Dear Faculty of Arts,
In 11 days, Surrey campus will be abuzz with graduating students, proud family members, and joyful KPU faculty and staff. After a long hiatus from in-person convocation ceremonies due to Covid, everyone is looking forward to this rediscovered novelty of gathering on campus in celebration! We hope to see many of you during the week of June 21st. Faculty of Arts graduates will be spread across a number of ceremonies over three days, June 21-23. Please link to this website for more details: Convocation | KPU.ca – Kwantlen Polytechnic University
As the countdown to convocation begins, please let us know if your departments have any in-person or virtual plans in the works for your graduating students. We will look forward to sharing the details (and any photos you may want to send) on June 24 in the Arts Update. (Please note, there will be no “Arts Update” next Friday, June 17.)
Extending Gratitude and Congratulatory Wishes to Arts Admin. Coordinators – Desiree McLeod and Damaris Gugliotti!
We would like to extend our deep gratitude and congratulations to our incredible Arts Admin. Coordinators, Desiree McLeod and Damaris Gugliotti, whose last day was today in the Dean’s office. These talented Arts team members are advancing onto other positions at KPU. We are delighted and excited about these opportunities for you both, and at the same time are experiencing the sense of melancholy that comes with any parting. Desiree and Damaris, you have been so dedicated, helpful, and kind. On behalf of the Faculty of Arts, we wish you much joy and success in your new roles, and we look forward to many, many, many visits in the future!
Celebrate Pride with KPU! Volunteers Needed!
Happy Pride Month/season! It’s time to dust off that rainbow gear and help KPU celebrate at two major events this summer!
First, join KPU and the Pride Advocacy Group in being out and proud (or a proud ally) at the Surrey Pride Festival on Saturday, June 25 from 4-9 p.m. at Central City Plaza. Stop by the KPU booth to say hi, or better yet, email pride@kpu.ca to help host (about 10-12 volunteers needed)! Also check out SPF-hosted events taking place throughout June at https://www.surreypride.ca/pride-2022. And for an even better opportunity to strut your stuff, join the KPU Toonie Brigade in the Vancouver Pride Parade on Sunday, July 31! We need about 40 volunteers to help carry the giant rainbow flag along the entire parade route, collecting donations for the Vancouver Pride Society Community Bursary fund. 2SLGBTQ+ KPU community members and allies of all abilities are welcome; again, please email pride@kpu.ca to sign up. Best of all—this year, we’re going to have our own DJ’d dance music! Can’t wait to hear from you!
Reminders
Peer Reviewers and Test-Pilots: We are still seeking one more volunteer to pilot the post-probationary review process. We are also looking to create a pool of seasoned peer reviewers who could aid faculty in need of this collegial feedback during the process. If you are interested in pursuing either of these opportunities, please reach out to arts.facultyreview@kpu.ca.
Lend me Your Ears: 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
COVID-19 Considerations: Although the masking requirement has been lifted, we are not out of the proverbial woods yet. Thus, it is important to remain circumspect and vigilant where COVID considerations are concerned. Please continue to use the campus hand-sanitizing stations and do have recourse to the rapid testing kits where warranted. If you are having COVID-19 symptoms, stay home until you feel better, or until the appointed period of self-isolation has ended.
Opportunities for Students
Student Assistant Opportunities: The Faculty of Arts Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Network is hiring students to assist in furthering the development of the network and in promoting awareness across Arts of the various projects, programs, and initiatives underway. If you know a student who might be interested in this role, please contact Wade.Deisman@kpu.ca or alternatively, ask the student to contact Dr. Deisman directly. The positions are properly remunerated and would constitute gainful wages for students looking to support themselves as they complete their schooling. If you have any questions about this opportunity, don’t hesitate to reach out!
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. The deadline to apply for these positions is June 20th. Please find the link here: https://tre.tbe.taleo.net/tre01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=JT63GS&cws=37&rid=1593
Upcoming Events
Pam Palmater and the Indigenous Dialogue Series: A member of Eel River Bar First Nation and a citizen of the Mi’kmaw Nation, Pam Palmater will be presenting on June 21st from 12:00 – 1:30 PM. This event is intentionally being held in recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day and is planned to occur in between the KPU morning and afternoon convocation ceremonies. Pam Palmater is an award-winning public speaker, author and social justice activist. She was one of the spokespeople and public educators for the Idle No More movement and continues to advocate alongside other social movements focusing on Indigenous rights, social justice and climate action. She is also a well-known media commentator and public speaker – considered one of Canada’s Top 25 Influential Movers and Shakers by the Financial Post (2017). Be sure to pre-register for this event by following this link: KPU Indigenous Dialogue Series | KPU.ca – Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Arts Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Network Workshops on SSHRC: Please mark your calendars for June 27 (4:00 – 5:00 PM) and June 28 (4:00 – 5:00 PM) for a two-part workshop on applying to SSHRC. In partnership with the Office of Research, Graduate Studies and Innovation, the Arts Network will be co-hosting grant writer Fiona Haynes on June 27 as she provides strategies for writing successful grant applications. The next day, the Network will host a faculty panel featuring previous SSHRC recipients from Arts (Danny Bernstein, Jennifer Hardwick, Paul Ohler, Kent Mullinix, and Asma Sayed) as they reflect on their SSHRC experiences and share tips with colleagues who are thinking of applying to SSHRC. Please watch for the MS Teams link in the coming days.
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 Conversation with Canadians, Friday, July 29, 2022, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Sociology Pod, Third Floor, Surrey Main Building.
Supports for Student Success: We are delighted to announce that the Mentoring Network for Youth Aging out of Care – now rebranded as the Supports for Success Program is slated to resume operations this fall. Faculty members who are interested in becoming mentors to these students can contact Tracy Sherlock Tracy.Sherlock@kpu.ca or Wade Deisman Wade.Deisman@kpu.ca . More information, including dates for fall training will be forthcoming throughout the summer. This is a fabulous opportunity to connect with students and build supportive coaching relationships.
Kudos
KPU Pride and Creative Writing: KPU Creative Writing Alum Tawahum Bige’s Cut to Fortress (Nightwood) and Associate Dean pro tem Billeh Nickerson’s Duct-Taped Roses (Book*hug) were both recommended by CBC Books for Pride Month. Check out the full list here: https://www.cbc.ca/books/26-canadian-books-to-read-for-pride-month-1.6479109
POLI’s Ross Michael Pink was featured on The Early Edition with Stephen Quinn this week, sharing his insights into Surrey’s municipal politics as we build toward the 2022 civic elections in October. Ross’s contributions start at 4:16 here. Ross is also quoted in Justin McElroy’s follow-up online article. Great work, Ross!
Resources for Faculty and Staff
Meet Your New BFF: We cannot possibly heap enough praise on the versatility and utility of the Faculty and Instructional Staff Handbook for both new and returning faculty members. Do you have a question, are you struggling with a conundrum, perhaps you are wrestling with a challenge, or are in the throes of an enigma? The answer you are seeking likely lies within this sacred scripture of this majestic and mystical tome: https://kpuemp.sharepoint.com/sites/fh/SitePages/Home.aspx
Counting down the sleeps to convocation, and wishing you all a restful weekend,
Greg, Danny, Billeh, Wade and Shelley
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