From the Lodge

Welcome to this new edition of The Bridge, at the start of what we hope will be a more normal academic year! I hope you and your families are doing well.

I am delighted to report that Queens’ has been managing relatively well through this pandemic. Our success in maintaining a healthy environment -- for students, staff and Fellows -- has not come at the cost of less focus on our mission to deliver transformational education and research opportunities to a more diverse and inclusive community. Indeed, we have been able to enhance intellectual opportunities, achieve strong examination results, and enlarge the academic and financial support we offer to our students. None of this would have been possible without your help and guidance, and without the incredible work of so many people here at Queens’.

While we take comfort from what was achieved, we are not losing sight of the challenges that the pandemic continues to pose. From the many students feeling greater anxiety and turning to our Health and Wellbeing Services, to the significant shortfall in conference revenue, Covid will go down as one of the biggest external shocks to have hit us during our proud 573 year history.

Like others, our community has suffered tragic losses and multiple disruptions. Certainly, we were bruised. Yet we emerge stronger having learned from this experience, introduced new practices, and become even more eager to move on our strategic initiatives. We have expanded, in scale and scope, our financial support to students, while also adding to our Fellowship to provide us greater subject depth and a richer set of multi-disciplinary capabilities.

Over the summer we welcomed back students and their parents to College for three wonderful graduation “catch-ups.” This was followed by the return of students and a wonderful intake of new students. As individuals and collectively, they bring us creativity, laughter and aspirations. We have also been able to restart in-person events for our alums and donors, and I eagerly look forward to welcoming many of you back to the College in the months ahead.

With the pandemic having given us a strong sense of who we are, what we do well and where we need do a lot better, you will be hearing from me later this year about efforts to further strengthen our intellectual community, enhance access and participation, improve our physical and technological infrastructure, streamlining our governance system and, yes, boost our financial resilience. By pursuing these initiatives we will be providing many more transformational academic opportunities in a friendly, diverse and inclusive environment.

In closing, allow me please to thank you for the role that you play in this special community. The warmth and support of our alumni and donors, the constructive feedback and guidance, and generous donations have all served as a strong and visible source of encouragement and inspiration for so many at Queens’. Thank you very much. We are deeply grateful.

Wishing you and your families health, success and happiness for the months ahead.

Fellows’ Admission Ceremony