Concordia President extends best wishes
As we draw to the end of the fall term, I would like to extend best holiday wishes to all students, faculty, staff, alumni, board members and their families.
This is a special time of year that we hope to share with loved ones, while catching our breath before redoubling our efforts in 2012. It is also a chance to look back on the progress we have made as a university during the term and consider how that augurs well for the future.
We are heading into the New Year with a five-year Academic Plan that was approved by the Senate and will be presented to the Board of Governors in January. A first draft of the plan, which lays out priorities aimed at improving the quality of our teaching, research programs and services to students, was made available in February. The final version emerged from extensive consultations, which provided valuable feedback from our community, and this collaborative process will continue as we begin implementing the Academic Plan’s actions items.
Concordia’s rising research profile was in full evidence in November as we inaugurated the PERFORM Centre and Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics. We will also celebrate the completion this term of the Solar Simulator-Environmental Chamber.
These projects will be transformative for our university as they are part of our objective to provide top researchers with access to the best laboratories, resources and personnel. They were made possible by the dedication and leadership of the Concordia researchers spearheading them and they represent a successful collaborative effort on the part of many people at our university and in our community.
Concordia’s spirit of giving and volunteerism propelled our Centraide campaign, which wrapped up recently, and raised almost $190,000, representing 95 per cent of its goal. Well done, Concordians!
Continuity in leadership is as vital as ever to the development of Concordia, and we are on track to fill key senior administrative positions in the months ahead.
The search committee for selecting the next president is meeting regularly and expects to hold interviews for the position beginning in February. The search processes for the Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies, and Dean of the John Molson School of Business are also moving along as well.
Fall convocation was an opportunity to celebrate our 1,567 graduates, and recognize the accomplishments and community engagement of our three honorary doctorate recipients — Kathy Reichs, Robert Courteau and Xavier-Henri Hervé. Our three ceremonies commemorated not only the academic achievements of our graduates, but their engagement as global citizens in a fast-changing world.
During the term, I was reminded of Concordia’s commitment to prioritizing and enriching the student experience when I received an unsolicited letter from a student who was impressed that our university truly wanted him to succeed. The student wrote that our faculty actually answered questions in class and took time to provide advice outside the classroom; Concordia’s health services personnel provided prompt attention; and those on the front lines of student services responded quickly to requests for information.
His testimonial reflects the Concordia that I and others hope to see every day. Each year, surveys rank Concordia highly on student satisfaction in key categories such as class size, interaction with faculty, and diversity — all of which have a direct impact on improving the student experience.
I think it’s appropriate to end the term with pride for our university and all its people, and with optimism for the progress we will continue to make in 2012. Concordia has been diligently reinvesting in the faculty, staff and teaching resources that will best prepare our students to succeed.
We may not get it right every time, but our hearts and our intentions are in the right place. Enjoy the holiday break and I look forward to seeing you when classes resume.
Sincerely,
Frederick Lowy
President and Vice-Chancellor