1997-06-05. MUN Gazette, vol. 29, no. 19

              Memorial
University of Newfoundland
Publications Mail
Registration No. 551 988
Volume 29 Number 19
A MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND PUBLICATION
June 5, 1997
Finnbogadottir to be honored
at special convocation
By Jean Graham
In a special convocation on
Sept. 1, Memorial University will honor a person, a
country, and a way of life —
' an honorary doctor of laws
degree will be conferred upon
Vigdis Finnbogadottir, the former president of Iceland and
'the first woman in world history elected constitutional head
of a country. The special convocation will mark the opening
of Summit of the Sea, a series of conferences
organized this year as part of the province's
Cabot 500 celebrations.
Memorial's president, Dr. Arthur May,
explained why Ms. Finnbogadottir was chosen to receive the honor.
"When we first thought about her, she
was still president, representing a country
that couldn't exist without its fishery, and
which has existed for a thousand years in
very close symbiosis with its ocean environment...," Dr. May said. "Iceland is very similar to the island of Newfoundland. There's
little or no population in the interior, and
they're so dependent on their fishery. We
have different history, different culture, but
that dependence forges a very strong link."
Ms. Finnbogadottir was first elected president of Iceland in 1980, and she held the post
until 1996, when she decided not to run again.
'President Vigdis," as she is addressed according to Icelandic tradition, is well known both
within her country and internationally, as an
advocate for the environment, children, human
Photo by Gudmundur Helgason
Vigdis Finnbogadottir
rights, and Icelandic culture.
She is a founder, member and
patron of the Save the
Children (Barnaheill) Association in Iceland. She is a
major force in the Icelandic
reforestation drive, and has
strongly supported the country's efforts to reclaim land in
its eroded areas. President
Vigdis also represents the
Nordic countries in
"Scandinavia Today" activities in the United States, Japan, Russia and
South America.
Before her political career began, she
studied at French at the University of
Grenoble, and literature and drama at the
Sorbonne. She then moved to Copenhagen
to study theatre history. Later she studied
French philology at the University of
Uppsala, Sweden, and rounded out her education with degrees in English literature and
education from the University of Iceland.
A true theatre lover, she was a member of
Iceland's first experimental theatre group, and
in 1972 was appointed director of the
Reykjavik Theatre Company — a post she
held until 1980 and which earned her a reputation for encouraging Icelandic playwrights.
President Vigdis has received honorary
degrees from several other institutions,
including the University of Grenoble (1985),
the University of Manitoba (1989), the
University of Tokyo (1991), and St. Mary's
University in Halifax (1996).
—See related story, p. 3
Gotta have IT? Memorial has IT!
Memorial University has added an
exciting credential to its repertoire
of programs — the diploma in
information technology (IT). The new program was approved at the May 13 meeting of
Senate. The intensive, 20-course program will
be administered by the School of Continuing
Education. It is designed to prepare Memorial
graduates and graduates of other post-secondary educational institutions to work effectively in high-technology environments. The
program involves intensive training in all
facets of information technology, including
operating systems, industry-dominant programming languages, project management,
business software applications, publishing and
document management, multi-media presentations, intranet and Internet applications, as
well as approaches to integrated business solutions.
According to Sharon Collins, manager of
Memorial's Centre for Personal and
Professional Development (CPPD), the university worked closely with an advisory committee of IT specialists from the private and
public sectors. This committee will have an
ongoing role in ensuring the skills acquired
through the diploma remain timely and marketable.
Enrolment in the new IT program will be
limited and competitive. In addition to meeting
the regular admission/re-admission requirements of the university, applicants will also be
required to hold an undergraduate degree or a
three-year diploma (in any area) from an
accredited post-secondary institution. Students
will be expected to complete the program full-
time in two consecutive semesters or part-time
in nine consecutive semesters.
"The IT diploma is a natural complement
to a post-secondary degree or diploma," said
Ms. Collins. "And while a post-secondary
degree is a significant credential in its own
right, die diploma simply adds value to that
academic 'passport' by grounding critical
thinking and problem-solving abilities in a
skill that is employable around the world."
For more information on the diploma in
information technology, call 709-737-7979,
or visit website http://www.ce.mun.ca/cs/
IT/ithome.html
Launched forth
Photo by John Bourne
Congratulations to Robert Mendoza, former president of the Council of the
Students' Union, and to the recipients of nearly 2,000 other new degrees at
Memorial's spring convocation! (L-R) Mr. Mendoza, who is from St. John's, received
a B.Sc. (honors) and best wishes from Chancellor John Crosbie on Wednesday,
May 28. Our coverage of spring convocation begins on p age 5.
Bachelor of technology
program approved
By Jean Graham
Starting in September, Memorial
University will offer a baccalaureate
degree in technology to people who
wish to add a business component to their
technology skills.
The B.Tech. program builds on technologists' existing knowledge, and will help
them advance to senior positions or move
into sales, marketing, purchasing or other
commercial activities. Memorial's latest
degree program was approved by Senate in
April and by the Board of Regents in May.
The program will be based at the Marine
Institute (MI), though it was developed by a
broadly based group involving members of
the university community, the workforce,
and the province's community college system. Anyone interested in obtaining a
B.Tech. degree should have a nationally
accredited technology diploma in applied
science and engineering, or health sciences.
Dr. Hugh Miller, who was Mi's associate
executive director when the program was
approved (Dr. Peter Fisher is now the contact for the program), described the B.Tech.
as "the first of its kind at any of the larger
Canadian universities." The bachelor of
technology degree offers further education
for people who are technically certified, but
who wish to enrich their learning experience.
"The B.Tech. builds on their solid background in technology and gives a general
background in managerial training," Dr.
Miller told the Gazette last month. "Students
need a good broad base; the program will
help them understand the context in which
their technology is used."
Because a large percentage of B.Tech.
students will likely already be employed, the
program is structured to include courses regularly offered through distance and other
part-time study options. The B.Tech. degree
for engineering technology diploma holders
is not equivalent to the bachelor of engineering degree.
For more information about the B.Tech.
program, contact Dr. Fisher, director of
Instructional Development and Student
Services, at 778-0356.
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