Current News2024-12-18T15:19:50-05:00

Current News

Fall 2024 Updates

We are launching the occasional update from the Association, with a few notes and tidbits for our members – we welcome your suggestions for any additional topics/ recommendations for inclusion in an upcoming message.

Volunteers for the 2025 CIRPA Virtual Conference

As you know, the 2025 CIRPA Annual Conference will be virtual-only – and it will be an opportunity to engage with colleagues more accessibly, without the constraints driven by travel and various budgetary pressures. We hope to take advantage of the format to find new ways to foster dialogue and professional development – bring your ideas!

We are looking for several members to join the planning Committee in various capacities, such as helping out with the call for proposals, communication materials or working behind-the-scenes to ensure technical sessions are working smoothly.

2024 Conference recordings

The conference recordings from the 2024 conference in Fredericton are currently available to attendees and will be available to all CIRPA paid members after December 20th. If you’re curious to hear what your colleagues presented/attended this year – and be inspired for 2025, have a look in our Member portal at the presentations and recordings from this year.

While you’re in the Member portal, check out the stimulating conversations taking place within the discussion forum – open to both regular and limited members. Members from post-secondary institutions also have access to a new neutral space on Product User Experience to share reviews and tips on products and services.

 

Happy Holidays!

On behalf of the CIRPA Board of Directors, I would like to wish you a happy and joyous holiday season, with plenty of good cheer with family and friends. We look forward to working with you/for you in 2025 and continuing to build the Canadian Institutional Research and Planning Association!

 

Kind regards,
Miranda Pearson,
President, Board of Directors,
CIRPA-ACPRI

CIRPA-ACPRI Outstanding Service and New & Emerging Professional Awards

We are delighted to announce the 2024 Outstanding Service and New & Emerging Professionals Awards – Dr. Stephanie McKeown (left) and Samantha McRae (right)!

Outstanding Service Award
The 2024 Outstanding Service Award winner is Dr. Stephanie McKeown, University of British Columbia.

Dr. McKeown is the inaugural Chief Institutional Research Officer, providing leadership to the Offices of Planning and Institutional Research, Student Experience Evaluation and Research, and Student Experience of Instruction offices. Dr. McKeown’s leadership has resulted in a combined portfolio that has provided outstanding and streamlined service to UBC’s senior leadership, faculties, and students. She has united the different IR campus teams into a critical service unit for the entire institution, whilst retaining the local culture and identity of each.

She served ten years on CIRPA executive as a Member-at-Large, Treasurer, Vice-President, President, and currently serves as the Chair of the Nominations Committee. She co-chaired the 2016 Kelowna Conference and has served on the organizing committee of several other CIRPA conferences. She has made numerous presentations at the Annual Conferences and is a esteemed contributor to the academic field of institutional research.

For all her contributions over the years to the Association, its members and the field at-large, CIRPA is pleased to grant the 2024 Outstanding Service Award to Dr. McKeown!

 

New & Emerging Professional Award
The 2024 New & Emerging Professional Award winner is Samantha McRae, Conestoga College.

Sam is a strong IR professional who truly embodies the “Student of Data, Data Serving Students”. Sam’s passionate commitment to collaborate and contribute meaningfully underlies all her endeavours. Sam supports the College IRP mandate in numerous ways, such as, designing and reporting on stakeholder feedback, researching and reporting program information to support major quality assurance initiatives, preparing Labour Market reports that analyze and present considerations of new programs, and undertaking ad-hoc reporting to provide strategic planning and decision-making information.

Sam is newly engaging with the IRP practitioners through her first in-person presence at the CIRPA 2024 conference. She has much to offer and contribute to not only Conestoga College but also the overall field of IRP practice and its future in the coming years.

For her incipient contributions to the field and to recognize the potential for further development, CIRPA is pleased to grant the 2024 New & Emerging Professional Award to Samantha McRae!

 

We would like to acknowledge the members that have taken the time to provide the nominations: Neil Chakraborty (University of Toronto) and Rashmi Gupta (Conestoga College).

Miranda Pearson
CIRPA-ACPRI President

CIRPA-ACPRI Outstanding Service and New & Emerging Professional Awards

Do you have a CIRPA colleague whose unsung contributions have strengthened our organization? Nominate them for an Outstanding Service Award or the New & Emerging Professional Award! Each year CIRPA takes time to recognize an individual whose service as a volunteer, conference presenter, or brain behind the scenes has helped to make CIRPA what it is.

Outstanding Service Award
Exceptional service is broadly defined, and can include contributions made by individuals who have not held a formal position on the CIRPA Board as well as those who have. Normally, the contributions would have been made over a period of years. Exceptional service contributors have recurring involvement in the Association and have actively supported and facilitated the goals and mission of CIRPA in a number of ways.
For more information, including a list of past recipients and to submit a nomination, please click below (you may need to be logged into your CIRPA account for this to work).

 

New & Emerging Professionals Award
The New & Emerging Professionals Award recognizes leadership, growth, and outstanding potential of a professional working in a professional role in any area of institutional research and planning for 5 years or less (inclusive of all professional roles at all institutions the individual has been employed). This individual has demonstrated significant growth in their position and has made an impact and gone beyond their role on their campus. Ways in which their commitment to excellence and improving institutional research and planning should be demonstrated.

CIRPA BOARD ELECTIONS RESULTS

Thank you for participating in the Annual Election for the CIRPA Board! We had a record number of voters this year. I am pleased to announce your new elected Board that will be in place after our AGM in October 2024.

Congratulations to our upcoming Board members:
o Connie Phelps (Conestoga College) – Treasurer (2nd term 2024-2026) – Acclaimed
o Martha Meisner (Dalhousie University) – Secretary (1st term 2024-2026) – Elected
o Antonia ‘Nonie’ Sly Nichols (Nova Scotia Community College) – Member-at-large (2nd term 2024-2026) – Elected

Congratulations to our new nominating committee member, Sonia Beattie (Dalhousie University).

A heartfelt appreciation to all of you who put your name forward for the election. We had a wonderful slate of candidates!

I would like to extend my deep gratitude to our Nominating Committee members for their continuous support, collaboration and hard work. Thank you David Paul (Portage College), Yuqin Gong (University of Prince Edward Island), and Neil Chakraborty (University of Toronto). You are all the best!

Sincerely,
Stephanie McKeown, University of British Columbia
Nominating Committee Chair

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