A Message from the Dean of Arts, Joanne Wright

Greetings to UNB alumni readers!  

As Dean of the Faculty of Arts on the Fredericton campus, it brings me great to pleasure to share a few updates on exciting initiatives, achievements, and changes in the Faculty of Arts that have taken place over the 2022-2023 academic year.  

The 2022-2023 academic year offered new challenges and opportunities to our faculty community. While the effects of the pandemic continue to be felt across the university and all communities, we welcomed the opportunity to teach, gather, and do research again in person.  

With several research centres, over 90 faculty members teaching and researching in the humanities and social sciences, and over 30 different programs of study, there are always new developments, engaging events, and research achievements to share. Here are just a few noteworthy examples:  

• The successful completion of the Academic Planning Process for 2022-2027. This plan represents the academic vision for our faculty for the next five years and emerges from years of collaboration and consultation.  
• Launch of our new ARTS 1013/1023 courses, introducting students to the critical themes of justice and environmental studies.
• The launch of several new programs: Bio-psychology ; Criminology and criminal justice and a PhD specialization in gender and sexuality in literature.  
• We welcomed a new Canada Research Chair in Healthy Aging Dr. Catherine Biggonnesse.  
• Students and staff organized the 8th annual Arts Matters Undergraduate Conference, welcoming students from UNB and universities across Atlantic Canada.  
• We have continued to expand our experiential learning opportunities with the success of our Arts Internship Program, our field school opportunities, and the new Pathways to Professions and Pathways to Policies initiatives from the NB-IRDT, among many others.  

Please check out these stories and more in the newsletter and consider joining us for our Alumni Open House event in June! On Friday, June 2, from 1:30-3:00 PM, our doors will be open to recent graduates and long-standing alumni. The Faculty of Arts is always happy to welcome our alumni and graduates back to campus! 

-Joanne