BRANDON, MB – Brandon University is pleased to announce that Bonnie Proven has agreed to extend her term as Acting Director of Campus Manitoba until December 31, 2008.

"I very much appreciate Bonnie's willingness to extend her term as it will allow the CMB partners an opportunity for a full and informed search for a new director in the fall," says Brandon University Vice-President, Academic & Research Dr. Scott Grills.

Proven joined Campus Manitoba on March 17, 2008.

A regular on Chatelaine magazine's annual "Who's Who of Canadian Women" list since 1998, Proven is an alumna of Brandon University who returned to the campus from Assiniboine Community College (ACC), where she has worked in various academic, management and leadership capacities since 1981. During that time, Proven was instrumental in the development of many new programs, initiatives and policies at ACC. Most recently, she served as Vice President, Academic at ACC since the fall of 2006.

Bonnie Proven's career at ACC began in 1981, teaching adult high school and life skills programs in several rural First Nations' communities. In the fall of 1985 she moved to ACC's Brandon campus, where she coordinated and taught single parent job re-entry and career decision-making programs. In 1987, Proven joined ACC's Agriculture and Rural Enterprise division, where she held the position of Coordinator, Distance Education and Rural Agriculture Training until 1991, when she was appointed Chairperson (Dean) of the Agriculture and Rural Enterprise division. During her time in that position, Proven was instrumental in expanding the programming within the division and organizing many provincial and western Canadian cooperative and distance education agriculture programs with various other prairie universities and colleges. During this time, Proven was also instrumental in securing a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded international agriculture program in Tanzania, which developed a college-level agriculture training system for rural farmers in that country.

From March 1994 to July 1995, Proven was seconded to the position of Dean of College Development, where she was tasked with structuring ACC's first Foundation and Alumni Office and Corporate Fundraising Office, in addition to being responsible for contract training, distance education, satellite campuses and international education. In 1995, Proven was appointed to lead a newly amalgamated division as Chairperson (Dean), Technologies and Environmental Industries Division, where she was responsible for all programming within the Technology, Engineering Technology and Environment Industries sectors at the college. The division name was changed to Information Technologies and Media Communications in 1996 and Proven's portfolio expanded to include responsibility for all distance education at ACC, as well as for a live television station, a CRTC licensed radio station, a Pearson VUE authorized online Test Centre, and a digital media facility. During this time, Proven once again worked hard at expanding the programming, gaining approval and funding for a number of new two-year diploma and distance education programs.

In the summer of 2006, Proven was named Acting Vice-President, Academic (VPA) at ACC. She subsequently competed for and was appointed to the permanent VPA position in September 2006. During her time in this position, she was instrumental in restructuring the college's academic divisions to create larger and more comprehensive schools, and hiring Academic Chairpersons to head them. In addition, Proven headed a process for reviewing and strengthening a number of the school's academic and student policies, as well as implementing new academic appeals and student concerns and complaints policies. Proven has also been instrumental in implementing the recommendations of the Aboriginal Strategies Committee report and Bear Spirit consulting report, and in orchestrating the college's move from industrial Brandon to the heritage site formerly known as the Brandon Mental Health Centre.

In addition to her work, Proven is an active participant in sustainable rural development activities in the community, as well as in international development projects and equity issues, and remains committed to working and living in rural prairie Canada.

Brandon University looks forward to having Mrs. Proven on the team, and to having her experience and expertise benefit Campus Manitoba.

BRANDON, MB - On Monday May 26th Bonnie Proven , Director Campus Manitoba was the guest speaker at the Brandon YWCA Women in Networking Luncheon .

Her topic “ Distance Education Options “ was well received by the many professional and business women in attendance . Ms. Proven spoke about the history of distance education in Canada and Manitoba and current trends in online and distance delivery. In addition she was able to market and promote Campus Manitoba and CMB partner institutions.

BRANDON, MB – Campus Manitoba's Eriksdale, Manitoba centre has become a Community Access Program Community Connection site with the help of funding from Industry Canada and Manitoba Science, Technology, Energy and Mines through the Community Access Program (CAP).

The focus of the CAP is to provide a vehicle for job searching, job banks, job descriptions, Service Canada, résumé writing, connecting communities, summer employment for youth to provide computer supports to the public, and promoting environmental issues within rural Manitoba communities.

Through the program, organizations such as schools, community centres, friendship centres and libraries can apply to receive new computer equipment through the Computers for Schools program for setting up the site, funding for the cost of internet connection, software support, promotion and training for users of the site, and further funding of up to $780.00 for more equipment or to offset ongoing internet service access costs.

“We at Campus Manitoba saw this as a way to complement the educational goals of our students, as well as increase our presence in the community and encourage the public into our centre by offering free internet access to community members,” says Campus Manitoba's Eriksdale Community Learning Assistant Monica Fuchs, who volunteers to also host the CAP site through her Campus Manitoba centre.

The Campus Manitoba site in Eriksdale is one of two CAP sites in the community that offer complementary hours. The other is located in the local library.

Campus Manitoba (CMB) is a consortium of Manitoba's public post-secondary institutions. It serves as a conduit to provide access to college and university courses and programs for Manitobans through distributed learning mechanisms including the Internet. Campus Manitoba supports students by providing services that remove barriers and enable the achievement of educational goals.

CMB courses are delivered by means of synchronous (real-time, scheduled, LearnLinc communication technology) and asynchronous (unscheduled, student-discretion motivated, online Internet and multimedia-accessed) courses.

Campus Manitoba is a unique program, which allows students to receive transfer equivalents for courses offered by any of the participating universities. Students register with Campus Manitoba, but they choose a ‘home' institution from which they aim to graduate upon completion of their studies.

Campus Manitoba has fifteen centers throughout Manitoba. The centers are staffed with coordinators who provide CMB registered students with academic and logistical support. Further academic support is provided through Off-Campus Library Services and an online resource directory.

Brandon, MB - David Rehaluk, Dauphin Coordinator for Campus Manitoba, has received a Long Service Recognition Award from Brandon University for his 15 years of excellent service. Congratulations, David!