Report from the CACE President, Neta Gordon, Brock University

To begin, I should introduce myself: my name is Neta Gordon, and I am just beginning my second three-year term as Chair of Brock University’s Department of English Language and Literature. Back in the spring of 2008, just before launching headlong into the complicated world of chairing, I was lucky enough to attend my first CACE meeting, held at the University of British Columbia. There I met colleagues from around the country and was able to listen in on a series of heartfelt and critical dialogues about the particular challenges facing English departments, and what strategies Chairs might pursue so as best to serve their departments (and, with any luck, maintain a modicum of sanity). Now, even with a few years of experience under my belt, I still consider the annual CACE meeting to be one of the most helpful and informative days of my year, and am thus honored to act as the association’s President.   
My thanks go out to my predecessor, Doug Thorpe (University of Saskatchewan), who now serves as our Past President, and to his predecessor, Mary O’Connor (McMaster University), who has now completed her term as Past President. Also, I welcome Margaret Steffler (Trent University) to the CACE Executive in the role of Vice-President.

In the Spring of 2011, CACE met at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton to discuss a number of topics. To begin, Karen MacFarlane (Mount St. Vincent), Ann-Barbara Graff (Nipissing), and Lisa Surridge (Victoria) presented on the topic of What Students Want, which in turn generated a lively discussion that also considered (as Karen put it), What Students Need. Next, Sue Hamilton (Alberta) and I addressed some of the ways our respective departments were Surviving the Budget Crunch, providing the impetus for a dialogue about the need for effective communication about what is happening in Canadian universities, not only across departments and institutions, both also with students and such bodies as ACCUTE. Katherine Quinsey (Windsor) and Christina Luckyj (Dalhousie) presented on the topic of Re-interpreting Equity, drawing attention to important ways that hiring practices in English Departments have changed, and also have yet to change. Finally, Peter Walmsley (McMaster) and Doug Thorpe (Saskatchewan) dealt with the matter of Having Difficult Conversations, which led to a very productive discussion about best practices for Chairs.
In the coming months, the CACE Executive will contemplate the many excellent suggestions for discussion topics for its 2012 meeting, to be held at the University of Waterloo/University of Windsor. Further, the Executive will begin its search for a new Secretary/Treasurer, as Patricia Rigg (Acadia University) finishes up her term at the end of this academic year. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at ngordon(at)brocku(dot)ca if you have any questions.

All best,

Neta Gordon, Brock University

President, CACE

 

 

 

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