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Our president's summer message to alumni

Reflections on Concordia's milestone year
July 16, 2015
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By Alan Shepard

Dear Concordia alumni,

It is summer time in Montreal, and now it’s time for some fun and sun!

Hoping you get a chance for rest and relaxation with family and friends. Maybe some adventure, sports or travel — whatever you do to recharge.

2014-15 was Concordia’s 40th anniversary year, and it was a great year.

We saw record application and enrolment numbers last fall and welcomed nearly 7,000 new graduates in 2014-15. You are now one of over 193,000 in our strong, global and growing alumni network.

The Walrus Talks PLAY in Toronto Concordia President Alan Shepard (second from left) and Frederick Lowy, former Concordia president, with alumnus Brian Neysmith and his wife Carolyn Neysmith at the Walrus Talks Play in Toronto, May 2015.

Over the past year it was my pleasure to meet many of you at:

  • Jean Chrétien’s memorable lecture, “Canada: Its own flag. Its own destiny”
  • our Walrus Talks events in Toronto, Ottawa and Calgary, featuring Concordia researchers and other high-profile presenters 
  • my visits to our alumni chapters in Boston, New York, Florida, California and Asia, and across Canada

I hope to see many more of you at similar events next year.

In 2014-15 we set a fundraising record for a year outside a campaign. Impressive generosity from our greater alumni network. Major new gifts from Michal and Renata Hornstein, Sebastian van Berkom, National Bank and CQG, and from the many of you at our 40 Years of Philanthropy gala last October and our recent Goodman Institute of Investment Management fundraiser in Toronto.

We deeply appreciate the support. These gifts transform students’ lives and strengthen the core of the university. They allow us to be more and do more.

As a next-generation university, we are always looking ahead. To re-examine and reimagine what kind of university we want to become, we launched our Strategic Directions initiative in January.

We invited some 20 experts from across the continent to speak about the future of learning and universities. We brainstormed broadly with students, faculty and staff, and received fantastic input and feedback.

The final document is refreshingly short and accessible — our nine Directions could fit on a coffee mug. We will begin implementing them this fall following an alumni focus group.

I would like to personally invite you to join us at Homecoming this September 24-27, for stimulating events at our two campuses in the company of old friends and new. See you there!

I always welcome news and views from our alumni. Please write me directly at alan.shepard@concordia.ca.

Have a great summer,

Alan Shepard
President


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