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Our Community

Your Mount Royal News
April 29, 2021

Senior Indigenous leader announced

Starting on May 1, Dr. Linda ManyGuns, PhD, will become the associate vice-president of indigenization and decolonization at Mount Royal, providing vision, strategy, leadership and direction.

Inquiry, discovery and impact

The Research Recognition Awards are presented annually to those who have made a significant impact in mobilizing the knowledge base of their chosen research area.

Chinook Aerosports takes flight

Receiving close to $30,000 at the annual JMH LaunchPad pitch competition, student Ben Pearman's venture is creating disc golf technology to help players track their progress.

Students show 'grit and determination'

Challenges facing women or families were the focus of this year’s participants in the fifth-annual Map the System competition held by the Institute for Community Prosperity at MRU.

Announcements

Planning continues for a return to campus in the fall semester

Despite the current situation, planning continues for a return to campus in the fall based on reaching Step 4 of the government's phased re-opening. Consultation is currently happening with key groups and as plans solidify there will be more communication on the paced return of employees to campus.

Winter 2021 COVID impact survey results now available

The reports from Mount Royal’s Winter 2021 COVID-19 impact surveys of students and employees are available online. Overall, the results are consistent with the Fall 2020 surveys. While students’ academic experiences improved, a minority rated their overall online learning experience as excellent or good. Post-pandemic work flexibility remained important to employees, and the impacts of the pandemic on mental health and well-being continue to be evident. Send any questions about the surveys to ecortens@mtroyal.ca.

Getting vaccinated during working hours

Mount Royal encourages all employees to get vaccinated as protection against COVID-19 when they become eligible. If appointments are required during regular working hours, please work with your manager. Employees will have access to three hours of paid leave if needed under Bill 71.

Sign in to Office 365 with your MyMRU login credentials

Mount Royal employees have optional access to Microsoft Office 365 applications. Go to office.com and log in with your MyMRU username and password. If you already have an Office 365 account through the University, your Mount Royal login will override your current Office 365 password as of April 29 after working hours. More information.

How did you hear about Wellness at Work?

On Bell Let's Talk Day Jan. 28, Human Resources launched a new website called Wellness at Work. A campaign to increase employee awareness and uptake of the resources available to support well-being ran over the past three months. Please provide your thoughts on the information that has been shared with you in this quick survey.

MRSA General Meeting online Wednesday, May 19

The MRSA/BoG Collective Agreement grants employees time off with pay to attend the Annual General Meeting and the General Meeting if these occur during normal working hours. Managers and supervisors are encouraged to support their staff in attending the meeting, from 10:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. on May 19, where operationally feasible.

MRSA credit course tuition reimbursement

May 31 is the new deadline for MRSA members to apply for up to $500 of tuition reimbursement for a credit course at an accredited post-secondary institution. Download the application and email your completed form to mrsa@mtroyal.ca beginning May 1. Electronic signatures will be accepted. Contact prodev@mtroyal.ca with any questions. All HR forms can be found on MyMRU under Employee/Human Resources/HR_Toolkit.

Entrepreneurial workshops begin May 5

The Alberta Inclusive Innovation Initiative (AI3) workshop series presented by the Diversity Institute at Ryerson University and Mount Royal University, with support from HSBC Bank Canada, is reaching out to aspiring business owners from marginalized communities in Alberta to help them bring their business ideas to life. Visit mru.ca/InclusiveInnovation for more information and to register.

New way to book massage appointments

The Mount Royal Student Practicum Centre’s new online appointment booking system lets you sign in via Google, Facebook or Twitter, so you don’t have to worry about yet another username and password. (If you’d prefer, you can create an account tied to your email.) With the system’s My Account feature, you can manage upcoming massage therapy bookings, update paperwork and more. Visit mru.ca/BookAMassage to try the new system and book a $20 massage in May.

Did you know?

As of April 14, Spring 2021 registrations have increased by 28.8 per cent when compared with the same point in time in the previous year and Summer 2021 registrations have increased by 53.1 per cent. The registration trends clearly indicate that students are interested in enrolling in Mount Royal spring/summer courses in these terms if the courses coincide with their availability and preferred mode of delivery.

Bleed Blue

Granted!

The Office of Research, Scholarship and Community Engagement is celebrating the latest grants received by members of the MRU community. Dr. Emily Hutchison, PhD (humanities), has been awarded a SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) Insight Grant for her ongoing project, "Spatial Narratives of Late Medieval Paris.” Dr. Michael Asmussen, PhD (biology), has been awarded an NSERC (National Sciences and Engineering Research Council) Discovery Grant for his project, “Foot-Ankle Complex: Mechanisms Underpinning its Stability and Control,” and Dr. Jeella Acedo, PhD (chemistry) has been awarded an NSERC Discovery Grant for her project, “Genome-guided Discovery of Bacteriocins.”

Recognition for reducing gender discrimination

Maddison Scarlett (Faculty of Arts) and Amirah Azmi (Faculty of Science and Technology) have each received a Leaders in Equality Award of Distinction from the Government of Alberta. The program supports students who are working to reduce gender discrimination in their communities, or who are studying in fields where their gender is traditionally underrepresented.

