July 1st marked not only a holiday that is observed as Canada Day, but also my third anniversary in Canada, in Montreal and at McGill University. I arrived on the shores of the St. Lawrence River in midst of another heatwave and to the sounds of the Montreal Jazz Festival. This was not my first visit to the city, but one that stayed in my memory with exceptional clarity. Here I was, well past my first half century of life, and starting a brand-new adventure in a new location, not knowing a single person. That day I felt an excitement and a positive energy to explore opportunities yet unknown, to find my place somewhere in this city and institution. Yes, I was leaving behind family and friends, my house and beloved garden, familiar walks, and neighbourhoods. But that hot summer day, I could hear music and see a vibrant diverse community buzzing around me. What better place to be?!
So here we are 鈥� three years later, once again facing un unknown future as we prepare for life and work post-pandemic. For the School of Continuing Studies community this is an opportunity to reflect on how we can move forward together to continue to build a better future for all. After more than a year of working and studying remotely 鈥� in many cases very effectively鈥� why should we disrupt our lives again and give up the relative greater efficiency?
There聽are several聽reasons for doing so. First, for the 丑别补濒迟丑听of聽our聽community.聽At the end of the day,聽while we聽can聽work聽别蹿蹿颈肠颈别苍迟濒测听at a distance, we have not yet designed our community to be聽as聽别蹿蹿别肠迟颈惫别听remotely.聽I believe that our community聽will聽be聽healthier,聽stronger,聽and more creative聽when we聽are able to聽come together in person.聽This is based not only on my own personal preference for collaborative groups, but also validated by social science.聽Social Psychologist Leon Festinger聽already discovered in the 1950s that proximity聽(physical closeness)聽is an important聽factor in our ability to build group relationships聽(Festinger, L. et al,聽Social Pressures聽In聽Informal Groups,聽New York: Harper. 1950)聽Furthermore,聽Scott Page聽noted in his work on the 鈥溌爐hat聽鈥渢he best teams outperform the best individuals on complex tasks.鈥澛犅燭hus, we聽as a group are more than simply the 鈥渟um of its parts.鈥� 聽The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc with our physical,聽mental,聽and emotional health. We are working harder and longer than ever before.聽Working or studying on campus is not by definition more or less stressful than doing so remotely. However, commuting and walking to meetings does build in some necessary breaks that we might need to refresh and reflect on the day.
Furthermore,聽working and learning together might聽contribute聽to our individual and collective聽happiness.听罢丑别听聽鈥� YES, there is such a report, produced by a network of scholars and practitioners around Columbia University鈥斅燼s well as聽- suggest a high correlation between聽various aspects of the聽pandemic and an overall reduction in life satisfaction, an umbrella term referring to a bundle of experiences of 鈥�.鈥澛燭here are of course many reasons why that might be the case, but聽the high degrees of聽socio-economic聽isolation and聽uncertainty聽certainly figure strongly.聽I like to think of the School of Continuing Studies as聽one important聽source of happiness. How so? Very few of us, if anyone, is at McGill School of Continuing Studies purely for economic reasons. We joined this institution out of a sense of passion and purpose.聽And while every聽individual might have a different set of motivations or understanding聽driving their sense of purpose, it is likely that聽being part of a caring and committed community聽is an important factor聽and,聽by extension,聽contributes聽to our perceived sense of happiness.聽聽
Lastly, returning to聽campus for me is an opportunity to聽help聽丑别补濒听some of the wounds that have opened during the past聽two years. Long before the pandemic, many of our fellow humans were suffering聽not only from disease but also from structural violence,聽inequity,聽and racism.聽COVID-19 compounded this suffering but also opened the door to questioning how we live聽and have lived and died in the past.聽More than聽ever聽we need聽increased聽collective聽or聽rather聽肠辞苍苍别肠迟颈惫别听action, articulated by scholars such as聽Yochai聽Benkler,聽and聽.聽From that perspective, organizations聽鈥斅爈ike our School of Continuing Studies鈥斅燾an聽(and should) foster collaborative information聽and resource聽sharing as well as聽collaborative聽engagement with and by publics.聽Social聽media聽allows us to do some of that.聽However,聽coming together聽in our offices and classrooms聽will聽allow for a more intensive connection and a common base from which聽to聽reflect, to learn and to plan for a聽better future.聽聽
For me聽July聽is聽now聽a month of new beginnings聽and a time to think about the 3聽鈥淗鈥漵聽聽鈥斅爃ealth, happiness, and healing聽鈥斅爐hat can lead to better humanity聽and聽better outcomes聽across all walks of my life.聽I invite you to reflect on your own聽3聽鈥淗鈥檚聽and enjoy the summer!聽