The Athenaeum

Tag: Campaign for Acadia

  • Acadia Exceeds Fundraising Goal

    Acadia Exceeds Fundraising Goal

    Launched in October of 2018, Acadia University’s Campaign for Acadia campaign has calculated an ambitious 75-million-dollar goal to “sustain the Acadia of today and build the Acadia of the future.” The budget includes 30 million dollars going towards creating extraordinary student experiences by fostering access and success so that all deserving students can experience a transformative education. Another 12.5 million dollars is dedicated to inspiring exceptional teaching and engagement by attracting and retaining outstanding faculty who are committed to exceptional teaching across all disciplines. The same amount would go toward innovative teaching and research to promote discovery and innovation through support for our student and faculty research. The final 20 million dollars will be invested in building and enhancing the physical and financial infrastructure to benefit Acadia’s students, faculty, and the community. 

    On Acadia University’s 182nd birthday, the campaign announced that their goal of $75 million had been exceeded, and all thanks go to enthusiastic alumni and friends whose generous contributions will support key programs and resources at the university. Dr. Ricketts, President and Vice-Chancellor of Campaign for Acadia, shared his gratitude to everybody who contributed, “Each gift is invaluable and will have a meaningful impact on our students, faculty, staff, researchers, and the ongoing development of our campus infrastructure,” he stated. He continued on to say that “Acadia’s milieu has been extremely strengthened by the generous gifts of campaign partners, friends and alumni who have all played a tremendous role in benefiting the students at the university”. 

    The donations have allowed Acadia to accomplish things beyond the usual. Some of these things are visible; such as the renovation of the science facilities and the transformations of Patterson Hall into the Manning School of Business. Others are not as visible but are equally as significant; millions invested into restricted endowments for student awards, teaching, research and other academic programs. All of these things collectively enhance the student experience at Acadia University. 

    Campaign for Acadia will continue to gratefully accept donations until the end of 2020. For further donation details, the campaign’s many success stories, instructions on how to give, you can visit campaign.acadiau.ca.

  • Acadia 2025 is going in the right direction

    Acadia 2025 is going in the right direction

    The first draft of Acadia’s strategic plan released on October 28th is quite something. For an institution that so frequently shunned ambitious plans for fear of budget deficits and bad publicity, this draft strategic plan shuns austerity and embraces investment in students. I’m very excited.

    Let me first disclose that I have heavy biases. In my final two years at Acadia, where I served as Arts Senator and Student Board of Governors Representative respectively, I advocated heavily to focus our conversations beyond the 2-5 years to the 10-20 year timeframe. I can now go through this strategic plan with some satisfaction knowing that the conversation has finally shifted. I definitely did not do it alone, but it comforts me to know that present Acadia students are concerned about their legacy.

    In my final piece as Editor-in-Chief for The Athenaeum I implored Acadia to learn from its history, to not run from the failures and learn from its mistakes. This plan does exactly that and builds on the best pieces of what makes our institution unique.

    I have always been a vociferous proponent of the Campus Master Plan and SUB Renewal. When I first stumbled upon the campus plan poster tucked away in the KCIC boardroom, I was inspired. Here was a vision of Acadia that was forward thinking, ambitious, and one that understood what made us unique. This was a vision that I wholeheartedly endorsed because it didn’t settle for stasis. It actively sought to make Acadia better by playing the long game.

    In my final two years at Acadia I advocated heavily for reintroducing the Campus Master Plan into planning processes and recapturing that vision lost at the turn of the millennium. It’s one thing to say we’re an amazing school, but it’s another thing to actively plan for being one ten to twenty years down the road.

    I applaud President Ricketts and the Acadia 2025 task force for including a commitment to modernizing the Campus Master Plan and resubmitting it to the Board of Governors by 2021. This is the kind of forward thinking that Acadia hasn’t been able to do for almost fifteen years because of budget crunches and declining enrollment, but now we’re in a solid place to begin looking towards a new future.

