Sameer Chhabra: Alright, and we are recording. So let’s start off with a very very simple question: What is your definition of what it means to be a Guelph gryphon?
President Franco Vaccarino: Well what I love about the Guelph Gryphon symbol is the balance. It’s about thoughtfulness, it’s about caring, but it’s also being committed to excellence and it’s really captured in the symbolism of the gryphon. And that’s what it means to me: thoughtfulness, caring, and commitment to excellence.
S.C.: So this question is one of the ones that reference last year’s set. Last year, we asked what your favourite thing about Guelph has been so far. Has this changed, and if so, what is your new favourite thing about Guelph?
F.V.: Well, I gotta tell you, I love my walk in the morning. I come in the morning and it’s about a—well, it should be about a five to eight minute walk. It takes me typically a lot longer, I come down Wineguard Walk from the north end of campus and it’s just wonderful coming in the morning bumping into people. I’m always so amazed and impressed by the fact that people stop and take the time to say hello and chat and often they’re students. It’s particularly interesting to have this interview now because we of course just had our orientation week and our homecoming so my face is probably a little more visible during that time, so the number of first-year students who take the time to say hello and that walk is always terrific. So I get into the office all energized and ready to go.
S.C.: What are some of the things that you find people talking to you about on these morning walks and how often would you say in a single day are you stopped by a student or faculty member to say hello or to express their opinion?
President Vaccarino:
I would say most days. Most days I walk in and people will often say hello and sometimes it’s students or faculty or staff. Often it’s just an opportunity to chat and say hello. Occasionally I’ll get advice or thoughts on a particular matter, but virtually it’s a very positive context and people really just taking the time to be friendly and supportive.
S.C.: How do you find the student body?
F.V.: I find the student body absolutely terrific. I have to tell you one of the great things about working in the university environment and you’re only a student here for a limited time and as a professor over 30 years and as the new president here, one of the great things about my job is the fact that I’m surrounded by unbelievably talented, smart, energized young people. And that’s just played itself out in spades with the student body here so I’ve really enjoyed my time meeting students. In fact, I wish I had even more opportunity to stay connected with students.
S.C.: Owing to your experience as both a professor and the president of the university and as the principal of UTSC, would you like to draw any comparisons between Guelph and UTSC or perhaps your appointment here as president and your appointment as principal of UTSC? How are they similar, how are they different?
F.V.: I guess my first thought that comes to mind with a question like that is every community is unique. One thing that both UTSC and Guelph share is actually a strong sense of community and a very different community. UTSC has a different history, a different location, different place, and so it’s really in some ways I’m struck by the power of people and the power of places. It’s really that combination that defines, in some sense, what communities are. Speaking for Guelph, when I was first approached about the position and accepted the role, I had an image of the community here that I have to say has only been reinforced by my time.
Back to that balance that sense of compassion, of caring, but also of commitment to excellence and a very forward looking view of the world. So like I said, that’s been reinforced and I’ve loved it here.
S.C.: You’ve already sort of touched on this, but I’ll ask it directly. You’ve had a chance to embrace the Guelph community, you’re president of the university, you’ve been at a number of public events within the Guelph community. What is something you’d like to change about the University of Guelph and the Guelph community at large as well?
F.V.: You know that’s an interesting question because it assumes that one wants to change things.
S.C.: Very much so.
F.V.: I am a big believer in adaptation and anybody who knows and has worked with me [can attest], I talk a lot about it, even in my installation speech, I talk about the importance of adapting and readapting, so my answer is genuinely: I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s an amazing place and if there’s elements of it that I need to understand better, I see that as an opportunity, because it’s so fundamentally a wonderful place to be that it becomes my job to adapt it and readapt it, and to understand it. So for me, a big part of it is the journey of actually getting to know the community, so I wouldn’t change it. I would hold it constant. I wouldn’t change a thing, and giving me the opportunity, of course, to adapt and grow with the community and with the months and years to come.
S.C.: So keeping in mind that you wouldn’t like to change very much, and you also did talk about how students approach you when you’re walking to school, I’ll ask the question directly, in two parts. First of all, have you had any trouble connecting with students at Guelph—not them reaching you, but you reaching them?
F.V.: No, I have to say that I’ve really found the community here, the students in particular, very reachable. One great thing about the stage of life that one is in as a student is the passion that they have for particular issues or themes. So I’ve had the opportunity to cross paths with different groups in different ways, and people have always been very inviting. I’ve had positive experiences.
