In response to the update from Dr. Bonnie Henry earlier this week, and the subsequent communication from the Provost regarding options for fall delivery (attached here), Arts hosted two well attended “Coffee with Leadership”  meetings this week to field questions and respond to concerns related to the return to campus. While we acknowledge there are worries about the return and that there still seems to be a fair amount of uncertainty and churn, we remain upbeat and hopeful about the beginning of the new academic year and we hope that you, too, are feeling the energy and excitement of the term ahead! We know that many students are looking toward the fall term with eager anticipation, and that faculty and staff are looking forward to experiencing that feeling of connection and community that come with being on campus. We’re turning the page and beginning a new chapter of the New KPU with a resilient and innovative Faculty of Arts! This innovation – and the deeper commitment to educational excellence that underlies and informs it, is nowhere more apparent than in the outpouring of additional contributions (appended at the end of this update) we received for the ‘Pushing the Pedagogical Envelope’ series we began last week.  

Special Delivery! We look forward to seeing all of you virtually – next week!!!  On Wednesday, September 1st, the Faculty of Arts will host its annual fall General Meeting. The event begins at 9:45 AM and will wrap up around 12:00 noon. The recipient of the faculty service award, some break-out group activities, and a special presentation from Len Pierre, KPU’s Special Advisor, Indigenous Leadership, Innovation, and Partnerships. The meeting is an important opportunity to reconnect with old friends and to meet new colleagues!

Hand(book)-delivered: As noted in Tuesday’s Today@KPU announcement, the Faculty and Instructional Staff Handbook has been updated to include sections on what to do if you, a student, or a colleague urgently needs help. See the “Urgent Issues” link in the menu on the left of the Handbook page here. Indeed, it can be useful even for veteran faculty to review the Handbook before a new semester, as it’s an always-evolving and regularly updated resource.

The International Committee’s Got It Licked! The Arts Committee on Faculty and International Student Success recently revised its Achieving Academic Success pamphlet. This is meant as a handy general resource for international students in your classes. Please consider including it on your Moodle site. We have attached the PDF; it can also be accessed on SharePoint here.

The Learning Centre Never Mails It In: Even after many months of Covid, incoming (and sometimes experienced) students can find Moodle and online learning to be a challenge. In addition to tutoring, workshops, and learning strategist, KPU’s Learning Centre offers a suite of videos designed to help students with everything from time management, note-taking, and exam prep, to technology skills and Moodle skills. If you’re worried about their ability to work with Moodle, this is definitely the place to start! Scroll down this page to see this rich array of resources, and please keep them in mind as possible links for your own Moodle pages.

POSTHASTE – THE NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION: A special virtual session for new faculty will be held on September 23rd at 9:00 a.m. and will give new employees an introduction to KPU, allow them to hear from KPU’s President and executive team, introduce them to two colleagues, learn about some of the services and resources available to support them in their role; and discover some ways to get involved in the KPU community. There will be a break for a one-hour lunch at 12:30 p.m.  After lunch, new unionized support staff (BCGEU members) and faculty (Kwantlen Faculty Association members) will transfer to a separate virtual meeting space to meet and hear from their union representatives from 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm. Registration is open to all KPU employees who wish to attend. Link to register here.

STAMP OF APPROVAL: The KPSJ team is pleased and proud to announce the publication of Issue #3. This third annual publication is Psychology’s most successful, demonstrating the increasing interest among students. The journal continues to showcase students’ outstanding work, as authors as well as editors and reviewers. You can view Issue #3 here .

We hope you have a chance to savor and enjoy the beatitude of these last lingering days of August as we approach a fresh start this September!

Diane, Shelley, Greg, and Wade

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