Celebrating African Heritage Month 2018

This month, students, faculty, and staff, and people across Nova Scotia are being invited to celebrate, experience and learn about the rich culture, history, achievements and contributions of people of African descent during African Heritage Month 2018.

We’re proud to celebrate African Heritage Month on our @smuhalifax campus. @SMUHfxLibrary #dowhatyoudo #AHM2018 pic.twitter.com/hvJflSJxJE

— Rob Summerby-Murray (@smuprez) February 2, 2018

As part of African Heritage Month, Saint Mary’s Patrick Power Library is proud to host an event and exhibit highlighting the Lynn Jones African-Canadian & Diaspora Heritage Collection, a major recent addition to the University archives.

The collection chronicles over 50 years of African, African Diasporic and African-Nova Scotian heritage and history, including civil rights and social justice struggles, Dr. Lynn Jones & her family members' lives and activism, and diverse local, regional and international aspects of Black life, through everything from an obituary collection to news clippings, programs, reports and political campaign literature.

An exhibition of samples from the collection will run February 1-28 in the lobby of the Patrick Power Library. The public is invited to join Dr. Jones to learn about of the collection’s history and some of the way in which it’s being used, Tuesday, February 13 from 5:15 pm - 6:15 pm, in the SMU Library Classroom (room LI135).

More than 100 events are planned across Nova Scotia as part of African Heritage Month.

Click here for the Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs’ African Heritage Month 2018 event calendar.

President's Video Blog: Student-led mental health initiatives on campus

See the original story at https://president.smu.ca/blog/2018/1/29/student-led-mental-health-initiatives-on-campus

Saint Mary's University student-athletes lead charge on campus mental health initiative

Carlie Nugent, student-athlete and SAMHI member; Scott Gray, Director of Athletics & Recreation; and Brent Martindale, student-athlete and SAMHI member. 

Staying mentally healthy during the university years is important – not only when it comes to academic achievement, but also when it comes to athletic success and playing an active role in the community.

With one in five Canadians living with mental illness, the student-athletes at Saint Mary’s University are leading the charge on gaining the knowledge and understanding to best support themselves, their teammates and their university community.

“The mental health and wellbeing of our entire athletics community are incredibly important to us at Saint Mary’s,” said Scott Gray, Saint Mary’s University’s Director of Athletics & Recreation. “We know that student-athletes are incredibly busy and can be a vulnerable population for mental health concerns. That is why we offer many on-campus supports including some great student-lead initiatives.”

A great example of this leadership is demonstrated through the Student-Athlete Mental Health Initiative (SAMHI). SAMHI is a country-wide charitable organization dedicated to promoting wellness and mental health. The organization also supports student-athletes who may suffer from mental health concerns or illness.

At Saint Mary’s, student-athletes use the SAMHI model to help their community access resources, increase supportive conversations and get trained on evidence-based educational modules. Currently in its second year on campus, the group also leads fundraising efforts and hosts mental health-related events.

“Having an initiative like SAMHI on campus has allowed students to come together and create a community in which we can talk to each other about the problems we face,” said Carlie Nugent, a fifth-year student-athlete at Saint Mary’s. “We aren’t doctors or counsellors, but we have been trained on how to listen effectively and be better teammates on and off the court.”

Nugent says that by taking the little steps to support each other on campus, the university is making a real change.

“People need to know that they don’t have to suffer in silence,” continued Nugent. “There is always someone willing to listen.”

Provincial ministers meet at Saint Mary's CLARI facility

Robert Summerby Murray, President of Saint Mary's gives a tour of the Atrium to Labi Kousoulis, Nova Scotia Minister of Labour and Advanced Education; Richard Brown, Prince Edward Island Minister of Communities, Land and Environment; and Zach Churchill, Nova Scotia Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development

Saint Mary's was honoured to host a meeting of members of the Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training (CAMET)  at our CLARI facility today.

The council is an agency comprised of the provincial departments across Atlantic Canada responsible for public and post-secondary education, and its purpose is to enhance cooperation in public and post-secondary education by working together to improve learning, optimize efficiencies and bring added value to provincial initiatives.

