Dear Faculty of Arts, 

As we near the end of term, we ask folks to join us in celebrating the following:  

Celebrating Diversity 

Associate Dean pro tem Billeh Nickerson has been working with the Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) to create four new financial awards that celebrate diverse communities within the Faculty of Arts. The KSA has made a preliminary commitment of $28,000 (to be confirmed at their upcoming December board meeting) with the understanding that these funds will eventually be combined with FofA donations and payroll deductions to create the following awards: 

  1. International Students in the Faculty of Arts 
  2. Students with Disabilities in the Faculty of Arts 
  3. BIPOC Students in the Faculty of Arts 
  4. 2SLGBTQ+ Students in the Faculty of Arts 

The challenge is for staff and faculty within the Faculty Arts (and across KPU) to contribute an additional $28,000, which will then be matched by the KPU Foundation. This may be achieved over several years. The combined totals would lead to four separate annual $1,000 awards.

Folks interested in donating may do so via the Foundation page under “KSA/Faculty of Arts Diversity Award.” 

Or via payroll deduction as part of the family campaign. Please type “KSA/Faculty of Arts Diversity Award” onto the form. 

External donations from folks outside KPU will be appreciated though not eligible for Foundation matching funds.

For more information or to share a fundraising idea, please contact Associate Dean pro tem Nickerson at Billeh.Nickerson@kpu.ca 

Special thanks to Jaya Dhillon and the KSA for believing in this initiative! 

Celebrating Persons with Disabilities  

December 3rd is the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities! The goal of this day is to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.   

For more information on this and other initiatives please contact the Disability Inclusion Group (DIG) at dig@kpu.ca 

Celebrating Sher Vancouver 

Exciting news:  Sher Vancouver, a non-profit society for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer South Asians and their friends has received a financial commitment to sponsor 10 screenings of Emergence: Out of the Shadows in classrooms in Surrey and Delta. They would like to offer the opportunity to KPU instructors to book screenings in their courses. You’ll see below that Sher Vancouver has prepared a discussion guide to encourage the experience to go beyond a simple viewing. This is an amazing opportunity to make a difference without having to scrub around for funding.  

If folks would like more info or to start the booking process, the first step is to contact Sher Vancouver directly at alexsangha@gmail.com. 

Celebrating Mentorship 

Kudos goes to the Political Science department, which has expanded its mentoring student placement program to include White Rock MP, Kerry Lynne Findlay; Langley East MLA, Megan Dykeman; and Surrey Center MP, Randeep Sarai. 

Students participate eagerly as volunteers and receive mentorship 4 hours a week for 4 months. 

Celebrating End of Term 

The last day of classes will soon be upon us this coming Monday, December 6th.  We hope you take a moment at the conclusion of your last class to take a deep breath after another challenging and rewarding term during the ongoing pandemic and the climate crisis. Many thanks to everyone for supporting KPU students both online and in person this fall term.   

Please remember that all grades must be submitted by December 20th (11:59 PM).  For grade(s) that will be submitted after the grading deadline of Dec. 20th, enter an “I” grade and follow up by submitting a signed Incomplete Grade Contract (IGC). 

Celebrating Respectful Workplaces 

Keeping respectful workplace practices top of mind requires commitment and dedicated energy, which is why all employees are required to complete this training annually. Earlier this year, KPU launched an updated version of the online Respect in the Workplace training program. This is reminder that if you have not already done so, please complete the online Respect in the Workplace program by December 31, 2021. You will find instructions on how to access the training here: Respectful Workplace. 

Celebrating Hanukkah 

This year Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, began at sundown on November 28th and will end at sundown on December 6th. We extend our sincere greetings to all those who celebrate. Chag Hanukkah sameach! 

(Photo Credit: Hanukkah corn fritters, chocolate coins, dreidels and menorahs photo courtesy  of BA Advisor Naomi Ben-Yehuda)

Hoping you find relaxing and enjoyable ways to celebrate the weekend, 

Greg, Wade, Shelley, and Billeh