S.C.: Now this next question is about student associations, perhaps some of the most passionate students that we do hear about. How has your experience been connecting with students associations at the university?
F.V.: I would say a similar answer [as in the previous question]. I think that student associations of course have a particular interest and goals that they set for themselves both for the year ahead as well as the years ahead. One of the things I like to talk a lot about is the notion of a common purpose. At the end of the day, we’ve all come to the University of Guelph because it was a destination of choice for us. That’s true whether you’re a student, whether you’re a staff or faculty member, and so when I think about student associations, I think about that sense of common purpose. Now, of course, when you double-click on that and you drill down, there may be differences in approaches or thoughts about how we can continue to preserve that destination of choice, but we don’t lose sight of that sense of common purpose that we have. So again, my experience has been that that sense of common purpose has been there with the different student associations and continues to be there, and we’re committed to working together with students, reaching out, and making sure that, as much as possible, that even if there are differences and thoughts about how to achieve that common goal, that we still don’t lose sight of the fact that we are in this together, and then figure out a common solution.
S.C.: So what would you say is one of the more common purposes—common goals—within the university?
F.V.: One of the common goals that we have is making sure that we preserve and sustain this place as a destination of choice for people. At the end of the day, it’s about our people. I would say that that’s a key common purpose that we have, that it continues to be a destination of choice, and for that, we need to make sure that we stay healthy, that we stay true to our cultures, true to our values moving forward.
S.C.: This is a bit of lighter question. Let’s talk about Guelph as a destination of choice. The food.
F.V.: Yes.
S.C.: How have you found the food at the university, and what is your favourite on-campus eatery at Guelph?
F.V.: Well I love the food here on campus, in fact it’s been one of the high points and a real point of pride for the community, the fact that we think about the well-being of our students, staff, and faculty, and that’s played out in many ways through our food services. We have a phenomenal—a phenomenal—hospitality staff. If you look at some of the events that we’ve put on, for example: the welcome to students event. The new students come in and we have a welcoming event that really is, in a sense, the kick-off for the academic side, after most of the orientation week has gone by. The hospitality staff put on this huge barbeque, and as it happened, this year looked like it was going to rain so they had to move everything indoor. It was amazing, so a shout-out to the hospitality staff, because [responses] have been very positive.
In terms of favourite destination, I love going to PJ’s. It’s a terrific location, I love the place itself—the windows and the lighting and the excellent food. It’s also because it connects with the students, and is a training ground for students. But I have to say that I also love going to Centre Six, just in the student union—the UC—just because it’s a crossroads, with all sorts of people coming in and out, and there’s a real buzz to it. So I enjoy that as well.
S.C.: So, harkening back to the favourite eatery question, do you have a favourite spot on-campus in general—it doesn’t have to be food or athletics, but someplace you really enjoy being?
F.V.: I would say Branion Plaza. Again it’s a meeting place, as you can see, there’s a bit of a theme here, but it’s just a wonderful place that’s been created for people to just bump into each other—the way that it’s been structured and set up. I think we did some renovations a year or two ago, and that would be my favourite crossroads spot.
S.C.: So let’s talk about Branion, just a little bit more. Last year you said that you might consider changing the direction that the cannon is facing—Old Jeremiah. One year later, what are your thoughts on the cannon and its placement?
F.V.: You know, back to adaptation. A year ago I jokingly said, “Well, if I have to change anything, maybe the direction that the cannon is facing,” because it’s sort of aiming at the fourth floor. But I have to say, a year later, I’ve gotten used to it, and I’ve adapted to the way the cannon is pointing. Maybe it’s a way to remind me to stay on my toes. So I’m good with the cannon pointing at us.
S.C.: This is a very difficult question to answer even if you are versed in the cannon’s lore, have you had a favourite design that a group has put together in the last year?
F.V.: I’ve just been blown away by the creativity and commitment that students [have shown]. The number of designs have really highlighted the dynamic colour schemes and also the ones that represent their particular group. Overall I’m just impressed by the creativity and commitment to tradition that students have shown.
S.C.: Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, let’s be a little blunt. There’s a perceived disparity between the usefulness of the arts and the usefulness of the sciences.
F.V.: Yes.
S.C.: Putting it bluntly, and this is probably as blunt as it can get, science is useful, art is otherwise. Do you agree or disagree with these perceptions and would you like to add something to the arts vs. sciences debate?
