Monday, December 12, 2016

Just who's running this university, anyway? A two-part series

Office of the President staff members Andrea Kelman, Jennifer Knight, and Lori Gamble participate in Orientation 2016 with Waterloo student volunteers.

Behind every great leader is a team of committed support staff that make things happen. As our University grows larger and more complex, we thought it would be a good idea for readers to get to know the teams that manage two of the offices at the helm: the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost. This is part one in a two-part series in the Daily Bulletin.

by Susan Fish

When members of the University community or general public aren’t sure where to go for information, they often reach out to the Office of the President, located on the third floor of Needles Hall. The President’s Office is fortunate to have a 360-degree view of the institution and is always willing to find the person or answer needed. While President Feridun Hamdullahpur “has responsibility for administering the affairs of the university, and shall act on behalf of the Board of Governors with respect to the operational management and control of the university…exercising academic leadership in both internal and external matters,” it is his staff who are the front line for helping everyone who contacts the office.

“It’s our job to understand what is taking place within the University, within our local community, and within the sector (both nationally and internationally) in order to achieve the President’s objectives and to support the University’s strategic plan,” explains Andrea Kelman, executive officer, administration. “We hear from faculty members eager to share their research news, from students seeking advice, from university Presidents around the world that want to create meaningful academic and research partnerships, from various parts of government seeking consultation and policy responses with respect to the sector and community members interested in attending events happening daily. As a result of the diverse nature of inquiries we receive, we must build strong relationships with partners all over campus.  We connect with experts and are grateful to the campus community who is always so responsive to our inquiries.” 

Andrea manages the office and is a member of the senior administration team, working closely with the President and students, faculty, and staff, and particularly closely with the Vice Presidents on issues management, governance, planning and oversight. Others in her department refer to her as Yoda or the yogi because of her calm response to any situation. Andrea, who enjoys spending time with her family (and will soon be a first-time grandmother), started her job five months after the president began his term in March 2011. “Our motto is TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More. Our team puts service first—in everything we do, we have three commitments:  to serve with integrity and respect, to build and protect the reputation of the university, and to support innovation and continuous improvement in our work.”

The members of this department really do function as a team, helping one another daily. They take an annual one-day work retreat and recognize the importance of having fun together. Administrative Manager Lori Gamble observes, “This is honestly the best team I’ve ever worked with. We’re all different but we work so well together – including the president.” She particularly enjoys going on “field trips” with her colleagues to visit other departments, to help the President’s office staff understand the whole University. Lori’s colleagues caution that she is only allowed one cup of coffee daily but call her a magician because of her ability to squeeze extra minutes out of the President’s schedule. This superpower comes in handy as Lori manages the president’s calendar, briefings, travel, technical needs, and works with a team that manages communications and social media strategies.  She notes that the president has more than 115 speaking engagements annually and approximately 40 weekly meetings. Outside of work, Lori enjoys spending time with her husband and three kids.

Information and Project Specialist Jennifer Knight describes herself as a “welcoming committee of one.” In greeting visitors, Jennifer goes beyond coffee and a smile, personalizing the digital display to reflect the interests and affiliation of a visitor, and displaying the flag of the country of an international visitor from the office’s collection of 160 flags. She also maintains a display case that features various areas of the university, and encourages everyone in the university community to tell her about interesting display material as well as accomplishments and milestones she can bring to the president’s attention. She tracks the president’s schedule monthly, ensuring his meetings balance his strategic priorities and that he connects with all constituents. Outside of work, Jennifer is excited to be spearheading a fundraising campaign to build the first community playground in her Beechwood neighbourhood in Clair Lake Park.

“People in our office are never satisfied with the status quo,” says Andrea. “We’re always looking for a better way. We are very grateful for a president who supports our ideas for new initiatives and truly cares about students, faculty and staff. It makes for a great office.”

Grebel professor wins conducting award

The Ontario Arts Council has named Mark Vuorinen as the recipient of the 2016 Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting. An assistant professor of music at Conrad Grebel University College, Vuorinen is also the artistic director of Kitchener-Waterloo's Grand Philharmonic Choir. On campus he conducts the University of Waterloo Chamber Choir and teaches courses in conducting.

The jury praised Professor Vuorinen as "an impressive musical communicator," noting that he is "a strong leader supporting two very different choirs with excellent results," and that he has "enhanced the presence of choral repertoire in Kitchener-Waterloo, both inside and outside of the concert hall."

The Leslie Bell Prize, worth $10,000, is awarded every two years to an emerging professional conductor who is a resident of Ontario and works with a professional semi-professional, or community choir.

Vuorinen was profiled in the Waterloo Region Record.

The President's Year in Review and other notes

On Friday, December 9, President Hamdullahpur shared a photo gallery of events he participated in over the course of 2016 on his blog. As the year draws to a close, check out his recap.

If you're an aspiring graduate student looking to do research in climate change, planning, sustainability, geospatial information technology, and more, check out the 35 funded PhD opportunities available through the Faculty of Environment Dean's Doctoral Initiative. The Faculty of Environment has 35 funded doctoral opportunities ($100,000 over four years) for Canadian/Permanent Resident students.