The annual spring Convocation was a great reminder of how important the University of Windsor is to so many people. Over a three-day period, a record number of more than 11,000 people – families, friends, alumni, faculty, staff and students - assembled in the St. Denis Centre to be a part of the ceremonies. It was a wonderful occasion and a time for everyone to reflect on the past and focus on future aspirations. This edition of VIEW magazine, brought to you in electronic format, is meant to achieve the same.
I was once told by a colleague that the best historians are those who are forward-looking. This teaser of a statement captures the inescapable truth that, in striving to better understand the past, we better prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. We see the achievements of those who came before us and we learn from their groundbreaking efforts. In doing so, we set new standards for the future and try to learn from past experience.
As the University of Windsor moves closer to its 50th anniversary as a publicly funded university in 2013, there are already some of our founding components that are reaching that milestone. The School of Visual Arts began as classes offered by Assumption University in 1960, which then morphed into the province’s first bachelor of fine arts program in 1964. The School’s story is told in this issue, and I will simply preface the story by saying that we are very, very proud of all that they have accomplished in their first half century. Exceptional faculty and staff, and great students, have set a very high standard for the future.
A university has a responsibility to be observant of history and to be forward-looking. There are other stories in this issue that give pause for deeper reflection about the full spectrum of human endeavours, and how those endeavours have shaped our past and give guidance for our future. In going electronic with this issue, we are responding to the future imperative to be more responsible with how we use our resources.
I want to wish each of our new graduates the very best in what lies ahead. I thank you for having become a part of the University of Windsor story. And to all of our alumni and friends, faculty and staff, and students yet to graduate, I wish you the very best during the summer months. If you have time, I encourage you to do two things.
First, pick up a history book. Second, jot down what you would like to see happen in the future.
Alan Wildeman
President and Vice-Chancellor
VIEW Magazine is produced by the University of Windsor Office of Public Affairs in tandem with the Office of Alumni and Donor Communications. Our goal is to connect and inspire the UWindsor community through news and stories that build pride in our alumni, current students, faculty, staff, donors and friends.
