¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

I hope you are all winding down for the summer, with plans to spend lots of time in the sun with family and friends. I have been reflecting on the year behind us and wanted to share some highlights with you in my annual Community Report.

We have been through a lot of change in the past year, at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV and the world at large, bringing uncertainty but also opportunities to think about how we want to shape our university moving forward. I want to thank everyone across the university for your continued efforts to work within budget constraints while supporting students, our ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV community and the many communities we serve.

This was our second year of carrying out What’s Next: The ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Strategy. Given the environment we are in, this year’s goals were centered around continuing work already underway at the university, and I am proud of the progress we made, with many critical projects either complete or nearing completion. Another major focus of this year’s work was the continued development of the Academic Plan 2025-2030, which is nearly complete. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this process and grounded this plan in What’s Next and our institutional priorities. Once the Academic Plan is finalized, it will be another tool that helps sharpen our focus and aid in decision-making as we plan for the year ahead.

I want to thank each of you for your contributions to the achievements highlighted in What’s Next: Year Two in Review. The projects listed below are just a few examples of the work we have done together over the past year.

Transform the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Experience

• Developed an ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Well-being Strategy and published the university’s inaugural Accessibility Plan to create a healthier, more inclusive campus environment.
• Launched ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV’s Demographic & Diversity Data Survey and Dashboard, strengthening the university’s commitment to routinely collect data to support equitable and accountable decision-making as outlined in the Equity Compass.
• Advanced digital transformation through key initiatives including the migration to Exchange Online and rollout of Microsoft 365 tools such as Teams and OneDrive.

Uphold Truth and Reconciliation

• Established the Indigenous Council Office to unify Truth and Reconciliation work from across the university.
• Continued construction and programming for the First Peoples’ Gathering House, which is scheduled to open on Burnaby campus this fall.

Make a Difference for B.C.

• Progressed the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV School of Medicine: established the academic leadership team, hired clinical faculty, advanced the permanent building design, received policy approvals from Board and Senate and made progress towards accreditation.
• Continued construction of the , expected to open in fall 2025.

Engage in Global Challenges

• Launched the first intake of ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Climate Innovation applications for seed funding to support projects that bring researchers, community partners and knowledge mobilization together.
• Received more than $80 million to replace the Cedar supercomputer.

Thank you

Once again, thank you for your continued commitment during a complex and uncertain time. Each of you has shown up time and again with unwavering passion for our students, for our belief in the power of education and research to change the world and for an inclusive and sustainable future. All that we accomplished over the past year was only possible through the collaborative efforts of faculty and staff as we collectively strive for sustainability and excellence across the university.

I look forward to seeing you around campus this summer and to connecting with you at this year’s Employee Appreciation BBQ. Rest up and all the best as we prepare for another busy and exciting year ahead of us.

Joy Johnson
Pronouns: she, her, hers
President & Vice-Chancellor
¶¡ÏãÔ°AV