News update: Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwhiches

What's ooey, gooey, cheesy, delicious, and made with love by your friendly PERGSS executive?
Give up? …
Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!

Please join PERGSS for lunch on Thursday February 16th in the Faculty Lounge, 11:30am -1pm.

We'll be serving up delicious grilled cheese sandwiches, such as Cheddar and Ham or Mozzarella and Pesto!

$5 will get you 1 regular Grilled Cheese plus veggies 'n dip and a drink!
Add ham OR ham and pesto for $1

We hope that people will stay and mix 'n mingle over lunch hour. Please mark your calendars, you don't wanna miss it!

PERGSS would also like your help with:
1) Volunteer Grills – do you have an electric grill, spatula or veggie tray that we can borrow for the event? (please email if you do)
2) Volunteer Staffing - whether you can spare 30 minutes or an hour of your time, you're in need! We need people to prepare, serve and sell our delicious grilled cheese sandwiches and also help with the set-up/take-down.
3) Volunteer Recruiters - tell your family, friends and colleagues about our event! Help us spread the word!

If you're able to volunteer for staffing or have a grill we can borrow, please let Jess (jwalker3@ualberta.ca) or Alyssa Hindle (arhindle@ualberta.ca) know ASAP. With your help this event will surely be a delicious success!

Yours in cheesy goodness,

Alyssa and Jess
PERGSS Fundraisers

News update: speaker series terry goetz !!

Everyone is welcome to attend a
Speaker Series Presentation

Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 3:00 PM
Room E-121, Van Vliet Centre

Visiting Practitioner:
Terry Goetz
Creative Dance Center
Seattle, USA

“BrainDance: A Movement Tool for Social and Emotional Learning and Intelligence”

Abstract
Terry Goetz shares the philosophy of brain-compatible dance education and the BrainDance as developed by Anne Green Gilbert. Through discussion and kinesthetic activities we will explore how BCDE can positively affect class management, behavior, creativity, learning, and focus. Research points to the importance of social and emotional learning and intelligence. The fundamentals of emotional intelligence - self-awareness, self-mastery, and empathy - are critical components of BCDE. The BrainDance is a unique movement tool that is more than exercise and can be tailored to all ages and abilities. Based on the eight developmental movement patterns humans move through in the first year of life that wire the central nervous system, the BrainDance can strengthen interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences and promote social-emotional relationships. Benefits include improved alignment, connectivity, coordination and expressivity; brain oxygenation for clarity and focus; body-mind integration; and reorganization of the neurological system. Brain-compatible dance education and the BrainDance illuminate the vital link between movement, emotions, the body, and the brain allowing us an unparalleled opportunity to creatively engage students in deep learning.

Light refreshments to follow in the Faculty Lounge,
4th Floor Pavilion (P4-15) Van Vliet Building

News i-update: PERGSS operations meetings

PERGSS Operations Meeting Minutes
Friday January 27, 2012

1. Ski Trip Update: The PERGSS Ski Trip to Marmot with the company Downhill Riders is going ahead, scheduled March 9-11, 2012. Jodie has collected the $50 deposit from 10 people which means $500 has been paid to DownHill Riders and we have 17 confirmed spots on the bus. There is still space! For details on to sign up, please contact Jodie Stearns. Thanks Jodie!
2. Music Fundraiser: We have musical talent in our very own Faculty! Devin Phillips has a band called ‘Short of Able’ and the band has agreed to put on a show at Dewey’s with minimal compensation as a fundraising event for PERGSS.
Details:
Date: March 23rd 2012
Location: Dewey’s on campus
Price: $10 in advance and $15 at the door
This is a super exciting event and I’d like to thank Jess, Alyssa and Devin for doing so much legwork to this point! We are hoping for 75-100 people to come to the event so it will be the expectation that all PERGSS members attend and make a strong effort to spread the word and recruit friends to attend!

