2019-20 Annual Report

2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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Peter Lougheed Leadership College catalyzes leadership development at the University of Alberta through critical reflection, experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement.

To create opportunities to develop the skills and confidence to serve and lead, building a responsible and inclusive future.

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

PLLC Team

CONTENTS 8 Leading Change in the Public Sector PLLC collaborated with the Government of Alberta, offering workshops designed by the foremost expert on change leadership

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#UAlbertaCares About Mental Wellness

PLLC scholars created a video series highlighting resources for faculty, staff and students

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How Canada Can Lead in the Global Energy Transition The twenty-first century will be defined by a global energy transition—already well underway—aimed at eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and solving the climate crisis

Lois Harder, Principal Bailey Sousa, Director of Operations Cristina Stasia, Director of Instruction Kelly Hobson, Mentorship Coordinator Shelby MacLeod, Communications Coordinator Yvette McWatt, Events Coordinator Mona Pattison, Special Projects Manager Heather Purchase, Stretch Experience & Awards Coordinator

Thank you to past team members who contributed to PLLC’s progress and ongoing success.

PLLC Academic Oversight Committee

Allen Ball, Associate Dean, Teaching & Learning, Faculty of Arts Gerda de Vries, Associate Dean, Undergraduate, Faculty of Science Scott Jeffrey, Associate Dean, Academic, Faculty of Agricultural,

Life & Environmental Sciences Paulin Mulatris, Vice-Dean, Campus Saint-Jean Karsten Mundel, Associate Dean, Augustana Campus,

Academic Programs and Campus Registrar’s Office David Draper, Vice President Academic​,​University of Alberta

Students’ Union Sridhar Parasharamatham, Vice-President Student Services,

Graduate Students Association

PLLC Advisory Committee

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Diving Into Adaptive Leadership PhD candidate Will Schultz is learning to address the messy and complex parts of leadership

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Small Town Safe Spaces Starting a Queer-Straight Alliance in Kindersley, Sask.

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Venture Healthcare Comes Full Circle PLLC alumni and program founder Yasmin Rafiei hears success stories from participants

Jenny Adams, Founder & Owner, The Adams Agency Carolyn Campbell,* President & CEO, Norquest Ian Chisholm, Partner, Roy Group André Costopoulos, Vice-Provost and Dean of Students,

University of Alberta Maite Gonzalez Latorre, Current PLLC Scholar and Undergraduate

Student, Faculty of Education,

University of Alberta Scott Graham, Director of a Private Family Foundation Shalene Jobin, Associate Professor, Faculty of Native Studies,

University of Alberta Dave Mowat, Retired President & CEO of ATB Financial Yasmin Rafiei, Alumni PLLC Scholar and MD Student, Stanford University Jared Smith, Lead Advisor, JS Advisory Amarjeet Sohi, Former Member of Parliment Zahra Somani, Partner, Pirani Group *PLLC Advisory committee term ended June 2020 PLLC Advisory committee term began July 2020

Production & Design KEEN Creative, Design & Creative Consulting

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL

S

uch a peculiar time. Our talented scholars started off the 201920 academic year with great enthusiasm for all they would

learn, whether just embarking on their leadership education

with PLLC and anticipating the challenge of their summer 2020 Stretch

Experiences, or having completed a Stretch Experience and anticipating their remaining courses in the leadership certificate. And they ended

the term—in surprisingly good humour, it must be said—holed up in

Zoomland. Enormous thanks are due to our wonderful Lougheed Adjunct Professors and our graduate Teaching Fellows who tackled the shift to

online teaching and learning with creativity and grace. And our students,

who had significant projects to complete, managed the discombobulation and disruption to produce important and consequential work. I invite

you to review some of their final assignments—on unsung leaders, social innovation, and the United Nations sustainable development goals—by visiting our newly refurbished website.

and workshop on digital leadership—a skill that is front of mind today, as many of us are working remotely, managing diverse and complex

technology needs, and supporting people at a distance. Working with

Kotter International, we also facilitated a change leadership program with

senior leaders at the University of Alberta and the Government of Alberta.

We look forward to continuing that initiative when it is possible for our U.S. colleagues to enter Canada and for the cohort to assemble with appropriate physical distancing.

This year, our Lougheed College Lecture series considered the question “What’s next for Alberta?” With a (then) newly-elected provincial

government, a federal election in the fall of 2019—and all that has

unfolded subsequently—this question is incredibly pressing. Of course,

we did not anticipate a global pandemic, a shocking drop in the price of

oil, and the growing intensity of demands to take concrete action against racism when we conceived of this series—yet the leadership insights

provided by our speakers were prescient. We discussed the challenges in the state of the Canadian federation, the necessity of designing

food systems capable of feeding more than nine billion people, digital

leadership, decolonization, inter-generational workplaces and the energy future. We had plans to discuss the exciting field of precision health – an

event that had to be canceled when our capacity to manage a global health

For PLLC, 2019-20 has been a year of planning and expanded reach.

We have increased the accessibility of our undergraduate courses and we have initiated popular and successful programming for graduate, law and professional students. Thirty graduate, law and professional students participated in a cohort-based, eight month program on

adaptive leadership. Scores of additional graduate, law and professional students across the university were able to participate in workshops

targeting specific leadership skills including communication, courageous conversations, the art of failure, strategic leadership, imposter syndrome

and leading with purpose. Evaluations from these activities are extremely

encouraging, and we look forward to further developing these programs in the year ahead.

crisis sent us into isolation. The quality of these events and the level of

audience engagement were outstanding—as you can see from the videos on our website.

The year ahead is a bit of a head scratcher. Our courses will be online for

the fall term, as will our programming for graduate, law and professional students. Whether we can devise some opportunities for in-person

engagement around our speakers is very much a work-in-progress.

And, as the university contends with financial challenges and dramatic

restructuring, we know that adaptability, creativity and resilience will be in high demand.

In September 2019, we hosted a very special gathering of the colleagues

We continue to collaborate with our university colleagues in myriad ways.

Perhaps most notably this year, we worked with the Kule Institute for

Advanced Study, the Provost’s Office and the Vice President Research

and Innovation Office to deliver a weekend research leadership retreat at the Banff Centre in October. Large grants are increasingly the mode for

supporting interdisciplinary, complex research projects in the social sciences and humanities. The retreat was designed to equip faculty members with the leadership skills they need to make those projects successful.

of Peter Lougheed, who worked with him during his time as premier.

They shared stories of Premier Lougheed’s remarkable memory, his

detailed understanding of complex political files, his openness to a wide

range of perspectives, his pragmatism and his warmth. As we undertake the crucial charge of preparing people for the leadership challenges that

surround them, Premier Lougheed’s approach offers powerful lessons. We will be leaning on those lessons as we find our way along these curious and unfamiliar paths.

Reaching beyond the university, PLLC worked with the Government of

Alberta and the City of Edmonton to host a fascinating panel discussion

Lois Harder, Principal

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

The Peter Lougheed Leadership College is empowering our diverse audiences, students and staff to become leaders in the community

DIVERSITY INITIATIVES Professional Development Opportunities The Lougheed College Lectures offer all U of A students and members of the public the opportunity to hear from some of today’s most

inspirational, influential and innovative leadership scholars and

practitioners. Speakers are selected to address a variety of topics and bring diverse perspectives from Alberta and beyond.

Scholars wear matching face paint while participating in an Amazing Race: Leadership Edition activity.

T

hrough interdisciplinary approaches, PLLC endeavors to remove barriers historically faced by marginalized

and racialized communities. We do this by developing

The Leadership and Diversity Speakers Series offers monthly,

lunchtime talks, jointly sponsored by the Peter Lougheed Leadership College and the Intersections of Gender Signature Area.

leaders who understand wide-ranging approaches, take risks and

Mentorship Program

Incorporating the voices and perspectives of a spectrum of genders,

Team that provides coaching, support and advice, helping participants

practices, PLLC works towards creating an inclusive, representative,

Graduate Student Teaching Fellows

act on values firmly anchored in ethics and social responsibility.

