The Certificate in Advanced Leadership and Management (CALM) program, a custom training solution delivered by the Centre for Continuing Education, has recently earned several prestigious awards.

The Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) has recognized the program with its 2010 Quality and Productivity National First Prize, which promotes excellence and innovation in higher education. Entries are evaluated on their ability to benefit institutions, innovation, quantitative gains in productivity and transformative value.

CALM also recently earned an award for program excellence from the Canadian Association of University Continuing Education.

The CALM program brings together managers from across the University to explore management and leadership development theories and best practices through action learning. Action learning is a best-practice to promote knowledge transfer which has participants apply the lessons from the classroom to strategically examine a real-world challenge.

“CALM helps prepare McMaster's team of managers with the tools necessary to help lead the institution,” said Roger Couldrey, University vice-president administration. “The program also ensures that McMaster's future leaders are capable of handling themselves in a variety of situations.”

In its last session, CALM participants explored issues that the University identified as being strategically important and impacting multiple faculties and departments. The CALM team projects resulted in a series of recommendations meant to foster a stronger sense of community through physical space enhancements, an analysis and inventory of classroom space and management processes and enhanced graduate student recruitment.

One project examined ways to reduce waste across campus, which resulted in two procurement contracts which removed 10,000 cardboard boxes from the waste stream, reduced traffic congestion on campus, promoted the use of eco-friendly products and reduced more than two tons of greenhouse gas from entering the environment.

By consolidating the purchasing of office supplies and paper products throughout the University, it is estimated that this project will save the University $2.3 million over the five-year life of the contracts.

For their efforts, this project team was honoured with a 2009 President's Award for Outstanding Service from McMaster and a regional award from CAUBO.