Just released: With the support of student feedback from an online survey and consultation sessions, Renison Student Experience and Housing has developed a road map report to explore ways we can make Renison an event better place to learn and grow for our student community.
This week, we celebrate with Renison grads who will walk across the stage and receive their degree during Spring Convocation. Congratulations to each of you on your incredible achievement!
We are so grateful and proud to have you as part of the Renison community of alumni – and we can’t wait to see what you do next!
During Convocation, we also announce the Spring 2025 Student and Faculty Award Winners. Each award winner embodies the values of Renison in a special way, and these awards recognize their contributions to our community.
It’s official – Renison has a Pride logo! We worked with students through our Queer and Cozy group to come up with something that resonated with our 2SLGBTQ+ community – and here it is!
Here’s what our President, The Rev. Dr. Marc Jerry, had to say about the new logo:
“Renison is a safe and inclusive space, and I’m deeply proud to be a part of it. This new logo is a visual representation of our values and an extension of our work to ensure that everyone feels welcome at Renison – not just during pride month but every day of the year.”
The logo is now also available in our merch shop, visit renison.ca/merch and select the new logo when choosing your item(s).
We hope you like it!
Meet Zainab - a Renison student, peer leader, advocate for refugees, and wonderful community member. Learn what she has to say about her experience at Renison!
By Renison President and Vice-Chancellor, The Rev. Dr. Marc Jerry
This has been a year of transition for my family. Almost year ago, my wife, Marnie, daughter Carmen and I loaded up our 2008 Dodge Journey for the 2,600 kilometer journey from Regina, Saskatchewan to Waterloo, Ontario. When it comes to bonding moments, little can compare to 50 hours in a mid-sized vehicle.
The distance I travelled from Luther College to Renison University College now seems incidental when compared to the distance we have travelled as a College since my arrival. In addition to the practical demands of unpacking boxes, finding a local parish, and updating license plates, I had a college and community to get to know.
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, 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.”.
Dr. Marc Jerry, Renison’s President and Vice-Chancellor, joined our community in July 2024. Now, having finished two full academic terms and nearly a year on the job, we wanted to know more about what his first year has been like. Sibaal, a Renison student and Student Experience and Housing co-op during the Winter 2025 term, helped us get to the bottom of things in a special interview.
Lewis Carroll is credited with having said, “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Renison’s new president, Marc Jerry, knew precisely where we needed to go as a College when he was installed almost a year ago – creating a roadmap became a top priority.
Renison, like so many Ontario colleges and universities, is contending with the long-term impacts of COVID, chronic government under-funding, tuition freezes and changes in federal policies related to international students. Looking to the future, Renison needs to get back on the road to financial sustainability. To get there, we need to determine what we can afford to stop doing so that we can meet our core mission.
Manager of Food Services and Special Projects Tim Farley, also known as Chef Tim, and the star of the popular social media series “Tim Talk,” is a well-loved member of the Renison community. In fact, he recently won the Renison Staff Award from students at this year’s Wind Out; Renison’s end of term gala dinner event. Tim can be seen around Renison going to and from meetings, helping out with facilities concerns, and planning menus from his office in the kitchen. In each edition of Renison Reports we like to highlight a member of staff, and it seemed a perfect time to introduce, or re-introduce you to Tim!
Alum Ajirioghene Evi is a familiar face to some members of the Renison community, having completed her Social Development Studies (SDS) and Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degrees on our small campus. Most recently, she took on the role of CEO at the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW), and she has been the recipient of the Renison Distinguished Alumni Award (2024) and the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025) for her work in the community. It’s not a stretch to say that Ajirioghene is amazing – her achievements speak for themselves.