Message from the President: Looking forward to the future

As many of you will have seen, SFU Board Chair Angie Lamarsh shared yesterday that I have been reappointed for an additional five-year term as president and vice-chancellor of Simon Fraser University.  

I am honoured to be serving as SFU’s president for another term, and grateful for the feedback shared with me and the reappointment committee. During my second term as president, I am committed to seeing through the great work we have started, including bolstering our academic and research mission, moving forward conversations around the SFU Medical School and continuing our journey towards Upholding Truth and Reconciliation.    

Thank you to each of you who contributed to the reappointment process. In reviewing the feedback, I was encouraged by the passion of our community. I heard that we need to work to enhance change management and strengthen our collaborative decision-making approach. I also heard that collegial governance and our commitment to the academic mission are more important than ever. To me, this feedback validates much of the work we are currently undertaking, including the evolution of the Provost’s role, the operationalization of the People Plan and Equity Compass and aligning our structures and systems to support What’s Next: The SFU Strategy. As we look to the road ahead, I am committed to acting on this feedback as we work together to fulfill SFU’s vision and priorities. 

When I became president of SFU in 2020, in my first message to faculty and staff, I indicated there was no place I would rather be. I have repeated that sentiment over the years, and it continues to be true. I believe the best is ahead for us at SFU as we increase our profile within the Canadian research university landscape, complete exciting construction projects on campus and increase our international reach. I am grateful that I have been given the opportunity to continue serving this university, which impresses me more each day with its commitment to excellence and innovation and dedication to building a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.   

Thank you, and I look forward to continuing to serve as your president.  

Sincerely,

Joy Johnson
Pronouns: she, her, hers
President and Vice-Chancellor
Simon Fraser University