Dear Faculty of Arts,
Two years ago today, shortly after we took the plunge and made the Great Pivot to online delivery, we sent out the first of these Arts updates to share information and collectively chart and navigate the waves, winds, and rough sea tides. To refresh my memory and get a clearer sense of all that has happened over these last two years, I revisited the entries from our “Weekly Updates” on the Faculty of Arts blog. Treated individually, they are snapshots of many memorable and challenging moments. Considered collectively, however, they constitute a living chronicle of the sundry ways we have endeavored to meet and overcome the challenges of COVID. They tell the tale of our triumphs and tribulations, and of the many lumps, bumps, and bruises we acquired along the way. More than anything else, however, they stand as a testimony to courage, resilience, and steadfast sense of purpose that our Faculty has shown in the face of adversity and uncertainty. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to suggest that, in many respects, the Faculty of Arts has grown stronger because of the ways that we have worked together, and pulled together, throughout these trying times.
Upcoming Events
Picturing Climate Change: Former artist-in-residence at KPU, Sylvia Grace Borda, will be presenting as part of the online symposium “Picturing Climate Change” on March 21st at 11 am PST. Deborah Henderson from KPU (Director of Sustainable Horticulture) provided project guidance as part of a working partnership with an environmental NGO based in Ethiopia (ROBA). This is a free live-streamed symposium with diverse areas of potential interest, such as horticulture and agriculture, art and design, physics/astronomy. Further information about the event (March 21 | 11 am PST) is here: https://www.streetlevelphotoworks.org/event/picturing-climate-change
Final Presentation of the Arts Speaker Series: Please join us on Wednesday, March 23 from 1 – 2 pm for our final talk of the 2021/22 Arts Speaker Series. Aaron Goodman, Ph.D., Dept. of Journalism and Communication Studies, will present: “Digitally Memorializing the Opioid Overdose Crisis” on Microsoft Teams. This presentation will highlight a community-based participatory research project aimed at assisting people in small towns and communities in B.C. and Alberta to digitally memorialize individuals who have experienced fatal overdoses. The purpose of the study is to support participants in publicly grieving, challenging stigma, and calling on elected officials to do more to present further overdoses. It is part of a multi-year Chancellor’s Chair Award at KPU. Please use the link for the Microsoft Teams event. We look forward to seeing you there! Click here to join the meeting
Opportunities Abound
Don’t Delay: 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.
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! 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.
The Sands of Time are Shifting: Interested in teaching through research? The Arts Research Courses are your ticket! 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.
Curriculum and CourseLeaf: A new platform for official course outlines is on the horizon. Training for all users is scheduled for May. The CourseLeaf system is currently in its testing phase, and the Arts Standing Committee on Curriculum will be seeing a demo at their April 8th meeting (1:30-3:30 PM). If any faculty are interested in having a sneak peak of the CourseLeaf demo, please contact Arts@kpu.ca to receive the link to the meeting.
UN SDG Open Pedagogy Fellowship: Interested in designing meaningful assignments that take on some of the world’s most pressing sustainability needs? The UN SDG Open Pedagogy Fellowship is for you! Apply for this award-winning fellowship and work in interdisciplinary, inter-institutional teams this summer to create renewable assignments. Once created, deploy these assignments in your courses toward reaching any of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals . An info session recording (without the question period) is available here: https://media.kpu.ca/media/UN+SDG+Open+Pedagogy+Fellowship+%7C+Information+Session+2022/0_nk1adyoi. For more information and to apply by Friday, April 1, 2022, please visit: www.kpu.ca/open/un-sdg-fellowship. Please note that successful applicants will receive $500 in professional development funding.
Resources and Information for Faculty, Students, and Staff
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:
- Faculty and Instructional Staff Handbook can be found here: https://kpuemp.sharepoint.com/sites/fh/SitePages/Home.aspx
- More resources for Faculty can be found here: https://kpuemp.sharepoint.com/sites/arts/resourcesforfaculty/SitePages/Home.aspx
Behind the Mask: The provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, today announced the provincial COVID-19 mask mandate will become optional in all indoor public settings early tomorrow morning. In line with the recommendations of experts providing guidance to the post-secondary sector in B.C., at KPU we will lift our mask mandate at the end of the Spring 2022 term on April 27. This means you should continue wearing your mask in indoor public areas of campus until the end of term. We recommended wearing one in other areas, although there are exceptions, such as when delivering a lecture or presentation, or actively eating or drinking. See KPU’s guidelines for mask wearing for full details. COVID Updates can be found here: https://www.kpu.ca/hui/novel-coronavirus/updates
Kudos and Congratulations:
Monstrosities On Screen: ENGL Instructor Kelly Doyle was featured in this wonderful piece on the role and impact of “monstrous women” in popular culture and filmography. Don’t miss it:
We wish you a wonderfully relaxing and restorative weekend, and hope you manage to find a reprieve from your grading!
Greg, Shelley, Billeh, Danny, and Wade
Comments by Wade Deisman