3. Grilled Cheese Fundraiser: Many of you indicated that you would like to see the pancake breakfast stay on and volunteered your help – thank you! We will be getting in touch with you! The working committee decided that a grilled cheese event would be a bit more streamlined in the amount of work involved and potentially more lucrative. The event will be held on Thursday February 17th, in the Faculty Lounge. Jess Walker has kindly taken on a key-organizing role with the help of Marianne, Stacy, Bethan, and Maria. We’ll be looking for more help as the day gets closer! Thanks Jess for taking this on!
4. Teaching initiatives: Bethan will be working with Vickie Harber on the upcoming teaching iniatives so be sure to look for her emails. 25 people had RSVP’d for the event on Friday, January 27th which is a great turnout!
5. Communications: Mat Dowling has been working hard on the website profiles of all PERGSS members and is waiting on a few photos. He will soon send an email out to per-grad asking everyone to submit a similar profile. Please encourage your fellow graduate students to get back to Mat as soon as possible. Mat and Marianne will also work on the first monthly ‘news update’ to be sent out to per-grad soon. It will be similar to the weekly news bulletin Jane Hurly sends out, but ours will be monthly.
6. Professional Development: Marianne has been working with Dr. Spence and Dr. Petersen on 2 spring professional development series. Stay tuned for announcements! Mark these dates in your calendar!
March 2nd: How to build an academic cv (for jobs, scholarships etc.)
April 23rd, Student Speaker Series (speakers TBA).

Brown Bag Lunch Series for Phd Students: Applying for your first job
Part 1: Putting together a stand-out application (February date to be announced)
Part 2: Acing the interview and negotiating the contract (April date to be announced)
Our Dean and/or Vice-Dean and other experienced members of the faculty will be on hand to provide some info and to facilitate a Q & A forum on these topics.
6. GSA Student Group Award Nomination. Katie Cocchio, one of our GSA reps, kindly nominated PERGSS for a GSA Student Group Award. Dr. Petersen has agreed to write a letter of support and our application will be handed in Tuesday January 31. The award is worth $500. Thanks Katie!

News Update: Graduate Programs Committee (Jan 20th)

News Update: Graduate Programs Committee (Jan 20th)

Faculty of Physical Education andRecreation

Graduate Programs Committee

Meeting: January 20, 2012

1.    Update on Master of Coaching degree proposal.

We are in the final stages ofgetting this degree accepted. A board learning and discovery committee meetingis to be held January 23, 2012. If/when it is accepted, the last stage is tothe Ministry of Advanced Education.

2.     Updateon RECON 2012.

The Radisson Hotel, Canmore, ABis booked Sept 6-9. A tentative program outline has been developed. This timearound the RECON committee has more time for poster sessions, has planned agroup dinner, and made a significant effort to reduce the ‘rush’ of the programcontent. Poster sessions are being paired with breakfasts and snacks, as it wasthought that snacking, presenting and mingling worked well the last conference.The next RECON meeting is on January 26 to discuss the keynote speaker.

3.     Student-supervisorrelationships.

The committee is looking todevelop optimal behaviours and critical responsibilities of supervisors. StewPeterson would like to see a working group of faculty and PERGSS reps.Currently FGSR is working on some sort of hand-book or guide for thestudent-supervisor relationship; however Stew Peterson feels that we should notwait for FGSR and continue this initiative in the PER faculty. Ideally, wouldlike to incorporate some guide/handbook into policy for the May FacultyCouncil.

4.     Mentorshipof new faculty.

Right now there is no formaldocument indicating how faculty should progress their supervision of students.The Vice-Dean and Dean think that it would be a good idea to create a formaldocument for supervisory progression (ref. Graduate Program Manual). Thisdocument would identify ‘typical’ procedures for new professors. The committeemembers expressed that they were hesitant regarding this idea. Having a formaldocument seems like it might put a constraint on the new professors. Thecommittee would like to see the current document revised such that it includesmore guidelines and suggestions for the typical procedures in supervisoryprogression. The committee would not like this to be strict, formal procedures.Stew Peterson is to revise the current documentation and present it to thecommittee.

