By Cort Egan, Director, External Relations and Communications
Longtime readers of Renison Reports will know that we typically identify a theme that will weave its way through many of the articles found in the publication. This year’s theme is together in hope and possibility and it came, quite organically, from a comment that our new president, The Rev. Dr. Marc Jerry, made while discussing how we will overcome what, at times, appear to be insurmountable financial pressures. “We will get there,” Marc said. “And we will do so together, in hope and possibility.”
Marc said these words with such conviction, and with such faith, that the only reasonable response was, “where do we start?”
We started with Renison’s Strategic Plan. Designed to define Renison’s long-term goals and frame our strategies to achieve them, this seemed like a logical place to start. There is an article in this issue that details the work that went into prioritizing the College’s new strategic plan, so I will not go into the details here.
Hope is defined by the online Cambridge Dictionary as a desire for “something to happen or be true, and usually have a good reason to think that it might” (italics mine). I wondered about the second part of the definition. Why should I have good reason to believe that something I hope for will come to pass? As I explored more, I learned that hope’s origins are from the Old English hopian, which also means to trust. The connection between hope and trust seems very fitting to me. Without trust, can there be room for hope?
This past year, Marc has worked closely with the Renison community building a foundation of trust. He has arrived at Renison during a particularly difficult chapter in our story. Like many Ontario colleges and universities, Renison is feeling the financial pressures of a global pandemic, chronic provincial underfunding, frozen tuition, reduced international students and increased operational costs.
Marc has worked closely with staff, faculty, students, donors and alumni to create a roadmap forward. I hope that we will get there, and I trust that we will.
2025 Renison Reports
This is part of the 2025 Renison Reports publication. Return to the Renison Reports page for other articles.