VPFA R.I.S.E. - October 2024

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The VPFA R.I.S.E. Newsletter recognizes employee excellence across the portfolio by breaking down silos across units and departments, showcases priority projects, and aims to build a sense of community and belonging.

Navigating Change Well

 

Photo of Donna Janiec

Dear VPFA Community,

Welcome to the October 2024 edition of our VPFA R.I.S.E. Newsletter. I hope you enjoyed a beautiful Thanksgiving together with loved ones.

As we are now well-settled into the fall semester, the changing leaves remind us that nothing stays the same. I want to take a moment to talk about change, and how we navigate it well.

Change is an inevitable part of life, impacting individuals and institutions alike. Whether it鈥檚 driven by advancements in technology, the changing seasons, external factors outside our control, or our own aspirations for growth and improvement, change challenges us to adapt, innovate, and emerge stronger. But as we all know, navigating change is seldom easy.

Embracing the Journey Ahead

In the coming months, we are moving through key initiatives designed to propel us forward. These initiatives include the Balanced Budget Plan and the Queen's Renew Program, and they will bring about new opportunities, redefine some of our processes, and challenge us to step out of our comfort zones. It is natural to feel uncertain or even apprehensive about these shifts, but it is in these moments that our collective strength will shine through.

I am committed to ensuring that we navigate these changes with open communication, transparency, and a focus on well-being. Here鈥檚 how we plan to help:

  • Open Communication: We maintain open lines of communication to keep you informed every step of the way. This includes regular updates via the Queen's Gazette and project websites. You are always welcome to contact my office, and I encourage you to bring your questions to our upcoming VPFA town hall on November 25.
  • Transparency: Information on the university's finances is updated regularly and publicly available. As well, senior leaders across the university, including myself, have committed to publishing quarterly summaries of travel and hospitality expenses on their webpages.
  • A Focus on Well-being: Navigating change can be stressful. Our commitment to your well-being remains paramount. The university will continue providing support through wellness programs and mental health resources, including those featured as part of Thrive Week in November.

A Shared Vision

Our vision for the future is one where we not only adapt to change but also thrive in it. Let鈥檚 embrace the innovation and creativity that change fosters.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment to the university's success. The journey ahead will be marked with challenges and opportunities, and I am confident that, together, we will navigate it with grace and emerge stronger than ever.

With best wishes,

Donna
Donna Janiec, FCPA, FCA
Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration)

Portfolio News

Leadership Updates

  • Congratulations and best wishes to Kim Murphy, Executive Director, Risk and Safety Services on your upcoming retirement (December 31, 2024). Thank you for more than 25 years of dedicated service to Queen鈥檚! 
  • Congratulations to Lisa Walsh on your appointment to the role of Associate Vice Principal, Human Resources. Lisa has served in the role on an Interim basis since September 2023. 
  • Congratulations to Megan Sheppard who has been appointed as Associate Vice-Principal (Facilities), effective November 4, 2024. Megan oversaw Facilities operations in her previous Vice-President roles at St. Lawrence College and Loyalist College and has most recently served as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO) for Queen鈥檚 Health Sciences, with prior experience at Queen鈥檚 in Planning and Budgeting where she was responsible for the oversight of university budgeting, institutional research and planning, campus planning, and university planning at an institutional level. Welcome Megan!   
  • Congratulations and best wishes to John Witjes, former Associate Vice-Principal (Facilities) on your retirement (August 31, 2024). Thank you for more than 30 years of dedicated service to Queen鈥檚!

Additional Updates

  • The next VPFA Town Hall is scheduled for November 25, 2024. Please check your inbox for your invitation and register to join us. 
  • Well done to all the鈥BeWell鈥痯ilot grant applicants and recipients. After a thorough review process, 21鈥痑pplications were selected to鈥痳eceive funding to support their innovative wellness initiatives. 
  • 罢丑别鈥latest learning opportunities鈥痑re now available in the鈥. Register today.鈥 
  • We are excited to share 成人大片 has from Sustainable Kingston (Recycling Badge, Local Badge, and Reusable Friendly).  
  • We invite you to complete the鈥痶o let us know what's working, what's not, and how to maximize its鈥痸alue to you.鈥疉ll submissions are anonymous.鈥 

Internal Audit Spotlight

Taking a closer look at our auditors

Internal Audit provides independent, objective assurance and consulting services designed to improve operations at Queen鈥檚. The unit has dual reporting with primary responsibility to the Board of Trustees through the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, alongside administrative and functional reporting to the VPFA.  

