Dear Faculty of Arts, 

It’s been a week of unexpected transition. Normally, this would result in a long email, but instead I thought I’d share this video message. I hope it’s of help.

Meanwhile, please see below for the return of the Arts Update!

UPCOMING EVENTS 

Arts Speaker Series: Please join us next week for the presentation titled, “Connecting Students with People who Care(er): Post-secondary Professionals as ‘Everyday Career Influencers.’” This talk with Dr. Candy Ho, Department of Educational Studies, will take place on Wednesday, October 13 from 1:00 – 2:00 pm on Microsoft Teams. Click here to join the meeting 

KPU’s Climate+ Challenge is launching this month!  This KPU-wide initiative engages students and faculty in learning about climate change, through an empathetic and solution-oriented lens. The goal is to get more people at KPU talking, learning, thinking about, and finding solutions to the climate emergency, and various climate-related challenges. This project is coordinated by Ellen Pond (Policy Studies and Urban Ecosystems) and Tracy Sherlock (Journalism and Communications). Faculty who want to add climate-change content to their courses can sign up for something as small as having students complete a relevant assignment (resources are available) – or as big as running a whole course dedicated to “Climate+.” If you’re interested in taking part, visit the Climate+ website, fill out the contact form, or email Ellen Pond (ellen.pond@kpu.ca) or Tracy Sherlock (tracy.sherlock@kpu.ca).   

The Task Force on Anti-Racism is hosting an Unlearning Anti-Blackness workshop for all KPU employees on October 25th. The workshop will be presented by Udokam Iroegbu from Bakau Consulting. The workshop, which is recommended for those with intermediate to advanced social justice knowledge, will weave together key events in Black history and explore contemporary examples of racism, along with tangible actions for allies. It aims to unpack the manifestations of anti-Black racism in our society, exploring issues of cultural appropriation, solidarity, activism, intersectionality, Black and queer identity, microaggressions, intergenerational trauma and transformative justice. To register, email tfa@kpu.ca with the subject line: “Please register me for October 25th workshop with Udokam Iroegbu.” 

Student Research and Innovation Grant (SRIG): Following consultations with various stakeholders across KPU, the Office of Research Services is launching the new Student Research and Innovation Grant (SRIG) as a pilot program starting 2021-22. This program hopes to support KPU students gain research and innovation competencies, via both curricular and extra-curricular streams. The program will also fund paid assistantships for extra-curricular projects, allowing the students to learn as well as gain paid experience. Projects must tie to at least one UN Sustainable Development Goal, encouraging students and their advisors to recognize and articulate the eventual impact of their work. You can find detailed information at https://www.kpu.ca/student-research-and-innovation-grant.  

Return to Different: The process of returning to campus can be seen as a “returning-to-different” scenario, rather than “returning to the same.” This Returning to Different workshop is designed to support the mental well-being of all KPU employees through the transition process. 

Date & Time: Friday, October 15, 1 PM – 2:45 PM 

Registration Link:  https://bookeo.com/humanresourceskpu 

INFORMATION ITEMS TO SHARE WITH STUDENTS 

Law School Forum:  The Faculty of Arts and Melville School of Business are co-hosting the 2021 Law School Forum for all KPU students on Thursday, November 4, from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m on MS Teams. Please let your students know! For more information and to register, visit www.kpu.ca/lsf.  Representatives from BC’s law schools (TRU, UBC, and UVic), KPU faculty, and KPU graduates will speak about law school programs, admissions, obtaining a legal education, and the practice of law. This year’s alumnus speaker is Justin McGregor (Class of 2013, Psychology), who will discuss his journey from KPU to law school and beyond. This will be a practical information session for students interested in attending law school after completing their degrees at KPU. If you have any questions, please email Dave Lyon (CRIM) at dave.lyon@kpu.ca or crimprograms@kpu.ca.

Transforming Alumni Careers: Candy Ho (EDST) has partnered with John Grant (BUSI) to develop a special asynchronous career transitions program for our recent graduates (from Spring 2020 and beyond). The first session of the New Grad Career Accelerator Program is underway, but there will be another starting on November 1. Please consider sharing the message attached to this email with recent alumni (not current students) – and feel free to reach out to candy.ho@kpu.ca with any questions. 

A quick note on these weekly updates before signing off. We’ve really enjoyed your feedback on the many themes and graphic games we’ve assayed over the past months, and we will (of course) continue to communicate regularly and openly through this transitional phase. For the time being, however, we’ll be paring back the updates a bit, taking a more purely “informational” approach. Please do continue to forward any items you’d like to share with the Faculty to your associate dean! 

Thanks, everyone. We wish you all a restful and restorative Thanksgiving long weekend. 

All our best –

Greg, Wade, and Shelley