By the time you read this, the 2021-22 academic year will have come to an end. Students, staff and faculty will have written final exams, graded those exams and completed an abundance of end-of-term work. And yet, new beginnings are abuzz at U of G.
Dr. Mary Anne Chambers began her appointment as the University’s tenth chancellor just a few months ago. Dr. Chambers has been a lifelong advocate of the transformative value of accessible higher education, including through her past role as Ontario’s minister of training, colleges and universities. She has been a champion of U of G for decades, including having served as a member of the Board of Governors. Dr. Chambers’s diverse experiences and approachability ensure she will excel as chancellor at this unique point in U of G’s journey as an institution.
We are also moving forward with the Strategic Framework Refresh initiative. After hearing creative ideas and thoughtful perspectives from our first set of community consultations in 2021, it was clear that there is appetite for a bold, visionary plan that provides clear direction through actionable tasks and accountability measures for this next chapter in our community’s story. We have begun a second round of focused consultations with students, staff, faculty, alumni and partners, and I look forward to engaging with you on a first draft of the plan.
You can read more about new beginnings throughout this issue, including One Health, alumna Dr. Roberta Bondar and Arrell Scholar Nasrin Husseini. On a personal note, I was humbled to be formally installed as president and vicechancellor at the end of March. Although I was appointed to the position last August and served in an interim role before that, the installation gave me pause to think about the priorities I will advance during my term. Together, we will build on U of G’s “genius” toward a better University and a better world.
Finally, this month marks the return of in-person convocation ceremonies at the University. For the first time in more than two years, U of G graduates, including many from the classes of 2020 and 2021, will cross the convocation stage. This moment marks many a new beginning: our newest alumni will take all they have learned at U of G to pave new paths, start bold initiatives and Improve Life meaningfully for themselves and the world around them.
I wish you each a wonderful summer and hopeful, new beginnings—wherever or whenever you should need them.
Together, we will build on U of G’s ‘genius’ toward a better University and a better world
Warmly,
Charlotte A.B. Yates
President and Vice-Chancellor