University of Alberta Edmonton, Canada 29 November 1996

University opens southern Alberta liaison office in ...Calgary

Will be used for industrial liaison, student recruitment and fund-raising; possible other uses in the offing

By Michael Robb

University of Alberta Southern Alberta Liaison Office Suite 1100, 333 5th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 3B6

No, that's not a typo. The University of Alberta now has an office in the province's other major city-and it's official opening takes place 9 December.

"The opening of the office marks a significant step in bringing the University of Alberta closer to the people of Calgary and southern Alberta," says Board of Governors chair John Ferguson.

According to Director of Development and SALO spokesperson Guy Mallabone, the Office will give the University on-site support for its fund-raising campaign activities in southern Alberta and longer term development work. "The fact is, Calgary has the second largest number of head offices in Canada, and the U of A needs a presence in the southern part of the province. We need to be there."

The Development Office hasn't wasted any time; it's hired Richard Walker as a senior development officer (major gifts) to work out of SALO. The Industry Liaison Office and the Faculty of Engineering Cooperative Education Program will also use the office. The establishment of the office happened as a result of ILO Director Jim Murray's desire to heighten the profile of the U of A in the southern part of the province, and increase industry liaison activities in Calgary. At the same time, the Development Office suggested it needed to have a stronger presence in the southern part of the province. Mallabone says this is just the beginning. The Registrar's Office will be using the facility and other groups on campus could find a need to establish activities out of the Calgary office.

"As SALO matures and develops, we hope it will be able to serve as a 'home base' for faculty and staff when they are in Calgary," says Mallabone. And people in the southern part of the province will be able to visit the office to gather information about the U of A.

Dean of Engineering David Lynch says the Faculty will be hiring a fulltime cooperative education placement coordinator who will work out of the Calgary office. The Faculty hopes to have that person in place by the new year. According to the Dean, the Faculty's expansion of its cooperative education programs has allowed the Faculty to hire a coordinator for the Calgary office. Already one of the biggest in the country, the Faculty expects its cooperative education program to expand by over 50 percent, to 1,150 work terms per year by the year 2000.

Access Fund approvals have been given for expansion of cooperative education in the Chemical, Environmental and Computer engineering areas. And the Calgary market is very important to the Faculty, says the Dean. "This will help us provide better service to Calgary and southern Alberta."

The SALO office has space on the third and eighth floor of a downtown office tower, complete with a board room, meeting room, conference space, interview room and a shared receptionist with Western Management Consultants.

People on campus that may have an interest in using the facility can contact Tamara Shultz at 4418. Walker can be reached at 531-5874, or by fax at 531-5879.

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