5.     GraduateCourse Review.

a)    Course development philosophy – It is importantto have fundamental principles for course development. The program should takeprecedence over the individual, that is, the good of the program shouldoutweigh professors’ personal preferences or situations. Thus, it is importantnot to tie courses to specific individuals. More than one person needs to beable to teach a course if the usual instructor is on sabbatical, on leave, orunable to teach for some other reason.

b)    PERLS 582

a.    PERLS 582 is an open course that has been usedwhen trying out new courses or when planning to use a course for a short periodof time. An effort needs to be made to reduce the use of PERLS 582.

b.    There are some new course proposals.

                                                       i.     Issuesin coaching

                                                     ii.     SportPhysiology

                                                    iii.     CommunicationSkills and Strategies

                                                    iv.     CardiopulmonaryPhysiology

c.    Other Courses? It was suggested that a doctoralseminar be added. This course would teach skills more so than content. Anniefelt that it was important to ask the graduate students. Stew indicated thatthis has not been done as of late.

c)    Review of current Courses

a.    Identification and allocation of disciplinaryareas

                                                       i.     Biological

                                                     ii.     Recreationand leisure

                                                    iii.     Socio-cultural

                                                    iv.     Behavioural

                                                      v.     Coaching

                                                    vi.     Adaptive

b.    Process and review within areas.

Facilitators for each disciplinary area have been named:Stew Peterson (biological), Gordon Walker (recreation and leisure), Jay Schere(socio-cultural), Tanya Berry (behavioural), Jim Denison (coaching), andpossibly Janice for adaptive (Stew to discuss). Facilitators are to organizefaculty groups to get together and discuss: 1) the courses currently beingoffered, 2) the relevance of courses to the area, 3) the importance of thecourses to the area, 4) the student demand for the courses, and 5) possiblecourse changes. Annie is to involve graduate students - contact PERGSS membersfirst, then other senior students in the respective area. The committee feltthat it is important to be strategic about the students involved on thecommittees. They want students who were engaged, had a good knowledge of thecourses being offered, and a good knowledge of the disciplinary area. This is atime sensitive manner, so it is urgent to get sub-committees together ASAP.Committee facilitators are to have feedback ready for the committee by February28^th.

d)    Identification of course rotation

This was quickly discussed as the meeting was already overthe allotted time. Committee members were to leave the meeting and think aboutcourse rotation 1) each term, 2) each year, and 3) alternate years. This is tobe discussed in more detail next meeting.

Meeting adjourned.

News Update: Undergraduate Programs Committee Minutes (16th Jan)

Faculty of Physical Education andRecreation

Undergraduate Programs Committee

Meeting: January 16, 2012

1.    Approval of Agenda

2.     Approvalof Minutes from last meeting.

3.     ReplacingPERLS 105 (Introduction to the Management of Sport, Physical Activity and RecreationPrograms) in the BSc Kinesiology degree.

The general consensus of thecommittee is to remove PERLS 105. The faculty of Science (and department ofPsychology) have ok’d PER adding PHYS 124 & 126 and/or PSYCO 104 as degreerequirements. Suggestions were to add PHYS 124 & 126 as degree requirementsto the BSc Kinesiology degree. As Physics 30 is a prerequisite for the program,the committee likes the idea of adding in a Physics course in order to justifythe prerequisite. PEDS 206 is currently a degree requirement for kinesiologystudents and is similar in content to PHYS 124. A suggestion was made for PEDS206 to be replaced by PEDS 306. In the future, PEDS 206 could be tailored moretowards BPE students, and thus help to differentiate the degrees. Making PEDS306 a required course would change the enrollment number substantially, thus,Dr. Causgrove Dunn was going to look into the financials and the workload ofinstructors if this change were to be made. A comment was made that since thecommittee plans to take out an arts course that it should be replaced with anarts course, thus perhaps replacing PERLS 105 with PSYCO 104 would be a betteroption. In addition, PSYCO104 is a prerequisite to the Physiotherapy program.Since many BSc Kin students plan to go into the physiotherapy program,replacing with PSYCO 104 may be a good option.

