All Posts Tagged With: "Memorial University"
Memorial University’s loss is UNB’s gain
Campbell accepts UNB presidency a year after rejection by Newfoundland gov’t
Memorial University’s acting president has been recommended to take on the presidency at the University of New Brunswick, a year after the Newfoundland and Labrador government rejected him for Memorial’s top job.
In a message posted Tuesday on Memorial’s website, Eddy Campbell said the University of New Brunswick’s presidential search committee is unanimously supporting his candidacy for the position.
“While my belief in the strength and potential of Memorial University and our students, staff, and faculty remains as strong as ever, I am excited by this new opportunity and eager to explore it further,” Campbell wrote.
“I will be travelling to New Brunswick next week to meet with a wide variety of people within the UNB community as well as the external community. Both parties will be in a position to make a final decision following that visit.”
New Brunswick’s endorsement comes almost a year after the Newfoundland and Labrador government rejected Campbell’s application for Memorial’s presidency.
Faculty members at Memorial accused the government of violating the school’s autonomy – an allegation the provincial government denied.
Education Minister Joan Burke has not elaborated on why she rejected Campbell, except to say she did not want to “settle for anyone.”
Under provincial law, the cabinet has the authority to approve or reject an independent search committee’s selection for Memorial’s president, though approval has long been considered a formality.
In many other provinces, universities do not need the approval of their provincial governments to select incoming presidents.
Memorial has asked the government to amend that law, but Premier Danny Williams has rebuffed calls to change it.
- The Canadian Press
University seeks musical masterpiece
Memorial looking for an opus to accompany its 100th convocation; no “soft wedding music.”
In celebration of its 100th convocation, Memorial University has issued a request for proposals for a masterpiece of ceremonial music, reports The Telegram.
The university says the piece must be flexible, adaptable and able to stand the test of time. The university’s current score has been criticized as “soft wedding music.” Tom Gordon, director of MUN’s school of music, says the new piece should be solemn but contemporary.
The piece must be able to be extended or abbreviated, and three arrangements must be written: one for a brass quintet, one for trumpet and organ/piano, and one just for the organ.
Composers must be MUN alumni or present or former residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. They will also need to submit a portfolio of their work, resume, and a sketch of what they would do if awarded the commission.
Submissions will be reviewed by a three-member jury consisting of at least one composer and the university’s organist, and judged on originality and the piece’s compatibility. The winning composer will get $7,000 plus preparation costs.
Memorial U presidential search gets new chairman
After much controversy, high-profile lawyer aims to improve relations between the provincial government and faculty
An outspoken lawyer known for his independent streak has been enlisted to restore relations between Memorial University faculty and the Newfoundland and Labrador government after the school’s search for a president became mired in controversy.
Bob Simmonds, a high-profile defence lawyer based in St. John’s, was appointed the new chairman for the university’s board of regents, Education Minister Joan Burke announced Tuesday.
“I don’t expect my character to change overnight, so I would hope that if I have any gifts that I would bring those gifts and abilities to this job as I have to any other,” Simmonds said in an interview.
Simmonds takes over for Gil Dalton, who came under fire earlier this year from faculty after a government official said he provided a list of candidates for the university’s top job to Burke. That triggered accusations of political interference and soured the relationship between Memorial faculty and the provincial government.
“I would hope that my practice as a lawyer would be beneficial in that regard and that I’ll be able to build trust and respect,” said Simmonds, a 1976 Memorial graduate.
“I’m aware of the issues that have gone on before, or at least from what I’ve read in the press, and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to assist and resolve any issues that might still exist.”
Memorial University Faculty Association president Ross Klein said he was cautiously optimistic after hearing of Simmonds’s appointment.
“It’s certainly a positive move because it’s a nice, clean break from the things that had happened before with the search and what appeared to be improper intrusion by government into the decision-making,” Klein said.
“We would just hope that with the new chair of the board, and particularly Bob Simmonds being the personality that he is, that the board would move forward in a very positive way and that we’ll see the appointment of a president in a short time.”
