By Heidi Lee
Ryerson staff members and students want the university’s 2020-30 vision to be “bold” in continuing to challenge the status quo and push boundaries, according to president Mohamed Lachemi.
At the January Board of Governors (BoG) meeting on Tuesday, Lachemi said Ryerson’s 2020-30 commitments include: reimagining the future, mobilizing communities, wellbeing and social justice, embracing a global view, sparking culture and creativity and building skills for the future.
The BoG is responsible for the university’s governance, control of property and revenue, business and affairs.
Here is what you else you missed at the Jan. 28 BoG meeting.
The latest on Brampton’s Cybersecurity program
Ryerson’s cybersecurity-focused business accelerator program began accepting applications and will officially open in May.
The Catalyst Cyber Accelerator is a partnership with the Digital Media Zone and is supported by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, the City of Brampton and Rogers Communication.
The three-month accelerator program would offer entrepreneurs mentorship and resources to grow in the cybersecurity industry, the Eye previously reported.
Along with the new program, Lachemi said students in the Accelerated Cybersecurity Training Program began their training last week.
This is a program providing 20-week cybersecurity training and certificates for students who has an interest in cybersecurity.
Ryerson’s Library grant recipient recognized
A video of Paul Benson, a School of Disability student and also one of the recipients of the 2019 Digital Media Experience (DME) Creators Grant, was shown at the meeting.
Benson’s documentary Agents of Change, The Disability Ends is about people with disabilities creating positive social changes in the world.
The DME Creators Grant provides an opportunity for students to work on their projects with the help of mentors and faculties at Ryerson, said chief librarian Carol Shepstone on Tuesday.
According to the Ryerson Library, the grant was launched in September 2018. It is designed to support four undergraduate students’ projects that tackle “local and systemic societal issues.”
Introducing the dean of Ryerson’s Law School
Michael Benarroch, provost and vice-president academic, congratulated Donna E. Young on her appointment.
Young was appointed by Ryerson as the founding dean for the Faculty of Law back in December.
Peter Halewood, a professor from the Albany Law School and Young’s husband, will also join the faculty. It is unclear what Halewood’s position will be within the faculty.
“We have now secured two appointments of absolutely top legal scholars to come to Ryerson University and to be able to launch the work that we are doing around law,” said Benarroch.
The Faculty of Law will open in September 2020.
The latest on Rye’s 2020-25 Academic Plan
According to Benarroch, the university’s academic plan for the next five years puts an emphasis on academic freedom and creating a global approach.
This comes after professors and Ryerson staff members discussed issues of students’ accessibility to university education, Benarroch said.
“We don’t want to be the university that just accepts students who have the highest GPA or those who can only afford [tuition],” he added.
As an example, Benarroch said that the Faculty of Law is asking applicants for additional information such as autobiographical sketch, reference letter and an online interview, in addition to its academic requirements.
The Faculty of Communication and Design is also considering alternative ways to review applications.
The next BoG meeting will be held on March 31, 2020.
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