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Queen's University Library to launch new system and search tool for greater resource access

Tuesday November 12, 2019

Queen’s University Library, in partnership with 13 other Ontario university libraries, will launch a new library services platform and search tool on Dec. 10, 2019 as part of the Collaborative Futures project. The system will give students, faculty, and staff enhanced search capabilities and streamlined access to valuable resources at Queen’s and partner institutions.

The new search function – called Omni – is central to the new library system, replacing Summon and QCAT with a single tool for searching across Queen’s and the other library collections – providing access to more information resources and specialized content than ever before.

For more information, visit the Collaborative Futures Library Services Platform webpage.

Tags: Campus Community|Student Learning Experience

Set for a historic day for Queen’s

Monday November 11, 2019
By Andrew Willson, Senior Communications Officer

The installation of Patrick Deane as the 21st principal and vice-chancellor will celebrate Queen's through a mixture of old and new traditions.

Patrick Deane will be formally installed as principal and vice-chancellor on Nov. 12.

Since 1841, Queen’s has installed a new principal only 20 times. Tuesday, Nov. 12, then, will be a significant moment in the history of Queen’s, as Patrick Deane will be formally installed as the 21st principal and vice-chancellor.

This will be the first installation ceremony in 10 years, and so will be the first opportunity in that timespan for the Queen’s community to experience the traditions that come with installing a new principal and vice-chancellor. At the same time, it is also an opportunity for the community to experience Principal Deane’s new additions to the traditions of installation. Most notably, Principal Deane has changed the celebration that follows the ceremony. In the past, the ceremony has usually been followed by a small formal dinner. To make the celebration more inclusive of the Queen’s community, Principal Deane has decided instead to hold a reception in Ban Righ Hall that all are welcome to attend.

Dr. Deane is not the first principal to add new touches to installation. William C. Leggett, for example, decided to hold his 1994 installation ceremony in Jock Harty Arena instead of Grant Hall, where the event is usually held.

“The ceremony is a mixture of veneration of past traditions – bands, Gaelic regalia, Grant Hall’s splendour, the Queen’s chant – and usually a hint of things to come,” says Duncan MacDowall, University Historian and Adjunct Professor of History at Queen’s. “The challenge to an incoming principal is to send a message that shows respect for durable past values, but at the same time acknowledges present challenges and opportunities.”

While every new principal usually takes the opportunity to put their own stamp on the event, each installation ceremony shares several common features. The ceremony always takes place during fall convocation, when Queen’s tradition is already in the air. After the academic procession into Grant Hall, the chancellor leads the new principal through a pledge, in which they promise to “uphold the traditions and maintain the principles and purposes of Queen’s.” This pledge is followed by a brief robing ceremony, during which the new principal removes his personal academic gown and puts on the official regalia of the Queen’s principal. The newly-installed principal then gives a formal address to all those in attendance. Often this speech outlines their vision for the university and what they hope to achieve in their term as principal. 

Whenever Queen’s has the chance to install a new principal, it is always a momentous occasion. When George Monro Grant was installed in 1877, Sir John A. Macdonald was in attendance and the installation was greeted with “tremendous cheering, such as only students can give,” according to a contemporary account in the Queen’s Journal. Seen as significant addresses, the speeches that several principals have given upon installation have been published in the Queen’s Journal, broadcast by CFRC, and recorded on video. Principal Deane’s ceremony will be the first to be streamed live on Facebook.

Throughout Queen’s history, installation ceremonies have provided a chance for the university community to reflect on the school’s past and the significance of the role of principal. The program for the installation ceremony of James Alexander Corry opens with a page-long essay on the history of Queen’s from 1841-1961, focusing on how Queen’s had both grown significantly while also remaining true to its original values. Upon the installation of Ronald Lampman Watts in 1974, the university put up pictures of the previous principals around the campus accompanied by quotations from them.

Author Margaret Atwood speaking at a symposium accompanying David Smith's installation in 1984. (Queen's Archives.)

Installations have also been an occasion to start a conversation about the university’s future, sometimes in the company of influential public intellectuals. John James Deutsch and David Chadwick Smith both hosted symposiums to accompany their installations that were highlighted by prominent thinkers discussing pressing issues in higher education. Deutsch arranged for author Arthur Koestler and economist John Kenneth Galbraith to speak about “the ethics of change” in the context of the 1960s. And in 1984 Smith brought in author Margaret Atwood and scholar Jill Conway to debate the mission of the university. The Queen’s Archives, which holds a variety of material connected with past installations, has a full video of Atwood’s speech that can be viewed on their website.

