Rhonda's Corner | Reflecting on Yesterday and Envisioning Tomorrow
There is a saying that grief reflects the intensity of love, and I know that there is an unusual heaviness on campus with the shocking news of our beloved Chief Librarian Lisa Sherlock’s passing. We held a beautiful Celebration of Life for her in Victoria Chapel. We will keep Lisa and her family in our hearts for a long time to come.
Since the last Rhonda’s Corner, our cherry blossom tree, a sakura, led the countdown to summer with its annual all-too-brief flowering. A pair of Canada geese built a nest and took up residence at and around the Goldring Student Centre. And scaffolding appeared around the campus as our Infrastructure and Sustainability and Capital Projects teams have begun to work in these warmer (although wetter) months. More on this below.
Victoria University held a superb convocation for Emmanuel College students on May 16. Thanks to all who made it so special. We awarded an Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree to Ruth Evans, an early advocate for a more inclusive role for women in the United Church of Canada. The degree is conferred on people who make a significant contribution to the United Church or its mission. Ruth was hooded by her son, Professor Greg J. Evans of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto.
Convocation for Victoria College’s Class of 2024 saw more than 700 students receive their degrees, the most in three years. Students took part in the U of T convocation on June 17, where one of our alumni, Blake Goldring, received a second honorary degree for his outstanding service to the University of Toronto and the community. Blake, a distinguished business leader and friend to Vic, was awarded a Victoria University honorary degree in 2021.
If you are on campus this summer you will notice we are under construction. There will be ladders and many hard hats around as we revitalize our historic and beautiful campus to better serve students, propel our academic mission and provide an inspiring sense of place for our community.
The first projects include:
- Creating a student-focused hub in the Goldring Student Centre, bringing together the Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising, the Office of the Dean of Students and the Victoria College Writing Centre;
- Revitalizing the Victoria College Chapel;
- Creating an Indigenous Healing Garden;
- Embarking on a major revitalization of the BirgeCarnegie Building.
We will also conduct a comprehensive planning exercise to help build a vision for the future of Victoria University’s campus and neighbourhood.
Thank you,
Rhonda N. McEwen
President and Vice-Chancellor
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Vic Report.