Season’s Greetings!

The holiday season is a time of celebration. There are many achievements worth commemorating on campus as the year comes to an end. This is also a time to look ahead to the exciting things a new year will bring.

On the horizon are many important initiatives. Following the launch of the University’s Destination 20/20 strategic plan earlier this year, many projects will be unveiled from now until 2020. In the months to come, we will see a lot of innovation on campus, including a new Centre for Advanced Photonics and Environmental Analysis (CAPEA) and a new Brain in Mind Research Institute. The new 15-story tower beside a completely renovated Vanier Hall will also open next year. This $120 million project will accommodate Social Sciences, which is now our largest faculty. Our campus will be growing before our very eyes. There is no doubt that our breakthroughs in health, science, social sciences and the humanities will continue to attract global attention.

Being the world’s largest bilingual university, we take pride in serving our student population in both official languages. To ensure the University maintains quality service, enhanced second-language training will take place to ensure our front-line staff is able to assist students in the best possible way. Our commitment to the student experience is the reason we strive to offer quality service.

Other initiatives such as our innovative French Immersion Studies program, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year, will continue to combine regular subject courses with second-language support, which is a great environment in which students can learn. The Centre for Global and Community Engagement is yet another initiative and provides volunteer opportunities on campus and around the world.

Of course, these are just some of numerous initiatives and milestones coming up as we discover our future. As we look forward to the new challenges ahead, let us take a moment and toast all our important successes. Best wishes for the holidays to the University community!

Geneviève Joly
Photo: Robert Lacombe
Published: December 2011