Auditing is about problem-solving: knowing who to talk to, what questions to ask, and how to analyze the answers and results in data," explains Joseph Choi, Director, Internal Audit.  

Joseph leads a small team providing assurance services (e.g. independent and objective audit reviews), advisory services (e.g., assisting with system implementations), investigative services (e.g. special reviews) and consulting services (e.g. educational presentations).  

Internal Audit brings a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluating and improving the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes at Queen鈥檚. Internal Audit builds its workplan to reflect the university's priorities. 

What does it take to be an auditor?

While all the members of the Internal Audit team members hold a professional accounting/auditing designation, Joseph says the profile of an auditor is someone who is highly analytical and can solve problems.

"Auditing is about answering the question: Are we doing what we are supposed to do, and doing it in the most economic, efficient, and effective way?鈥 Joseph explains. 鈥淲e want people who can answer those questions by looking critically at the data, processes, people, and the systems involved.鈥

Project Highlights and Impact

Through continuous auditing and by using analytical methods to identify errors, Internal Audit reviews all expense and reimbursement transactions at Queen鈥檚, providing the potential for oversight of every dollar spent at the university. 

Internal Audit administers the university's Fraud Policy. Over the last three years, the team has investigated (on average) five or six cases of alleged fraud annually. While some cases may take only a few hours to investigate, others require upwards of 70 hours to complete. 

As examples of their impact, Joseph shared his team recently supported the review of the Safe Travel Activity Registration Tool (START), which is administered by Environmental Health and Safety to better manage risks associated with Queen鈥檚 community members travelling on behalf of the university.  

The Internal Audit team is also supporting Risk and Safety Services in the Business Impact Analysis, which is an essential part of the business continuity planning that would allow the university to continue to operate even if the physical facilities, technology, and people were not available. These plans could be enacted, for example, in scenarios such as a natural disaster or labour disruption.  

Leadership Highlights 

Joseph holds designations as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and has worked as an auditor for a large part of his career. Following over 20 years in the private sector, he came to Queen鈥檚 University about a decade ago.

Auditing provides insights into the entire university鈥檚 operations 鈥 from facilities to human resources to research 鈥 bringing with it variety, interesting people, and intriguing situations to explore.

鈥淥n the surface, auditing sounds boring and quite straightforward because you are just checking on everything that people are doing. But it's that back story that makes it interesting,鈥 Joseph says. 鈥淭he reasons why people do things and don't do things makes our job fun.鈥

Joseph says he finds it very rewarding to produce a report or recommendation that helps his university colleagues work better.

鈥淥ne of the things that always surprises me is the ability of people to change if you present them with the right information and a good reason for change. It takes effort to convince people, but chances are they are more open to change than you think.鈥

Outside of work, Joseph pursues continuous learning by reading up on emerging technology, tinkering with computers, and keeping up with what his teenage son is learning in school.

Joseph鈥檚 most recent non-fiction read is Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon by Michael Lewis, a 2023 book about fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried who founded the failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

Employee Spotlights

Get to know the people across our portfolio serving in a variety of roles.

 

Shelley RizzoShelley Rizzo, IT Services

Shelley is a certified procurement specialist who has recently taken on a new position with IT Services. She has a love of learning and a鈥痯assion for good value, along with a gift for customer service.

Please tell us about your career journey. I鈥檓 no stranger to the public sector.

I worked with the City of Kingston in the Finance Department for almost 17 years before I came to Queen鈥檚 in 2018. The end of my career at the City was the most challenging. I played a key role in a new financial system rollout as the procurement lead. We automated purchasing at the City for the first time.

