A Message from The President and Vice Chancellor
Welcome to the University College of the North (UCN)!
Situated in the heart of the Boreal Forest, UCN is an educational institution providing university and college programming designed to serve Northern and Indigenous people - incorporating traditional philosophies into our governance model, administration, hiring practices, and academics.
We are proud of our extended presence across Manitoba, with campuses in The Pas and Thompson and 12 centres throughout northern and central Manitoba. These regional centres allow us to provide relevant, community-driven post-secondary programs in a way that uniquely addresses those communities’ needs.
Our unique governance system consists of a Governing Council, Learning Council, and Council of Elders. Our Council of Elders and Resident Elders guide our institution by sharing the knowledge of our elders’ traditional wisdom, beliefs, and values.
I invite you to explore our website further for specific academic programs, further information about our unique tri-cameral governance system, or other details you may wish to find out about our truly remarkable institution. I look forward to seeing you in our hallways!
— Doug Lauvstad
About the University President
Doug Lauvstad is the president and vice-chancellor at UCN. He has been an advocate for progress in Northern Manitoba — using his voice to bring the issues and context of northern people to the provincial conversation. During his 19 years at UCN, he has held several senior positions in the executive management, administration, and marketing and communications departments.
Professional Background
Before becoming UCN’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Doug was the Executive Director of the Northern Manitoba Sector Council, an association for Northern Manitoba's major employers in the mining, forestry, energy, and health industries. The organization’s focus was to build, sustain, and retain a world-class workforce of northern locals.
He worked on the council in 2007 from his position as the Executive Director of UCN's The Pas Campus.
Personal Information
Doug was born and raised in The Pas. He earned an MBA from Athabasca University in 2002.
Meet the Presidents Council
Kim Laycock,
Vice-President, Finance & Administration
In the role of VP Finance & Administration, Kim’s focus is on supporting UCN’s mandate to provide accessible, quality education to northern and Indigenous peoples. Kim is a proud northerner who was born and raised in Thompson, Manitoba. Teaching and learning have been constants in Kim’s career path. Kim worked as a Lifeguard/Swim Instructor in her teens before heading off after completing Grade 12 at RD Parker Collegiate to complete a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) from the University of Manitoba in 1991. In 2016, she became a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA), and in 2023, Kim completed a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA). UCN has been Kim’s employer for over 25 years, initially as a Business Instructor, then as Dean for the Faculty of Arts, Business, and Science. She currently holds the VP Finance & Administration role.
Tanya Pidskalny,
Tri-Council Executive Officer / President’s Office Manager
Tanya Pidskalny was raised in The Pas and Opaskwayak Cree Nation and enjoys time spent outdoors. Her experience includes 16 years in management and 4 years in marketing and sales.
Tanya has worked at UCN since 2014 and during this time has been working towards her Business Administration Diploma.
Deanna Kondakor,
Director, Human Resources
Deanna has been providing Human Resource management services since 2006 in a municipal setting and prior to that in health care and social services, focusing on leadership development, labour relations and recruitment. During her career, she has experienced extensive human resources support and leadership opportunities, including policy development, collective bargaining, emergency preparedness, health and safety management, recruitment and selection, benefits administration, accommodation and workplace investigations. She uses a solution-focused approach to guide and support management and employees through the employment cycle. Having lived in the Thompson for 24 years, she is knowledgeable about the challenges and successes in the North, understands the need for partnerships and collaboration and supports life-long learning for all.
Monte Koshel,
Director of Marketing, Communications & Recruiting
Monte Koshel learned some of his best lessons on the trapline near his family’s farm near The Pas.
After earning his B.A. in communications at the University of North Dakota, he focused his sights on making a career in higher education communications and digital branding.
His experience includes more than 25 years in strategic communication, brand management, and digital storytelling.
Helga Bryant, RN, MScA, BScN
Vice-President, Academic and Research
As a registered nurse and recognized leader in the educational and health care system, authentic leadership depicts Helga’s practice as a leader; this leadership philosophy has enabled success at inspiring, enabling, modeling, challenging, building trust and encouraging in a wide variety of roles and positions over a decades long career.
A personal philosophy of learning and caring has been incorporated into a leadership style that acknowledges that individuals and issues are unique and, thus, worthy of care and consideration. Years of clinical practice were followed by decades of executive leadership in rural, urban and northern healthcare organizations; this, in turn, has created a passion for post-secondary education as a mechanism to improve the socio-economic status, community development and, ultimately, the social fabric of Northern Manitoba.
Jackie Fitzpatrick,
Vice President, Indigenous Initiatives & Reconciliation
Born and raised in Churchill, MB and a proud member of Fox Lake Cree Nation, Jackie completed her Bachelor of Social Work at Thompson and earned a master’s degree in Education, specializing in Workplace and Adult Education at the University of Calgary. She was selected to participate in the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference in 2017.
Jackie has worked at UCN for more than 20 years. During this time, she served as a Student Counsellor, Strategic Planning Facilitator, Director of Student Life, and Dean of Students. She most recently became Vice President, Indigenous Initiatives & Reconciliation.