"CLARI is an example of the positive change promoted by CAMET. This space allows us to work together across geography, across sectors and across organizations. So it is very fitting you are here."
- Robert Summerby Murray, President of Saint Mary's University

CLARI is a cross-province, multi-post-secondary education partnership designed to support Nova Scotia communities with academic and research expertise, designated spaces and communications technology to address social and economic challenges.

Saint Mary’s University to provide students with more study time through fall break

Students and faculty at Saint Mary’s University will now have more time to prepare for the end of the term and get ready for final examinations next fall, due to a new pilot project.

“The creation of a week-long fall break demonstrates that Saint Mary’s University is committed to tackling issues such as student mental health, student retention, and student engagement,” said SMUSA President Ossama Nasrallah. “SMUSA did the research, provided the reasoning and championed this initiative at the University Senate. Students should take pride that the university listened to them and took action based on their concerns.”

The decision to try a full week break as a pilot, opposed to the previous two-day break, was made last Friday, January 12th, at the Saint Mary’s University Academic Senate. The suggestion for the change came from the Saint Mary’s University Students’ Association (SMUSA). SMUSA surveyed more than 1000 students on the fall break. The survey results showed that more than 88% supported extending the break.

“SMUSA provided the Senate with a detailed and thoroughly researched proposal,” said Dr. Madine VanderPlaat, Chairperson, Saint Mary’s University Academic Senate. “There was clear interest from students for this change; and a willingness on the part of Senate to support a pilot project for fall 2018.” 

Saint Mary’s 2018 fall break will take place from November 12 until November 16, 2018.

Dr. Madine VanderPlaat named Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts

From February 14 to May 14, 2018, Dr. Madine VanderPlaat will serve as Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts, while Dean Dr. Margaret MacDonald travels to Rome to take up a three-month position as McCarthy Chair in Biblical Studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute.

Dr. Madine VanderPlaat

An accomplished academic with a strong interest in social justice and marginalized populations, Dr. VanderPlaat has had a distinguished career at Saint Mary’s University, beginning in 1991 as a lecturer in Sociology & Criminology. She served as Chair of the Department of Sociology & Criminology between 1999 and 2006, and was Director of the Atlantic Metropolis Centre—a consortium of researchers, government representatives, and NGOs dedicated to policy-relevant research—from 2003 to 2013.

“Dr. VanderPlaat brings a history of strong leadership and experience within the Faculty to her new role, and will continue the great work underway in the Faculty of Arts at Saint Mary’s,” said Dr. Malcolm Butler, Vice-President, Academic and Research.

An engaged member of the campus community, she has served on the Academic Senate, University Budget Committee, the Panel of Full Professors, the University Review Committee, and the University Appointments Committee, among others.

Since 2013 she has been the Associate Dean of Arts, Research and Outreach and is currently the Chair of Senate.

Dr. James Morrison appointed professor emeritus after long career at Saint Mary’s

When James Morrison was growing up in Economy, Nova Scotia, in the 1950s, his father was often known to entice local characters and storytellers into the family home. “He wasn’t a storyteller,” says Dr. Morrison, “but he loved to hear stories. Eventually of course, I went off to university, and decided that those stories and that kind of knowledge weren’t very important—but I came back around.”

And then some. Dr. Morrison, who this past year became Professor Emeritus of History after nearly 40 years at Saint Mary’s, has spent much of his career developing the field of oral history in Canada, and becoming one of its most prominent and important advocates.

“Growing up where I did,” he says, “I’m sure it put me even subconsciously in the mindset that this kind of folklore, when accepted for what it is, absolutely constitutes a record of history.”

Dr. Jim Morrison at a gathering in the International Education Centre with students Maria and Juan Canales (wearing traditional Chilean dress) of Halifax. 1980. University Archives

First, however, Dr. Morrison turned to the world. He first studied History and English at Acadia University, where he developed an interest in social-political issues within Nova Scotia, especially those affecting marginalized populations and the African-Nova Scotian community. He then earned a Commonwealth Scholarship to study at Nigeria’s University of Ibadan, graduating in 1976 after working on oral traditions in the Nigerian highlands as part of his thesis work. From there, he returned to Canada and began working with Parks Canada as an oral historian, compiling an oral history of Kejimkujik Park.

