Community Report for 2021

Community Report

for 2021

STU Today:

MORE STUDENTS CHOOSE STU

FA C T S & TO STUDY ARTS FIGURES THAN ANY OTHER UNIVERSITY IN NB

— Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission

STU students

St. Thomas

placeD FIRST

in Canada

at national and international

Moot Court competitions: : the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Competition I N G E N E VA ( 2 017 )

and the Osgoode Cup

1,,800 students from — 2014 Alumni Survey 2

35 countries

STU Ranked

Small but not too small–

TOP TEN

I N TO RO N TO ( 2 019 )

ranked #1 for teaching students to write clearly and concisely — Maclean’s 2018

Professors who know your name • Teaching critical thinking • Class size • Scholarships and bursaries — Maclean’s 2016

A Personal Note of Thanks “At our Commencement Ceremony for first-year students this year, I emphasized that while pandemic challenges continue to be present, the value of a university degree to them and to our society will be well worth their effort and perseverance.

Like generations of students who preceded them, these students will face challenges from mastering new academic subjects to forging friendships. Every step of the way, dedicated professors will teach and mentor them, and caring staff will offer valuable services.

Our students can also count on assistance made possible by generous supporters, like those profiled in this Community Report.

Society needs engaged young citizens with skills in critical thinking, literacy, analysis, communication, and collaborative problem-solving. STU students, some of whom are profiled in the report, will be well prepared to make that contribution.

Thank you for your support of them, especially during these challenging times.”

— Dawn Russell, (BA’77), President and Vice-Chancellor

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Making Education Accessible Paul and Casey Lordon Award In 2018, Donna Lordon lost her husband Paul. When her son Casey passed away the following year, she wanted to honour their legacy in a way that represented the lives they had lived. The newly-established Paul and Casey Lordon Award, valued at $5,000, will be given to a communityminded student who has had to overcome hardship. Paul and Casey were both graduates of St. Thomas, Paul in 1965 and Casey in 1999. Paul went on to a successful law career after graduation. Through a long battle with Huntington’s disease, Casey’s passion for Anthropology, science fiction and his family were sustaining factors in his life.

Jim Asher Memorial Award

Following his passing in December 2020, the family of Jim Asher (BA’68) contacted St. Thomas to establish a memorial award in his name.

As a lifelong philosopher, Jim had a wonder about the world which he shared with generations of students he taught at St. Thomas. Jim was known for his keen intellect, gentle demeanour, love of learning, and varying interests. The Jim Asher Memorial Award has been established to recognize a third-year student who shares Jim’s passion for philosophy and will be awarded in the spring of each year.

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Dr. Mary Louise McCarthyBrandt Bursary Black Lives Matter Fredericton is a grassroots organization that helps Black communities in New Brunswick work towards dismantling all forms of anti-Black racism, liberate Blackness, support Black healing, affirm Black existence, and create freedom to love and self-determination. When the Fredericton Chapter decided to create an award for Black students at St. Thomas, naming the award after a trailblazer who has been working towards their mission was the obvious choice. Dr. Mary Louise McCarthy-Brandt has been an advocate for diversity and a vocal opponent of anti-Black racism for many years. While mapping out her own history, she recognized the gaps in New Brunswick history when it came to Black stories and made it her mission to tell these stories.

Thomas Family Leadership Scholarship for Scholar-Bursary Indigenous Students The new Leadership Scholarship for Indigenous Students is the result of a generous gift to the University by a donor who wanted to make a meaningful contribution to students at the outset of their time at STU, removing financial barriers for the duration of their undergraduate careers.

Funding will be provided to Indigenous students for such things as tuition, accommodations, books, and living expenses. Funding is renewable, based on financial need, and provided the student is in good academic standing. One or more of these students may be studying in the Social Work program, while others may have an interest in further studies in Law.

Gaëtan and Karen Thomas established the Thomas Family Scholar-Bursary to honour their daughter Josée Thomas (BA’18) and recognize the education she received from St. Thomas. This Scholar-Bursary will recognize academic achievement and offer a helping hand to students coming to STU from New Brunswick communities, especially those from rural areas. The Thomas family believes in the power of education and in supporting young people from this province as they prepare to enter university.

