The past year has certainly been a challenging one. Every department, program, activity and unit across campus has felt the impact of the budget cuts that had to be implemented as part of the multi-year budget plan to remove our structural deficit.

So what do we have to look forward to in 2010? Another year of budget reductions as part of our commitment to the multi-year budget plan, but also some added pressures.

Unless the government changes the accounting regulations on pensions, we will be forced to make multi-million-dollar contributions to our pension fund in the middle of the year. This will affect our ability to operate as an institution, and in the longer term, we will have to change our pension structure to survive.

At the same time, the provincial government is facing a multi-billion-dollar deficit, and we know there are calls for expenditure restraint in a number of ministries. We already know the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) budget will be reduced for 2010/11, but we are working closely with ministry staff to minimize the impact of any budget cuts.

We don’t know about the possible impact on the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities budget. The government has indicated that it will renew the funding framework for the post-secondary system, but in the current economic climate, increases in funding are more likely to be focused on the outer years of the new framework.

One of our challenges is that any funding announcements and any conditions on tuition will be brought forward only in the provincial budget, which is likely to be in late March.

Once again, therefore, we will be bringing forward a preliminary draft budget making a number of assumptions about the funding available from government.

And once again I am asking members of the University community for their patience, help and understanding as we do our best to put together a preliminary budget to take to Board of Governors in the spring.

As always, we are committed to making the budget process open and inclusive. We have already had discussions among senior administration members and student leaders about the budget and the upcoming planning process.

By month’s end, all departments and units will have submitted their integrated planning revisions to the provost. These changes, along with the University’s position for tuition, ancillary fees and residence fees, will be included in the planning and budget materials that will be shared across campus. By mid-February, the Finance Committee will begin developing a preliminary operating budget that includes risks and sensitivities as well as our tuition assumptions.

On Feb. 22, provost Maureen Mancuso and I will host a campus-wide “Rumour Mill” on the budget and will answer questions from the community.

In March, a preliminary budget, including the OMAFRA budget and the integrated planning updates, will be distributed to members of Senate. That same month, we will hold another budget-focused “Rumour Mill.” In April, the preliminary budgets will be presented to B of G.

Against this backdrop, the University continues to rise — literally. A number of construction projects that were needed to maintain and enhance quality are nearing completion. In addition, there will be announcements in upcoming weeks about new gifts made to the University as part of our ongoing fundraising efforts.

I realize it’s sometimes difficult to understand the need to deal with changes so we can balance the operating budget as we continue to build and renovate and do fundraising. But it’s important to keep in mind that funds for construction projects and those garnered from contributions cannot be used towards the operating budget.

As I’ve said before, this will be a difficult time for the entire institution, but budget challenges are nothing new for this university. Time and time again, we’ve shown that we can work together to address challenges and preserve the quality of the Guelph educational experience.

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 04:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There is nothing more rewarding than seeing young people taking a good idea, making it their own, and running with it full steam ahead.

That is precisely what a group of Guelph high school students is doing with a spinoff of the University’s Bracelet of Hope Campaign. You may recall that U of G began selling the red-and-white bracelets in 2006 as part of its Masai Project: For Africa, for AIDS, for Hope, with the goal of raising $100,000. The project was part of a larger community effort spearheaded by Dr. Anne-Marie Zajdlik to raise $1 million for an AIDS clinic in Lesotho.

The bracelets are handmade by women from the Inina Craft Agency, a co-operative in Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The women manufacture bracelets and other crafts at home. In addition to providing employment, the co-op also helps support AIDS orphans in the community.

The U of G project went nationwide, with "bracelets of hope" now being sold in other parts of Canada and even in areas in the United States and Britain. To date, more than 115,000 bracelets have been sold. In 2008, the U of G bracelet campaign won an international award from the Conference Board of Canada.

Now students from Guelph’s high schools have picked up the idea and are giving it new direction. They are competing for a grant to make a documentary aimed at spreading awareness about the Bracelets of Hope campaign, as well as the Lesotho’s potential to prosper.

The “Hopeful Documentary” will follow 12 Guelph students as they travel to Lesotho and partner with local Basutho youth for 16 days volunteering locally. Upon their return to Canada, they will encourage youth across Canada to wear a Bracelet of Hope and support he global community.

The Guelph high school students have made a video pitching their project, and entered it and their documentary idea in a contest from the Aviva Community Fund. They have been selected as semi-finalists. If the students win, they’ll receive $500,000 for their project.

