President's Corner is a regular column from President Deep Saini.
Dear Dalhousie Community,
This week, I had the pleasure of meeting with Dalhousie’s Centre for Learning and Teaching team to hear from them directly about the work they have done to respond to the move to online learning since last spring.
The depth and breadth of what this team has been able to accomplish in a relatively short period of time is truly remarkable. This includes, among other things, providing more than 600 eLearning consultations with faculty, reaching more than 4,000 faculty members from Dalhousie and other Atlantic universities through webinars and workshops, and creating programming focussed on online learning and the transition to online. I commend them heartily for their impressive work.
There are so many on campus who work behind the scenes to support our instructors and, in turn, enable rich and varied learning experiences for Dalhousie’s students. Our teachers and those who support teaching at Dalhousie have made critical innovations over the past 11 months, but they also drive us forward all the time in our commitment to teaching in a way that is modern, relevant, and accessible. They have made the best of an extremely difficult situation during the pandemic, not just out of necessity but also because of their profound commitment to our students and Dalhousie’s mission. I look forward to continuing to get to know the university’s teaching all-stars.
I too recently had the opportunity and joy of delivering a guest lecture to a graduate level Biology class. It not only rekindled my own passion for teaching but also reminded me of the time, energy and commitment required of our instructors who teach at an exceptional level. I had a wonderful discussion with an engaged group of graduate students, who exemplified the way our students have persevered to continue their learning journeys. I sincerely look forward to spending more time in the “classroom” in the weeks and months ahead.
As we look ahead to the reading week and approach the midpoint of the term, I want to thank those who teach and who enable teaching at Dalhousie. Your work is not only critical to the university but also to our society. The next generation of leaders are passing through Dalhousie’s virtual and in-person hallways, and your work is setting the foundation for their growth and success. Bravo!
President Saini can be reached at deep.saini@dal.ca. You can also connect with him on Twitter and Instagram.