Dear Faculty of Arts, 

Last Friday, Cloverdale campus was abuzz with the KPU community gathering for a day of reconnecting and celebrating some amazing accomplishments.  It was wonderful to see so many people from Arts – and especially our incredibly hard-working staff – enjoying the day and each other’s company. Whether you were trying your hand at woodworking and painting, visiting the therapy dogs, sampling the food truck fare, or locking eyes across the room with dear friends and colleagues too long separated by the pandemic – it was energizing and comforting to be back in the world together. (And for some of us, it meant being repeatedly astounded by other people’s height – only to realize you’ve forgotten your own short stature in the past 2 years of living in Teams meetings!) 

Several Arts faculty and staff were recognized for their multiple years of dedicated work at the university. A number of colleagues were also honored with specific awards: Gordon Cobb (MUSI) received a JEDI Award, Asma Sayed (ENGL) received the Distinguished Scholarship Award, and our VP Academic and Provost pro tem Diane Purvey received the Distinguished Leadership Award. 

Congratulations to all those whose contributions and years of service infuse KPU with its vibrancy and generous spirit!

 A Dynamic Duo! Samantha Dutton-Jones (Arts Communications and Events Coordinator) and Amanda Camillo (Arts Dean’s Assistant) share their excellent handiwork!

Beginning-of-Term Reminders 

Course Presentations / Syllabi: Please remember to email your summer semester syllabi (one for each distinct course) to the Dean’s office via arts@kpu.ca  

Upcoming Events 

The Arts Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Network Workshop: The Networkwill be hosting a panel featuring past 0.6% PD recipients on May 25 from 4:00 – 5:00 PM. Learn about the various projects and additional education that faculty in Arts have pursued via this important fund and their tips and suggestions for writing successful applications.  This workshop will be recorded for future viewing and housed on the Network’s Moodle site.   

Art in the Garden: Ying-Yueh Chuang and Kira Wu (FINA) are both in a group exhibition “Panoply” at Darts Hill Garden in South Surrey. The Garden is open Friday to Sunday from 10:00am to 4:00pm each week. Ying-Yueh will be participating in an Artist Talk Tour this Saturday, May 14 from 2:00 to 3:00 (at the Meet and Greet area near the pond).  

Marginalized Voices Speak: A Reading & Listening Series: You are invited to register and join Marginalized Voices Speak in reading, reflecting on, and conversing about critically acclaimed books that highlight how various forms of oppression operate and reproduce inequalities in various parts of the world and during different historical periods. If you would like to volunteer as a ‘Lead Reader” and/or for more information, please contact Dr. Amir Mirfakhraie at: amir.mirfakhraie@kpu.ca The first event in the series will focus on Vandana Shiva – Soil not oil: environmental justice in an age of climate crisis, Friday, June 24, 2022, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Sociology Pod, Third Floor, Surrey Main Building. The second event will focus on Lee Maracle: My Conversations With Canadians, Friday, July 29, 2022, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Sociology Pod, Third Floor, Surrey Main Building. 

Covid Updates 

COVID-19 Update: The masking requirement is now lifted.  Notwithstanding this measure, it is important to remain vigilant where COVID is concerned, use the hand sanitizing stations, and make recourse to the rapid testing kits if circumstances warrant it.   If you have COVID-19 symptoms, please stay home until you feel better, or your period of self-isolation has ended.   

 Hello Creativity! Anne Lin (Department Assistant) has an eye for precision!

Opportunities Abound 

Pilot for Post-probationary Faculty Review: Thanks to all who put themselves forward in response to the call below! We still have room for a few more folks to volunteer for the pilot project on post-probationary review. If you’re teaching this Summer and interested, please reach out to arts.facultyreview@kpu.ca no later than May 20 at noon.

We are delighted to report that KPU will be piloting post-probationary faculty review for Summer 2022. This is an exciting development for the university, further advancing our shared and signature commitment to teaching excellence. Unlike probationary review, which has a summative component, post-probationary review will be purely formative: an opportunity for faculty to benefit from a systematic exploration of their teaching, and to receive thoughtful feedback that may inspire further innovation and identify possibilities for future professional development.  Post-probationary faculty review is therefore an invitation to a process of self-reflection, optional peer review, student input, and decanal feedback – all designed to help to affirm, renew, and revitalize one’s teaching.

