Trent University Board of Governors April Meeting Held at Trent University Durham-GTA Campus
Strategic expansion and growth continue at Trent Durham
The Board of Governors held its fourth regular meeting of the academic year on April 7, 2017 at the Trent University Durham-GTA campus in Oshawa.
Stephen Kylie, vice-chair of the Board of Governors opened the meeting by welcoming students, alumni and faculty who were invited to attend.
Durham-GTA Campus Update
Mr. Joe Muldoon, head of Trent University Durham-GTA, provided an update to the Board of Governors on recent developments at the Durham campus, including significant growth in applications and accepts, the popularity of new and innovative academic programs, including: Trent/Swansea Law and Arts degree, joint majors with the Bachelor of Business Administration, Communications and Critical Thinking, and Child and Youth Studies. Over the past year, the entering average for Trent University Durham rose to 82%.
The expansion of the Durham campus now emphasizes its location in the Greater Toronto Area and continues to be a key strategic focus for Trent, capitalizing on population growth in the region, partnerships with colleges and community organizations, and working with the City of Oshawa to further expand the campus location on Thornton Road South. In addition to planned growth and a new building to accommodate growing interest, Trent Durham has plans to introduce new master’s level programming in the coming year.
New Board Appointments
The Board of Governors also approved new appointments to the Board with one at-large member and three new internal members. Consistent with the Board recruitment plan approved in the fall of 2016, the Nominating & Governance Committee undertook recruitment outreach that focused on the characteristics and skillsets noted in the Board-approved governor profile, with particular emphasis on also meeting our diversity objectives as relates to Indigenous persons.
Brian Cowie – At-Large Member
Mr. Brian Cowie was appointed as an at-large member of the Board of Governors, for a three-year term, commencing July 1, 2017 and ending June 30, 2020. Mr. Brian Cowie is a non-practicing lawyer and a professor in the Police Foundations program at Fleming College. Mr. Cowie has worked in enforcement for more than 18 years, spanning the RCMP (stationed in Saskatchewan), York Regional Police (where he also served as legal advisor), and Georgina Island First Nation (Lake Simcoe, Ontario). He also worked as a national park warden in Riding Mountain National Park Manitoba. Mr. Cowie is a Status Aboriginal with the Hiawatha First Nation having previously sat on the bands elected council. He has also served as the First Nation Trustee on the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.
Dr. Christopher Dummitt – Faculty Appointee
Dr. Dummitt is an associate professor in the School for the Study of Canada at Trent University. He has been teaching at Trent University since 2007. Prior to that, he held various university teaching posts in Canada and abroad – including British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Germany and England. Professor Dummit received his BA in History from Trent University, an MA in History from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, and his PhD in History from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.
Christine Salo – Staff Appointee
Ms. Christine Salo is currently the manager of administration and sustainability in the department of Facilities Management, having held this position since July 2012. Previously she was executive assistant to the VP Administration and major gifts and stewardship assistant in the Office of External Relations and Advancement. Ms. Salo has been employed at Trent University since 2008. Ms. Salo holds a BBA from Trent University.
Jaynain Panchal – Student Appointee
Mr. Panchal is currently an undergraduate student at the Peterborough campus, studying Business Administration with a specialization in Human Resources. He is an international student, with his primary and secondary school education attained in India and Malaysia respectively. Mr. Panchal is very involved in the Trent International Students Association.
Enrollment Update
President Groarke provided a high level overview of continued enrollment growth at Trent’s two campuses, emphasizing the growing popularity of Trent University Durham-GTA as a destination. Overall, Trent University led the province for percentage increase to applications for the fourth month in a row in 2017 with an 18% increase year-over-year compared with the system average of 2.9%. First choice applications for Trent are up by 33% and Trent leads the province for percentage increase in increase in “confirmations” at 22.8% compared with the provincial average of 2.2%.
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Board of Governors will take place on May 12, 2017 on the Symons Campus in Peterborough.
For more information, please contact:
Marilyn Burns, associate vice-president, Marketing & Recruitment, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 ext. 6184 or mburns@trentu.ca
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