Dear Members of the Bishop’s Community,

Every child matters.

It is deeply disturbing to learn of the deaths of 215 Indigenous children through the discovery of their remains on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia.

This tragedy reminds us of the devastating effects residential schools had, and continue to have, on Canada’s Indigenous peoples and on our entire country.

Calls to Action 71-76 of the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report urge all levels of government to work with the Indigenous communities to develop strategies and procedures to uncover residential school cemeteries so we may all understand the magnitude of these horrific events and commemorate and honour the deceased children.

May we uncover each child’s story and tell them forcefully.

As all Canadians should be, we are outraged and profoundly sorry. We will lend support to those individuals in our community who are in need.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support to former students and those affected. The number to call is 1-866-925-4419.

Our counseling services are open to all students: https://www.ubishops.ca/mental-health

The Employee Assistance Program is available to faculty and staff:
Employee Assistance Program

We will be lowering our flags today for 215 hours beginning on Monday, May 31 to remember the children who did not return home to their parents.

Michael Goldbloom, C.M.
Principal and Vice-Chancellor

A statement was issued today by some members of the Indigenous Cultural Alliance at Bishop’s University denouncing systemic racism on campus and calling for change.

“As Principal of the University I want to reaffirm our commitment to continuing our efforts to address systemic racism in our institution and to advance equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of Bishop’s”, said Michael Goldbloom C.M., Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Bishop’s University.

“These are important and at times difficult and painful discussions and we are determined to pursue them in a climate of candor and mutual respect,” the Principal adds.

“Last fall, we established a Joint Board and Senate Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion which has broad representation from across the University. The Task Force issued a preliminary report in December 2020,” he indicates.

“Its first recommendation was that we should hire a Special Advisor on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion whose mandate will be to foster a university environment where individual differences are recognized, embraced and valued. The recruitment process is underway,” the Principal concludes.

“I am confident that as the Task Force continues its work it will identify additional actions that the University must take in order to ensure that we are the truly inclusive institution we aspire to be.”

“The acknowledgement and condemnation of systemic racism at Bishop’s University is a driving force behind the work of the Joint Board-Senate Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. As Co-Chair of this Task Force, I am committed to the active dismantling of all barriers that keep our institution from becoming as equitable, diverse, and inclusive as it can be,” said Dr. Jenn Cianca.

“Barriers are present not only in terms of race-based inequities, but also among other equity-deserving groups, including those experiencing discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious practice, and ability. The Task Force is examining all policies, frameworks, and structures that contribute to barriers to all equity-deserving groups at Bishop’s University,” Dr. Cianca continues.

“I am hopeful that the work of the members of the Task Force, in open and respectful dialogue with the Bishop’s community at large, will help move us towards a community of belonging of which we may all be proud”, she concludes.

Students currently in your 1st and 2nd year! Are you interested in fostering student success here at Bishop’s? Developing your leadership skills? Earning some money while doing it?

Apply now to be a 2022-23 Stadelman Fellow!

This work experience operates on a student-staff-faculty partnership model, which means it is open to your input for how it is designed. There are therefore no concrete role responsibilities yet- that is to be determined by your interests, competencies, and how those fit with identified needs on campus.

Past projects have included mapping out leadership opportunities across campus, filming short videos that supported academic success during the switch to online-learning in 2020, taking inventory of financial supports and working with staff to increase accessibility to financial support information, and supporting the organization and marketing of the annual BU Leadership Retreat.

Criteria

How to apply: please send the following (pdf) in an email to Katie Bibbs

1. Letter of intent: maximum 500 words about yourself (tell us what you think is important!)
2. CV

Email: kbibbs@ubishops.ca

Deadline to apply: September 16th, 2022

All candidates will be contacted to let them know whether they have been asked for an interview. Interviews will take place between September 21 and 22.

Rocky Mountain Adaptive, based in Canmore, Alberta, promotes opportunities for individuals of all ages with physical or neurodivergent (intellectual, cognitive, or developmental) disABILITIES to participate in the unique sporting and adventure activities of the Rockies.

RMA facilitates programming ranging from multi-week programs to single day lessons and experiences and provides opportunities for both locals and tourists from around the world to access its programs.

This video provides a glimpse into RMA and the organization in general:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvFqmZ1qJdQ&feature=youtu.be

Internship

RMA is inviting applications to join their team in Canmore, Alberta, for three months in the summer of 2021, and then through six credits of Experiential learning courses at Bishop’s in Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 semesters.

Funding

Value: $12,000. Funding awarded can be applied against tuition, fees, books and a stipend for the internship / independent study project, as well as the summer work experience at RMA in Alberta.

