WINNIPEG–Education is key to the success of our city, province, and country. The University of Winnipeg’s award winning and dedicated professors are committed, as part of a tradition dating back more than 130 years, to maintaining the highest levels of excellence in teaching and research and, ultimately, fostering the greatest success for their students.
Like most post-secondary institutions in Canada, The University of Winnipeg has throughout its history sought to develop and advance its mission, even when resources have been limited and circumstances constrained. Today marks the beginning of a significant new chapter in this story. The University is moving into the future with a focus on the following priorities:
- institutional leadership
- financial stability
- new legacies
Acting President Patrick Deane is well supported by the Senior Administrative Team—Stephen Willetts, Vice-President (Finance and Administration) and Ian Cull, Vice-President (Students)—and the University’s dedicated faculty and staff. On March 3, 2003, the University’s Board of Regents agreed to begin the process to strike a formal Presidential Search Committee which, after a full, proper, and exhaustive search, expects to name a president within the next 12 months.
Within the past two years, the University has significantly reduced its accumulated deficit, increased enrolment by 12%, and improved the vitality of its student scholarship and bursary program due in large part to the generosity of individual, foundation, and corporate donors, and matching funds from the Manitoba government.
The University approved a balanced budget for the current fiscal year and is forecasting a surplus which will further appreciably reduce the current accumulated deficit. This progress in the area of financial management has created a positive backdrop for future growth.
The University of Winnipeg Foundation Established
University of Winnipeg Board of Regents Chair Richard Graydon today announced the establishment of The University of Winnipeg Foundation, a self-sustaining fundraising organization to support the mission and vision of The University of Winnipeg. The Foundation will contribute to the University’s financial stability and play a key role in broadening and strengthening the University’s base of community support long into the future.
The University of Winnipeg Foundation will build legacies.
It will focus on raising revenue toward:
- student scholarships & bursaries
- a capital development campaign
- enhancing the Library, University & Collegiate programs, facilities, equipment, & technology
The University of Winnipeg Foundation will build a legacy of promise for tomorrow’s students,” says Graydon. “‘Let Light and Truth Flourish’ is our motto and driving force. The Foundation will enhance the University’s success in providing a liberal arts and sciences education to students who go on to embrace a wider world.”
“We are delighted that our Chancellor H. Sanford Riley will serve as the inaugural Chair for the Foundation’s Board of Directors,” said Graydon. Chancellor of The University of Winnipeg since 2000, Mr. Riley was Board Chair for the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg and is the former Chair of the Board of Investors Group.
Susan A. Thompson has been named Chief Executive Officer of The University of Winnipeg Foundation. As an alumna of The Collegiate (1967) and The University of Winnipeg (1971) and as former Mayor of Winnipeg and Consul General of Canada, Minneapolis, Ms. Thompson is uniquely suited to share the University’s vision and to advance the philanthropic goals of the Foundation.
The Foundation has been formally established and will be fully operational by Fall 2003. One of the first priorities of the Foundation is to make preparations for a capital campaign.
Exterior restoration of the University’s flagship building Wesley Hall is of the highest priority. Logistical planning is well underway, with expected completion of the restoration in 2006.
The University of Winnipeg, located in the heart of the city, is a compact, caring community committed to access and excellence in the arts and sciences. Ranked by Maclean’s magazine as one of Canada’s top four undergrad universities, UWinnipeg is home to more than 8,000 students. The University of Winnipeg offers over 400 courses in 40 subject areas from filmmaking to forensics. The University of Winnipeg is distinguished for the meaningful connections made between students and award-winning professors.
For further information, please contact:
Katherine Unruh, Director of Communications, The University of Winnipeg
t) 204.786.9872 c) 204.782.3279 e) k.unruh@uwinnipeg.ca
