The installation of KPU’s next Chancellor, Kim Baird, and fall convocation, are just around the corner.  Next week, KPU will gather virtually to celebrate these momentous events in the University’s history and in the lives of our students. Our campuses may be quiet during the pandemic, but KPU’s energy and innovation are afoot in the online world!   

  • The online installation of Chancellor Kim Baird will take place online on Monday, October 19th at 11:00 am via this link.
  • The online convocation celebrations will take place on Tuesday, October 20th via this link.

Mark these dates on your calendars!  And in the meantime, delight in the joy of anticipation through a sneak peek of these events: 

Trailer 4 and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. www.youtube.com

Arts Speaker Series: The next event in the 2020/21 series is fast approaching! On Wednesday, October 21st, 1:00 – 2:00 PM, Lilach Marom from the Department of Educational Studies will present on “The Experiences of Punjabi International Students in Canadian Higher Education.” This presentation will explore the experiences of Punjabi international undergraduate students attending Canadian higher education, particularly during the initial years of their academic journey. Lilach will analyse student experiences as underlined by multiple factors such as the neoliberal job market, racism and discrimination in India and in Canada, as well as tensions within the Indo-Canadian community. This talk aims to highlight students’ voices and experiences that may be overlooked in the field of market-driven higher education. Please watch your inboxes early next week as a link for the MS Teams meeting will be emailed to Arts.         

Heart Cognition:  IDEA faculty member Rajdeep Gill and his co-author Fabiola Nabil Naguib recently published an essay entitled “Our Hearts as a Map for Change” in the Trudeau Foundation Newsletter.  Congratulations to Rajdeep and Fabiola on this thought-provoking piece! To read more about their reflections on “heart cognition” as a pathway for self and collective inquiry and transformation, you can link directly to Rajdeep and Fabiola’s article here.

Arts “Brown-Bag Lunch” – Thursday Nov. 5, 12:00-1:00, MS Teams. “Higher Education, Mental Health, and Empathy in Times of Crisis: Toward an Interdisciplinary Conference.” How can higher ed best realize its mission in these times of crisis? Dr. Shoshannah Bryn Jones-Square and KPU students Emmanuel Juma, Kennedy Holick, Naaz Sidhu, Michelle Mendoza, Smiksha, McKenzie McInnes, Manveer Singh, and William Westerberg welcome input and insights from a wide array of faculty regarding themes, panels, and presentations for an interdisciplinary conference they are organizing in conjunction with the Social Justice Centre and to be hosted at KPU. MS Teams Invitation to follow. 

Right on, Salon! We had 15 people at today’s Arts Online Teaching Salon – thanks to all who attended this freewheeling gathering and shared their insights, war stories, and aspirations for online teaching, not to mention a lot of laughter. We’ll try to do another before the semester ends – stay tuned. 

As we wrap up this sixth week (and the midpoint) of the fall semester, we wish you all a restful weekend.  We are looking forward to next week’s events and to sharing in the virtual celebrations! 

Best wishes, 

Diane, Wade, Greg, and Shelley