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Gifts in Action

STU Moot Court Recap American Moot Court Association

The Blacks in New Brunswick Reprint Edition Supports Student Bursaries St. Thomas University has worked with local organizers to reprint the book The Blacks in New Brunswick, by the late Dr. William A. Spray, with all proceeds funding bursaries for Black students.

The reprint of the 1972 book, written by the former STU history professor, was the idea of poet, writer, and griot Thandiwe McCarthy.

Wanting to have this book reprinted so it could be used in schools to fill the gaps on Black history, McCarthy teamed up with St. Thomas University and the Black Artists Alliance of New Brunswick to bring this project to life.

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STU Moot Court finished a virtual season sending three teams to the American Moot Court Association National Tournament and earning two brief writing awards.

Megan Cormier and Grace Baker finished tied for 17th and first-year mooters Ashley Thornton and Emily Green finished tied for 33rd at nationals.

Canadian Moot Osgoode Cup Alaina Mejia and Matt Oram capped off a storied moot career placing 2nd at the Canadian Moot Osgoode Cup.

Ethan Nylen and Julia Evans—who were designated alternates for the national tournament—were called up shortly after the event began when a team from the United States had to step away.

Their written brief placed seventh of the 100+ submitted briefs, and STU mooters Laura Rae and Mark Edgar’s written brief placed fifth.

Restored Chandelier

Master stained-glass artist Ned Bowes (BA’73) has gifted his alma mater a century-old, restored chandelier that now hangs in the Great Hall in George Martin Hall. Ned has been a stained glass artist and conservator for 40 years. When he realized the chandelier, from Pittsburgh, was too big for personal use, he wanted to share it so that others could appreciate its distinctive beauty.

Once the chandelier was hung, Ned brought the 7,000 crystals he had cleaned, repaired, and re-strung, and started the reassembly, a process which took more than a week. For most of this time, he was working while lying on his back on top of scaffolding.

New Mural Celebrates Story and People of St. Thomas A gift from the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association to the Campaign for St. Thomas has enabled a number of enhancements to the Great Hall, beginning this summer with the creation of three murals (a triptych) at the front of the Hall. Two smaller murals, in the recessed areas on each side of the rise, will flank a floor-to-ceiling mural on the end wall. Created by STU alumnus and well-known artist Bill Johnson, with the assistance of artist, muralist and current student, Laura Forrester, these works tell the story and celebrate the people of St. Thomas. Additional student artists may also participate in the completion of the large mural once classes resume in the fall.

STUAA Gifts Wall Clock for Great Hall

The STU Alumni Association has earmarked $10,000 of its $50,000 Capital Campaign donation towards the installation of a HUGE clock in the Great Hall. The clock will be six feet high and installed on the end wall opposite the new chandelier and murals.

“We are thrilled to support the transition of this valuable campus space. What has been added—murals, chandelier, a wall clock— continues the makeover and will make the room a distinct part of a student’s experience. The Great Hall is living up to its name,” said STUAA President Marg Tracy (BA’75).

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Student Success Alexandre Silberman Earns Prestigious CBC Donaldson Scholarship

St. Thomas journalism student Alexandre Silberman is one of twelve young journalists across the country to receive the Joan Donaldson CBC News Scholarship. The scholarship provides graduating journalists a paid, four-month internship with the CBC at the national level. Recipients are chosen at the undergraduate and graduate levels from across Canada. Selection is based on exceptional academic performance; demonstrated aptitude in multi-platform reporting; and a deep engagement with the world through travel or community participation.

Ancestral Indigenous Roots: Student Brittany Gray Launches Project AIR

Fifth-year psychology, human rights, and criminology student Brittany Gray has created a resource program for Indigenous Students to learn more about their culture and ancestral roots.

Project AIR will offer a Moodle resource page with teachings from elders and knowledge keepers; cultural and ceremony activities co-led by fifth-year student Rachel Burke; and a safe and supportive community hub. Gray hopes to expand Project AIR to other university campuses across Canada to help others connect to their culture.