As part of the Finance Team at the City, I worked closely with Procurement and was intrigued by the variety of things they touched and all the different people and groups they interacted with. I spent some time shadowing the Purchasing Manger to get a feel for the complexity of the job and decided to take a leap. I didn鈥檛 realize how much legislation I鈥檇 need to learn, but understanding what people need and negotiating best value for them has become a passion!

I chose to come to Queen鈥檚 in 2018 because I was excited about working with a larger procurement team and about some of the unique and interesting things that are bought in support of learning and research here. I鈥檝e learned so much in my five years here.

In October, I joined the IT Services team as the Assistant Director, Business Relationships. My focus will be on maturing business relationship management practices and improving digital governance. The opportunity for career growth and continued learning at Queen鈥檚 is something I really appreciate.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

The people! I love that I get to interact with so many different people doing so many different, amazing things around the university.

What project have you recently been involved with that you鈥檙e most proud of?

I鈥檓 excited to dive into my new role in IT Services and enhance the work they鈥檝e done around Business Intake with a goal of streamlining processes and making them a little more straightforward for the Queen鈥檚 community.

As well, in Strategic Procurement Services (SPS), I鈥檓 proud of the initiative we鈥檝e taken to use our spending power to further the university鈥檚 goals around social and sustainable initiatives. Lots of things tend to fall under the procurement umbrella, which is tricky sometimes, but so necessary. What we buy and who we buy from, and the impact our purchases have on people and the economy is a big part of the overall value we try to achieve in SPS.

What motivates you?

Helping and seeing other people succeed. I thrive off recognizing the strengths of others and telling them what I see. A little compliment can make someone鈥檚 day and motivate them to keep going!

What have been some of the most important lessons you鈥檝e learned throughout your career?

I've learned it鈥檚 okay to be myself! I spent a lot of years trying to be what I thought I was supposed to be, but eventually realized that being genuine, authentic and a wee bit quirky is okay too! Most people respond to people who are real. Teams are made up of many people who should complement each other and ideally, play off each other鈥檚 strengths. There鈥檚 no point in trying to fit a mold you鈥檙e just not. Mistakes are also going to happen. I truly believe in owning them and then learning from them.

Tell me about someone in your life and an important lesson they taught you.

My kids keep me on my toes and teach me so much. Through them, I have a perfect view into myself and can see some things I know I need to change!! As well though, their persistence and humour keep me going. I鈥檇 like to say having teenagers keeps me young but sometimes I feel sooooo old around their ways and lingo!

What would you like to tackle next?

I鈥檓 toying with rounding out my education to enhance my skills. I鈥檝e also loved the leadership courses I鈥檝e taken here at Queen鈥檚 and fully recognizing that leaders come at all levels of the hierarchy. I do hope to soon be in a role where I can focus more on working directly with people and helping them thrive.

What are your future goals/where do you see yourself in five years?

Ideally, I鈥檒l still be here at Queen鈥檚 doing things that truly add value to the university. I hope to continue on that path here.

What鈥檚 one thing on your bucket list?

I鈥檇 love to travel more with my family. My kids are at an interesting (and expensive) age, but I鈥檇 love to be able to see the world through their eyes.

What is one skill you鈥檇 love to learn?

Paddleboarding. It looks so peaceful and calm. If I master it, it shows that I鈥檝e achieved some fitness goals and made time for things I want to do.

If you could choose one word that sums up Queen鈥檚, what would it be and why?

Complex. These are trying times for Queen鈥檚 and I often think about the people behind the scenes trying to make decisions that are best for the university as a whole. I鈥檓 hopeful that Queen鈥檚 will come out of this difficult time stronger than ever.鈥

Marina DarlingMarina Darling, Human Resources Organizational Development and Learning

Marina is the Organizational Development (OD) Consultant in Human Resources Organizational Development and Learning (OD&L) team. She was recently celebrated as a recipient of the awards.

Please tell us about your role.

As the OD Consultant, I work with teams across the institution to support them in achieving their goals through organizational design and development services, team training, and change management support.鈥疘n May, I celebrated two years in this role and five years at Queen鈥檚.

