Summer’s almost over. Many of us have had the chance to unwind and spend some time away from UFV this summer, but the university does go on without us.

Here’s a quick recap of some UFV news you may have missed:

People

Dr. James Mandigo starts as our new Provost and VP Academic on September 1, succeeding Dr. Eric Davis, who will take on a role as Special Advisor to the President after an administrative leave.

Justin P. Goodrich is the new Chairperson of the UFV Board of Governors, for a one-year term.

Craig Toews is taking an administrative leave to work on his MBA, through April 30, 2020. During his absence, Betty Poettcker will serve as Acting Vice President External, overseeing Marketing, Communications, Advancement, Alumni, Ceremonies and Events, and Ancillary services. Poettcker will also continue to provide guidance in developing the University’s 2020-21 budget.

Dr. Linda Pardy has been appointed to a five-year term as Associate Dean of Students in the College of Arts.

Dr. Shyam Vyas has been appointed as the new Principal, UFV India.

The  Theatre department and the Visual Arts department have united to form the School of Creative Arts (SoCA) within the UFV College of Arts. SoCA will hold a public launch celebration on Sept 27, 2019. Heather Davis-Fisch has been named Director of the new school. She was previously department head of the Theatre program from 2016 to 2019 and joined UFV in 2011 as associate professor.

Dr. Lenore Newman, Canada Research Chair in Food Security and the Environment and Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at UFV, has been appointed by the government of British Columbia to a newly created Food Security Task Force.

And many people at UFV were saddened to hear that Dr. Ken Brealey passed away in August. He joined UFV as a faculty member and later served in key senior administrative roles.

 

Projects, procedures, and programs

UFV has launched a campus renewal project that will bring substantial improvements and upgrades to Building A East and Building D on the Abbotsford campus. Work will begin on Building A-East in Fall 2019 with expected completion by Fall 2020. Building D, which is larger and more complex, will follow in 2020 with timing and duration to be determined.

Changes are coming to how UFV students pay their tuition and other fees. On September 3, 2019 UFV will begin to phase out acceptance of cash payments for student tuition, student fees, and housing rental fees

UFV is dropping the bag — plastic bags, that is. The UFV Bag-be-Gone initiative will reduce the amount of plastic entering the waste stream by eliminating the purchase and distribution of single-use plastic bags, starting August 1, 2019. This means that the UFV Bookstore no longer offers single-use plastic bags to customers. Other departments will not offer single-use plastic bags as part of any promotion or activity.

UFV has announced an innovative new Digital Manufacturing program. Starting in 2020, the diploma program will cover 3D modelling, 3D printing, Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) machines, fabrication strategies, and much more.

Events

September will be a busy month for events at UFV. Right off the bat, we will welcome more than 1,000 new students at New Student Orientation on September 3. This year’s event will feature an invocation ceremony (mirroring the look and feel of convocation), faculty welcome sessions hosted by deans and faculty, student experience panels, and interactive stations introducing the seven dimensions of wellness.

The Pride Culture Conference, in collaboration with UFV Student Union Society, presents an evening with Jack Saddleback, a speaker LGBTiQ2+ related topics, on Fri, Sept 6.

The annual Alumni Golf tourney is on Fri, Sept 13. Some spots are still available.

The second Fraser Valley Literary Festival runs at University House on the Abbotsford campus on Sept 13 and 14.

The Theatre, Visual Arts, Art History and Media Arts departments have united to form the School of Creative Arts (SoCA), and will be hosting a launch party on Fri, Sept 27.

And the UFV Cascades have launched their soccer season. Check out times for the men’s and women’s games here.