Seneca College - RED 2017 - 3

President's
message

David Agnew

PHOTO: SAKULENSKY/FROST

With all the extraordinary
change that has taken place
in the past 50 years, one
constant remains: it's all about
the students.

UP
FRONT
Fifty years ago, when the Ontario government launched the unique system of
Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology, it
was a time of excitement and optimism.
Canada was celebrating its 100th birthday,
and colleges became a new postsecondary
option for Ontarians, primed to prepare
students for careers in the "new" economy.
Five decades later, Seneca and our system colleagues have delivered on those
expectations, and more. As Canada celebrates its 150th birthday, Ontario's colleges
rightly celebrate their role as major contributors to local, provincial, Canadian
and now the international economy.
Throughout our 50 years of incredible
growth, Seneca has been at the forefront
of innovation. From ground-breaking relationships with school boards to offering
the first degree at an Ontario college;
from the pioneering Centre for Independent Learning to an Oscar®; from countless
academic pathways to partnerships with
institutions around the world, Seneca has
rightly earned the label of leader.
We are particularly proud of the
many accomplishments of our alumni
in the community and the workplace.
In this commemorative edition of RED,
we catch up with some of our many
outstanding graduates, who have helped
build Seneca's legacy. We also get some
insights as to how current students are
preparing themselves to excel in today's
competitive workforce.
With all the extraordinary change that
has taken place in the past 50 years, one
constant remains: it's all about the students.
Our cover story discusses Seneca's
ongoing commitment to providing our
students the best learning environment
possible to build their competencies,
embrace new technologies and find the
right industry connections to enter fulfilling careers upon graduation.

As we celebrate our 50th year, our sights
are firmly set on the future. In consultation
with students, employers, community
stakeholders and alumni, we recently developed a new strategic plan that focuses on
providing students a great education that
will equip them to make a positive difference
in their professional and personal lives.
All of us who have followed in the footsteps of our founding president, Dr. William
T. Newnham, have built on the foundations
he set in 1967-a commitment to provide an
educational opportunity to Seneca students that is "imaginative in concept, flexible in scope and vast in promise." That is
worth celebrating, as are the many ways
our alumni have continued to build a better
Ontario, and a better world.
Happy birthday, Seneca.

David Agnew
President

Editor's note: On August 28, 2017, Seneca's Board of
Governors announced that David Agnew has been
renewed for a third term, and he will continue to serve
as Seneca's president through to June 30, 2023.

RED

2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Seneca College - RED 2017