News at UFV

UFV president visits China to strengthen ties with partner universities

Fri, 13 May 2011 10:25:00 -0700

With the world�s most powerful economy and millions of young people seeking post-secondary education, China is an important market for any university interested in international partnerships. The University of the Fraser Valley has been involved in several Chinese educational initiatives over the years, and is open to exploring new partnerships. UFV president Mark Evered will tour five Chinese cities in May to meet with partner universities. UFV Agriculture department head and noted horticulturalist Tom Baumann and UFV China liaison officer Betty Wang will accompany Dr. Evered on the tour. More

Chan to speak on social justice within a university context in UFV lecture series

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:58:32 -0800

In an ideal world, a university would be a place where all members of its community have equal rights and opportunities, and also equal responsibilities and obligations. And this is an ideal that most universities strive for, according to Dr. Adrienne Chan, a professor in the School of Social Work and Human Services at UFV. However, it�s not an ideal world, as Chan discovered as she researched social justice in university settings across Canada over the past four years. More...

UFV Cascades make history earn CIS national berth with victory over TWU, Spartans run to CIS Nationals end at "foot" of Danielle deBruin!

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 01:43:49 -0700

The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades made school history today, earning a berth in the CIS women's soccer national championship tournament, in Charlottetown, PEI. The women's soccer team become the first UFV program to qualify for a national berth, in the school's 5-year association with the CIS. The Cascades came out strong and had the game's first shot on goal less than 30 seconds in, they kept up with the two-time defending CIS national champions, except for a quick misplay in the box that led to a penalty shot goal by TWU, five minutes in, UFV played very well for their first taste of post season action. More...

Nurse-educator is UFV�s 2010 Distinguished Alumni

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:07:38 -0700

Admitting failure is never easy. But nurse and educator Tracey Vanderaegen Jones (who earned her Nursing diploma in 1994) says an unsuccessful year at UBC�s nursing school is the best thing that could have happened to her. Vanderaegen Jones is this year�s winner of the UFV Distinguished Alumni award, which is conferred by the UFV Alumni Association at the annual award ceremony. It is presented to an alumnus of UFV who has achieved outstanding distinction in career, educational achievement, and community service. More...

UFV to stop accepting credit cards for tuition payments

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:05:11 -0700

Starting this January, students will no longer be able to say �charge it to my credit card� when paying tuition for courses at the University of the Fraser Valley. As part of a cost-cutting exercise aimed at balancing its budget and allocating the most funding possible to direct educational benefits, UFV will no longer accept credit card payments for domestic tuition. UFV has been paying nearly half a million dollars per year in transaction fees to credit card companies. It is not the only university to make this decision. UBC, SFU, and Kwantlen and Vancouver Island Universities are also making the change.More...

AfriGrand Caravan to stop at UFV�s Abbotsford campus

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:03:53 -0700

It�s a tragedy that took place thousands of miles away and seen around the world, but on Wednesday it will be an issue in our own back yards. The Stephen Lewis Foundation and the University of the Fraser Valley are bringing the AfriGrand Caravan to Abbotsford Wednesday. The AfriGrand Caravan is a cross-Canada tour of grandmothers and granddaughters from Africa. Due to the AIDS pandemic, where thousands of women died from HIV-related illnesses, children were left orphaned, to be raised by grandparents. More...

It�s time to say �thanks� to those who work with the youth

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:02:56 -0700

The idea is simple. Say �thank you� to somebody who works with young people. It�s a small, mostly silent army of skilled employees that works tirelessly to improve the lives of young people. And on Thursday, November 4, the community is being asked to simply say thank you. According to the National Collaboration for Youth, a youth worker is somebody who works with or on behalf of the youth to facilitate their personal, social, and educational development. Youth workers also enable the youth to gain a voice, influence, and place in society as they make the transition from dependence to independence. It is these people, positive influences on young people, who are seldom recognized for the work they do.More...

UFV hosts controversial author of The Armageddon Factor

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:01:34 -0700

What better place than the so-called Bible belt is there to discuss the rise of Christian nationalism in Canadian politics? With that in mind, University of the Fraser Valley instructor Ron Dart has invited award-winning journalist Marci McDonald to the Abbotsford campus to discuss her latest book entitled The Armageddon Factor: The Rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada. More...

UFV hosts Social Work and Human Services info sessions for prospective students

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:00:24 -0700

October 27, 2010 Media contact: Patty Wellborn Office: 604-795-2819 patty.wellborn@ufv.ca UFV hosts Social Work and Human Services info sessions for prospective students With a brand new Master of Social Work degree on its books, the University of the Fraser Valley is welcoming the community back to school to learn about the many options offered through the School of SocialWork and Human Services. This August, the BC Ministry of Advanced Education approved UFV�s MSW after several years of extensive consultations with the Fraser Health Authority, the Ministry of Children and Family Development, non-profit services, local First Nations and ethno-cultural communities, and UFV alumni. The first intake of students is slated for January 2011. More...

