Tom Traves, Dalhousie University President
I love the fall at Dalhousie. Thousands of students pour into the campus and new adventures in learning and living begin as Dal students “come home” to the most exciting university experience in Canada.
Each of you arrived this fall with your own unique dreams and ambitions. We are totally committed to your success at Dalhousie—and that means helping you turn those dreams and ambitions into reality.
Your university is a very special place. Dalhousie is Canada’s most national university, attracting more than half of our students from outside Nova Scotia. With students from every province and territory in Canada and 159 other countries, you’ll learn from each other as well as from your professors. That’s important – the different life experiences you each bring to your class discussions and personal conversations will be part of the richness you add to the Dal experience.
Dalhousie is proud to have the smallest student to professor ratio of any major university in Canada, at 15 students per faculty member. Most other universities are close to or over double that ratio!
Of course, many of you have larger classes than this, especially in your first and second years. But as you move through your studies, this richness of faculty resources gives you the advantage of smaller, personalized learning opportunities as well as a far greater choice of courses and variety of professors. And don’t be surprised when your Dal professors know who you are! You’re a person here, not a number.
We survey students each year, and I’m especially proud that almost nine out of ten Dal students report easy access to their professors outside of classroom hours. These personal contacts make a huge difference to your academic and future career success, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of Dalhousie’s informality and openness.
Student success comes in many forms. First and foremost, of course, we want you to succeed academically. You’ll find a host of academic supports to help, from writing and study skills tutors, to student peer mentors and academic advisors through our Student Academic Success Services in the Killam Library. But, as well, it’s important that you develop your organizational and leadership skills, that you pay attention to physical fitness and healthy living, and that you start connecting your academic interests to possible career pursuits sooner rather than later. Again, you’ll find Dal has a host of services to help you pursue these goals for personal success.
If this all sounds a bit paternalistic, I want to emphasize that we do see you as an adult learner in charge of your own experience. Most students learn that what you get from your Dal experience is tied closely to what you put into your time here. You can review Dal’s huge variety of clubs and student societies at www.dsu.ca. They are all eager to welcome you as a new member, so go ahead and explore new interests or interests you already have. You’ll meet like-minded new friends from all corners of campus.
There’s lots of new things happening this year that I’m really proud to share with you. Our campus gets better every year. We’ve just opened a new academic building on Coburg Road. Our current renovations in the Life Sciences Centre will finish next spring and, by then, we’ll also complete consultations with students on the design of a new Learning Commons in the outdoor space at the center of the LSC complex. It should rival the Killam.
The Grad House reopens for business this fall in a new space on LeMarchant Street (FYI, you don’t have to be a grad student to go there.) Sherriff Hall dining room is also completely refurbished (you don’t have to live in residence to join the “all you can eat” fans in the rez dining rooms).
And finally, to give a different twist to the notion of “building sites”, we launch a brand new Dal web site at the end of September. These improvements all focus on making Dal a better place for you to learn and live.
I’m always happy to talk about what makes Dal so special and about our plans for making it an even better university. So over the coming year, I’m going to write occasional letters to the Dalhousie Gazette to do this. If you want to share your thoughts with me on these or any other issues, please feel free to contact me at president@dal.ca. I promise that I will personally read your messages and follow up on the matters you raise.
Have a great year at Dalhousie!
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