​Dear Colleagues:

Happy new year to all faculty and staff! I hope you enjoyed the holiday break and wish you much success in 2020. On a personal note, I'm happy to be back to work and am very thankful to the entire community for the outpouring of support that I received during my health leave.

It will be a busy last six months for me. I will continue to work with our government relations team and Board of Governors volunteers to improve OCAD U's fiscal and capital support from the provincial government, and to seek federal and municipal funds. I will lean into our efforts to raise funds from private sources and help to consolidate new income streams (OCAD U CO and Continuing Studies). I will lead our final decisions on capital opportunities ahead; these will be instrumental in enabling the Flow: Curricular Transformation project. I will support efforts towards fiscal stability. I will continue to engage with research capacity building. I will continue to exert my best efforts to support an equitable, safe and supportive learning and work environment. Finally, I am looking forward to ensuring a seamless presidential transition.

Many thanks to the team headed by Laura Wood for the recent submission of the draft (Strategic Mandate Agreement) SMA3 which sets out the university's performance metrics for the coming five years in response to Province of Ontario criteria. We will continue to report to our governance bodies as I lead the negotiations with government. ​

Thanks, as well, to the team whose heroic efforts made possible the new state-of-the-art Fabrication Centre, a completely renovated space for makers (Wood, Metal, Plastics, Rapid Prototyping and Tool Loans).

I offer a warm welcome to Stephen Foster who has joined us as Dean, Faculty of Art. Reporting to the Vice-President, Academic & Provost, Stephen is responsible for the educational and research leadership, development and supervision of the Faculty of Art and its integration into the University's Academic and Strategic Plans.

Congratulations to Dr. Caroline Langill and the Senate on moving FLOW forward. A university-wide initiative, Flow: Curricular Transformation will renew OCAD U's curriculum, creating a more open and inclusive, interdisciplinary and learner-directed educational experience for students, while allowing the university to build a more financially sustainable mode of curriculum delivery. This, along with other progressive initiatives, such as the Black cluster hire in the Faculty of Design led by Dean Dr. Tunstall, demonstrates that the university continues to implement its commitment to equity and diversity and address the changing nature of the labour market.

OCAD University

We're in the homestretch of student recruitment with several application deadlines coming soon. We have a new recruiting campaign in market now focused on jobs and employability for our students. Early results from the recruitment marketing campaign suggest continued enrolment growth.

Onsite Gallery hosts our first International Curatorial Resident, Bonaventure Ndikung in the coming months. This phase of the project is made possible through Partners in Art.

Plans are in full swing for the OCAD University Chancellor's Gala. Our Gala co-hosts, Chancellor Dr. Salah Bachir and Mrs. Leslie Gales, have been hard at work planning the evening. This fundraising gala event will be supporting the next wave of emerging artists, designers, and digital creators.

It has been a tough year financially, and I'd like to thank you all for your dedication in moving us toward budget reconciliation.

I look forward to seeing you at the many exciting events taking place in the coming months, culminating in our 105th GradEx and Convocation. 

Warm regards,

Dr. Sara Diamond

President and Vice-Chancellor, C.M., Order of ON, RCA 

Date: 
Tuesday, January 14, 2020 - 3:00pm
Display Location: 
Image: 
OCAD University
Constituency: 
OCAD University
Welcome Back Message from President Diamond
Tuesday January 14th, 2020

​Dear Colleagues:

Happy new year to all faculty and staff! I hope you enjoyed the holiday break and wish you much success in 2020. On a personal note, I'm happy to be back to work and am very thankful to the entire community for the outpouring of support that I received during my health leave.

It will be a busy last six months for me. I will continue to work with our government relations team and Board of Governors volunteers to improve OCAD U's fiscal and capital support from the provincial government, and to seek federal and municipal funds. I will lean into our efforts to raise funds from private sources and help to consolidate new income streams (OCAD U CO and Continuing Studies). I will lead our final decisions on capital opportunities ahead; these will be instrumental in enabling the Flow: Curricular Transformation project. I will support efforts towards fiscal stability. I will continue to engage with research capacity building. I will continue to exert my best efforts to support an equitable, safe and supportive learning and work environment. Finally, I am looking forward to ensuring a seamless presidential transition.

Many thanks to the team headed by Laura Wood for the recent submission of the draft (Strategic Mandate Agreement) SMA3 which sets out the university's performance metrics for the coming five years in response to Province of Ontario criteria. We will continue to report to our governance bodies as I lead the negotiations with government. ​

Thanks, as well, to the team whose heroic efforts made possible the new state-of-the-art Fabrication Centre, a completely renovated space for makers (Wood, Metal, Plastics, Rapid Prototyping and Tool Loans).

I offer a warm welcome to Stephen Foster who has joined us as Dean, Faculty of Art. Reporting to the Vice-President, Academic & Provost, Stephen is responsible for the educational and research leadership, development and supervision of the Faculty of Art and its integration into the University's Academic and Strategic Plans.

Congratulations to Dr. Caroline Langill and the Senate on moving FLOW forward. A university-wide initiative, Flow: Curricular Transformation will renew OCAD U's curriculum, creating a more open and inclusive, interdisciplinary and learner-directed educational experience for students, while allowing the university to build a more financially sustainable mode of curriculum delivery. This, along with other progressive initiatives, such as the Black cluster hire in the Faculty of Design led by Dean Dr. Tunstall, demonstrates that the university continues to implement its commitment to equity and diversity and address the changing nature of the labour market.

OCAD University

We're in the homestretch of student recruitment with several application deadlines coming soon. We have a new recruiting campaign in market now focused on jobs and employability for our students. Early results from the recruitment marketing campaign suggest continued enrolment growth.

Onsite Gallery hosts our first International Curatorial Resident, Bonaventure Ndikung in the coming months. This phase of the project is made possible through Partners in Art.

Plans are in full swing for the OCAD University Chancellor's Gala. Our Gala co-hosts, Chancellor Dr. Salah Bachir and Mrs. Leslie Gales, have been hard at work planning the evening. This fundraising gala event will be supporting the next wave of emerging artists, designers, and digital creators.

It has been a tough year financially, and I'd like to thank you all for your dedication in moving us toward budget reconciliation.

I look forward to seeing you at the many exciting events taking place in the coming months, culminating in our 105th GradEx and Convocation. 

Warm regards,

Dr. Sara Diamond

President and Vice-Chancellor, C.M., Order of ON, RCA 

OCAD University
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