Dear Faculty of Arts, 

The Dean’s office is saddened by the recent actions against Ukraine. Our thoughts are with all past and current students, staff, and faculty who consider Ukraine a homeland. 

Resources 

Global Affairs Canada continues to update its website with information for Canadians in the Ukraine and for Ukrainians inside and outside of Canada. Info available by clicking here. 

All KPU students have access to Counselling supports including 24/7 after hours and weekend support from anywhere in the world through the KeepMeSafe program.   We are able to support international students with short-term emergency financial assistance. In cases where this might be required, students should be referred to KPU’s Student Awards and Financial Assistance department. KPU also offers a ‘Quick Guide’ to information and resources – financial assistance, general wellness and other. 

KPU faculty and staff may access the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP). 

Ways to Help 

Canadian Red Cross: the local wing of an international emergency-relief organization. The federal government says it will match individual donations by Canadians. 

Médecins sans frontières (Doctors Without Borders): a humanitarian group that’s been supporting Ukraine’s COVID-19 response. 

Canada-Ukraine Foundation: a Toronto-based group that co-ordinates Canadian charitable aid to Ukraine. 

Technology Updates 

Computers in Classrooms: During the Summer 2022 semester, computers will be removed from the classrooms.  This means that instructors need to bring their KPU issued laptop (or find a way to use their personal laptop with KPU’s equipment).  All regular faculty members have been issued a KPU laptop to use for work.  All non-regular faculty members have the option to request a loaner laptop from the library.  Some faculty members have not responded to IT’s offer of a laptop so I could see this being an issue in Summer 2022. 

The Teaching and Learning Commons is excited to share the January-February 2022 edition of our bimonthly newsletter. In our latest issue, you will find:  

  • A summary of the upcoming changes to Moodle and Kaltura and how it will impact KPU faculty; 
  • A faculty spotlight on Amanda Bickell, Program Chair of the Entrepreneurial Leadership program; 
  • Completed projects supported by the Teaching & Learning Innovation Fund (TLIF); 
  • Highlights from a forthcoming 4-year impact report on the Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) program. 

Read all about what’s happening in the Teaching and Learning Commons, and don’t forget to check out our full list of workshop offerings for this semester on page 3! 
Read our newsletter here 

Upcoming Events and Opportunities 

Next week’s Arts Speaker Series: “Celebrating Women Writers Through the Ages” A discussion between Dr. Kirsten Alm, Dept. of English, Dr. Leanne MacDonald, Dept of English, and Dr. Lindsey Seatter, Dept. of English will take place on Wednesday, March 9 from 1-2 pm.  This panel discussion celebrates women writers through time: from the women writers of medieval Britain, to Jane Austen and her contemporaries, and culminating with Canadian authors Chelene Knight and Madeleine Thien. In alignment with International Women’s Day, this panel will underscore how women have shaped, and continue to shape, our literary history and contemporary culture through their artistic work and the stories they tell. Please see the link for the Microsoft Teams event. We look forward to seeing you there! For a list of upcoming 2022 Arts Speaker Series talks, please visit kpu.ca/arts/speakerseries.   

Future Arts Speaker Series: 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 be sent to Nancy Norman at: nancy.norman@kpu.ca and before March 31st, 2022. 

Task Force on Anti-Racism Survey: To create an institutional environment that fosters diversity and inclusion, data needs to be collected to help data to gain a better understanding of the nature of the challenges at the institution. KPU’s Task Force on Anti-Racism (TFA) is employing a survey tool to canvass the broader KPU community and collect information about the experiences, stories, ideas, and insights resident in the broader KPU community. This data will help arrive at a deeper understanding of race, racism, and anti-racism at KPU. It will help to identify where barriers exist for Black, Indigenous, People of Colour/People of the Global Majority communities; and help to determine pathways towards a more just and inclusive university by informing both the Task Force’s recommendations and the development of anti-racism policies. The survey was developed through a great deal of consultation with multiple groups and individuals across KPU. Responses are anonymous and protected under privacy legislation. Personally identifiable information will be removed. Data will be aggregated to identify trends, not individuals. Responses to this survey will help us better understand the experiences and needs of KPU employees and develop a plan that will help us further the institution’s anti-racism goals. The Survey Launches on February 20th. If you have questions, please email tfa@kpu.ca. 

Arts Undergraduate Research Courses: If you have an idea for research or have a scholarly endeavor underway, we invite you to engage students in your work! Involving students in these projects is a great way to deepen the quality of the educational experience of our students! Contact Wade.Deisman@kpu.ca or Anne Lin@kpu.ca for more information. The deadline is March 29, 2021.  

Resources for Faculty, Students, and Staff 

Join The Network: The Arts Research, Scholarship and Creativity Network is growing, and is open for enrollment for faculty and for requested enrollment for students! Currently, there are already 60 Network members! This inclusive Network aims to support faculty, students, and staff who are engaged in, or wish to become engaged in, research, scholarship, and creativity.  The Network aims to provide a clearinghouse of resources; to facilitate mentorship connections; to promote collaborations and encourage synergies; to stimulate innovative thinking; to foster collegiality; and to raise awareness about the ways that research, scholarship, and creativity contribute to educational excellence. Email ArtsNetwork@kpu.ca for instructions on how to join.  

Curious about COIL? Many thanks to Jennifer Hardwick, Conrad King, Arshneet Soda, Ada Lee, Leeann Waddington, and Chris Ryan for their informative panel discussion about Collaborative Online International Learning in the Faculty of Arts! For those of you who couldn’t attend, you may watch the recording through the Faculty of Arts SharePoint site, under Events: here. If you are interested in teaching a course as part of COIL for the fall, please contact Shelley.Boyd@kpu.ca before April 30th.  

With gratitude 

Greg, Billeh, Wade, Danny, and Shelley