Many times we talk about the unique nature of the University of Guelph. We cite the interactive interdisciplinary nature of the place and the people here and ways in which we try to look at problems as a whole rather than explore things in silos. So what better proof of this could there be with a new publication from the University ............ this week a book landed on my desk that probably couldn't be produced anywhere else. The former dean of agriculture and the Director of the art gallery have written a book, published by McGill-Queens University Press entitled "The Cultivated Landscape: an exploration of art and agriculture". From the sections that I have read so far, it is charmingly written with vivid descriptions of the history of agriculture interwoven with visual art. Congratulations to the authors - Craig Pearson and Judy Nasby. Congratulations to Guelph for supporting such a fabulous demonstration of the incredible benefits of linking the arts and sciences.

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 05:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

United Way really is a phenomenal organization.

It has been important for helping people in our community for over 40 forty years.

Every year we raise money to help more than 40 agencies and at times help almost a third of the people in our community.

At the same time, we know that seven percent of children in Guelph-Wellington still live below the poverty. The United Way makes incredible difference to children at risk.

But is also helps people in all sorts of circumstances.

Sadly the situation in our community is likely to get worse. This year, with the economic downturn, particularly in the manufacturing sector, there will be more people in financial difficulty and that means more people who may need help. Less people at work will mean less people who can afford to help.

The City of Guelph and the Country of Wellington have shown, time and again, that they care by raising money through United Way.

We know that your money directly helps people in our community.

United Way works with partner organizations and agencies to bring help to people who need it locally.

More than ever we need your help, this year.

As we approach the Campaign 2008 Kick-off I ask you to help. Anything you can do to help raise money or contribute to United Way this year will be very gratefully received.

Thank you for thinking of others.

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 09:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is heartwarming to know that a significant majority of Canadians want Canada to be able to respond more effectively to the challenges of poverty around the world and want to be able to respond more effectively to humanitarian crises.

In fact, we have shown this heart in very dramatic ways: the Asian tsunami was followed by the largest contributions of private aid from Canadians and we have responded rapidly to the subsequent natural disasters in Burma and China. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) - a government agency that is often castigated for being to slow to respond and risk averse - has developed an effective matching program for private aid and it is probably one of the better agencies in the world at disbursing the funds for immediate release when a disaster occurs.

Last spring, despite the very contentious nature of our divided national parliament, there was all-party support for a private member's Bill on improving the effectiveness of Canadian aid. The new Bill will ensure that monies are directed more rapidly toward alleviating poverty and that Canada will promotes human rights and civil society in determining its aid priorities. This is groundbreaking legislation and we should be proud that our parties have taken this action.

This week, celebrating three years since the signing of the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, ministers from over a hundred countries will meet in Accra (Ghana) to review our progress on aid effectiveness. They will be joined by heads of development agencies, donor organizations and leaders of civil society organizations from around the globe. Canada has played a leading role in advocating for a stronger acceptance of the view that promoting and achieving civil society is the cornerstone of building lasting development solutions that will combat poverty, disease and war. This was not always a popular or accepted position but it is clear from the people attending this meeting in Accra that the international community now recognizes the importance of civil society. They have invited representatives from humanitarian organizations, foundations, advocacy groups, grass-roots groups, churches, universities and other non-government actors that can contribute towards ending poverty and alleviating suffering to be part of the dialogue. This is a very significant step forward.

In Canada, and particularly among non-government agencies, there has been a tendency to criticize CIDA. It is important to recognize that CIDA officials have worked tirelessly with groups and associations and their counterparts from around the world to emphasis the importance of the role that civil society. They have long advocated that civil society plays a key role in the fostering effective development and in restoring dignity to those affected by the scourges of pest, plague and pestilence.

There remains an incredible amount of work to be done but we should feel proud of our desire as Canadians to be involved in humanitarian efforts and we have reason to celebrate the contributions of our political parties and CIDA. CIDA has faced incredible challenges: in the last six years there have been three governments, four Ministers, four presidents of the Agency and three major policy reviews. Imagine how much more successful CIDA could be in bringing about change and truly making long-lasting solutions if only they could have a period of stability at home.

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 07:53 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I often hear stories about the way we treat people at Guelph. Visitors often say with surprise "I wasn't on campus for more than a couple of minutes before sometime stopped and asked if they could help".

I want to tell the story about such an act of kindness this week because it says so much about the University of Guelph.

Each morning I trot down to "Williams" in Centre Six for coffee/tea. On Wednesday of this week, I was called over to be introduced to two international students. A faculty member introduced me to two students who were on exchange and had just arrived.

The faculty member had spotted two students obviously weighed down with a considerable amount of luggage and stopped to ask if she could help.

The new students were grateful for the help and slowly revealed their story.

Coming to Guelph for the Fall semester, they had originally booked their flight to Canada on an airline that has recently gone into receivership. Their alternate route took them to New York and Greyhound bus arriving earlier than morning in the City of Guelph.

They are not certain where to go so the faculty member bought them coffee and was sitting with them until the Centre for International Programs and Student Housing opened at 8:30am later that morning.

What luck - I was buying coffee with the Associate Vice-President Student Affairs and she was able to expedite their transfer to residence and move-in.

What wonderful people we have here at the University of Guelph. How super to care so much not only to offer help but to buy the students coffee and wait with them until the offices were open.

If this incident was isolated it would be remarkable but the fact is that it isn't ! It happens so often that it is almost a tradition at Guelph.

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 03:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Welcome to the new year at Guelph
This year the Orientation Volunteers are wearing red T Shirts. It doesn't seem to matter whether the colour of those shirts is pastel or bold, the message of welcome is the same. Every year hundreds of upper year students volunteer to come and help with move in and - in doing so - uphold an age old tradition at the University of Guelph. It doesn't matter whether you talk to a person who arrived on campus when there were only a thousand students here or moved in the heady grow days of the sixties or seventies or arrived last weekend, the story and the message is the same. After a short wait, cars (some of them overstuffed with belongings) are directed to park outside the residence, a hoard of volunteers descend and the belongings are whisked away to the new student's new room.

Not only is the welcome quick but the atmosphere is friendly.

Every year I receive letters, cards and emails from grateful (and sometimes surprised) parents. They have heard tales of long line-ups, heckling older students and disorientation.

That is not Guelph. The letters speak of the welcoming and helpful atmosphere at Guelph. The writers recognize the enormous energy and enthusiasm of the volunteers and some see that all this polish on the surface took a great deal of planning and implementation. They are stunned to learn that the vast majority of the work is done by the Orientation volunteers and the students on the Orientation-Team (better known as the O-team).

Starting at university, making that transition to a new home is incredibly important and the Orientation volunteers at Guelph do a superb job at setting the right tone here.

I am sure that they feel the level of appreciation expressed by all but you only have to look at the tired faces by the end of the Orientation Week to know that this does take a lot of effort.

THANK YOU to students, staff and faculty who made Orientation and Move-in 2008 another very successful event.

Here's to a wonderful academic year.

Posted by Alastair Summerlee at 03:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)