The College’s February 2025 Global Village brought a welcome set of updates from Jason McBride:
– first his examples of continued focus on mission, with (i) workshops (Ripple) for students to develop skills for engaging controversial topics and build genuine dialogue; (ii) continued Reconciliation efforts with local First Nations (see College site for ‘Welcome Ceremony on Pedder Bay’); and iii) positive feedback from recent student survey;
– secondly some pragmatic progress on (i) signing in January of the first collective agreement with Pearson faculty, after many months of negotiation; and (ii) continued investment in campus infrastructure, with 50 yr old buildings and wiring needing replacement. Seeing the work being done to support current students and keep Pearson’s mission alive and thriving is always energizing.
Operationally, with the COVID-19 hiatus years, now a distant memory, there are 205 students from 92 countries, with half fully funded and 25% partially funded. Financial challenges never disappear; while the endowment remains stable at around $52M, the annual draw is limited to 4%, as operating and renovation costs increase.