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Sydona Chandon Named NB Multicultural Council International Student Champion

Third-year student Sydona Chandon has been awarded the New Brunswick Multicultural Council’s International Student Champion award for her service to others and promotion of cultural diversity within the STU community.

Originally from Westmoreland, Jamaica, Chandon’s experience coming to a new country inspired her to do what she could to help ease the transition for others. She is vice-president of the Black Students Association, fundraising officer for the St. Thomas University International Students’ Association, and was the 2019-2020 international student representative for the Students’ Union. She has planned social activities and inclusion events for international students and developed a monthly leadership award which recognizes student efforts to improve the campus community.

Student Shyla Augustine publishes Mi’kmaq Alphabet Book

Alumna and current STU education student Shyla Augustine published a children’s book to inspire others to learn the Mi’kmaq language.

The Mi’kmaq Alphabet Book teaches readers the Mi’kmaq words for different animals corresponding to the English A-Z alphabet. The first print of Augustine’s book has almost sold out with copies ordered from across Canada, the United States, and the UK. The book is shortlisted as a finalist for the Alice Kitts Memorial Award for Excellence in Children’s Writing through New Brunswick Book Awards.

Augustine was able to see this book to fruition thanks to a FutureWabanaki Grant through STU’s Office of Experiential and Community-Based Learning, and the help of Illustrator Braelynn Cyr and local publishing company Monster House Publishing.

Starting in 2021, every baby born in New Brunswick will receive a free copy of the Mi’kmaq Alphabet Book as part of NB’s Born to Read Program.

The Mi’kmaq Alphabet Book is available to purchase online through Monster House Publishing and at local bookstores across New Brunswick.

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Community Success Criminology Professor Dr. Susan Reid Named to the Order of New Brunswick Criminology Professor Dr. Susan Reid has been awarded the Order of New Brunswick, one of the province’s highest civilian honours. Dr. Reid is receiving the ONB for her dedication to social justice through her applied research and programming in the areas of youth justice, trauma, victimization, and gender-based violence, and for her promotion of volunteerism and social action.

STU Launches Master of Social Work Program

St. Thomas University has launched a Master of Social Work program that specializes in advanced clinical practice and intensive workplace practicums.

The new Master of Social Work is a full-time, one-year graduate program for students who possess a social work degree. It will provide students with advanced theory and skills in professional leadership, social work supervision, and skills development through courses, and the option of a thesis or a facultysupervised, 450-hour practicum. The first classes begin in September 2021.

STU Names Graydon Nicholas Chancellor

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Former Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick the Hon. Graydon Nicholas has been appointed Chancellor of St. Thomas.

Nicholas has excelled in many different roles, as a lawyer, activist, jurist, and educator. As Chancellor, he will bring unique knowledge and perspective from his experiences in law, social work, treaty and Indigenous rights, human rights, Indigenous political development, and public service at the regional, national, and international levels.

Nicholas worked with the Union of New Brunswick Indians as legal counsel and then as its Chair and President. As a jurist he argued cases at all levels including at the Supreme Court of Canada and was a Provincial Court Judge from 1991-2009. He was Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick from 2009 to 2014, becoming the first Indigenous person to hold this office. He was the Endowed Chair of Native Studies at STU from 1989-1991 and was reappointed in 2015, a role that he will continue while also serving as Chancellor.

Research at a Glance In partnership with the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research at the University of New Brunswick, Dr. Karla O’Regan received a Public Health Agency of Canada Grant of $153,996 for her research, “Supporting the Health of Survivors of Family Violence in Family Law Proceedings.”

Dr. Gül Çalıskan and the New Brunswick Multicultural Council received a Mitacs Accelerate Grant of $60,000 for their project, “Intercultural and Anti-Racism Skills Toolkit – Research and Development Project.”

Dr. Fariba Solati received $44,795 from the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation Research Assistantship Initiative for her research on “Brain Drain/ Gain in Canada: How Does New Brunswick Keep Its Human Capital Compared with Other Atlantic Canada Provinces.”