Finally, in 1979, Dr. Morrison began his career at Saint Mary’s, coming on board as Executive Director of the International Education Centre (IEC)—an early example of what would become Saint Mary’s hallmark dedication to international education and outreach.

“It’s wonderful how Saint Mary’s has continued down this path,” says Dr. Morrison. “When I began the IEC was the only game on campus in terms of international studies. We had speakers’ programs in schools, with graduate students from around the world making presentations and raising the interest level of people locally in what was happening globally.”

Dr. Morrison later became Dean of Arts in 1983 until 1989, and in 1988-89 (and again in 2001) served as Program Coordinator of the International Development Studies program, and was Coordinator of the Asian Studies program at various points between 1992 and 2012. From 1990 onwards, he served as a Professor of History and taught courses on South East Asia, India, African, Atlantic History as well as oral history and ethnic/cultural  history of Nova Scotia.

Dr. Morrison has balanced these on-campus commitments with a similarly impressive record of community service. He has been President and Vice-President of the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society, a historian and archivist with Frontier College since 2000, and an advisor for the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia and the Black Loyalist Museum. Since 2007 he has been a member of the Advisory Committee on the Interpretive Master Plan for Heritage in Nova Scotia.

Dr. Jim Morrison discusses education in developing countries with Dr. John Orkar on the weekly Halifax cable TV show 'Your World'. 1980. University Archives.

One of his most significant achievements was his work, between 1997 and 2011, as an advisor and historian with the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, which would later become the first national museum outside of Ottawa. “Museums are one of the institutions that the public trusts the most,” says Dr. Morrison. “Developing this infrastructure is tremendously important.”

In the 1990s, Dr. Morrison conducted some of the first interviews with individuals sent to Canada as children during World War 2, as well as medical personnel and customs officials, helping to put together the nascent museum’s first exhibits, based significantly on oral history, an achievement of which Dr. Morrison is justly proud.

“When I was in Africa, we were coming out of a long period in which the history of the elites was regarded as the only real history—military and political history, the history of the powerful. And that’s important and crucial, but the history of others, women, labour leaders, farmers, and ordinary people, were always missing from these accounts. Oral history is not a matter of putting a microphone in front of someone and simply taking what they say at face value, but when done properly, it is of critical importance. And, there is a broader acceptance of it now than ever.”

Dr. Morrison was recognized in 2009 with the Order of Canada for “lasting contributions to his province and to the field of historical research.” In 2013, he was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal in recognition of his research and advocacy on immigration and oral history.

He has also been the recipient of many fellowships and accolades, including Senior Visiting Fellow at Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (1989-90), Visiting Scholar at Hokkaido University of Education (1996, 2004), and a Visiting Fellow at Jawaharlal Nehru University (1999).

Finally, his impressive publication history includes authorship and editorship of 13 books and monographs, as well as many papers, editorials, reviews, and other vital contributions to the study of history in Nova Scotia and beyond.

Dr. Morrison’s career has mirrored so many of Saint Mary’s strengths—community and international outreach especially. And it is still not finished. He continues to juggle multiple projects, including annotating the logbook kept by a Minas Basin schooner captain from 1894 to 1901, a biography of the founder of Frontier College, Alfred Fitzpatrick and editing the diary of a Queens County farmer dating from the 1870s to the 1930s.

“ I have always felt that history  may never end all our differences but it may help us make the world safe for the diversity that is all around us.”

Sobey School of Business MBA program recognized for quality

QS, a global career and education network, has released its worldwide ranking of the top MBA programs. Saint Mary’s University’s Sobey School of Business MBA program ranked #10 in Canada and in the top 200 internationally.

QS rankings are based on three surveys: a global academic survey, a global employer survey and a survey completed by universities. Institutions are rated on performance in categories of Employability, ROI, Entrepreneurship and Alumni Outcomes, Thought Leadership and Diversity. Learn more about their methodology here. 

Sobey scored 3rd in diversity, 6th in ROI and 9th in entrepreneurship and alumni success in the Canadian list. The school ranked 44th in the world for diversity. Other universities on the list include Toronto, Western, McGill, York, Queen’s, HEC Montreal, UBC, University of Alberta and Simon Fraser.

