President’s Report to the Board of Governors (March 2020)

Click here to view a PDF version of the report.

Community and Reputation Highlights

Honouring the Victims of Iran Airplane Tragedy

Hundreds of Carleton University students, faculty, staff and members of the broader Ottawa and Iranian-Canadian communities gathered on campus on Jan. 15 to honour and celebrate the lives of two members of our community and of all those who died in this terrible tragedy. Fareed Arasteh was a PhD student and teaching assistant in the Biology Department at Carleton, and Mansour Pourjam was a Biology alumnus. “There is nothing more tragic than the loss of young life, and we are all mourning for Fareed and for Mansour,” said Carleton President Benoit-Antoine Bacon. “On behalf of the university, I would like to offer my most sincere and heartfelt condolences to their families, friends and colleagues.”

Successful Start for Raven Magazine

Raven magazine — a new showcase for the important and inspiring work of Carleton faculty, students, staff, alumni and the university’s community partners — went out into the world in early February The 72-page print magazine, produced by the Department of University Communications (DUC) with support from the Office of the President and Office of the Provost, is a celebration of Carleton’s sense of purpose and powerful momentum. “In today’s era of digital overload and fake news, launching a print publication is an act of countercultural resistance,” President Benoit-Antoine Bacon writes in the debut winter 2020 issue. “It carries the insistence that these words and pictures are real, meaningful and lasting — that these stories matter.” Raven is edited by DUC Senior Writer Dan Rubinstein, a National Magazine Award-winning writer and editor and a former editor at Canadian Geographic.

Carleton Ranks 2nd in Canada and 35th in the World for Campus Sustainability

Carleton has placed 35th among 780 ranked universities — as well as first in Ontario and second in Canada — in the 2019 UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, which measure campus sustainability around the globe. Universities participating in the ranking were evaluated on six indicators: setting and infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste management, water, transportation, and education. “Carleton is among the top universities in the world for sustainability policies, practices and campus infrastructure,” said President Benoit-Antoine Bacon. “We’re not only making our campus more sustainable, we’re integrating research, education and sustainability as one.”

Carleton Excels in 2019 Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey

The results of the 2019 Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey are in and they look better than ever. Overall, Carleton has maintained the improved satisfaction level achieved in 2016, and was significantly higher in a number of areas than the provincial average, particularly for master’s students. They reported a higher level of satisfaction in terms of student life experience and were more likely to recommend Carleton to others considering their program. Both master’s and doctoral students rated the overall quality of teaching, support from non-academic staff and opportunities to engage in interdisciplinary work significantly higher than at other Ontario universities.

Launching the TVO Indigenous Hub at Carleton

Carleton and TVO’s Ontario Hubs, along with The Agenda host Steve Paikin, celebrated the launch of the new TVO Indigenous Hub at Carleton’s School of Journalism and Communication in December. The hub and its TVO journalist-inresidence, Shelby Lisk, will amplify Indigenous voices that are under-represented in today’s current affairs stories and analysis. Lisk is an artist, writer and photographer from Belleville, Ont., close to her roots at Kenhtè:ke (Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory). At the same time, Carleton officially opened the new TVO studio, operated in Southam Hall by Carleton’s Teaching and Learning Services, which will also become a valuable resource for Carleton and media outlets seeking expert commentary.

Left to right: TVO Executive Producer Kathy Vey, TVO Indigenous Hub journalist Shelby Lisk, Carleton President Benoit-Antoine Bacon, Haida Elder Prof. John Kelly and The Agenda host Steve Paikin

Academics

Bridgehead Coffee and Sprott School of Business Launch Educational Partnership

Carleton’s Sprott School of Business and Bridgehead Coffee have announced an educational partnership that represents their shared vision for the future of business and a desire to develop the next generation of changemakers who will make a positive impact in the world. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Bridgehead,” said Sprott Dean Dana Brown. “As a business school, we need to be preparing the next generation of business influencers to really think differently about how they set up their business, to consider their social impact and the well-being of society. Working with Bridgehead will give us a great opportunity to profile a business that has social impact, a positive effect on its community, and one that is led by a dynamic female entrepreneur.” The partnership will bring a Bridgehead outlet to the Nicol Building, the future home of the Sprott School of Business, which is currently under construction and expected to open in winter 2021.

