Vanguard and U of A Part 1

I still have to comment on a really productive trip to the nations capital where I was meeting with key leaders and getting introduced to Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. That will have to wait a bit. I am afraid that it will really mess things up chronologically, but I will have start with a report on my visit to Edmonton for a couple of days, at the beginning of this week,  in and around Vanguard College and on the U of A campus.

While our time at Vanguard College was not long, it was rewarding. Under the leadership of Stephen Hertzog and his faculty and staff, we were struck with how well this school is run. I had the opportunity to teach a couple of classes, where I used the opportunity to talk about the why and how of campus ministry.

It was off to my alma mater, the University of Alberta ( U of Eh?)
It was disorienting for me to return to my old stomping grounds. It was like being in a dream sequence where things were both familiar yet unfamiliar. I forgot just how well it was laid out….. combinations of old and new jumbled together in a po-mo montage, with many of the early buildings having been lovingly maintained and restored.

There has been a lot of thought and effort into the creation of “human” rather than merely institutional space. This was in stark contrast to the campus I was on this morning ( U of T Mississauga ) where its impressive, prize winning “centre-piece” lecture hall building gave off a profoundly functional, people unfriendly vibe ( more on that in another piece ).

While Edmonton is not particularly envied for its climate, it has, for as long as I have known it, had lots of interesting culture. The campus is no different. More to come...