Team NC,
It was wonderful to see so many of you at our LauNCh events last week, as we came together ahead of the Fall Term. I could feel the shared excitement, positive energy, and pride for our NC community as you reconnected with colleagues after what I hope was a memorable summer.
As we conclude the first week of the Fall term, our domestic enrolment continues to be strong as we welcome thousands of NC Knights to campus. I am grateful for all our employees and students who enthusiastically support our many recruitment activities, and for the work of our Marketing and Student Recruitment teams to showcase NC Life.
I am pleased to share that the School of Community Services has relocated to the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, an exciting move that brings new energy and opportunity to the campus, and our new Health Education Building in Welland is taking shape, marking an important step in NC’s continued growth and renewal.
I know that the past two years have been challenging for our sector and for our college community. What has inspired me most throughout this period is our ability to remain rooted in our commitment to delivering a world-class experience for our students. I am pleased to have met with many departments and schools in recent weeks, and I look forward to meeting with more of you this term. I’m grateful for the ideas, questions and suggestions that I’ve heard so far, and look forward to continued discussions moving forward.
Yesterday the provincial government announced the outcome of a very competitive process in which all colleges and universities submitted proposals for additional funding in fields identified for priority growth, including health, STEM and trades. Although we don’t yet know all the details, I am pleased to report that initial indications are that NC’s strong proposal was well received and will result in additional government funding in the coming years to support enrolment growth in a number of program areas aligned with the government’s priorities.
Over the next year we will embark on the process of developing a new Strategic Plan, a time to think about how we leverage our strengths and adapt and grow within a changed post-secondary landscape. Enrolment, fundraising and entrepreneurial revenue growth will continue to be critical to our future sustainability and success. It is my hope that everyone will contribute their ideas as we develop the outline for the next exciting chapter of the remarkable NC story.
As Vice President, Students, Dr. Chris McGrath recently shared, we truly appreciate your efforts to give our students a positive and encouraging start to their NC Life during this first week, and I know that our welcoming ways will shine throughout the fall term. I am so proud of our caring and collaborative organizational culture, and thank each of you for your dedication to serving our students, employers and communities.