Bridgehead Coffee’s Chief Culture Officer Tracey Clark (right) and Sprott Dean Dana Brown

Carleton Wraps Up Cinquecento Celebration

The organizers of Cinquecento had a vision: a year of events with international scholars and performers in celebration of Leonardo da Vinci, 500 years after his death, that would illuminate some of the lesser-known aspects of his life. They took a page from da Vinci’s book, said Angelo Mingarelli, chair of Carleton’s Leonardo 2019 committee. They just went for it. “It’s been an incredible year,” said Mingarelli. “We now have more people interested in Leonardo, the community responded and Carleton did way more than I expected.” Da Vinci has long been considered a genius. Thanks to Cinquecento, his complex and human facets have become more widely known.

Prof. Angelo Mingarelli

Book Arts Lab Opens in MacOdrum Library

A Book Arts Lab has opened at the MacOdrum Library, offering a hands-on experience with everything from printing, bookbinding and papermaking to printmaking and calligraphy. The space includes seating, a screen for instruction and teaching, and a separate print room.

Patti Harper, the head of research support services at Carleton

Industry Demand for Carleton Co-op Students Continues to Grow

We have seen a 10 per cent increase in winter co-op job postings since the same time last year. As of January 2020, a total of 1,595 jobs were posted for the winter 2020 co-op job search. This is an increase of 150 jobs compared to the same time last year.

Experiential Learning Pilot

Carleton is participating in a one-year pilot program to explore and evaluate the potential use of Riipen at our institution. Riipen is a collaboration platform for experiential learning between post-secondary institutions, educators, industry partners and students. As part of the pilot program, we have access to a wealth of resources, including dedicated instructor support from Riipen to help you use the platform successfully. There is no cost for instructors or students to use this tool.

PMBA Successfully Launched

The Sprott School of Business had a successful launch of its Professional MBA program this past fall. Thirty-one students, who are between the ages of 29 and 57 and have an average of 12.5 years of work experience, enrolled. The program courses are delivered on alternating Friday-Saturdays to allow candidates to balance work and life demands with continuing their education.

Hobin Prize in Architecture and City Building

Carleton’s new Hobin Prize in Architecture and City Building was announced in December. It was established to recognize outstanding work produced by students in the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism. Each year, the endowment will award several monetary prizes to students in the fourth-year undergraduate studio, which focuses on housing and community building.

Prof. Catherine Bonier and architect Barry Hobin

Teaching Awards and Appointments

The Achievement Awards (administered by the Office of the Provost and Vice- President (Academic) and the Office of the Vice-President (Research and International)) have been announced. Recipients will be honoured at an awards presentation event in April.

• Grégory Bulté (Biology), Rishad Irani (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering), Rowan Thomson (Physics), Brenda Vellino (English Language and Literature) and Deanna Whelan (Psychology) received the Teaching Achievement Award.
• Edward Bilodeau (MacOdrum Library), Mayurika Chakravorty (English Language and Literature, Institute of Interdisiplinary Studies), Brandon Fodden (School of Mathematics and Statistics), Sonia Gulati (Health Sciences), Heather MacDonald (MacOdrum Library) and Andrew Webb (Sprott School of Business) received the Professional Achievement Award.

Prof. Andrew Webb

• Jamie Brownlee (Law and Legal Studies, Sociology and Anthropology), Lyette Fortin (Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism), Ariel Fuenzalida (Sociology and Anthropology), Robert Helal (Sprott School of Business) and Ashley Thompson (Neuroscience) received the Contract Instructor Teaching Award.
• Andy Adler (Systems and Computer Engineering), Patricia Ballamingie (Geography and Environmental Studies), Doris Buss (Law and Legal Studies), Michael Hildebrand (Neuroscience), Hashmat Khan (Economics), Uma Kumar (Sprott School of Business), Hillary Maddin (Earth Science), Johanna Peetz (Psychology), Oren Petel (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) and Steve Ulrich (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) received the Research Achievement Award.