The installation of Patrick Deane begins at 3:30 pm on Tuesday, Nov. 12. All members of the community are invited to watch a livestream of the ceremony on the Queen’s University Facebook page.

Tags: Campus Community

Ensuring fairness at Queen’s

Monday November 11, 2019
By Communications Staff

Changes to the Office of the University Ombudsperson are making guidance on policies and procedures more easily available for students, faculty, and staff.

Lavonne Hood started in the role of the university ombudsperson in August, 2019.

As a large and complex institution, Queen’s University has many policies and procedures in place that apply to students, faculty, and staff.  The Office of the University Ombudsperson helps to ensure that these rules are designed and administered to uphold fairness at the university.

After a recent external review of the office, the university has revised the role of the ombudsperson and updated the office’s terms of reference. Where the ombudsperson was previously perceived to serve as an advocate, primarily for students, the new terms clarify that they assist all Queen’s community members through awareness of their rights and help to ensure procedural fairness in university decision-making. In addition, the Office of the Ombudsperson is also offering training to faculty and staff at the university to help them understand best practices for procedural fairness. These sessions will help decision makers at Queen’s know what is required to ensure that the decision-making process is fair, and how to clearly explain their decisions and provide rationale in their decision letters.

The university has also chosen a new ombudsperson to inaugurate this revised role. Lavonne Hood started as the university ombudsperson in August, moving from her role as senior legal counsel at Queen’s, which she’d held since 2018. Prior to joining Queen’s, Hood worked in the Department of Justice as a legal counsel. In this role, she served as the co-chair of the Advisory Committee on Visible Minorities, earning both the individual and team National Awards for Employment Equity and Diversity Leadership from the Department of Justice for her efforts.   

Visit the new website for the Office of the University Ombudsperson.

“The ombudsperson plays an important role at Queen’s. In a complex higher education environment like ours, we need to make sure that everyone feels that our policies are fair and transparent. I believe that Lavonne Hood is perfectly suited for this work, and that she will help make Queen’s an increasingly equitable institution,” says Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane.

Joining Hood in the office are Kathryn Morrissey and Aimee Burtch. Morrissey is generally the first point of contact for those connecting with the office, and provides advisory support. Burtch is responsible for the office’s communications and outreach strategy, programs, and activities.

“Sometimes understanding policies and procedures can be overwhelming, especially for students who may be going through a tough time personally or academically. The Office of the University Ombudsperson can explain complicated policies to students, faculty and staff, and provides resources so that they can feel empowered to navigate through their matters. I am excited to be working as the university ombudsperson at Queen’s, as I believe that this role gives me the opportunity to make a real difference at the university,” says Hood.

To learn more about Hood, her team, and the services they provide, visit the new website for the Office of the University Ombudsperson.

Tags: Campus Community

Gaels win national women’s cross country title

Monday November 11, 2019
By Communications Staff
[Gaels hold up the USPORTS women's cross country banner]
Team members of the Queen's Gaels hold up the USports women's cross country banner after winning the national championship on Saturday in Kingston. 

After being ranked No. 1 throughout the entire U Sports season, the Queen’s Gaels came through on the final race of the year, claiming the national title.

On an action-packed Saturday afternoon, the host Gaels won their first U Sports Cross Country Championship at Fort Henry Hill in Kingston. The wind was strong and the snow lightly fell on the grass at the fort but the competition stayed strong throughout the afternoon.
 

Hometown hero Branna MacDougall (28:01.0) was the top placing Gael, finishing third behind winner Lucia Stafford (27:30.3) from Toronto and silver medalist Anne-Marie Comeau (27:44.2) from Laval.

“It feels amazing,” MacDougall said after claiming the national team title. “It’s a moment I’m never going to forget. It’s just so fulfilling and I'm really happy we could do this for (head coach) Steve (Boyd). He’s been through everything with us and I’m just really glad we could bring it home finally. I grew up here and I grew up with Steve as my coach, so it was really pretty emotional to see him so happy and know that we did this together.”

