Follow that blog!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012 10:38 am in Petter's Perspective by envision>SFU
Petter’s Perspective has moved to a new home: you’ll find the blog now at www.sfu.ca/pres. Come on over!
Interaction, integration, mixed use: a recipe for engagement
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 9:33 am in Petter's Perspective by envision>SFU
What’s the relationship between innovative urban development and SFU’s vision of being an engaged university? That’s the question I asked myself while getting ready to speak at the Cities Summit last week.
I was part of a panel on future cities looking at new ways to create thriving, affordable urban neighborhoods. Such forecasting is difficult, especially in a region famous for setting development trends.
I’ve always believed, however, that one of the best ways to meet the challenges of the future is to build upon what’s already good.
That’s the approach we pursued with the envision>SFU process: reveal the best of SFU and then harness those qualities to make the university even better.
SFU, we found, is an institution known for engaging students, engaging research and engaging communities. We then forged a strategic vision that builds on these strengths to realize the benefits that can flow from their dynamic interaction.
By working to integrate education, research and community engagement, SFU’s vision seeks to ensure that everyone, from the greenest undergraduate student to the most accomplished faculty researcher, is contributing to and benefiting from their interactions with one another, and with the external communities we serve.
As I reflected on this, it dawned on me that this approach has much in common with what is known in planning circles as Vancouverism–a model that builds vibrant and sustainable communities by integrating mixed uses into a well-functioning whole. Moreover, SFU’s own commitment to mixed use has contributed significantly to Vancouverism.
This is best illustrated by architect Bing Thom’s familiar reference to situating a university above a shopping mall as an example of this movement. The university, of course, is SFU. Our Surrey campus was recently applauded by the renowned architectural critic Witold Rybczynski for “meeting the challenge of the coming decade,” which he identified as “making the suburbs more urban; that is, making them denser and creating active, concentrated, walkable town centers.”
The same can be said of UniverCity on Burnaby Mountain, which has rightfully been hailed as a model of sustainability, a new development that is creating an integrated community alongside what was previously an isolated commuter campus.
And then there is SFU’s first foray into urban engagement: our growing, increasingly diverse, downtown Vancouver campus that the Vancouver Sun proclaimed the “intellectual heart of the city.”
Interaction, integration, mixed use: just as these elements have enabled planners in Metro Vancouver to better meet citizens’ needs, they can also enable SFU–as an engaged university–to better meet the needs of students, researchers and the communities we serve.
Vancouver Sun op-ed: The educational imperative
Friday, January 27, 2012 5:24 am in Petter's Perspective by envision>SFU
In an opinion piece in today’s Vancouver Sun, I argue that BC needs to commit to building an economy based on education and research in order to maintain our high standard of living and quality of life.
Canada once had a global advantage merely because of its high literacy rate. But other countries are now changing the rules.
They are investing heavily in advanced education, enabling them to seize economic opportunities that North Americans once considered inexorably ours.
The “developing world” is developing capacity. While Canada boasts 240,000 university graduates a year, placing us fifth in the world on a per capita basis, China now produces six million.
And at post-graduate levels–where most innovation occurs–the picture is even worse: Canada conferred fewer than 5,000 PhDs in 2007.
China, meanwhile, produces 50,000 PhDs annually, and India graduates nearly 10,000 in science and technology alone and plans to double that number by 2020.
To stay competitive in the face of these developments, we must invest adequately in human capital, research capacity and knowledge infrastructure.
If we fail to do so, our standard of living will decline, our children’s future will deteriorate and our fiscal challenges will grow ever worse. By making these investments, however, we can strengthen our economy even as we address societal needs.
That is why SFU has committed to being an “engaged university” that supports and enriches communities in every possible way.
SFU students are involved in community co-op and service learning initiatives. SFU researchers are immersed in everything from solving social problems and tackling environmental concerns to developing ideas and innovations to keep Canada’s economy at the global forefront.
SFU also has leveraged its infrastructure and cultural capacities to benefit communities we serve: revitalizing and enriching downtown Vancouver; catalysing the development of Surrey’s City Centre; and creating a model sustainable community on Burnaby Mountain.
This is our opportunity. B.C. can be “the education province.” Building an economy based on education and research, we can make the most of our bounty and lead the world.
We need only leaders with the vision and determination to make it so.
Off to Ottawa to rally for research!
Monday, January 23, 2012 3:09 pm in Petter's Perspective by envision>SFU
This week I’m in Ottawa to meet with representatives of government and granting councils to promote a range of SFU research initiatives and to make the case for increased federal investments in university research initiatives.
It might seem counter-intuitive to be seeking such increased investments at a time when the federal government is contemplating budget cuts. But there are good reasons why they make sense from a fiscal as well as a social perspective.
