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President’s message
UP FRONT
David Agnew
“In a world of uncertainty, that cries out for positive and inclusive leadership, a Seneca attitude goes a long way.”
This fall, colleges across Ontario will begin celebrating the 50th anniversary of the birth of our province’s college system. Since the first Board of Governors gathered in 1966 to lay Seneca’s foundations, the past five decades have been an extraordinary story of growth and evolution, focused on providing great education for hundreds of thousands of students.
Over the next year, Seneca will be hosting events and activities to commemorate our first 50 years. We will also be embarking on the next leg of our journey with new academic and strategic plans.
As we map the path forward, we are reminded of the vision Seneca’s founding President Dr. William T. Newnham had for the kind of educational experience our institution would produce: “The Seneca graduate will make an informed and perceptive citizen, well-fitted to give much of himself to others and to derive much from life’s experiences.”
Seneca graduates, whether from our earliest days, or from last spring’s convocation, continue to amaze us all with their accomplishments, and their commitment to give back in support of current students.
Our alumni share a certain kind of work ethic and pragmatic outlook that sets them apart. In a world of uncertainty, that cries out for positive and inclusive leadership, a Seneca attitude goes a long way. We see that in the many ways our graduates are making meaningful contributions where they work, live and volunteer.
This year’s RED cover story focuses on the ever-expanding creative economy. Our future prosperity relies on our ability to be creative, to leverage critical thinking, good communication, and teamwork, just as President Newnham predicted.
Seneca’s Faculty of Communication, Art and Design is producing countless graduates contributing in flourishing sectors like film, media and fashion. More broadly, creative problem solving skills are instilled in students in all our programs, and it shows in the kinds of careers they choose to pursue — in business, health sciences, community service and technology.
As demand for our programs continues to grow, so too must Seneca. Construction is well underway at King Campus, which will allow us to welcome an additional 1,500 students annually, beginning in September 2018.
Construction is also underway for the Centre for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship at Newnham Campus. This exciting new innovation hub will include space dedicated to cross-disciplinary learning and training, business incubation and acceleration, a gallery for student work and Indigenous artifacts and laboratories for advanced manufacturing and design.
These exciting projects complement the great work being done across Seneca by our students, faculty and staff. They are also the direct result of the positive reputation we’ve established over the past 50 years, thanks to you—our alumni.
Keep up the great work.
David Agnew
President
