Annual Report 2011–12

Message from the Chair and President

With the renewal of our strategic and academic plans underway, this has been a year firmly focused on the future. With the participation of students, faculty and staff across our campuses, we’re building on our strong tradition of excellence and innovation in teaching and learning as we prepare our students for success in a rapidly changing modern world.

This year’s Annual Report provides an opportunity to pause and reflect on our progress over the past year and to celebrate the many accomplishments Senecans have achieved. From the Oscars to OCAA championship titles, we’re proud that members of Seneca’s community were recognized as leaders in their fields and rewarded for their excellence. Once again, we were recognized as one of the GTA’s top employers and Canada’s best diversity employers.

Our continued enrolment growth and the importance of Seneca’s presence as the only postsecondary institution in York Region were recognized by the provincial government’s announcement of a $43-million contribution to revitalize and expand our King Campus. This investment will result in space for an additional 1,450 students in our community safety, health and social services programs. We’re also partnering with the York Regional Police on a joint state-of-the-art training facility that will be located onsite at King.

Our global networks continue to expand. We had more international students enrolled at Seneca than ever before and we were honoured to open the first Confucius Institute in the GTA at our Markham Campus. We focused on reconnecting with our alumni in new ways, engaging our graduates in our programs and activities to share their experiences and success with our current students. Working with new and existing donors, we established several new awards and bursaries and substantially grew our endowment fund.

We want to thank our committed faculty and staff who inspire our students and keep us closely linked to our communities and employers. Without our industry partners, we wouldn’t be able to provide the enriched learning experiences students get through co-op and field placements and applied research projects.

Finally, we want to thank our students. They contribute each day to making Seneca an exciting place to be. Coming from next door and from around the world, they bring an irreplaceable energy and an incredible diversity to each of our campuses. Our students are the reason we strive to provide high quality teaching and learning experiences, and a comprehensive range of student supports. Looking back or to the future, there can be no doubt that our focus on student success is what underpins a great Seneca education.