Scholars in PLLC’s certificate program have access to a diverse Mentor

ages, sexual orientations, abilities, cultures and ethnicities into all our

realize their potential.

responsible and innovative future.

At PLLC, diversity is our strength.

“Leadership means working joyfully across perceived differences— of discipline, of identity, of background—to reach the most creative and effective solutions to the pressing problems we collectively face.

Without the benefit of listening to, and learning from, those different

Lougheed Adjunct Professors teach in collaboration with Teaching Fellows, who serve as TAs for PLLC courses and receive intensive

teacher training. The TF Team is carefully assembled from talented applicants who represent a spectrum of genders, ages, sexual orientations, cultures and ethnicities.

Truth & Reconciliation In Practice Attending to Indigenous knowledge and leadership is an important

than us, we compromise innovation and problem-solving.”

part of reconciliation and one PLLC tries to honour throughout our

­—Dr. Cristina Stasia, Director of Instruction

Foundations of Leadership.

“Our world is facing today one of the most complex challenges of the century. We need to come up with innovative solutions and I am convinced that diversity is key for that objective. The inclusion of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and disciplines in the decision-making process ensures the consideration of different perspectives about the problem and potential solutions and facilitates the design of effective context-sensitive solutions.”

—Maria Ortiz, Teaching Fellow, 2019-2021

undergraduate courses, starting with the prerequisite class, INT D 301:

Experiential, Forum-Based Learning Innovative and experiential instruction ensures that students

interact meaningfully with their professor, Teaching Fellows and

peers in every class. The use of small group forums allows students to engage in focused discussions and activities. These groups are

purposefully engineered to maximize student diversity based on

identity and discipline, ensuring that students learn from classmates whom they would not otherwise encounter in their university classroom experience.

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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“YoungLeaders.World has been fortunate to partner with PLLC to bring

leadership to life. From having Dr. Lois Harder on our Board, to Dr. Cristina Stasia’s involvement as a workshop instructor, to YL.W’s support for

students on stretch projects, the natural alignment between our missions has

PLLC and Yo ungLeaders .World are working together to equip youth with th e skills to cr eate a better futur e

P

been effective, multi-dimensional and clear. YL.W creates foundations and

pathways for students to explore leadership beyond high-school, PLLC then

guides students as they become lifelong leadership learners. This connection

has proved to be a wonderful partnership, and we look forward to continuing our growth together.”

– Carla Cuglietta, Co-Founder and Executive Director of YoungLeaders.World

LLC seeks partnerships with like-minded organizations

supporting the leadership ambitions of young people, and

as such has formed a dynamic collaboration with YoungLeaders.

World. This Edmonton-based organization with a global reach provides leadership programming to middle and high school

students through summits, school assemblies and online courses.

PLLC provided a workshop to youth delegates at YoungLeaders.

World’s 2019 summit, and had planned to do so again in 2020,

but then—COVID. Given the high quality of the student interns

who work with YL.W, PLLC has extended automatic admission to the certificate program for those YL.W interns who attend

the University of Alberta. YL.W in turn, offers great insight into the zeitgeist of Gen Z, and has generously supported PLLC

with their video talents—including assistance in producing a

recruitment video, which you can view at uab.ca/pllc. We are excited to continue this relationship and to recruit interested YL.W students to PLLC programming.

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Leadership is powerful. YoungLeaders.World teaches people how to set a trajectory for their life, then develop the action plan to make it happen! As a team, we wanted to bring the message of personal growth and collective good all over the world. This photo shows the YoungLeaders.

World team hosting a leadership conference in Suzhou, China for more than 300 students from more than 30 countries. This photo includes students from Edmonton, as well as International students and speakers who helped bring that conference to life.

PLLC’s UAlberta Partnerships & Collaborations • #UAlbertaCares Campaign and Video Series | Office of the Dean of Students

• Alberta Student Leadership Summit | University of Alberta Students’ Union

• Graduate Programming | Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research

• Green & Gold Athlete Academy | Golden Bears and

Pandas Athletics and the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation

PLLC took leadership development abroad to the Sunwah Global Young Leaders Network International Summit in 2019

• Hurtig Lecture on the Future of Canada | Department of Political Science

• Indigenous Feminism Workshop | Department of Political Science

• Kreisel Lecture | Canadian Literature Centre

• Leadership & Diversity Speaker Series | Research at the In collaboration with the Sunwah Foundation and the China

Institute at the University of Alberta, PLLC sent Director of

Instruction Cristina Stasia, former Teaching Fellows Lily Ren and James White, scholars Christy Kan and Reshma Sirajee and alumna Candice Oliva to participate in the summit, hosted in Macau.

Established in 2014, the Sunwah Foundation Global Young

Leaders Network focuses on helping its undergraduate student members develop their leadership and service learning skills in

a global multicultural context. Scholars and alumni have created a PLLC chapter of the network, adding to a growing number of Canadian chapters.

Intersections of Gender Signature Area

• Lougheed College Lectures | Campus Food Bank

• MBA Marketing Course Case Study on PLLC | Alberta School of Business

• Persephone Bound | Drama Department

• Retreat for SSHRC Researchers | Kule Institute for

Advanced Research and the Vice-President Research and Innovation Office, Provost’s Office

• Student Advisors' Conference | Office of the Dean of Students

• The Feminist Research Speakers Series | Department of Women’s and Gender Studies

• Workshops at the Residence Life Winter Summit | Residence Services

“Going to Macau was one of the best experiences of my life

because it taught me about stepping outside your comfort zone

and building connections with people from different countries,”

says Reshma. “Even though we were only together for five days, I

PLLC’s External Partnerships & Collaborations

have learned more about the hopes, dreams, and fears of the other

• Adaptive Leadership Network 2019 Conference |

I went to school with in Canada.”

• Digital Leadership Workshop | Government of Alberta

Global Young Leaders Network members than some of the people

In Macau, Cristina delivered a well-received keynote speech

on adaptive leadership, and she, Lily and James facilitated an intensive three-day leadership workshop for undergraduate students from seven countries, with assistance from Christy,

Reshma and Candice. PLLC’s ongoing emphasis on experiential

learning drove the workshop: participants improved their public

speaking by practicing Greta Thunberg’s “How Dare You” speech, developed and delivered their own purpose statements, and created tableaux to depict different leadership styles.

Adaptive Leadership Network and City of Edmonton

• Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program | Stanford University

• Kotter Change Leadership Program | Kotter

International and the Public Service Commission, Government of Alberta

• Sunwah Global Young Leaders Network International

Summit 2019 | University of Alberta China Institute and

the Sunwah Foundation

• YoungLeaders.World

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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LEADING CHANGE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

LEADERSHIP + MANAGEMENT In order to capitalize on windows

of opportunity, leadership must be

paramount—and not just from one executive. It’s about vision, action,

innovation and celebration, as well as essential managerial processes.

“HAVE TO” + “WANT TO” Those who feel included in a

meaningful opportunity will help create change in addition to their

normal responsibilities. Existing team members can provide the energy—if you invite them.

PLLC collaborated with the Government of Alberta, offering workshops designed by the foremost expert on change leadership

HEAD + HEART Most people aren’t inspired by logic

L

eading through change is arguably one of the biggest challenges

any leader faces. That’s why, starting in the fall of 2019, the Peter

Lougheed Leadership College worked with Kotter International to

facilitate a change leadership program for the Government of Alberta and University of Alberta.

alone, but rather by the fundamental desire to contribute to a larger case.

If you can give greater meaning and

purpose to your effort, extraordinary results are possible.

Over a period of eight months, 46 senior leaders from the Government of Alberta and University of Alberta participated in four in-person and two online sessions. The workshops were hands-on and interactive,

featuring virtual group coaching and small cohorts with which to grow and learn.

John Kotter, a leadership professor emeritus at Harvard Business School,

is widely recognized as a key thinker and scholar of change leadership— due in large part to his eight-step change model. This model was the basis for the workshops.

