CREDIT: JOHN SING
College president Peter Devlin outlined his priorities for the coming year at his President's Update speech on September 25.

Fanshawe College President Peter Devlin outlined his plan for a future-focused Fanshawe as well as structural changes to the administration to faculty, staff and students on September 25 during his President’s Update speech.

Some of Fanshawe’s priorities for the coming year include program development, stronger partnerships with southwestern Ontario businesses and greater collaboration with provincial, national and international colleges and universities, he said.

“We need to be the first ones that are bringing new programs to the province,” he said. “The first. So we need to advance and accelerate what we do to bring cool, exciting, innovating programs to market and specifically here at Fanshawe College.”

Devlin pointed out that student enrolment was 180 students lower this year than it was last year – a 1.2 per cent decrease. He also pointed out that while the five-year accumulative enrolment percentage change is 7.1 per cent, it is lower than the province average of 16.6 per cent.

Devlin said the colleges that are leading in the five-year accumulative enrolment percentage change – Durham College, Humber College and Cambrian College – are colleges that have been “very aggressive on program development.”

“There is room to grow,” he said. “There is room to be bold and imaginative.”

Devlin also introduced structural changes to the college administration. The changes were not for efficiency purposes but organizational purposes, he said.

He introduced a new portfolio called Corporate Strategy and Business Development.

The new portfolio will be responsible for Strategy & Planning, College Initiatives, International Development, Reputation & Brand Management and Advancement and Alumni.

“This is a grouping of things that are going to propel us into the years ahead,” Devlin said. “It has an emphasis on being future-focused.”

Bernice Hull, who was vice-president of Administration, will be leading Corporate Strategy and Business Development.

Finance and budgeting have merged together under the Finance and Administration portfolio, and the portfolio is now responsible for Facilities Management & Community Safety and Information Technology Services.

The Academic portfolio is now responsible of scheduling and academic advising, and the Student Services portfolio is now responsible of retail operations and residence and conference centre.

The executive director of human resources will now report directly to the president.

Devlin also laid out his vision for Fanshawe 2025 during his 40-minute speech. He said Fanshawe, which will have a student enrolment of 50,000 and “incomparable faculty and staff,” will be the “architect of opportunities” and the “driver of regional economic growth,” among other things.

He also said the college will have an emphasis on “flexible learning.”

“I don’t quite know exactly what that means, but I do know that online – or e-learning – is only a part of the flexibility that we will need to have to be able to attract 50,000 learners in 2025.”

Devlin, who took the office of president last September, said Fanshawe was an “amazing place to be.”