Raising money for scholarships and student support tops the priority fund-raising list for Trent's next capital campaign.

        Student support got a headstart on other fund-raising projects associated with this $17-million capital campaign last spring. Trent raised $5.4 million for bursaries for students in financial need with matching provincial funds from the Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund.

        On Dec. 9, Senate endorsed a preliminary priority wish list of projects for a major fund-raising campaign expected to begin this spring. Scholarships and student support headed a list of five priority goals.

        The other four are:

• Learning Environment and Digital Technology (Goal $3-$5 million) Proposed projects include a centre for interactive learning; wiring and equipping teaching spaces and distance learning facilities, and wiring residence rooms for access to the Internet; providing standard computing equipment for faculty and academic staff offices; strengthen Bata Library's electronic delivery of materials.

• Science Equipment and Research Infrastructure (Goal $3-$5 million) Proposed projects include environmental and other science research equipment; seed money for a new environmental policy institute; and a sleep research centre of excellence requiring state-of-the-art sleep labs, money to hire research personnel and buy new equipment; endowments for faculty research fellowships.

• Campus Renewal Proposed projects include a new First Nations house of learning ($5.5-$7.5 million) at Peter Robinson College for a relocated Native Studies Department, space for seven humanities departments, theatre, visual arts and electronic media resources; building and architectural restoration ($3-$5 million), mainly refurbishing residences.

• Special Projects (Goal $250,000-$500,000) Proposed projects include support for the Trent Centre for Community-Based Education, nature areas restoration of boardwalks and trails, and public lectures such as Ryle and Margaret Laurence series.

        The next step will be to conduct a feasibility study to test which projects donors will support. It will be carried out in January and February. The campaign priorities selection committee will assess the results and present a final wish list to Senate for approval in March or April.

        Because almost $7 million has already been earmarked and raised for student aid and Otonabee College renovations, $10 million remains to be raised for the rest of the projects in the capital campaign, said campaign priorities selection committee chair David Morrison. This will mean whittling down the goals (which range from $14.75 million to $23 million) for the other four categories, he suggested.

        The wish list was endorsed after a debate in which Senate rejected an amendment to delete the First Nations house of learning from the list.