4.     BPEstudent survey was conducted.

84% of 4^th yearstudents, 50% of 3^rd year, 34% of 2^nd year, and 25% of 1^styear students responded to the survey. A majority of the students (50%) in BPEthat planned to use their degree towards admission to another program indicatedthe program they wanted to go into was MSc in Physical Therapy. This is animportant finding as it is typically thought that only the BSc Kins wereplanning to go into Physical Therapy. Both degrees are accepted for admissioninto Physical Therapy. 78% of respondents indicated that they were happy withthe content of their BPE degree. Of the students that were not happy with thecontent, the main reasons for dissatisfaction were: that there were too many‘filler courses’ and/or repetitive course content, practicum was too long ortoo late, and that they wanted more career counseling. Courses that were notuseful as indicated by the students were (in order of responses, greatest toleast), PERLS 105, 204, 304, 104, Dance 200, PAC classes, PEDS 401, 307. Themost useful courses were courses that were degree requirements. The greateststrength of the BPE program was the atmosphere/sense of community, along withthe diversity of the courses and ability to specialize degree. Many studentsalso indicated that the professors were a strength of the program. The hands onexperience was also mentioned as a strength.

In sum: need for moreexperiential learning opportunities, need for a curricular review to ensure therelevance of course content, need to look at practicum – should we be lookingat shorter practicum opportunities more often?, need for more careercounseling. Also, a name change is desired. Going forward: committee to reviewconcentrations with possible revisions in the number of concentrations, topicsof concentrations, and content (courses). 

5.     Certificatesin the PER faculty.

There has been some suggestionsby the Vice Dean to look into creating more certificates for students in thefaculty. The committee would like to know what the difference is betweencertificates and concentrations. What are the views on campus, in the communityregarding the usefulness of certificates. It is important that certificates notbe devalued, just as it is for concentrations/majors not be devalued. Who outthere values certificates – need to involve the agencies who recognizecertificates. Dr. Janice Causgrove Dunn to investigate.

6.     Somemore ideas going forward for the committee:

Surveys have been conducted foreach of the undergraduate degree programs. Present surveys of degree program tofaculty counsel. Form groups around similar courses and review courses in thatcontent area – would like to reduce redundancy in courses. Look at possiblyadding 1 credit seminars early on in degree to help students get more ‘handson’ experience. These seminars would be content rich and help students pickcourses later. Reducing course redundancy may impact graduate students, as itmay lead to a decrease in spring/summer courses offered. This should beconsidered.

Another idea was suggested –look at putting in a grant for support in designing assignments. Coursedesigners would help faculty so as not to burden instructors. If there is anincrease in assignments for courses look at adding TA support for marking. Thiswould potentially impact graduate students as well, and the budget.

Adjournment.

News Update Faculty Position Candidate Research Presentation!!

 Please make note of a candidate research presentation for the physical activity and health position:

• Wednesday, January 11, 0930 -1030, Ed-177 (Education); presenter, Chris Blanchard. Topic:  "The Cardiovascular Research Unit: What We've Done and Where We're Going."

News Update: Sport Management Speaker Series !!!

Everyone is welcome to attend the

Sport Management Graduate Student

Speaker Series Presentation

Friday, November 18^th, 2011 @ 3:00 PM

Room E-121, Van Vliet Centre

Meaghan Carey, PhD Student

“Building consent: Community networks and arena development in smaller cities”

Brian Soebbing, PhD
“Contest Incentives in European Football”

Hanhan Xue, PhD Student

“The Changing Stakeholder Map of Formula One

Grand Prix in Shanghai”

Mat Dowling, PhD Student

“SPLISS and the Professionalization of Policy Making in Sport Organizations”

Light refreshments to follow in the Faculty Lounge,

Room P4-15, Van Vliet Centre

News Update: 2nd Annual Pub Trivia Success !!!

