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A cross-functional team started planning for this year’s Homecoming the moment last year’s Homecoming ended. 

At the time, so many variables were unknown. Would it be in person again? Could we restart the engines after two years of virtual celebrations? Would people come back to campus while COVID lingers? Could we do it?

The answer to all these questions was a resounding yes.

Yes, we were in person. Yes, we did kickstart that engine. Yes, people booked up the hotels in Kingston. And yes, we most certainly could do it – and we did.

The answer to how we accomplished that is simple, and it was evident everywhere, but perhaps most poignantly at a small event that fell between the triumph of the football game and the ceremony of the Tricolour Guard dinner. There in Mitchell Hall, as the sun set on a glorious day, a group of coaches, athletes, faculty members, students, and alumni gathered for the film première of A Century in the Making: The Stu Crawford Story, the very first movie produced by alumnus Mike Downie’s Courage Films, and one inspired by a story in the Queen’s Alumni Review. A cross-functional team from across Advancement helped Downie make it a reality.

It told the story of Stu Crawford, a Second World War veteran who was shot out of the skies with his crew and lived to tell the tale – and went on to become a star player for the Gaels hockey team in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s. Now 100, Stu’s incredible resilience, something we hope we impart on everyone who steps across the convocation stage, shone through.

In introducing the film, Downie (Artsci’86), who also directed it, noted that in Stu’s story we can find lessons to last a lifetime. Lessons about teamwork, and lessons about belonging, both of which were on display at Homecoming, though most of us were too busy at the time to notice.

In Stu’s case, teamwork was about trusting his crewmates when his plane caught fire and, later, trusting his teammates when they stepped onto the ice at the Montreal Forum to face their ³ÉÈË´óƬ rivals, McGill. That same spirt of teamwork rippled through campus this past weekend at Homecoming. The teamwork of everyone in Advancement – those who sprinted from event to event to lend a helping hand, those who spent hour after hour answering questions and guiding people who needed assistance, and all the small gestures in between that can make all the difference.

But it was the spirit of belonging that made Stu’s story resonate with the audience in Mitchell Hall. His quest to belong, to be a part of something that was bigger than himself, brought many to tears. Why? Because Homecoming is the ultimate manifestation of belonging to Queen’s. It’s where, no matter your program or your year, for that one weekend, you know you belong. You are with your people – and after two years of being apart, that meant more than ever.

I can’t yet share the entire film about Stu Crawford and all his words of wisdom about teamwork and belonging (there are bigger plans to share Stu’s amazing story and we’ll share those just as soon as we can), but here’s a to whet your appetite.

Advancement staff survey results 

A couple weeks ago in ALTogether Now, Karen put out a call to Advancement asking you to share why you love what you do and where you do it. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their positive reflections. 

Below is a list of positive reflections members of Advancement shared. Please enjoy!

• All the wonderful people (internal and external to Queen's) that I get to collaborate with 
• Autonomy, freedom, flexibility, and empowerment 
• Because I see the best of humanity in donors
• Bringing intellectual and financial capital together creates meaningful change
• Engaging with a wide range of distinct individuals/personalities
• Every day, I am inspired by the stories we tell about our alumni – they are bold, brave, and brilliant
• Feels good to contribute to student excellence 
• I am grateful that there is not only room for creativity, but that it is encouraged
• I am Queen's and Queen's is me after 37 years
• I get to make a living while supporting the university my daughter will soon graduate from and the university my son is now applying to 
• I get to work every day with the best people
• I have flexibility around where I'm able to work 
• I have to the opportunity to work with incredible colleagues
• I love how human-centered working at Queen's is. There is a lot of compassion and support here
• I LOVE how our leadership team is open-minded, flexible, and cutting-edge...remote work is such a privilege
• I love my job as it allows me to connect to amazing individuals who support Queen's and have a positive mindset
• I love the challenge of finding new ways to engage our alumni, in content and in person
• I love the way it makes me feel to help donors help others
• I love working at Queen's as it is a reputable university and a leader in adapting and advancing work-life balance.
• I love working in Advancement as it gives me the opportunity to meet many interesting people internally and externally and be a part of a strong community that supports Queen's university in meaningful ways
• Love knowing I am working to better Queen's and Kingston
• Love sharing my strong belief in education with others
• Love working with the smartest people: faculty, students, alums
• Meaningful work isn't always easy, lean into the hard stuff
• My colleagues! Everyone wants the team and university to succeed 
• Ongoing opportunities to learn, grow, and improve in our work
• Our donors! Building relationships with our supporters is an honour
• The culture, healthy workplace relationships and our teams focus on service and support for Advancement 
• The impact it has on students' lives
• The opportunities to improve productivity and processes
• The Queen's community! I've met amazing people doing amazing work
• The strategy involved in fundraising
• The wonderful people (alumni, donors, colleagues, students)
• To connect people who will make our world better
• We change lives
• We help make the world a better place
• We make positive impact on people and communities

CRM RFP

A special message from Karen Bertrand:

I would like to promise that all the news we share through ALTogether Now will be positive. Unfortunately, that is not realistic and today is one of those times when we have a difficult update to provide.

Everyone is likely aware of the aspirations of the Office of Advancement to secure new customer relationship management (CRM) technology. Unfortunately, we recently learned that the budget we requested to fund the installation of a new Advancement CRM will not be fulfilled.

This is very disappointing. But while a newsletter announcement is not a forum to deeply discuss the merits of a decision, I will add that I believe this was a fair decision. 

The implications of this news still need to be assessed, and we will do this in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I want everyone to be aware of this fundamental change in direction, and I ask everyone to consider colleagues who spent copious hours over the past several months invested in the RFP process for a new CRM. We all owe them a debt of gratitude for taking the leap of faith to participate in that process.

A new Advancement CRM is still required. Through the RFP process, we saw just how transformative a new CRM could be. Unfortunately, it is going to take us a bit longer to make this shift to a new Advancement CRM for Queen's.

Employee spotlight

The Employee Spotlight celebrates the arrival of our new and existing staff by profiling responses they share through a fun and informal survey that will help us get to know them better. Be sure to review these profiles and use these fun facts and tidbits to find commonalities, embrace differences, and spark a conversation. 

This week, we talk to Manager of Alumni Services Melanie McEwen. and what she loves most about her role in Advancement. 

Jobs with Advancement

We need your recruitment help. Know great talent that would be a good addition to our team? If so, please promote the vacancies below with your networks and let’s find some amazing new team members.

Applications (including a cover letter and résumé) must be submitted through CareerQ. For additional information on this posting, please reach out to either Carla Ferreira Rodrigues or the hiring manager for the position you are interested in.