Summer at a university is typically a time for people to escape the immediate daily demands of the academic year, focus on research and writing, and think about how to improve classes. And maybe even take some vacation time too! Through many years in academics, I have come to count on summers as being busy, yet less structured, less hectic, more comfortable, and restorative.
Not so for summer 2023 at Laurentian. For our campus community, it has been exceptionally busy as we have brought in several new leaders, conducted interviews for yet more, welcomed additional new staff and faculty, collaborated with many stakeholders, and are rethinking what the University could become. I believe the academic year will continue this process of transformation and planning for a renewed future with great enthusiasm, and will start to bring visible rewards for this diligent labour.
One thing I’m sure almost none of you know about me is that I was a musician (violinist) in a former life. And studied my full ration of harmony, theory, counterpoint, music history, etc. Although this happens in many classical symphonic compositions, let’s use one of the best known as an example. There is a moment within Beethoven’s 5th symphony, between the third and fourth movements, where the music begins to slowly but relentlessly build, almost as if in the background of a quiet facade, bringing us along with increasing pace, meticulously building through constraints until finally, the waiting instruments, in smaller groups and then larger, join the moment to bring optimism and joy to the now frenetic and unstoppable rhythm.
The University is finding its own rhythm and Laurentian’s rebirth will soon start to unfold before our eyes. With both strategic planning and the operational transformation processes ongoing, we are creating our own crescendo. We are hiring new faculty, investing in infrastructure, and improving the student experience - all things you might assume happen quite normally at a university, but we are undertaking multiple years of change within less than one year of time. There is an excitement building on campus, knowing so many possibilities exist and will soon take shape.
As we begin this new academic year, we have many new voices join our chorus as we anticipate an increase in incoming first-year students. We won’t be able to share the final official student count until well into November, but this anticipated growth is mostly incited by new international students. We’re also seeing significant registrants in our 34 francophone programs. It signifies the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Laurentian.
As we move forward, we welcome all to join us in building the university. Contribute to our strategic planning conversations, share your thoughts on how we can partner, or visit campus to enjoy the trails, the beach, or to cheer on our athletes. Together, we will continue to build a brighter future for Laurentian University, our community, and Northern Ontario.
This summer in Sudbury has not been a summer just like any other, but it will certainly be one I remember fondly.
Sincerely,
Dr. Sheila Embleton, FRSC, FRSA
Interim President and Vice-Chancellor
Laurentian University