In the middle of January with Covid both behind and ahead of us as we await the vaccine’s distribution, we are all working hard to carry on in our online lives with courage and resolve. We may feel as though we remain stuck between a rock and a hard place, but there are small signs of renewal. Every day brings seven additional minutes of daylight, and spring flowers are beginning to bloom. Painted stones placed in the trees have also started popping up in my neighbourhood. These whimsical talismans suggest that others are also feeling the need to ease these pandemic days with some lightness.  And of course, this past Wednesday, there was much to smile about with the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris. Standing in for citizens who could not attend because of the pandemic, a field of flags filled the National Mall stretching from the Washington Monument to the stone steps of the Capitol Building, a dramatic contrast from the events that took place earlier this month.  

Rosetta Stone: Help our students to decipher the benefits of declaring a major!  Back by popular demand, Declaration Month is just around the corner. Each week throughout February, the Faculty of Arts will highlight different programs through a social media campaign, targeted advising for students, and online events hosted by departments. In addition, we encourage all faculty to upload an informational PowerPoint to their Moodle sites (which we will be sending out next week) to raise awareness among your students of the necessary steps to declaring a major. Please also consider sharing with your students (in a discussion chat or video, or during a synchronous session) why you decided to pursue your discipline when you were an undergraduate and the career opportunities connected to your field. Stay tuned for next week’s Arts Update, when we will be sending out more information and resources for Declaration Month.  

Rock Solid: Join us for the next event in the Arts Speaker Series on Wednesday, January 27th at 1:00 on Teams.  Dr. Valérie Vezina, Dept. of Political Science, will present in collaboration with KPU students Georges Gardinetti, Deborah Hartendorp, and Joshua Green on the topic “One island, one nation? The many islands of Canada.” Together they will examine whether ‘islandness’ can be applied to non-island territories: either enclave territories (with no access to the sea) or territories that are metaphorically described as ‘islands,’ such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Quebec.  The group will share their research findings from in-depth interviews with political leaders, business owners, and citizens. 

No Stone Unturned: The Arts Academic Integrity Symposium, featuring presentations from Teaching and Learning and much lively discussion, took place on Monday, January 18. The recording of the event is now available for your viewing pleasure via this link. Chris Ryan’s PowerPoint presentation on Authentic Assessments as a strategy for pre-empting integrity violations, which was a major element of the Symposium, has been uploaded to SharePoint, where it joins Kristie Dukewich’s classic discussion of preventive strategies. 

Rock Stars! Award season is upon us with several deadlines fast approaching:  

1.     Please remember to nominate a worthy colleague, student, alum, or staff member (either an individual or a group/team) for the inaugural Faculty of Arts Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Awards via this link. Nominations close on January 31, 2021.  

2.     We also invite nominations for the prestigious Dean of Arts Teaching Award, linked here. That deadline is February 8, 2021. 

3.     PDEC has also extended their deadline for nominations for JEDI Awards to February 1, 2021. Follow this link for more information. 

Carved in Stone: A friendly reminder that the Task Force on Anti-Racism will present “Treating Stories with Care: A Workshop for Students on Appropriation, Ethics, and Telling Your Own Stories” on Tuesday, January 26, 4:00-5:30 on MS Teams. This workshop and discussion will focus on how participants can engage Indigenous narratives with ethical care and draw on their own personal stories to act in solidarity, address systems of oppression, and foster social change. Shane Sable — a 2spirit Gitxsan artist, activist whose work focuses primarily on rematriating Indigenous sexuality through burlesque and community-engaged art and cultural activities — will facilitate the event: Click here to join the meeting And take note: there will be an analogous workshop for KPU employees offered on Thursday, February 11 from 3:00-4:00. We will have more on that next week; meanwhile, please hold that day and time in reserve. 

“Out of the Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope”: English Department faculty member Geoff MacDonald passed along these details about an upcoming public online event.  On Friday, February 5, 2021, at 12:00 – 2:00 PM EST (9:00 – 11:00 AM in Vancouver), York University will host the inaugural Del and Wanita Smyth Lecture in Peace, Justice, and Human Security. “Diaspora, Humanism and the Global Project of Black Freedom” is a conversation with K’eguro Macharia, Zakiyyah Iman Jackson, and Rinaldo Walcott, moderated by Christina Sharpe.  Registration is free and open to the public, and available at this link. 

“Do you hold the stone or does the stone hold you? How did this pebble, this bit of crystal ice, find you among the millions who have wandered here? Why have you been picked, plucked, taken to this moment?”  

Patrick Lane, There is a Season: A Memoir

The weekend is but a stone’s throw away! Wishing you all a restful couple of days. 

Diane, Wade, Greg, and Shelley