Dear members of the McGill community:
I hope you had a great vacation. For many of us, summer is not only a time to relax and recharge, but a time to explore different cultures and new places. As much as I enjoy going away, I love coming home. Vacation helps me appreciate Canada, Montreal and, of course, McGill.
Time away can also give us new ideas and help us see our homes with fresh eyes. Have you ever returned from traveling and thought, “I love my home…but it is time to change a few things”? That is the idea behind “Transforming our Campus,” one of our five priority areas. We just published quarterly progress reports for all five priorities, and in the weeks ahead you will hear even more about plans to renovate, and possibly expand, our campus.
I will soon launch a Principal’s Task Force to develop a strategic academic vision for the possible acquisition of the former Royal Victoria Hospital site. The RVH project is about more than adding square metres to our downtown campus, although we can certainly use those. The RVH project is about building upon McGill’s academic strengths and identity, and adding functionality, now and for the future. It is about creating connections that will span disciplines, sectors and borders. Your ideas will be welcome, and I will send details about how to submit them later in the semester.
Autumn is an exciting time; your enthusiasm and ideas energize our campuses. Welcome back to all our returning students, faculty and staff. Welcome, as well, to all the new members of our community – and thank you for choosing McGill. It is always a great pleasure to meet you and to hear from you. If our schedules do not overlap (you can see my itinerary here), remember that you can always send your thoughts and ideas to me at suzanne.fortier@mcgill.ca.
Happy new academic year!
Sincerely,
Suzanne Fortier
Principal and Vice-Chancellor