A Magazine for Alumni and Friends
This has been an exciting year for Laurier. In the spring, we wrapped up the most ambitious fundraising effort in the history of our university. I am pleased to report that thanks to your generosity and the generosity of many in the community, Catalyst: The Campaign for Wilfrid Laurier University achieved its $130-million goal.
These donations helped build Lazaridis Hall and the Laurier-Brantford YMCA, set up ambitious new programs and enabled research and outreach that has significant impact on our local and global communities. In the following pages of Campus, you will learn more about the effects this generosity has had on our students and what inspires our donors.
Additionally, this year Laurier embarked on a strategic planning process to envision our future and set objectives for getting there. In January, as part of this process, we asked our alumni, through an online questionnaire, to share their thoughts about Laurier. We asked you for your feedback on our strengths, opportunities and how you saw the Laurier of the future.
The response was remarkable. More than 1,100 alumni took the time to share their thoughts. Overwhelmingly, you spoke of Laurier’s strong sense of community and exceptional student experience and your desire to see this preserved.
– Deborah MacLatchy
Many of you expressed interest in more opportunities to get involved by sharing your knowledge and experience with current students. What was most evident is that our alumni continue to be an engaged and enthusiastic group that wants to see Laurier thrive.
In April, we shared the first draft of Strategic Plan: 2019-2024 with our alumni, students, faculty, staff and community partners for feedback. This plan synthesizes all of the input from our community with research we have conducted about the post-secondary sector in Canada. It sets out a vision for Laurier to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the next decade.
The next 10 years will bring significant changes to the way we live, learn and work. Laurier is committed to developing engaged and aware citizens who are prepared to address global challenges. Our role as a university that enables critical, contextual and technical thinkers through research and teaching has never been more important.
As former students, your input in this process provides a unique perspective that helps us think more broadly about the work we do every day within the university.
On the topic of former students, I would like to recognize Marc Richardson (BA ’94) for his service as president of the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association (WLUAA) over the past four years. Marc’s term will conclude on June 30. Marc has served the association with pride, championing fellow alumni and giving countless hours to represent WLUAA on many university committees and at events.
During Marc’s tenure, he advocated to expand the Alumni Awards of Excellence to include three new categories: Entrepreneurial Spirit, Award for Community Impact and Forever Golden Hawk. These new awards reflect the breadth of impact our alumni have on the communities they serve.
Thank you, Marc, for your dedication and commitment to Laurier. You truly exemplify what it means to inspire lives of leadership and purpose.
It gives me great pride to lead a university that has such engaged alumni who truly care about our community. Together, we are laying the foundation for the next generation of Laurier students to have an exceptional experience that will prepare them for whatever tomorrow will bring.
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At the time of printing this edition of Campus, the Laurier community received the devastating news that Leanne Holland Brown, dean of students for our Waterloo campus, passed away as the result of a traffic accident. The Laurier community is in mourning for our beloved colleague and generous friend.
As many of you know from personal experience, Leanne helped and supported countless students and co-workers during her years at Laurier and her impact runs deep among members of our alumni community. We have included a piece about Leanne in this edition and will honour her legacy further in the fall-winter edition of Campus. I join you as we grieve the loss of Leanne and reflect on her lasting influence.
Deborah MacLatchy, PhD
President and Vice-Chancellor
Wilfrid Laurier University