Community leaders come back to class at Nipissing

​Nipissing University invited community leaders to come back to class on campus today to highlight the university’s dedication to student engagement and commitment to innovation in teaching and learning.

The Honorable Jay Aspin, MP Nipissing; the Honorable Victor Fedeli, MPP Nipissing-Temiskaming; North Bay Mayor Al McDonald, and Fran Couchie, Director of Education for Nipissing First Nation and member of Nipissing’s Aboriginal Council on Education were given tours of Nipissing’s Office of Aboriginal Initiatives, the Aquatic Zoology lab, and the Centre for Flexible Teaching and Learning (CFTL). 

The community leaders got to see first-hand some of the programs and services Nipissing has developed to help students succeed as life-long learners, such as the opportunity for undergraduate students to carry out research on issues that they are passionate about, like student Jamie Lavigne’s research on toxic blooms of blue-green algae with Dr. Reehan Mirza.

The tour also showcased Nipissing’s CFTL, which supports online and flexible learning, helps professors to continuously update their teaching and provides training in the use of new technologies like tablets and smart phones for the classroom. The CFTL was established a year ago with important contributions from a generous donation from Mr. Seymour Schulich.

Nipissing has earned a reputation as a student-centred institution, where the focus is on effective learning and student success.  This is well evidenced by the high ratings the university receives in student satisfaction and engagement surveys like the National Survey of Student Engagement, the Globe and Mail’s University Report and the Canadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium.  Today’s tour celebrates and underlines that reputation with community leaders and shows the value of universities to Ontario’s economy.  It is part of a larger, province-wide Council of Ontario Universities initiative, titled, Back to Class. 

“Nipissing has much to be proud of when it comes to innovation in the classroom and discovering new ways to help students follow their passion for learning,” said Lesley Lovett-Doust, Nipissing University President.  “We have a long history of being a student-centred university and promoting effective new teaching practices with our faculty.  This is a hallmark of the Nipissing University experience.  It is what students expect from us and we are proud to deliver.  I am enormously proud of Nipissing’s contribution to the rich Ontario landscape of higher education; our faculty and staff, alumni and supporters are innovative, creative and inspiring partners in learning.”