Together, the 45 faculty members in the room represented more than 1,300 years of experience in teaching and research at York, but, as President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri observed in his opening remarks at a reception to honour them, "it's not only the duration of service, but also the quality of what you have done that makes a first-class institution of which we are all proud."
"On behalf of the entire York community, we thank you for your dedication," he added.
The annual ceremony marking York's long-serving faculty members was held in the Executive Dining Room at the Schulich School of Business on Jan. 24.
As is customary, two members of those who had achieved 40 and 25 years of service to the University were invited to speak on behalf of their colleagues. Alumna as well as faculty member Julianna Drexler (40 years) and Professor Paul Delaney (25 years) of the Faculty of Science & Engineering, took their listeners on a short trip down memory lane infused with their personal thoughts on what it's like to teach at York.
Drexler (BA '71), a librarian at Glendon's Leslie Frost Library, said she was honoured to represent her group of those who have spent almost the whole of their working lives at York.
"I bring a very different perspective because I have spent my working years at Glendon, not at Keele, and I am a librarian, not a professor, although I have taught for the last 25 years," Drexler said.
As a librarian, Drexler said that she was most struck by the evolution of technology at York's libraries and talked about how it changed over the years. She recalled the early days, when she would use a huge steel needle to punch holes in stacks of catalogue index cards, or call people with overdue books one at a time, to today, where everyone has full access to the entire catalogue online and can tell what books are out on loan. "The learning curve was huge, but the benefits were enormous," Drexler said.
She also noted that Frost Library's first PC was kept in a room under lock and key, and only brought out during the day. "Who would have thought that in a few short years, researchers could look at resources from all over the world sitting at their own desk, in their own office, and examine collections that they would have had to travel overseas to see just a few short years ago," she said.
"Working at York University is certainly much more than just the teaching and research aspects – it's a labour of love," said Delaney. "It's an enriching engagement of knowledge and people. It really is a unique environment to live in and love. It makes getting up in the morning extremely easy.
"We no longer stand in the shadow of any institution, and that's in large measure a reflection of the dedication to York University of the people in this room. I'm absolutely delighted to be a member of that illustrious team," Delaney said.
York Vice-President Academic & Provost Patrick Monahan, who has been at York for 29 years himself, added his words of thanks prior to congratulating the honourees with tokens of appreciation.
"What makes our University great is the people, and in particular the faculty, because they create the intellectual community and drive the spirit of inquiry that is at the heart of a thriving intellectual community," said Monahan. "So the people we honour today are those who have contributed to building this community for over four decades in some cases and we owe a great debt of gratitude to them for their contributions."
Those honourees who are also York grads were congratulated by Jeff O'Hagan, York vice-president advancement, who presented them with alumni pins.
2011 40-year recipients in attendance:
- Julianna Drexler, department head & librarian, Leslie Frost Library, Glendon College
- Paul Evans, School of Administrative Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Michael Friendly, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health
- Gerald Gold, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Joseph Gonda, Department of Philosophy, Glendon College
- Stephen Hellman, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Doris Olin, Department of Philosophy, Glendon College
- Philip Olin, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Faculty of Science & Engineering
- Norman Purzitsky, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Faculty of Science & Engineering
- Savitsa Sevigny, Department of French Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Ron Sheese, Writing Department, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health
- Ross Stuart, Department of Theatre, Faculty of Fine Arts
2011 25-year recipients in attendance:
- Vijay Agnew, Department of Social Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- John Amanatides, Office of the Master, Bethune College, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Faculty of Science & Engineering
- Isabella Bakker, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Monica Belcourt, School of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Kymberley Bird, Department of English, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- John Blazina, Department of English and Writing Department, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Eduardo Canel, Department of Social Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Lewis Code, Department of Geography, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Mary-Louise Craven, Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Paul Delaney, Division of Natural Science and Department of Physics & Astronomy, Faculty of Science & Engineering
- Barry Elmes, Department of Music, Faculty of Fine Arts
- Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt, Department of Dance, Faculty of Fine Arts
- Carol Fraser, Department of English, Glendon College
- Ted Goossen, Department of Humanities, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- John Hofbauer, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Faculty of Science & Engineering
- Patricia Keeney, Department of English, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Gary Klaassen, Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering, Faculty of Science & Engineering
- Larry Lam, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Marie-Christine Leps, Department of English, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and English Program, Faculty of Graduate Studies
- Benjamin Lowinsky, Department of Social Science and Writing Department, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Kim Maltman, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Faculty of Science & Engineering
- Elizabeth Maynes, Finance Specialization, Schulich School of Business
- Kenneth McBey, Schools of Human Resource Management and Administrative Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Patricia McDermott, Department of Social Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Françoise Mougeon, Department of French Studies, Glendon College
- Hazel Rosin, Organizational Behaviour and Industrial Relations, Schulich School of Business
- Judith Schwarz, Department of Visual Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts
- Phillip Silver, Department of Theatre, Faculty of Fine Arts
- James Simeon, School of Public Policy & Administration, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Donald Sinclair, Fine Arts Cultural Studies, Faculty of Fine Arts
- Roberta Sinyor, Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Bruce Smardon, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
- Peter Taylor, Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Sergio Villani, Department of French Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies