Catherine Khordoc

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

I believe I would be an excellent candidate as an Academic Staff Governor because of my commitment to higher education in general, and to Carleton University specifically. Good governance is of utmost importance for a university to be able to fulfill its mission of education and advancing knowledge, research, and innovation, while also maintaining its sustainability as an institution and its commitment to the community and society at large. There are ethical responsibilities that are incumbent upon the Board of Governors that must be respected and upheld in order for the university to succeed in its mission, and I believe I have a strong understanding of these responsibilities, this mission, and the importance of good governance. I have the experience, skills, and competence to uphold them. I think it is crucially important for the work of the Board to be informed by faculty members who are committed and engaged not only with their own teaching and research, but the university as a whole. Furthermore, my perspective as a faculty member who teaches and conducts research in the humanities brings a valuable perspective to the Board.

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

I have a very good understanding of the university and how it works, having served in various academic administrative positions, including Chair of French, Associate Dean (Student Affairs) in FASS, as well as Interim Dean of FASS. I have sat on a variety of faculty- and university-wide committees, and have worked closely with a broad range of services and offices at Carleton, such as Recruitment, Admissions, Communications, Advancement, the Paul Menton Centre, Student Services, CUASA and other unions representing staff, CIs, TAs. and am acutely aware of the importance of good collaboration, effective communication, and mutual respect in order for all of us to work together to make Carleton succeed and be a place where people want to study and / or work. I have joint appointments in the Department of French and the School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies, and am an enthusiastic and successful university teacher and scholar of contemporary Québécois literature. I am also a Carleton alumna, holding two degrees from Carleton (Bachelor of Journalism, MA in French).

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

If I am elected to the Board, I would like to learn more about some of the areas of responsibility with which I am less familiar with, such as governance, finances, planning, etc. I am also interested in working with board members from the community and gaining a better understanding of how the university is perceived from an external perspective.