News & Events

The first-year SASAH cohort meet at our Orientation Social.

FINDING YOU FEET! SASAH's touchstone for 2025-2026

It’s such a pleasure to welcome the SASAH community back to the new academic year. It was exciting to welcome the new cohort of first-year students in an information session on-line before classes began and in an in-person social event during Orientation. I met the fourth-year cohort in the capstone seminar this week, and I’m gradually getting to know folks in between first and fourth year. I’m looking forward to the meet-and-greet on September 19th in University College 3105 (the Jim Good Boardroom) at 4 pm. In the meantime--and going forward--please drop by my office in University College 2307 if you’re on campus and introduce yourself (if we haven’t met) or check in. Our move to University College is more-or-less complete.

I have been giving a lot of thought to identifying a theme or organizing principle for the year, as is the tradition. It’s a challenge to think in overarching terms when I’m just getting to know our students and settling into the program. “How are you doing in your new role as Director of SASAH?” I’m often asked these days. “I’m finding my feet,” I respond tentatively. I admit that some days I feel like Bambi on the slippery frozen pond, all gangly awkwardness with hooves scooting off in all directions… but like Bambi, I’m up for the adventure.

And it promises to be a tremendous adventure. So, I’m proposing that our touchstone concept for this year be FINDING YOUR FEET. SASAH’s programs provide a rich matrix for students be intellectually daring, critically expansive, creatively inspired – and to be grounded in a strong sense of themselves in community and the environment. “Finding your feet” will mean different things for different people, but it’s a metaphor that is meant to suggest that we share the ongoing process of learning with humanity, whatever our means of locomotion, bringing a sense of down-to-earth self-awareness and responsibility to the undertaking. Finding your feet means working to achieving balance but never getting too comfortable – that’s where discovery begins.

You can only truly find your feet if you know you have support when and where you need it. We continue to be deeply grateful to our alumni, our Advisory Council members, our donors, and our collaborators, who foster our mission of excellence and innovation in the Arts and Humanities. That mission of excellence is brilliantly brought to life by our SASAH Teaching Fellows, innovative instructors who teach our core courses, bringing unique insights that reimagine disciplines, media, communities, localities, and trajectories of thought.

Last thing – a reminder that you will find our Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator, Dr. Ruth Skinner in University College 1123. Jennifer Tramble (SASAH Program Coordinator) is next door to me in UC 2308 and Dr. Barbara Bruce (Experiential Learning Coordinator for the Faculty of Arts & Humanities) is currently in UC 2401D, but she may be on the move to another office, so stay tuned. Expect to hear from Ruth, Jen, Barb, and me about all the events and activities we will be planning for you this year. Posted September 12, 2025.

Jaya Sinha is Western’s new Student Writer-in-Residence

SASAH celebrates fourth-year student Jaya Sinha as this year's Student Writer-in-Residence.

Described wonderfully by Jo Jennings for Western News: "Sinha is the type of person you want as a dinner party guest – animated, articulate and a gifted storyteller. Conversations are sprinkled with amusing anecdotes and the self-deprecating humour of her generation. She thrives in diverse social settings, absorbing the everyday stories of others as deeply as she engages with literature, film and philosophy. She spends her summers writing plays with her best friend 'being each other’s dramaturgs' and figuring out how to make their work better."

Jaya will hold her inaugural reading on Sept. 24 in University Community Centre, room 56 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Student writer-in-residence office hours for the fall semester are Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Appointments can be made by email. Posted September 5, 2025.

Former Director Joel Faflak honoured by Royal Society of Canada

SASAH's founding Director, Joel Faflak, is among seven Western scholars newly recognized by the Royal Society of Canada for their outstanding contributions to the arts, humanities and sciences. Joel is joined by Dr. Robert Hegele, John Meyer, Julie Aitken Schermer, Juan-Luis Suárez and Ying Zheng, all elected Fellows. Professor Angela Roberts is being inducted into the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

The Royal Society of Canada honours excellence across the country, empowering leaders who are building a better future in Canada and around the world.

Joel is the Robert and Ruth Lumsden Chair in the department of English. He is a sought-after lecturer and recipient of multiple teaching awards during his time at Western. His publications are internationally recognized for their study of literature’s profound influence on theories of mind, emotion, evolution and addiction.

Read more in Western News' recent coverage of these accolades. Congratulations, Joel! Posted September 4, 2025.