Call for Research Study Participants at KPU: I would like to invite you to participate in my research project, EDIing Higher Education: Unpacking Multiple Tensions and Perspectives [REB# 2021-08]. The study aims to explore faculty and administrators’ perceptions and to unveil tensions surrounding equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) processes in higher education through a case study of EDI processes currently underway at KPU. This project might touch on complex and controversial issues, but I’m looking forward to navigating it carefully while having meaningful discussions with faculty members and administrators. The study involves one interview of a maximum of 90 minutes. The interview will take place online and will be scheduled according to your availability.  Your confidentiality will be protected. Please contact me for more information. Lilach Marom PhD, Instructor Department of Educational Studies Email: lilach.marom@kpu.ca 

Teaching Through Research: The next iteration of the Arts Speaker series is fast approaching. Each Arts Speaker Series talk showcases innovative and original creative endeavors, research and scholarship activities, is one hour-long (30 minutes for presentation and the rest of the time for discussion/questions) and will either take place online or in a blended version. Proposals for the 2022-2023 Arts Speaker Series should be 250 words long and sent to Nancy Norman at: nancy.norman@kpu.ca 

Recognizing Service: The Faculty of Arts is now accepting nominations for the Dean of Arts Service Award. The Dean of Arts Service Award is presented annually to recognize outstanding service by faculty members in the Faculty of Arts. 

Service includes contributions to Faculty and University committees and engagement and leadership in activities that support good governance of the Faculty or the University. Candidates for the Dean of Arts Service Award will have demonstrated outstanding contributions in any or all of the following areas: 

  • educational and/or governance activities or committees at the departmental, program, and/or institutional level 
  • department and University affairs 
  • fostering student life, teaching excellence, and effective education at KPU through service 
  • organizations (including learned and professional associations) external to the University 

Nominations have been extended until June 1, 2022. For more information or to submit a nomination, please visit: https://www.kpu.ca/arts/service-award . If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us at arts@kpu.ca . We look forward to receiving many nominations for outstanding service here at KPU!   

Recognizing Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity: The Dean’s Office is now currently accepting nominations for the Faculty of Arts Research and Scholarly Mentorship Award. This is a new award that will be presented annually to recognize research and scholarly pursuits that enrich the quality of the educational experience for students in the Faculty of Arts by creating meaningful and rewarding opportunities for them to engage in and learn about research and scholarship through their involvement in a scholarly undertaking. The award emphasizes the quality of the students’ experience in the research and scholarly process. As such, it attaches emphasis to the model of research as a collaborative undertaking that involves continuous mentoring, active guidance, and a persistent pedagogical orientation. Criteria for selection of the recipient(s) may include any of the following: Evidence of sustained orientation toward mentorship of students. Collaborative orientation in terms of student involvement in conceptualizing the research or the scholarly undertaking. Commitment to the growth and development of students’ research competencies – Student involvement in knowledge integration/mobilization including 1) Publications and conference presentations with students 2) Community outreach & engagement 

Opportunities for Students 

Arts Academic Integrity Student Ambassadors. To create a culture of academic integrity we need to involve students at the bedrock level.  We will be seeking to recruit several students who will play an educational and mentoring role on academic integrity matters and be available as resources for fellow students seeking to better understand academic integrity.  Please inform your Associate Dean should you know of students who would be promising candidates for these positions. More information about the posting will be available soon. 

Students in our Network: The Arts Research Scholarship and Creativity Network online platform was launched [https://courses.kpu.ca/course/view.php?id=53036] this November to promote, nourish, and encourage research culture at KPU. It now has over 70 members. Propelling it forward will involve building resources, organizing panels, helping to construct data sets, liaising and marketing, etc. The support received will allow for faculty level leadership and significant student involvement.   

Resources for Faculty, Students, and Staff 

Preferred and Chosen Names – New Class Lists – As of this term, the Online Self Service (OSS) Faculty menu is offering class lists and grade reporting forms in an updated format—one that draws on students’ preferred/chosen names, includes photos, and adds other functionality. While the previous versions, which include only legal names, will also be available until the end of summer term, and there is an understandable pull to use a familiar interface, we’ve been hearing from students that using their preferred/chosen names right from the first day of class makes a huge difference in making them feel seen, welcome, and supported. This is especially true for trans and gender non-conforming students, whose health and safety are often compromised by dead-naming (using a legal or assigned name that does not match their gender). 

To use the lists with students’ preferred/chosen names, click on the “Class List (New)” heading in the OSS Faculty Menu tab, and then tap on the course acronym/section number in the “Subject” column (or on any non-underlined area in the row) of the course you want to view. We highly encourage faculty to make this effort to support students’ well-being and set a positive example for everyone in the class to follow. 

Faculty Handbook Reminder: We wanted to inform all new faculty members, as well as provide a reminder to continuing faculty, about the existence of the following two resources: 

  1. Faculty and Instructional Staff Handbook can be found here: https://kpuemp.sharepoint.com/sites/fh/SitePages/Home.aspx  
  2. More resources for Faculty can be found here:  https://kpuemp.sharepoint.com/sites/arts/resourcesforfaculty/SitePages/Home.aspx 

Wishing you a sunny weekend, 

Greg, Danny, Billeh, Wade and Shelley