Karen, Lindsey Kull, and I recently had the privilege of participating in a presentation and panel discussion at the University Council’s annual general meeting, led by Dr. Wendy Craig. Dr. Craig shared the work being done at Queen’s in enhancing community-driven engagement to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The in-person gathering is fast approaching. While much has been written previously about the background to these in-person gatherings, with the benefit of experience of more in-person gatherings since they began in 2022, ALT recently discussed the value of these gatherings.

As I put pen to paper, I realize it is difficult to follow last week’s ALTogether Now newsletter which spoke to the Nov. 2 announcement of the transformational $100-million gift and new name for Queen’s Engineering. The generosity and the vision of Stephen Smith cannot be understated. Gifts like this represent evolution and revolution, and they represent the future of what is possible when a donor is inspired by an institutional vision.

Last Thursday was such an extraordinary day! Principal Deane announced a new name for the university’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science in honour of a historic $100-million gift by leading Canadian financial services entrepreneur and philanthropist Stephen J. R. Smith, who earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Queen’s in 1972. 

A couple of years from now, I suspect people will look back on 2023 as a great year for data at Queen’s, a new beginning, perhaps. In May, the Queen’s Senior Leadership Team endorsed a university-wide Enterprise Data Strategy (EDS), recognizing the opportunity to use data as a strategic asset across the academy.  

Over the past year or so, we’ve talked a lot about the pros and cons of working in a hybrid or remote environment. We’ve also spent a lot of time discussing ways to enhance communication between our teams and across Advancement in general. At Advancement Leadership Team (ALT), we often talk about how we can improve the effectiveness of our own communications with broader Advancement staff. Our chief vehicle for communicating with everyone is the ALTogether Now newsletter.

As Homecoming 2023 approaches, I’m pleased to share this newsletter article with you just a few days before the festivities begin. The past three years have brought their fair share of challenges and transformations to our Homecoming experience.