Prof. Michael Hildebrand

• Tony Bailetti (Sprott School of Business) received the 2019 Contribution to Entrepreneurship Award from TiE Ottawa.
• Adjunct research professor Pavel Cheben (Electronics) has been elected as a Fellow of the American Physical Society and has received a Public Service Award of Excellence from the Canadian government.
• Michel Barbeau and Joaquin Garcia-Alfaro (Computer Science) were awarded second place in the research category of the Xanadu Software Competition.
• During the IEEE Ottawa Section at the Annual General Meeting Awards Banquet, the following faculty members were recognized — Calvin Plett (Electronics): 2019 Outstanding Service Award; Gabriel Wainer (Systems and Computer Engineering): Outstanding Engineering Educator Award; and Sreeraman Rajan (Systems and Computer Engineering): Outstanding Engineering Award.
• Adjunct Prof. Gunes Kurt (Systems and Computer Engineering) was awarded the prestigious 2019 Outstanding Young Scientist Award by the Turkish Academy of Sciences.
• Prof. Rowan Thomson (Physics) was elected as a Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Prof. Rowan Thomson

In Memoriam

The Carleton community is saddened to learn of the passing of Martin Rudner, Professor Emeritus and Distinguished Research Professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs in the Faculty of Public Affairs; George Skippen, retired Professor, former Dean of Science (1980-1983) and former Professor Emeritus; and Steve Wilson, who taught in the Department of Religion from 1971 until his retirement in 2007 and served as the Chair of the (then) Religious Studies Department (1974-1977, 1989-1992, 1995-1996), as Director of the College of Humanities (1999-2005) and Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies in FASS (2006).

Research

Carleton Records Canada’s Biggest Increase in Research Income Among Comprehensive and Medical Universities

Research funding at Carleton has increased more sharply this year than at every other comprehensive and medical university in the country. Sponsored research income from external sources at Carleton jumped to $70,298,000 in 2018 compared to $54,369,000 the previous year — a 29.3 per cent increase, according to the annual rankings from Re$earch Infosource, one of Canada’s leading R&D analysis organizations. “Our community is charging ahead with more exciting research projects, awards and collaborations than ever,” says Rafik Goubran, Vice-President (Research and International), “and with nearly 1,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, we have many success stories to celebrate.”

Prof. Cynthia Cruickshank

Hillary Maddin’s Fossil Discovery Makes International Headlines

A team led by Carleton’s Hillary Maddin has discovered the earliest fossil evidence of parental care. The fossil predates the previous oldest record of this behavior by 40 million years and is featured in an article in Nature Ecology & Evolution. “Prof. Maddin’s discovery provides us with the earliest glimpse into the evolution of parenthood as we know it,” said Charles Macdonald, Dean of the Faculty of Science. “This is a truly remarkable example of the groundbreaking research being conducted at Carleton.” “This is the earliest evidence of prolonged postnatal care in a vertebrate,” said Maddin, a professor in the Department of Earth Sciences. “The adult animal appears to be concealing and protecting a juvenile in a den. This behaviour is very common in mammals today. It is interesting to see this animal, which is on the evolutionary line leading to mammals, exhibiting this behaviour so early.” Maddin’s discovery received a significant amount of media coverage across Canada and around the world.

Prof. Hillary Maddin

Carleton Welcomes Appointment of Yue Zhang with Funding from the McDonald Institute

Carleton University’s Department of Physics welcomed the appointment of Yue Zhang, the 15th and final Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) faculty appointment of the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute. Zhang is a theoretical particle physicist interested in understanding the universe. His research is driven by puzzles involving the nature of dark matter, the origin of cosmic matter-anti-matter asymmetry and the physics behind neutrinos. Any breakthrough in these areas will improve our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature.

