Pulling Together

by Bonnie M. Patterson
President and Vice-Chancellor

A famous photograph of Trent shows a rowing team passing beneath the Faryon Bridge spanning the Otonabee River. For me, it's a strong and great illustration as we embark on the new year. It captures the essence of the journey our Trent crew ­ by crew I mean all members of our university community ­ is now on. It also serves as an effective visual reminder of the effort and teamwork needed to be successful in reaching a goal.

I recognize and appreciate the many extra, helpful activities this year both on- and off-campus that will engage the attention and involvement of our university community. With the provincial government's tremendous multi-million-dollar investment in Trent last year, many here are busily planning how best to increase the efficiency of our space and prepare for the accommodation and education of our additional students arriving originally as members of the "double cohort" beginning in 2003. Demand is expected to be sustained with the "baby boom echo" and increasing post-secondary participation rates.

Our Board of Governors will review the master plan update at their next meeting. Once approved, it will serve as a long-term planning framework for the core area of the Symons Campus. The original plan by Ron Thom had not been substantially updated in 36 years. This newly-approved plan will guide the orderly development of our new facilities and co-ordinate them with the renewal and preservation of existing facilities. It takes into consideration the siting of new buildings (necessary for our Build 2000 construction program), new roadways and parking facilities and it recommends a Landscape Structure Plan that addresses issues such as storm water management. Together with the proposed Planning Principles included in the Report, a renewed vision of the Symons Campus will be affirmed.

I'm tremendously excited about these early stages of our rejuvenation. We've started this year seeking architectural services to design and administer the Science Complex renovations and new science facilities ­ the first portion of our Capital Development Strategy. Future requests for proposal will seek architectural services related to Humanities/College/Conference facilities and additional academic space for Arts/Humanities/Native Studies/First Peoples House of Learning. An architectural selection committee for the science facilities will also make a recommendation to the Board in February. Construction for that project is hoped to begin once classes conclude this term.

A second aspect of provincial investment in Trent was celebrated here last Friday during the official opening of Bata Library's new Information Commons. This provided an opportunity to showcase the launch of the first phase of our SuperBuild "infostructure" partnership with Fleming College ­ a real boon to students and faculty in our joint programs.

Our collaboration with Fleming has also led to the new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, which will accept its first intake of students this September. We were pleased to recently learn that the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has earmarked additional start-up funding for this program. We look forward to helping students achieve their bachelor of science nursing credentials through this co-operative venture. This program will also launch at a very helpful time to our local community, as the Peterborough Regional Health Centre plans construction of a new hospital and our first B.Sc.N. graduates will be encouraged to seek opportunities for local employment in this new facility.

We continue to track our progress through the second year of our three-year institutional plan for fiscal recovery while preparing for the final year to begin in the next budget cycle. Although we are achieving the challenging targets we've set for regaining our financial health, through a balanced annual budget, the task remains of managing and reducing our cumulative deficit of approximately $8-million. Our Board of Governors will work closely with senior administration on this critical financial task but it will take the ideas and focus of the entire community to be successful. The importance of protecting our financial future so that students of tomorrow will benefit from the exceptional, interactive learning environment that has been Trent's mission goes without saying.

We have participated in the provincial task force on Investing in Students, which is expected to file its report to the province on Jan. 30, 2001. I hope that this review on ways to ensure that public funds supporting postsecondary education provide the highest quality of education for students while ensuring access, affordability and accountability, will yield benefits to our students. I'm very proud that this administration has made every effort to be fiscally responsible, focussed on our academic core values, and has collaborated with other public sector partners - including the Ministry of Natural Resources, health care and other postsecondary institutions. External funding challenges, and the desire to demonstrate responsible and collaborative decision-making, will continue to encourage fruitful collaborations.

In closing, I acknowledge that we will experience tremendous change this year as we consolidate our campus, plan for new development and additional students, and, with breath-taking speed, break ground to begin construction. I'm going to keep the image of our Trent rowers firmly fixed in my mind. It's an exciting time to be part of the Trent team!