Convocation is one of the highlights of the academic year. It is a great privilege to share the stage with Chancellor Edward Lumley and greet the graduates who are there to receive their degrees.
A lot of hard work and expense goes into the completion of a degree, or of any postsecondary qualification, and the ceremony provides an opportunity for families and friends to be with the graduates as they cross the finish line. The Chancellor and I ask the new alumni as they are passing by us on the stage what they plan to do next, and the answers are fascinating. Some have jobs lined up either in Windsor, or far across Ontario, Canada and beyond. Some are planning further education at UWindsor or elsewhere, and some are beginning to look for a job. The event is both ceremonial and meaningful.
And during the past few months there have been opportunities to hold events and meet our alumni in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. These gatherings provided them with a chance to recall their days at the University of Windsor, and perhaps their own convocation. The events also provided alumni with a chance to turn the tables and ask me what I plan to do next. The response to this question can be one of pointing to some of our major successes, such as the nationally recognized programs in dramatic art highlighted in this issue of VIEW, and emphasizing that we will do all we can to keep them at the forefront in Canada.
It also provides an opportunity to point to milestones that are going to change the look and feel of the campus in the future. A very significant milestone occurred in May of this year, when we learned that we were being awarded $40 million from the federal Knowledge Infrastructure Program as a contribution to the new Engineering building that will soon be under construction. This investment, along with the $40 million received from the provincial government, will allow us to place a new landmark facility on our campus. This new building will provide an exceptional educational facility for our students, and new research labs for our faculty. It will also house an industrial centre where we can help drive new manufacturing innovation for our region. Step by step, the University of Windsor is getting ready for the next 50 years of producing great alumni and doing what it needs to do for our region and for the world.
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.