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

SELECT FEW + DIVERSE MANY More people need to be able to

make change happen—not just carry out someone else’s directives. Done right, this uncovers leaders at all

levels of an organization; ones you never knew you had.

CREATE

a sense of urgency

INSTITUTE

BUILD

change

SUSTAIN

acceleration

a guiding coalition

THE BIG OPPORTUNITY

FORM

a strategic vision and initiatives

ENLIST

GENERATE

a volunteer army

short-term wins

ENABLE

action by removing barriers

©Kotter 2018

“I've dealt with change management for many

“It has been an incredible gift to come together as a public service cohort to learn through

years, but this course reinforced for me the need

and grapple with the incredible changes we, as leaders within our respective organizations,

not to be permanently distracted or swayed by

continue to lead through. Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of the program has been the

dissent, but to push through it and work with

venue provided to discuss my own specific challenges with my colleagues from across the U

those who are on board to bring those trailing

of A and GoA. This opportunity to learn from Kotter’s research and lean on those grappling

along eventually.”

with similar issues has helped to shore up that sense of loneliness that can often creep into

– Dale Askey, Vice-Provost (Library & Museums) and Chief Librarian, University of Alberta

“I came away from each of the sessions with increased knowledge on how to manage change and was grateful to be part of the group. The one piece that really has struck me is to meet people where they are at. Really try to understand why people may be reluctant to accept change and use

the work of change leadership.”

– Kim Brockhoff, Executive Director, Business and Digital Strategy, Apprenticeship and Student Aid Division, Advanced Education, Government of Alberta “The Kotter change program has been an amazing experience to not only learn the theory behind Dr. Kotter’s model, but also a great opportunity to leverage the talents of other leaders from across the Government of Alberta and the University of Alberta.

In addition to the opportunity to discuss change with other leaders, we have also had some very knowledgeable facilitators to support us through this change journey. I would highly recommend this program to other senior leaders in this complex world we are

that understanding to bring people along.”

trying to navigate.”

– Rob Munro, Executive Lead, Service Excellence Transformation, University of Alberta

– Cole Dolhaniuk, Director, Governance & Policy and PSC’s Primary Change Advocate, Workforce Planning & Analytics Branch, Government of Alberta

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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LEADERSHIP & DIVERSITY SPEAKERS SERIES

L

eadership and Diversity ​

Speakers Series, co-hosted

by the Peter Lougheed Leadership College and the Intersections of Gender Signature Area, is dedicated to broadening our

thinking about who leads and what leadership looks like. In a time

of growing complexity, multiple perspectives and experiences

are imperative for addressing

contemporary organizational issues.

In a series of monthly, lunchtime talks, speakers from the

University of Alberta community presented their leadership

research and experience, offering attendees an opportunity to engage with their findings.

• Intimate sessions limited to 40 registrants • More than half of the sessions sold out

• 100% of survey respondents would recommend a colleague attend a future Leadership and Diversity Speakers Series session

“WONDERFUL PRESENTATION, LOTS OF EXCELLENT INFORMATION PRESENTED.” —Series Attendee

THE 2019-20 SERIES FEATURED: The courage to lead: Equity and diversity in times of crisis.............................................................................................. Malinda Smith Leadership & leaders, learning & learners: Why we need to radically reclaim learning for leadership.................. Bailey Sousa and Alex Clark On being an Indigenous academic administrator................................................................................................................. Chris Andersen Leadership and public education............................................................................................................................................. Samira ElAtia and Elissa Corsi On gender parity and corporate boards.................................................................................................................................. Deb Verhoeven

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

#UAlbertaCares ABOUT MENTAL WELLNESS PLLC scholars created a video series highlighting resources for faculty, staff and students

T

he numbers are staggering: one in three Canadians have experienced mental illness or substance use disorders,

according to Statistics Canada. It’s a complex problem with

no easy solutions—and despite progress normalizing mental illness, those experiencing it still face stigma.

“I WANTED TO HIDE HOW I STRUGGLED WITH ANXIETY,” SAYS PLLC SCHOLAR KAYLA GULKA. “I DIDN’T WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT I WAS REALLY STRUGGLING.” Kayla’s not alone. Like students at many post-secondary

institutions, nearly 87 per cent of students at the University of Alberta report feeling overwhelmed.

So when Kayla and her PLLC peers were tasked with creating a series of videos on mental wellness at the

University of Alberta, she knew firsthand the importance of the project. The videos, produced as part of PLLC’s

Foundations of Leadership course, explore mental health

challenges experienced by faculty, staff and students, while highlighting resources available on campus.

The video series was a collaboration between PLLC and the Office of the Dean of Students. Groups of PLLC scholars

took on traditional film production roles, such as director and writer, with editing and videography support from Jeff Allen Productions. The videos were created during

The primary sponsor of the UAlberta Cares video series was ATB

Financial. The series was also supported by the Office of the Dean of

Students, and Brian and Cecile Silzer. The Silzers honoured their late daughter Catherine, who died by suicide in 2015, with a generous

gift to support four University of Alberta mental health initiatives.

"The goal of these programs is to help students rebound, so they

have the motivation to go and seek help," says Cecile. "I like to think that if Catherine were at university now, all of these things would help her."

The videos are available alongside a facilitator’s guide for anyone interested in using the series to start a meaningful conversation

about mental wellness. The series will also be used by the University of Alberta as mental health training videos.

“If we keep the conversation about mental health and mental illness going, eventually it becomes even more destigmatized,” says Janice

Causgrove Dunn, Associate Dean in the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in the concluding video of the series. “Then, when people are really struggling, they won’t be afraid to reach out for help.”

the 2018-19 academic year, making their big-screen debut

The UAlberta Cares video series is available to the public on the University

to the UAlberta community in January 2020 as part of the

struggling with mental wellness, visit uab.ca/needhelp for a list of

at Metro Cinema in the spring of that year. They launched #UAlbertaCares campaign.

of Alberta’s website at uab.ca/cares. If you or someone you know is available support services.

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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HOW CANADA CAN LEAD IN THE GLOBAL ENERGY TRANSITION The twenty-first century will be defined by a global energy transition—already well underway—aimed at eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and solving the climate crisis

By Chris Turner

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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t can be hard to see in the midst of the pandemic, but the defining long-term trend of our age is a global energy

transition now underway around the world—a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy in order to avoid the

AND ALL THAT IS MERE PRELUDE.

government and business leaders have been largely in

The next decade shows every sign of being an even bigger

the 2015 Paris climate talks, and the pace has been rapidly

This is where an enormous opportunity has emerged for

most catastrophic impacts of climate change. The world’s agreement on the general direction of this transition since

growth period as the energy transition continues to accelerate.

accelerating for more than a decade.

Canadian leadership: despite the intense and sometimes

There are exciting new developments everywhere you look

Canada has already created one of the world’s best policy

counter-productive debates over oil sands and pipelines,

now, at a pace and scale that not even boosters would’ve

environments for the transition.

transition 15 years ago. The cost of a solar panel is down

“Perhaps the government will build a new oil pipeline and

wind power down more than 50 per cent since 2008.

for the global climate challenge,” wrote Mark Jaccard, an

in much of the world by 2025. The cost of batteries—

Mail recently. “In climate policy, experts agree that Canada

renewables become more ubiquitous—has dropped 75 per

prominent critic of Canada’s slow climate progress, so there

promised when I first started reporting on this fledgling

more than 80 per cent since 2008, and the cost of onshore

will also miss its 2030 target. But these don’t matter much

Solar power will be the cheapest source of new electricity

energy economist at Simon Fraser University, in The Globe and

essential to the next phase of the transition, as intermittent

is finally a global leader.” Jaccard has long been a vocal and

cent since 2010.

was something almost like surprise in his tone.

Electric vehicle sales are booming. (They represent a quarter

The objects of praise extend well beyond carbon taxes. Here in

is now the biggest market for electric vehicles and nearly

room to seize on anything else, but Jaccard notes that other

to the pandemic, its annual investment in clean energy

plans are earning laurels from his international colleagues.

