Community Engagement at Every Level
As I retire from Simon Fraser University, my friends and colleagues have been crediting me with bringing the university down to the community and bringing the community up to the university. I am flattered and humbled by the praise that I have received for my role in leading the university’s move into Surrey and expanding its Burnaby and Vancouver campuses.
However, I am only one person, and the credit should be shared with SFU’s vibrant network of talented and dedicated researchers, educators, students, alumni and administrators as well as with those who have supported the university through this decade of transformation. With a strong commitment to our slogan, “Thinking of the World,” it is their day-to-day interactions with the local, national and international communities that have made SFU the dynamic institution you see today, and it has been my pleasure to work with this team for the past ten years.
In reviewing the university’s achievements over the past year, I continue to be impressed by the number of ways SFU is making a difference to the community. Researchers across all disciplines are finding new ways to improve people’s lives. Students are graduating with knowledge, skills and passion that will allow them to improve our world for years to come. Student athletes are excelling at their sports and bringing a strong sense of pride to our three campuses and their surrounding neighbourhoods. Through outreach programs, we are sharing the university’s outstanding capital and human resources to benefit the larger community. And our donors are providing the resources to expand programs, educate students and reach out even further, allowing us to increase our margin of excellence.
I am proud of what SFU has accomplished, and I am sure that as you read through this report, you will be too.
Sincerely,