ATB supports Indigenous Housing Program

Families in the Indigenous Housing Program (IHP) will be receiving additional support over the spring and summer months due to a generous donation from ATB of $25,000 that responds to pandemic issues. Unique to Mount Royal, those students who identify as First Nations, Métis, non-status or Inuit and are in the IHP can receive subsidies.

Publication partnership derives from field school

Dr. Peter Choate, PhD (social work), recently published “The Need to Act: Incest as a Crime Given Low Priority — A View with India as an Example,” with Radha Sharan, a graduate student at the Tata Institute in India. Sharan and Choate were brought together through Mount Royal’s India Field School.

Events

Introduction to MRU’s Research Data Repository

Thurs., Apr. 29 from noon to 1 p.m. — Online

In this workshop, take a tour of the data repository, discuss formatting of data and documentation for archiving and learn the process of data deposit. Register.

Beginner's Guide to Virtual Reality

Tues., May 4 from noon to 1 p.m. — Online

Explore virtual reality and learn how to integrate this emerging technology into your classes and research. Register.

OER Grant Info Session

Tues., May 4 from 1 to 2 p.m. — Online
Mon., May 10 from 10 to 11 a.m. — Online

This information session is available to all faculty members who wish to learn more about MRU's new Open Educational Resources Grant program. Register for May 4. Register for May 10.

Leading Through COVID-19 and Beyond: Free Online Event Supporting Business Owners, Managers

Thurs., May 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Zoom

This free, virtual event for business owners and managers features experts such as ATB Financial’s Todd Hirsch and will discuss the impacts of managing a business during the pandemic and after. Register.

Creating Augmented Reality Experiences with Adobe Aero

Thurs., May 6 from 12 to 1 p.m. — Online

Learn how to build, view and share interactive augmented reality experiences using your Apple device with the Adobe Aero platform. Register.

Trico Changemakers Studio Presents Changemaker Conversations

Thurs., May 6 from 12: 30 to 1:30 p.m. — Zoom

Dr. Brian Nichols, PhD (humanities) will discuss which Buddhist teachings can help us understand our current situation and how to respond skillfully. Register.

Beginner's Guide to Augmented Reality

Tues., May 11 from 12 to 1 p.m. — Online

Explore augmented reality and learn how to integrate this emerging technology into your classes and research. Register.

Protecting Yourself Against Cybercrime 2020/2021

Tues., May 11 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. ― Google Meet

This informative workshop gives you all the tools you need to keep you and yours cybersafe and fulfills the annual mandatory cybersecurity training requirement. Register.

Finding Research Methods and Measures Using the MRU Library

Wed., May 12 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. ― Online

This tutorial will explore how to find and use library resources specific to research methods. Register.

Audio and Video Assignments: Virtual Brown Bag for Faculty

Wed., May 12 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. ― Online

Hear advice and best practices for assignment design, technical skill support and outcomes assessment from faculty colleagues. Register.

Editing 360-Degree Photos and Videos with Adobe Photoshop and Premiere

Thurs., May 13 from noon to 1 p.m. ― Online

This continuation from the Beginners Guide to 360-Degree Cameras teaches how to process, edit and view your 360-degree videos and photos. Register.

HREB Applications Submission Deadline

Fri., May 14 at 11:59 p.m. ― ROMEO System

The submission period for Human Research Ethics Board applications for research involving human participants requiring clearance prior to June 15 ends May 14. Register.

Introduction to Audio Editing

Mon., May 17 from 1 to 2 p.m. ― Online

This workshop will provide an overview of Library resources and audio editing concepts. Register.

Beginner's Guide to 360-Degree Cameras

Tues., May 18 from noon to 1 p.m. — Google Meet

Discover how to create highly immersive environments for education using 360-degree cameras. Register.

Introduction to Audio Recording

Tues., May 18 from 1 to 2 p.m. ― Online

Discover the equipment and resources available from the Library, as well as basic audio production concepts and how they can apply to a variety of projects. Register.

Using KeePass

Wed., May 19 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. — Google Meet

This informative one-hour workshop takes you through the basic steps of using KeePass so you can stop reusing passwords and safely store them. Register.

Trico Changemakers Studio Presents Changemaker Conversations

Thurs., May 20 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. — Online

Join the Changemaker Conversations to engage in generative dialogue towards action around pressing social issues. More info.

Have a story, announcement or info to share?

Summit and website stories

We would love to hear about your story! Go to the online story submission tool and guidelines.

MyMRU announcements

Please send announcements for MyMRU's homepage to mymru@mtroyal.ca. Review the guidelines.

Start of semester emails, with option for distribution list
sign-up

As each semester begins (August/September and December/January), areas with ongoing employee activities can send an email to all employees describing their semester activities. Employees can then choose to opt in to that area's distribution list (Google Group) for regular updates. If you would like to send an email and/or set up a Google Group for your area, please contact Marketing and Communications for guidelines.

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