Farewell From Joseph Doucet

Dear Colleagues, 

As I approach the final days of my term as Interim College Dean and Vice-Provost for this remarkable college, I find myself filled with an overwhelming sense of pride and appreciation. Reflecting back over the past two years, I am proud of all that has been accomplished by our staff and faculty and the perseverance that has been shown through challenging times. 

Each of you has played an important role in shaping our college into what it is today and what it will be in the future. Our shared commitment to academic excellence, the student experience and challenging our boundaries of knowledge as a college has been a privilege to witness.

As we welcome Dr. Marvin Washington, I am confident that the future of the College is in great hands. His enthusiasm and commitment to our college is exciting to see. Marvin dreams big and is ready to help lead this college, while providing stability and guidance as we approach the next phase of our college journey.

As I bid farewell, I want to thank you for trusting me and for believing in our college and our university. May you all continue to make a positive impact in your work and beyond. We must always remember that the work done in our college directly impacts the lives of so many and our success is due to the talents and efforts of our wonderful teams.

Sincerely,

Joseph Doucet

Honouring National Indigenous History Month 

In honour of National Indigenous History Month — an opportunity to celebrate and recognize the history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples in Canada — we wanted to share some recent stories from our College that are relevant to this important month:

PhD student wins trio of awards for first poetry collection: Dene and Métis poet Matthew James Weigel has been recognized for Whitemud Walking, a genre-defying journey through Edmonton’s history of colonization.

Mentorship program supports Indigenous students on their law school journey: alumna Justice Cheryl Arcand-Kootenay has embraced the opportunity to be an active and supportive role mode.

U of A anthropology students digging up Métis history: Unique field school explores Historic River Lots in St. Albert and offers the public a peek into the world of archaeology, too.

Aspiration and ‘aunties’ lift Indigenous law grad all the way to the Supreme Court: Casey Caines graduated with an offer to clerk for Canada’s first Indigenous justice — and a determination to be an advocate for First Nations peoples.

Office of Research

Supports for Grant Applications for Research and Creative Activity (5 Minute Video)

Click on the above for a short video on the supports available for research grant applications. For a copy of the slides, click here, and for a one-page contact list, click here.

Office of Education

Getting to Know... Vanessa!

We had the chance to chat with Vanessa Grabia, Director, Office of Education. Scroll down to learn about her role, her goals and more.

How long have you been with the University of Alberta?

I've been working at the University for 20 years. I started out in University Governance working with GFC committees, then moved on to working in departments. I first worked in Modern Languages and Cultural Studies in Arts for 4 years, followed by 10 years in Education before joining the College. I also did my undergraduate degree at the U of A (BA majoring in Comparative Literature), so I've spent more than half of my life on campus!

Can you tell us a little about what it means to be Director of the Office of Research?

As Director of the Office of Education, I oversee a team of six who are responsible for consolidated student services that include aspects of student services that are not program specific. The team currently provides support to our College’s four faculties in the areas of academic integrity, course scheduling and timetabling, and student systems. We work closely with our colleagues in the faculties and departments to support their work and to create connections with others across the College.

What are your goals for the Office of Education over the next year?

Over the coming year, the Office of Education will continue to focus on building relationships within the College and networks across campus. We will also be working on the ongoing evolution of processes and supports that we provide to continue to improve the experiences of students, staff and instructors.

Lastly, how would you describe yourself in one word?

Curious. I like to ask questions, learn backgrounds, and hear stories and experiences to understand how we got "here,” wherever "here" might be!

College News

Are you keeping up with the latest College news? Please visit our College News and Notices page as we highlight some of the amazing people, research and success stories in our College.