90,000 electric buses hit Chinese roads in 2018, for example,

2016 Pan-Canadian Framework’s nationwide coal phase-out,

The Chinese added 53 gigawatts of solar power to their grid

emissions, among other projects.

more than 10 times all the solar power everywhere on earth

Beyond these, the framework contains a range of energy-

global cleantech economy (not just renewable power but

of Canada’s Paris pledge to reduce our overall emissions to

$2.5 trillion industry by 2022.

laid out plans for higher vehicle-emissions standards, better

of all new cars sold in Norway, the world’s pacesetter.) China

Canada, our political battles over energy sometimes leave little

all the rest of the technology driving this transition—prior

elements of Canada’s various federal and provincial climate

cleared $100 billion. The scale is impressive from every angle:

Jaccard reported that his colleagues were impressed by the

including every bus in Shenzhen, a city of 12 million people.

the clean-fuel standard, and national efforts to reduce methane

in 2018—this is about four times Alberta’s entire grid and

in 2005. The business is growing, and it’s estimated that the

efficiency efforts sufficient, all by themselves, to meet a third

electrification, efficiency, green buildings, all of it) will be a

30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. The framework also

building codes, faster deployment of zero-emissions vehicles, and lower emissions from heavy industry.

This article is based on Chris Turner’s March 2020 Lougheed College Lecture. The Lougheed College Lecture series, sponsored by Syncrude, offers all U of A students and members of the public the opportunity to hear from some of today’s most inspirational, influential and innovative visiting scholars and practitioners of leadership. Watch Chris’ talk and other compelling lectures in the series at uab.ca/lcl.

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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B

ritish Columbia, a bellwether for climate policy across North

America, demonstrates how far Canada has come and how far

yet to go on the energy transition. The province has operated under its pioneering carbon tax for more than a decade. Like any other

carbon price, BC’s tax was never intended to stand alone, and it soon led to efforts at several levels of government to improve climate

performance on every front. In the building trades, for example, a

range of efforts at several levels of government emerged to improve

best spots in Canada for solar power. Calgary’s Greengate Power has begun development of what will be Canada’s largest solar

power plant there, while students at Medicine Hat College train to be solar technicians. First Nations communities across the

province have embarked on clean energy projects of their own,

and shrinking emissions in Alberta’s oil patch will create many opportunities for new jobs and growing business.

efficiency, build green, etc. The BC government took over the process

I’ve come to think of the first phase of this energy transition,

can now lay claim to being the first jurisdiction in North America to

emissions here and there, improving efficiency a little,

in 2015, and unveiled a world-leading energy “step code” in 2017. It

create a clear, binding policy path that will ensure the entire province’s building industries build nothing but net-zero structures—both new buildings and retrofits—by 2032.

Alongside the necessity of taking

on climate change, this transition is a massive economic opportunity— one in which every jurisdiction in

Canada, including Alberta, can play a role.

now ending, as the years of doing “less bad”—shrinking

experimenting with a green building or two. The next ten

years are the era of the “much better”—tools and techniques that work together to

ALL THOSE EMISSIONS-FREE BUILDINGS ARE NOT JUST GOOD FOR THE PLANET— THEY’RE SMART BUSINESS AND A HUGE JOB-CREATION ENGINE.

produce a quality of

life substantially better than the one we built last century, where the “green” details

are almost incidental.

The Tesla sedan is my favourite example of

Canada begins from an enviable position: more than 80 per cent of our

this: a car designed not to be all-electric and emissions-free but

large-scale hydro power—and the entire country is shifting quickly to

navigate the journey ahead, the smart money is on vehicles

electricity nationwide comes from non-emitting sources—predominantly coal-free power. In big hydro jurisdictions like Quebec, the clean grid

is already attracting new business opportunities. Consider the case of

simply to be the best car on the road. And to most successfully like the Tesla getting us where we need to go.

ELYSIS, a joint venture of Alcoa and Rio Tinto in Saguenay, Quebec—the world’s first zero-emissions aluminum smelter.

The Washington Post said it “could be the biggest advance in aluminum

production in 130 years.” And it’s in Quebec because Apple wants to use

CHRIS TURNER is an author, essayist and strategist, providing Canada’s authoritative voice on climate change

nothing but emissions-free aluminum in its phones, tablets and laptops,

solutions and the global energy transition. His feature reporting

in Alberta as well. The south of the province, for example, is one of the

National Magazine Awards and appeared in The New Yorker,

and Quebec was ready to supply it. There are opportunities emerging

on energy, climate and sustainability issues has won 10 The Guardian, The Globe & Mail, The Walrus, Maclean’s, and many other publications. His latest book is The Patch: The People, Pipelines and Politics of the Oil Sands, a national bestseller and winner of the 2018 National Business Book Award. He lives in Calgary with his wife and two children.

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

LOUGHEED COLLEGE LECTURES SPONSORED BY:

More than 500 people attended the 2019-20 Lougheed College Lectures, which included the following speakers: Francine Pelletier - The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Alberta, Quebec and the Federal Election Robert Saik - Food 5.0: How We Feed the Future Alex Benay, Roger Oldham & Dominique Bohn - Leadership by Design Janice Makokis, Anthony Johnson & James Makokis - Truth and Reconciliation in Alberta Michelle Dagnino - Will Millennials Save Alberta? Unpacking the Impact of Generational Trends Chris Turner - Alberta’s Energy Future

PLLC extends its deepest gratitude to the Office of Alumni Relations and the alumni volunteers whose hard work makes the Lougheed College Lectures possible.

THIS TALK WAS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST BECAUSE IT EXAMINED TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION FROM BOTH A LEGAL AND HEALTHCARE PERSPECTIVE. IT WAS ALSO ONE OF PLLC’S MOST ATTENDED LECTURES OF 2019-20, LIKELY BECAUSE JAMES AND ANTHONY HAVE QUITE A FOLLOWING AFTER WINNING THE MOST RECENT SEASON OF THE AMAZING RACE CANADA!

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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Oluwaseun Adedeji

Faculty of Engineering Kareema Batal

Faculty of ALES

Joanne Cave

Faculty of Law Daniel Engelhardt

Faculty of Science Kellie Fowler

T

Faculty of Law he Teaching Fellow program provides a unique opportunity for graduate, law and professional

students to teach undergraduates from faculties

across the University of Alberta by serving as TAs for

PLLC courses. With the support of PLLC’s Director of

Instruction and Lougheed Adjunct Professors, Fellows

work collaboratively as a cohort to build their capacity

Peter Harrington

Faculty of Science

Cole Hawkins

Faculty of Arts

as educators, design innovative experiential learning

activities and create meaningful classroom experiences.

Tom Joyce

Faculty of Engineering

As part of a two-week intensive Leadership Educators’ Bootcamp, Fellows receive teacher and leadership

training on topics including facilitating discussion,

classroom management, and defining and understanding their own role as an authority in the classroom.

Fellows also participate in a monthly, interdisciplinary, cohort-based leadership development program to

focus on individual leadership challenges and develop problem-solving skills.

Shingirai Mandizadza

Faculty of Arts Paul Nya

Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation Maria Ortiz

Faculty of Engineering Tristan Patterson

Faculty of Law

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Written by Fellows Shingi and Dan

By the end of the program, Teaching Fellows will be able to: Lead a discussion on just about any topic Challenge their peers and students in a productive way Design a classroom layout that maximizes student contributions Explain and utilize a number of offensive and defensive teaching strategies

Improvisation workshop Learning together as a team State-of-the-art leadership training Public learning (i.e., all class members contribute and participate)

Compare feedback and coaching and determine when each should be used Give constructive feedback on students’ assignments

Gambling (i.e., practicing your poker face) Performing the dinosaur dance!

Willingness to embrace the uncomfortable Openness to diverse experiences Ability to grow as a person Dance skills (optional)

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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WADE

Build specific leadership skills through topic-focused, experiential workshops The Wade stream allows graduate, law and professional students to design their own leadership skill

development program. In 2019-20, this free program

offered interdisciplinary groups of participants one-off

experiential workshops focused on a specific leadership skill. Topics included: public speaking, dealing with

imposter syndrome, developing a personal brand, and navigating failure.

