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Education & Research for
Values-Based Business
The Co-operative Difference
In this edition:
- Registration open and bursaries available for online programs: Master's, Graduate Diploma and Certificate in Co-operative Management (apply by May 31 or until full)
- John MacNamara - Excelling in co-operative research and education
- Credit Union Development Education: CanadaDE (Halifax, June 9-14)
- Co-operative Research - Our team has grown!
- Economic Gardening : Planting seeds for a vibrant co-operative economy in Georgia, USA
- Exciting news in the co-operative sector
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Master's, Graduate Diploma and Certificate in Co-operative Management
Apply by May 31, 2019
Are you a co-operative or credit union professional, planning your career and leadership development
?
Are you interested in MBA-style education grounded in values-based business? In search of an education which deepens your understanding of the co-operative business model and your ability to harness it for meaningful social, environmental and economic impact?
We offer
rigorous and advanced Master's level business programs designed to equip you with knowledge and skills necessary to excel in co-operative management and propel your co-operative or credit union towards business excellence while contributing real social value. Tap into a network of leading practitioners, faculty and scholars in the co-operative system; experience the benefit of a globalized educational curriculum.
"Co-op managers need a different set of skills from managers of profit-driven companies. Yes, you still have to operate the business to make money, but you also form a whole set of objectives by which you measure your success.
If you're making a profit but you lose forty percent of your work force, are you a success? This is why we own the business... we formed the co-op to save a community. We have multiple bottom lines."
- Bernadette Dwyer, MMCCU '08, Fogo Island Co-op, Canada
Something for everyone, wherever you are on your learning journey:
Online and part-time
from your home or office;
Executive style so you can continue working;
Unique business education - use your co-operative or credit union as a living lab.
Start your application today!
Attend a Webinar
Join us for a online informational webinar to learn more about our programs and opportunities from the comfort of your office, anywhere in the world. Next webinar will take place:
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Our Impact
Curious about the impact of our educational programs and research? What are students, alumni and the wider co-operative community saying?
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John MacNamara (PHD) - excelling in
co-operative research and education
Education and research
Dr. John McNamara graduated from our Master's program in 2010.
His final capstone project for the MMCCU program led to the creation of a rewards program for his taxi co-operative, Union Cab, a worker co-op serving Madison, Wisconsin. This, in combination with the establishment of online ordering options years before the industry caught up, built solidarity with loyal customers. McNamara attained his PHD in Management at Saint Mary's University in 2018 - supervised by former Academic Director of ICCM, Dr. Larry Haiven. His research investigated management practices of worker and consumer co-operatives using the Co-operative Index tool to ascertain expression of co-operative values.
Working in the co-operative sector
In 2014, McNamara completed twenty-five years of service with Union Cab (co-op). He is now a full time co-operative developer with Northwest
Co-operative Development Center (NWCDC) and lives in Olympia, Washington. One his projects with NWCDC includes a 10-week academy designed to provide people with the knowledge and tools to bring their co-op from a dream into a reality. He has instructed and guest lectured on worker co-operatives, democratic management and public administration at Evergeen State College (Olympia, WA) and Presidio Graduate School (San Francisco, CA).
J
ohn's pathway for learning
".....Learning through the MMCCU gave me the knowledge and skills to match the experience in actually managing. However, it is largely management in translation. Co-op managers have to learn the practices of management designed to maximize profit, not benefit people. Then, they have to unwind those practices and amend them to work with a value-based organization. This gave me the desire to go deeper to learn how to understand what a co-op based management system might look like.
....I was asked to be part of the research team with ICCM faculty among others investigating tools to measure co-operative impact and performance. I played a role in both developing the tool and using it in the field. While my PhD work originally focused on a different concept, I always had the idea of using the Co-operative Index tool in the back of my mind and was happy to be able to use it in research and demonstrate its value to co-op development."
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CanadaDE: Credit Union Development Education
A leadership program for credit union professionals
Halifax, Nova Scotia
June 9-14
CanadaDE (Credit Union Development Education) is a week-long immersive education program tailored to credit union professionals, hosted by the International Centre for Co-operative Management at Saint Mary's Sobey School of Business.
CanadaDE will renew and deepen your understanding of the co-operative principles, values and practices within the context of your credit union. Learn how your credit unions can be an agent in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and make lasting, positive impact.
Leave you title at the door; whether you are involved in a credit union as a board member, management, or front line staff - you are welcome to participate in CanadaDE.
CanadaDE is part of longstanding international network of Credit Union Development Education programs including AfricaDE and CaribeDE. Our programs benefit from the contributions of experts, mentors and students from Canada, United States and African and Caribbean countries.
What CanadaDE graduates are saying...
