Quality Money Allocations 2009-2010
Quality Money
2009/2010 Allocations
Quality Money is an initiative of the Students' Union (SU) to provide funding to projects at the University of Calgary (UofC) that enhance the overall student experience. Quality Money was originally attached to the tuition consultation decisions announced at the University Board of Governors meeting in December 2003 and subsequently the Quality Money initiative was first introduced in 2004
For 2009--10 approximately $1,604,162 was allocated, funding fifteen projects.
1 Associate Director Wellness – Chaplaincy - 45,000.00
2 Campus Improvement Fund Top-Up - $230,060.00
3 Canadian Roots - 17,399.00
4 Grad Class Legacy Project - $30,000.00
5 Locker Program Expansion - $87,153.00
6 MacHall Student Space Expansion - $500,000.00
7 Media Commons, Taylor Digital Library - $153,500.00
8 MSC Furniture Upgrade - $40,982.00
9 Movies That Matter - $9,920.00
10 Safe Walk Radio Purchase - $8495.00
11 Service -Learning and Student Engagement - $45,000.00
12 SEXXY - $18,000.00
13 SU Communication Electronic Bulletin Board Initiative - $7,760.00
14 SWEEP: Summer Work Experience Subsidy Program - $176,471.00
15 T&L Centre: Teacher Preparedness & English Communication Enhancement - $225,840.00
2009-2010 Quality Money Projects
- Associate Director Wellness - Chaplaincy ($45,000.00)
The Students’ Union is providing funding to the Multi-Faith Chaplains’ Center to hire an Associate Director for the Chaplaincy. Grounded deeply in each unique faith tradition, chaplains are paid by their respective faith institutions creating conflicting commitments in their role for the Multi-Faith Chaplains’ Center. This has established difficulty in providing leadership and direction for the center. Currently there is no authority figure to oversee the other chaplains.
The project seeks to remove bias and create continuity within the Multi-Faith Chaplains’ Center. The role of the Associate Director Wellness Chaplaincy is to set the vision and coordinate the work of all chaplain members of the center. The funding will be used to support a part-time Associate Director, including salary, payroll burden, administrative support and miscellaneous budget for a three year term at $15,000 per year. This amount will be matched by the SU Wellness Center.
2. Campus Improvement Fund Top-Up ($230,060.00)
The Campus Improvement Fund was initially created to allocate funds to faculty representatives for projects to improve the quality of the student experience at the University of Calgary. Since it’s inception in 2005-2006, the Student Academic Assembly has approved and allocated $250,000 in support of many innovative projects. With a number of projects on the horizon, a “top-up” of the Campus Improvement Fund of $230,060.00 will ensure current projects can continue while supporting future faculty representatives who propose new projects to improve the student experience within their faculty.
3. Canadian Roots ($17,399.00)
This program focuses on promoting Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal student interactions that support positive outcomes. Quality money funding will provide an opportunity for fifteen University of Calgary students to embark on a 10 day road trip to three Southern Alberta Aboriginal communities, promoting Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal student interactions, shared learning and cultural understanding.
Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, the Nexen Chair in Aboriginal Leadership at the Banff Center and a partner with Canadian Roots will help to develop a program model tailored specifically to UofC students. Additionally, the initiative will involve a University of Calgary professor (who is yet to be chosen) to act as “Cultural Guide”. This partnership will ensure the project fits within the University of Calgary framework and integrates well with other academic course work, enhancing the students’ academic and non-academic experiences. By creating highly specialized trip content with the partner professor, the project will be relevant for University of Calgary students.
Following the trip, a photo exhibit created by trip participants will be displayed at multiple venues on campus as well as on the Canadian Roots website.
4. Grad Class Legacy Project ($30,00.00)
The Grad Class Legacy project is a celebratory collaboration between the University of Calgary Students' Union, the Alumni Association, and other partners on campus. The project creates the capacity for graduating classes to come together under a committee structure and choose projects and/or gifts symbolic of the graduates’ time and contribution to the institution.
In collaboration with the GraduatingThisYear group, a project of the university’s alumni and external relations groups, the Students' Union will participate in the formulation of a "final year strategy" which encompasses preparation for fellowships, research grants, and graduate schools, to career and life preparation, celebration of graduates and recognition of excellence.
5 Locker Program Expansion ($87,153.00)
This project will help address and alleviate the increased demand for lockers available on campus for students to rent. The program currently has 5,520 lockers serving 27,915 registered students. Over 99% of the lockers are rented before the start of the fall semester. The expansion will assist in meeting the increasing student population demand for locker rentals. Funding will provide an additional 250 lockers to be installed in areas of high demand and space availability.
6 MacHall Student Space Expansion ($500,000.00)
The Students’ Union will renovate 2000 square feet of the older section of MacEwan Student Centre (Old CJSW space) to increase Club space, as well as adding a “positive space” to the second floor (attached to SU Volunteer Services).
The Students’ Union has identified a need for additional club space to accommodate a significant increase in SU Clubs as well as a growing student population. A large area of the old CJSW space is currently underutilized making it the ideal location for the addition of new club space. The 2007/08 Quality Money Committee funded $300,000 to begin concept design studies for the
Current plans for the space will allow for the addition of individual club space, a club lounge and club board room. The plan also includes an allocation for the addition of “positive space” on the second level of
Various renovations to the MacEwan Student Centre over the years have diminished the accessibility of the building and the prominence of its entrances. These renovations have also prevented direct routes for pedestrian traffic from the north to the south side of campus. The construction of the Taylor Family Digital Library will exacerbate these issues. In the future, the Students’ Union hopes to pursue external renovations that will remedy these issues by increasing accessibility, safety and prominence of the building. The Student Space Expansion project is the first stage of several potential renovations for MacEwan Student Centre, and the current design has taken into consideration future developments.