All eight 2019-20 workshops were full within 72 hours of registration opening, demonstrating a strong desire amongst University of Alberta graduate, law and

professional students to hone their leadership capacities.

SWIM Develop personal leadership skills for post-docs This year, the Swim stream encouraged post-doctoral fellows to consider the leadership dimensions of

academic life. Facilitated by university and community leaders, these sessions enabled post-docs to share their

expertise and experiences, building capacity to navigate the complex higher education environment. Topics

included: the service role of academics, from conflict to collaboration, managing up, and preparing your team

for success. Participants developed personal leadership

skills while considering the importance of organizational structure and context. Through these conversations, the Swim stream helped build a stronger post-doc community on campus.

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

DIVE Focus on leadership challenges and problem-solving skills The Dive stream is a workshop series that uses an adaptive leadership

framework to build graduate, law and professional students’ ability to

tackle complex problems in their professional and personal worlds. This adaptive leadership framework helps students move beyond technical

solutions to problems and instead drive systemic change, all while being

accountable to their values and goals. In Dive, students met monthly as a cohort and several times in small, interdisciplinary groups. Throughout

the academic year, participants worked with PLLC Director of Instruction

Cristina Stasia to engage in public learning and test the adaptive leadership diagnostic process together, building their diagnostic skills while working on addressing their own individual barriers to leadership success.

The 2019-20 Dive cohort consisted of 30 students from faculties across the

University of Alberta. Participants were carefully selected from more than 90 applicants to the Dive stream.

PhD candidate Will Schultz is learning to address the messy and complex parts of leadership

I

wasn’t sure what to expect when I started Dive. The idea of a leadership training course intrigued me, and I was excited to

be part of a cohort of motivated, like-minded students. But, jaded

by past experiences with shoddy “leadership” training programs, I expected Dive would be just another line on my CV, with little practical application outside of the classroom. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how wrong I was.

I have always admired great leaders, both in history and in my

personal experience. However, I have simultaneously struggled to

exercise leadership myself. I grew up with a charismatic, top-down leadership style; although effective in certain circumstances, this

form of leadership is fundamentally limited. Consequently, I have

experienced several major leadership failures. For instance, several

years ago, I attempted to spearhead the re-start of a folded graduate student association. Despite putting a lot of sincere effort into the

project, I faced suspicion and opposition from other students, and the entire initiative fizzled.

Experiencing leadership failures like this—as well as witnessing and

dealing with the fallout of other peoples’ failures in my volunteering and work lives—significantly reduced my confidence in exercising

leadership. Perhaps most importantly, it also shattered my ability to dispassionately diagnose the failures I encountered, preventing me from learning the lessons I needed to improve.

Dive taught me to completely rethink my approach to leadership.

I have always struggled to understand why people resist change,

something that often accompanies new leadership initiatives. The

adaptive leadership framework Dr. Stasia taught us demonstrated that people do not fear change, they fear loss. For me, this was

a simple, yet earth-shattering realization. I have witnessed and encountered significant resistance at work, in my scholarship

communities and at summer camp, yet failed to fully understand the underlying issues at play. Being able to reframe resistance to change as fear of loss, rather than any form of individual shortcoming,

allowed me to completely reframe significant leadership failures

I have experienced and witnessed.

Furthermore, using adaptive

techniques like these has given me the skills I needed to identify problems,

allowing me to avoid leadership failures before they happen.

Overall, I found my time in Dive to be

one of the most educational and rewarding parts of my PhD to date. The program pushed me far outside of my comfort

zone, teaching me and my colleagues how to think about leadership in different and

exciting ways. Learning alongside a group of

fun and motivated fellow students was deeply

rewarding, and I developed close friendships with the other students in my cohort.

Most importantly, though, Dive gave me a curriculum for how to lead, and a playbook for how to address

the messy and deeply complex parts of leadership. The

adaptive leadership model I learned in Dive has completely revolutionized my understanding of leadership. Although

I am by no means an expert, I sincerely believe that adaptive

leadership represents one of the only coherent leadership theories

that has the potential to bring disparate groups together in pursuit of common goals. Dr. Stasia was a terrific guide to this leadership

approach and I strongly support PLLC’s efforts to support graduate students’ professional development through this programming.

Will Schultz is a PhD Candidate and a Vanier and Trudeau Scholar

in Criminology at the University of Alberta who took part in PLLC’s 2019-20 Dive program. His award-winning research focuses on

experiences in western Canadian prisons. Will is an avid volunteer who referees community soccer, serves meals at the Hope Mission, assists with after-school programs in inner-city Edmonton, and

helps lead youth camps each summer. Prior to beginning graduate

school at the University of Alberta, Will spent five years working as a correctional officer.

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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CERTIFICATE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY LEADERSHIP STUDIES W

hen the inaugural cohort of scholars began their leadership classes in the fall of 2015,

PLLC’s flagship offering was the Certificate in

Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies. Over the past five years, PLLC has expanded the reach of the certificate program while implementing a more robust suite of

leadership development activities for other audiences.

An important part of that expansion came in the 201920 academic year. In an effort to increase accessibility, PLLC now offers its courses to all undergraduate

students—regardless of whether they enroll in the

certificate program. Students must first complete the

prerequisite, Foundations of Leadership, and can then

select PLLC courses according to their interests. Should they find all the courses—and the opportunities

limited to the certificate, such as the Stretch Experience and mentorship program—enticing, they may enrol

at any time and fulfil the 12-credit requirement of the certificate at their own pace.

In the 2019-20 year, 122 undergraduate students enrolled in PLLC’s courses.

ENTRY AWARDS Three $10,000 awards are available to incoming students with outstanding leadership potential

COURSES • Foundations of Leadership (INT D 301) ◦ Prerequisite Course • Leadership for Social Innovation (INT D 306) • Innovation, Science and Leadership (INT D 406) • Workshops in Leadership (INT D 407)

STRETCH EXPERIENCE • Scholars practice what they learn by tackling an issue of social impact and community benefit through a 200-hour leadership project • Scholars receive up to $5,000 in award funding

MENTORSHIP • Connects scholars to open-minded Mentor Team members who have demonstrated leadership in their respective communities • Dynamic model that includes one-to-one coaching, group mentorship and networking opportunities

GRADUATION RETREAT Program completion is topped off with a unique programming experience and celebration

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

CERTIFICATE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY LEADERSHIP STUDIES

FOUNDATIONS OF LEADERSHIP INT D 301 | Faculty of Arts

LEADERSHIP FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION

What does it take to lead? This course focuses on leadership

INT D 306 | Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences

group. Scholars use course material to catalyze deep

What is a wicked problem? How can we use ecological

development of individual scholars and the class as a

discussions about what good leadership looks like, while also learning how to ask good questions, how to better

respond to ones that challenge them, and how to build a leadership practice that brings people together to work towards positive change. The course privileges public learning where scholars share their own obstacles to

effective leadership, helping their peers gain insight into leadership failures and challenges.

In the 2019-20 academic year, scholars used dramatized

scenes to depict different leadership styles, created origami

frogs to learn about followership, and competed in customdesigned escape rooms to test and analyze their teamwork abilities. Scholars also explored the history of non-

prototypical leadership in Canada by creating an interactive leadership map of Canada.

thinking to find creative approaches to making a difference?

In this course, scholars explore the concept of wicked

problems and research socially innovative ideas to solve

them using an approach called ecological leadership. They hear from those who have been effective in turning a seed

of an idea into an innovative solution. Scholars learn skills such as how to research an innovative idea, develop an effective proposal, and pitch that idea.

In the winter 2020 section of INT D 306, students developed a variety of project proposals to effect

positive change both at the University of Alberta and more broadly. Their proposals included creating an

accessibility map of the University of Alberta, designing a browser extension to help online shoppers make

more sustainable choices, and offering activities at the

beginning of the academic year to educate students living

INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND LEADERSHIP

in residence halls about the dangers of binge drinking.

