Apr 8, 2020
Dear Langara Community,
We are now in our third week of virtual operations at the College and I wanted to reach out and let you know how grateful I am to our community of Langarans who are working together at the College, in our local community, provincially, nationally, and internationally.
I want to begin by thanking our front-line workers; doctors and nurses – the latter of whom many have graduated from Langara – and other medical staff and first responders who are working tirelessly in our various communities to keep us healthy and safe. Thank you to those who are continuing to run our communities through their work in grocery stores, food deliveries, pharmacies, transit, daycare workers, and other essential services. I also want to recognize all of the Langarans, from alumni to nursing students who are supporting our community on the front lines. Please know that you are hearing all of our voices cheer you on and thank you at 7:00 pm each evening.
I’ve been pleased to see that the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training has stepped up to support our students and the families of Langarans in many ways, such as the $140,000 in funding that Langara has received in order to allow us to provide more emergency financial assistance to students. The Langara College Foundation has also provided new funding support to our international students from our International Education Fund in the amount of $140,000. The Foundation previously allocated $100,000 two weeks ago to address the emergent needs of both domestic and international students. I’m humbled to see how many members of our community have donated to the Community Cupboard at this time of great need, and how our donors have stepped forward to provide even more support for our students.
To our students, I know the shift from in-person to online instruction has happened quickly, and I acknowledge the challenges that this has brought. It has been an abrupt change for all of us, and we remain committed to supporting you and providing every opportunity possible to keep you on your educational path. I also want to recognize that many of you may be separated from family, internationally and locally. We are doing our best to ensure that those students who need to return home are able to do so while finishing their studies. For those who have not arrived yet, we look forward to welcoming you when it is safe to do so.
To our spring graduands, this was not the final semester you anticipated. However, you are Langarans nonetheless, and a welcome addition to our growing alumni community. We expect to continue our relationship with you into the future and we will work to support you in the days going forward as you find your path.
I want to commend our faculty for the ingenuity and flexibility with which you’ve undertaken online teaching, pivoting quickly to provide stability for students. The way that you’ve adapted in these unforeseen circumstances has been remarkable. Again, thank you to our community: our students, faculty, and staff; those who I see working tirelessly behind the scenes to maintain continuity, or on-campus to provide essential services. Every day we are coordinating with the government, our Deans, faculty, staff and health authorities to ensure the care of our students.
Communities show their true character in times of crisis, and ours has proven to be strong, supportive, and community-focused. Together we face this new adversity with resilience and courage. Please remember to take care of yourself. Let’s continue to be kind to each other in the days going forward; kindness will be our greatest currency in the days ahead.
Thank you for your part in helping our community come together in this unprecedented time.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lane Trotter,
President and CEO, Langara College
