August 2008
Dear Readers of idea&s:
I wish to take this opportunity to inform our readers that publication of idea&s has been suspended. The decision, taken for budgetary reasons, was made with deep regret by the Faculty of Arts and Science.
For an editor, idea&s has been a tremendous project in which to have been involved. It would not have been made possible without the engagement and support of many people: first and foremost, the Faculty of Arts and Science, which financially supported the publication for four years; the faculty, staff and alumni who joined the editorial advisory committee and guided the s evolution; the design team which created a unique and widely acclaimed look and feel; the many contributors who generously shared their important work, their provocative ideas, their valuable time; and of course the readers, an international readership in 28 countries around the world who wanted to learn about what was going on at U of T.
I also take this opportunity to recap briefly what we have accomplished. As the listing of awards on this site will attest, the s eight issues have won 20 national and international accolades. These include Gold and two Silvers for best Canadian university magazine, Gold for best special interest university magazine (North America-wide), Gold and two Silvers (at least) for Art Direction from the pre-eminent Canadian design competition, an honourable mention from the National Magazine Awards. As one comment from a judge aptly surmises, idea&s belongs in a category of its own.
Even more satisfying, from an s perspective, were the responses from you, our readers. I have received many letters, heard from many people. These include from educators who would request extra copies for their students, or as a discussion paper, or as an example to good , and from people in a range of professions who were inspired to understand issues or to challenge the representation of issues.
The magazine had a primary public education mandate. It was created to honour the s strong commitment to disseminate ideas and knowledge, to raise the standard of public discourse, to inform the broader community. I am very proud that we were able to cover many topics that I hope mattered to you and that reflect what the University is all about: the nature of community; challenges to the international peace process; the fundamental structures of the universe; global warming and other pressing environmental concerns; free speech and its limits, constraints and defence; memory; the impact of the digital age; and some of the most intractable political, philosophical and cultural standoffs facing us today.
Thank you for being such an important partner in this dialogue. While we will not be producing future issues, we do have some back issues still available that can be requested through the subscription page.
Yours sincerely,
Diana Kuprel, Editor