Recent studies show that Canada is a leader among Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in university research productivity. At the same time, private sector R&D–despite huge government incentives–continues to lag well behind. The result has been a disturbing drop in business productivity that threatens Canada’s future economic health and, by implication, its fiscal position.
Government’s response to this situation should be not to pour ever more dollars into ineffective business subsidies, but rather to build upon and leverage the success of university-based research.
This can be done through a two-step strategy that first enlarges (or at least maintains) current funding for basic and applied research, and associated research infrastructure; and second, enhances and expands instruments (such as those recommended in the recent Jenkins report) to extend universities’ capacities to mobilize their research and that of private sector enterprises.
Such instruments could include new voucher systems and increased Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) funding to strengthen university-led research incubation, acceleration and translation initiatives, and to support strategic partnerships between university and industry researchers.
Persuading government to embrace such a strategy given current budgetary constraints is likely to be an uphill struggle. Still, I believe it is worth pursuing.
At SFU, with our new strategic vision that seeks to establish us as “the leading engaged university”–and makes it our goal to be “a world leader in research mobilization building on strong foundation of fundamental research”–we are uniquely well-positioned to advocate such a strategy and, if adopted, to be at the forefront of its implementation.
In addition to the above, my time in Ottawa will include meetings with India’s High Commissioner and China’s Ambassador to discuss initiatives and opportunities arising from my recent visits to those countries.
All in all, I am confident it will be a busy and productive few days in our nation’s capital.
“The commitment to engagement is evident everywhere”
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 10:03 am in Petter's Perspective by envision>SFU
I recently attended a Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) board meeting in Bellevue, Washington, where SFU was seeking official candidacy as part of our on-going accreditation process.
During the meeting, my attention was turned to the following paragraph that appears in the board report prepared by the NWCCU evaluation team that visited us last fall. I think it elegantly describes the depth of SFU’s commitment to community engagement, particularly with respect to the extent of student participation in experiential learning:
“The prospects for bringing the disparate parts of community engagement together are promising. Truly, the commitment to community engagement for students, faculty, and staff alike is evident everywhere.
“The involvement of as many as 40 percent of the students before they graduate in Co-operative Education (and many more in co-curricular activities within the community) is noteworthy—over 7,400 are participating at this time.
“Furthermore, the opportunities for community/career experience include non-profit organizations (7 %), private business (60 %), and government (33 %). The establishment of new campuses/buildings in Vancouver and Surrey further demonstrate the commitment to community, especially since university officials have worked so closely with industry and government.
“This outgrowth has been strategic and has helped to revitalize these areas of the community and stimulate economic development and provide educational opportunities to young and old alike. Arguably the most stunning endeavor is UniverCity wherein the Burnaby campus anchors, geographically and metaphorically, a burgeoning city in which students, faculty and others live and interact. This city already is catching the attention of the international community as one of the most “green” cities in the world with one of the most innovative K-7 schools in all of elementary education.
“Finally, the extensive outreach of programs through Lifelong Learning continues to meld the university and community interests and resources in a synergistic way. Truly, SFU is ‘a university where . . . bold initiatives [are] embraced. Upon these foundations, [SFU] will engage all our communities in building a robust and ethical society.’”
A ringing endorsement indeed!
A renewed vision for SFU
Monday, January 9, 2012 10:58 am in Petter's Perspective by envision>SFU
This promises to be an exciting year for Simon Fraser University as we prepare for the launch next month of our new strategic vision–the culmination of the year-long envision>SFU consultation process. At its core, the new vision foresees SFU as “the leading engaged university defined by its dynamic integration of innovation education, cutting-edge research, and far-reaching community engagement.”
What does it mean to be an engaged university?
The document commits SFU to engaging students, engaging research and engaging communities. While each of these goals is important in its own right, it’s the interplay between them combined with the depth of our commitment to community engagement that has the greatest potential to define and differentiate the university.
To realize this vision as an “engaged university,” SFU will establish itself as a university that, in addition to nurturing knowledge, fostering critical thinking, and promoting basic research:
- provides students with experiential learning opportunities in the broader community that enable them to gain practical skills and civic understanding;
- engages students in research to equip them with the means and capabilities to discover, adapt and succeed in a changing and challenging world;
- mobilizes research to tackle social problems, create economic opportunities, develop environmental solutions, and enhance cultural values; and
- uses all of its institutional capacities to benefit the communities it serves.
As the document makes clear, the vision’s realization will depend “upon the extent to which it contributes to a vigorous sense of purpose within the university, encourages individual and collective action, and provides a touchstone for future development.” This is the work that now begins, the success of which will depend on the participation of the entire university community.
Given that participation, I am confident this vision has the capacity to enrich SFU’s performance and enhance its reputation.