The Gaels’ title was a true team effort, with Kara Blair (28:17.3) and Brogan MacDougall (28:19.6) – younger sister to Branna – finishing in fourth and fifth place respectively, while Marley Beckett (29:08.3) came in 16th and Tori Bouck (29:29.7) came in 24th to round out the Gaels’ total 53 points. 

The Guelph Gryphons came in second place with 74 points and Laval earned the bronze at 96 points

In the men’s race, the Gaels placed seventh overall, with the Calgary Dinos taking the title for a second straight year.  Mitch de Lange led the way for Queen’s with a 10th-place result (31:09.8).

MEN’S RUGBY

The Queen's Gaels made it win 28 in a row and claimed their third straight OUA championship with a 27-18 win over the Guelph Gryphons.

The Gryphons pulled out to an early 15-5 lead but the Gaels struck back with a pair of tries from Sam Ibbotson and Trevor Helgason for a 17-15 lead at the half.

After a penalty kick put the visitors up by one, but a penalty kick in the 73rd minute by Dylan Young followed by Ibbotson second try just six minutes later sealed the win.

Tags: Campus Community

Microsoft Windows 7 reaches end of life January 2020

Thursday November 7, 2019

IT Services would like to share some important information about Microsoft’s Windows 7 Operating System (OS) which will reach end-of-life on Jan. 14, 2020. As of this date, Microsoft will no longer support the operating system, meaning there will be no further security updates, software updates, or technical support. For Windows 7 Without regular security patches and software updates, systems become an easy target for hackers, malware, and viruses. 

It is essential for individuals with devices running Windows 7 to upgrade their operating system in order to protect their own data and Queen’s University data. Any device that connects to the Queen’s network is required to run software for which security patches are made available in a timely fashion. After support for Windows 7 ends, any devices that continue running the operating system will no longer meet this requirement. 

What do I need to do? 

If you are currently running Windows 7, update your device to Windows 10 as soon as possible to ensure your system is secure before Jan. 14, 2020. IT Services has published an information page to provide direction and to address any questions you may have. 

What if I am unable to upgrade? 

If you are unable to upgrade your system to Windows 10 due to specialized applications or processes that are tied to Windows 7, you are required to obtain an approval by both your department and IT Services. IT Services will work with you and your department to find a solution that will ensure the continued safety of the Queen’s network and individual data. Visit the information page as it will provide direction on how to obtain approval and will answer any questions you may have. 

Does this only affect Windows 7? 

Windows 8.1 users are encouraged to take this opportunity to update to Windows 10 for convenience and to benefit from having the features that Windows 10 provides. Visit the information page for direction on upgrading your operating system. 

Questions? 

Contact the IT Services Support Centre during business hours at 613-533-6666 or via the Online Help Form to have your questions or concerns addressed. 

Tags: Campus Community

Queen’s shares new student residence design

Thursday November 7, 2019
By Dave Rideout, Senior Communications Officer

Kingston residents attend information session on proposed building, slated to open in 2022.

Rendering of the new residence design.
Construction of the new Albert Street residence is anticipated to start in the spring/summer of 2020.

The Kingston community got its second look at the conceptual designs for what will become Queen’s University’s newest student residence. An architectural model of the proposed structure was on display at a public information session event held Nov. 6 at Mitchell Hall, and guests were invited to ask questions related to the project’s development.

“It was a pleasure to have members of the Queen’s and Kingston community join us for a look at what is shaping up to be a promising new campus development,” says John Witjes, Queen’s Associate Vice-Principal (Facilities). “We appreciate all of the feedback we received on the design and look forward to engaging further with city residents to ensure the development process continues to be informative and transparent.”

The university’s Board of Trustees approved the residence business plan at its September 2019 meeting, and Queen’s is moving forward with initial plans to build a new five-story residence on the main campus. Current plans call for the building to have between 316 and 335 beds – a figure hinging on final interior designs – and to be ready for occupancy in September 2022. It will also target Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification – one of the most popular green building credential programs in the world – in line with the school’s commitment to sustainability.

The site, situated on Albert Street near its intersection with Union Street, was identified for residence development in the university’s 2014 Campus Master Plan and a 2019 analysis confirmed the property as the preferred site for a new residence. Queen’s has submitted a Site Planning Application to the City of Kingston in July 2019, to ensure that the project respects local land development standards.

