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Margin Notes

That’s it, I’m done

After seven years writing the Margin Notes blog, this is my final post.

BY LÉO CHARBONNEAU | SEP 02 2015

How do you say goodbye if you’re not leaving? That’s the dilemma I face as I announce that this will be my last blog post for Margin Notes. My primary reason for ending the blog after nearly seven years of writing it is that my duties have changed here at University Affairs. Our illustrious editor, Peggy Berkowitz, takes a well-earned retirement starting next week and I have been promoted as her replacement. So while I’m not really going anywhere (well, OK, to a bigger office), I feel the additional duties prevent me from devoting the time necessary to the blog.

Writing the blog has been a fabulous, wonderful and wild ride. I titled my very first post “The start of a beautiful relationship” and, as soppy as that may sound, it did mark the beginning of a meaningful relationship with you, our readers, that I’m quite proud of. As the blog began to gain an audience and influence, it pushed me to delve more deeply and diligently into the complex issues surrounding Canada’s universities and higher-ed in general. If I ever got something wrong, or clearly didn’t quite understand what I was writing about, you were quick to let me know. That, in turn, made me a better blogger and a more knowledgeable observer of our postsecondary education system.

However, I also found writing the blog extremely taxing and I’ll admit I won’t miss it too much. It did raise my profile within the higher-ed sector, for which I’m grateful, but the constant pressure to write that next post was a burden.

As I say, this is not really goodbye. As editor, I look forward to continuing the relationship with our readers and want to extend the invitation to you to contribute to University Affairs. We are always on the lookout for feedback, opinion articles and story ideas from faculty, administrators, graduate students – indeed, anyone who works in the university setting in Canada or has policy expertise in this area. We can’t follow up every suggestion or publish every submission, but we promise to give them all due consideration.

As for the blog itself, it’ll remain archived on our site for anyone who wishes to look through it. I am hoping that we might eventually launch another staff-written blog about issues in Canadian postsecondary education, a Margin Notes 2.0, but that remains to be seen.

Finally, I’d like to acknowledge my tremendous gratitude to outgoing editor Peggy Berkowitz and the legacy she has left. She has been a true professional and it has been a joy to work with her. You’ll be missed Peggy, all the best in your retirement.

ABOUT LÉO CHARBONNEAU
Léo Charbonneau
Léo Charbonneau is the editor of University Affairs.
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  1. Robert Campbell / September 2, 2015 at 10:16

    Congratulations, Leo. Good luck and have fun!!

  2. sue bloch-nevitte / September 2, 2015 at 10:51

    We’ll miss the informed and sometimes playful blog but you just have a different vehicle (and that bigger office). Congrats.

  3. Michael Ullyot / September 2, 2015 at 16:49

    Congratulations on your promotion and I’m sorry for the blog’s end; we need more Canadian voices in the higher-ed blogging world. If you’re thinking about auditioning writers for a new series, I’d be honoured to write a guest post sometime.

  4. Hans g. Schuetze / September 3, 2015 at 08:40

    I have always enjoyed reading your blogs, Leo, even if I did not always shared your opinion (which made it even more interesting).

    Good luck with the new responsibilities and office – I look forward to continue reading from you.

  5. Nicola Simmons / September 3, 2015 at 19:01

    Congratulations! University Affairs is in good hands.

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