The tables were set, the prizes were waiting, the beer was pouring and the graduate contingent was posed ready to do what Phys Ed does best...compete. Yes, yes, the students and the members of faculty were ready to rumble in the 2^nd Annual Pub Trivia. Building on the last years success, the social sec’s (Meaghan and Jodie) set out to make it bigger and better. More students, more prizes and more fun. They delivered on every account. Pub trivia offered a rare insight into the diverse plethora of both useful and at times completely useless knowledge within U of A’s Phys Ed Faculty. Separating the cream from the crop, the mice from the men, the best from the rest (...you get my point) was 20 teams, 5 rounds with 10 questions per round. These rounds tested the general knowledge of Alberta’s finest with questions from the Descartes to David Beckham the Cranberries to Chuck Norris (thank you Chuck Norris...thank you). Also, who knew that Winnipeg meant ‘Muddy Water’? You learn something new every day in this place, I swear. The faculty represented well this year, with the likes of Nick Holt battling the one and only John Spence, Wendy Rogers against Dean Mummery (aka ‘the one to beat’). Particular highlights of the night included John Spence winning a yoga mat, Vince winning a mug (and subsequently losing it again), and Catherine’s scream as the realization suddenly hit her that Jessica Walker was hot on her heels going for the ‘W’ around the other side of the bar.

In a world of research where answers are never truly found, just manipulated and exaggerated in an attempt to seek some sort of truth, one was forced to call an audible and throw out the first rationale response that came to mind. There was no opportunity to consult with ones supervisor, no primary and secondary sources to refer to. It was simply instinct and impulse. At times this was the recipe, at others it proved disastrous. But still, given the opportunity to sit down in front of a book or computer screen, I don’t believe I would have found the “Bob” answer, I mean, come on! Really? Bob?

At times the competition grew immense. It was more heated than a summer apartment in the Amazon without air conditioning. It was more intense than Mike Tyson’s pet tiger. It was...well...to be expected, however, it made the event all the more enjoyable and entertaining. As pens scratched rapidly across paper and teammates howled incomprehensible jumbles of answers, it was apparent that the passion in competition was a result of the cohort of participants, and the magnificent planning. 

One small step for PERGSS (raising $112 and 58 items of food donated to Campus Foodbank)  yet one giant leap for PERGSS’s kind. Role on next year  !!!

PERGSS! Trick or Treat?

Our Bake-Sale fundraiser is right around the corner - this year it will fall on Halloween (October 31, 0930-1230 @ first floor Education North) and will be Halloween themed!

This haunted event needs YOU!

We are looking for the following:

1) Volunteer Caterers - if you can bake and are willing to donate some goodies we are looking to sell some seriously spooky sweets! Get your witch/warlock hat on and be creative! Need ideas? See these links:

 

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-entertaining/holidays/halloween/halloween-recipes.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-20111018-_-1018&cm_lm

 

http://www.bettycrocker.com/menus-holidays-parties/all-holidays/halloween?WT.ac=Home_slide_1_101811_CTA_Halloween_Headquarters

 

http://www.ricekrispies.com/#/Default

2) Volunteer Staffing - whether you can spare 30 minutes or an hour of your time, you're in need!  We need people to sell our taunting treats and also help with the set-up/take-down.

3) Volunteer Recruiters - tell your family, friends, colleagues, werewolves, mummies, and ghouls about our event; the more the ... magic-er?  Help us spread the word!

If you're able to volunteer for baking and/or staffing please let Jess (jwalker3@ualberta.ca) or I know ASAP.  With your help this eery event will surely be a spooky success!

Happy Halloween!

GSA update

Below is important information from the latest GSA meeting:

Spring & Summer U-Pass Information

The Spring and Summer 2011 U-Pass for Graduate students will be available for pick up starting Monday April 18th at the InfoLink main office in the Lower Level of SUB.

Graduate students convocating in June 2011 who do NOT pick up their Spring and Summer U-Pass will receive a refund for this fee. Convocating students who DO pick up their Spring and Summer U-Pass will NOT receive a refund. The Spring and Summer 2011 U-Pass is valid starting May 1st and expires on August 31st, 2011.

For more information about the Spring/Summer UPass for graduate students, see:

http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/u-pass/nav01.cfm?nav01=100869&

GSA Collective Agreement

The Negotiation Team reached a two year settlement with the Governors of the University of Alberta. The term of the collective agreement is for two years, this settlement will cover the employment of academically employed graduate students for the period of September 1, 2011 to August 31, 2013. Graduate students will see an increase in their salary of 0.5% in the first year, and 2% in the second year. Allocations were also made to the AEGS Bursary Program and the AEGS Child Care Subsidy. For more information about the collective agreement, see: http://www.gsa.ualberta.ca/downloads/Council-20110314-Item8-b-v-MemorandumOfSettlement.pdf

GSA Annual General Meeting

The Graduate Students’ Association Annual General Meeting will be held Monday March 28^th at 6pm in 2-1 University Chambers. All graduate students are welcome to attend. For more information, see: http://www.gsa.ualberta.ca/index.php/governance/content/category/annual_general_meeting/

Pizza Friday

Just a friendly reminder that Pizza Friday is this Friday April 1st and we need your RSVP by tomorrow!

