A Message from the President and Vice Chancellor

As events of the past week have made clear, we live in challenging times.  The travel ban ordered by the United States President, followed by the unconscionable violence inflicted on innocent people at worship in a Quebec City mosque last weekend, have combined to set many in our community and country on edge.

As an educational institution that proudly welcomes thousands of students from 70 countries around the world, we are steadfast in the belief that our strength lies in diversity and inclusion.  Respect for others, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and identities, is a value we uphold above all else.

Many of our faculty and staff have also come to us from other countries, and have connections to friends and family all over the world.  This breadth of experiences serves to enrich the Sheridan community while supporting our commitment to foster a sense of global citizenship among our students – a core value of our institution.

Despite the uncertainty and related concerns that some of you may be experiencing, I want to assure you that Sheridan remains a welcoming community, dedicated to ensuring that all of our members know themselves to be safe and valued.  Our new Centre for Equity and Inclusion (CEI) was created for this very purpose. The CEI’s mandate is to collaborate with stakeholders to foster learning and working environments that are welcoming, inclusive, free of all forms of harassment and discrimination, and where respect and valuing diverse communities and thought are fundamental.  Please feel free to contact them at equity@sheridancollege.ca or by calling ext. 2229 if you have ideas of how to make Sheridan even more inclusive.

Please remember as well that counselling services are available for students through the Centre for Student Success, and for employees through Employee and Family Assistance Program at 1-800-387-4765.

Dr. Mary Preece

President and Vice Chancellor