- The President
- About Joy
- Priorities
- Conversations
- Statements
- 2022
- Dr. Yabome Gilpin-Jackson named SFU’s first Vice-President, People, Equity and Inclusion
- Chris (Syeta’xtn) Lewis joins SFU in advisory role on Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation
- A World of Difference: How universities must evolve in a post-COVID world
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- SFU: What's Next?
- Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples day
- Please join us for the annual appreciation BBQ
- SFU begins process to become Living Wage Employer
- Staying engaged in an increasingly polarized world
- SFU: What's Next? - Message from the President to Faculty and Staff
- SFU: What's Next? - Message from the President to students
- Search Announcement: Provost and Vice-President Academic
- Statement from the VP, PEI: Addressing Racism and Hate at SFU
- 2021
- Welcome new SFU students
- UPDATED Jan. 6: My response to Dec. 11 event in SFU dining hall
- Celebrating Black History Month
- The University’s Role and Contributions to a Just Recovery Over the Next Decade
- Inspired by meetings with SFU Faculty and Staff
- Looking forward to Summer and Fall
- Opinion: This is why SFU is backing the Burnaby Mountain gondola
- External Review of December 11, 2020 Event
- Facing the future with hope
- President's statement on TransMountain Expansion Project and support for a fire hall on Burnaby mountain
- The road ahead
- Stronger Together: SFU, the pandemic and lessons for a better future
- SFU to observe moment of silence at 2:15 PM today
- Taking action: Reconciliation at SFU
- Join SFU President Joy Johnson for a tour of Burnaby campus
- Message from the President: Residential school findings
- Dr. June Francis appointed Special Advisor to the President on Anti-Racism
- My response to the open letter from SFU faculty and staff
- Resources and ways to support scholars in Afghanistan
- BC Vaccine Card
- Masks required on all SFU campuses, vaccine card required for residence, athletics, dining, events and others
- Vaccine declaration and follow-up screening at SFU
- Return to campus planning updates
- Welcome Back
- Work to review contract vs. in-house cleaning and food services
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- SFU and SFSS united in commitment to climate action
- Inclusion benefits us all
- Moving forward with kindness
- SFU commits to full divestment from fossil fuels
- Safety on SFU's campuses
- Thank you!
- Temporary shift to remote learning January 10 – 23, 2022
- 2020
- Statement on academic freedom
- Welcome back faculty and staff
- Welcome back students
- Statement on scholar strike
- Reflections on my first 30 days
- Taking care of ourselves, taking care of each other
- Equity, diversity and inclusion commitments
- Statement on SFU's Athletics Team Name Change
- Finding connection in times of adversity
- Wishing you a safe and restful holiday break
- Op-ed: SFU helping drive social, economic innovation in time of crisis
- 2022
- President’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award
- Strategic Plan
- Approach
- How to participate
- What we're hearing
- April 4, 2022: Updates and reflections
- April 19, 2022: Updates and reflections
- SFU: What’s Next? phase one results now available
- Research assistants shape SFU: What’s Next? analysis
- SFU: What’s Next? – Message from the President to Faculty and Staff
- SFU: What’s Next? – Message from the President to Students
- Search announcement: Provost and Vice-President Academic
- SFU: What’s Next? Phase 2 results now available
- Executive
- Executive Searches
- Contact
Virtual Convocation Address
Thank you Madam Chancellor … and welcome everyone … especially graduands who join us today.
As I acknowledged earlier, this celebration is not how you expected to mark this milestone in your lives.
But a virtual convocation takes nothing away for your real achievements.
COVID-19 has tested us all … and while it has not yet been beaten, you provide living proof of why we will not be beaten by it.
Nothing I could say today could be more inspiring than the example you have set.
The Class of 2020 is like no other.
You’ll forever be remembered for the determination you showed to complete your education in the midst of the worst global health crisis in living memory.
I know it wasn’t easy.
It took enormous grit.
But what you’ve accomplished gives us all hope for a better future.
That’s why you presence here today means so much.
Now more than ever, we need your resilience and resolve.
You graduate at a time of enormous uncertainty.
It can be a bit overwhelming.
But it’s also a time alive with possibility and the opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting difference to your province … your country … and your world.
I have no doubt that, whatever path you choose, whatever challenges you take on, you will rise to the occasion.
And you will do so, I hope, not only for own benefit, but for the benefit of others.
That’s the wonderful thing about gift of education.
In providing you the means to build a better future for yourself, it also provides you the means to build a better world.
And that is the greatest gift of all.
So thank you for working so hard, for keeping the faith and for making it to this day.
We owe you a huge debt of gratitude …
… as do your family and friends who supported you in your studies
… and your instructors, mentors and fellow students who helped you along the way.
Congratulations to you all.
On a personal note, this is my last convocation as SFU President.
It’s been an enormous privilege to lead this great institution for the past decade…
…and an honor to share this moment over the years with thousands of SFU grads.
And while each Convocation Ceremony is inspiring and life-affirming … none will be as memorable as this one.
To the Class of 2020 … and to everyone in the SFU community.
I thank you … and I wish you every success in all your future endeavours.
Good luck … until we meet again.