Dean Patricia Bradshaw

“We are proud that the Sobey School of Business offers world-class education, and we remain committed to making an impact with purpose,” said Dean Patricia Bradshaw. “We are particularly proud of this recognition of our diversity.”

“One of our key strengths is our faculty members’ diversity and the way they set the tone for international and domestic students working together, collaboratively and inclusively.”

The Sobey MBA program, redesigned in 2015, incorporates immersive experiences such as local service and an international trip that offers students cross-cultural opportunities to experience and learn global business up close. The well-respected program has been graduating students for more than 40 years.

QS is a global organization that links students with higher education institutions. They host well-attended and known MBA recruitment events, and have staff offices throughout the world.

Honorary degrees to be conferred on local humanitarian and accomplished curator

Saint Mary’s University is celebrating the accomplishments of a prominent Halifax humanitarian and a prolific art curator and historian in the new year with honorary degrees to be conferred at the university’s Winter 2018 convocation ceremony.

Saint Mary’s is pleased to recognize the achievements of:

Melvin Boutilier

• Melvin Boutilier, incredible entrepreneur and trailblazer of social enterprise, whose commitment to community has helped two generations of those in need in the greater Halifax Regional Municipality
   
• Judith Dietz, curator, historian, and Saint Mary’s University alumna, BA’84, MA’07, whose discovery of the Salzinnes Antiphonal at Saint Mary’s Patrick Power Library made national and international headlines and brought a lost relic from over 450 years ago into the public eye.

Judith Dietz

“We are proud to honour Melvin Boutilier and Judith Dietz, two outstanding individuals who serve as exemplars to our students of how discovery, innovation and community engagement can lead to great accomplishments,” said Saint Mary’s University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray.

Melvin Boutilier was born in a rural community in Nova Scotia on January 29, 1928.  He was one of ten children and felt early in life the pain of poverty. After a successful career in government and the construction industry, he took his retirement as an opportunity to fulfill his dream as a volunteer and focus on addressing challenges in the Halifax community. Mr. Boutilier would go on to found a series of successful projects such as the Community Care Network (commonly known as Parker Street Food Bank), the Metro Care and Share Society, a skills development centre, an emergency fund for families in need and the Halifax Scholars Program.

The daughter of the late Robert Dietz, the first director and curator of the Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery, Ms. Dietz was born into the arts. Her passion for art and history brought her to the Nova Scotia Museum of Fine Arts in 1973, the predecessor of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. She would go on to become the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia’s first Registrar and the Manager of Collections and Gallery Services. In 1999, Ms. Dietz discovered a book in Saint Mary’s Patrick Power Library’s rare book collection, catalogued as a “Roman Catholic Antiphonary.” In 2002, Ms. Dietz identified the book as the Salzinnes Antiphonal, a hand-scribed illuminated choir book dated 1554 and 1555, originating from the Cistercian Abbey of Salzinnes on the outskirts of Namur, Belgium. After its discovery, extensive conservation, and scholarly interpretation, the Antiphonal has become the subject of a major exhibition at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, attracting international audiences.

Dr. Margaret MacDonald, Dean of Arts, named McCarthy Chair in Biblical Studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute

Dr. Margaret MacDonald, Dean of Arts

Beginning in February 2018, Dean of Arts,  Dr. Margaret MacDonald will be a visiting professor for three months at the Pontifical Biblical Institute (PBI) in Rome. She will serve as the PBI’s fourth McCarthy Chair in Biblical Studies, where she will conduct research on the New Testament and early Christianity, and work closely with graduate students.

"This is a tremendous recognition of Dr. MacDonald’s scholarship and will help create links between Saint Mary’s and many leading international scholars who will also be situated at PBI," said Dr. Malcolm Butler, Vice-President, Academic and Research, Saint Mary's University. "Congratulations Dr. MacDonald, and best of luck in this exciting endeavor." 

PBI was established in 1909 as a centre for academic studies pertaining to biblical literature, and today welcomes students from more than 60 nations. The McCarthy Chair has been designated for a senior woman scholar on a rotating basis since 2015. Recent Chair holders include Adela Yarbro Collins of Yale Divinity School (2015-2016), and Carol Meyers of Duke University (2016-2017). Dr. MacDonald will hold the position from mid-February to mid-May of 2018.
 
