Hello APSA Members,
I want to thank you all for attending the AGM on November 28th. As I said then, it has been a difficult year on campus, and unfortunately, with the Budget announcements, it looks to be another challenging year ahead. Please remember that APSA members are extremely important. Your work supports our students, the faculty, and each other, and I appreciate the integrity and commitment evident in APSA members' work!
To continue with my desire for full transparency, I'm letting you know that I have stepped back from the role as president as part of an APSA succession plan and will act in an ex-officio capacity for the remaining year of my three-year director term.
It is with great pleasure that I (re)introduce you to APSA's new president, Ben Boyle! Ben has been in the role of vice-president for the past year and is well-situated to take on this critical leadership role for our association. As he steps into the role, we have also elected a new vice-president, Kim O'Donnell. The membership will be in good hands!
My parting words are those of reassurance during a hard budget cycle. APSA will work on your behalf to prioritize retaining all APSA jobs. I am also requesting that you each show an openness to change, to try to do your work in new ways, and to continue the work that supports our community. It is easy to react to bad news from a place of anxiety or fear; I ask that you try to respond to change with understanding and kindness and that you support those around you so we can all come out of this unscathed.
As we head towards the winter closure, I hope you all have time to prioritize self-care, to spend time with your loved ones, and to celebrate whichever holiday(s) are important to you. To capture some of the global holidays, I bid you:
Happy Hanukkah! Pancha Ganapati Shubh Ho! Happy Yule! Merry Christmas! Happy Dong Zhi! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Bodhi Day! Eid Milad un-Nabi! And a Happy New Year!