We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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BA Virtual Graduation a Huge Success

Robin Kay, PhD
Professor and Interim Dean - Faculty of Education

June 8, 2020

I wanted to share what was one of my top 3 highlights for 2020 - Our first Virtual BA Graduation on June 4th, 2020. While one might think that a “virtual” graduation would be a poor substitute for the real thing, that was definitely not the case. It started rather conventionally with a mercifully short but heartfelt speech from yours truly, the Dean, followed by some inspiring words from President Steven Murphy. And the night suddenly transformed.

We watched a touching student-created video compilation created by the BA graduates. Short 15-30 second vignettes really hit the heart, especially when one student shared how they would not have been able to succeed in the program without her classmates after she unexpectedly went into labour two months early.

The mood lightened a little with some fun student-voted awards, then shifted to students sharing a few thoughts about their personal experience in the program. Our Senior Academic Advisor, Susan Snelling was praised effusively by the students, as were many of the instructors and fellow students. Finally, the program director, Dr. Roland van Oostveen spoke, addressing the virtual audience with his heartfelt words of appreciation, kindness and inspiration. His final words were “Go forth and disrupt”.

And then the event was over, or so we thought. Susan invited students to remain after, just to chat. That chat lasted for almost an hour. Student after student opened their hearts and shared feelings about a program that they were truly passionate about - a program that had a monumental impact in their lives. They talked about personal challenges, teamwork, amazingly close friendships and bright futures.

I was emotionally drained, by the end, but beaming with pride. Thank you Susan, Keisha, Sinead and Ankita for helping to organize what I would say was one of my most memorable graduations at Ontario Tech University. In this case, the intimacy of the BA Virtual Graduation may have actually surpassed the “real” thing.