INT D 406 | Faculty of Science

WORKSHOPS IN LEADERSHIP

How does evidence-based practice contribute to

INT D 407 | Alberta School of Business

for innovation through an evidence-based practice

Which skills are critical to effective leadership? How can

knowledge in decision making, raising questions about

analyze and practice critical leadership skills through

when long-held views on the scientific method are being

and as a group, students are challenged to deepen

leadership? In this course, scholars explore leadership approach. This emphasizes the effective use of scientific

those skills be refined and improved? In this course, scholars

what constitutes valid and reliable evidence in a time

a series of experiential workshops. Both individually

challenged in new ways.

their understanding of, and practice of, team building,

Of course, the best way to learn about evidence-based

creative problem solving and stress management.

group projects where they learn how to design and

In the fall 2019 section of INT D 407, scholars participated

recommendations related to a pressing environmental

Alberta Emergency Management team that challenged them

practice is to do it, so in this course, scholars undertake

mentorship, managing conflict, delegating, decision making,

carry out a systematic review of evidence and make

in a crisis management simulation led by the University of

or social issue. In the winter 2020 section of INT D 406,

to apply their leadership skills to manage a major emergency.

groups chose their topic from one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

2019-20 Lougheed Adjunct Professors Rhonda Breitkreuz, PhD | Professor, Faculty of ALES

Gordon Gow, PhD | Professor and Academic Director, Communications and Technology Graduate Program (MACT), Faculty of Extension

Rick Brick | Assistant Lecturer, Alberta School of Business Cristina Stasia, PhD | Director of Instruction, Peter Lougheed Leadership College

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

21

AN UNLIKELY MENTORSHIP

MATCH A PLLC scholar and Mentor Team member go beyond their disciplines to find meaningful connection

W

hen Kyle Chankasingh wasn’t accepted to medical school, it

was the biggest rejection he’d ever faced.

“I had spent my entire degree with a certain goal in mind: getting into med school,” says Kyle, who graduated from the University of Alberta in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science

Kyle was matched to Carolyn Campbell, a PhD candidate at Oxford University with a background in fine arts and

public sector work, through PLLC’s

mentorship program. Before meeting

Carolyn, Kyle thought mentorship was about finding someone who was an

established leader in the profession he

good blueprint for success, but she still gave me the autonomy of what I wanted to do, and let me figure things out on my own.”

Carolyn points out that connecting across vocations for mentorship

encourages lateral thinking—and says

her conversations with Kyle weren’t just about his education and employment.

and PLLC’s Certificate in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies. “I felt very confined to that traditional path to success.”

Like many new graduates,

“YOU FEEL SUPER DISCOURAGED, AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NEXT,” SAYS KYLE. “SEEKING MENTORSHIP REALLY HELPED GUIDE ME.”

Kyle had travel planned

for the summer after his undergraduate

degree: 10 weeks in Tanzania for a public health internship with the Students

Invested in Health Association, a non-profit

22

advice that emerged from their meetings showed him that a shared discipline

isn’t required for effective mentorship.

student group at the U of A, followed by a be a prime opportunity to reflect on his

she had done so many things for the field

six-week stint in Europe. He knew it would

path in life than what I wanted to take,

future, and didn’t want to do that alone.

she was in that I would want to do for the

“You feel super discouraged, and you have

track record in leadership positions and

“Seeking mentorship really helped guide me.”

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

not only about his school trajectory and how he wanted to move forward in his career, but we also talked about leadership,” says Carolyn. “Leadership not only in a potential job, but leadership

wanted to pursue. But the coaching and

“Even though she took a completely different

no idea what you should do next,” says Kyle.

“We had incredible conversations

field I’m in,” says Kyle, citing Carolyn’s

far-reaching impact while working for

the City of Edmonton and Government of Alberta. “Carolyn provided me with a

through the kinds of things you’re reading about, thinking about, and sharing with other people—how you bring yourself to everyday conversations.”

Although they hope to stay in touch, both Kyle and Carolyn are about to

begin new chapters in their leadership journeys: Kyle has been accepted to

Simon Fraser University’s Master of Public Health program for the fall

of 2020, and Carolyn was appointed

President and CEO of NorQuest College.

MENTORSHIP PROGRAM PLLC’s Mentorship Program connects scholars to the external

community, offering a space for coaching, support and advice.

Mentor Team members consult on Stretch Experiences,

interpersonal skill development, career exploration and much more. Each Mentor Team member receives comprehensive coaching training from the Roy Group.

The mentorship experience is customized for each scholar using one or more of the following: • One-on-one mentorship

P

LLC scholar Molly Henneberry has an interest in space medicine.

So, for her Stretch Experience, she worked on identifying a research

and astronauts returning from prolonged spaceflight. Molly followed

• Mentorship events

a breadcrumb trail of connections, starting with PLLC’s Mentor Team,

• Structured coaching sessions

which led to an email (“Greetings from Moscow”) from Commander Chris Hadfield. That email turned into a phone call about her research—and

Mentor Team at a Glance

Molly’s conversation with Canada’s favourite astronaut.

• 47 Mentor Team members with broad skill sets and experiences

• Leaders from diverse sectors and industries including:

Non-profit

FAVOURITE ASTRONAUT bridge between bone loss amongst spinal cord injury patients on earth

• Group mentorship

Engineering

A CONVERSATION WITH CANADA’S

Law

Medicine

“If you’d told me in Grade 11 that part of my university career would involve talking to astronauts about my science projects, I likely would have laughed,” says Molly.

“I’VE LEARNED THAT WHAT I’M CAPABLE OF IS LESS ABOUT MY NATURAL TALENTS, AND HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH HOW MUCH OF MYSELF I’M WILLING TO INVEST IN A PROJECT.”

Technology

Mentor Team Board of Advisors Susan Green Lan Truong

Lois Harder

Kelly Hobson

Co-Chair

Co-Chair

PLLC Principal

PLLC Mentorship Coordinator

Anthony Fields

Mentor Team Member Representative

Mohamed Bah

Scholar Representative

Esther Kim

Mentor Team Member Representative

Alyssa Domingo

Scholar Representative

Kabir Nadkarni

Alumni Scholar Representative

Molly Henneberry Scholar Representative Carlos Jarquin

Secretary

PLLC gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the Watson family, without whom the Mentorship Program would not be possible.

Their meaningful contribution allows us to connect the leaders of tomorrow with the leaders of today.

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Located at the intersection of two major highways (as so many rural communities are), Kindersley is the midpoint between

Calgary, Alberta and Regina, Saskatchewan, each a four-hour

drive away. By all accounts, Kindersley is a quintessential prairie

ORGANIZERS WEREN'T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT.

town: surrounded by a patchwork of farmland, deeply invested in curling and baseball, with a Tim Hortons strategically positioned just off the highway. While there’s a QSA at the local high school, there’s been a dearth of resources and programming for young adults and adults in Kindersley who identify as part of the

LGBTQ2S+ community—before the West Central QSA began in the summer of 2019, the nearest opportunities to connect with peers and allies were hundreds of kilometres away.

I

Although progress has been made in Canada to enshrine the t was a mild Tuesday evening in June as the working group for

the West Central Queer-Straight Alliance set out chairs for their

legal rights and protections of LGBTQ2S+ people, significant

work remains to move the needle from tolerating to accepting

inaugural meeting. They hoped those seats would be filled by

and ideally embracing the spectrum of identities within this

organizing is a tricky business—turnout is often difficult to predict.

Straight Alliances need only look to Edmonton, where Canada’s

The meeting was at the West Central Crisis & Family Support

down last fall when hate groups targeted trans staff members

5,000 people. A prevailing understanding in the LGBTQ2S+

marginalized groups, who often face chronic stress and poorer

local LGBTQ2S+ people and their allies, but grassroots community

community. Anyone unsure about the necessity of local Queer-

first non-profit gym serving the LGBTQ2S+ community was shut

Centre in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, a small town of fewer than

online. Creating community and shared experiences is vital for

community is that queer people must move to a major city to

health outcomes as a result of discrimination.

safe spaces. So founders and supporters of the West Central

The West Central Queer-Straight Alliance is now a permanent

something in between.

on hold for 2020, the organization continues to offer virtual

experience love and acceptance—that small towns aren’t typically QSA didn’t know if they’d be met with enthusiasm, vitriol, or

fixture in Kindersley, and while in-person gatherings are resources to its diverse membership.