Prof. Yue Zhang

Carleton’s Richard Yu Recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher Globally

The Web of Science Group recently recognized School of Information Technology professor and IEEE Fellow Richard Yu as one of the world’s most highly cited researchers for 2019. It’s an honour bestowed on just 0.1 per cent of the world’s researchers, based on the number of times that their work has been cited over the preceding ten years. Over the past decade, Yu’s research has been widely cited in academic papers, patents and the cellular network standards for 4G LTE and 5G communications.

Carleton’s Winnie Ye and Richard Yu Awarded Engineering Institute of Canada Fellowships

Two Carleton faculty members have been named Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) Fellows. Winnie Ye, professor and Canada Research Chair (CRC) in the Department of Electronics, and Richard Yu, professor in the Carleton School of Information Technology (CSIT), will be inducted as Fellows for their exceptional contributions to engineering in Canada on April 18 as part of EIC’s annual gala/ banquet at the Hilton Lac-Leamy hotel.

Prof. Richard Yu

Campus Update

Carleton Hosts Kinàmàgawin Symposium

Carleton’s first annual Kinàmàgawin Symposium on Feb. 6 focused on important issues rooted in Indigenous identity and sovereignty, many of which remain pressing concerns today, according to the event’s speakers and panelists. “Kinàmàgawin” is an Algonquin word that means “learning together,” said Benny Michaud, who leads the Carleton’s Centre for Indigenous Initiatives. “We are all students and we are all teachers, and each of us has within us an important part of the story that needs to be shared.” Pamela Palmater, Chair in Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University and a Mi’kmaq lawyer, delivered the morning’s keynote talk.

Mi’kmaq lawyer and Ryerson Prof. Pamela Palmater

Celebrating Black History Month

The Black History Committee at Carleton’s School of Social Work presented its second annual Black History Celebration at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre on Feb. 6, showcasing Black excellence through performances, speakers and panel discussions.

Service Excellence Awards

The Carleton community came together on Feb. 27 for the 11th annual Service Excellence Awards, which recognized more than 620 faculty and staff through 296 nominations in three categories: Individual, Team and Innovation. The awards ceremony highlights ongoing dedication to a culture of excellence that is practiced across the campus and supported by the broader service excellence initiative.

Carleton Records Lowest Electricity Consumption in 14 years

In 2019, Carleton recorded its lowest electricity consumption since 2005. During this same time span, the campus population grew by 28 per cent and the building floor area grew by 30 per cent. Carleton launched a comprehensive sustainability website in fall 2019 and a Sustainability Plan is being finalized. Carleton’s sustainability initiatives are highlighted online at carleton.ca/sustainability. You can also follow us on Twitter @CUsustain, Facebook at Sustainability Carleton or on Instagram @SustainabilityCarleton.

Carleton Biology Building Renovations Boost Sustainability

Extensive renovations at Carleton’s Nesbitt Biology Building will allow the space to cut utility costs by a third. And since early 2018, when the renovations began, research and lab work has been proceeding as usual. Home to Carleton’s biology labs and research greenhouses, Nesbitt is open to researchers from other departments and graduate students working on their final-year projects. The energy efficiency retrofit has been updating electrical and mechanical systems, offices, labs and 14 greenhouses. The 1969 greenhouse steam heating system was replaced with a more efficient glycol-based system. The research-focused greenhouses will also have a new remote-controlled shading system; the ability to increase or reduce sunlight with ease allows for more controlled experiments.

H.H.J Nesbitt Biology Building

Respect and Safety Training

Environmental Health and Safety has updated and rebranded the Workplace Violence and Harassment Prevention training as Respect and Safety. This aligns all Health and Safety online training on a single platform (cuLearn) and incorporates legislative changes to address workplace sexual harassment and sexual violence according to our programs and policies. We launched this new training on Sept. 1 and have already had more than 600 people complete it, with very positive results. All current Carleton faculty, staff and managers are required to complete this training.

