| Robert M. Campbell, Ph.D President and Vice-Chancellor |
For Mount Allison students, the winter months are a time of transition, between beginnings and endings. First-year students have now found their bearings, figured out how the University works, made friends, settled into patterns of activity, and now march their way confidently to the conclusion of their first year.
While deeply immersed in major academic projects and ambitious extracurricular activities, fourth-year students are beginning to think of next year and what happens after graduation: will it be work? professional or grad school? travel?
These are heady days, with plenty of time remaining in this academic term to immerse oneself in new experiences and seek out the meaning of life.
As a community and an institution, Mount Allison itself provides an evolving backdrop to students’ growth, activities, and change throughout the term and their four-year academic careers. Allow me to give you three examples.
The University is currently engaged in an exciting process of creating a new Fine and Performing Arts Centre. Construction is expected to begin this spring, after detailed designs are completed. It was with some sadness and regret that we made the difficult decision to not use the former University Centre in the new building. We were guided by two principles: to provide our students and staff with the quality facilities that they require, and in a sustainable way.
The Fine and Performing Arts Centre will provide state-of-the-art facilities in which vision and creativity will flourish. The $30-million building represents a substantial investment in the creative arts, reflecting Mount Allison’s commitment to developing and training the next generation of visionaries who help us to see who and what we are and to inspire us to greater things.
Another exciting development at Mount Allison comes in the form of new, re-vitalized academic leadership. We are delighted that Dr. Karen R. Grant has accepted a five-year term as the University’s new Provost and Vice-President, Academic and Research, beginning this August. Dr. Grant brings with her a wealth of academic and administrative experience from Manitoba. She is nationally recognized as an innovator and a creative thinker; a doer and results-oriented; and a people-focused leader who loves working with and for faculty, students, and staff.
Academic excellence is a defining pillar of our institution and a primary reason why Mount Allison is recognized nationally as the top undergraduate university. As our senior academic officer, Dr. Grant will be central in working with faculty, staff, and students to build and shape that reputation of excellence and achievement.
A third example of constructive change is our project to create a new online presence for Mount Allison. The web has become one of our primary means of communicating with students, faculty, and staff as well as future students, alumni, and the broader community. Our current site is very much in need of an update. Over the next few months, we will be developing a digital strategy for the University that will serve our needs for many years to come. And after that, we will redesign the site so that it reflects the new visual identity that we established last year.
The new web site will be more dynamic and easier to use — both for those who provide content and those who want to access it — and it will better reflect all that Mount Allison is and all that it has to offer.
So whether we are talking about new beginnings or endings, or working through the academic year — our goal is to do whatever is necessary to make our students’ experience as fruitful and rewarding as possible.
Dr. Robert Campbell
President and Vice-Chancellor
Mount Allison University