Unlock your extraordinary future

I’m always struck by the courage and trust new students demonstrate when they start their post-secondary learning journey at Sheridan.?Whether a learner is fresh out of secondary school or has more life experience under their belt, their first few days on campus are typically a mix of excitement and anxiety -- an entirely normal response to something new and unfamiliar.??For all of us, pushing beyond your comfort zone is scary.?

As a leader, I’m particularly empathetic to the change and uncertainty new students are facing this fall because I feel it too.?Over the last eight months, the post-secondary sector in Ontario has witnessed monumental shifts that have been jarring and unsettling.?Like a first-year student, I find myself searching for certainty and stability amidst a litany of funding challenges, new policy directives and global unrest.??I’m change resilient and resolved to a prolonged period of intense social, economic and political disruption that will impact how we teach, learn, work, and engage. But there is no denying that this level of uncertainty poses significant challenges.?It’s also exhausting.?

Every day, I make a point of introducing myself to new learners and thanking them for choosing Sheridan.?If they express anxiety or Imposter Syndrome during that interaction, I remind them that they rightfully earned a seat at our esteemed institution and that their offer of admission was an expression of confidence in their potential to realize the full and transformational impact of our programming and culture.?Put another way: they can take comfort in knowing that Sheridan has their back.?

Faced with an unprecedented level of system-level turbulence, my colleagues and I should be similarly fortified by the people and culture who bolster us.??Every morning, I remind myself that Sheridan is home to the most innovative, creative problem solvers in Canada. Our vision for the future, our belief in “possibility”, and our unwavering commitment to learners and their experience inspires everything we do.??Despite the daily news, the political rhetoric and all the outside noise -- this fuels hope. ?Simply, Sheridan’s agility, resilience and innovation, our Strategic Plan, and the faculty, staff and learners who carry our legacy have our back.?

I don’t, however, want Sheridan or the learners we serve to simply survive in the face of change and uncertainty.?Our obligation is to ensure we all THRIVE in the face of it.?We owe that to our learners, graduates, partners, and each other. To that end, and even in the face of serious financial challenges, we must continue to invest in the intellectual, technical and physical infrastructure that will position Sheridan to deliver on the promise of post-secondary education well into the future.?

This is work we’ve been doing for years.?Sheridan is less siloed today, academically and operationally; instead, we rely on cross-functional teams to foster connection and collaboration.?We make evidence-based decisions, apply project management discipline and have developed an integrated planning culture to ensure that we focus on, invest in and embrace the things that matter -- even as we struggle to let go of what we no longer need.?We employ the methods we teach, including human-centered design, to cultivate creative solutions to complex problems.?We’ve evolved to mobilize faster when urgent conditions arise, allowing us to innovate, pivot, adapt and thrive.??We engage more inclusively, more frequently, and more broadly to ensure that we can explore the very best our community has to offer.??

Change and uncertainty is hard.?Personally, professionally, individually and collectively – what we’ve successfully navigated over recent years has been difficult. ?For over 35 years, however, I have had the privilege of watching thousands of students stretch and grow.?Since 2017, I’ve experienced Sheridan’s resilience and watched my colleagues digging deep to rise to the scale, pace and complexity of what the present and future are demanding.?This reflects a heart-felt, unwavering commitment to Sheridan and every learner who trusted us enough to choose us as their learning partner.

Sheridan 2027, our new Strategic Plan, is our north star.?It will continue to inspire and guide us as we evolve Sheridan to meet the significant challenges in front of us, and as we unlock an extraordinary future.