The Nov. 7, 2008 installation ceremony for John (Jake) Kerr (far left) and Dr. Ron Burnett (centre) as the founding Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of Emily Carr University was a fitting celebration of Emily Carr’s new university status. (Photo gallery.)
It’s not everyday that one gets to participate in the founding of a university, let alone a university devoted to art and design. So, it’s difficult to say what to expect. And in these times of economic turbulence and social unrest, it is difficult to muster enthusiasm for official, government sponsored hoopla. Nevertheless the energy and enthusiasm of those who took part in the event—the VIPs on stage and the audience—stood as a testament to the ECU community’s commitment to making the most of the transformation from institute to university and of the opportunities that lie ahead.
The highlight of Jake Kerr’s inaugural speech came when he offered two key points of focus for his Chancellor duties. First, he vowed to work to get Emily Carr a new building capable of accommodating increasing student demand. Directing his comments to Premier Gordon Campbell, Kerr promised that if the government came up with the money that he’d make sure to build it in wood. Kerr’s second pledge was to work with BC’s First Nations to make ECU a viable and vital university for their communities.
Honorary Doctorates for writer William Gibson, painters Peter Doig and painter Emily Carr (posthumously), the involvement of representative from other Universities (as far away as Memorial), and a new school song by Vede Hille all helped to lend the day just the right balance of pomp and circumstance to the day.
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