Eligibility:

The successful intern has to be returning to Bishop’s to continue his/her studies in the 2021-2022 academic year, during which time they will complete 6 credits of an experiential Learning courses (Fall/Winter).

1. Applicants must have completed at least 30 credits at Bishop’s and must be returning to Bishop’s University full time in the 2021-2022 academic year.
2. Applicants must be in good academic standing throughout the internship.
3. Applicants should have an interest in sports and recreation but need not be “athletes”.  Experience and/or interest in teaching sports will be considered an asset.
4. Applicants should demonstrate a willingness to understand or have a pre-existing interest in accessibility issues as they relate to individuals of all ABILITIES partaking in all aspects of society including sports and recreational activities.
5. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of Canada.

Schedule

• June – August: At RMA in Canmore to work with the RMA team, collect data.
• September – April: 6 credits of Experiential Learning at Bishop’s University. The course code will reflect the student’s degree area (3 credits) and ELP (Experiential Learning Internship / Placement) 300 (3 credits). The appropriate Dean and Chair will determine the supervisor for ELP 300.

Possible student projects

Applicants should submit a proposal that suggests ways to enhance RMA’s impact on the community in general, and on the disABLED in particular. Project proposals will be evaluated by the Selection Committee on the basis on their alignment with RMA’s mission.  The successful intern will have flexibility to modify and adjust the proposed project based on field work at RMA over the summer and in collaboration with RMA staff.

Projects could entail:

1. A proposal of a marketing / fundraising campaign for RMA.
2. A review of existing disABLED sports and recreation programs available in Canada vis-à-vis successes and failures.
3. A proposal for a path forward to make RMA a Canadian (International) Centre of Excellence.
4. The development of comprehensive internal and external Communications Plans for RMA and the subsequent execution of said plan.
5. Development of metrics and key performance indicators (KPI) to evaluate RMA program effectiveness.
6. Development of a diversity plan to make sports and recreational activities accessible to individuals of all abilities (to include, but not limited to senior/elderly individuals, Indigenous peoples, new Canadians) while maintaining RMA’s primary goal of providing these opportunities to individuals of various disABILITIES.

Application Process

We are currently receiving applications for the 2021-2022 internship until February 28th 2021.

Your application package should include three documents:

1. A letter of introduction (maximum 2 pages) in which you outline how you feel that your life experiences, goals for the future and personal development, align with this mission and philosophy?
2. In a separate proposal (maximum 2 pages), outline the project you wish to pursue in support of RMA’s objectives in general terms, with the understanding that the on-site / field component of your time at RMA headquarters will further define the nature and goals of your project.
3. Please include a CV and two letters of reference from Bishop’s professors.

Applications should be submitted as three PDF files to Dr. Claire Grogan, Associate Vice-Principal Academic, c/o Jimmy Couturier at jcouturi@ubishops.ca.

Bishop’s University is delighted to offer a Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation – Hugh Cowans Scholarship towards post-graduate study in the United Kingdom for the 2021-2022 academic year.

This scholarship is made possible thanks to a generous donation by the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation to Bishop’s University in honour of Hugh Cowans and his service to the Foundation.  Mr. Cowans graduated from Bishop’s in 1970 with a BA in History.

Eligibility:

The scholarship will be awarded to a graduating student with a minimum cumulative average of 85% who wishes to broaden his/her horizons by studying in a UK graduate program for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Preference will be given to educational opportunities at UK universities ranked among the top 100 universities in the world as per the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Successful applicants will be expected to begin their studies in the term for which they have received their scholarship. Deferrals will not be permitted.

Application:

Interested students should submit a curriculum vitae and a Letter of Intent (maximum 2 pages) in which they provide a detailed description of their intended course of graduate study and a compelling case for receiving the award.

Applications should be directed to Principal Goldbloom, C/o Denise Lauzière at denise.lauziere@ubishops.ca to arrive no later than 12:00 noon on February 15th, 2021.

The results of the 2020 Common Final Examination (CFE) of chartered professional accountants were released last November 1,183 Quebec candidates succeeded at this national examination, being one step closer to obtaining their CPA designation. Nineteen Williams School of Business alumni did the exam. Bishop’s University is beyond ecstatic to announce that, for the second year in a row, our graduates have excelled and managed to get a perfect score, with all our alumni passing the exam.