Currently, five Queen’s-owned houses sit on the property. In consultation with city staff, the development plan includes the removal of three of the houses, and integration of the two southernmost structures into the design of the new residence building. The university is also committed to preserving boulevard trees along Albert Street. These efforts lend to the building blending into the neighbourhood look and feel.

This new residence facility will support modest undergraduate enrolment growth, as approved by the Queen's Senate in April 2019, and address deferred maintenance on existing residences.

“Queen’s remains committed to guaranteeing a residence experience for all of our first-year undergraduate students,” says Leah Wales, Executive Director of Housing and Ancillary Services. “The new residence will strengthen our capacity to do so, as well as create additional space to house students as the university works toward renovating existing residences.”

Construction is anticipated to start in the spring/summer of 2020, and updates on the process can be found on the Queen’s Housing website.

Tags: Campus Community

Queen's community hosting Remembrance Day ceremony

Wednesday November 6, 2019

The Queen’s community will gather in Grant Hall on Monday, Nov. 11 to mark Remembrance Day.

The service will start at 10:50 am, with doors opening at 10:30 am.

This year’s speaker is Major (Ret’d) Norma Jean Barrett, CD, JD, LLM.

All faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend. The event is also open to the Kingston community.

Classes are cancelled between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m

For those unable to attend a livestream of the event will be available.

To learn more about the Queen’s community’s contributions to the Canadian effort during First World War and Second World War, visit the Queen’s University Archives website.

A permanent exhibit of remembrance is also on display in the Memorial Room of the John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC).

Tags: Campus Community

United Way campaign tops 62.5 per cent of overall goal

Wednesday November 6, 2019

Launched on Oct. 1, the Queen’s United Way Campaign Committee has set a fundraising goal of $370,178 for this year’s campaign in support of United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington.

Thanks to the continued support of staff, faculty and retiree donations the campaign currently total $231,353, or 62.5 per cent of the final goal.

Last year, more than 58,000 people benefited from United Way KFL&A-funded programs.

Queen’s community members can back the United Way through payroll deduction, a one-time gift, credit card, cheque or cash. 

To make a donation online through the United Way’s ePledge system, simply go to queensu.ca/unitedway and fill out the forms. Please note that if you donated last year and selected the auto-renewal action, no further action is required unless you would like to change your donation. 

Tags: Campus Community

Honorary degrees at Fall Convocation recognize key contributions

Tuesday November 5, 2019
By Communications Staff

Queen’s University's 20th principal and Indigenous leaders among those being recognized during ceremonies.

The presentation of honorary degrees is one of the many traditions of convocation at Queen’s University. This fall, six recipients will be honoured during the ceremonies, including two during the installation ceremony of Patrick Deane as the 21st principal and vice-chancellor.

Honorary degree recipients are selected by Queen’s community members for their contributions to the local community, Canadian society, or the world.

The honorary degree recipients for Fall Convocation are:

Daniel Woolf
Installation Ceremony, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 3:30 pm
Daniel Woolf served for 10 years (2009-19) as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s and recently received the designation of Principal Emeritus. As principal, Dr. Woolf led the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history, initiated significant reforms to university governance and financial administration, improved town-gown relations, oversaw several major capital projects, and worked to make the university a national leader in student mental health. A graduate of Queen’s University (BA Hons 1980) and Oxford University (DPhil 1983), he is a specialist in early modern British intellectual and cultural history and in the global history of historical writing. He is the author of five books, most recently A Concise History of History (Cambridge University Press, 2019); a previous book, The Social Circulation of the Past: English Historical Culture c 1500-1730 (Oxford University Press, 2003) was awarded the John Ben Snow Prize by the North American Conference on British Studies in 2004 for the best book on British History pre-1800.

