Dear Queen’s Community,

“Universities acknowledge that they have a responsibility to engage with and respond to the aspirations and challenges of the world and to the communities they serve, to benefit humanity and contribute to sustainability.”

Queen’s has been named the winner of the 2021 Greatest Overall Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Award from Sustainable Kingston for reducing the university’s emissions by 6,023 tonnes. The Sustainable Kingston Awards are presented each year to local organizations to recognize their hard work in mitigating the climate emergency and fostering a culture of sustainability in the Kingston community.

So much about this issue of the Queen’s Alumni Review speaks to the future and to the potential for positive change and development that attends this moment, as our university and communities everywhere are daring to imagine again a life not shaped and constrained by the COVID-19 virus.

Good news is always welcome, but April’s announcement from Times Higher Education in London brought particular pleasure and satisfaction.

The fourth strategic goal in Queen’s recently approved Strategic Framework speaks to the importance of strengthening the University’s presence globally: “developing and implementing a comprehensive, equity-focused and integrated program of global engagement that includes active, strategic partnerships, enhanced student and faculty mobility, and teaching and learning reform oriented toward a pluralistic and culturally relevant global environment. 

Due to concerns with rising cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, and in consultation with KFL&A Public Health, Queen’s University will be transitioning most Winter 2022 academic activities delivered in Ontario to remote delivery until the end of reading week on Feb. 28, 2022. This is a proactive measure to support the health and safety of the Queen’s and Kingston communities and align with Ontario’s accelerated booster dose rollout for all individuals aged 18 and over.

As part of the university’s ongoing efforts to advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigeneity (EDII) on campus, Queen’s is preparing to welcome the first cohort of first-year Commitment Scholars to campus this fall.

Graduation is the culmination of the months and years of effort Queen’s students put into completing their programs, and the tricolour community is celebrating the more than 2,000 students who are reaching this milestone this fall. While in-person convocation ceremonies have been postponed due to COVID-19, Queen’s is congratulating graduates with a video message that also recognizes their perseverance throughout the pandemic.