#ualberta15

Three female graduates at the May 1933 convocation ceremony at McDougall United Church. 

University convocation ceremonies were initially held in Convocation Hall in the Arts Building, but because of the growing number of graduates, from 1931-1958 the ceremony was held at McDougall. In 1958, convocation ceremonies were moved to the Jubilee Auditorium, where they are still held, along with the convocation ceremonies at Augustana in Camrose.

Class of 2015—

Come with me, if you will, on an imaginative journey. Leave pomp and circumstance for just a moment and cast your mind back to your first day at the University of Alberta.

Who were you then? What hopes did you have?

Did you feel a bit overwhelmed arriving on campus? A little unsure about whether you were in the right program, let alone the right building? Or did you feel like you were finally in the right place, ready to become the person you wanted to be?

We all have our own unique University of Alberta beginning.

I’ll never forget one of my first days as president. I was feeling confident and excited, convinced that I was ready to take on the biggest challenge of my life. So out I went during orientation week to speak to students and hand out some U of A goodies. Having just done the research for my interview, I was keen to see what they knew about their university.

“When was the U of A founded?” I asked one bright-eyed student. “1779,” he responded with great certainty. I suggested he try a history course.

I asked another student, “Who was the first president of the U of A?” I received a blank look. After a few seconds, the student said, “And who are you?” I asked, “Who do you think I am?” Her face brightened and she said, “You must be the Students’ Union president!”

How flattering to be mistaken for a 20-year-old, but I knew right then that I had work to do.

Having the title of president was one thing. Becoming a leader she could respect and recognize—that I would have to earn.

And so my own U of A education began.

Today we celebrate the educational journey that you and I began on that first day. The U of A has taught me more than I thought possible. I hope you feel the same. In past years, I’ve had to rely on memories of my own convocation to find the words of advice I’d like to share today.

But this year, it’s different. This year, after 10 years as president, I too am leaving the U of A. Like many of you, I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing next.

I’m even moving back in with my family. Well, to be honest, it’s my daughter and her family who are moving in with me while they have house renovations done. But right about now, without a definite plan, it feels frighteningly close to moving back into the basement.

So here we are, you and I, excited and apprehensive at the same time.

It’s been such a privilege for me to lead this great university and to see so many talented graduates cross the stage. When I reflect on the last decade, my main aim as a person and as your president has been to set myself and every student on a journey to excellence. Today is just the first stop for you on that lifetime endeavour.

I believe that excellence is not merely rooted in ambition and achievement, as many people think, but in something quite different. It is not about your grade point average or academic awards—in fact, it’s not a goal at all. Instead, seeking excellence is a process or a way of living your life—excellence is that point on the horizon giving you direction.

I first learned from my father, who was an ear, nose and throat specialist in Sri Lanka. Every day, he toiled away caring for thousands of extremely poor patients. Faced with this daily grind, my father might have chosen to treat his patients quickly, doing only what was necessary to help them out the door, without thinking deeply about their chronic illnesses. But he was a person who sought excellence in everything he did; “good enough” was not in his repertoire.

In my youth, he uncovered a bioelectric disturbance in the inner ear which caused debilitating dizziness. He then devised a minor operation to treat the condition, which brought unimaginable relief to his patients. I was only a teenager, but I was struck by his passion and deep caring for his patients. His daily caring had translated into excellence. His actions remind me of a favourite quote:

“Excellence can be attained if you risk more than others think is safe, care more than others think is wise, dream more than others think is practical, and expect more than others think is possible.”

Here at the U of A, I have continued to learn this lesson many times over.

As you launch your careers, I would like to be able to assure you that, with thoughtful planning, the journey towards excellence goes in a straight line. But it doesn’t. No doubt you already know this. Life constantly surprises us.

Good or bad—sometimes you can feel completely derailed by the unexpected. It’s how we respond to and learn from these surprises that is our true test.

Start by using the skills you’ve gained over your degree. Approach every problem—and opportunity—with both critical thinking skills and imagination. Connect the dots between ideas and people.

Pay attention to details that others may have missed. Read and do research so that you can understand the full context of the issue. Seek alternative perspectives—yours alone will never provide a full picture.

This last point is important. Your generation is often touted as the most connected generation in human history. Hard to imagine, but when I became president, social media was so new that no one really knew it existed yet. Communications technology has made all of our lives infinitely easier. I can send an email, Skype into a meeting, or text a quick instruction—and things get done. But I’ve learned that we can sometimes mistake efficiency for quality.  

