Fond farewell and best wishes from Concordia President
As I prepare to leave the university on July 31, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone in the Concordia community for affording me the chance to serve again as president and vice-chancellor during these past 17 months.
It has been a deeply rewarding experience for me personally. I have especially appreciated the way in which Concordia’s values shone as we addressed key issues and how we worked together to find solutions that will help our university fulfill its commitment to academic excellence, creativity, community engagement and student accessibility.
To our graduating students, I say well done and best wishes. It is noteworthy that 5,575 students were awarded degrees and diplomas this spring, including 96 PhD candidates — a record number. I thank all of our students for allowing us to share your achievement. You are the leaders of the future and we are counting on you to put your knowledge, talent and energy to serving the public good. You are also joining our growing global community of some 170,000 alumni, so please stay in touch.
To our faculty and staff, I express my admiration for your talents and dedication to Concordia. Despite challenging circumstances, you maintained the core activities of the university at a high level without interruption.
While we celebrate our university’s continuing success and the achievements of its people, we also share moments of personal loss. This year, we lost several dear members of the Concordia family, including John O’Brien, Concordia’s first rector and vice-chancellor.
We will also remember Concordia student Jun Lin, whose death deeply affected our university. I hope that the concern and support that the Concordia community has shown for his family and friends will have been a source of comfort in a time of heartbreak.
The protest by some of our students against the Quebec government’s planned increase in tuition fees divided our campuses. Disagreement and vigorous defence of opposing positions are certainly acceptable in an academic institution, provided we continue to have respect for each other and each other’s rights. As students, universities and the government work toward resolution of this issue, it is important to ensure that this mutual respect is fostered as we move forward.
I am confident that under the leadership of incoming President and Vice-Chancellor Alan Shepard, Concordia will be well prepared for the next stage of its development.
In closing I wish to emphasize that I am especially grateful to the members of the president’s office and senior administration for their devotion to Concordia and for making my job so much easier.
With much affection,
Frederick Lowy
President and Vice-Chancellor