Along with the cooler weather and Montreal’s changing fall landscape, I would like to warmly welcome you to a new academic year. It is hard to believe that we have transitioned to our “new normal” for nearly six months now. I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some updates and initiatives from Desautels.
This summer, we had a successful virtual onboarding of new and returning students to our graduate-level programs and hosted virtual orientation sessions for incoming BCom students. Going into the fall semester, we will proceed primarily through remote delivery with some optional on-site activities and sessions for students. These activities will also be available remotely to those who do not wish to attend in person. All on-site activities will respect health guidelines with physical distancing, and other recommended health and safety practices. We will, of course, continue to monitor cases and keep everyone’s health and safety our number one priority. I invite you to take a few minutes to watch this .
While times may still be uncertain, we have a great lineup of initiatives to make it another exciting year for the Desautels community. In October, we will open the state-of-the-art McGill Retail Innovation Lab on the ground floor of Bronfman in partnership with a major national food retailer. That same month, admissions for our new Master of Management in Retailing will launch. Look out for details on both of these initiatives in the coming months. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of our first graduating BCom class—it is a remarkable milestone for all of us at Desautels.
In closing, I wish you all a tremendous start to the semester. Thank you for your patience, flexibility and understanding as our faculty and staff work hard to ensure a wonderful experience for students. We are hopeful that despite all the challenges we continue to face, our efforts will result in innovative and positive outcomes. I am forever grateful to be part of this inspiring Desautels family. Professor Yalovsky, the incoming Interim Dean, and I look forward to kicking off the year with you.
Stay safe and healthy,
Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou
Dean and Professor of Finance
Desautels Faculty of Management at 㽶Ƶ