|
Native Studies 30th Anniversary Association President's Message Trent's Outstanding Research Record Convocation 2000 Photo Collage What's New in Academic Programs |
by Bonnie PattersonForgive me for referencing, as so many others have, the turning of a new millennium. When you read this article, as one of Trent University's almost 23,000-strong alumni in various locations around the world, another new year's celebration will just be underway at Trent. A new "academic" year that is! September sparks in all of us some very special feelings and remembrances about returning to school. The Fall of 2000 will see over 1,480 new students enter our doors ready and eager to start full or part-time studies in Peterborough or Oshawa. So too, in June of 2000, your alumni ranks rose by over 1,000 new members, and as Trent's president, that is a thousand good reasons to celebrate. This century's first members of your group will now be experiencing a combination Trent-withdrawal and world-immersion. They have cause to be excited and optimistic. After several years of Trent study, they are beginning a new phase in their life journey. I am confident that their time at Trent will have them well-equipped for their new roles, new challenges and many successes. I am grateful that so many of you took the time to complete the surveys sent to recent Ontario university graduates. As part of our growing accountability exercises, these survey findings are critical to Trent's provincial government funding success and our relevance as perceived by other members of the public. I am pleased that statistics from our latest survey indicate that Trent graduates find work, and yet again reinforce a core message that a liberal education does prepare students for employment in the 21st century workforce. Our graduates of 1997 have an overall employment rate nearing
93 per cent six months after graduation, and that rose to nearly
96 per cent two years after graduation. In the majority of programs
surveyed, Trent did even better than the provincial average.
(Our results, and those by university program, are available
from Trent's Web site at
www.trentu.ca/news/pressreleases
/kpi.html) I believe Trent graduates are in great demand by employers
because of the high-quality education you received and your ability
to respond to today's rapidly-changing workplace demands. Alumnus
Don Tapscott '66 (who heads our current fund-raising campaign)
and a group of leading high-tech CEOs have publicly added their
voices to promote the increasing value of a liberal arts education
in the digital economy. Their powerful statement supported an
earlier testimony endorsed by Ontario's chancellors, an initiative
stimulated by our very own Chancellor, Peter Gzowski. Congratulations and thanks to all of them and to you for helping
us spread the message that education shouldn't be restrictive,
but mind-expanding. at's the Trent way! Accolades are also in order for your fantastic achievement
with the Beyond Our Walls campaign. At the time of writing, the
alumni division had exceeded its goal of $1.5-million by more
than $80,000. A great accomplishment and a real boon for Trent. Meanwhile, our "space odyssey" of Symons Campus
expansion began in the Spring under the capable coordination
of Professor Skip Maxwell. Many of you will be familiar with
Prof. Maxwell and know that he'll do a great job chairing the
steering committee for Build 2000, Trent's program to expand
and renovate facilities on Symons Campus to accommodate growth
and increase efficiency of space utilization. Early stages of Build 2000 included meetings of the committee,
assisted by a number of reference groups representing members
of the Trent community with interests in aspects of the construction
and renovation program, and the selection of architects to update
the campus master plan. Made possible by SuperBuild financing
from the Province of Ontario as well as private and federal funding,
Build 2000 will be completed over the next three years. It primarily
involves the design and construction/renovation of three major
components of Trent's physical plant: science facilities, First
Peoples' House of Learning/humanities/college facilities, and
residence/conference facilities. I hope you read about this project
in the special May issue of our Trent Report, and you might wish
to follow Build 2000 progress on the web at
www.trentu.ca/build2000. There's been more great news for research at Trent, with word
that the University has been allocated up to eight research chairs
under a new federal government program. These new chairs represent
up to $6.7-million in new funding for Trent researchers over
the next five years. In addition, each of the new chairs will
be eligible for up to $125,000 for infrastructure and equipment
related to their work. We are quite excited about a new academic program initiative
and congratulate those involved in making it happen! We've received
the approval for our third PhD program, this one a joint Trent-Carleton
PhD program in Canadian Studies to begin in September 2001. This
program will be the first interdisciplinary doctoral program
in Canadian Studies in Canada and represents a cornerstone in
our highest levels of study at Trent. There is so much about Trent, and our people, that makes me proud. Forgive me for bragging, but you do continue to make my day every day! |