Rector’s Report to Board of Trustees Nicholas Francis December 7th, 2012 rector@queensu.ca
Here are the four updates included in my report:
1. 2. 3. 4.
High table dinners Fall convocation ceremonies Corporation versus Academy Debate Public Lectures on Queen’s History
High table dinners are an important part of the first year student experience at Queen’s for those living in residence and off-campus. The event is organized by the residence don and is generally a formal dinner with an exquisite buffet. I have been fortunate to be invited to quite a few of these dinners this term to speak words of wisdom to new students. It always strikes me at how incredibly ambitious and driven our newest students are. We continue to attract the best and the brightest and attending these dinners has acted as a positive reminder of why we must perform good governance over this amazing institution.
Recently, we had a visit from past President of the United States Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter for our fall convocation ceremonies. They brought with them a collection of influential Canadian and American individuals. It was an absolutely humbling experience to share the stage with the past President and his wife. They gave fantastic and eloquent speeches that delivered valuable lessons to the graduates. Both Dr. Carter and Mrs. Carter spoke of peace and humanity, which was inspiring coming from two individuals who exemplify the words they speak in their everyday lives. At the end of President Carter’s speech, he spoke positively about the nation of Canada and its people with his last words stating, “Canada, we love you.” A roaring applause endured and the spirit in Grant Hall was high. A man who deserves much recognition for bringing Dr. Carter and his wife to Queen’s is Arthur Milne, a local reporter who strongly admired the past President since he was a student at Queen’s. I am planning to host an on-campus debate next term on the topic, “Is Queen’s University an Academy or a Corporation?” My hope is to invite a few professors and students on both sides of the issue to debate whether we should be one or the other in a public forum. If you are interested in participating or know of individuals who may be, please let me know.
The last item to report on is the possibility of a public lecture series on the topic of “Queen’s history”. Our university’s history is magnificent and has strong roots in the history of our country. There are many students who would benefit from learning more about the development of Queen’s over time and all those who played a role in its journey to where we are now. Faculty members and administrators may also enjoy the opportunity to hear and see how Queen’s has manifested itself in Canada and the world. This would be timely as we currently have a historian authoring the third volume of Queen’s history and we are getting closer to the 175th birthday of Queen’s University. My hope is involving some of the retirees of Kingston and members of our Queen’s community who served over a great length of time and could bring life to the vast history of this school.
Princeps Servusque Es, Be a leader and a servant, Nicholas Francis