I am also involved in several committees including the Queen鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Network Logistics Committee, the Wellness Champions Advisory Committee, and an Ontario-wide community of practice for Organizational Development professionals.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

My work in OD&L is project focused, and no two projects are the same! I love the variety and enjoy meeting folks from across the university. I really enjoy building new offerings, usually in the form of workshops, processes, or even visualizing information in a way that is user-friendly and human-centric.

What project have you recently been involved with that you鈥檙e most proud of?

Throughout late 2023 and 2024, I had the wonderful opportunity to support the Queen鈥檚 University Library in revisiting and expanding their values to advance a priority of their strategic plan: 鈥淲e will map the library鈥檚 values onto the university鈥檚 values to guide our actions and behaviors in our workplace. We will define and implement this process in 2023 and widely communicate these values within our organization.鈥

I am proud of this project because it is a notable example of collaboration 鈥 both between OD&L and our embedded HR partners, but also across multiple groups in the library itself to create a link between values and the larger values of the university community.鈥

Please tell us about your career journey.

My career journey has been full of twists and turns. After completing my undergraduate degree at Queen鈥檚, I dove into the innovation and entrepreneurship space, working as a consultant specializing in marketing and creative services. During this time, I also traveled extensively, living, and working in New Zealand for about a year.

A few years after completing my undergraduate degree, I came back to Kingston and to Queen鈥檚 to complete my Master of Management Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Smith School of Business.

Shortly after, I took a contract at the Centre for Social Impact (now the Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Social Impact) at Smith School of Business as a Program Assistant and later moved into the Program Manager role for Certificate Programs there.鈥

Not long after that, COVID happened, and life looked quite different!鈥

While being cooped up at home, I took the opportunity to revisit topics I was passionate about from my experience as a consultant and during my master鈥檚 degree and engaged in a lot of professional development, notably change management, corporate innovation, project management, and organizational systems.

It was serendipitous that a couple of years later, I joined the Organizational Development team in Central HR as the Organizational Development Consultant.

What motivates you?

I鈥檓 driven by passion for learning and working through complex problems. I am motivated by the challenge of learning something new and being able to apply it in my work and in life too. A lot of the work I do involves theory on behaviour change, leadership, and approaches to problem solving that apply in many contexts

What have been some of the most important lessons you鈥檝e learned throughout your career?

I鈥檒l boil it down to 3 important lessons:鈥

  1. Take Leaps: My career journey has been far from linear, and I imagine I will encounter more twists and turns, but I wouldn鈥檛 be in this role today if I had not trusted the process of taking a leap out of my comfort zone (more than once!).
  2. Embrace Failure: Making mistakes and learning from them is powerful. Failure can be a scary thing, but I do think we have incredible capacity to learn from our mistakes and translate that learning into well-informed lessons learned.
  3. Build Relationships: I cannot emphasize this one enough: take the time to build real connections with people around you, and not just your immediate colleagues. Get out and meet people from all levels of the university and even further into the community if you can! Approach networking with curiosity and genuinely learn about people, their journeys, and their goals.

What would you like to tackle next?

I am currently working toward certification in Project Management through the Project Management Institute (PMI) and will be extremely happy when it鈥檚 done! Project Management is an evolving field and I鈥檓 excited to integrate my learning and knowledge further into my organizational development work. In addition, I am excited for the coming year of workshops in the HR Learning Catalogue and will be facilitating several workshops ranging in topics from project management to delivering business presentations!鈥

What are your future goals/where do you see yourself in five years?鈥

I鈥檓 continuing to build my skills in my areas of practice 鈥 I'm an enthusiastic fan of continuous improvement and enjoy finding new research or techniques to support the work I do at Queen鈥檚, particularly in facilitation techniques, frameworks, or creative ways to approach challenges.

What鈥檚 one thing on your bucket list?鈥

Before the pandemic hit, I was preparing for several open water swimming races. If you鈥檙e unfamiliar with open water swimming 鈥 it's exactly what it sounds like...competing in a race in a lake or other body of water instead of in a pool. In the years leading up to 2020, I was competing in 1.5 km - 3.0 km races in the summer. A big bucket list item of mine is to complete an ultra-marathon race, which is 15 km of swimming.鈥

What do you do for fun?

