A Sakura (cherry blossom) tree begins to bloom outside of the Renison library in Spring 2024.
The theme of Renison’s three-year Strategic Plan is Meeting the Moment. This simple phrase has become something of a mantra at Renison over the past six months because, in reality, it is anything but simple.
To really meet the moment takes courage, commitment and careful introspection. We are at a moment in history that is demanding more from its leaders and its institutions.
You can see evidence of Renison meeting the moment in the work of its Reconciliation and Re-storying Steering Committee. A large group of Renison staff, faculty and students met regularly over an 18 month period to question, study, probe and interrogate our College’s history, its story, its founding, its roots in the Anglican Church, even its name, and how we carry that past into today and into the future. At the heart of this investigation was a desire to ensure that we are continuing to meet our obligation to our students and community who come to us from all walks of life, all cultures, all faiths or no faith, and that we are providing a safe, welcoming and supportive environment to our entire community, both today and in the future. This work was challenging and required everyone involved to park their own desires and beliefs and embrace the work with an open mind.
You can see evidence of Renison meeting the moment in the work of the recent Strategic Planning project. Recognizing that to bring an equity and diversity lens to this work, we required the help of an external agency that specializes in that field. The final outcome of the three-year strategic plan is significantly better than it would have been without the guidance and direction of equity professionals; recognizing our own limitations required us to meet the moment. You can also see evidence of Renison meeting the moment in the most recent student awards and funded bursaries that have been added over the past two years. Approximately $20,000 in new, annual student awards and bursaries that prioritize students who have been historically underrepresented or subject to discrimination. These equity deserving groups include racialized peoples, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, students who are differently abled, intersectional individuals and international students.
We are unable to meet the moment without the support and endorsement of our community. You have helped Renison to meet the moment through your generous support of Students First and other initiatives designed to open doors and remove barriers to their academic success and personal growth.
Thank you.
Cort Egan
Director, External Relations and Communications
Renison University College
This is part of the 2024 Renison Reports publication. Return to the Renison Reports page for other articles.