REPORT TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

ALAN SHEPARDPRESIDENT AND VICE-CHANCELLOR

October 2013

INTRODUCTION

• Amongthetrendsresonatingwithuniversitiesisthewayinwhichcitiesandurbangrowthisconnectedtouniversities,innovationandentrepreneurship.Ispokeonthistopicearlierthismonthatthesecondeditionof CityAge,aconferenceoncitiesandtheinnovationeconomy.Mytalkwaspartof apanelentitled“TheInnovationCity:Alookatthepartnershipsandtrendsre-shapingcitiesintheinnovationeconomy.”Amongthekeyissues–howdoesacityremaincentraltoaconnectedglobaleconomyandwhatroledouniversitiesandtheprivatesectorplayindrivingsmartinvestmentinurbangrowth?Iexpectthesearethemeswewillreturntointhecomingmonths.

• WehaveconfirmationthatMichaelSabia,CEOof theCaissededépôtetplacementduQuébec,hasacceptedtoserveasHonoraryPresidentof Acfas2014(Concordiawillhostthe82ndAcfasCongressinMay2014).

• Concordia’sResearchCentreforStructuralandFunctionalGenomicsBuildinghasbeenawardedLeadershipinEnergyandEnvironmentalDesign(LEED)GoldcertificationstatusbytheCanadaGreenBuildingCouncil.Thecentreisnowthethirdfacilitytoberecognizedasahigh-performancegreenbuildingbasedonlong-standingsustainablepracticesthatincludedesign,constructionandoperation.Lastfall,thePERFORMCentrewasgrantedGoldstatusandtheJohnMolsonSchoolof BusinesswashonouredwithSilverstatus.

• Forthesixteenthconsecutiveyear,ConcordiaretainsitsplaceastheleaderinenergyefficiencyamongQuebec’ssixlargestuniversities.AccordingtoaGovernmentof Quebec2011-12report,theuniversityconsumed22percentlessthanthesecond-andthird-placinginstitutions.

• KudostotheJohnMolsonSchoolof Business( JMSB)MBAprogram,whichrankedsecondintheworldinthe2013GlobalGreenMBASurveyconductedbyCorporateKnightsmagazine.TheschoolwasalsoawardedthebestoverallstandingintheStudentInitiativescategory.TheCorporateKnightssurveyevaluateshoweffectivelyMBAprogramsincorporatesustainabilityintothebusinesseducationexperience.

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TEACHING, RESEARCH, INNOVATION

Curriculum Innovation

• TheOfficeof theProvostandVice-President,AcademicAffairs,haslaunchedacallforproposalsforCurriculumInnovation(2013-14).Undertheleadershipof Vice-Provostof TeachingandLearningCatherineBolton,thisprojectsupportsinnovationinacademicprogrammingandstudentlearningexperiences.

Research Funding Highlights

• VanierDoctoralFellowships2013-14wereawardedtotwoConcordiastudents–StephanieHobbis,adoctoralstudentinSocialandCulturalAnalysis,andRachelJekanowski,adoctoralstudentinFilmandMovingImages.Theseprestigiousandhighlycompetitiveawardsarevaluedat$50,000peryearforthreeyears.Recipientsareselectedbasedonacombinationof academicexcellence,researchpotentialandleadership.

• DougVanNort,ascientistandprofessionalelectroacousticmusician,wasawardedaBantingPostdoctoralFellowship,valuedat$70,000peryearfortwoyears.Thereareonly70Bantingfellowshipsawardednationallyeveryyear.VanNort’sresearchinterestisindigitally-mediatedperformanceandthecreationof large-scaleeventsforpublicinvolvement,incorporatingexpertiseinartificialintelligence,signalprocessing,acousticsandpsychoacoustics,aswellasphilosophicalquestionsaroundtheprocessesunderlyingtheformationof sharedmeaning.ThisisConcordia’sfifthBantingawardinthethreeyearsof thecompetition’sexistence.

• VivianeNamaste,professorwiththeSimonedeBeauvoirInstituteandUniversityResearchChairinHIV/AIDSandSexualHealth(Tier3),hasreceivedagrantof $156,922overfouryearsfromtheCanadianInstitutesof HealthResearch(InfectionandImmunityInstitute).

• PERFORMiscurrentlyhosting16differentresearchprojectsinvariousstagesof implementation(includingfournewstudiesinitiatedsinceAugust2013).PERFORMhaspartneredwiththeJMSBExecutiveMBAprogramtodeliveratailoredexecutivewellnessmoduletoEMBAstudentsbasedonthelatestinworkplacewellnessresearch.

• InAugust2013,PERFORMsignedafive-yearagreementwithMcGill’sSchoolof PhysicalandOccupationalTherapythatpermitsPERFORMtosupervisephysiotherapyinternswithtwocurrentlyservingclinicalinternshipsintheAthleticTherapyClinic.

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ADVANCEMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS (AAR)

Annual Giving

• TheShuffle,Concordia’sannualfundraising6.5kmwalkathoninsupportof scholarshipsandbursaries,washeldonFriday,September27,2013.Morethan700shufflersraised$55,000(andcounting)instudentsupport.

