campus news Laurier grad earns accounting gold medals
Joshua Huff is fifth Laurier grad to mark achievement Laurier graduate Joshua Huff (BBA ’11) captured the Canadian and Ontario gold medals for achieving the highest standing in the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants 2012 Uniform Evaluation (UFE), considered one of the world’s most challenging professional entry examinations. Since 1993, Laurier accounting graduates have won more Canadian and Ontario gold medals than any other university in Canada. Huff, an accountant at KPMG in Waterloo, Ont., is the fifth Laurier graduate to earn both medals. The UFE is a national three-day evaluation and is an important component of the Chartered Accountant (CA) qualification program. Held every September, students write three papers in three days to assess essential knowledge, professional judgment, ethics and ability to communicate. More than 3,000 students across Canada passed the 2012 UFE exam. Huff says Laurier helps prepare students for success in the UFE. The business program integrates accounting courses with other subject areas, such as marketing and human resources. It also exposes students to case writing, which is a big component of the exam.
Joshua Huff (BBA ’11)
“There is obviously a strong accounting component to the UFE, but they also want you to see the bigger business issues,” he said. “Now that the UFE is done, I look forward to continuing to work at KPMG and getting practical experience.” Two other Laurier graduates achieved standing on the 2012 national UFE honour roll: Michael Black (BBA ’11) of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Toronto, and Thomas Callaghan (BBA ’11) of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in London.
Government funding supports sexual assault research
Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work will participate in community-wide project The Social Innovation Research Group (SIRG) within Laurier’s Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work is playing a lead role in studying violence against female students. SIRG is partnering with the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region on a research project that received $191,030 as part of a $4-million Status of Women Canada program. Laurier’s Social Innovation Research Group, led by director Ginette Lafrenière, has an established working relationship with the Sexual Assault Support Centre. SIRG recently completed a two-year project with the centre, putting in place a sexual assault protocol for the Region of Waterloo. When the funding for the current project became available from Status of Women Canada, the Sexual Assault Support Centre approached the Laurier group for research assistance. “This project is etched in what SIRG values: university-community collaboration,” said Lafrenière.
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LAURIER CAMPUS Spring 2013
SIRG is a group of faculty, MSW students, and community partners that work collaboratively on a range of community-based research, training, and action projects. The Social Innovation Research Group will be taking a leadership role in the research activities of the project, with an emphasis on assisting project partners to make evidenceinformed decisions about the prevention and response to gendered violence on campus. Their tasks will include coordinating and implementing a research plan for gathering data and working with participants from both Laurier and Waterloo, as well as the Sexual Assault Support Centre staff. Students will be active partners. As the project rolls out, the SIRG will involve undergraduate, MSW, and PhD students in leading, advising, and implementing research activities. Evaluating and arriving at effective responses to gendered campus violence will, the SIRG anticipates, be an opportunity to
have a research evidence based effect on drafting policy and procedures that can help the community best ensure student safety. “This is an ambitious project,” Lafrenière said. “It is our sincerest hope that the outcome of our capacity building efforts, research, knowledge production and mobilization will make this project one which will be an innovative and creative model we can share with universities across North America.” Other Laurier groups that will be involved in this project include the Campus/ Community Coalition for the Prevention of Gendered Violence and the Laurier Centre for Women and Trans people.