‘I’m impressed by the ingenuity and resiliency I’ve seen’
Pascale Sicotte began her five-year term as Faculty of Arts and Science dean on August 1.
Over the last six months of global upheaval and uncertainty, Concordia’s Faculty of Arts and Science has been drawing on its strengths to tackle the challenges facing students, faculty and staff.
According to Pascale Sicotte, who began her mandate as Faculty of Arts and Science dean on August 1, the faculty’s quick-thinking and innovative response laid the foundation for a strong academic year ahead.
“The Faculty of Arts and Science leveraged its breadth of expertise in the service of our students and our community,” she says. “I’m impressed by the ingenuity and resiliency I’ve seen in my short time here.”
From the beginning of the pandemic lockdown, faculty members were at the forefront of moving courses online. Members of the education department’s Educational Technology team mobilized to help the university make the pivot, earning them the moniker “EdTech Heroes.”
Anti-racism protests worldwide have also fuelled and renewed the faculty’s commitment to work towards eradicating racism and building a more diverse and inclusive community.
Recent and ongoing projects include the Black Perspectives Initiative launched in February of this year, as well as last year’s Protests and Pedagogy conference, which marked the 50th anniversary of the protest known as the Sir George Williams Affair.
The Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability is also offering a new course taught by renowned historian Dorothy Williams, BA 84, MA 99. Black Montreal (LOYC 298-02) is largely designed to introduce students to the major themes, issues and debates in the city’s Black history from its origins until today.
As the new Applied Science Hub on Loyola Campus proves, the faculty continues to grow in other ways.
Researchers and staff inside the innovative space will advance groundbreaking work in fields such as aquatic biology, microscopy and nanoscience.
And this fall, with courses continuing online, the faculty will offer first-class education to its students, Sicotte says.
“This is an exciting place to be. We will continue to support our strong and talented community, as it continues to excel and rise to the challenges facing us all.”
Concordia plays a key role in these times of drastic social change, the dean adds.
“We’re harnessing the power of research and education to improve our world.”