NEWS & EVENTS

December 19, 2023
 

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Please note that the first 2024 edition of the What's On newsletter will be published on Thursday, January 4. Submissions will be accepted until 12 p.m. on Tuesday, January 2.

STORIES THAT SHAPED SFU'S 2023

It was a memorable year for the university with continued academic recognition and research excellence, combined with the opening of a new student residence, exciting infrastructure projects and some big strides toward the SFU medical school.

 

RESEARCH EXCELLENCE FOR THE GREATER GOOD

In 2023, SFU scholars shared research discoveries, innovations and insights that resonated across the nation and around the world. Here is a snapshot of the top academic articles of the year—from both the traditional top-cited and Altmetric rating systems.

 
 

B.C. CENTRE FOR AGRITECH INNOVATION 2023

The centre concludes a year of intensive efforts marked by international agreements, an expansive network reaching every corner of B.C. and robust support for numerous projects driving food security in the region. To explore innovation and collaboration in the face of climate change, an event that united local producers was also organized in Kelowna.

 

Recognizing the growing student demand for more Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) stations, retired staff member Malcom Toms and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences raised funds to bring technology to students in need by adding two new BYOD stations at the Surrey and Vancouver campus libraries. 

Scholar and associate professor in gerontology, Theodore D. Cosco received both the Michael Smith Health Research B.C. 2023 Convening & Collaborating Award and the 2023 Reach Award. With this funding, Cosco is committed to developing accessible, meaningful and impactful mental health services for seniors in B.C. communities.

As the new year and semester approach, the faculty reflects on milestones, celebrations, student and alumni stories as well as virtual space spotlights.

 
 

RESOURCES + OPERATIONAL UPDATES

RECONCILI-ACTION ON CAMPUS

The RESPECT program teaches Indigenous cultural safety and anti-racism to SFU faculty and staff. This 11-week hybrid course focuses on skills for engaging with Indigenous community members at SFU and reconciliation as an institution. Learn alongside a consistent cohort of peers while self-reflecting in facilitated personal development sessions. New intake opens in January and the first cohort begins January 22.

 

HELP WELCOME SFU'S NEW STUDENTS

This January, around 300 new students will join the university on Welcome Day and 900 throughout the Week of Welcome. Please register as Welcome Day support staff or join the Ask Me Program to help make a significant impact on their initial SFU experiences.

 

UPDATES FROM BOARD MEETING

To ensure that SFU employees are informed about the latest news at the university, messages from the President and Chair of the Board of Governors are now available:

To comply with new industry regulations set by external email providers, necessary changes will take effect on February 1, 2024. This will affect anyone who uses SFU's email forwarding service or mail-lists. Please contact IT ServiceHub or call 778-782-8888 for support in accessing your email.

A service outage is scheduled on December 28 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Expect intermittent service availability for software systems running in SFU Cloud. These include Canvas, FAST, FINS, goSFU, myINFO and SFU Mail. The outage will only affect application access and not their functions. Please contact the Network Operations Centre at 23230 or ns-help@sfu.ca for any connectivity issues after the maintenance window.

The Office of the Provost and VPA has updated its website with SFU’s latest web branding and a user-friendly design. This makes it easier for students, faculty and staff to find the information they need and better communicates the role of the portfolio. In late 2022, a dedicated team led the work with guidance from the SFU Communications & Marketing team.

BURNABY CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

The Lorne Davies Complex (LDC) will be closed on December 22 as part of the ongoing renewal project. This is necessary to facilitate important electrical work throughout the building. Normal activities will resume on December 23 at 8:00 a.m.

SPOTLIGHT YOUR RESEARCH AND EXPERTISE WITH THE MEDIA

Please contact mediarelations@sfu.ca with your idea/topic. Possible themes for January and beyond are:

  • New research and stories
  • Seasonal: New Year’s resolutions and wellness, 2024 look ahead/predictions
  • 2024 B.C. election preview – what to expect in the lead-up?
  • International: World conflicts and protests, AI effects on workforce/economy/privacy
  • National: Bank of Canada interest rate and monetary policy announcement (Jan 24), inflation, international relations, cost of living and food insecurity, real estate
  • Local: Opioid class-action lawsuit decision (Dec/Jan), emissions reduction targets and economy, housing density around transit and other housing initiatives, rental scams, Surrey policing, overcrowded schools, population overdue for their COVID shots
 

EVENTS

Jan 5

Jan 9

Jan 9

Jan 10

Jan 12
 

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Looking for a past newsletter? Visit the archive.

 

Simon Fraser University respectfully acknowledges the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen peoples on whose unceded traditional territories our three campuses reside.