Dear all,

It is hard to imagine that any academic year could be better than the one before but certainly this one has been extraordinary. Undergraduate and graduate student participation in research initiatives and conferences has been outstanding. Awards and public recognition for members of our College community have grown significantly. Our research is making a noticeable impact. We have improved our courses and designed a new undergraduate program. Our partnerships – local, national and international – are growing steadily and meaningfully. Our College ranking has gone up, nationally and internationally. And we have attracted a stellar crop of new faculty.

Of course, the heartbeat of our College arises from our superb students who have engaged creatively with administrators, faculty and each other to solve problems, clarify their values, to act as change agents and to find excitement in new habits of mind. As we now head towards the annual culmination of all our endeavors, Convocation, we can all share a heightened sense of pride in our individual and collective achievements.

Sincere and hearty congratulations to all graduating students for your steadfast commitment to your goals, your application of the rigors of scholarship that our College requires, and the respect for others that has marked your journey with us.

No vocation is more important to the well being of any community than education. It takes so many different skills to transform learners. And it takes passion and love – passion for inquiry and the love that lifts others so that their potential and dreams can be realized. We are also responsible as educators to explore what it takes to fulfill the promise of democracy for all learners, no matter what their background or circumstances. This is challenging and complex work, for sure. It requires transcendent spirits and gritty determination in the face of many challenges of circumstance. The hopes of many will now be in the hands of our new graduands as you enter the next stage of your professional lives. We are confident you are well prepared and that you have the will to make a real difference.

There is never a way to adequately express gratitude to all in our College who have contributed to our graduating class and to the scholarship and service that underpins our teaching and learning.

Thank you all and may each next step you take be sound, happy and take you where you want to be.

Wishing you all a happy summer,

Dean Mary Kalantzis