• The2013-14AnnualGivingCampaign’sfirstappeal,whichhighlightedresearchatConcordiaandwassignedbyGrahamCarr,vice-presidentof ResearchandGraduateStudies,wasmailedto20,000alumniandparentsinmid-September.

Alumni Relations

• AlumniRelationsorganizedHomecoming2013,October3-6,towelcomebackgraduates.TheheadlineeventwastheResoluteForestProductsLecture,givenbyConcordiagradandjournalistMaziarBahari,BA93,onOctober4.

• HomecomingalsofeaturedclassreunionsforArtsandScience,FineArts,EngineeringandComputerScienceandJohnMolsonSchoolof BusinessonOctober5,whichculminatedwiththePresident’sHomecomingDinnerattendedby150alumni.AcasualbrunchtomeetBenoit-AntoineBacon,BA95,Concordia’sprovostandvice-presidentof AcademicAffairs,closedfestivitiesonOctober6.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Arena Renovation Update

• Constructioncontinuesforthe$7.75millionrenovationandupgradeproject.Whiletheprojectdeliverywasdelayedbytwoweeksduetotheconstructionstrike,completionof theprojectisexpectedbythethirdweekof October.Projectcostsarewithintheapprovedbudgetandplansareunderwayforanopeningceremony.

Student Information Systems (SIS) Project

• TheSISprojectcontinuestobeontrackaccordingtotheprojectplan.AChangeImpactAssessmentisbeingconductedtoidentifyandclassifyimpactsonprocesses,peopleandtechnology,andatrainingplanisbeingprepared.Itisestimatedthatabout2,000peoplewillneedtraining(excludingstudents).Currently,theoverallprojectisunderbudgetbyapproximately$3million,withnohighpriorityissuestoreportatthistime.

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Grey Nuns East Residence Renovation

• Constructionworkprogressesasplannedforthe$15.36millionrenovation.The355newresidencebeds,therenovatedcafeteriaandkitchen,andthe590newstudyseatsforthegeneralstudentpopulationwillbecompletedinApril2014.

HUMAN RESOURCES

• Collectivebargainingcontinuestobeapriority.

• Wereachedagreements-in-principlewithsevenunions.

• Productiveconversationscontinuewithotherunions.

OTHER GOOD NEWS

• Celebrating 30 years of research:Concordia’sCenterforStudiesinBehavioralNeurobiology(CSBN)iscelebrating30yearsof investigatingbehaviourandthebrain.Createdin1983byfourprofessorsfromtheDepartmentof Psychologywhospecializedinneuroscience,thecentrehassoughttodevelopanintegratedresearchandtrainingenvironmentthatbringsbehaviouralandscientificapproachestothestudyof addiction,motivationandreward.

• Concordia celebrates National Seniors Day:Eighty-four-year-oldsinger-actressGeraldineDoucetandeightotherhard-workingretireeswererecognizedataspecialeventheldatConcordiaonOctober1,NationalSeniorsDay.TheuniversitypartneredwithSeniorsActionQuebectoorganizeaninteractivepresentationfeaturingDoucetaswellasDaphneNahmiash,ClarenceBayne,UraGreenbaum,CatherineGilbert,BelvaThomas,VedVohra,PatriciaMcGurnaghan-PitreandHaroldGreenspon.ThevideoswereproducedbyCommunicationStudiesstudentsintheMobileMediaLab,workingwithProfessorKimSawchuk.

• Woman of Distinction:LindaKay,associateprofessorandformerchairof theDepartmentof Journalism,hasbeennamed2013’sWomanof DistinctioninCommunicationsbytheMontrealWomen’sYFoundation.Kay’s20-yearcareerasajournalist—shewastheChicagoTribune’sfirstfemalesportswriter—ledtoherappointmentatConcordiain2001.SheacceptedtheawardonSeptember30.

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• Inauguration of new exhibition space:TheFOFAGalleryunveileditssixthdistinctexhibitionspacecalledtheFOFAGalleryImageGridonOctober5.Locatedonthewestwallof thecourtyard,agridof hardwarehasbeeninstalledtoallowtheuniversitytofeaturelarge-scaledigitalprintworks.ThefirstworkchosenbydirectorjakemooreforpresentationonthegridisCurtain,Arlesfromtheseries,TheBookOfThingsIIbyCeliaPerrinSidarous.CeliaispursuinganMFAatConcordiawithaconcentrationinPhotography.

• Stingers:KeeganTreloar,athird-yearkickerwiththeConcordiaStingerswasnamedtheTheRéseaudusportétudiantduQuébec(RSEQ)footballconference’sSpecialTeamsPlayerof theWeekforhisoutstandingperformanceinhisteam’stough53-52overtimelosstotheMcGillRedmenonSeptember28.His50-yardfieldgoalearlyinthefirstquarteristhelongestintheCanadianInteruniversitySportconferencethisyear.The50-yardersetaConcordiarecord.Treloarhasa90-per-centsuccessrate–topsintheRSEQandsecondintheCanadianInteruniversitySport(CIS).

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