Congratulations to:

• Christos Nikolaos Lembessis ’17
• Gabrielle Thuot ’17
• Rachel Abbott ’18
• Nicolas Côté ’19
• Christine Gauthier ’18
• Courteney Magwood ’18
• Amanda Moore ’18
• Tyler Jensen Smith, MAcc ’19
• Maude Archambault ’19
• Dominic Breton-Veillette ’19
• Xavier Daigneault ’19
• Mathieu Demers ’19
• Elizabeth Gauthier ’19
• Vincent Porlier ’19
• Jonathan Rousseau ’20
• Berthier Tanguay ’19
• Rebecca Vezina ’19
• Angus McAlpine ’14
• Karly Ziebarth ’17

Knowing that the national passing rate is 75%, we can be very proud of Bishop’s Accounting program. Our alumni are unanimous to say that the strong academic foundation they received at Bishop’s was a key part of their success. Maude Archambault ’19 largely attribute her success to her academic experience at Bishop’s: “Dedicated professors, unwavering support from staff combined with personalized and pertinent learning opportunities is what this program offers. It guarantees students the ultimate preparation for the CPA program, exam and professional life. Our professors ensured that we were prepared for a professional career not only conceptually in class, but also allowing us to manage projects with real companies. A CPA program is rigorous and demanding, but my time at Bishop’s was essential in passing the exam.”

Tyler Smith ’19 is immensely grateful for his unique educational journey at the Williams School of Business: “The BBA Accounting at Bishop’s has helped me tremendously in pursuing a Masters of Accounting (MAcc), in preparing for and writing the CPA Common Final Exam (CFE), and in the early stages of my career at PwC. Bishop’s approach of case study-based learning is something I took for granted in the moment, but after speaking to classmates, colleagues and fellow CFE writers realized how unique and special it was, and how fortunate I am. The professors truly engage you and invest in you from day 1 and will support you through your CPA journey.”

Senior Instructor Nathalie Hivert is not surprised by the success of our graduates: “At Bishop’s, we are fortunate to have small classes, which allows us to organize formative projects such as practical work with real companies, learning by project and participation in case competitions. Our students not only develop their theoretical knowledge, but also their practical skills, thus bringing added value to their organization. Bishop’s community is unique. It allows our students to grow and build a solid system of values ​​based on open-mindedness, mutual aid and solidarity. With their technical skills and their qualities of heart, our students and graduates will become CPAs capable of changing the world and making it better.”

Happy New Year to Everyone,

We trust that you all had a chance to rest and relax over the break.

As you know, the Government of Quebec has announced that effective January 9 the current pandemic lockdown restrictions are extended until February 8 as well as an overnight curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

We are confident we can continue to collectively offer a stimulating and challenging roster of courses at Bishop’s, while respecting these new restrictions.

For the majority of students and faculty, classes will resume on January 18.

The conditions established when we first entered a Red Zone remain in effect:

• All classes scheduled to be delivered online will continue to be delivered online.
• All classes and hybrid ‘sections’ of courses that are currently scheduled to meet in person will begin online, except for the following courses which will continue their in-person offering:

• Students who have registered for in-person sections of hybrid classes may remain online even if/when the instructor offers the in-person section of the course later this term (depending on public health directives).
• However, if the region goes into Orange or Yellow, professors could opt to remain online only or to go hybrid, meaning that the course could have an in-person section as well as an online section. However, as indicated above, no student will be required to come to campus, but will be able to continue online if that is their preference.
• In-person night classes will continue to run despite the curfew. Students enrolled in such classes may obtain a letter of attestation from the course instructor.
• The curfew prohibits student use of LLC after 7:30 p.m. unless participating in one of the exempted in-person classes listed above. It is not possible to access an online class after 7:30 p.m. from the LLC.
• Education practica will continue. The School of Education will communicate with students directly about details regarding changes to practicum start dates, etc.
• Community-based experiential learning, internships and COOP placements will continue unless the host organization is unable to host our students, in-person or virtually. All COVID-19 related safety measures must be respected by the host organization for all internships.
• All office hours will be virtual.
• The Arts and Science Help Centre is available at mgallich@ubishops.ca.
• The Library Learning Commons (LLC) is currently open for remote support only. The circulation services at the main service desk will remain open. The Writing Centre will continue to offer its services virtually.From January 18th the LLC will be open for in-person access to support your studies, teaching and research. Only seating for individual study will be available. This includes group study rooms, fishbowls and booths/banquettes. No group work or study will be allowed.The LLC will close at 7:30 p.m. to respect the curfew.Procedural masks will be required while circulating inside all buildings, in all locations in the Library Learning Commons, and by students and professors in classrooms, even while seated. The University will supply procedural masks to everyone.

Anyone entering campus must also complete the daily SAFEGaiter Self-Assessment

Wishing you all the best as we embark on a New Year and semester.

Dr. Miles Turnbull, Vice-Principal Academic & Research

Dr. Claire Grogan, Associate Vice-Principal Academic

Your student record can include two types of addresses: a permanent and/or a local address. It is always important to keep your address information up to date. You can future-date an address.