7 MediaCommons, Taylor Digital Library ($153,500.00)
In an effort to improve services to students when the Taylor Family Digital Library opens in the winter of 2010, Libraries and Cultural Resources will create a media commons. The media commons, as part of the of the current learning commons, will offer a suite of Mac Pro computers to support student use of new media in their learning and research.
The suite of Mac Pro computers will be located onthe third floor of the Taylor Family Digital Library adjacent to the image, audio and video collections supported by media trained library staff. Four soundproof edit suites have been created to facilitate audio work, which will house Mac Pro computers and other audio accessories. There will also be a bank of Mac Pro computers in the 24 hour section of the learning commons to ensure maximum access and service to students.
Funding provided to the Taylor Family Digital Library will provide:
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Eighteen student multi-media Mac Pro computers;
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Three edit suite computers;
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Ten scanners for the student multi-media area;
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Twenty-two software packages (Adobe Suite: Final Cut Pro and Maya).
8 MSC Furniture Upgrade ($40,982.00)
The Students’ Union is creating new social and study spaces in MacEwan Student Centre. This project will assist in the replacement of concrete benches located near the book store with new functional seating. Additional seating will be added in the second and third floor North and South Courtyard circles and installation of electrical outlets to facilitate computer use.
9 Movies That Matter ($9,920.00)
Movies That Matter is a monthly film series that engages audiences with timely and provocative documentary feature screenings, allowing viewers to delve into socially relevant issues. This funding will ensure the long-term stability of the documentary series on campus, including free access for students, and an honorarium for a student coordinator. Each screening includes a post-screening panel discussion, featuring the filmmakers, U of C faculty and community members, known for their expertise or insight on the film subject. The Student Coordinator would be responsible for communication between partner organizations, assist with advertising and publicity along with other administrative duties associated with the program.
10 Safe Walk Radio Purchase ($8,495.00)
UofC Campus Security manages and operates the student Safewalk Program which coordinates volunteers to provide a free service to walk students, staff and visitors to destinations on campus on a 24 hour/day, 7 day/week and 365 day/year basis. The volunteers walk anywhere on campus (including McMahon Stadium, Health Sciences, Student Family Housing, the Alberta Children's Hospital and the University LRT station).
This funding will assist in providing four radio handsets that will allow the program to safely meet the increased demand for Safewalk services. Funds will also be invested for the design and creation of a web-based scheduling and information system to manage the data associated with the Safewalk Program.
11 Service -Learning and Student Engagement ($45,000.00)
Funding for the Center for Service-Learning and Community Engagement (SES) will support the establishment of courses across faculties that employ service-learning pedagogy as well as build the capacity of instructors to use service-learning in the classroom.
More specifically, Funding will be used to establish a Teaching and Innovation Grant in Service-Learning and Student Engagement to support faculty in developing and enhancing courses using service-learning, as well as Instructor-to Instructor orientations for service learning and an annual service-learning symposium. Grants of up to $1000.00 will be award to instructors to develop or redesign service-learning courses.
Service-learning is a well-established method of engaging students in active learning. Theories and philosophies discussed in the classroom are applied and integrated in to the learning experiences of students. It offers a meaningful way to enhance student experience and provide greater connection between the classroom and the community, making learning tangible in new and different way.
12 SEXXY ($18,000.00)
SEXXY is an interactive educational theatre production written and performed by students. The production highlights the numerous transitional issues commonly faced by incoming post-secondary students on campus and highlights on-campus resources. Students’ ability to successfully navigate social, academic and personal challenges in an unfamiliar environment can have a major impact on retention and academic success.
The information presented in this production is relevant and of value to students not only in their first year but through the duration of their academic studies at the university. Funding will be provided to support the student employment opportunities available in this production for the 2010 – 2013 academic years.
13 SU Communication Electronic Bulletin Board Initiative ($7,760.00)
The U of C Students’ Union Communications Division is responsible for the promotion of all SU-related programs, services, and events. Part of this promotion includes utilizing ten bulletin boards within MacEwan Student Center to advertise various events, programs, and services. Quality Money will be invested to install two electronic bulletin boards in MacEwan Student Center. Refelcting the SU’s commitmentto environmental sustainability the installation of electronic bulletin boards will reduce the large volume of paper products produced each year to promote programs and events. Electronic bulletin boards offer other advantages over traditional paper posters such as animation and audio features. Electronic bulletin boards would also enable a variety of advertisements from partner organizations within the campus community. Overall, this project works to strengthen the SU’s relationship with the campus community and further place the SU as a key support responsive to students’ needs and priorities.
14 SWEEP: Summer Work Experience Subsidy Program ($176,471.00)
Currently many research and/or degree-related summer jobs available to students (particularly in the faculties of Communications and Culture, Fine Arts, Humanities, Science, Social Science, and Social Work) offer less than competitive wages. Additionally, the financial demands of tuition, school fees and textbooks, as well as living expenses such as rent, food and transportation often require students to seek employment in the service industry or other non degree-related areas that offer higher wages.
The Summer Work Experience program will provide financial aid to students working in summer jobs related to their degree program and future career goals. Funds will used for a three year program, with wage subsidies provided to eligible undergraduate students earning less than $15.00 per hour.
15 T&L Centre: Teacher Preparedness & English Communication Enhancement ($225,840.00)
Funds will be provided for the continuation of two initiatives that the Student’ Union has supported over the past three years:
1. The Teacher Preparedness Program provides a collaborative learning opportunity intended to increase the confidence and effectiveness of graduate teaching assistants.
2.The Educational Communication Enhancement Program provides support to those who instruct UofC students who may struggle with their English. In a small seminar format, individuals are presented with tools to increase their communication with students and improve their teaching skills while overcoming language barriers.