In their video entry, the students stress how the bracelet campaign is all about hope for a better life and future for people in Africa. They also stress it is about young Canadians coming together to make a difference. I couldn’t agree more.

Seeing these young people working so hard, and with such enthusiasm and dedication, to keep Bracelets of Hope active and visible gives me hope, hope for the campaign’s longevity and for the future, knowing we have up-and-coming citizens so committed to making this world a better place.

The winner of the Aviva Community contest will be decided by votes from the public. I encourage everyone from the University and Guelph communities and beyond to go the website, watch the students’ video entry, and give them your support.

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 03:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dec. 6, 1989, will always remain etched in my mind. I was teaching in the anatomy lab at OVC when I heard the tragic news that a lone gunman had opened fire at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique, killing 14 innocent women.

Like many people, I have spent every Dec. 6 since that horrifying moment thinking about how quickly it changed the lives of so many people. And like other historical events involving a devastating loss of human life, the Ecole Polytechnique killings reach across the decades to provide us with an opportunity for education and contemplation.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Montreal tragedy and is an ideal time to reflect on the issue of violence against women. We have come a long way on this issue, yet we still have much to learn. It's a subject worth contemplating not just on Dec. 6 but every day of the year. We owe it to the women who lost their lives 20 years ago to grapple with this issue publicly, to debate and discuss it in the open.

The murders at Ecole Polytechnique amounted to an extreme and deliberate hate crime. The man who took the lives of the innocent and vibrant students regarded women as the enemy. He felt threatened by them. His irrational hatred metastasized into the sick belief that women stood in the way of his acceptance, as well as his success in school and life.

Although this was a senseless act and the victims were random, it was not a random act. The killer first stormed into a classroom, separated the women and the men and shot the women, selecting his victims solely on the basis of their gender. He then stormed through the hallways targeting women, shooting to kill. In addition to the 14 women murdered, 10 other women and four men were injured before the killer took his own life.

Since this catastrophe, Canada has made great strides in tackling the issue of gender-based violence. The Montreal murders prompted legislative changes, innovative research, new approaches to looking at gender, changes in attitudes and additional services for those who experience abuse.

But so much more work remains to be done. Gender-based violence is still prevalent, and it touches us all in one way or another. Different situations vary in extremity, and some forms of abuse are subtler than others, but the cumulative effect is significant and damaging. Root causes also often share a common thread: abuse of power, misdirected anger, misunderstanding and the acceptance of dangerous ways of thinking and behaving. And overwhelmingly, the victims of such violence continue to be girls and women.

In 2005, the World Health Organization completed a multi-country study on the issue involving 10 countries and some 24,000 women. It found that gender-based violence is a prevalent, sometimes daily threat for girls and women around the globe. In fact, it accounts for more death and disability among women than the combined effects of cancer, malaria, traffic injuries and war, according to the United Nations Development Fund for Women. The abuse has many forms: sexual, physical, emotional, labour exploitation, discrimination, etc. The physical and emotional effects are devastating, both for the victims and for those who witness the abuse, especially children.

This is not merely a public safety or public health matter. At its core, gender-based violence is a human rights issue. Any time a person's rights are violated, the ripples touch all sectors of society not to mention all individuals and it behooves us all to find ways to help eradicate it.

Progress has been made, yet stereotypes and stigma continue to be problems when it comes to violence against women in Canada and abroad. It's vital that we confront gender inequality by dealing with issues of both men's and women's roles and identities, particularly perceptions of masculinity, in order to address all sides of understanding and acceptance.

In addition, fear, shame and guilt continue to prevent women of all ages from reporting abuse, talking about it publicly and taking action. One way to change this is to facilitate a more open dialogue about the prevalence of such crimes and the harm they cause.

At U of G, we have supported the Women's Campus Safety Initiatives program, which funds education, programs and services on women's safety, sexual harassment and violence against women. The results have been very positive, leading to many important initiatives over the years. Violence against women is ultimately a consequence of the historical imbalance of power between men and women socially, economically, politically and it must be remedied. This happens when we as a people with a shared love of our community  strive to ensure that our university, city, province and country are places where everyone, regardless of gender, receives respect and equal opportunities for education and personal and professional advancement.

We need to keep encouraging girls to strive for success in any field that interests them, whether it's science and engineering, medicine, or arts and social sciences. Women who have achieved great things in these fields are ideal mentors for guidance and inspiration.