UFV once again scores top marks in Globe and Mail�s University Report

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:54:20 -0700

Once again, UFV has brought home top marks on its report card. The Globe and Mail newspaper released its annual University Report on Oct 25, and UFV scored A grades in many key categories. UFV earned the most �A range� grades for any public post-secondary institution of any size in British Columbia, racking up A grades in the following categories: quality of education, student-faculty interaction, and ease of registration. It earned an A+ for class size, and an A- for most satisfied students, quality of teaching, and technology, for a total of seven grades within the A- to A+ range. More...

Rembrandt authenticator Ernst van der Wetering visits UFV

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:53:16 -0700

World renowned scholar Ernst van de Wetering will speak about "Rembrandt's Thinking: His Ideas About Light and Shadow" at the University of the Fraser Valley on October 29. Ernst Van de Wetering�s book Rembrandt: The Painter at Work is now the standard work on Rembrandt�s self portraits and provides insight into a variety of technical, artistic, and esthetic aspects of Rembrandt�s work, explains UFV�s Dean of Arts Jacqueline Nolte His next book titled Rembrandt�s Mind is scheduled to be released next year. For the past 42 years van de Wetering has been intensively engaged in the study of Rembrandt. Van de Wetering was first trained as an artist at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague. After finishing his training, he became an art teacher and artist. In 1968, while studying art history at the University of Amsterdam, he was invited to work as an assistant to the Rembrandt Research Project (RRP), which had started in that same year. More...

On the CASE photo exhibit at UFV highlights child health issues in India

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:52:10 -0700

The popular movie Slumdog Millionaire brought the plight of slum dwellers into the media spotlight. The severe and filthy living conditions of millions of young children made the headlines for several months. While Hollywood�s glare has shifted, the conditions of those trapped in the slums remains the same. Public health specialist Dr. Frederick Shaw spent years in Janta Colony � a slum of 14,000 right beside Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab and one of India�s most modern cities. Using the philosophy that 98 per cent of illnesses suffered by slum dwellers are preventable, Shaw established Developing Indigenous Resources and began teaching and promoting preventable health measures. More...

UFV nursing students tackle timely issues at Health Fair

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:02:47 -0700

Recent changes in the provincial blood alcohol legislation are starting to affect the choices people make � how will this affect the choices that young adults make about drinking and driving? It is one of many topics being researched by University of the Fraser Valley fourth year nursing students for their annual health fair. The public health fair is part of UFV�s community health course taken in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program. Organizing the information fair is part of their community education training, explains UFV Nursing instructor Sheila Edwards. Students pick a health issue to research and then create a display to present the information to the public as part of their curriculum. This year, the health fair takes place at Abbotsford�s Seven Oaks Mall on Friday, October 22. Edwards says the event is a great opportunity for the students to deal directly with the public, while learning about topical issues. UFV nursing students have hosted these public health fairs for more than 10 years now.More...

UFV to host Mennonite Studies panels Oct 19 and Nov 23

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 12:28:43 -0700

You can�t go too far in the Fraser Valley, especially Abbotsford, without experiencing the influence of the Mennonites. Approximately 25 per cent of the population of Abbotsford is affiliated with the Mennonite community. Throughout the Fraser Valley, Mennonites have founded businesses, agricultural enterprises, educational institutions, credit unions and cooperatives, relief and development organizations, and health care facilities. Mennonites are also represented in the public realm and in the arts. In an acknowledgment of the influence of the Mennonite community on the region, the University of the Fraser Valley is launching an interdisciplinary Mennonite Studies certificate program. Designed to be taken in tandem with their major field of study, students taking the certificate will study the heritage of the Mennonite people, and learn more about the diversity of the Mennonite community, and the numerous regional endeavors initiated by its members. As UFV develops its programming for Mennonite studies, it is seeking the insight of Mennonite scholars, writers, and academics, and engaging the local community through a series of public events. More...

Kuyer named CWUAA Female Athlete of the Week.

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 12:28:03 -0700

First Female Cascade to earn the honour! Ellen Kuyer, a fourth year business major from Surrey, BC has been named the Canada West (CWUAA) Female Athlete of the Week, for the week ending Sunday, October 10th, 2010. Kuyer becomes the first Female Cascade in the three year association with the CWUAA to receive this honour! The veteran striker scored three times in the second half of Saturdays, 4-3 victory over UBC (ranked 9th in CIS), in Vancouver. While Ellen did not record an assist it was the fourth year Business majors hard work that set up the fourth UFV goal as well. In Friday's tie against TWU (ranked 7th in CIS), Ellen created the opportunity that led to the first goal and gave UFV a lead which they held for close to 60 minutes before TWU tied he match. Kuyer has been a large reason why the Cascades are unbeaten in four straight against nationally ranked UBC & TWU, both CWUAA regular season series the Cascades have won More...