Dear Heads and Chairs:
As President of the Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs (CCUBC),
I encourage you to consider joining CCUBC, and attending our annual meeting
that runs each fall. I have been a member of this group since 2005, when I
became Head of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary. Like most
of the 25-40 Heads and Chairs who attend each year, I have found the annual
meeting to consistently be an extremely valuable exercise. Both the formal
workshops and informal discussions with colleagues have provided me with insights
and guiding principles that helped shape several of my own activities, including
curriculum and program development, handling sensitive situations, communication
strategies and interactions with the Dean. The meeting highlights for me are
the “5-minute reports” presented by each Head or Chair, as this exercise reveals
our common issues, the national and regional trends, and particular departments
and individuals to approach for discussion of specific topics. This networking
opportunity alone makes the time and minimal expense well worth it.
In addition to the annual meeting, the CCUBC facilitates communication between
chairs on relevant issues through its website and email listserver, and undertakes
an annual lobbying exercise in Ottawa. In the past, we lobbied politicians
and representatives of granting councils both by ourselves during a single
round of meetings every year, and through our membership in the Canadian Federation
of Biological Societies (CFBS). This organization was recently disbanded,
and CCUBC is involved in discussions to develop a different, more effective
organization to represent the biological sciences / life sciences disciplines
in Canada. We look forward to see how this turns out.
Being a Department Head or Chair can be a rewarding but lonely job, yet all
of us who attend the annual CCUBC meeting leave each year with the assurance
that we are part of a collegial and collaborative community who share the
same goals. I extend much thanks to all the Heads and Chairs who have supported
CCUBC in the past, and I hope you will renew your memberships for 2009. I
look forward to reuniting with returning members at the Calgary meeting in
November, as well as welcoming incoming Department Chairs and new members.
I particularly encourage Department Chairs who have not participated in the
past to join CCUBC, as most members have been pleasantly surprised by the
value of the CCUBC experience.
With very best wishes,
Jeffrey I. Goldberg, President
Contact US:
Mrs. Wafaa H. Antonious
CCUBC Secretariat
C/O Rofail Conference and Management Services
17 Dossetter Way
Ottawa, ON K1G 4S3
Email: Wantonious@rogers.com
Tel.: 613 482 2654
Fax.: 613 482 1337
Updated: March 13, 2009