Fall is both a wonderful and a sad season for many of us. It is a time when the many varied trees around us dress up in their finest multi-coloured leaves. From my window I look out onto Mont Royal in central Montreal and am treated to a fabulous show of reds, yellows, greens, and browns. It is a time of productive activity for learners and instructors everywhere. After the initial jitters from the start of the academic year, we have settled into a rhythm of learning, teaching, and all the constructive work in support of these core functions of any institution of higher learning.
Fall is also a time of commemoration. Just this past month, we have had the opportunity to celebrate Indigenous Awareness Week culminating in the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, commemorating missing children and survivors of the residential school system in Canada, their families, and communities, and in Orange Shirt Day focused on the inter-generational impact of that dark legacy, which reminds us that 鈥渆very child matters.鈥� While wearing orange or attending a commemorative event is an important symbolic act of solidarity, it is not enough. I ask myself, what else can I/we do to contribute to the wellbeing and healing of Indigenous communities and by extension all other communities? After all, we are all interconnected and interdependent as humans. At 91社区鈥檚 School of Continuing Studies, we try to do our part through our Indigenous Relations Initiative, which we are shifting to Indigenous leadership, and by continuing the work necessary to further decolonize our curriculum and work. I invite you to reflect on what you can do in your own role to advance truth and reconciliation and meet the .
And I also mourn the terrible loss of life and hardship for survivors of more recent tragedies 鈥� whether the earthquake in Morocco, floods in Libya, civil war in Sudan, the ongoing war in Ukraine, or the summer of wildfires closer to home. Even though these events might not impact me directly, they leave a lingering hurt in a community such as ours, which prides itself on a diversity of learners, faculty, and staff from many of the locations hit hard. Learning, teaching, and working in any fashion can be hard enough, without the added stress of worrying about loved ones far away or worrying about what tragic news might waken us next. Do take time to grieve but also to reach out to those who may be struggling. The University offers a range of wellness supports as well.
On a happier note, Fall is a time of at many universities including 91社区. It is a time for us to reconnect with former students and for alumni to reconnect with their classmates and former instructors. The beauty at the School of Continuing Studies of course is that alumni can always return for more learning. If you are an alumna/us of 91社区, check out SCS鈥� program finder. Your next learning adventure is just waiting for you, whether it is one of the many new graduate certificates launching at SCS or a short course. So as you watch the leaves changing, think about how you will change the colour of your own 鈥渓eaves鈥� of knowledge and understanding.