Continuing Education News

Child and Youth Human Rights Launch New eBook
Children Matter: Exploring child and youth human rights issues in Canada, edited by Dr. Ellen Murray, a new eBook developed for the online Child and Youth Human Rights Extension Certificate, became available through the MRU BookStore at the end of January 2012. The online Child and Youth Human Rights Extension Certificate, which is based on the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child, turns four this semester. The Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension made significant contributions to
the development of the eBook.

HR Instructor Featured at Leading Women Event
Human Resource Management instructor Donna Leibham was featured at the 2012 Lunch with Calgary’s Leading Women event sponsored by Encana on March 6, 2012 at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. She spoke about her new book, Do Your Shoes Match? 5 Strategies to Help Women Get a Foot in the Door of the Corporate Boardroom. These strategies include understanding the business, fostering interpersonal relationships, perfecting communication skills, developing a work style and developing personal power. There was a panel discussion with special guest Deborah Gillis of Catalyst Canada.

You Did What?! A Reality Check on Human Resource Practices
A book of human resource case studies by instructor Alia Azim Garcia is being used as a resource in the Human Resource Management Certificate. You Did What?! A Reality Check on Human Resource Practices addresses issues that human resource professionals are required to face on a regular basis. It helps them deal with unusual workplace issues in a professional manner. “You Did What?! offers the reader a chance to apply the theory behind human resources practices,” says Alia.

Gift of Learning Winner
The $200 certificate for course registration offered as a Christmas 2011 holiday gift was won by Rocky Bishop, pastor of a small church in Renfrew, Ontario. “Winning such a certificate as this would help me greatly. I am a pastor of a small church that cannot really afford to cover the cost of my continued education. Thanks for giving me the opportunity!” he said. Rocky plans to take the online Nonprofit Management program.

Faculty Participates in Final Celebrations of MRU Centennial
The Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension has participated throughout Mount Royal University’s centennial year. To wrap up our involvement in the celebrations, the Faculty has contributed a number of items to the time capsule to be opened in 100 years. The Faculty contributed a panel designed by Elizabeth Lensen to the Centennial Mural unveiled on November 23, 2011. Staff members Laurel Smith and Karen McCarthy each painted a panel and Karen contributed write-ups to the souvenir publication Mount Royal University: A Work of Art.

Blogging Student Nominated for Award
Betty Pearson of New Zealand recently completed the online Blogging: From Concept to Cash course. Her blog, Boomer Life Today, is a finalist in the Concrete Playground Blogger 2011 Awards, the Search for New Zealand’s Best Online Writers, in the Media, Arts and Culture category. About Boomer Life Today, Betty writes “We hope to inform, involve and inspire you through features on simplifying life, maximizing time and money, exploring creativity, promoting personal and environmental health and much, much more.”

November 2012 Convocation
A number of Continuing Education students received certificates at Mount Royal University’s official Convocation in November 2011. These students graduated from an admission-based and/or full-time program in the Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension:

Employment Preparation Extension Certificate (TVP)............................. 23
Funeral Director and Embalmer Certificate................................................. 5
Funeral Director Certificate............................................................................. 1
Massage Therapy Certificate........................................................................ 32
Personal Fitness Trainer Certificate........................................................... 26

In 2010-11 the Faculty also had 781 graduates from part-time Extension Certificate programs and 257 graduates from professional designation programs.

CFP® Student Receives Award of Excellence
Scott Fulton is the recipient of the Canadian Institute of Financial Planning Award of Excellence for achieving the highest overall grade in the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) program in the Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension at Mount Royal University for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Small Business Success Stories Featured
Successful businesses launched with the help of Mount Royal's Entrepreneurship program shone in the media spotlight in October. In Metro newspaper, there were articles on Una Pizza and The Naked Leaf and the owners appeared on Breakfast Television during Small Business Week, October 17-21, 2011.

CHS Programs Improve Single Parents’ Career Possibilities
Being a single mom is tough. Working full-time and raising children does not leave much time for professional development.

Two single mothers have found a way to further their education through Community and Health Studies while holding down full-time jobs and taking care of their kids.

Sandra Herrera earned a degree in business administration in Mexico. She came to Canada 11 years ago and is currently working as an accounting assistant in an automotive shop.

Now divorced, Sandra is the mother of an 11-year-old son with autism. Sandra has always been fascinated by psychology and loves to help people, but psychology is not a rewarding profession in her native country.

She volunteered for the Distress Centre for a year. In January 2011, Sandra attended the free Information Night for Community and Health Studies. She discovered that she could take the Supportive Counselling Skills Extension Certificate part-time and later transfer her course work into Mount Royal University’s Social Work Diploma.

