The University of Windsor saw some unexpected curveballs in 2022, but they made the institution stronger, president Robert Gordon said Thursday in his annual State of the University address.

Among the challenges were the return to campus from pandemic-induced absences, a cybersecurity attack against University systems, and a value-for-money audit by the provincial government.

“These events have been opportunities for growth and reflection, and as a university and in our communities, what is most important is how we face challenges and learn from them together,” Dr. Gordon said.

He noted as key areas of progress UWindsor efforts towards equity, diversity, inclusion; the development of a strategic plan; Indigenization and decolonization; and improvements to campus buildings, including the opening of the Toldo Lancer Centre, the purchase of 300 Ouellette Ave., the transformation of Windsor Law, the announcement of a new student residence, and a partnership to bring offices of the Windsor Essex County Health Unit to campus.

Watch a video of the presentation here:

No “swiping right” this Valentine’s Day: go to Leddy Library to be set up on a mystery date with a book!

The Leddy team has carefully selected and wrapped eligible books who are waiting patiently for their special readers. The identity of the book won’t be revealed until the book has been checked out and unwrapped.

You can find your "mystery date" on the main floor of the Leddy Library from Feb. 6 to 17 while supplies last.

Take a chance… maybe you’ll meet your next favourite book. For more information, visit the Leddy Library website.

The Black History – Black Futures planning committee has prepared quizzes to run through the month of February, offering as a prize a poster created by alumnus Robert Small (BA 1993) — an Officer of the Order of Canada — from his Legacy Collexion.

To enter today’s contest — the first in the series — just send your answers to the following trivia questions. A winner will be selected at random from all correct responses received by 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7.

1. In 1963, this man, a Toronto-born lawyer of Caribbean descent, became the first Black Canadian elected to a provincial legislature, serving as a Liberal member until 1975.
   a) Bromley Armstrong
   b) Leonard Braithwaite
   c) Stanley Grizzle
   d) Donald Moore
    
2. The first Black Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, was born in this country.
   a) Benin
   b) Haiti
   c) Jamaica
   d) Liberia
    
3. This individual was the first Black Member of Parliament in Canada, served as federal Minister of Labour, and was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
   a) Lincoln Alexander
   b) Jean Augustine
   c) Rosemary Brown
   d) Michael Coteau

Contest is open to all readers of the DailyNews. Send an e-mail with your responses to AROC@uwindsor.ca. One entry per contestant, please.

Canada has been understood as a Promised Land for tens of thousands escaping via the Underground Railroad, says Adam Arenson, a professor of history and director of the urban studies program at Manhattan College.

Yet those men and women — born into slavery or always in its shadow — were often redefined by having spent time in both the United States and Canada. African North Americans also encountered discrimination that did not ebb with the outbreak of the American Civil War.

Dr. Arensen will discuss the importance of the U.S.-Canada border to African North Americans in a free public lecture entitled “Beyond Freedom: Black North American Border-Crossers in the Emancipation Generation,” Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. in the SoCA Armouries Performance Hall.

He will explore how these stories inform histories of immigration, Reconstruction, citizenship, the great migration, and African Americans generally.

This event is sponsored by the Department of History and the Essex County Black Historical Research Society.

A Feb. 7 AfroFest event promises conversation on cultural shock, landing a first job, workplace rights, and independence in a new country.

“Away from Home: Is this Freedom?” will feature guest speakers Anouchka Plumb, interim director of the Centre for Student Learning Excellence, and Doxa Zannou, a master’s student of English and creative writing.

It is set for 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Student Centre Commons, with raffle prizes to be won and refreshments to follow.

A $35,000 grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council will mean additional opportunities for participants in the UWill Discover Sustainable Futures project.

The funding will enable the University to offer up to $20,000 in student awards, support students attending a Model United Nations event in Washington DC in November 2023, pay students for their work in organizing the conference, and purchase much-needed materials for running a sustainable project.

“The University of Windsor is very grateful to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for their support of this initiative, which will provide game-changing opportunities for our students to engage in experiential learning and showcase their own research in a public forum,” says Chris Houser, interim vice-president, research and innovation.

There are currently 100 proposals, and the goal is to support 150 presentations, says Tim Brunet, co-ordinator of Outstanding Scholars and student leadership in the Student Success and Leadership Centre. Proposals are currently being accepted until Feb. 9 on the UWill Discover Sustainable Futures website.

The UWill Discover Sustainable Futures project amplifies student research work, creative projects, and future visions into structured constellations of opportunities. Its experiential learning opportunities include:

• submitting project proposals;
• a writing retreat;
• a policy brief competition; and
• an event the week of March 20 featuring up to 150 presentations.

“UWill Discover Sustainable Futures project is a bold step towards showing the world what the University of Windsor is able to do and be through the lens of student works,” says Dr. Brunet.

“We are putting students at the front of the room and providing them opportunities to show academics, practitioners, and our greater community exciting possibilities for research, creative work and community-based proposals.”

Aside from sharing their own work, he notes students can learn and share about international frameworks such as United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the International Decade for People of African Descent, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Michael MacDonald began a five-year appointment effective Jan. 9 as associate dean, graduate studies and research, in the Faculty of Education.

Dr. MacDonald comes to the University of Windsor from the School of Education and Human Services at Oakland University in Michigan, where he served as associate dean for almost seven years. Prior to this appointment he served as graduate program director and chair of the Teacher Development and Educational Studies Department.

Dean of education Ken Montgomery notes that MacDonald brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience teaching across all levels of the education system, from the public-school boards of Windsor, Toronto, and Calgary to post-secondary institutions including Mount Royal College, the University of Regina, Edith Cowan University, Ferris State University, Central Michigan University, Western University, and Oakland University.

“Dr. MacDonald is enthusiastic about his new role, and we are all excited to see where Dr. MacDonald’s vision and leadership for our graduate program takes us,” Dr. Montgomery said.

MacDonald has published more than 20 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters over the course of his career with a scholarly focus on mental health, youth suicide prevention, and program evaluation. He has been the recipient of over $13 million in funding during this time while also teaching graduate courses related to curriculum development, counselling, educational psychology, action research, and instructional design, and supervising numerous graduate students.

Montgomery also expressed gratitude to Kara Smith, who completed her term as associate dean in June 2022 and retired Feb. 1 as associate professor emeritus.

A winter social hosted by the Organization of Part-time University Students in the student centre’s Alumni Auditorium on Wednesday, Feb. 8, is open to all UWindsor students.

The event promises presentations by:

• Nedaa Abuaita, Empowering Women for Employment program of Women’s Enterprise Skills Training;
• Fasiha Bashir, job developer with Women’s Enterprise Skills Training; and
• Hussein Zarif, Canada by Choice immigration firm.

It will get underway at 4:30 p.m. Find more information on the event website.