"The global tagline of co-operatives is "We Build Better Communities". CanadaDE educates participants on why it's important to work towards community development and also energizes credit unions to play a significant role. As a graduate of the program, I can acknowledge that it has assisted me tremendously in integrating the co-operative principles and values in our credit union through tangible initiatives."
-Cory Munden, Leading Edge Credit Union
"Since completing CanadaDE, I have been excited to complete a project that integrates co-op principles with sacred teachings as guiding values for indigenous women exploring small business. This project was selected not only to fulfill the requirements to acquire my international designation, but more importantly for the fact that it aligns with my credit union's commitment to reconciliation. Co-op principles in action can truly make a difference in building resilient economies and communities".
-Nigel R. Mohammed, Assiniboine Credit Union
Listen to
Tracey Kliesch (Vancity Credit Union) - CanadaDE gradate now Co-Director and facilitator.
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"Economic gardening"
for a
co-operative economy
Matthew graduated from our Master of Management, Co-operatives and Credit Unions in 2015. He is the Executive Director of th
e
Georgia Cooperative Development Centre
; a supportive hub for start-up and existing co-operatives.
This podcast explores community economic development, economic democracy and people-first business through the co-operative model. Matthew gives our Master's program wonderful recognition!
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Research on Co-operative Governance
Our research team expands!
The International Centre for Co-operative Management (ICCM) is gearing up for a major research project on co-operative governance. This project is one of six research streams f
unded by the Strategic Fundamental Research (SBO) program of the Flemish Foundation for Scientific Research (FWO) in Belgium.
This very selective program supports high-level and innovative research projects with a significant economic and/or societal application dimension as well as strong commitment of stakeholders throughout the process. Read about the grant program.
ICCM's research will explore the relationship between co-operative governance structures and firm performance. In particular, it will investigate whether humanistic management practices, in line with co-operative principles and values, improve economic, social, and environmental outcomes vis-à-vis more conventional 'top-down' models of governance. This will involve qualitative research on co-operative enterprises across a number of countries to identify best practices.
Cian Mcmahon (PHD) joins our research team!
We are excited to welcome Dr. Cian McMahon as the Postdoctoral Research Fellow for this project. McMahon
will work as part of our small interdisciplinary team at Saint Mary's Sobey School of Business in Halifax, Canada.
About Cian McMahon
Cian McMahon was recently awarded a PhD in economics from the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG). His thesis focused on the potential of the worker co-operative model as the basis for a sustainable mode of production. He lectured on heterodox economics and radical political economy at NUIG, and worked previously as a Policy Analyst with the Think-tank for Action on Social Change (TASC) to promote greater economic equality and participatory democracy across Irish society. MacMahon is also involved in trade union and activist education.
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Faced with the challenges of sustainable development in the twenty-first century, co-operatives offer an economically viable alternative to business as usual, and one that is also people and planet-centred. I want to play my part in furthering our knowledge of best practice in co-operative governance, and in spreading public awareness of the potentials inherent in the co-operative alternative." - Cian McMahon
KU Leuven in search of 5 PHD students:
As part of the Strategic Fundamental Research Program, The Centre of Expertise for Co-operative Entrepreneurship of KU Leuven is seeking 5 PHD students for research on co-operatives in various areas including business, democratic governance, management, member participation and ownership structures.
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News in the Co-operative Sector
Don't miss the Co-operative Entrepreneurship Conference!
May 27-30, 2019
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
The Association of Cooperative Educators (ACE), the International Co-operative Alliance Committee on Co-operative Research (ICA CCR) and the Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation (CASC) invite you to their 2019 Conference "Co-operative Entrepreneurship"!
Many exciting themes to be explore including: cooperative ethics and values, co-op management, sustainable development, Millennials and cooperatives, the motivations and leadership of co-op entrepreneurs, co-op friendly policies and public institutions, and more!
Jon Steinman tours food co-ops across North America with new book
"Grocery Story is for everyone who eats. Whether you strive to eat more local and sustainable food, or are in support of community economic development, Grocery Story will leave you hungry to join the food co-op movement in your own community."
Grocery Store : The promise of food co-ops in the age of grocery giants
will be available for purchase on May 7, 2019, and we are excited to get our hands on a copy!
Grocery Store makes a compelling case for food co-ops as a vehicle to take back food systems from corporate giants and realize a truly democratic, sustainable, just and localized food system.
With his sight on energizing the food co-operative movement, John Steinman will tour food co-ops across North America to share insights from his new book. Nearly 60 co-ops have scheduled book releases - and more dates and details are to come! Our Centre is proud to be a sponsor of the tour and the rich conversations to come.
Follow this truly exciting book tour here.
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