    SUB Renewal was always a huge priority of mine. I firmly believe that students need an on-campus home that they can share with all students regardless of what they study, where they eat, or where they’re from. Including SUB Renewal as a priority within Acadia 2025 and the Campaign for Acadia signifies that the university is putting student concerns front and centre. Prioritizing SUB Renewal means we can ditch the 70s brutalism and create the SUB that we want. It can be carbon neutral, ensure that it produces net-zero emissions, include a climbing wall, a brewery, or whatever the hell we want. The point is we can build on Acadia’s legacy of leading the charge and demanding better for students instead of limping along as the sick man of the Maritimes.

    There are obviously many more things that Acadia 2025 prioritizes that are worthy of commendation. The plan has plenty of KPIs that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time constrained. Increasing the number of African-Canadian students, new partnerships with the Maple League, updating the Acadia Sustainability Assessment and including a carbon footprint analysis, establishing an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, and beginning a Great Valley Initiative are all reasons we should be excited.

    When Dr. Ricketts first came to Acadia in March 2017 to pitch why he wanted to be President, I was struck by his vision. His clearly articulated vision of Acadia is one that I have fully and wholeheartedly supported. Although he may not have the relative youth of former president Ray Ivany, he certainly does not lack the optimism.

    I identified with his vision of Acadia because of his focus on becoming a more global institution. One of the questions I asked him two years ago was “What role do you see Acadia playing in an increasingly global world?”. He didn’t skip a beat when answering with “Big”. By that he meant that Acadia could become increasingly global not just including more international students and exchanges, but global throughout extent of university. This meant building partnerships with likeminded institutions around the world and forging program links, research links, faculty exchanges and student exchanges. This particular global education is one that he identified as crucial to a legacy he would seek to leave behind. Acadia 2025 is that legacy.

    He identified several issues that Acadia is facing, including the increasing questioning of the value of a liberal education. One line stood out to me during his lecture in University Hall, when he said, “You can’t sit back and be complacent”. He noted that by maximizing partnerships outside the university we could maximize opportunities for students, and while one may learn much in the classroom, one will learn so much more outside of the classroom.

    Acadia 2025 gives us the roadmap we need towards reclaiming our mantle as the best undergraduate university in Canada. We can’t do that by copying what Mt. Allison or St FX has done. We must be unique in our vision and bold in our execution, and I firmly believe that the Acadia 2025 strategic plan puts us on the right track.

  • I believe in Acadia. You should too.

    I believe in Acadia. You should too.

    Three years ago, I wrote an article explaining why I had faith in Nova Scotia. I wrote about how the province inspired creativity and how the potential to build a future in this province is here while the immediate opportunities may not be. I wrote about how universities can be the key to our future, with the opportunities for growth and expansion right in front of us.

    With graduation just around the corner I want to reflect on why my faith in Acadia University has never been stronger.

    I came to Acadia from across the country knowing next to nothing about it. I learned about the history of this university, from the struggle to the prosperity that makes our history unique.

    The story of Acadia University is peppered in equal parts by stories of struggle and progress. We are pioneers by birth, by circumstance and by necessity. Through those struggles we have formed a stronger conception of who we are and where we’re going.

    Acadia has come out stronger time and time again. Having sat on the Board of Governors and on the University Senate I know that change can be slow. It can be mind-numbing and frustrating, and more often than not the results aren’t seen for years. But that doesn’t mean change is impossible.

    The reality is the demands of the 21st century will constantly require us to adapt to changing circumstances. An Acadia education is valuable because it teaches us how to think. This sets us apart from students who graduate from monolithic institutions as a faceless number in a class of hundreds. We have the ability to think for ourselves and to think outside of the box.

