We have all watched in horror the murder of George Floyd. The ensuing protests have sparked a kind of grim and precarious hope – hope that, this time, something will change. The Faculty of Arts, with its grounding in the humanities and social sciences, is – as President Davis once said – the “conscience” of our university. Some of our number have long placed racial justice at the core of who they are and what they do; all of us are called to recognize our imbrication in systems of racialized injustice. Whatever the specific means by which we fulfill this calling, one response is surely incumbent upon each of us: to infuse our teaching, and our relations with each other, with the deepest commitment to compassion, justice, and mutual dignity. The arc of the moral universe may indeed be long. Let us keep our faith, and our determination, that it bends towards justice.

Interrogating Racism, Violence and Privilege: On Tuesday, June 2, the Teaching and Learning Commons sent out an invaluable list of resources and strategies for framing in-class discussions on racism, police brutality and social protests. We would further invite you to watch The Psychology of Good and Evil with Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, Acting Vice Provost, Teaching & Learning, sharing his relevant and penetrating insights here. 

The Staff of Life: The work of the Faculty of Arts staff often goes unsung. It has been inspiring to see how the team transitioned to working from home, learned new technology, found information for each other when systems were not available to everyone, and supported each other, as well as faculty and students, in the days of COVID.  Our lab instructors, Ivy Ng and Brandon Justus, converted Psychology labs and related content in a remarkably short amount of time.  Our Fine Arts Studio Technicians, Jenn Tiles, Heather Lippold, and Terry Sawatzky, quickly closed the studios and worked with faculty to find new ways for students to acquire supplies for summer classes.  With no time to prepare, our Arts Degree Advisors, Christina Fung, and Naomi Ben-Yehuda switched from face-to-face advising to remote advising, remaining as cheerful, insightful, and indispensable as ever in their guidance to students. Our Department Assistants have kept up their humour and willingness to help at a moment’s notice. They have been, as Jill Cowan put it, and as we’re sure Chairs and faculty can attest, “awesome throughout this whole thing.” Many of the responsibilities of staff rely upon team members working together, and the transition to working from home posed a challenge to this culture of mutual support. Guided by Christy Jahn and our three Administrative Coordinators, Jill Cowan, Natashia Devji, and Anna Rucker, the team continues to work together and to meet socially throughout the week, keeping the bond of collegiality as strong as their dedication to serving the Faculty in the weird world we are now living in.  

Convocation Inspiration: A heartfelt “thank you” to all those who organized virtual events or recognition for their Spring 2020 graduating cohort. Speaking of which, we can’t resist sharing this nifty short video by Dr. Kyle Jackson (HIST). 

Rainbows on the Horizon: The President’s Diversity and Equity Committee (PDEC) and the newly-formed KPU Pride Advocacy Group invite you to celebrate the beginning of Pride season by taking part in Pride at Work Canada’s webinar series on LGBTQ2+ inclusion in the workplace. Virtual ProPride 2020 is a slate of free virtual events, on topics including Queer and Trans Women Leading the Way (June 10), Two-Spirit Inclusion the Workplace (June 24), LGBTQ2+ Inclusion in the Skilled Trades (July 8), Queering the Future of Work (July 22), and Generation Z, Queer and Trans on the Job (August 12). Complete information is available here. If you’d like to connect with fellow KPU employees or find out more about the Pride Advocacy group, please contact pride@kpu.ca. 

A Resplendent Web: Arts is continuing to revise program webpages in the hope of creating a more inspirational and student-friendly experience. The new web layout for Anthropology and Geography is now live and operational. Creative Writing, Journalism, Psychology, and Policy Studies will go live this Monday; other program pages are in progress. Thanks are due to Student Practicum Coordinator Fernando Cilento for spearheading this initiative. On a related note, Beverly Wake has been doing some great work in building the Journalism department’s profile on Instagram. Kudos to Beverly! If you’d like to develop something similar for your department, your Department Assistant will be glad to help.

Many Hands Make Light Work: Reconfiguring courses for online delivery can be time-consuming. One way to lighten the load is through collaboration between faculty, particularly on introductory courses with numerous sections. Rather than leaving every faculty member to individually re-invent these kinds of courses for online delivery, please explore opportunities for sharing modules, exercises, and learning activities with your colleagues. You may also want to consider Creative Commons licensing for these efforts.

A Stich in Time! Further on the theme of preventing plagiarism from the last update, Kristie Dukewich will be hosting an Academic Integrity Online Workshop: On Tuesday, June 9, from 10-11 AM, entitled “Helping Students to Avoid Violations of Academic Integrity.” This session will take place via Microsoft Teams.  There is still time to sign up for this important workshop by sending your RSVP to  ArtsEvents@kpu.ca.  For those of you who have already replied, Shelley Boyd will be emailing you a Microsoft Teams Meeting link on Monday, June 8, so please keep an eye on your inboxes for the invitation. 

These can be dark and difficult days. Let us, then, take comfort in each other, and in our common endeavors and hopes as educators, scholars, colleagues, and friends. Let us – as Adam Zagajewski wrote – Praise the mutilated world and the gray feather a thrush lost and the gentle light that strays and vanishes and returns. 

Diane, Shelley, Wade, and Greg