Adrian Chan

Faculty: Systems and Computer Engineering

Question 1: I believe that I would be an excellent candidate to be considered as a Academic Staff Governor because:

I am currently a Full Professor in the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering and have been part of the Carleton community for nearly 20 years. I have been a consistently active member of the Carleton community, with a diverse range of experiences that span multiple facets of the institution, which provides me a more holistic perspective of the institution (see the answer for Question #2). I have a strong record of excellence, including as a researcher (e.g., Outstanding Biomedical Engineer of the Year, Canadian Medical and Biological Engineering Society) and as an educator (e.g., 3M Teaching Fellow, Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education). As with my other roles, I would be striving for excellence, bringing a high level of dedication and commitment in order to serve Carleton University and its community to the best of my abilities. I intend to be a thoughtful and constructive member of the Board, supporting Carleton to be an impactful, sustainable, and inclusive institution. I also believe that my values, expertise, and experiences align in many ways with the institution as a whole, including equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility; community engagement; research excellence; academic excellence; service excellence; interdisciplinarity; and collaboration.

Question 2: I have the following skills and experiences which would be beneficial in my role as Academic Staff Governor:

I believe I have many skills and experiences that would be beneficial in my role as Academic Staff Governor. I have a depth of experience with regards to the various roles/responsibilities that an academic staff member has (e.g., teaching, research, administration). I have served in various leadership roles providing me with a good knowledge foundation of how Carleton University operates. My experiences have also been interdisciplinary and have included close collaborations with various Carleton stakeholders (e.g., faculty, instructors, staff, students, administration, external community partners), which allows my perspectives to go beyond my department/Faculty and my role as academic staff. I have been involved in many significant initiatives (e.g., leading the creation of new academic programs, strategic planning, leading large research programs), which has bolstered my knowledge and skills with regard to complexity, consensus building, and long-term planning. As such, I am able to express the point-of-view of academic staff, while simultaneously being an excellent representative for the institution as a whole.

A few of the roles I have served in include: Co-Chair, Healthy Workplace; Member, Equity and Inclusive Communities Advisory Group; Co-Chair, Carleton Accessibility Strategy Committee; Member, Carleton University Strategic Integrated Planning Task Force; Assistant Vice-President (Academic); interim Associate Vice-President Teaching and Learning; Associate Dean (Programs and Awards), Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs; Chair of the Advisory Board, Research, Education, Accessibility, Design (READ) Initiative; Co-Chair, Carleton University United Way Campaign; Director, Carleton Shad Valley; Director, NSERC-CREATE Research and Education in Accessibility, Design, and Innovation (READi) training program; Director, Abilities Living Laboratory; Vice-President, Canadian Medical and Biological Engineering Society; and department representative, Carleton University Academic Staff Association Council.

Question 3: If elected to the Board, what would you like to gain from the experience and/or what skills would you like to further develop?

Having served Carleton in a variety of roles and committees, and at different levels, I look at this role on the Board as a distinct and exciting experience. With the opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills that every role provides, I am hoping that I will better understand how the institution operates through this role, particularly with respect to financial aspects. The Board also has many extraordinary members, including from the external community, and I have no doubt that I will benefit from their knowledge, perspectives, and wisdom.