Board of Governors recap: $5 million for Zone Learning, and new initiatives

By Alanna Rizza

The first Board of Governors meeting was held on Sept. 28 and there was talk of Ryerson’s Zone Learning experience and new initiatives happening for this school year.

The government gave Ryerson $5 million for Zone Learning. Also launched today there is a Digital Media Zone (DMZ) advisory council that connects the DMZ to the business community.

“I consider this a big success for the DMZ,” said Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi. “I believe this will be the new way of experiential learning of the 21st century”

Also discussed at the meeting was that the board is working with the Ryerson Students’ Union to review bursaries and scholarships, identifying issues regarding students that commute and increasing transparency with students regarding paid and unpaid internships.

Ryerson’s priority for the year includes working on a Science Discovery Zone, a journalism lab, architectural science studios and exploring the benefits of a law school.

New programs include undergraduate programs in language and intercultural relations. For grad students there are new programs in child and youth, data science and analytics, engineering innovation and entrepreneurship, biomedical engineering, mathematical modelling and methods.

Also for grad students there is also a new double major in arts and in the works is a masters of arts in criminology and social justice.

Ryerson latest appointments include:

• Usha George is serving as interim vice president research and innovation. George is the former dean of the Faculty of Community Services.
• Jennifer Mactavish has been re-appointed to a second term vice-provost and dean of the Yeates School of Graduate Studies.
• Richard Lachman of the RTA school of media has been appointed Ryerson director of zone learning and director of research development in the Faculty of Communication and Design.
• Wendy Freeman of the School of Professional Communication has been appointed the director of e-learning.
• John Paul Foxe has been appointed director of the Academic Integrity Office (AIO).
• There are 53 new faculty members in 2016.

For the 2016/2017 school year there have been:

• 71,000 applications for first-year spaces for undergraduate programs, a 2.8% increase from last year.
• 34,200 registered undergraduates, a 4% increase from last year.
• 6,000 graduate applications and 2,300 students registered, a 3.9% increase.

There is a total of approximately 45,000 undergrad and grad students.