McMaster was honoured this summer with a number of Quality and Productivity awards from the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO).

The University's Certificate in Advanced Leadership and Management (CALM) program, aimed at managers and future leaders, was given CAUBOs national first prize. The program prepares University leaders to skillfully manage the unexpected and strengthens the skills of those who will one day lead the institution.

CALM, run in conjunction with the Centre for Continuing Education, incorporates action learning as an instructional model. Last year, participants were divided into small teams and chose projects to work on, such as increasing the recyclability of waste products on campus. This aspect of CALM, which resulted in a reduced number of deliveries to campus, the use of fewer cardboard boxes, monetary savings and the purchasing of eco-friendly office supplies was itself awarded CAUBO's Ontario regional award.

McMaster was also given an honourable mention for its “pay now” service, available for student accounts. A partnership between the Office of the Registrar, Financial Services and University Technology Services, the “pay now” capabilities allow students to make online payments to their accounts through Interac Online. The University processed $7.5 million in such payments during the program's first seven months alone, resulting in a decrease in other forms of payment, such as cheques, which are labour intensive for staff.

“These awards recognize the high quality of McMaster's programs and innovations as well as the talent of the staff involved in developing and delivering them,” said Roger Couldrey, University vice-president administration. “The recognition is well-deserved.”