Dr. Joanne MacLean, UFV President & Vice Chancellor
Peacebuilding in Turbulent Times The hallmark of the UN International Day of Peace, which is observed annually on September 21, is a 24-hour period of nonviolence and ceasefire in conflict zones. The UN intended to have people focus on how to foster peace work around the globe in keeping with an established theme. This year’s … Read more
Dear Colleagues, It’s been a busy few weeks and I have some exciting announcements to tell you about. Last year I formed the President’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) to provide leadership in creating and fostering an environment that supports and creates best practices, policies, and pedagogy in EDI. During its first … Read more
UFV held a term-opening virtual town hall last week My thanks go out to those of you who participated in the live session and submitted questions. For those of you who couldn’t participate in the live event, here’s a recording. If you have any feedback or questions, please reach out: Email the President’s Office Email … Read more
Dear Colleagues, It’s been a few weeks since I last wrote and I’m amazed that October is already upon us. As we head into a long weekend, I want to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to find time to relax, be thankful during these difficult times, and to connect (in a safe, virtual way) … Read more
International Literacy Day is commemorated on September 8th of each year and draws attention to the importance of literacy and its direct relationship to human rights. While every person has the right to learn to read and write, UNESCO reports 773 million adults and young people globally are still lacking basic literacy. A combination of … Read more
Dear Colleagues, Welcome to the Fall term! I am always energized and excited by the start of each academic year and this one is no exception. Appropriately for a semester that will be mostly online, we’re kicking it off with a virtual town hall for faculty and staff next Tuesday at 10 am. I hope … Read more
Thinking about global humanitarian interests in the midst of a global pandemic — Today marks the 11th anniversary of the institutionalization of the World Humanitarian Day. This day was formalized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009 in memory of the August 19, 2003 bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, which … Read more
Books have the power to connect us in socially distanced times — Writing about the importance of books and reading for a university audience is akin to preaching to the choir, but I think the pandemic has provided an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the role that literature can play in our … Read more
Dear Colleagues, It took some time for the beautiful summer weather to arrive, but it came to us finally in the last week and it was well worth the wait! Although holiday plans for many of you look different this year with travel restrictions and social distancing requirements, I hope you are finding ways to … Read more
Give up privilege — In her recent guest post on this blog, Dr. Satwinder Kaur Bains provides us (people of European descent) with a clear and powerful call to action: To move past rhetorical statements denouncing racism and to instead take tangible steps to change ourselves — and in the process to dismantle the structures … Read more