Ideas matter,” says incoming Dean of Arts Ken Coates. And ideas emerging from the Arts matter especially: “I can’t imagine a time that needs the insights of researchers in the humanities and social sciences more than now. All the major issues of our day—the multi-faceted forces of globalization, the social implications of the science and technology revolution, conflicts informed by religious differences, concerns about the environment, etc.— are human issues and need the input of voices from the Arts.” Coates is committed to ensuring that the voice of Arts researchers at Waterloo in particular get heard.
Coates comes to the University of Waterloo with an impressive background in university administration. Since serving as founding Vice President (Academic) for the University of Northern British Columbia in 1992, Coates has held the position of Dean of Arts at the University of New Brunswick as well as Dean of the School of Arts and Science at the University of Saskatchewan (where he also spent some time as Acting Provost and VP Academic).
His years as an administrator have not, however, taken him away from one of his favourite activities: research. A history professor, Coates has managed to maintain a highly productive program of research throughout his terms as Dean and VP. Describing himself as an “extremely eclectic” researcher, Coates has published in areas as diverse as aboriginal issues, the Canadian north, and cultures of innovation in Japan. “I love writing!” says Coates. “Research-related writing is something I need to do and I can’t imagine not doing it—it is a passion.”
Currently, Coates is engaged in a SSHRC-funded study that investigates the ethos of resource management in Canada. Taking as a case study Alcan’s controversial Kemano Hydroelectric Completion Project in northern B.C., Coates is exploring the complex impacts such projects have on local communities and the competing visions of the north that they evoke.
As well, and in collaboration with others, he is working on two books: a history of aboriginal land claims court cases in Canada, and an examination of the transformation of the territorial north. Another project Coates is involved with is a Heritage Canada project developing materials on the history of the Yukon gold rush for the student-oriented website “Great Unsolved Canadian Mysteries.” In short, he is a busy man!
Drawn to Waterloo by its reputation for risk-taking, innovation, and creativity, Coates has found that his positive first impressions of Waterloo and the Faculty of Arts have been confirmed since his arrival here at the beginning of July. “I am impressed with the degree to which UW Arts faculty and graduate students have been able to capitalize on the strengths of the University as a whole through projects addressing digital technologies and transformations. At the same time, I’m pleased to see that there hasn’t been a complete shift to technology-based issues and ideas: faculty members in Arts clearly continue to be devoted to the core values of Arts, embodying diverse and multi-disciplinary intellectual perspectives in both their research and teaching.”
Coates says he’s glad to be here and is looking forward to building on the Faculty’s record of success by giving emphasis to a few key areas that will better position the Faculty for the challenges of the 21st century.
First, he would like to see the University do more to support a culture of research within Arts. A review of teaching loads, for instance, will be one very pragmatic step towards creating a balance between research expectations and other faculty demands and responsibilities.
A second area of focus will be the encouragement of collaborative research projects—both among UW researchers and between UW faculty and researchers elsewhere in Canada and the world. The University, Coates believes, could and should play a more active role in facilitating, fostering, and securing funding for such research initiatives.
Finally, convinced of the social and cultural importance of Arts research and the need for Arts researchers to be heard in the public forum, Coates aims to foster a culture of social engagement at Waterloo. “Who is our audience?”, “Who needs to know about this research?” and “What kind of social impact or relevance might this research have?” are questions Coates asks and invites Arts researchers to ask as they plan their projects and disseminate their findings.
“As Arts researchers, we take ourselves seriously – but not seriously enough,” remarks Coates. “Our research, our ideas, are more important and more needed than we sometimes realize.”
July 2006
Angela Roorda
Faculty of Arts
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
519 888-4567
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