view . summer 2010
3
dear
viewer
ALAN WILDEMAN
President and Vice-Chancellor
The annual spring Convocation was a great reminder of how
important the University of Windsor is to so many people. Over a
three-day period, a record number of more than 11,000 people –
families, friends, alumni, faculty, staff and students - assembled in the
St. Denis Centre to be a part of the ceremonies. It was a wonderful
occasion and a time for everyone to reflect on the past and focus on
future aspirations. This edition of
VIEW
magazine, brought to you in
electronic format, is meant to achieve the same.
I was once told by a colleague that the best historians are those
who are forward-looking. This teaser of a statement captures the
inescapable truth that, in striving to better understand the past, we
better prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. We see the achievements
of those who came before us and we learn from their groundbreaking
efforts. In doing so, we set new standards for the future and try to
learn from past experience.
As the University of Windsor moves closer to its 50th anniversary
as a publicly funded university in 2013, there are already some of our
founding components that are reaching that milestone. The School
of Visual Arts began as classes offered by Assumption University in
1960, which then morphed into the province’s first bachelor of fine
arts program in 1964. The School’s story is told in this issue, and I will
simply preface the story by saying that we are very, very proud of all
that they have accomplished in their first half century. Exceptional
faculty and staff, and great students, have set a very high standard
for the future.
A university has a responsibility to be observant of history and
to be forward-looking. There are other stories in this issue that
give pause for deeper reflection about the full spectrum of human
endeavours, and how those endeavours have shaped our past and
give guidance for our future. In going electronic with this issue, we
are responding to the future imperative to be more responsible with
how we use our resources.
I want to wish each of our new graduates the very best in what
lies ahead. I thank you for having become a part of the University
of Windsor story. And to all of our alumni and friends, faculty and
staff, and students yet to graduate, I wish you the very best during the
summer months. If you have time, I encourage you to do two things.
First, pick up a history book. Second, jot down what you would like
to see happen in the future.
Dr. Alan Wildeman
CORRECTION:
The Spring 2010 edition cover story
“Sustainability: working toward a green
campus” should have mentioned that
Residence Services has undertaken
$8 million in upgrades in the past three years
with a primary focus of saving energy.