Moreover, in providing a common focus for our future endeavours, it can also help SFU to gain greater recognition and support not only for its community contribution, but also for its core educational mission and research activities.
Milton, you will be missed…
Tuesday, January 3, 2012 10:41 am in Petter's Perspective by envision>SFU
For those of us who knew Chancellor Emeritus Milton Wong, the excitement of beginning a new term is overshadowed by news of his recent passing.
Milton leaves an extraordinary imprint on Simon Fraser University. A visionary chancellor, his boundless intellectual energy and passion for social justice propelled many significant initiatives and a variety of programs. 
He was a driving force behind the expansion of SFU’s downtown campus, a pioneer in supporting the development of First Nations programming, and a major contributor to SFU’s new School for the Contemporary Arts in the Woodward’s redevelopment.
To me personally, Milton was both a mentor and a friend. He provided support for my efforts to fund a professorship in First Nations Justice and Governance when I was Dean of Law at the University of Victoria, and he was one of the first people to whom I went for advice when I considered applying for my current position at SFU.
He has been a sustaining source of guidance, inspiration and ideas; just a few weeks ago he invited me to his home to share his thoughts on what SFU could do to help address health issues in Aboriginal communities.
Milton, you will be missed but never forgotten. Your spirit will forever inform SFU and be part of what makes this university the extraordinary institution that it is.
Thanks for a banner year!
Friday, December 16, 2011 6:00 am in Petter's Perspective by envision>SFU
I will be away next week and this will be my last blog posting of 2011–an appropriate time to take stock of what has been another banner year for Simon Fraser University.
As I discovered during my recent visits to China and India, SFU’s reputation for educational and research excellence has grown internationally as well as nationally.
In addition, the University took some major steps forward, including accepting our largest-ever private donation from the Beedie family; renovating our Surrey and Burnaby campuses; receiving the entire Bill Reid Collection of Northwest Coast Art; and installing Carole Taylor as our tenth Chancellor.
For me, though, the best thing about SFU is its people. Since I arrived here sixteen months ago, I’ve never ceased to be amazed by the talents and creativity of our faculty, the energy and dedication of our staff, the enthusiasm and ability of our students, and the support and commitment of our alumni.
Thank you all for making SFU such a stimulating and fulfilling place to work, and for making me feel so fortunate and proud to be your president.
I wish you a wonderful holiday season, and look forward to reconnecting with you in the new year.
Bravo to SFU’s new cultural hub
Monday, December 12, 2011 10:37 am in Petter's Perspective by envision>SFU
Over the past year, I’ve had a number of opportunities to visit the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, home to SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts and the newest academic addition to our growing Vancouver campus.
With its wide assortment of theatres, studios, cinema, gallery and classroom spaces, the Centre is truly a world-class teaching and performance facility.
As such, it has huge potential not only to meet the educational and research needs of contemporary arts students and faculty, but also to serve as a cultural hub for the community and as an instrument to enrich the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood in which it’s located.
SFU Woodward’s–the Centre’s cultural programming arm–is already working with Vancouver’s diverse arts communities to offer the public a wide range of cultural events.
At the same time, community groups are using the Centre as a venue for festivals, forums, lectures and other activities. And a community engagement coordinator has been hired to work with the Downtown Eastside community to develop programs and generate other opportunities.
The idea of using an educational facility as a vehicle for cultural enrichment and social revitalization of the broader community is, to be sure, an ambitious one. But it fits well with the vision of an “engaged university” that has emerged from the envision>SFU process, and with SFU’s ambition to become recognized as Canada’s most community-engaged research university.
“Friends of Simon” walks the community engagement talk
Thursday, December 8, 2011 2:02 pm in Petter's Perspective by envision>SFU
SFU’s emerging vision is that of an engaged university, committed to harnessing all of its capacities to enhance the well-being of the communities it serves.
The Friends of Simon tutoring project is already delivering on this commitment. Now in its sixth year of service in Burnaby, Coquitlam, and Surrey, this Faculty of Education outreach project delivers literacy and settlement support to newcomers between the ages of 8 and 12.
I recently met with some of the people who help deliver this unique program–recipient of this year’s United Way of the Lower Mainland’s community spirit award.
University students, many of whom themselves are recent immigrants or first-generation Canadians, are trained as literacy tutors; the pay they receive helps defray the costs of their own education. But the benefits they provide to the children they tutor, and the experience and sense of gratification they gain in the process, is priceless.
The Friends of Simon project is supported by the United Way of the Lower Mainland, the North Growth Foundation and Welcome BC. And this fall, Rogers Communication provided a grant for a parallel three-year project to serve newcomer students in the 12-to-15 age group, with more emphasis on academic achievement.
Thanks to all those who have made this fabulous program possible–and for partnering with SFU to show how an engaged univesity can help build a better future for our local communities.
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