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Expanding horizons at the University of Manitoba

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This article was published 11/03/2025 (231 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Change is baked right into Ghislaine Alleyne’s job description. Every day brings new challenges and there’s no such thing as the same old routine. And she wouldn’t have it any other way as she helps transform the University of Manitoba as specialist, organizational excellence and change management.

“There’s so much happening at the university and I love helping people move through changes so that they’re successful,” says Alleyne.

“I get to meet a lot of different people and see a lot of different parts of the university. There’s an amazing amount of variety and I’m not in any one particular place for very long – I like that.”

The University of Manitoba has over 5,000 full-time and another 5,000 part-time employees working at two main campuses in Winnipeg (Fort Garry and Bannatyne) as well as satellite campuses across the province. A leading Canadian research institution, it has 13 faculties, four schools and nine colleges.

As the university implements initiatives like a new strategic plan and continues to be at the forefront of technological change, Alleyne is kept busy, especially in the IT department. When the pandemic hit, she and her team had to work fast to enable faculty, staff and students to work remotely almost overnight. The quick response was helped in part by the educational support she’s received from the university.

“I like lifelong learning and I take a lot of courses. If you want to get another degree or your first degree, you can get reimbursed for the courses you take as part of our benefits package, which really helps with career development,” she says.

Skills training is part of a comprehensive support system that empowers employees to have multiple careers without having to leave the University of Manitoba, says René Ouellette, associate vice-president, human resources.

“We create a dynamic environment where there’s lots of energy, lots of great initiatives, and opportunities for you to grow your career,” says Ouellette.

“You can start here and follow many different career paths at the university if you wish and you’ll be supported every step of the way.”

The university continuously reviews and improves its benefits and working conditions with the help of an employee-led staff benefits committee. Using constant feedback from employees, improvements have recently been made in areas like mental health, massage therapy and other benefits.

Ouellette says the comprehensive approach helps the university attract and retain employees in the competitive higher education and research space.

“We’re a large employer in Manitoba, but we’re also competing against other large employers for the same talent,” he says.

“We have to make sure we do things that make us stand out so we continue to be that employer of first choice for people who are looking for a long, rewarding career.”

For all the diversity and transformation, Alleyne says there’s one thing that doesn’t change at the university – the sense of making a collective difference in the world while building your individual career success.

“I love working at a place where the mission matches my values,” says Alleyne.

“The mission is educating the next generation of workers, scientists, activists and artists. The University of Manitoba is a really exciting place to be because there’s always so much happening all the time. It’s a great place to kind of expand your horizons.”