Dr. Erin Fredericks received $50,000 from the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation & Mental Health Research Canada COVID-19 Child, Youth & Family Mental Health Impact Grant for her project, “We’ve Survived Before: An Intergenerational, LGBTQ+ YouthLed Response to COVID-19.”

Dr. Clive Baldwin received $21,000 from the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation New Brunswick Priority Occupation Student Support Fund for his project on “Developing Interactive NarrativeBased Learning in Child Protection.”

Dr. Clive Baldwin and a team of researchers from STU and other universities have received a SSHRC Insight Grant of $187,716 for a project entitled “New Religious Movements and spiritualities, narrative identity, and religious diversity in Canada.”

Funded by a SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant, Dr. Raluca Bejan (Dalhousie University) teamed up with STU professors Dr. Kristi Allain and Dr. Tracy Glynn to research COVID-19 and the health and safety of migrant workers in Maritime Canada.

STU Research & Ideas Podcast Series STU students presented their research as podcasts for the new STU Research & Ideas Podcast Series. A new website houses the students’ podcasts, as well as a podcast series on faculty research.

You can listen to the podcasts here: STU.ca/research_ideas

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Meaningful Student Experience Liberal Arts in Action

Our internship program allows students to put their knowledge to work while they are still studying. Student placements offer personalized opportunities with organizations that focus on advocacy and social responsibility, economic development, business, journalism, policy, marketing, environmental sustainability, and much more. In the 2020-21 academic year, students were placed in approximately 150 paid internships.

STU has had many partners in this growing success. An early one was NB Power, which provided invaluable seed money for the development of the Office of Experiential Learning and Community Engagement, and recently confirmed additional years of funding to sustain the program. Additional internship opportunities are provided through funding from FutureNB.

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Simon Wassef interned with The John Howard Society. During his internship, he was able to engage with Fredericton's homeless population, gathering information to develop future programming.

He also worked on a documentary aimed at debunking stereotypes associated with chronic homelessness.

STU Students Gaining Practical Experience in Economic Policy Development Five St. Thomas University students took part in the Bank of Canada’s Governor’s Challenge, a virtual event that allows students from across the country to gain realworld experience in economic policy development.

Alec Pellerin, Maria Amalia Cordova, Giao Dang, Thao Pham, and Fabiana Rosado formed the STU team. Dr. Fariba Solati, from the Department of Economics, was the team’s faculty adviser.

The annual event challenges students to use their knowledge of macroeconomic theory to develop and defend monetary policy initiatives as policy advisors to the Bank of Canada’s Governing Council.

Leanne Hudson interned at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick.

She worked on a publication that contains history on individual Indigenous communities in New Brunswick, geography, Indigenous names and language, as well as significant Canadian and provincial events.

Olivia Ishimwe interned with Black Lives Matter Fredericton. She worked with the organization on an online resource that highlights, recognizes, and celebrates areas where Black New Brunswickers are thriving in their fields—from academics and sports to entrepreneurship and small business—New Brunswick’s Black history, and other information and resources.

Beyond 2021

“STU provided me with an inspiring environment to develop and better understand my social conscience. My Bachelor of Arts prepared me for my social work education at STU, a program that is rooted in structural and politicized social work practice.”

—Erin Jackson, BA’14, BSW’17 Coordinator for the Collaborative for Healthy Aging and Care

“There are so many advantages of a liberal arts education. At STU, I developed key skills that are the backbone of the professional I am today—a strong sense of social responsibility, adaptability, analytical skills, problem-solving, and creativity.”

—Nahomi Lopez, BA’18 Senior Digital Marketing Strategist, CétricoDigital “The reason I’m pursuing a PhD is because I want to come back and teach at STU, specifically because of how much it has going on. I really admire the professors I had and what they’re doing at STU—the kinds of programs, the exclusively liberal arts atmosphere, the great books and moot court programs— those just aren’t things you find at other schools.”