    I believe in Acadia because we’re imagining what comes next. The Campaign for Acadia gives us an opportunity to improve the lives of students who will shape this university for the next decade and beyond. Everything from expanding scholarships to hiring the best faculty to reimagining our campus is possible in this endeavour. I’ve put my money where my mouth is and personally donated $100 to this campaign because I fundamentally believe in the potential of this institution.

    But I believe in Acadia for more than the flashy posters and inflated clichés. I believe in Acadia because it’s nurtured students and faculty who care about one another. It gives us the platform to launch our careers in the wider world and make a real difference. It gives us the ability to make a name for ourselves by pursuing what we love.

    I started Humans of Acadia three years ago because I wanted to capture what makes this town special. We all have unique stories to tell and by sharing them we’ve connected past, present, and future students of this university. Taking pictures and telling the stories of the people who make our community extraordinary has been an absolute privilege.

    I’ve had the opportunity to hear from hundreds of people about what makes this town special. From international students who moved thousands of kilometres from home to Wolfville residents who have lived in Nova Scotia their whole lives, this community has made an imprint on my heart. Every story I’ve captured has taught me that the Acadia community looks out for one another. We’re not afraid to pick each other up when we fall down.

    This isn’t to say Acadia is perfect. Far from it. There’s still tremendous progress that needs to be made. We need to break down financial barriers that keep top talent from attending our institution. We need to lead the process of indigeneity and we need to create an institution that welcomes students of colour and doesn’t relegate them to second-class students. We need to build an accessible campus so that every student has the same ability to obtain an Acadia education. We need to admit our failures as an institution and build on them instead of sweeping them under the rug.  

    We’re on the right track. The growth of the Black Students’ Association over the past two years has shown that when students mobilize, we can make a real difference. Discussions on racial, gender, and social issues that should have happened years ago are finally coming to the forefront. Curriculum changes are incorporating more contemporary issues into our syllabi and getting us to ask hard questions. We’re reaching out to the world and building partnerships from the Maple League to Japan to cement our niche in the post-secondary ecosystem.

    There will always be naysayers. Change isn’t always popular, nor fun or easy. But it is necessary. Acadia will continue to be a crucial part of Canada and an even more important player in an increasingly connected world. We’re currently taking steps in the right direction, with student and faculty movements shaping where we go as a university. My four years at Acadia have taught me that this university is more than the degree you get at Convocation− it’s about the people you meet and the stories you make.

    Ultimately the students make Acadia possible. Together we’ve been able to achieve great things, and it’s with unwavering optimism in the Acadia spirit that I look forward to the next generation.  We’ve proven that we can be better. All of the necessary tools for growth and expansion are in front of us and the roadmap is there.

    I believe in Acadia.

    You should too.

  • SRC Decoded: What you missed October 16

    SRC Decoded: What you missed October 16

    The Students’ Representative Council is the body of students who are elected by their peers to run the Acadia Students’ Union. Council meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 5:15 PM in the Beveridge Forum located off the Michener Lounge in the Students’ Union Building (SUB). All of their meetings are open to the public and students are encouraged to attend to learn more about their representatives and the decisions that are being made on their behalf. 

    On October 16th, the SRC was presented multiple updates from council members. VP Finance & Operations Jared Craig presented a financial update. VP Student Life Kyle Vandertoorn presented the Student Life committee update. ASU President George Philp gave updates on the Student Government Round Table and the Board of Governors. VP Events and Promotions Gabrielle Bailey gave an update on the success of Homecoming. Graduate Studies Senator, Sarah Dunn, presented an event to teach students how to get their work published. Council members read and discussed their goal documents, and they voted to fill positions of the Bookstore Advisory Committee and the Town and Gown committee.

    Updates

    VP Finance & Operations Jared Craig presented a financial update as of September 30th. Craig stated that many services offered by the ASU did better than the budget predicted, such as Cajuns, and the Bar Services. However, Perkins saw large losses, which could be due to their efforts towards fair trade. In total, the net income of all services was $67,400. The financial update was unanimously accepted by the Council.