Police charge student with threatening MUN professors
Police say an 18-year-old female student was charged with two counts of uttering threats
Police in Newfoundland have charged a student in relation to two recent threats against professors at Memorial University.
Police say one professor received a threat this week, while another received a similar threat online earlier this month. Police say an 18-year-old female student was charged with two counts of uttering threats, but didn’t release any details on the nature of the threats.
She has been released and is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 4, 2008.
- The Canadian Press
MUN professor receives death threat
University cancels professor’s class as a precaution
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is investigating a threat against a Memorial University professor made on the Internet this morning.The posting included a threat against a specific professor at the university and indicated the threat would be carried out today.The RNC, upon being informed of the threat, quickly moved to ensure the safety of the professor and the university cancelled classes in the located that it was indicated the threat would be carried out.The threat was made from a computer on the university campus and investigators are interviewing individuals to find the person responsible.The Telegram reports that police have narrowed the search to “one of dozens of computers in a public area of the Queen Elizabeth II library on the university’s St. John’s campus.”The time indicated in the threat has passed.
Danny Williams says Memorial asked for help in presidential search
Premier says Newfoundland government did nothing wrong
Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams says that the Board of Regents at Memorial University asked the Newfoundland and Labrador government to get involved in the search for a new president. Speaking today for the first time about the controversy, Williams says the government was asked to meet with the university’s presidential candidates, to help sell the province to them.
(For the backstory on the controversy, click here).
Education Minister Joan Burke got personally involved by interviewing two candidates because Williams says he was unavailable at the time.
The provincial government has been criticized for the role it has played in the search for a new president of the province’s only university and has been accused of threatening the school’s autonomy.
Mr. Williams says he sees nothing wrong with what the government has done and it was genuinely trying to help the search process.
Mr. Williams says he assumes the search committee is going to start from scratch in trying to find a new president.
- The Canadian Press
N.L. education minister under fire
Joan Burke’s accused of “unprecedented” and “extraordinary” interference at Memorial
Latest developments:
- The Canadian Association of University Teachers says the Newfoundland and Labrador Education Minister’s intervention in the presidential search process at Memorial University is “unprecedented”
- Acting university President Eddy Campbell today announced that he has withdrawn his name as a candidate for the position of president of Memorial University
- Globe and Mail columnist Jeffery Simpson says that the university board “has been undermined” by “extraordinary interference by the Premier and Minister of Education”
- A spokesperson for the Education Minister has pointed out that the chair of the university’s board of regents, who also chairs the presidential search committee, shared the short list of presidential candidates with the minister’s office
RELATED:
MUN autonomy threatened, say regents
Joey Coleman on Williams’ spin
Premier Williams says university asked province to help in presidential search
Candidate drops out of running for MUN president
N.L. faculty say academic freedom jeopardized by minister’s intervention
N.L. education minister rejects candidates for university’s top post
Williams accused of interfering in MUN president search
Dale Kirby on uncertain media reports
N.L. education minister rejects candidates for university’s top post
Says public expects government “to show leadership”
Newfoundland and Labrador’s education minister says she rejected candidates for Memorial University’s top job after she personally interviewed them. But Joan Burke denied accusations today that the provincial government politically interfered in the selection process for the school’s next president.
Related: Williams accused of interfering in MUN president search
Related: Dale Kirby’s comments on the situation
Burke says after she interviewed two candidates for the prestigious post, she asked the school’s search committee to find other applicants.
Burke defended her role in the selection process, saying the public expects the provincial government to show leadership when choosing the university’s president.
Under provincial law, the cabinet has the authority to approve or reject the committee’s selection, though approval has long been considered a formality.
In some other provinces, such as Nova Scotia and Ontario, universities do not need the approval of their provincial governments to select incoming presidents.
- The Canadian Press
Former top soldier named chancellor of Memorial University
Rick Hiller to assume post on July 3
Gen. Rick Hillier will enter the academic realm when he officially leaves his job as Canada’s top soldier early next month.