When she won the draw for a $100 gift certificate for course registration, Sandra took it as a sign that it was time to take a step toward her dream career.

“I was petrified – I hadn’t been in school for 20 years and I thought I would be the oldest one in the class. English is not my first language and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to grasp the new technology. I was shaking on the first day of class,” she says.

Sandra soon discovered that being a Distress Centre volunteer and working with her son had given her experience in the field that she didn’t even know she had. She also enjoyed support from the instructors who were ready to help her achieve her goals. “It has been awesome. I love every teacher. They have been so great and helpful. I consider it money
well spent, an investment in my future.”

Michelle Stephens is a single parent in Hay River, NWT. She has just completed the online Children’s Mental Health Extension Certificate. She takes care of three foster children and has two grown children of her own.

Michelle has always been interested in working with special needs kids. She has always had a natural knack for working with high needs students as a volunteer in the local school. And now she has the theory to back her up.

Michelle found the online learning community to be very supportive, connecting with people from all over the country via Blackboard. “I learned so much. It has completely changed my life – I have a whole new level of self confidence,” she says. “I loved learning online. I wouldn’t have been able to do the program if I had to leave my home.”

She found learning to be a positive experience for her whole family as they did their homework together. “My kids are really proud of me.”

Michelle has been working in the food industry since she was 14. She is currently the bakery manager for the local grocery store but has explored her interest in helping children with special needs by taking in foster children and volunteering in the classroom.

“Every child has the right to learn. They learn in different ways. Hay River has a higher than average percentage of special needs learners,” Michelle says. She is starting a six-month government-funded program to qualify as a Special Needs Assistant in the school.

Injured Worker Starts New Career
Al Gill was overseeing a warehouse refurbishment project in Edmonton in 2008 when the ladder he was standing on slid out from under him. In the fall to the concrete floor, the major bones in his left leg were shattered. His doctor would have prepared to amputate it,
had it not been for Al’s good physical health overall.

Since then, he endured nine surgeries and two serious infections. He spent a total of
nine weeks in hospital, six months with his leg in an Ilizarov frame and almost a year on
crutches. With the tibia and fibula damaged so extensively, the range of motion in Al’s
ankle is almost non-existent.

Al isn’t a man who can sit idle for long. Despite ongoing setbacks, he knew from the
beginning that he was going back to work.

Since Al’s employer could not accommodate a strictly sedentary role where he could apply his project management skills, he and his Workers Compensation Board case manager decided that obtaining formal qualifications in project management would improve the likelihood of a successful return to work.

While in and out of hospital, Al completed the online Project Management Extension Certificate through the Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension at Mount Royal University. Today, Al works for a new employer, helping them grow business in Western Canada.

Al draws comfort and strength from his family and hobbies. “I got to be 58 years old before I did too much harm to myself. I still consider myself very fortunate,” he says.
- Information from Workers Compensation Board website

Mount Royal Kids Wraps Up
Mount Royal Kids wrapped up another successful summer of child and youth day camps, welcoming 2,800 campers throughout July and August.

Several new programs were introduced, including Cougar Gym Highlights, Camp Glee and Tech Academy. Cougar Gym Highlights ran in co-operation with the MRU Cougars and had over 95% enrollment. This popular new program focused on volleyball, squash, badminton and basketball for ages 9 to 11.

CityTV’s Breakfast Television visited Mount Royal Kids on August 3. Campers from a variety of programs were showcased.

Web Draw iPad Winner
Cynthia Bomor was the winner of the 2010-11 draw prize, an iPad 2. Cynthia, a graduate of Mount Royal’s Social Work program, had forgotten about entering the Quick Survey draw on the Continuing Education home page and couldn’t believe her luck in winning the iPad. Sandie Cheney presented it to her on August 23.

This year’s Quick Survey draw prize is a $200 certificate toward a Continuing Education course. The Quick Survey asks visitors to the CE website marketing questions that help the Faculty develop future marketing campaigns.

Leadership Instructor Publishes Book
Donna Leibham, a Business Education and Training instructor in management and leadership, has published a new book: "Do Your Shoes Match? 5 Strategies to Help Women Get a Foot in the Door of the Corporate Boardroom".

Donna has her own consulting firm and teaches at the University of Calgary as well as Mount Royal. She has done some management videos for CE.

CE Staff in Stampede Parade
Several Continuing Education staff members marched with the Mount Royal University Centennial float in the Stampede Parade on July 8. No Will and Kate sightings were reported but the event was one of the highlights of MRU’s centennial celebrations and CE staff were pleased to volunteer.