A walk around MSVU

20 years ago I came up from Mexico to Halifax to do a session on qualitative research for a doctoral cohort at Mount Saint Vincent University. Michele and I were subsequently contracted to teach two Masters courses at an intensive Summer School session in Newfoundland. Thereafter, we ended up teaching a suite of courses for the program in Toronto, Mississauga, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.  The courses went online after Covid, and Michele continued teaching up until 3 months before she died. I have continued to teach the courses online.

My work for MSVU has allowed me to maintain a part time academic life with an ongoing adjunct relationship to the university, and for this I am more grateful than I could possibly communicate here. It has been a wonderful time and a wonderful relationship for me. And Michele enjoyed it immensely too.

On my way up to Newfoundland to tidy up around our holiday home in Bottle Cove, I had to cool my heels for 3 days waiting to get a place for the car on the ferry. So I made a detour to Halifax and have had two lovely days staying on campus. I had brought one of Michele's old digital cameras with me that she had used in courses we jointly taught here around digital media making as a kind of literacy practice. This morning I walked around the campus and took photos with Michele's camera, and quietly said thanks to the university for the wonderful experience it gave us, and continues to give me. I started out from the hall of residence (Westwood) I am staying in, and just picked a trail down to the Education building via the main administration building, the library and Seton Centre, and then back up to the top again.

The university is built down one side of a small hill, hence "The Mount". It has nice views and lots of leafy areas. There are benches all over the place to sit on when the weather is nice, and there is a lovely quiet, contemplative air to the campus as a whole. This was a walk of pure nostalgia and gratitude, a very fine way to spend an hour and remember some wonderful times.