Recalling Lakehead Moments – a Conversation with Lakehead Orillia Principal Kim Fedderson
As part of our celebrations of Lakehead University’s 50th Anniversary, I spoke to some of our faculty and staff to learn more about their experiences at both the Thunder Bay and Orillia campuses. My conversation with Dr. Kim Fedderson, Orillia Campus Principal, is the first of a six-part series.
When did you start working at Lakehead University?
I started working at Lakehead as an assistant professor in the English department in 1989.
Can you describe your first impression of Lakehead in three words?
I can do it in four: university on the frontier. When I first got to the university, what was apparent was that the faculty were really engaged in teaching and research, and they were genuinely student-centered. I wanted to be in a place where faculty were focused on students and on the discovery of new knowledge, and within about an hour I realized that Lakehead was that place.
Are there any exceptional or meaningful moments that standout in your memory from your time in Thunder Bay?
There are so many moments. I remember having a conversation with a former student of mine, who is now doing a PhD in Education, and I talked to her about one of those days I had experienced where the world kind of shifted. I just thought it was a passing conversation and when we reconnected later, she sent me a poem talking about her experience as a student, and one of the things she recounted in the poem was this experience that I had shared with her. What caught me about that was that one can be having just ordinary conversations and they can actually be really significant in another person’s life. You never know when those conversations are happening but they can be transformative. It was a very special thing to have her recognize that.
What is one thing you want people to know about Lakehead, or an interesting fact about the University that not many people know about?
We have the best little English department in the country. The English department at Lakehead is an astonishingly vital, productive department. My daughter graduated from the English program in Thunder Bay after having gone to some other universities. It was very clear to her that our English department was the best she’d ever studied at. I knew I was a fan of it, but I didn’t trust my own opinion because I was part of it. She was studying with my colleagues who I held in high regard and she validated that, as have many others. Our English department is an incredibly strong department filled with exceptional teachers.
What personal success are you most proud of accomplishing during your time in Thunder Bay?
Receiving the Distinguishing Instructor Award. I was teaching a fourth- year literary theory course and one of the students nominated me for the Award and that was just a lifetime achievement.
What is a Lakehead-wide achievement that you think the entire Lakehead community should be proud of?
The establishment of the Orillia campus. Lakehead really stepped up to the plate. Orillia had wanted a university for a long time. We said ‘yes we are very interested in doing that’ and in very short order we opened up the downtown facilities. It was an incredible accomplishment.
How did you first hear about Orillia/the development of the Orillia campus?
The President at the time was interested in establishing a university in Orillia, and he came to the Dean of Science and me – I was the Dean of Social Science and Humanities at the time – and said: ‘if you were to establish a new university curriculum that would give graduates all the skills and abilities that they would need to address their own personal and societal needs for a university education, what would that curriculum look like’? That was a wonderful project and was the genesis of the Orillia campus.
What was the biggest reason behind your motivation to cross the province and come to Orillia?
Toronto was home. I left Toronto to go to Thunder Bay, and I promised my wife that we would only go for a couple years and then come back. We fell in love with Thunder Bay but we have other family members and friends here. Moving to Orillia was a kind of homecoming. It was also a chance to begin a new university in a community that was really keen to have one. This, and having the opportunity to work with colleagues to create new programs, how could you not be drawn to come here to do that? It was an opportunity of a lifetime.
What is one similarity between the two campuses and one difference?
The difference is size. The Thunder Bay campus has a student population that is 5x the size of here, but that difference is insignificant because I think the cultures of the two campuses are very similar and that is something that we’ve worked really hard to bring about. I want students coming from Orillia to see themselves as Lakehead students and to have that pride and special experience. That is something that I have been passionate about and I’ve not really told many people about this, but my goal is to recreate that impression that I had my very first day at Lakehead. When I looked at the colleagues I was hoping to join, and found them inspirational. There’s a genuine commitment there and I wanted to make sure that that culture came here.
What do you hope Lakehead can achieve in its next 50 years?
I’m hoping that in the next 50 years we will realize the plans for the development of the Orillia campus, with 5000-7000 and that we will occupy the whole 85-acre site here and also have a vibrant downtown presence. We also will have one of the most innovative partnerships with a community college and that will be fully realized with Georgian.
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Stephanie Edwards is a fourth year Lakehead University student who works with Lakehead Orillia’s Communications office.
Celebrate with Us!
• Lakehead University's 50th Anniversary • 1965-2015
• Lakehead Orillia Homecoming: November 12 & 13, 2015
• Don't miss our 50th Anniversary Homecoming Dinner & Dance Party – a '60s Celebration! Enjoy a night of dinner and dancing at Casino Rama – November 13, with entertainment by Lance Anderson's Hitsville Revisited – The Music of Motown
• To purchase tickets, or to learn more about Lakehead’s 50th Anniversary events, visit 50.lakeheadu.ca