Seneca Annual Report 2015–2016 | Plans and reports | Seneca Polytechnic

Message from the chair and president

One of the messages we emphasize to new students and graduates alike is the difference between making a living and making a life. As important as it is to find fulfilment in school, work and family, it is just as critical to become a leader in our communities. Fortunately, there is no shortage of role models within the Seneca community who inspire us.

Fatema Somji is a recent graduate, the recipient of the 2015 Seneca Cup – our most prestigious student award – and the past student representative on the Board of Governors. She has set an example with her on-campus volunteer work, mentoring and exceptional academic accomplishments.

This year, the Board of Governors bestowed honorary degrees on Rita and Rudy Koehler, Seneca’s most generous benefactors. Thanks to this extraordinary couple, who as immigrants to Canada in the 1950s built successful businesses, hundreds of Seneca students have received much needed financial support.

Distinguished Seneca alumnus and Marketing Administration graduate Marc Caira was recognized in 2015 with the prestigious Premier’s Award, celebrating his 40-year career in the food services industry. Named the Canadian Press Business Newsmaker of the Year in 2014, he is Vice-Chair and a Director of Restaurant Brands International, the world’s third-largest fast food provider.

In our newly established on-campus business incubator – HELIX – talented, young, community-minded entrepreneurs are developing products and services to improve our health and wellness. HELIX provides them with the mentorship and knowledge to build their concepts into marketable business ventures.

While it is delightful to see the kind of contributions made by our students, graduates and supporters each day on our campuses and beyond, we cannot talk about Seneca’s achievements without thanking our outstanding faculty and staff for the extraordinary ways they support our students.

That support takes many forms, and it makes all the difference. Our community’s generous response to appeals from the United Way and the Campaign for Students demonstrate the tremendous commitment of our employees to helping students reach their academic goals. The many students, staff and faculty who supported sponsorship efforts for Syrian refugees over the past year were examples of the engaged citizens we need in Canada.

As we start to plan for our 50th anniversary at Seneca in 2017, we celebrate our history and look forward with excitement. The work that began in 1967 continues today and into the future. We strive to ensure that every Seneca graduate has the skills and knowledge to, as Founding President Dr. William T. Newnham put it, “make good lives” for themselves and those around them. Through our actions over the past year, we honour his legacy and advance his goals.

Donna Duncan
Chair, Board of Governors

David Agnew
President