    VP Student Life Kyle Vandertoorn notified the Council that the Student Life Committee has ratified the almost all the clubs for the year, with a few pending ratifications due to form or fee submissions. Vandertoorn noted that clubs can be ratified at any time throughout the year.

    ASU President George Philp and VP Academic and External Makenzie Branch informed the Council of their attendance at the Student Government Roundtable. They met with the Deputy Minister of Education to discuss funding for mental health initiatives, in hopes of securing future funding. Philp and Branch also discussed improving MSI coverage for international students, due to the fact that a student must stay in Nova Scotia for 12 consecutive months to obtain as of right now. They also presented the Memorandum of Understanding, which would recognize the ASU as a valid voice at the table when in discussions with Acadia University and the Town of Wolfville.

    VP Events & Promotions Gabrielle Bailey updated the council on Homecoming celebrations, which took place on October 13th. Bailey stated that the Backyard Bash went well, with a few hundred people in attendance, and no major issues or injuries occurred. Bailey also noted that she received good feedback from the Town of Wolfville, the RCMP, and Food Services, who all said that most students were polite and respectful.

    Philp also notified the council that the documents concerning cannabis legalization, and its regulation on campus, have been approved by the Board of Governors. Philp emphasized the portion of the document that stated students will not be written up or fined for seeking help from campus staff.

    Student Board of Governors Representative Dahlia Chahine, along with George Philp and Jared Craig, attended the Board of Governors meeting at which they passed the MOU and the Tuition Consultation Agreement. Both documents will be made available on the ASU website. Acadia University President, Peter Ricketts, notified the Board that Acadia is now in stage 2 of planning for the 2025 campus planning process.

    Project Proposal

    Graduate Studies Senator Sarah Dunn presented a project proposal by Dr. Pier Pufahl, who is a professor at Acadia and the Editor in Chief of a major Earth Sciences magazine, Sedimentology. Pufahl suggests giving a talk on how to publish a successful paper. Its aim is to help students navigate the peer review process, and what constitutes a good paper. The event will take place at the University Club, 17 Westwood, on October 25 from 4:30-7:00pm. The Council voted to accept the proposed event.

    Goal Documents

    Each SRC member was required to submit a goal document, outlining what they hope to accomplish during the fall semester. The goal documents were read and discussed by Council, and then unanimously approved.

    Position Appointments

    First Year Officer, Blake Steeves, was appointed to the Bookstore Advisory Council as the student representative.

    Community Relations Officer Gordon McLaughlin was appointed to the Wolfville Town and Gown committee, after being nominated by Philp and unanimously voted in.

    Announcements

    Philp notified the Council that the Campaign for Acadia, a $75 million-dollar campus improvement initiative, was launched on Thursday at a private event, and that a public event for students and community members will happen on November 27th. All are encouraged to attend.

    Philp also stated that on Nov 5th, there will be a public consultation for food services, from 5:00-6:30pm.

    Kyle Vandertoorn informed the Council of an event taking place on Thursday, Oct 18th, in the Innovation Pavilion to show support sexual assault survivors. There will be an open mic for poetry, singing, etc. This event was sparked by the outrage after a StFX student’s sexual assault case was poorly handled and resulted in her leaving school.

    Chairperson Molly Anderson announced that application have closed for the volunteer associate positions, however, due to a low number of applications, they will likely all be reopened at a later date.

    Ailish Bergin is a second year Politics student and a columnist for The Athenaeum

  • $75 Million Campaign for Acadia Launches

    $75 Million Campaign for Acadia Launches

    Acadia’s $75 million fundraising campaign, titled the ‘Campaign for Acadia’ has launched.

    Acadia University has been working on the campaign for several years in the ‘quiet phase’, soliciting donations and pledges from around the world. $40 million has already been accumulated in private donations, with an additional $10 million in pledges. Today marks the beginning of the public phase of the campaign.

    The Campaign looks to raise $75 million to support four streams: Transform, Inspire, Discover, and Build.