As a proud mum to a toddler, most of my free time is family-focused 鈥 there's a lot of joy and excitement in watching my son explore the world around him. That said, I have several hobbies I鈥檓 passionate about and schedule where I can 鈥 including swimming, horseback riding, photography, and agility with my dog.

When it comes to exploring Kingston 鈥 there is SO much to do. This little city has so much to offer, especially if you love nature. I love spending time by or on the lake or exploring trails just outside of Kingston. One of my favourite places to get outside is Little Cataraqui Conservation Area 鈥 it has a variety of trails and terrain.

What book/movie/show has made an impact on you and why?

The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmonson is a鈥 great resource on psychological safety, backed up by research and data from organizations. We refer to Amy Edmonson and psychological safety in our work within ODL 鈥 it鈥檚 worth a read.

Originals, How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant is another book I read years ago and have it on my list for a re-read! It explores concepts on how ideas are generated, put into action, and even tackles myths on creativity and innovation. I really admire Adam Grant as a researcher and thought leader!

If you could choose one word that sums up Queen鈥檚, what would it be and why?

Expansive! Queen鈥檚 is such a vast and complex place to be and work. Having done my undergraduate and Master鈥檚 degrees here, I feel like I have learned a lot about the intricacies of the institution from the student and staff side. It is an incredible ecosystem with lots of opportunities to connect with colleagues, share best practices, and lean into different career areas.鈥

Well at Work

Logo for Thrive's 10th yearCelebrating 10 Years of Thrive! 

This fall, Queen鈥檚 marks a significant milestone with the 10-year anniversary of Thrive Week 鈥 a series of events focused on building positive mental health through discussion, learning, skill development, and resource sharing. This year鈥檚 events, taking place from Monday, November 4 to Friday, November 8, are open to all staff, faculty, and students, and focus on celebrating a decade of personal growth and resilience at Queen鈥檚.

Learn more about Thrive

VPFA Recommends

In this section, you'll find a suggested recipe, book and podcast to explore.

Beef Stir-Fry with Vegetables

This Beef Stir-Fry recipe is an easy, flexible dish to make anytime. Made with tender beef, crunchy vegetables, and a perfectly flavored sauce, it makes for an ideal weeknight dish.

The Anxious Generation

A co-author of 鈥淭he Coddling of the American Mind鈥 looks at the mental health impacts that a phone-based life has on children.

"You鈥檙e Dead to Me" - BBC Radio

A comedy history podcast from the BBC, hosted by Greg Jenner, that brings together top historians and comedians to explore fascinating historical events and figures.

Finn Visits the John Deutsch University Centre

Join VP 鈥淔inn鈥漚nce and Administration adventurer, Finn Cottontail, as he hops through Queen's campus and its enchanting surroundings, bringing joy and discovery to all he encounters. Finn is an Eastern Cottontail with an insatiable curiosity for the world around him. 

Today, Finn has ventured out to John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC). 


 

JDUC exterior

The JDUC is a multi-purpose building located at the northeast corner of University Avenue and Union Street. It is located on the site of Kingston's old Orphan's Home constructed in 1862 and was purchased by Queen's in 1927 to serve as the Students' Memorial Union, named in commemoration of students who died during the First World War.

The early Union was essentially a men's club, and it took until the 1950s and 1960s for women to have access to most of the building. The Union was extensively renovated and expanded in the mid-1970s in response to the tripling of the student population since the 1950s. It was renamed the John Deutsch University Centre at the same time in honour of former Principal John Deutsch, who died in 1976.

 

Construction vehicles outside the JDUC building

Beginning May 2022, the JDUC has undergone a significant revitalization, with an anticipated completion date of November 2024. Once completed, the space will accommodate more than 100 clubs, 6,000 square feet of new public study space, secure and discreet wellness space and an accessible outdoor plaza.

The JDUC serves as a hub for student life at Queen鈥檚, and includes the offices of the Alma Mater Society, the Society of Graduate and Professional Students, and the Office of the Rector, the Student Experience Office.

Doors of JDUC

Can you spot Finn?

When you find our friend, a Tim Hortons gift card!

Take a Closer Look - Find Finn (PNG, 5.5 MB)