I write today to express my utmost respect and appreciation for my colleagues serving on the Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC) for the selection of the next Dean of the Faculty of Education. The time and effort that committee members devoted to the tasks of the PAC was, in my view, time well spent. The deliberations and conversations have been fair and constructive, and the committee members have contributed strongly to forward progress. However, as announced today, the work of the committee has been discontinued, out of a concern for the best interests of the Faculty of Education. One of the most difficult aspects of providing assurances about the work of the committee is that the strict requirements of confidentiality that are placed on the committee must be abided by at all times, and by all members. Nevertheless, I take this opportunity to assure all concerned that the members of the committee have conducted themselves thoughtfully and honourably, with fairness to candidates and EDI considerations at the forefront of every meeting. I will close by saying that I do look forward to welcoming a new Dean of the Faculty of Education in due course.
Andrew J. Szeri
Provost and Vice-President, Academic
UBC Vancouver