In his letter of invitation, Michael Kolarcik, S.J. Rector of  the Pontifical Biblical Institute stressed “the outstanding work” Dr. MacDonald has been doing in New Testament Studies. He expressed the hope that she would extend her influence on licentiate and doctoral students and indicated that the faculty at PBI would really appreciate interacting with her in her areas of research.

Saint Mary’s Anthropology department expands its technological toolkit

Dr. Jonathan Fowler (l); Greg Baker (behind), Instrument Technician with the Maritime Provinces Spatial Analysis Research Centre, part of the Saint Mary's Geography department; Sara Beanlands (senior archaeologist at Boreas Heritage Consulting and an adjunct professor in the Anthropology department).

This past semester, the Department of Anthropology at Saint Mary’s added a new device to its archaeological arsenal: the Noggin 500, a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) that will help students and faculty literally see beneath the soil as they explore some of Nova Scotia’s most important historic sites. The instrument is designed and built by Sensors & Software of Mississauga, Ontario.

“GPRs are used commonly in research and archaeological consulting internationally,” says Anthropology Professor Dr. Jonathan Fowler, “but less often in our region. We hope to change that.”

The purchase was a joint partnership between Boreas Heritage Consulting and Northeast Archaeological Research, two Halifax-based archaeological consulting companies. Sara Beanlands is an archaeologist with Boreas, a graduate of Saint Mary’s History program, and an adjunct professor in the Anthropology Department. She says it’s critical for students to have access to this kind of technology: “It’s already a standard part of archaeological practice in many parts of the world, and will become so here as well.”

Saint Mary’s students already have access to the Geonics EM38B, a device which measures soil magnetism and can put together a limited picture of what lies underneath. It’s especially good at seeing places where buildings have been burned and no visible traces remain—after burning, the soil’s magnetism is enhanced. This is especially helpful at sites such as the burned Acadian village at Grand-Pré.

The addition of the Noggin—with a different set of strengths—complements the EM38’s abilities and puts a whole other underground world within reach. Whereas the EM38 sees best in the top 50 centimetres of soil, the Noggin can see as much as two metres down, and can map the subterranean environment in three dimensions. The Noggin GPR is especially good at spotting “discontinuities” in soil texture and type, such as those caused by unmarked graves.

The result of this expanding technological toolkit is a more accurate sense of what lies where, especially valuable when making the most of time in the field.

“It’s important for students to learn the traditional approaches to mapping and examining sites,” says Beanlands, “but these absolutely help us focus where to dig and figure out where there’s better potential to find a site of interest.”

So far, Dr. Fowler has run a series of test surveys at archaeological sites in Nova Scotia. In collaboration with Parks Canada, the GPR is also being used at national historic sites, including Grand-Pré in the Annapolis Valley and Citadel Hill in Halifax. To call the early results promising would be an understatement.

“We’re seeing archaeological features we’ve never seen before,” says Dr. Fowler, “and it’s honestly totally changing my interpretation of certain things. The complementary principle is really playing out…and it’s giving students access to skills and training that are very rare, maybe unique, in Canada right now. This will be extremely important to their future careers.”

Saint Mary's President named Chair Designate of Canadian Bureau for International Education

Saint Mary's University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray

Saint Mary’s University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray has been named the Chair Designate of the Canadian Bureau for International Education’s board of directors.

“I am extremely pleased to have accepted the nomination as Chair Designate of the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE).  CBIE, much like Saint Mary’s University, embraces internationalization and global learning, as key tenants of its strategic direction,” said President Summerby-Murray. “I look forward to working with their executive team and leading their board, furthering efforts to put Canada’s global engagement challenge on the agendas of government and the private sector, and to advancing the role of young people in meeting that challenge.”

Established in 1966, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) is a national, not-for-profit, non-governmental membership organization dedicated exclusively to international education. CBIE is the national voice advancing Canadian international education by creating and mobilizing expertise, knowledge, opportunity, and leadership. The CBIE is a global leader in international education, dedicated to equity, quality, inclusiveness, and partnership.

To learn more about the Canadian Bureau for International Education visit www.cbie.ca.