Despite the ongoing challenges created by the pandemic, the administrative staff realized some important achievements during 2021.  Although by no means exhaustive, here is a small overview of some of those achievements.

In February 2021, the integration of the Institute of the Environment was finally completed.  This was the culmination of a year’s worth of planning and negotiations whose primary goal was to ensure the Institute’s seamless transition from the OVPR to FSS.  The go-live of the integration was a resounding success and the overall result was a significant increase in the level of service without any corresponding increase in costs.

In the spring of 2021, the Faculty started discussions on the campus reintegration process as mandated by our Provost.  Despite being the largest faculty on campus, we used a consultative approach so that employees could express their concerns and suggestions. This spirit of collaboration and open communication was instrumental in helping us maintain a positive atmosphere during a period fraught with anxiety for everyone.  We maintained employee morale and celebrated the return of our admin staff by hosting a series of welcome-back-to-campus mini-events.

Over the summer of 2021, access to our computer labs was further optimized.  Specialized software was moved away from the physical machines into an “academic farm” thereby cutting the cost of licensing while making access to the software even easier for the students.  Also over the summer, our Facilities and IT teams worked closely with TLSS to coordinate the upgrades of all our seminar rooms, meeting rooms and classrooms, making them functional for hybrid teaching and hybrid meetings. 

In the fall of 2021, the Faculty implemented a digital marketing strategy to increase the visibility of our high-profile events. The success of the strategy was amply demonstrated by the unprecedented attendance records and the global reach of both the Cornel West and Marleau conferences.  The Faculty also spearheaded the development of a new marketing and communications strategy to support knowledge mobilization through a Collabzium.  To that end, we made significant headway on the development of a Collabzium brand and visual identity. 

As always, my sincere thanks to all our administrative staff for their hard work and dedication.  Whether in person or online, your collective efforts are making an indelible difference in advancing our Faculty’s mission.  That being said, it was a real pleasure reconnecting with you all in person after more than a year of nothing but online. 

Nada Nagy
Chief Administrative Officer