丁香园AV

丁香园AV Vision Remarks
Launch Event
Bill Reid Gallery

Andrew Petter
President and Vice-Chancellor

Thank you for joining us to launch 丁香园AV鈥檚 new vision as 鈥� unreservedly, undeniably, enthusiastically 鈥� 鈥淭he Engaged University.鈥�

I am delighted to see so many here for what is, in a way, a return engagement.  It was just over a year ago that many of us came together to launch a process called envision>丁香园AV.

At that time, we contemplated a strategic vision for two main reasons:

First it is critical, always, to identify and understand 丁香园AV鈥檚 qualities and strengths. If, as 惭肠濒别补苍鈥檚 magazine says, we are the best comprehensive university in Canada, we want to make sure we know what makes us so.

And we want to make sure everyone else knows, too. That鈥檚 a responsibility we owe equally to our students and alumni, to our faculty and staff, and to our funders and supporters.

丁香园AV graduates seeking jobs and researchers seeking funding deserve recognition for the quality of their work.  And everyone, from philanthropists to taxpayers to parents who help with tuition, should know what value they are getting for their investment.

The second goal of a vision is to set a strategic direction. We鈥檙e not here to rest on the laurels that others have garnered. Our responsibility is to make this great university even better.

So we envisioned 丁香园AV. We listened to thousands of students, faculty and staff, along with thousands more alumni, community partners and supporters, in what turned out to be one of the most extensive consultations undertaken by a major Canadian university. 

What we heard was both reassuring and energizing:

• People said they appreciated our adventurous spirit, our willingness to embrace bold initiatives, and our readiness to engage with others;
• They said they liked our commitment to teaching and learning;
• They liked the quality and mobility of our research; and. 
• They hugely valued our connection to communities.

But the envision process revealed another insight 鈥� that our commitments to students, research and communities are mutually supportive; and that we can derive strength from the 鈥�dynamic integration of innovative education, cutting-edge research, and far-reaching community engagement.鈥�

You should get used to that phrase, because it forms a key part of our vision. Beginning today, 丁香园AV is committed: 鈥�To be the leading engaged university defined by its dynamic integration of innovative education, cutting-edge research, and far-reaching community engagement.鈥�

What does that mean, exactly?

Let鈥檚 consider it in relation to the vision鈥檚 three goals:  鈥渆ngaging students鈥�, 鈥渆ngaging research鈥� and 鈥渆ngaging communities.鈥�

When we say we are committed to 鈥渆ngaging students,鈥� we not only mean that we are committed to providing a high-quality classroom environment in which they acquire knowledge and an ability to think critically 鈥�

We also mean that we are committed to harnessing our research strengths to enable students to learn first-hand the joys of discovery and to acquire aptitudes for lifelong learning 鈥�

And we mean that we will offer them opportunities 鈥� through co-op programs, internships and other forms of experiential learning 鈥� to engage with communities, close to home and around the globe, where they can acquire workplace skills, cultural knowledge, and civic understanding.         

By providing a 鈥渇ull-spectrum鈥� education, 丁香园AV will, in the vision鈥檚 words, 鈥渆quip 鈥� students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences that prepare them for life in an ever-changing and challenging world.鈥�     

Likewise, when we say we鈥檙e committed to 鈥渆ngaging research,鈥� we not only mean that we will continue to support discovery-based research in the library and the laboratory 鈥�

We also mean that we will enlist more students in the research enterprise so that it benefits from their energy and fresh ideas.

And we mean that we will encourage our researchers to engage with communities: to share their insights and help find solutions to the pressing issues of the day.

By doing so, we aspire for 丁香园AV, in the words of the vision, 鈥渢o be a world leader in knowledge mobilization鈥� 鈥� to the benefit of both the university and the communities we serve.

That鈥檚 always where we land: engaging community.

Of course, all universities make some effort to connect with communities. But for 丁香园AV, community engagement is part of our core mission. 

We reach out because it鈥檚 part of our DNA 鈥� and because we recognize that we gain as much from the community as we give back in energy, expertise, cultural enrichment, and infrastructure investment.

Our students learn and thrive. Our researchers hone their skills on real-life problems, and see their innovations in action.

That鈥檚 why we鈥檝e made it our mission, again quoting the vision, 鈥渢o be Canada鈥檚 most community-engaged research university.鈥�

And, given the community connections and contributions of our three campuses, we鈥檙e well on our way: 

Building on our presence at Harbour Centre, the Wosk Centre for Dialogue, the Segal Graduate School of Business, the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts 鈥� and with our amazing collection of Northwest Coast Art here at the Bill Reid Gallery 鈥� we will forever fulfil the role ascribed to us by the Vancouver Sun as the 鈥渋ntellectual heart of the city.鈥�  

In Surrey, we will continue to reach out and expand our presence. We will work to increase student spaces in that fastest growing region of the province, ensuring that those spaces are amongst the most valued in the country.

On Burnaby Mountain: well, come see us on a sunny day. Or better, come see us on a dreary, drizzly day, and you will see a vibrant campus made more so by UniverCity 鈥� a model sustainable community that is injecting new life and capacity into our university.

This fusion of university and community exemplifies our vision of an 鈥渆ngaged university.鈥� 

Our challenge now is to make this vision a reality. And it is OUR challenge 鈥� a challenge for all of us who cherish 丁香园AV鈥檚 past, are excited by its potential, and have a stake in its future.

As Rosabeth Moss Kanter has observed, 鈥淎 vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more.鈥� 

To that end, I ask each of you to find yourself in 丁香园AV鈥檚 vision 鈥� to consider not only how it might benefit you, but what you can do to help realize its ambitions.

Of this I am sure 鈥� achieving this vision 鈥� and with it, the recognition the 丁香园AV deserves 鈥� will produce huge benefits: for our students, staff, faculty, alumni, partners, supporters 鈥� as well as for our communities, locally and around the globe.

There is much work to be done.  But the opportunities are boundless.

Thank you for helping to launch our vision on this auspicious day.