... because it is important – perhaps never more so. This Fall we see significant changes in the higher education landscape, among them increased government spending, albeit with worrisome ties, and increased numbers of students in our classrooms. How we respond to these changes will determine the quality of the education we offer to a whole generation of students as well as our satisfaction and belief in the integrity of our work.

York has always prided itself as being a place where teaching and research co-exist well, each enriched by and mutually benefitting the other. Yet, just below the surface there lies a threat – in the ongoing pressure to tier universities – a threat that challenges our central mission and purpose as a university. Let us not forget as we fight this very real threat to our raison d'etre that teaching is the core of what we do. It is not that teaching is more important than research, but it is certainly not less so. Without good teaching, adequate support for teaching, and appropriate value accorded to teaching accomplishments, we cannot bring new knowledge alive in the classroom and inspire our students to effective and meaningful learning.

CORE returns to your mailbox after a year's sabbatical. Its new look signals significant changes at the CST, among them a renewed emphasis on working with faculty members, units and departments to support, enhance and enrich teaching activities. At the same time, we continue to support and improve the full range of programmes we offer graduate students.

Another change is that we seek greater community involvement – CORE is York's newsletter on teaching and learning – we hope you will help us fill the pages with news, useful teaching and learning ideas, and opinion pieces on the crucial issues that we face in these changing times. In this issue we celebrate teaching excellence at York – help us focus future issues!