Good morning everyone,
Unbelievably, we are already three weeks into the fall term. It’s been fantastic to see our campus spring back to life! Our residences are full, courses are happening mostly in person, and athletics, clubs and social activities are all back to normal. As always, I want to express my sincere thanks to everyone in the community for the continued creativity, flexibility and care for one another we have demonstrated throughout the pandemic.
Our vaccine mandates and mask mandates remain on pause at this time, but if circumstances were to change, they may have to be reinstated at a later time. Of course, these decisions are made and will continue to be made in consultation with public health. I am grateful for our community’s understanding and compassion as we continue to emerge from the pandemic. It’s a process and as we have seen last year, not necessarily a linear one.
What is truly remarkable is how much progress we have made as an institution notwithstanding the pandemic, and I see 2022-23 as a year to build further momentum for Carleton. Last week at our first in-person Senate since February 2020, I had the opportunity to provide an update on all that we have achieved together towards the implementation of our Strategic Integrated Plan. The President’s Annual Report 2022 attempts to capture some of these highlights.
Among many successes, we can take pride that our annual research funding continues to grow, reaching $97.4 million this year, an increase of 79% in only four years. This is a tribute to the quality and dedication of our researchers and I take this opportunity to congratulate Steven Cooke, Jesse Stewart and Rowan Thomson on their recent and well-deserved election to the prestigious Royal Society of Canada.
This year, 2022 marks Carleton’s 80th anniversary and it’s an opportunity to reflect on our roots and how the institution was founded in 1942 “for the community, by the community.” It is therefore timely that we are collectively engaged in the development of our inaugural Strategic Plan for Community Engagement that aims to take a holistic view of all our community engagement initiatives so that we can better support our tremendous grassroots engagement. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to share input and insights and we look forward to sharing the results at an upcoming launch in October.
A related process is the renewal of our Campus Master Plan, which sets the direction for the physical development of our campus in line with our strategic vision. The plan is updated every five years and this is the third iteration. Consultations began in the spring and are continuing over the coming weeks. The campus community is invited to sign up for virtual consultations September 28 and 29. Pop-up student consultations will take place on October 11. Everyone is also invited to provide ideas via email or through our online portal which includes a mapping tool where you can identify your favourite spaces on campus and even map out new ones.
As we continue to strive for sustainability in everything we do, Carleton has recently been recognized as a top performer in the 2022 Sustainable Campus Index, achieving a top 10 ranking in the impact areas of Water and Wellbeing & Work. The recognition follows the prestigious STARS gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education that was received earlier this year.
Let me remind you that this Friday, September 30, is Orange Shirt Day. We will be flying the “Every Child Matters” Flag and everyone is encouraged to wear Orange Shirts to mark the day. There will be events on campus to mark the day and further enhance our reflection and our action – more information will be shared with the community this week. I take this opportunity to encourage everyone to have a look at the truly impressive progress report on our Kinàmàgawin strategy. There is still a lot to be done but it is important to share how much we have accomplished to date.
In closing, I hope you enjoyed Throwback 2022, our annual homecoming, which featured among many events the long-awaited official opening of the beautiful Nicol building, and that you are looking forward to the annual Panda game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees on October 1. Go Ravens!
Have a great day,
Benoit
Benoit-Antoine Bacon
President and Vice-Chancellor