It’s always encouraging to have someone show you the ropes when starting a new job.

For incoming faculty at Queen’s University that helping hand comes in the form of the New Faculty Orientation Day, held Wednesday at Robert Sutherland Hall, where they were introduced to the many resources that are available to them, questions were answered and they were able to network with new colleagues.

The focus of the event, sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Faculty Recruitment and Support Program in the Faculty Relations Unit, is getting participants the information they need and fostering the connections to help them succeed in this latest path of their careers.

“New faculty orientation is hugely important because a new position is an investment in a future career, for both the new hire and the university,” says Jill Scott, Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning). “We want to extend a warm welcome to our new faculty by providing them with an overview of the resources available to them and where to go for more information when they need it.”

At total of 63 new faculty members have arrived at Queen’s since last year’s event. For many of the participants, this is their first faculty appointment. As a result, they may not have a foundation of experience at other institutions.

Throughout the day there were presentations about the support that is available from Information and Technology Services, Queen’s Library and Archives and Queen’s Communications, to name a few. There also were several panel discussions where the new faculty could gain clarification on any of the questions they may have heading into the fall term.

“It’s really helpful coming from a post-doctoral position where it’s mostly focused on research and publishing. I hadn’t really thought of any of the logistics required for a faculty member so it’s been a good opportunity to learn how the university works and the services that are available, as well as meeting some of the other new faculty,” says Robert Colautti, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology.

Looking ahead, he says the information gained at the orientation will certainly help him as he begins his time at Queen’s.

“It’s a bit daunting, overwhelming, all the things that need to be done but this provides some background knowledge that will save some time later on,” he says “If something comes up I know where to find the information.”

Queen’s University is known as one of the most beautiful campuses in Canada, and it’s not only because of the striking limestone buildings.

There also is a natural beauty to be found here in the trees and gardens that fill the grounds.

However, that beauty, the sweet fragrances and vibrant colours, doesn’t just happen. There is a massive amount of work and planning that goes into maintaining such a lofty standard.

From caring for ash trees more than 100 years old to planting brilliant beds of annuals to cutting the grass and watering planters, the spring, summer and fall mean a never-ending list of tasks for grounds manager Matthew Barrett, an International Society of Arboriculture-certified arborist who also studied at Niagara Parks School of Horticulture with a diploma in ornamental horticulture and completed an internship at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew in London, England.

Fortunately, Mr. Barrett points out, he has an excellent crew that he can rely on to keep Queen’s looking fabulous.

“I look at the university as a little city within the city. I went to school to learn how to maintain everything but it’s like a big park to me and I’m just here to guide things along and make sure that everything is looking good,” he says. “But a lot of it comes back to my crew too. I’ve got a really good crew. The grounds crew is really dedicated to the way the grounds look and really takes it personally.”

And it shows.

For the annual flower beds and planters, planning starts the year before and orders are placed at greenhouses to ensure the selected plants are ready at the right time. Then comes the actual planting, with thousands of plants being put into the ground by hand.

The beauty is not only found in the flowers. There is an amazing array of trees at Queen’s, some of which, Mr. Barrett says, are unlikely to be found elsewhere in Kingston or southeastern Ontario. That’s thanks in part to the microclimates that are created on campus by the buildings and proximity to Lake Ontario.

As an arborist, the collection of mature trees and the diversity of species are particularly special to Mr. Barrett.

“A lot of people don’t realize that we have an arboretum on campus around Summerhill,” he says. “There’s a lot of old, interesting trees within the arboretum that we’re trying to preserve and we’re trying to add new ones to keep the species diverse within that microclimate that we have there.”

Summerhill also is a favourite location for Mr. Barrett, which links him to Queen’s much longer than his three years in his current position. Growing up in Kingston, his mother worked at the university and he attended a number of Queen’s camps during the summers of his youth. Lunches were spent on the shaded green expanse of Summerhill, and helped draw him back to his hometown.

When it comes to the planning of the gardens, Mr. Barrett says that his team aims for originality and present something new each year for the Queen’s community and visitors to the university. The problem then becomes trying to top the year before.

