I am known for occasionally quoting the 16th century reformer, theologian, and church leader Martin Luther; today I am drawing inspiration from civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. who is quoted as saying, “you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
In the 16 months since I assumed the office of president of Renison University College, we have been collectively working towards creating a plan for the future of the College. The first few months saw us working closely with students, staff, faculty and Board members to develop a shared vision of our future. What should Renison look like in five years? Through a variety of working groups and visioning sessions conducted over the last year, we not only prioritized our strategic plan, but we also created a unified vision for the future of Renison. We created the staircase. We took those first steps.
I must take this opportunity to acknowledge that some of our steps have been extremely difficult. This past year included some difficult decisions: staff reductions, program redundancies, and structural changes, in order to balance our budgets on the path towards restored financial sustainability. Structural changes ultimately affect people. We appreciate all of the hands and hearts that have been instrumental in writing Renison’s story to date; all of these individuals are part of our collective success.
Together, we are now embarking on our journey forward. We recognize and appreciate that in order to move forward and upwards, we first need to examine our past. There are things that we must stop doing if we are committed to reaching our shared goals for the future. Recently, I tasked the Senior Leadership Team with re-imagining what Renison’s Organizational Structure might look like in five years’ time. While we have not finalized our ideal structure yet, we are collectively understanding the need for structural alignment to support our strategic goals.
These first steps towards the future can be daunting, but the rewards are meaningful and lasting. We know that our future depends on embarking on this journey; we know where this path leads because we shaped it together.
I am proud of the work that this Annual Report represents. We have laboured to take this first step towards our future. I invite you to read this Annual Report and join us as we embark on our shared journey.
Sincerely,
The Rev. Dr. Marc Jerry
President and Vice-Chancellor
Renison University College