Dear colleagues,
Let’s face it: so far, the 2020s stink. That’s why today’s Update takes us back to a more colourful time…a time when mullets, shoulder pads, and Milli Vannilli roamed the land. That’s right! Today we are going back to the
TIME SENSITIVE ITEMS
I Pity the Fool Who Doesn’t Attend: Our Arts Faculty Meeting for spring will take place on Wednesday, May 5, from 10:00-12:00, on MS Teams. Here is the link, and the agenda is attached to this email. We look forward to seeing everyone there for some lively discussion, sharing, and commiseration!
Max Headroom – the Arts Speaker Series: The call has been extended to May 30th for the 2021-2022 Arts Speaker Series. The Arts Research and Scholarship Committee invites proposals that will appeal to a broad range of interests and audiences, including faculty, students, staff, and members of the public. We are particularly interested in submissions that showcase collaborative undertakings with students and the transformative impact that involvement in research and scholarship can have on the overall quality of our student’s educational experience. Send proposals to Nancy.Norman@kpu.ca. Applicants will be informed of the final selection by June 30, 2021.
A Thousand Points of Light – Call for members for Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Research and Scholarship: The Associate Vice President, Research, Innovation, and Graduate Studies is inviting members of the university community with relevant backgrounds and expertise to consider joining on this Task Force. The Task Force will be diverse in itself, and ideally have all five equity-seeking groups: women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minority/racialized groups, and members of LGBTQ2+ communities. The Task Force will also benefit from members with a breadth of research and scholarly pursuits, covering social sciences and humanities, health, natural sciences and engineering, and arts. The Task Force will also welcome persons with research and scholarship rooted in both western and traditional/ Indigenous knowledge systems. If you are interested in this important initiative, please email the confidential mailbox avpr@kpu.ca expressing your interest. Please state ‘Task Force on EDI in Research and Scholarship’ in the Subject line, and respond by May 14th, 2021. In the cover of your email, please describe how your expertise and interests relate to the proposed Task Force, and attach a current CV.
TIPS AND RESOURCES
Gag Me With a Spoon – er, Academic Integrity Violations: Those putting the finishing touches on courses for Summer 2021 may wish to review the resources for preventing integrity violations here. Incidentally, research suggests that explicitly framing academic integrity as an ethical issue can help with deterrence. It may be useful, therefore, to communicate to students that violations (a) harm other students by seeking an unfair advantage over them; (b) harm the professor, who pours considerable effort into designing and grading assignments in order to help students learn; and (c) harm the perpetrator by depriving them of a key opportunity to develop key skills. Students may also benefit from reminders that education is about the type of person we wish to become; and that includes being, and becoming, a person of integrity.
Totally Tubular Templates: Speaking of course-prep, you may find it convenient to use the handy Arts Course Presentation Template for your Summer syllabi. The template comes pre-loaded with all necessary policies and other required bits.
And with that, we draw a close to the Spring 2021 semester. Despite all the Growing Pains, and the Diff’rent Strokes of online learning, we know that our collective skills took a Quantum Leap and vaulted Arts to the Head of the Class! Having blinded them with social science, we can now “beat it” and enjoy a brief respite before walking on sunshine into the Summer semester.
Thanks to everyone for all your perseverance, determination, and dedication to our students, and each other.
Cheers!
Diane, Wade, Shelley, and Greg
Photo credits:
Mr T and Nancy Reagan White House photo via Reagan Library, # C18929-22, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6929510
“mixed tapes” by Sean MacEntee is licensed under CC BY 2.0
“Day 294/366 – Atari 2600 Luvin” by Great Beyond is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
“File:Norman Jewison and Brian Mulroney. (48206684591).jpg” by Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Reagan/Thatcher: photo by Greg Millard, original image Bob Light and John Houston, printed by East End Offset Ltd, published by Socialist Workers Party 1981
Comments by Greg Millard