“Sometimes you hold something in a small town and you get

nothing, or you get one or two people,” says the PLLC scholar who founded the West Central QSA as part of their Stretch

Experience. The scholar requested anonymity for this story,

concerned that being publicly linked to a LGBTQ2S+ initiative

could compromise their personal safety. “Or, I was thinking maybe it would go the other way, we’d be getting negative backlash, or people who weren’t supportive.”

Thankfully, that didn’t happen. Rather, 16 eager participants

kicked off the first of many gatherings the West Central QSA

would host. The discussion covered a range of topics and issues, including ground rules on how to create a safe space, sexuality,

gender identity, gender expression, and the history of LGBTQ2S+ communities in Canada.

“It was really validating that this is something of interest for the community,” says the PLLC scholar. “You could feel the impact

[the meetings] had on people—and people who might not even

be part of the LGBTQ2S+ community. Having that discussion and that awareness out there is really beneficial.”

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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STRETCH EXPERIENCE PROGRAM T

he Stretch Experience is an intensive, independent

leadership project that puts scholars’ leadership skills

into practice and benefits a community they care about. After completing the required 200 hours in an environment that

matches their personal and career goals, scholars emerge with valuable experience and confidence.

In 2019, 43 scholars completed Stretch Experience projects,

donating 8,600 volunteer hours to communities around the world. Scholars were awarded $192,300 in funding to assist with the completion of their community projects.

TYPES OF PROJECTS

26

5

24

9

12

2

Academic Projects

Community Projects

International Projects

Research Projects

University of Alberta Students’ Union

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS 2019-20

• Shaheed Jiwa & Ismaili Organization for Afghan Women & Children

• Alberta Health Services Indigenous Wellness Clinic

• UAlberta - Department of Anthropology

• Bionic Limbs for Improved Natural Control (BLINC) Lab

• UAlberta - Engage North

• City of Edmonton

• UAlberta - Green & Gold Sport System

• DiscoverE

• UAlberta - School of Retailing

• Edmonton Immigrant Services Association

• Université Grenoble Alpes

• High School Model United Nations

• WILDNorth

• Muslim Awards for Excellence

• YoungLeaders.World Foundation

• Slavia

• Social Engagement, Empowerment and Development Society (SEEDS) • Streetworks

• TusStar Shenzhen

• UAlberta - Alberta School of Business

• UAlberta - Campus & Community Recreation

• AIESEC (Edmonton)

•UAlberta - Department of Political Science

• Canadian Alliance for Development Initiatives and Projects

• UAlberta - Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine

• Collège de Sainte-Anne-De-La-Pocatière

• UAlberta - Intercultural Communication Lab, Department of Psychology

• Edmonton Community Legal Centre

• UAlberta - Students’ Union

• Frontier College (Thunder Bay)

• University of Calgary - Students on Sustainability

• Hope Mission

• Women for Peace & Democracy Nepal

• NeuroSurgery Kids Fund

• No Woman Without. Period.

• Performing Arts Abroad

• Qube Investment Management • Rotary Club of Northern Tarlac

On behalf of the scholars who engage in these transformative projects and the many communities they support, PLLC extends its deepest thanks to all the donors who make the Stretch Experience possible through their generous contributions, and especially the contributions of: Keyera Corp, Telus Corporation (Darren Entwhistle Leadership Scholars Project Fund), and Hopewell Group of Companies.

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

27

WHEN ONE SCHOLAR’S STRETCH EXPERIENCE FELL APART, SHE CROSSED A CONTINENT TO REBUILD WHAT BECAME AN AWARD-WINNING PROJECT

I

t was a “dream come true” project for Julia-Don

Edwards. The sociology major and drama minor

was volunteering in Nairobi, Kenya over the summer, facilitating programming with local performing arts collective VOCAL. Then, seemingly overnight, the program was unexpectedly cancelled.

“I was alone, on a continent I didn’t know,” says

Julia-Don. “I scrambled to reach out to [close family contacts] as soon as possible.”

It would be a devastating blow for anyone who

traveled more than 13,000 kilometres to volunteer

with such a distinctive program. But for Julia-Don, the cancellation had far-reaching academic implications.

The program was part of her Stretch Experience, a

minimum 200-hour independent leadership project required for PLLC’s Certificate in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies.

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Julia-Don had only been in Nairobi for a week. She needed

a way to complete her hours and, more importantly, reclaim

the experience she had spent months meticulously planning.

Demonstrating a rare brand of adaptability and resilience, Julia-

Don reimagined her project on the ground in an unfamiliar place.

After reaching out to family friends in Senegal, Julia-Don

arranged flights and traveled west across Africa to Thiaroye, a

town in the suburbs of the coastal capital, Dakar. She immediately

“The spark of social change lit through arts activism directed

create the community’s first performing arts summer camp.

exciting in Thiaroye,” says Julia-Don.

set to work, collaborating with two early childhood educators to

“This program served the community by providing a space for play structure and creative expression through singing,

dancing, drawing, as well as theatrical play,” says Papa Gueye, a kindergarten and preschool educator in Thiaroye. “Julia-Don

was very involved in social and cultural activities despite being a white woman working in Africa.”

The work tapped into Julia-Don’s interest in the adaptive

leadership challenge of moving “towards a postcolonial global society.” She insisted that participants perform in Wolof, their

local language, to keep the camp rooted in the community and

its culture. Many youth were new to structured programming, let alone facilitated creative expression; Julia-Don empowered them to let their interests drive the camp’s programming.

And the camp wasn’t just about singing, dancing and performing.

It was about art activism: the practice of marrying creative

and driven by young people is the beginning of something very

“I DON’T BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE BEEN STRETCHED FAR ENOUGH OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE HAD I NOT HAD TO FACE THE HUGE OBSTACLE OF RESTRUCTURING MY STRETCH EXPERIENCE WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING.” Although she faced a significant language barrier in Thiaroye,

Julia-Don learned one phrase that has since remained with her: Mbolo Moy Dole. We’re strong together.

For her resilience when she had to independently handle uncertainty, Julia-Don won the 2019 Tavender Award for

an exceptional Stretch Experience—albeit, one that didn’t go as planned.

pursuits with activities designed to catalyze social change. Julia-

Don joined the summer camp participants as they collected litter and explored responsible waste disposal.

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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PLLC Awards PLLC’s 2019-20 award winners demonstrated a

positive self-concept, a strong growth mindset and a passion for community service.

PLLC Leadership Development Fund The PLLC Leadership Development Fund assists

Weatherhill Family Award

$10,000 Navneet Chand

Cecil E Race Leadership Scholarship

$10,000 Julia Craig

scholars with costs associated with active participation in a leadership development opportunity (e.g., conference registration, travel, transportation).

Courtney McQueen ($1,000) - In support of her

participation in the 2020 Peace Summit for Emerging Leaders in Bangkok, Thailand.

Isha Godara ($600) - In support of her participation in

Tavender Award

the Engineering and Commerce Case Competition in

Julia-Don Edwards

Danielle Bailey-Heelan ($1,000) - In support of her

$5,000

Founding Principal Convocation Scholarship

$5,000

Montreal, Quebec.

participation in the National Model United Nations New York Conference.

Simran Gulati

Grace Li ($1,000) - In support of the University of Alberta

T

National Model United Nations New York Conference.

he inaugural Founding Principal Convocation Scholarship was awarded to Simran Gulati.

Simran's performance throughout the Certificate in

Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies was impressive,

demonstrating a deepened self-awareness, compassion

and appreciation for complexity. Simran showed strong leadership and effective followership while working with her colleagues to execute class projects. Her

National Model United Nations team to attend the

PLLC Supplemental Bursary

$5,000

The PLLC Supplemental Bursary is available to scholars who demonstrate financial need. One bursary was awarded In the 2019-20 year.

commitment to understanding others’ perspectives was cultivated throughout her coursework and her Stretch Experience, working with the Rotary Club to provide

workshops on menstrual health to people in rural India.

