Georgian College

Georgian View 2017

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GEORGIAN PRESIDENTS REFLECT ON 50 YEARS Robert Crawford (1967-1978) The late Robert Crawford impressed Georgian's first board with his intellect and knowledge of educational theory. He based most of his 10 years of service around his principles, including his belief that "the broad purpose of the college should be to serve the needs of its own community by offering programs geared to local industry and business." He and colleague Lee Cameron first broached the idea of co-operative education for Georgian students. Five presidents have guided Georgian through its five decades, helping to shape and strengthen Georgian's place among Ontario's public colleges, which were first created in the mid-1960s by then Minister of Education William G. Davis. Each has operated in different economic peaks and valleys, political climates, and faced varied enrolment pressures and workforce needs. But the one consistency is each president's commitment to students. Here are some of the milestones and highlights from each presidency. Wayne Busch (1978-1992) "My goal in coming here was to improve Georgian's image and that was my big focus." One memory that has always stuck with Wayne is a graduating class of 17 nursing students in Owen Sound. All of them were mothers who went back to school at various stages of their lives. He was immensely proud to watch all of them graduate with their nursing diplomas. Bruce Hill (1992-1999) Continuing to develop a student-centered culture was important to Bruce. "We were caring of each other, we were caring of our students in particular, and we were friendly," he says. "We didn't hesitate to try and make every student feel comfortable and welcome and excited about the experience they were going to enjoy here. Having worked at several other colleges that was a definite difference. " Brian Tamblyn (1999-2012) Brian thinks fondly of the period of dramatic growth during his tenure. "We led the province in graduate employment. We were the largest co-op college in the country. We had very tight relationships with employers that I honestly think set the standard in the province. And I knew from working so closely with the students that Georgian's relationships with its students were truly exceptional." MaryLynn West-Moynes (2012-present) "Looking back over the last fifty years, clearly, students have been at the forefront of all we do. They are our 'raison d'etre'– our only reason for being! Our vision of accelerated success through exceptional teaching and learning, innovation and partnerships is possible thanks to exceptional employer and community support, skilled and engaged faculty, staff and administrators, and incredible students and graduates. The legacy of distinguished service and quality programs has been the driver of our success and will continue to inspire Georgian in years to come." GEORGIANVIEW 2017 27 CELEBRATING 50

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