From small beginnings back in 1967, the University of Lethbridge has grown into one of the country’s leading academic and research institutions. More than 650 students attended the first ever day of classes at the U of L and this fall, the University welcomed more than 8,400 students through the doors at campuses in Lethbridge, Calgary and Edmonton.
As the U of L’s 50th birthday approaches, planning for a year of celebrations and activities to mark this important milestone in the University’s history is well underway.
Chris Horbachewski, vice-president of advancement, and Chris Hosgood, a history professor and dean of Health Sciences, are co-chairs of the 50th anniversary committee.
“The 50th anniversary is not just a celebration; it is a platform to build some legacy for the U of L,” says Horbachewski. “There will be ample opportunity to commemorate all aspects of the university but really, we want to ensure that the 50th anniversary recognizes where we’ve come from and acknowledges where we are going.”
“We’re liaising with folks throughout campus who want to celebrate the 50th anniversary but we are also mindful of our mandate from President Mike Mahon to do it in such a way that we’re creating a legacy,” says Hosgood.
In addition to the events and projects that are already in the works, Horbachewski and Hosgood encourage everyone, whether individuals, groups, units or faculties, in the campus community to start shaping the ways they want to commemorate the 50th anniversary, while being mindful of the legacy mandate as a guiding principle.
Among the activities being planned is a kick-off event to be held in January 2017. In the early spring, a joint event with Lethbridge College, which will be celebrating its 60th birthday, will give the community the chance to celebrate both of Lethbridge’s post-secondary institutions. A joint event for students at the two institutions is also being organized.
The 50 Voices Project by the Centre for Oral History and Tradition (COHT) is especially interesting to the historian in Hosgood. The project will use audio clips and photographs from the First Generation Oral History Project, which includes stories of those who shaped the U of L’s early years, and add new interviews. The oral history vignettes will be unveiled online in 2017. More information about the project can be found on the COHT website.
“This project will help us sustain the U of L culture that celebrates both our origins and our destiny,” says Hosgood. “As our history becomes richer and deeper, celebrating the past so that we can learn for the future is a really important part of the venture.”
“The committee is going to be spending a lot of time over the course of the next few months reaching out to the university community, providing updates through venues like faculty councils, articles in U Weekly to raise awareness of the 50th anniversary and inviting a broad participation through ideas or projects,” says Horbachewski.
Throughout the year, the U of L’s regular events, such as convocations, Abbondanza, the Donor Gala and Play Day, will have a 50th anniversary feel to them through a specially developed theme. Other events, such as the Fiction at Fifty-playwriting competition and the commissioning of a song, have been underway for some time.
Faculty and staff are invited to share their ideas for events, initiatives and stories at ulethbridge.ca/50-years. Everyone is encouraged to spread the word to former faculty, staff and alumni and invite them to attend any or all of the 50th anniversary events.