Advancement

Year to date (May 1, 2019 to Feb. 4, 2020)

Over the end of the fall term and through the beginning of 2020, we have seen continued momentum for engagement, philanthropy and community liaison, the new mandate for University Advancement. Supporters, alumni and partners are highly engaged and enthusiastic for our shared mission to serve the greater good.

Giving Tuesday — December 3, 2019 — was the most successful ever by a considerable margin. In 24 hours, powered by grassroots engagement with the FutureFunder platform, peer-to-peer social media outreach, some healthy competition and, above all, a great passion for Carleton, the university community raised more than $1 million from more than 2,200 donors (up from 1,200 in 2018). With matching funds, more than $2 million went to student projects, scholarships and bursaries, and other university initiatives.

That enthusiasm carried over to the biggest-ever annual Holiday Celebration for donors, held for the first time at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre. Carleton hosted close to 200 friends and supporters at a private reception, then welcomed hundreds more to a special concert in the sanctuary. With the help of new Artist-in-Residence Jamaal Jackson Rogers, the audience honoured two long-time volunteers, Jean Teron and Jay Nordenstrom, and celebrated the musical accomplishments of alumni performers.

Petr Cancura and Kellylee Evans perform at the Holiday Celebration at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre

Back on campus, Advancement continued to socialize and build its new Hub for Good, a digital “front door” for community partnerships. This initiative, scheduled to go live in March, will empower faculty, staff and students to find and connect with businesses, community organizations and volunteers who want to work with Carleton.

Complementing the Hub is a more focused and integrated approach for industry partners. We are set to announce Carleton’s first major partner in this initiative; other partnerships are in progress, with significant implications for our campuswide research, talent and philanthropic objectives.

Volunteer award-winners Jay Nordenstrom and Jean Teron with Carleton President Benoit-Antoine Bacon

Underscoring all this enthusiasm is the clear school spirit and Ravens pride of our graduates. Carleton alumni continue to advise upper-year students in our award-winning volunteer Alumni Mentors program. Grads help pack the stands at varsity games in Ottawa and other cities. And donors and grads reconnect with Carleton through events across Canada, including the sold-out Walrus Talks lecture in February in Toronto.

Carleton presented Walrus Talks Impact at Toronto’s Artscape Daniels Launchpad on Feb. 6. The gathering, organized in the wake of a successful partnership with The Walrus magazine to present an event last year, is part of a national series that brings together industry professionals and community members to discuss themes relevant to Canadians. Each event is co-hosted by The Walrus and a partner organization and features seven-minute presentations from seven diverse speakers on a topic aligned with the priorities of the partner organization. Among the speakers on Feb. 6 were Roberta Jamieson, the President and CEO of Indspire, and David Morley, the President and CEO of UNICEF Canada and a Carleton alumnus.

Speakers at Walrus Talks Impacts with Carleton President Benoit-Antoine Bacon

Student Life

“No one person can possibly be all things to everyone — being conscious of filling in the voids in the team around you is critical,” says Tessa Virtue. At the 2020 edition of the SOAR Student Leadership Conference on Jan. 18, the five-time Olympic medalist shared her vision of leadership with Carleton students. “It’s easy to get lost in the everyday details and the day-to-day pursuit of a goal and overlook the long-term perspective,” said Virtue, who was at the pinnacle of her sport for nearly 10 years. With her ice dance partner, Scott Moir, Virtue won three world championships and a pair of ice dance Olympic gold medals.

Tessa Virtue

The Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities has engaged the Carleton community in creating a Campus Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Strategy entitled “Honouring Each Other,” which provides a three-year blueprint that focuses on prevention and education initiatives. The strategy will be presented to the Board of Governors for information at its March 12 meeting. Many of the feedback items identified in the consultation on the Sexual Violence Policy have been used to develop this strategy. In the last week of January, Equity and Inclusive Communities along with campus and community partners also hosted a number of events, activities and workshops across campus for Sexual Assault Awareness Week.