It’s a lot of work but there are rewards.

“You’re trying to keep everyone guessing and thinking ‘Oh, what is that annual they are using this year?’ or ‘What is that flower?’” he says. “I think one of the most rewarding parts of the job is when people call and ask you planting questions or tree questions or what are the types of flowers you have planted in Agnes Benidikson field? It makes you realize that people are noticing what’s going on around campus and what the crews are doing and what I’m trying to help do.”

For Mr. Barrett and his crew each season brings new tasks, new chores that need to be done. Preparing the gardens and grounds in spring and then it’s a summer of trimming hedges, constant weeding and cutting the grass. Autumn means planting tulips and collecting the leaves that carpet the campus in hues or red, orange and yellow, a truly massive endeavour. And when that is all done, it’s time to start clearing the snow from the walkways and steps.

Looking ahead to next year, there are big plans for the university’s 175th anniversary.

Mr. Barrett says his team is looking to make a big splash, including carpet bedding, where logos and other designs can be made with flowers, as well as hanging baskets on the lampposts along University Avenue.

“I think it’s going to be an exciting year. We’ve got a lot of plans. We’ll be planting tulips and daffodils this fall for the 175th. Normally we do about 6,000-8,000 tulip bulbs, but this year we’re going to try to do 15,000-18,000 just to give it a nice pop and show for the 175th,” he says. “It’s a lot but it’s amazing what the crew can get done in a short amount of time.”

This article is published in the Aug. 11 edition of the Gazette. Pick up your copy of the newspaper at one of the many locations around campus.

A bronze bust of Sir Sandford Fleming may be a late arrival to the exhibition at Queen’s University marking the centenary of his death but it is a welcome addition nonetheless.

The piece was originally unveiled in 1907 during convocation and was created by Hamilton MacCarthy, a prominent sculptor of the day. The bust had been commissioned to mark Fleming’s 80^th birthday.

From the curls of his beard to the medals that adorn his chest, the bust clearly captures the grandeur of the man who served as chancellor of Queen’s from 1880 to his death in 1915.

The bust was created, after students raised the tidy sum of $700, as a “graceful commemoration of his eminent service” and was installed in Grant Hall.

Already well-known for his work on standard time, the Canadian Pacific Railroad as well as surveying and mapping large swathes of the nascent nation, Fleming also was warmly regarded by the students at the university, as was detailed in an account of the unveiling printed in the Queen’s Journal.

“As years pass Chancellor Fleming becomes more deeply endeared to the students and members of the governing bodies. His memory will long be kept fresh at Queen’s. But it is well that there should be about the halls some object to remind the students of the future of the wonderful man who did so much for Queen’s, for Canada and the whole British Empire,” the passage reads.

However, over the years the bust was removed from Grant Hall and was not included in the register of the university’s holdings.

It was brought to the attention of Alvan Bregman, curator, W.D. Jordan Special Collections and Music Library, by reference assistant Pam Manders and services coordinator Kim Bell who found it tucked away in a corner of Fleming Hall.

It is now on the register and is on recurring loan at Douglas Library.

“We think he’s great,” says Dr. Bregman. “It’s a great piece by one of the leading Canadian sculptors of monumental sculptures. And it’s large. It’s quite a splendid piece.”

The exhibition marking the 100^th anniversary of Fleming’s death features a multitude of items from collections at Queen’s. It continues through to the end of August. The W.D. Jordan Special Collections and Music Library is located on the third floor of the Douglas Library.

A planned power shutdown will affect the 400 and 500 levels in Stirling Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 18 between 7:30 am and 4 pm while contractors install a new circuit breaker and feeder for the research laboratory in Room 158.

Please note:

• There will be no power available for all electrical systems and lighting in the rooms on the 400 and 500 levels.
• The fire alarm system and emergency/exit lighting will not be affected.
• There will be no impact to the electrical service to other levels in the building and elevators will remain in operation.
• Occupants on the 400 and 500 levels should power down computers and equipment before leaving for the day on Monday, August 17.

Any questions or concerns regarding this shutdown should be directed to Fixit by phone at extension 77301 or by e-mail.