John Joseph Borrows
Installation Ceremony, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 3:30 pm
John Borrows is the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law at the University of Victoria Law School in British Columbia. He is the 2017 Killam Prize winner in Social Sciences; 2019 Molson Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts. John is Anishinaabe/Ojibway and a member of the Chippewa of the Nawash First Nation in Ontario, Canada. His publications include, Recovering Canada; The Resurgence of Indigenous Law (Donald Smiley Award for the best book in Canadian Political Science, 2002), Canada's Indigenous Constitution (Canadian Law and Society Best Book Award 2011), Drawing Out Law: A Spirit's Guide (2010), Freedom and Indigenous Constitutionalism (Donald Smiley Award for the best book in Canadian Political Science, 2016), The Right Relationship (with Michael Coyle, ed.), Resurgence and Reconciliation (with Michael Asch, Jim Tully, eds.), Law’s Indigenous Ethics (forthcoming) all from the University of Toronto Press.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde
Convocation Ceremony 1, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 10 am
Perry Bellegarde was re-elected for a second term as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations in 2018. Originally from Little Black Bear First Nation in Treaty 4 Territory, he has spent the past 30 years putting into practice his strong beliefs in the laws and traditions instilled in him by many Chiefs and Elders. Bellegarde has served in several elected leadership positions in First Nations governments. In 2018, he was recognized with the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, one of several recognitions. National Chief Bellegarde remains committed to building on the momentum created since his election in 2014. His national platform and agenda remains top priority and have directly influenced the federal government’s planning and priorities to date.

Margaret Murphy
Convocation Ceremony 2, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2:30 pm
Following the death of her son as a result of medical error, Margaret Murphy has been actively involved as a patient safety advocate. She is the External Lead Advisor, WHO Patients for Patient Safety (a network of 400 patient safety champions from 52 countries with 19 collaborating organizations). The focus of her work relates to seeing adverse events as having the potential to be catalysts for change as well as being opportunities for learning, identifying areas for improvement and preventing recurrence. She promotes this viewpoint at local, national and international levels as an invited presenter to conferences, hospital staffs and students.  Her area of particular interest is education as a vehicle to achieve sustainable culture change.

Ann Dowsett Johnston
Convocation Ceremony 6, Friday, Nov. 15, 10 am
Ann Dowsett Johnston is the bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol for which she has received numerous awards including the Transforming Lives Award from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the American Research Society on Addiction’s Media Award, and the T.A. Sweet Award from the Ontario Psychiatric Association for helping address stigma related to mental health and addiction. Winner of seven National Magazine awards, Dowsett Johnston spent much of her journalistic career at Maclean’s magazine where she is best known as the founding editor of the Maclean’s Guide to Canadian Universities. Dowsett Johnston started her journalism career straight out of Queen’s University as a researcher at Maclean’s. Dowsett Johnston has also held the position of Vice-Principal of McGill University, overseeing development, alumni and university relations.

Murray SinclairSenator Murray Sinclair
Convocation Ceremony 7, Friday, Nov. 15, 2:30 pm
Senator Murray Sinclair served the justice system in Manitoba for over 25 years. He was the first Aboriginal judge appointed in Manitoba and Canada’s second. He served as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in Manitoba and as Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). As head of the TRC, he participated in hundreds of hearings across Canada, culminating in the issuance of the TRC’s report in 2015. He also oversaw an active multi-million dollar fundraising program to support various TRC events and activities, and to allow survivors to travel to attend TRC events. He served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Manitoba. Senator Sinclair has received honorary doctorates from a dozen Canadian universities. He was appointed to the Senate on April 2, 2016.

FALL CONVOCATION
Fall Convocation begins on Tuesday, Nov. 12 with the Principal’s Installation Ceremony and will continue from Wednesday, Nov. 13 to Friday, Nov. 15. There will be two ceremonies on Wednesday and Friday (10 am and 2:30 pm) and three ceremonies on Thursday (10 am, 12:30 pm, and 3 pm).

All ceremonies are being held at Grant Hall.

Live ceremony feeds will begin approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled start of each ceremony.

More information about convocation at Queen’s is available on the website of the Office of the University Registrar, including a full schedule of the ceremonies.

Tags: Campus Community

Queen’s remembers Kevin Kellar

Tuesday November 5, 2019

The Queen’s community is remembering Kevin Douglas Kellar, a member of Physical Plants Services, Grounds Crew. He died at home on Oct. 23.

“We were saddened to learn of the unexpected passing of Kevin Kellar, says Larry Pattison, Director, Engineering and Operations, Physical Plant Services. “ He was a long-serving member of the Physical Plant Services Grounds Team.  Kev will be remembered as a hard worker with a big smile and a positive attitude. He was proud of his family, especially his young grandson. Kev was a dedicated outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish. Kev was a reliable friend and his absence is keenly felt by his co-workers.”

A funeral service is being held Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 11 am in the funeral home chapel of Trousdale Funeral Home in Sydenham.

A family obituary is available online.

 

Tags: Campus Community

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