—Abbie LeBlanc, BA’19 PhD student, Harvard University

“The quality education and experiential learning opportunities I received at St. Thomas were second to none. They equipped me with the skills, experience, and knowledge needed to stand out in a competitive job market. In addition to my role with the Multicultural Council, my experience on the moot court team, law-related coursework, and supportive professors and staff gained me a spot at one of Canada’s most competitive law schools. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to study at St. Thomas.”

— Husoni Raymond, BA’20 Manager of Anti-Racism Initiatives, New Brunswick Multicultural Council

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Facts and Figures Where Our Students Are From

Donations at STU

Full-time Students

by Province, 2020-2021

NB — 73% NS — 8% PE — 3% ON — 3% Other Provinces — 3% International — 10%

Where is Your Money Going?

Student Awards — 50% Student Experience — 29% Academic Initiatives — 16% Greatest Need — 3% Athletics — 2%

Who is Giving to STU? (by # of Donors)

Economic Contribution of STU Attracts 97 full-time faculty to the city Employs 76 part-time faculty Employs 91 full-time staff members Educates 2,000 students every year Granted 5,531 credentials since 2011 14

Alumni — 44% Faculty and Staff — 16% Organizations and Foundations — 7% Friends — 33%

STU Budget at a Glance How Our Students Are Supported Awards Disbursed 2020-2021

Number

Value

Scholarship — Entrance: first-year

311 $ 709,999,36

Scholarship — In Course

39

$ 50,809.00

Scholarship — Renewals

365

$ 1,178,510.44

Total Scholarship

715

$ 1,939,318.80

Bursary — Entrance: Undergrad

117

$ 223,001.51

Bursary — In Course

96

$ 196,516.67

Bursary — Post-Baccalaureate

14

$ 16,750.00

Total Bursary

227

$ 436,268.18

Other Awards

46

$ 131,297.00

Total Other Awards

46

$ 131,297.00

GRAND TOTAL

2021-2022 Budgeted Revenues

Tuition and Fees — 49% (15.6 M) Operating Grant — 47% (14.9 M) Other — 4% (1.4 M)

988 $ 2,506,883.98

2021-2022 Budgeted Expenses

Academic — 56.8% (18.3 M) Administration and General — 16.4% (5.3 M) Student Services — 10.2% (3.3 M) Physical Plant — 6.8% (2.2 M) Fiscal Transfer to UNB — 6.3% (2.0 M) Computing Services — 3.5% (1.1 M)

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Board of Governors Appointed Tammy Augustine, BA, LLB David Farrar, BA, LLB David Ferguson, BA Marlene Floyd, BA Peter R. Forestell, QC, BA, LLB – Chair Krista Han, CPA, CA, FEA Brent Henry, CPA, CA Tom Isaac, BA (Honours), MA, LLB, LLM Carolyn MacKay, BN, MBA Daniel McCarthy, BComm, FCPA, DComm Sister Mary Beth McCurdy, SCIC, BA, BTh, MA Graydon Nicholas, BSc, LLB, MSW – Chancellor Phillippe Ouellette, BA, MA Stephen Ward, BA, MA, PhD Bill Whalen, BA, APR, FCPRS

Faculty Tom Bateman, BA, MA, PhD Karla O’Regan, BA, MA, JD, LLM, PhD Christina Szurlej, BA, MA, PhD Alumni Don Bossé, BA, BEd, MMus Stephanie Underhill Tomilson, BA, BEd, MEd Students Jessie-Lynn Cross

Observers Jeffrey Carleton, BA, MA – Associate Vice-President, Communications Lily Fraser, BSc, MHA, CPA, CGA – Vice-President, Finance and Administration Jodi Misheal, BA, BEd – Vice-President, Advancement and Alumni Relations Tyler MaGee – President, Students’ Union

51 Dineen Drive, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 5G3 www.stu.ca

www.stu.ca

Ex officio Most Rev. Christian Riesbeck, B.Soc.Sc, STB, MDiv – Founding Member Dawn Russell, BA, LLB, LLM – President and Vice-Chancellor Kim Fenwick, BSc, MA, PhD – Vice-President (Academic and Research)