Our shared commitment and the path forward

As classes and interrupted research resume, we are reminded of our university community’s remarkable impact.

The work of our faculty matters. It improves health outcomes and quality of life for people around the world. It drives the economic, social and cultural success of our province. And most importantly, it supports the educations and futures of each of our students. Our community is aligned in our commitment to the university’s mission and vision, and now is our time to advance that important work together.

This has been a very challenging time for our entire community. I regret the impact of the labour disruption on our students and recognize there is a great deal of work ahead in setting the academic year back on course. We now have an opportunity to learn from this experience and recommit to the exceptional work and learning environment to which we all aspire. 

Thank you to the many faculty, staff and students who have reached out to me. I, our Board of Governors, and everyone on our executive team have heard your voices and greatly value your opinions and diverse perspectives.

The path ahead will not be easy. As we move forward, we must commit to communicate openly, listen to one other, and engage in respectful dialogue to better address the challenges before us. I think it is important to reflect on our negotiation process and ensure that our approach to bargaining is meeting our shared needs.

Right now, our priority is welcoming everyone back and ensuring our community is well-supported through this transition.

We thrive in community; we support one another, and we learn from each other. We still have much more to accomplish, and I am grateful we will be coming back together to continue our institution’s life-changing work.