If you’re temporarily living somewhere other than the address recorded as your permanent (perhaps a local Sherbrooke / Lennoxville address), it is to your advantage to ensure this other (local) address is recorded as your mailing address. Otherwise, you may experience unwanted delays in getting important mail.

How to instructional video: https://ensemble.ubishops.ca/Watch/Jr8t2EQn

Dear BU Community Members,

Never has the Centraide motto of “Show your local love” been more critical. In the campus community and beyond, COVID-19 has increased the demand for all that Centraide supports: moving people from poverty to possibility, helping kids, and building community. More than ever, Bishop’s University is proud to support the Centraide charitable fundraising campaign, which supports local organizations such as the Lennoxville Youth Centre and Lennoxville & District Women’s Centre. As in past years, 5% of the donations will return to Bishop’s University to support students in need.

On behalf of Principal Goldbloom and this year’s Centraide organizing committee, we would like to invite all members of the Bishop’s community to the virtual Centraide Campaign Launch, November 18th, 10 AM, on Zoom. (To obtain the Zoom link, meeting ID and passcode, please see the email sent to notices.)

We will be joined by Centraide Estrie’s Annual Campaign Director, Marie-Claude Landry.

We look forward to seeing many of you at this event!  It will be recorded for later viewing.

Sonia Patenaude,
Coordinator – Conferences Services – Centennial Theatre

Kerry Hull,
Dean of Science

Denise Lauzière,
Chief of Staff, Principal’s Office

Dear Bishop’s Community,

The University takes the challenges faced by all members of our community during this exceptional global pandemic very seriously. The University is committed to supporting the entire community as much as possible.

We write to inform you of a series of decisions made by the University’s Senate on October 30, 2020. First, a majority of Senate members voted in favour of the following motion made by the Vice-President Academic of the Students’ Representative Council: The University will extend the availability of the Pass/Fail (P/F) option for all courses for the Fall 2020 semester, in a manner akin to the Spring 2020 semester.

This means that professors will continue with numerical grading for the remainder of the semester. Final grades will be submitted by December 20, 2020. Once grades have been submitted, a student could request to convert a passing numerical grade to a PASS. Numerical grades below the relevant passing threshold will be converted automatically to FAIL on the transcript. This approach will ensure that all students receive a numerical grade but may then choose to opt for a PASS grade if so desired.  As outlined in the Academic Calendar, students must complete all course requirements (e.g., assignments, group activities, quizzes and exams) to the best of their ability to be eligible for this Pass-Fail option. Along with the Students’ Representative Council, the University is committed to ensuring that students are fully aware of the potential negative repercussions of selecting to convert a numerical grade to a PASS. For example, students considering applying for graduate school or a professional program, especially competitive ones, should probably not avail themselves of this option.

The Senate’s decision emerged after serious and thoughtful discussion and wide consultation of students, full and part-time Faculty and teaching Librarians, as well colleagues from other universities in Quebec and in the Maple League. The University believes that the Senate’s decision aligns with Bishop’s beliefs and values about a student-centered approach to a liberal education. We are in the middle of a global pandemic: nothing about this semester is normal or easy for anyone. The Students’ Representative Council’s survey of all students highlights that young people are struggling with issues of mental health and loneliness and are overwhelmed with the realities and workload of studying online. At Bishop’s, we believe that we must remain agile, compassionate and responsive to make decisions to support our students and see them through to graduation.

The University and the Students’ Representative Council believe that a multi-pronged approach to alleviating student stress and anxiety during this exceptional COVID-19 academic year will be most effective. Consequently, the Senate also voted on a variety of other measures to help alleviate student stress and anxiety:

1. The deadline for withdrawing from courses (the WP deadline) will be extended to the last day of classes;
2. No student will be required to withdraw from the University or from any program because of their fall 2020 academic results;
3. The start of the University’s Winter Semester will be delayed by one week to give students an extended break, to facilitate any required quarantining and to allow faculty and staff more time to prepare for the Winter Semester.

The University will continue to help Faculty to identify ways to adapt their teaching and assessment to be flexible and responsive to student needs and stress while maintaining academic standards and the integrity of a Bishop’s degree. We also aim to identify new strategies for supporting students’ technical challenges and for addressing their needs for authentic interaction and engagement in and outside of classes.

Increased support for Faculty will focus on helping them manage the stress and increased workload experienced in this challenging academic year.  Additional measures in support of teaching and learning will be announced soon.

The University and the Students’ Representative Council wish to acknowledge and express profound appreciation for Faculty and staff efforts during this challenging academic year.

Sincerely,

Miles Turnbull, Vice-Principal Academic & Research
Georges-Philippe Gadoury-Sansfaçon, Vice-President Academic, Students’ Representative Council