookmark the form, or find it on MyMRU.ca on the Employee Resources and Timesheets page under "Work Tools.” Club requests should be submitted through SAMRU, while individual student requests should go through their corresponding faculties.
We won a 2024 Planner's Choice Award
The University’s Event and Theatre Services has won the Unique Venues 2024 Planner's Choice Award in the Filming category. Our campus, as seen on HBO's The Last of Us, among other productions amazed planners and secured the highest percentage of votes in this category with 43 per cent of the result. Thank you to all who helped by voting earlier this summer. Learn more.
Employee discount on Food Services
As an employee, you can receive 10 per cent off purchases at The Table, Jugo Juice and Barrow Coffee when paying with your MRUeats flexible dining plan account. Dining plan funds are loaded to your ONECard and you can add custom amounts. Learn more.
Stay ahead of cyber threats — real-time alerts now available
Cyber threats don’t wait — and neither should you. The new and improved Cybersecurity Hub now features real-time alerts on the latest cyber attacks impacting our university as they happen. By visiting the site, you can stay ahead of emerging threats, learn about incidents as they unfold and find actionable steps to protect yourself and our community.
Inkblot name change
Mount Royal’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provider, Inkblot, is changing its name to GreenShield Health this fall. There will be no changes to the current resources, eligibility or sponsored hours. If you’re already enrolled with Inkblot, you’ll have access to your currently matched clinicians and coaches. More information will be shared prior to the official launch on Monday, Nov. 4.
Learning Opportunity: Crucial Conversations for Accountability
Learn tools to hold conversations in ways that promote healthy relationships and yield better results. Register for Crucial Conversations for Accountability, a workshop that takes place over three half-days, Oct. 15, 16 and 18, from 9 a.m. to noon. The session has a capacity of 25 people. Learn more.
2024 Outstanding Alumni Award recipients announced
Congratulations to Kent Soltys, Ellen Parker, Kimberly Gray, Christina Sgaggi, Emma Poole, Kaylene McTavish and Racha El-Dib, who have been selected as the Outstanding Alumni for 2024. This year’s recipients show up with heart, bound to make a difference. Join the MRU Alumni Association, community members, family and friends on Nov. 7 as we recognize and celebrate each recipient. Learn more.
The Big Ideas Podcast is back for Season 2
This season we’re digging deep into wellness in the 21st century to understand how the complexities of modern life impact our well-being - for better or for worse. Listen to Episode 1 with your host and MRU alum, Déjà Leonard as she chats with third-year HR student, Daniela Torres and Associate Professor Allison Dube, PhD, to talk about how being “happy” has become an elusive state we think we’ll reach after we accomplish the “next big thing”. Listen now.
Celebrating success for MRU Camps in 2024
MRU Camps recorded 3,801 registrations across 135 unique sessions this summer, serving 2,452 children from 1,850 families. This marked MRU Camps' highest summer enrolment since the year 2000. The Youth Programming Department would like to thank the campus community for their continuous support in making camps a success each year. As we plan and prepare for 2025, our goal remains to create learning opportunities that allow children and youth to grow, discover and reach their full potential.