F.V.: If you’re asking if I agree or disagree with that statement, I couldn’t disagree more. The arts and the sciences are both unbelievably important for humanity, for society. The sciences will continue to progress we will make discovery, we will push the envelope for our understanding of our physical world, of lifeforms, and life systems. The arts and the social sciences will in parallel with that, and in many ways in compliment to, continue to address some of the most fundamental issues of the day, and many of which by the way are triggered by scientific developments. Ethical issues, philosophical issues. I would argue that the toughest questions of the day are questions that are central to the humanities and the social sciences and the arts. It’s those disciplines that will address [those questions]. As you can tell, I am a big believer in the importance of multiple perspectives, and any time we try to simplify things or try for a science-oriented view of the world or an arts perspective, we are going to be missing perspectives, and the arts, the social sciences, the humanities, the physical sciences, the life sciences, all bring key perspectives to bare on this amazing world that we live in.
S.C.: I’d like to just focus on this issue a little bit more, and this next one is a bit of a loaded question, so please keep that in mind. As an educator, do you think we should be looking at university, college, or post-secondary degrees based on their economic value?
F.V.: Let me ask you to clarify what you mean by economic value. What do you mean by economic value?
S.C.: There’s this idea that if you go into the sciences, you’ll get a job. But if you go into the arts then you’re going to struggle a bit longer—almost like a starving artist archetype. I suppose what I’m saying is that there are these perceptions about economic value of attending university, you’re going to make more money by going to university and getting a science degree than if you go to university and get an English degree.
F.V.: I believe that dollars are a disservice to ideas and concepts and that how we use our education and how we frame it to with respect to our own personal lives is an individual decision. For individuals for whom an education is really a vehicle to economic well-being, that’s fine, but even there it wouldn’t be as simple as saying the sciences will lead to positive economic well-being and the arts will not. There are many many examples of phenomenally successful individuals who have come from an arts or social sciences background. It’s all about how you use your knowledge, and one thing that I’m a big believer in is making sure that, by the time that students complete their university experience, they understand the power of their knowledge in all of its facets beyond the obvious. The obvious being the direct job-related application of their knowledge. But the power of their knowledge goes beyond that in ways that often we can’t even anticipate. If you consider the fact that in your lifetimes, particularly this generation, its expected that young people might change two, three, four different careers. So I would argue, what does it mean to be job-ready in today’s world? In the past, if you look back 50, 60, 70 years ago when they shelf life of knowledge was a lot longer than it is today, you could say well this knowledge platform is going to be prerequisite for certain fields and it’s going to be required for the next 15 20 years. We used to have something called the encyclopaedia that people went to. That was good for 20 years—that one book. The point is that the cycling of knowledge is happening at a very quick pace. So all of that is to say that, today, job-readiness means something very different. I think job-readiness today means about being mentally nimble, being flexible, being adaptive, being able to transfer your knowledge in cool, interesting, and unexpected ways. It’s absolutely appropriate for young people to expect that after they’ve invested their time in university, it’s not unreasonable to expect that they’re going to get material opportunities coming out of that, and I would say that is true. In that context, the role that universities are playing are continuing to evolve in the ways that I’ve just described.
S.C.: That was an absolutely fantastic answer. Let’s tone it down a bit and go back to one of the more fun questions in my opinion. Each year, The Ontarion publishes a list of 101 things that students should do before graduating from the university. As president of the university, how many things from that list have you done?
F.V.: Honestly I took a quick look at the list and just glancing through it, I’m guessing I’ve done about 30, 40 per cent—don’t quote me on that. But because of this interview, I’ll commit to going back to that list and making sure I look at it so I’m on it for the years to come.
S.C.: So final question: are there any personal sentiments that you’d like to convey to our readers at the Ontarion, the students at the university, or the citizens of Guelph?
F.V.: Really a thank you for the amazing welcome and support that I’ve received in my first year here as president. Transitions, as we know and as any new student would know, are both exciting and exhilarating on the one hand, but they’re also not without their uncertainties and even angst in some cases. For me, I have to say that the transition has been wonderful. Not just for myself, but for my wife. This was a big move for us. Cosmina and I moved into a new community, the university community, staff, students, faculty, have been very supportive, and it’s been heartwarming for us, and also the broader Guelph community that’s been linked to the university has been the same. It’s been a great entry year and I’m looking forward to continuing to build on that feeling and that momentum. So thank you.