Hillier will be the new chancellor of the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Premier Danny Williams announced Thursday. Canada’s outgoing chief of defence staff is a native of the province and graduated from the school with a bachelor of science in 1975. He will take over the position on July 3.
“It is with immense pleasure that I announce the appointment of this distinguished individual, whose stellar contributions to Canada are widely recognized, not only within our country, but well beyond its borders,” Williams said in a news release.
“I cannot think of a more qualified individual to take on this role, and I look forward to the General’s contributions to the province in this regard.”
A formal ceremony to introduce Hillier to his new post will be held at the school’s fall convocation in October.
The chancellor is a member of the university’s Board of Regents and the Senate and serves as chair of convocation. All degrees are conferred by the chancellor.
- The Canadian Press
Laptop containing personal data of students stolen
Up to 28,000 Newfoundland students affected
Sarah Colborne-Penney is anxious that her two children may be among the 28,000 whose personal information went missing when four school board laptops were stolen recently. Police are investigating after an employee with the Eastern School District noticed the laptops missing Sunday from an administrative office in downtown St. John’s.
One of the laptops taken contained a database with the names, addresses, grade levels, health card and phone numbers of about 28,000 students at 56 schools, as well as the names of their parents and guardians. “I’m surprised and very dismayed at both the numbers of students involved, and the amount and the particulars of the information that’s at risk here,” Colborne-Penney, who has two children attending elementary school in the city, said Thursday. “You could really do some malice, if that’s your intent, with that type of information.”
The students affected by the possible security breach range from the kindergarten to Grade 12 levels, and are primarily in St. John’s and surrounding area. Eastern School District CEO Darrin Pike said the computers were protected by passwords and therefore access to the personal information was limited.
“It’s a concern of us,” Pike said in an interview. “This is not something that we wanted to happen or could foresee happening, and certainly we’ll do our best effort to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
It took the school board four days to report the thefts because officials had to do a risk assessment, Pike said.
“It took a while for us to find out exactly what information was on each of the machines, so that was a piece of the puzzle that had to be put together right away,” he said.
Const. Paul Davis of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said the break and entry into the office building wasn’t that unusual.
Thieves frequently target laptops due to their portability and because it’s relatively easy to sell them after wiping out the hard drive, Davis said.
“Today, laptops are a very much sought-after item for the criminal element,” Davis said.
Pike said health-care officials have advised him that access to individual medical records is not at risk, and that schools will be contacting the parents and guardians affected by the laptop thefts in the coming days.
One security expert said the security risk was low because the information contained in the laptop lacks a pragmatic value for most identity thieves.
“Frankly, I cannot really see much of a danger to those people whose information is stolen,” said Hasan Cabusoglu, a management information systems professor with the University of British Columbia.
“But it’s the kind of situation you don’t want to be in.”
Pike declined to say how the suspect or suspects may have gained entry, but said the break and entry was puzzling given that the building has security guards and security pass entry.
“You would look at this location as being a fairly secure location,” he said.
The school board has since tightened security measures at the office, he said.
Earlier this month, Memorial University warned students of a possible private information leak after a laptop belonging to a business professor was stolen.
The professor said he occasionally used his personal laptop for university-related purposes and that it may have contained class lists, names, student numbers and grades.
The Eastern School District manages 122 schools with approximately 44,000 students and 3,800 teaching and support staff.
- with a report from CP
Laptop containing private student data stolen
Personal data for 150 students on missing laptop
Memorial University informed its students that a professor’s stolen laptop contained private information about students in two classes.
The professor returned from an out-of-province trip to discover his private residence had been broken into and his personal laptop stolen. The theft occurred between January 15 – 18, 2008.
Michael Burns of the Faculty of Business Administration kept class lists on the laptop. The lists contained student names and student numbers for two classes with about 150 students effected overall.
We are obviously very concerned about the possibility of such privacy breaches,” said Rosemary Smith, the university’s information access and privacy protection coordinator. “Our first priority has been to advise our students of what’s happened. We remain confident that the information that may have been exposed by this theft was minimal and cannot lead to further problems for the students affected.”
