News

President’s Address to Graduands

Our graduands, Chancellor Stephen Mandel, Board Chair John Acheson, Our Board of Governors, distinguished guests, proud families, faculty, managers and administrators, staff, and volunteers. Welcome, everyone, and thank all of you for being here today. 

Today is a day that we look forward to all year. It is a time when we unite in celebration to honor the accomplishments of our newest graduates. Graduands, today is a day for us to express our joy at your achievements, and to be excited about what lies ahead for you. I want to extend my personal congratulations to you for having completed your study with us. I’m proud of you, and the entire Concordia University of Edmonton community is proud of you. You will remember this day for the rest of your lives. Make it a happy and joyous day. Spend it with your community – those you love and those who have supported you throughout your journey. 

Community. This is a word we use a lot here at Concordia. As a small university, we pride ourselves as being a place where young people can make strong connections, build a strong academic foundation, challenge ideas and form your own conclusions. And as you go into your chosen career path or onto more schooling, you will find a new community to belong to.

Belonging to a community has richly rewarding benefits. You have a group of like-minded folks to share ideas with. You have a group of friends to prop you up when you’re feeling down. You feel not only included, but have a place to belong.

Once you have found your chosen community, there are also responsibilities to live up to. You become part of a team, and as such, will be asked to give of your time and efforts. As richly as you have received, you, too, will be asked to give. And this will not feel like a burden, but a wonderful responsibility.

Each year I try to give some advice to the graduating class and this year, I challenge you to consider what it means to be a community builder. What does it mean to be a part of something bigger than yourself? How will you use your voice to influence others? What kind of leadership do you want to define you?

I want to share with you one of Aesop’s fables. It starts with the Wind and Sun who are in an argument over who is stronger. They see a traveller coming down the road and they decide to settle their argument by seeing which of the two can get the traveller to take his coat off.

The Wind goes first and blows as hard as it can, causing a harsh cold to envelop the traveller. The traveller responds by pulling his coat even tighter against him to protect him from the fury of the wind. The Wind tries even harder to blow the coat off the traveller but the traveller just clings onto his coat even tighter. Next is the Sun’s turn. It rises gently in the sky and slowly brightens its rays, creating a warm glow around the traveller. As the temperature rises, the traveller sheds his jacket, no longer needing its protection.

There are many ways to interpret this fable, but most folks agree that the moral of the story is that gentle persuasion wins where force and bluster fail. And if I may add to that, I would say that leading with empathy and kindness will be the key to your success in the future.

Graduands, as you enter your career, I hope you never forget the power of kindness. It costs nothing, but it can mean everything to the one who receives it. 

Our mission here at Concordia is to be a community of learning grounded in scholarship and academic freedom, preparing students to be independent thinkers, ethical leaders and citizens for the common good. As you complete your studies with us and go out into the world, we hope that the lessons you learned here will inspire you to be the kind of person who builds community, wherever you go.

You have excellent examples all around you, including our outgoing Chancellor Stephen Mandel, who completes his term as chancellor this year. I want to express my sincerest gratitude to Stephen, who has made our university a better place over the past four years in this role. He is a demonstrated community builder and a dedicated public servant, having served as Mayor of Edmonton for nine years and having served in provincial politics for four years after that. In addition to public office, together with his wife Lynne, he has offered his support for any number of worthwhile causes, including many events here at Concordia over the past four years. 

Starting in July, we will welcome Dr. Alan Huehn into this role. In 2015, he and his wife Trish gave a significant donation to Concordia University to renovate our theatre. To this day, it bears their name. But over and above donor support, Al and Trish have shown true dedication and commitment through service to our university over decades, and we are thrilled to welcome him as our Chancellor starting July 1.

Graduates, follow the lead of these people and use the tools, skills and academic foundation you have gained here to create the community you want to live in. Please accept my warmest congratulations and best wishes on your accomplishment. My hope for all of our graduates is that the next stages of your lives will be positive; filled with love, accomplishment, happiness, and contentment.

Dr. Tim Loreman
May 27, 2023