The Coordinated Accessibility Strategy has wrapped up its consultation on the draft strategy, which is now being finalized. The strategy will serve as a framework to guide Carleton’s ongoing commitment towards a campus that is accessible and inclusive for all students, employees and visitors. It is intended to not only coordinate the many accessibility services, programs and initiatives that already exist, but also continue to inspire a strong campus culture of accessibility and inclusion. The strategy will be presented to the Board of Governors at its meeting on April 30 and will be released to the community the following day.

Ontario Minister for Seniors and Accessibility Raymond Cho visits a lab at Carleton

Carleton will be collaborating with the Mental Health Commission of Canada on a pilot program that will adapt an evidence-based mental health literacy program, The Inquiring Mind, for delivery in the classroom. This approach will help to target and improve mental health awareness and help-seeking behaviours by reaching a broader segment of the student population while delivering information in familiar environment in a way that normalizes mental health as part of their educational experience.

We are working with the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction to develop educational messaging about cannabis edibles that are now available for purchase in Ontario Cannabis Stores. Additional messaging is being developed focusing on information about vaping and the various risks associated with different forms of vaping.

We will be working with the Community Addictions Peer Support Association, which has committed two group facilitators to run two peer-led support groups known as “All People All Pathways.” There will be one for students and one for faculty and staff beginning in the winter 2020 term.

The Carleton Therapy Dogs program has offered 42 visits and, for the fall 2019 term, has seen more than 1,600 students attending the sessions. The program also received recognition at Excellence Canada. The program is pleased to welcome a new member of the team in the Faculty of Engineering and Design: Systems and Computer Engineering Prof. Jim Green and his dog Floyd!

The Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program took place during the winter break in February 2020 and saw 50 students participate in this experiential learning program in Guatemala, Costa Rica and the United States.

On Dec. 2, READ hosted a collaborative summit to introduce the new Canadian Accessibility Network (CAN), which is an engaged national community that is focused on advancing accessibility and inclusion for persons with disabilities in Canada and beyond. The event brought together network partners, decisionmakers and creative minds to share experiences and ideas on ensuring accessibility and creating an inclusive world.

Cathy Malcolm Edwards, the Research and Strategic Initiatives facilitator with Carleton’s READ Initiative

Enrolement Update

First Year 101 (Ontario High School) Applications by University

First Year, New, All Applicants (Carleton Data) matched to Feb. 12, 2020

First year, New, Approvals (Carleton Data) as of Feb. 12, 2020, All Applicants

Applications from Ontario are down about 3% across the system and applications to Carleton are in line with that trend. International applications are also down but we are up about 2% at Carleton. Approved (offers) and confirmations are up compared to last year thanks to the outstanding work of the Admissions team.

The Undergraduate Recruitment Office hosted new Applicant Evenings in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) at three different venues/areas of Toronto across three nights to make it easier for prospective students to attend. The three events, held in downtown Toronto, Richmond Hill and Mississauga, saw 950 prospective students and their family members attend.

On Feb. 11, the office held the CU Showcase in Ottawa, which saw registration of more than 600 prospective students and their family members.

Recruitment Update

Looking towards fall 2020, recruitment officers visited more than 600 high schools across Canada in the fall 2019 term and have met close to 4,300 high school students, which is an increase in the number of schools visited and the number of students met in comparison to last year. Visits will continue throughout the winter 2020 term.

The International Admissions and Recruitment Office participated in 347 high school visits and events between August 2019 and January 2020, meeting personally with more than 2,500 prospective international students from across the Indian subcontinent, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

In December 2019, the International Admissions and Recruitment Office ran a rebroadcast of our “Introducing Carleton” webinar. It also recorded a three-part short video series walking international students through “How To Apply” and promoted this with an “Apply Now” campaign to more than 11,900 prospective international students.