Last week, the UNF team hosted a sequence of on-campus events to engage a diverse group of education and business leaders from both the Niagara region and neighboring areas. The UNF Partnerships and Networking Events, held in the recently opened student lounge, marked the first official use of the space to welcome community members to campus.
Each event included an introduction of UNF, showcasing our vision for the future of education alongside a detailed look at our academic programs. Attendees connected with campus leaders in an engaging and productive Q & A session following each presentation.
“As our first official events on UNF’s campus, I am pleased to say that each event was a resounding success,” said David Gray, Provost and Vice-President, Academic. “We had the opportunity to meet various key stakeholders in the region, whether that be guidance counselors and principals from the catholic and public-school boards, business leaders in the community and potential educational partners. My takeaway – the community is just as excited as we are with the imminent launch of our programs in 2024!”
Among the attendees was Lou Stranges, principal of Saint Michael Catholic High School in Niagara Falls. Lou sees UNF’s launch as an excellent development for the city: “I’m a life-long resident of Niagara Falls, and we’ve been talking about having a university here for many years. What’s exciting to me is all the experience from academia that this new university brings to our community, as well as the undergraduate and graduate programs that are tailored to meet the demand for the jobs of the region. Combine that with small class sizes, and I see this as an excellent opportunity for our students.”
Andrea Wiggins, head of guidance at A.N. Myer Secondary School, is particularly excited about the opportunities UNF will provide to the first groups of students to join the new university: “I look forward to building a partnership with UNF and exposing our students to the unique opportunities available here that go beyond the traditional post-secondary experience, including the flexibility that UNF has to offer and the opportunity to be a foundational member of the UNF student community. Students in the first few cohorts will be active participants in building the foundation of the university, whether through the creating the first student government, clubs, and more, which will set the tone for years to come.”
With spaces now available on campus, the UNF recruitment team will begin hosting on-site events for prospective students and their parents starting in December.