Simran completed the certificate having developed as an inclusive and compassionate leader.

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

The Founding Principal Convocation Scholarship is funded by the generous donation of the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell, PLLC’s Founding Principal.

PLLC PROGRAMMING FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT 2%

22%

Carryforward from prior years Government of Alberta funding (grants) PLLC Funding Sources

Donors Interest and Internal Revenue from Programming

76%

Mentorship Program

9%

Stretch Experience Program

29%

21% PLLC Expenses Breakdown

Undergraduate Program (Academic) Graduate Programming Community / Public Leadership Development Programming

3%

Students Awards / Bursaries

10%

21% 7%

Administration and Marketing of all Programs

2019-20 Expenses: $1.2 million PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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VENTURE HEALTHCARE COMES FULL CIRCLE PLLC alumni and program founder hears success stories from participants

I

t was Yasmin Rafiei’s own journey applying to medical school that got her thinking about the barriers some

applicants face.

While reviewing the myriad requirements typical of

medical school applications—competitive Medical College Admission Test scores, paid employment, leadership experience, volunteer work and a rock solid GPA—

she began to wonder how people from marginalized communities would fare.

How could a student, working gruelling hours waiting tables to pay their tuition, find time to study for an

admissions test, let alone scrape together the money for an expensive prep course to land a competitive score?

health professionals while also attending lecture-based learning on leadership in healthcare. The program is designed to provide participants with financial, social and cultural capital: not just the money required to pay for test and

application fees, but also the connections within and exposure to healthcare

that many marginalized students lack. The program launched in the summer of 2017 as part of the Division of Community Engagement in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta.

Yasmin recalls the concluding session of that pilot year, an emotional poetry workshop facilitated by Nisha Patel, Edmonton’s current Poet Laureate.

“It was this watershed moment,” says Yasmin. “It felt like everything came together and it made sense why this was important.”

How could a student caring for younger siblings while

Beyond that workshop, Yasmin has seen Venture Healthcare pay off for

could students who didn’t see anyone from their cultural

physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs.

taking full-time classes, squeeze in volunteer shifts? How background represented in their own healthcare providers, envision themselves in those roles?

“The majority of my friends applying for medical school had never worked a service job,” says Yasmin, a Rhodes Scholar and graduate of PLLC’s inaugural class. “They

weren’t necessarily stressed about some of the financial barriers to applying.”

Yasmin began researching the demographics of healthcare professionals, realizing that people from Indigenous

communities and low socioeconomic backgrounds were critically underrepresented. She resolved to design a

program that would open doors to healthcare professions for students from such backgrounds, creating Venture Healthcare as her Stretch Experience with PLLC.

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Venture Healthcare is a paid internship program where participants shadow

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

countless participants who have been accepted into medical school, dentistry,

Recently, she received a message from one such participant.

“VENTURE HEALTHCARE EXPANDED HER SCOPE OF WHAT WAS POSSIBLE,” SAYS YASMIN. “BEFORE SHE CAME TO THE INTERNSHIP, SHE’D NEVER CONSIDERED HERSELF AS BEING THE KIND OF PERSON WHO’D GO TO ONE OF THESE MEDICAL PROGRAMS. THE PREMISE OF THIS INITIATIVE WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE INFORMATION—BUT IN THE PROCESS OF THAT WE WERE, AT EVERY POINT, VALIDATING THAT THEY WERE WORTHY OF BEING IN THOSE ROLES.”

PLLC ALUMNI We surveyed the 190 alumni who have completed the Certificate in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies. The results suggest they: Hit the ground running

• More than 90 per cent of alumni in the workforce believe the PLLC certificate program prepared them for the transition from school to work

• 86 per cent of alumni were employed within three months of graduation

Are life-long learners • More than a third of alumni are currently enrolled in further education, including graduate studies, medicine and law

• 70 per cent of alumni not currently enrolled in further

education are planning to do so in the future are planning to do so in the future

Pay it forward • More than three quarters of alumni volunteer, lending their expertise to boards, councils and committees

98% of respondents would recommend the PLLC certificate program to others

"Nothing could have better prepared me for a career than working with students who had experience unique from my own."

– Ed Ilnicki, PLLC alumni and Captain, Golden Bears Football 2013-2017

"I don’t think another program like this exists in undergrad and you don’t appreciate it until you are working. The topics covered in PLLC directly translate into my daily job and I strongly believe the early exposure to these skills has given me a competitive advantage in the workplace."

– Ishani Vashisht, PLLC alumni

"PLLC taught me that leadership is a responsibility and choice that we all have to make. By choosing to endeavour in leadership, we not only uplift ourselves but our communities."

– Abigail Bridarolli, PLLC alumni and Adult/Pediatric Emergency Registered Nurse

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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PLLC CELEBRATES 5 YEARS & FUTURE PLANS

Inaugural class of PLLC scholars begin the undergraduate certificate program.

2015

PLLC scholars embark on the first round of Stretch Experiences, which link students with business, non-profit and public sector partnerships across the city, province and beyond. Since then, scholars have contributed more than 45,000 volunteer hours to projects in 37 countries.

Peter Lougheed Hall opens, becoming the new home for the PLLC administrative offices and host space to many of PLLC’s leadership development opportunities.

2017

2016 2015

Scholars begin receiving mentorship from a Mentor Team of community leaders, including the Hon. Anne McLellan and former Alberta Premier Dave Hancock. Today, 80 per cent of new scholars opt-in to participate in PLLC’s robust mentorship program.

2017

PLLC scholar Ed Ilnicki is drafted to the Canadian Football League. PLLC has worked to become more accessible to student-athletes, and currently collaborates with the Green & Gold Athlete Academy.

2019

#UAlbertaCares

A Peter Lougheed Legacy event is hosted at Peter Lougheed Hall. People who worked with Lougheed during his years as premier gathered to share their reflections about his distinctive approach to leadership. Videos and transcripts of the conversations are available at uab.ca/pllc.

video series and campaign launches, featuring the work of PLLC scholars.

2020

2019

Graduate leadership development programming launches, receiving an overwhelming response and positive feedback.

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

2020

PLLC Advisory Committee established—bringing together insights and advocacy from respected leaders in the university, business, non-profit and public communities.

PLLC is the convenor for leadership conversations and skills development for Alberta and beyond Yasmin Rafiei is the first PLLC scholar awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. The following year, Mackenzie Martin becomes PLLC’s second Rhodes Scholar.

2017

2018

Local business strategist Michael Aherne wins the UAlberta Advocate Award for his outstanding work as part of PLLC’s Mentor Team.

2019

PLLC programming expands to include second-year undergraduate students and all undergraduate students regardless of whether they are enrolled in the certificate program. In the 201920 academic year, 122 undergraduate students enrolled in PLLC courses.

PLLC Connect, a new online community, is created to catalyze interaction, collaboration and networking between scholars, alumni, staff, Teaching Fellows, Lougheed Adjunct Professors and Mentor Team members.

2020

2020

PLLC partners with Threshold Impact Venture Mentoring Service (Edmonton), Venture Mentoring Service of Alberta (Calgary) and Roy Group to offer Refinding the Future, a professional development series for business leaders and entrepreneurs across Alberta responding to crisis.

Continuing education courses launch, providing leadership training to local business, public sector and community members looking to upskill.

2021

2021

Launch of PLLC’s first 100-level undergraduate course.

Many of PLLC’s cutting-edge leadership initiatives are funded by generous donors. If you’d like to support the next generation of leaders, you can inquire about ways to give by contacting us at ​pllc@ualberta.ca​.

PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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#114, Peter Lougheed Hall 11011 Saskatchewan Drive University of Alberta Edmonton, AB T6G 2B4 uab.ca/pllc pllc@ualberta.ca 780-248-1305 Find us on social media!

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PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT