feb 09 EcU c o m m u n i t y b u l l e t i n Spanish Shoes, Monique Fouquet Estudiar en España When I left ECU in August the transition process to university was just beginning to take shape. I came back four months later to realize that a great deal of work was accomplished during my absence. Although there is still more to do to develop and put into operation the new academic structure, I am happy to see that the apparent rigidity of traditional faculty structures common to most universities was being re-imagined with a concern for interdisciplinarity as a core value at Emily Carr. I truly believe that as artists and designers, and as educators, we must constantly evaluate the relevance and value of what we do. We have complied with the University Act and created faculties which I believe hold great potential for innovation. This semester one of my goals is to work collectively to imaginative a kind of ‘substructure’ to the faculties which is fluid and flexible and which emerges from the multiple and changing interests of students, staff and faculty. I look forward to the days ahead with much enthusiasm – it is great to be back at Emily Carr University. - Monique Fouquet This past Fall, I had the opportunity to spend time in Madrid where I studied Spanish and got better acquainted with both historical and contemporary Spanish art and design. My every-day experience as a student at the Universidad Complutense, made me acutely aware of my own assumptions about post-secondary institutions. Not only was I a student, I was also an administrator on educational leave and as such, I became an observer of how things are done elsewhere. My first impulse was to compare ECU with Complutense looking for the things that one might do ‘better’ than the other. However, it quickly became clear that this was a futile and useless exercise. Founded in 1293, and with more than 90,000 undergraduate and graduate students, ECU and Complutense are clearly different institutions My experience as a student in Spain was immensely rewarding and, despite the generally deplorable conditions of the campus facilities and the lack of anything resembling Student Services, students seem satisfied with their education which was reflected in the multiple protests and sit-ins against the Bologna Accord that I witnessed. From their perspectives, the Bologna Accord, while it aims at making it easier than it presently is for students attending European Union universities to move freely across national borders and institutions to complete a degree, it also threatens to homogenize and erase some of the differences which make institutions unique and responsive to local constituencies. Granville Island News Floats and docks in the Public Market Marina are being replaced. Upon completion, the dock system will be continuous from the Westside False Creek Ferry dock around to the Aquabus dock. There will be a new Aquabus gangway with a wider, fully accessible ramp. The existing gangway will be moved to another area of the marina and a new gangway will be installed in the courtyard area. From time to time there will be Public Market courtyard closures and barricading for public safety reasons. Pile driving is scheduled for January 27th – 28th and the week of February 9th, and will create additional noise. This project should be completed by the end of April 2009. The south wall of Building 36 (the parking structure that houses the Wood Co-op and a number of other tenants) has partially collapsed due to the unprecedented amount of snow and rain Vancouver received in December. All areas inside and surrounding the building will be inaccessible until the initial repair work is completed. CMHC will update us on the condition of the building and future plans within the next month. Trudy Chalmers + Temporary Employee, Danielle Hoogenboom, Office of the Associate Deans Mark Dougals, Leanne Rooney, Lauren Scott, Stephanie Levac and Steve John of Financial services New Faces, Positions + Appointments Department Updates Please welcome the following new individuals to Emily Carr: - Stephanie Levac Rodrigo Alzueta, Studio Technician 3, Media Arts (temporary) Trudy Chalmers, Office Assistant 2, Office of the Associate Deans (permanent) Carmen Chan, Office Assistant 2, Academic Advising (temporary) Amy Clausen, Program Assistant, Continuing Studies (permanent) Alex Fowler, Receptionist (temporary) Cimarron Knight, Studio Technician 2, Shop Support (permanent) Marilyn Ramen, Librarian (temporary), replacing Larissa Beringer on Maternity Leave The following administrative appointments have been announced: Susan Stewart, Interim Dean of the Faculty of Culture + Community (until May 31) Bonne Zabolotney, Interim Dean of the Faculty of Design + Dynamic Media David MacWilliam, Dean of the Faculty of Visual Art + Material Practice Both Interim Deans will report to David MacWilliam during this period of organizational restructuring as part of the transition to university status. Financial Services Update A new feature has been added to the Financial Services page on the ECU website. In efforts to improve our communication flow, Financial Services has implemented a public calendar which lists upcoming happenings within the office. We are hoping this will facilitate scheduling and awareness in regards to deadlines, office closures, and general occurrences that could affect students, staff and faculty. We will continue to send out emails and post notices, and with this component now in place, accessing information will be more convenient and virtually at your fingertips! You can find the public calendar at… www.ecuad.ca/resources/finance/public_calendar. We welcome any questions or ideas you may have. You can drop by to see us in Room 202 or email Stephanie at slevac@ecuad.ca This Spring, we are pleased to present a myriad of new offerings, including innovative *Praxis Workshops* in Critical and Cultural Studies. A praxis workshop combines contemporary theories and studio practice to create a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment of learning. Some of Vancouver’s most exciting artists, thinkers and writers are instructing praxis workshops like Art Criticism and Publications, Sound Studies, and Curating Today. Aryana Sye, Kathryn Tullis, Anne Stobart and Melanie Koop of HR Emily Carr Benefits: A New