Chair's report - June Board meeting
This report contains general updates and a summary of the topics discussed at open session of the June 27 Board meeting. Items discussed at this meeting represent matters of importance at the highest level of the institution, and these reports will help provide context and clarity around the progression of major projects and decisions.
You can read President Johnson’s report from the meeting here.
Welcoming new Board members
At this meeting, we were thrilled to formally welcome three new Board members: Emmanuel Adegboyega (undergraduate representative), Colin Gervais (graduate representative) and Dr. Mark Collard (faculty representative).
We are excited to work with Emmanuel, Colin and Mark moving forward to ensure that student and faculty perspectives are represented on the Board.
Celebrations on campus
There was lots to celebrate on campus this June as we welcomed thousands of students and guests to Burnaby campus for our summer convocation ceremonies. We also enjoyed a wonderful Chancellor’s Dinner, honouring SFU community members and honorary degree recipients.
This set of convocation ceremonies required a massive amount of complex planning and preparation. On behalf of the Board, thank you to staff, faculty and volunteers from across SFU who came together to hold a memorable event in honour of our graduands.
Next meeting
The next Board meeting will be on September 26. Community members are invited to view the open session meeting via Zoom by emailing board_admin@sfu.ca. A full schedule of upcoming meetings is available on our website.
Reflections from my time as Board chair
As I shared in a previous update, this was my last meeting as a member of SFU’s Board of Governors. I have a history with SFU going back many decades, and over the years I have been involved with the university as a student, varsity athlete, Residence & Housing employee, student senator and more. Serving as board chair has been my greatest honour so far.
It has been a challenging time for SFU and universities across the sector, but also an exciting one, with many new opportunities on the horizon. I am proud to have played a small role in helping SFU grow into the leading research university I know we can be.
I have worked closely with Paula Martin and Michael McDonald, our incoming board chair and deputy board chair, to ensure a smooth transition. I have full confidence that they will continue to lead the Board and this institution in alignment with our shared vision, purpose and values.
Thank you to all of my Board colleagues for their support, diligence and hard work during my time as chair. And thank you to the SFU community for all that you bring to our institution and the world.
There are bright days ahead. I can’t wait to see what’s next for this great university.
Sincerely,
Angie Lamarsh
Chair, Board of Governors
Simon Fraser University