Please email me if you will be there and I'll  make sure your name is on list. This is a great forum for faculty, staff, and students to take some time and have lunch together, chat, and catch up instead of eating and running.

Also, we will also be donating all the proceeds of the pizza lunch and any other donations you’d like to make, to the Canadian Red Cross for its relief efforts in Japan and other places in the world where people are suffering. Please dig deep.

See you on Friday April 1, 12pm-1pm in the Faculty Lounge!

Pizza is $5 and includes two slices of Pizza and a drink.

PERGSS clothing drive

What do conference clothes, teaching clothes, meeting clothes and office clothes all have in common?

We would like to have them!

PERGSS is running another clothes drive, this time for women’s formal clothing. ‘Suit Yourself’ is an Edmonton-based charitable organization which collects and distributes quality clothing and accessories, free of charge, to low-income women who are seeking employment or making a transition in the workforce.

Physical education males, this does not exclude you. We also accept the clothing of wives, sisters, girlfriends and female significant others.

The donation bin will be set up in the Faculty lounge from Tuesday, March 29th.

Thank you to those who generously donated to the last clothes drive.

PERGSS elections!

It's election time! Four PERGSS executive positions need to be filled and we're looking for nominees!

The positions elected in the spring include: Secretary, Treasurer, Communications, and the International Student Representative which is a new position this year. PERGSS has a fantastic energetic executive right now and we're looking for more talented students to join us! It's a great way to get involved and it also looks pretty good on a cv ;-)

Descriptions of the positions can be found under Article II in the bylaws, attached to this email. If interested, please forward your name to me (or nominate someone) by next Monday April 4 by 4pm.

If you would like more information or have general questions, please feel free to contact me(Marianne) via email (mclark1@ualberta.ca).

Curling!

It's that time of year again! Papers are almost done, exams are almost marked, and spring flowers will soon poke through those massive snow banks..

How do you want to celebrate???.. well the PERGSS Annual Curling Bonspiel of course!! Whether you are a curling superstar or a total newbie, we want you to come out and join in the fun Friday April 15, 2-4pm!!!

Here is how the day will look...

Do you know what a a bumper is?? No.. well we've got you covered with a curling tutorial from 2 - 2:30 pm. Once you're a curling master it's time for the big game 2:30 - 3:30 pm. Then time for a little bit of end of term merriment 3:30 - 4:30 pm. Food is provided!

It's all taking place at the Saville Sports Centre, an easy trip on the LRT from campus. The bonspiel is open to all graduate students, faculty and staff.. you never know who may have been a star skip in a previous life so ask around!!

Sign-up for this event now! Please reply to this email and indicate what category you fall into (see below). Feel free to sign up in teams and get creative with the names (and costumes!)

Skill Level:

Level 1: I play or have played competitively and can make most of the shots, most of the time.

Level 2: I play/have played in a recreational league. I can make some shots but don't consider myself a competitive curler.

Level 3: I play/have played occasionally and would say my shot making ability is inconsistent at best.

Level 4: I've never curled or have tried it once. Have no clue what my shot making ability is like.

Speaker Series March 18th

Friday, March 18^th, 2011 at 3:00 PM Room E-121, Van Vliet Centre

“Reflections on the Past, Implications for the Future: Play Around the World”

Mary Ann Rintoul, Instructor and Manager, Play Around the World

                                  With, Jane Vallentyne & Son Truong

 Abstract

The academic program, Play Around the World (PAW) is in its 11^th year in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation. This session will provide an overview of the evolution of PAW highlighting international service learning, cross-cultural partnerships, and research possibilities.