Without face-to-face communication—which engages all five of our senses—technology can sometimes dehumanize and create misunderstanding. You may get things done but you may find that you’re doing them alone. As an African proverb teaches:

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.”

I think of my father and the thousands of conversations he had with his patients—nothing would have come of them, if he hadn’t been listening with his whole self.

The University of Alberta has a deep, resonant spirit and purpose that injects this kind of human connection into the heart of all we do. It goes back to our first president, Henry Marshall Tory, and his call for us to be a university for the uplifting of the whole people.

His call resonated in 1908, perhaps because Alberta’s pioneers had risked more than others thought wise and believed they could build a better future for themselves and others.

Tory’s call has grown stronger in our awareness that this particular place has a much deeper history of being a gathering place where Aboriginal Peoples of many nations came together for centuries in both spiritual and economic harmony. They knew that only by caring more than others think wise can we survive and prosper.

This fierce pride in community—and its corresponding commitment to serve and uplift others—are hardwired into the U of A. They are now a part of me. They are now a part of you. They give our journey towards excellence a deeper meaning.

Graduands, each one of you has your own particular U of A story. Continue to live out that story with purpose and vision. I ask you to risk more, care more, dream more, and expect more of yourself than you thought possible.

And always remember: By seeking for excellence and striving to fulfil your highest potential, you can and will become a person who uplifts others and makes the human community better for all.

In addition to the usual ceremonial rites of convocation, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students at the University of Alberta are presented with an honouring as they cross the convocation stage. After each student meets the president, chancellor, and representative from the Board of Governors, an elder, as well as a staff member from the Aboriginal Student Services Centre, will rise and greet the student on stage. The elder will then honour the graduating student with a feather, sash, or Inuksuk.

“To be given an Eagle feather is the highest honour that can be awarded within Aboriginal culture. It is a mark of distinction, one that could indicate that a rite of passage has been earned. The Eagle feather represents the norms, responsibilities and behaviours that are all a part of conditioning, learning and commitment to a spirit. It is in this way that life is honoured and becomes whole. The law of nature calls for one order of life to depend on another.

Therefore when one holds the Eagle feather, one must speak the truth in as positive a way as one can, for the ear of the Creator is that much closer to the feather of the Eagle. We honour the feather of the Eagle with great care, showing it respect, honesty, and truth at all times.”

“The Métis Sash is a finger-woven belt made of wool, and it is approximately three metres long. Traditionally, it was used as a scarf or as a rope, or it was tied at the waist to hold a coat closed. It served as a first aid kit, a wash-cloth, a towel, or as a saddle blanket when the Métis were out on a buffalo hunt. The threads of the fingers were used as a sewing kit, or valuable possessions were tied to them. The Sash is considered a great honour and it is worn with pride and esteem.

The colours of the Sash are symbolic of the following:

Red: the blood of the Métis, shed over the years for our inherent rights;

Blue: the depth of our spirit;

Green: fertility;

White: our connection to Mother Earth and the Creator;

Yellow: our prosperity; and

Black: the dark period in which the Métis people had to endure dispossession and repression.”

Narrower sashes are for women, and are worn over the shoulder. Broader sashes are worn by men around their waist.

“An Inuit word that literally translated means ‘stone man that points the way.’ The Inuksuk can be found throughout Northern Canada from Baffin Island to Victoria. The purpose of the Inuksuk was to show direction and guide the way. The Inuksuk has been adopted today as a symbol to remind us of our dependence on each other and the value of strong relationships.”

Spring convocation at UAlberta begins on May 31, with a ceremony at the Augustana campus in Camrose. From then until June 11, the entire University of Alberta community will be celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2015.

We want you to share your stories.

Whether you’re a student about to graduate, or a proud parent, family member and friend, we want you to share your images, videos, tweets and stories with us on social media.

Use the #UAlberta15 hashtag.

"Another year has gone! ... This means another class is departing from us, pushed out into the larger world of men and things. How inexorable is time! You cannot remain because the growing urge from within as well as the call from without, forcing you on, make it impossible. All that we can do, we who have been responsible for guiding your studies for the past four years, is to wish you Godspeed on your journey, expressing the hope that you will find happiness and prosperity. Without question, you will find the work of the world harder and less pleasant than college days, yet paradoxical as it may seem, the real joy of living is before you, the joy of seeing life grow into achievement. If I dared give a word of advice, it would be, ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.’" - Henry Marshall Tory