    The Transform stream looks to raise $30 million to strengthen student experiences by increasing access to scholarships and bursaries, expanding co-op programs and other experiential learning opportunities, promoting student mental health and well-being, leading the process of indigeneity on campus, and creating a competitive edge with support for Athletic Excellence Awards.

    The Inspire stream looks to raise $12.5 million to promote exceptional teaching and engagement by creating new endowed professorships and chairs, expanding opportunities across disciplines for scholars-, executives-, and artists-in-residence, creating supports to attract post-doctoral scholars, and facilitating life-long learning.

    The Discover stream looks to raise $12.5 million to support innovative teaching and research by expanding financial support for graduate research programs, enhancing summer research awards. creating a digital scholarship centre, establishing an agriculture and beverage research institute, and bolstering the K.C. Irving Environmental Trust to support research.

    The Build stream looks to raise $20 million to solidify Acadia’s physical and financial infrastructure by adapting buildings to improve accessibility, protecting library archives and modernizing study spaces, renewing key campus buildings, expanding the Athletics Complex facilities, reimagining the Students’ Union Building, and boosting the value of Acadia’s endowment.

    “The major beneficiaries of the Campaign are going to be the students” President Ricketts said. “Many of the students here now may feel like this something far off in the future, but even here now in the Huestis Innovation Pavilion, it creates an amazing opportunity to have an early home run and support things like co-op opportunities, scholarships, and infrastructure renewal around the campus.”

    The Campaign is led by Nancy McCain (’82) of McCain frozen foods fame, who is married to the current Minister of Finance Bill Morneau. The Campaign Cabinet steering the direction of the Campaign, is composed of numerous prominent individuals including former Conservative Attorney General Peter Mackay (’87), Canadian Tire CEO Stephen Wetmore (’75), former Chancellor Libby Burnham (’60), and Nova Scotia Power CEO Karen Hutt (’89).

    “The Campaign for Acadia will be critical to Acadia’s mission to provide a personalized and rigorous liberal education,” said McCain. “I’m proud to be joined by a team of dedicated alumni who are part of our Campaign Cabinet. I know that by working together we’ll reach our ambitious goal of $75 million.”

    The Campaign will formally begin with numerous events across the world, including launch events in Calgary, London, Halifax, Ottawa, and Hong Kong.

    Colin Mitchell is a fourth year (Honours) Politics student and Editor in Chief of The Athenaeum

  • SRC Decoded: What you missed October 2nd

    SRC Decoded: What you missed October 2nd

    The Students’ Representative Council is the body of students who are elected by their peers to run the Acadia Students’ Union. Council meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 5:15 PM in the Beveridge Forum which is located off of the Michener Lounge in the Students’ Union Building (SUB). All of their meetings are open to the public and students are encouraged to attend to learn more about their representatives and the decisions that are being made on their behalf.

    The SRC met on October 2ndto hear presentations in regard to the Campaign for Acadia and the 2017-2018 Financial Statement. The Chairperson, Molly Anderson, reviewed the Roberts Rules and Meeting Policies and Chief Returning Officer Sacha Russo presented the Fall By-Election report. ASU President George Philp put forward a draft of the Acadia University Sexual Violence Policy, and presented changes to the Acadia University Non-Academic Judicial Process overview. The council unanimously passed the amendment to the Act of Incorporation. The meeting closed by Philip discussing updates to Acadia’s policies on substance use, and with VP Events and Promotions Gabrielle Bailey discussing homecoming.

    ASU Financial Statement 2017-2018

    Representatives from BMO attended the Council meeting to discuss last year’s audit. The lengthy financial statement shows that as of March 31st, the ASU was valued at $ 6,349,805 in net assets, which is has increased by almost $2 million from the previous year. The document also states that total revenue increased, as did total expenses. Multiple operations of the ASU, such as the information desk, Perkins, Union Market, and Axe Handle all had losses, but the Student Health Plan has a surplus due to high premiums for international students. Philp states that these losses were anticipated, because they are run for student benefit and not for profit. Council adopted by document and the full statement will be made public shortly.

