The future is now

It’s hard to believe, but it has been nearly a year since I was named Acadia’s President, and what a year it has been! I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t been a whirlwind: learning and appreciating the many aspects and nuances of the role; meeting with faculty, staff, students and alumni here at home and around the world to gain valuable information and insight; and listening intently to the University’s many constituents, exploring new and creative ways to help govern one of the finest post-secondary institutions in Canada. Convocation was just last month, my first as President, and I was honoured to welcome more than 800 new graduates to the Acadia alumni family. It quite frankly has been a little overwhelming at times but an incredible privilege, too, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve received tremendous support and encouragement, and my passion for Acadia has grown and deepened considerably since I began serving our community as President. I’ve also had time to reflect on Acadia and its place in the post-secondary milieu – where we are and where we’ve been – and tried to imagine where we will be when our 200th anniversary rolls around in 2038. That may seem a long way off right now, but it’s only 14 years in the future, and I wonder: what will Acadia be then? How will we lead change for our students, alumni, faculty and staff? I encouraged members of our Acadia family to give the matter some thought and share with me aspirational goals and ambitions that will help us to position and sustain the University as we look ahead to our bicentennial celebration and beyond. This edition of the Bulletin certainly embraces that challenge and explores a critical theme: How will we build the future? Imagining Acadia on its 200th anniversary. The goal is to showcase on-campus opportunities and individuals whose actions and voices personally and collectively implore us to be better as we embrace the many possibilities the future holds at Acadia. We are blessed as a community with many forward-thinking people who are dedicated to raising consciousness and effecting change on a fundamental, organizational and global scale. Such individuals, including members of the Alumni Association Board, understand the value of relationships and lived experience, the articulation and translation of dreams and ambitions to reality, and are unafraid to exercise their ability to speak truth to power to make us all better, personally and professionally. This is the Acadia I know, and what I hope the future will look like in 2038. Adaptation and innovation will be key, and I have absolute faith in our ability to make prescient choices for the greater good. I will continue to listen and learn, share what I hear, and seek feedback on an ongoing basis. I am confident that through persistent dialogue, consideration and collaboration we will build on our Acadia 2025 Strategic Plan and fashion a future that will entice prospective students, engage current students, appreciate the remarkable contributions of faculty and staff, and create an environment that will practically and philosophically enhance the incredible pride our alumni have in Acadia. I can’t wait! It may be somewhat of a cliché, but the future is now. Our objectives and intentions should be bold, and we must embrace the responsibility and exercise the power to determine what lies ahead. I encourage each of us to take up the challenge, dare to be different, and make a dynamic commitment to uphold the wonderful academic and social integrity of the Acadia experience as we know it with a keen eye on where we would like to be in 2038. If you have any recommendations, please get in touch: president@acadiau.ca . Sincerely,