Frontier - Aryana Sye In the last couple of months, Emily Carr’s employee benefit plan has undergone some major changes. We have said good-bye to Greenshield, our benefit insurer for more than eight years, and are welcoming Desjardins Financial, a multi-faceted financial company who specializes in group and individual life and health insurance and savings products. It is one of the largest integrated cooperative financial groups in Canada servicing provinces in both Eastern and Western Canada. In terms of benefit coverage, Desjardins provides Emily Carr comparable coverage to Greenshield, with increased benefits in orthopedics, paramedical services, and registered clinical counseling services. Desjardins Financial offers a simplified and cost effective approach to health insurance, with savings on LTD employee premiums and the ability to have all of our benefits administered by one company. While we have experienced some unanticipated delays and challenges with the implementation of our new benefit carrier, we are confident that Desjardins will meet employees’ needs in the future. Customer service is very important and plays an integral role in the value of a benefit carrier. We welcome any feedback employees may have. “The part can never be well unless the whole is well.” - Plato Continuing Studies Spring 2009 Update - Amy Clausen *Did you know* that Emily Carr University staff and faculty are eligible for a tuition waiver for Continuing Studies courses, subject to availability the day before classes start? Staff and faculty pay only the studio fee. We offer offers courses at all levels in everything from Animation to Book Arts to Computer Skills. *Teens @ Emily Carr! *This Spring Break (March 16 - 20), Continuing Studies is proud to partner with Glocal (www. glocal.ca) to offer our Spring Break / Art Break program for students in grades 11 and 12. *Images in Motion *is a week-long camp that challenges and encourages youth to bridge the gap between art and digital technologies. Camp participants will be introduced to new digital art practices, learn open source coding, and how to customize image-capturing hardware and software from a team of artist educators. Within a state-of-the-art computer lab, participants will imagine and design new camera-based creations and test them out in the real world, and their ideas and projects will become part of Canada’s largest digital artwork. For more information on Continuing Studies, pick up a course calendar or visit the website www.ecuad.ca/studies/cs. Festive Party Summary The ’08 Festive Party was yet another great success! The Special Events Committee and volunteers from A/V and Facilities put on another great party. Thanks to Gaye Fowler who took to the stage for her other ECU job – MC! Twelve boxes of food were collected for the Food Bank along with $706.79 in cash donations! As well, six bags and boxes of items were collected for Street Kid Christmas Stockings. The Special Events Committee would like to remind everyone that the Festive Party is a potluck – which means everyone who attends needs to bring some type of food item to share. Cold Feet - Warm Hearts Join Red Sky Clothing and Footwear in their support of the warm hearts who care for those who have cold feet. Please donate any gently used, good condition footwear you have in your closet to Cold Feet – Warm Hearts. Red Sky will distribute these recyclable shoes to the people in the Lower Mainland who need them. Not only does your generosity help those with cold feet, your warm heart will also keep these shoes from going to the landfill. Beginning February 14, Red Sky Clothing and Footwear will be accepting your donations at their Granville Island store, 1520 Duwranleau St. (beside The Keg) between the hours of 10am - 5:30pm. It is their goal that your Warm Hearts will fill the store window of their store with shoes for those who have Cold Feet. Upcoming Exhibits, Events + Lectures SFU Philosophers Café on the Arts The SFU Philosophers’ Cafe is pleased to introduce a new café specifically focused on the visual arts. Public discussions are open to everyone; artists, collectors, curators and the general public. The café will be moderated by Pnina Granirer. February 17: On Beauty and the Evolution of a Sense of Form with stone and bronze sculptor Lee Gass. March 10: Provocative or Progressive: The Use of Animals in Art with Zoe Peled (08 alumnus). April 7: For the love of Art; The Pleasures of Collecting and Its Lasting Rewards with Paul Crawford, Director/ Curator of the Penticton Art Gallery. The café takes place at Lord Byng High School (3939 West 16th Avenue) at 7pm. Everyone welcome. Registration not required. Admission $5. For more information, please visit www.philosopherscafe.net The On Edge Reading Series All lectures take place from 7pm to 9pm in the South Building, Room 406 February 12: Jen Sookfong Lee February 26: Taien Ng-Chan March 12: Weyman Chan April 2: Shirley Bear Germaine Koh: Fallow at the Charles H. Scott Gallery from February 4 to March 8. Opening Reception: Tuesday, February 3 at 7:30pm Associate Professor Liz Magor, explores the relationship of the real to the simulated in provocative ways in her latest exhibition Liz Magor: The Mouth and other storage facilities. The exhibition is a collaboration between the Henry Art Gallery, Seattle and the SFU Gallery. The show runs from January 10 to February 21 at the SFU Gallery. Liz Magor, Stack of Trays, 2008 How Soon is Now: Contemporary Art from Here, at the Vancouver Art Gallery includes 15 alumni and faculty! How Soon is Now, brings together British Columbia artists working in sculpture, painting, video, audio, architectural interventions, site-specific projects, performances and events. At the Vancouver Art Gallery from February 7 to May 3. Sonny Assu, 1884/1951, 2009 Ingrid Koenig, Associate Professor, is exhibiting Navigating the Uncertainty Principle at the Nanaimo Art Gallery until February 14. For more information on these exhibits and lectures, please visit the ECU website. www.ecuad.ca Emily Green: Your Invited ! A community meeting on sustainability for staff and faculty will be held February 18 from 4pm to 6pm in Room 245. This is a social event where refreshments will be served! Hear about new sustainability initiatives at Emily Carr and share your ideas and views.