    Roberts Rules and Meeting Policy

    Chairperson Molly Anderson reviewed the Roberts Rules and Meeting Policy, which this council abides by. Roberts Rules, developed in the late 1800’s, is a list of rules and procedures to ensure that meetings run smoothly, with minimal interruption. They are designed to allow for full participation of members, and to properly move and amend motions.

    Fall By-Election Report

    Chief Returning Officer Sacha Russo updated Council on the by-election which closed its polls last Friday. There were two positions that needed filling, which were Equity Officer and First Year Officer. There were two candidates for the first, and four for the latter. One candidate for First Year Officer dropped out prior to the debate, which took place on September 24th. The voting period ran from 8:30 am on September 27th, to 4 pm on the 28th. Results were released to candidates within an hour of polls closing.

    Acadia University Sexual Violence Policy

    ASU President, George Philp, put forward a draft of the new sexual violence policy. The province of Nova Scotia mandates that all schools must have one.  The policy is currently in the consultation process, and will remain a draft for the time being.

    Updates to the Acadia University Non-Academic Judicial Process

    The non-academic judicial process is enacted when a student violates the rules and regulations set out by Acadia University. Philp, along with James Stanford and Stephen Hassapis, have updated the guidelines of this process to extend the time period to appeal, and have set no time limit if it is concerning sexual violence. They have implemented training for judicial advisors, as well as an application process for appointing judicial board members. The have also changed the process to make it more bearable for survivors of sexual assault, as they no longer have to come face to face with the accused.

    Amendment of the Act of Incorporation

    Pertaining to last week’s meeting, Philp put forward an amendment to the Act of Incorporation, which would ensure that all executive members are voted or appointed, which is more in line with current proceedings. The motion passed unanimously, keeping in mind that only 14 members of Council were present at this point.

    Acadia Substance Use Policies

    Due to the impending legalization of cannabis on October 17th, Philp announced that Acadia has updated its regulation to include this use of marijuana. It will follow similar guidelines to that of alcohol or tobacco use, in that it may only be smoke at designated smoking locations around town, and no stockpiling is allowed. Students who are 19 years of age or older may keep marijuana in their dorm room, so long as it is a it is in an air tight container. No edibles may be cooked on campus either, and all accessories must be scent free and kept in a reasonable location (i.e. you cannot display them as “trophies”). These policies will come into effect on October 17th.

    Homecoming

    VP Events and Promotions Gabrielle Bailey informed Council that the Backyard Bash, an on-campus homecoming event, will be taking place again this year, but with some stricter guidelines than last year. It will run from 10am-2:30 pm on Saturday, October 13th. Bailey states that they will be bringing in a food truck, inflatable games, and some extra security.

    Ailish Bergin is a second year Politics student and  Columnist for The Athenaeum

Betzillo positions itself as a versatile gaming hub where structured bonuses and adaptive gameplay mechanics support both short sessions and extended play.

Built with a focus on innovation, Spinbit integrates modern casino architecture with rapid transactions, appealing to players who value speed and digital efficiency.

Ripper Casino emphasizes bold entertainment through high-impact slot titles and competitive promotions crafted for risk-oriented players.

A friendly interface and stable performance define Ricky Casino, offering a casual yet reliable environment for a wide spectrum of gaming preferences.

King Billy Casino channels classic casino spirit into a modern platform, delivering recognizable themes supported by contemporary reward systems.

Immersive visuals and layered slot mechanics are at the core of Dragonslots, creating a narrative-driven casino experience.

Lukki Casino appeals to players seeking direct access and minimal friction, focusing on fast loading times and intuitive controls.

Casinonic provides a structured and dependable gaming framework, blending modern slots with transparent operational standards.