Welcome message from the dean

Dear faculty, staff, students, community partners and friends,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the new academic year, one that promises to be different from the past two very challenging years. Although we are all conscious that the pandemic is far from over, we are collectively adjusting to resume activities in a much more active, face to face, and relational manner. Only one week into the term, our campus is buzzing with excitement, chatter amongst old and new friends, and the beginnings of what could well be life-long relationships. 

This year, the Faculty of Community Services is better positioned than ever to face the challenges and to take up the opportunities ahead of us. We have an incredible team of academic and staff leaders in our Dean’s Office, and all our nine schools have welcomed new faculty members and staff. Together, we are committed to making this coming year one that our incoming students will remember forever, and one that our second- and third-year students, many of whom have not yet had the opportunity to experience campus life and the excitement of lecture halls, seminars, and in-person experiential learning, can fully embrace.

As we enter this fall semester, it’s important we maintain a balanced perspective and considerable humility. On the one hand, this is indeed a time for excitement and for moving forward. On the other hand, as we come together in person more frequently and enjoy those moments of connection, we must remember the enormous hardships and challenges that many members of our community faced over the past two years and continue to face. We must remain conscious of the social inequities that were so obviously exposed over the past two years; and we must acknowledge that for many, the challenges continue, the losses still hurt and the future remains uncertain. This is not so much a return to what we had as it is a new effort, a new beginning, and a new commitment to work towards social justice, caring for one another and embracing our diversities. This year more than ever before, the learning goal for all of us, from students to staff, academic leaders, faculty members and community members, is that collectively, we must do better. 

As we start this academic year, I want to pay tribute to all of you. To our incoming students for committing to the best of education. To our continuing students for persevering and staying with us. A huge tribute to our staff members, across all our schools and the Dean’s Office, for the creativity, commitment and hard work that has brought us to this moment. To our faculty members and our lecturers, whose determination to facilitate learning and student growth never faltered. To our community partners, and in particular our friends and partners who accompanied our students during extraordinary experiential learning activities in real settings with real people throughout this pandemic; we cannot do this work without you. It is an enormous privilege to share this space with all of you.

The coming months will offer endless opportunities for everyone to become engaged and to discover new strengths, new ideas and new knowledge. I invite all of you to participate in as much activity as possible, from research and pedagogic innovations to social and community-focused gatherings, so that by the time this year comes to an end, we know each other differently, care for one another authentically, and are prepared to work together toward a better, kinder, ecologically sustainable and just world. 

Sincerely,

Kiaras Gharabaghi

Dean, Faculty of Community Services