UPEI wins three national awards
The Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) has awarded three silver medals to the University of Prince Edward Island through its annual Prix d'Excellence awards program. The awards were presented to UPEI at the recent CCAE national conference in Quebec City, where former UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan spoke to delegates on the ‘Value of Brand for Universities,' and participated in an executive leadership panel discussion.
UPEI was awarded second place for ‘Best New Idea: Creativity on a Shoestring' for its ‘Win with UPEI' contest; ‘Best Annual Fund Initiative' for the UPEI Annual Fund Campaign; and ‘Best Community Outreach' for the Atlantic Veterinary College's Community Workshop Series.
Glenda Clements, director of UPEI Integrated Communications, said, 'UPEI staff, across the entire campus, understand the importance of creatively and professionally supporting our students and faculty as we advance the profile and outreach of the University. It's an honour for UPEI to be recognized among its peer institutions for such important initiatives.'
The ‘Best New Idea: Creativity on a Shoestring' category recognizes innovative solutions or new and imaginative ideas that are modest in cost and make the work of professionals in alumni, development, public affairs or student recruitment offices easier or more effective. Clements' department was recognized in this category for creating the ‘Win with UPEI' contest in 2010 in an effort to best use limited advertising dollars to highlight UPEI's numerous achievements and the wide variety of UPEI student involvement in community projects within PEI, nationally, and internationally.
‘Win with UPEI' handed out $10,000-originally slated to purchase advertising-in student bursaries by asking visitors to the contest website to vote on their favourite student community project, with faculties/programs receiving a percentage of bursary dollars based on the percentage of votes cast. A second component of the contest site allowed anyone with a connection to UPEI to enter a text, photo, or video story for a chance to win prizes.
The silver-medal-winning UPEI Annual Fund Campaign entry included a clear goal statement and evidence of effective planning, innovative ideas, and the initiative's success. During the 2009/10 campaign, new strategies were implemented resulting in an overall fund increase of 26 per cent, a 186 per cent increase in young alumni donors, 232 per cent more alumni making their first gift to UPEI over the previous year, and 78 per cent more reactivating their support after missing one or more years of giving.
Rose Barbour, information and annual fund coordinator for the Department of Advancement said, 'It is wonderful to be recognized with this prestigious honour after implementing new campaign strategies.' She added, 'One of these was to spend more time on training and educating our passionate student-employees on the importance of the Annual Fund and how, through the resources raised, it enhances overall student experience. This allowed them to relay that message properly to our alumni and definitely led to our success.'
The Atlantic Veterinary College's Community Workshop Series was awarded a silver medal for ‘Best Community Outreach Initiative.' By involving internal and external community members in the life and work of the institution, AVC continues to enhance the town-and-gown relationship. The series began in 2008, and features public presentations focusing on the health and well-being of animals. This year marked the third time in which AVC was recognized in this category, having won gold in 2008 and 2010 for the Dr. Tim Ogilvie AVC Vet Camp.
'We are very pleased to receive this prestigious honour,' says Dr. Don Reynolds, dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College. 'Awards such as this one are a testament to the knowledge and expertise that AVC brings to the Atlantic provinces as the veterinary school serving the region. Our dedicated experts provide members of the public with a unique opportunity to increase their knowledge about animal health and welfare through programs such as the Community Workshop Series.'
About the CCAE
The Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education is the professional association for educational advancement professionals. CCAE is the primary source of information, professional development, connection and support for advancement professionals working at universities, colleges, institutes, independent schools, and cégeps across the country.
