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As 2017 draws to a close, the Gazette takes a look back at the stories, events, and people at Queen’s who grabbed our attention over the past 12 months.

The year began with Queen’s continuing to celebrate its 175 anniversary and rounded out with a number of new programs working to make the university a stronger, more welcoming place for all.

Diversity and inclusivity

In response to concerns about diversity and inclusivity at Queen’s, an implementation committee was created by Principal Daniel Woolf in late 2016. After a process of consultation, review, and discussion, the Principal’s Implementation Committee on Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (PICRDI) on April 10, which included numerous recommendations for implementation, both in the short and long term.

One of these recommendations was the creation of a new council tasked with ensuring there is a continuing and sustained conversation aimed at supporting anti-racism, diversity, inclusivity and equity on campus. The were announced in December and the meeting is scheduled for early 2018.

Also in April, Teri Shearer saw her title modified to , with expanded responsibilities, including championing equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the university’s mission.

In August, the university announced the establishment of a w. Interested students, staff and faculty took part in to discuss how to make undergraduate orientation more welcoming and inclusive for new students. 

The road to reconciliation

The final report and recommendations of the at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre.

Principal Daniel Woolf also stated his commitment to the TRC recommendations in a on March 7, where he acknowledged “Queen’s own history as an institution that participated in a colonial tradition that caused great harm to Indigenous People.”

On Sept. 22, the university announced . The creation of the office was a recommendation of the Queen’s TRC task force final report.

In the fall it was also announced that the , doubling its current size to meet the growing enrolment of Aboriginal student as well as programming and community-building opportunities as recommended by the Queen’s TRC Task Force.

Welcome to Queen’s

The while .

Across the Atlantic Ocean, Hugh Horton arrived at Herstmonceux Castle in his new role as .

The university also initiated a with the goal of hiring 200 new faculty members over a five-year period, with approximately 50 of these positions being net new hires.

Making an international impact

The university’s internationalization efforts continue and yielded some impressive results in 2017. In January a in Ethiopia – supported by a 10-year, USD$24-million grant from The Mastercard Foundation – was unveiled.

Through the foundation’s Scholars Program, Queen’s and Gondar will collaborate to advance inclusive education for young people with disabilities in Ethiopia and Africa. In East Sussex, England, the , with 139 first-year arrivals.

Innovation continued to make news, this time on the international front, as Spectra Plasmonics, a student-run startup created through the Queen’s Innovation Centre Summer Initiative (QICSI), . For a second year in a row, Queen’s celebrated a Rhodes Scholar, as .

Supporting the student learning experience

There is nothing more important at Queen’s than the student learning experience and the university made a number of announcements in support of this ongoing endeavour. At its Feb. 28 meeting, .

In July, Queen’s became the first medical school in North America to make the transition . Under the CBME model, residents are promoted to their next rotation once they have demonstrated competency in the clinical tasks and activities expected of them at each stage.

Construction at continued and the site will be . Providing expanded research and innovation spaces, a wellness centre, athletics and recreation facilities, the Queen’s University International Centre, and a new Exam Centre, the IWC is scheduled to open in the fall of 2018.

There are many more accomplishments and stories from the Queen’s community, including many research accomplishments to share. Find out more at queensu.ca/gazette/.