Women must continue to be elected and promoted to leadership positions where they can contribute their ideas and experiences, make a difference and serve as role models for others. Each of us must work to ensure that all men and women understand that gender-based violence has no place anywhere on our campus, in our community, in our country. The agonizing times when such abhorrent behaviour was tolerated whether out in the open or behind closed doors must be buried in the past.

As a result of the tragedy in Montreal 20 years ago, Dec. 6 has become known as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. This is a day to commemorate those who have lost their lives as a result of gender-based violence. At Guelph, some people wear white ribbons (the symbol of the anti-violence against women movement) or attend a ceremony at the Memorial Cactus Garden in the Thornbrough Building, which houses the School of Engineering.

However you choose to mark the day and honour the memory, remember how vital it is to keep this issue at the fore. Think of the things each of us can do to prevent violence against girls and women. By doing this, we each do our part to ensure that the women murdered in Montreal 20 years ago and all other victims of the same hateful scourge down through the ages did not die in vain.

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 04:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Today is a proud day for all of us at the University of Guelph, including our alumni around the world. Once again, we received top marks from our students in the annual Globe and Mail University Report Card. In fact, in several areas, our grades were the highest in the country, including overall student satisfaction, environmental commitment and food services.

Among the highlights, U of G was ranked No.1 in its division or tied for the top ranking in keys areas such as teaching, student services, buildings and facilities, and campus technology.

We also received an A+ for campus atmosphere and an A for overall quality of education, and our faculty received A's for subject knowledge, teaching quality and availability to students.

These kinds of accolades are worth their weight in gold as I advocate with government and friends to help them see that Guelph is and always has been — to quote the Globe and Mail — engaged in a "quiet revolution.”

Indeed, the marks are extremely gratifying. But what’s even more important is what they indicate: people are starting to understand what Guelph is all about, what sets us apart. Guelph’s student experience is unique, both individualistic and communal, and, above all, genuine. And our success is all due to the efforts of our faculty, students, staff and alumni.

Our faculty continue to amaze me with their dedication and commitment to ensuring the Guelph teaching experience is top quality. Their willingness to be accessible to students and directly engage them in learning is another thing that sets us apart. I am grateful that the Report Card results recognize their efforts.

Our staff were also cited in today’s Report Card, noted for their helpfulness and for providing top-notch services and equipment to our undergraduates. In particular, I want to recognize those who work in Food Services because the quality of our food was once again acknowledged with an “A” — a mark that definitely stood out among the C’s and D’s that dominated the rankings in this division.

Lastly, I want to thank all of our students who responded to the survey. The campus atmosphere that you rated an A+ is a direct result of your involvement and engagement. Guelph is known for being a place where students help other students and where everyone works together to ensure U of G is a place of comfort and safety and a source of pride.

I’ve said many times that Guelph is a wonderful place to work and learn, and it’s because of the people, our values and our sense of community. It’s very satisfying to have these distinguishing features recognized in the Report Card. Congratulations to all!

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 11:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

All students who enrol at the University of Guelph expect that the knowledge gained here will change their lives for the better. They are right, of course, but they may not know how much the University of Guelph has already done to improve life in Canada.

The list of Guelph contributions goes back almost 150 years to a time when the country’s agrarian society needed an injection of scientific knowledge. Our founding colleges became key players in the development of Canadian society through advances in crop production, the care of livestock and the role of rural families.

From those historical strengths, the University of Guelph has become a leader in advancing healthy animal and human systems, environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and food and water quality. Few institutions in the world have such a deep understanding of the life sciences or how our culture has impacted our concept of life. Few institutions in the world are as prepared as the University of Guelph to address the challenges facing us today.

Canada is no longer an isolated, agrarian society. And the threat of pandemics and disease, environmental degradation, food and water shortages and deteriorating societies are no longer the problems of other countries. These are global issues that affect our quality of life as surely as those of our neighbours around the world.

What we need in the world today is a way of accelerating our collective capacity for change. Educators, researchers, scholars, scientists, artists and students ― wherever we are on Earth, we need to think differently, act decisively and work together to find the solutions needed.

For the University of Guelph, this is a call to action. We believe this is our time to provide leadership. We are drawing on our historical strengths, our cross-disciplinary expertise and our desire to improve life for future generations ― in Canada and around the world.

You can learn more about our achievements in this regard in my annual report which is now 'live' on the web with a link from:

http://www.uoguelph.ca/president/report/

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 10:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)