Past President's Letters

It was just about a decade ago—June 2015 to be precise—that the Truth and Reconciliation Committee of Canada released its final report with 94 Calls to Action to further reconciliation between Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. I had just been named as Capilano University’s incoming president and I, along with millions of others, was about to begin one of the most profound and challenging learning journeys of my lifetime. As we approach National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, I reflect more on the lessons I’ve learned along the way—and the work that still lies ahead for our University community. Read more

I recalled the sense of wonder I felt when I first arrived at CapU back in 2016—how fortunate to be able to study and work in such a beautiful setting. I understood then that we were obliged to protect and preserve this shared natural environment, and to respect and uplift the First Peoples who have stewarded these lands for millennia. Read more as I share the past initiatives and long-running multi-disciplinary programs and partnerships that have engaged students with their communities to advance sustainable solutions to pressing environmental challenges.

Convocation at Capilano University is always a joyful event. This year, our alumni ranks will grow again by almost 1,000, for a total of 100,000 CapU grads now living and working in 75 countries worldwide. And let me tell you: they are networked, and they are thriving. Read more about my alumni visit in Asia and the launch of the University’s new Global Ambassador Program.

In the past five years, CapU has announced almost two dozen partnerships and MOUs with real-world impact for coastal marine eco-systems, tourism recovery, the film industry, and Indigenous business growth—to name just a few areas where we’re making a difference. These burgeoning relationships represent a real win for learners. Read more 

For reasons that are still unclear to me, I fell off one while painting a room in my house recently and came down hard. The next day I had surgery and left the hospital in a wheelchair with two new screws in my ankle—and a healthy new appreciation for the barriers millions of Canadians face every day when it comes to matters of accessibility. This Letter highlights the work CapU is doing to affirm its commitment that every CapU learner and employee enjoys the same level of ease while moving through the University. Read more

In a world that has been turned upside down in recent years, the ability to provide on-site, affordable, high-quality child care is a massive contribution to community stability. It creates a calmer and more sustainable experience for children and parents, and allows our employees and students to participate more fully in their work and education. Read more

CapU is building imagination into every degree. When we blend the arts into education, the richer learning environment produces graduates who are able to think differently about the problems in front of them, no matter their field. Read more

ChatGPT is a hot topic in higher education. Will it breed more cheats or open up creative new spaces? I believe artificial intelligence and machine learning can enhance teaching, learning and the overall student experience at CapU. Read more 

CapU students are helping to meet labour market needs in B.C., and with about a million skilled positions needing to be filled over the next decade and a record number of retirements, how can we meet the demand? Two words: international students. Read more

I bike to campus—a 30 km commute that is actually faster than driving—and daily confront the realities of a flawed transportation system. For our planet, students and communities, it’s time we prioritize better ways we get around the North Shore. Read more

Fostering meaningful human connection is one of tourism’s greatest gifts. What can tourism teach us about moving ahead in the face of chronic uncertainty—Here’s how the School of Tourism Management is leading the way. Read more

HOME—a small word with large significance where housing and homelessness are top of mind for many young people. In my May Letter, I share how we’re working together to build a sense of home that supports the mental health and success of students. Read more

CapU is a vibrant international community and the violence in Ukraine affects us all. After two years of COVID-19, we’re learning how impactful collaboration, support and hope are to economic renewal and recovery. Read more in my March Letter. 

On a recent rainy bike ride to campus, I reflected on the challenges we’ve overcome—And having begun my second term as president, I think about the power of taking the long view and the words of Elder Latash-Maurice Nahanee in my January Letter. Read more

In my October Letter, I reflect on #LiminalLeadership and how we can lead through uncertainty with care, self-respect and optimism, pointing to CapU faculty who are modelling these lessons in very tangible ways—Lori Walker and Carolyn Stern. Read more

With a second COVID-19 shot done, I look ahead with an eagerness to return to vibrant campus life at CapU. In my July Letter, read about the transformative power of giving, community and the story of Emily Solomon, CapU alumna. Read more

I'm excited to share my latest update to the community from CapU. As we prepare for the return to campus in the fall, I look forward not to a return to normal, but to the start of something new. Read more about the people leading our post-pandemic future. Read more

In my March update, I share how we are adapting to our pandemic narrative as a three-act musical. We had made it through Act 1 and were about to launch Act 2—and there is still Act 3, with its promise of universal vaccines, in the distance. While we can’t always choose the way life unfolds, we can choose to respond in a way that builds personal and professional resilience. Read more

In my November update, I share lessons in leadership and community-building. I reflect on the life of Elder Ernie George—Slá'hólt—Hereditary Chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and share the insights from people who have embraced community partnerships that engage their learning experiences and have led creative solutions to challenges that don’t appear in any textbook. Read more

I'm excited to launch the first in a bimonthly series of updates to the community from CapU. Read more as I share lessons in resilience from people who exemplify the creative thinking and optimistic spirit that will sustain us in the months ahead. Read more