Message from the Principal

The Orillia Campus Outlook 2020-2025 is the result of numerous consultations with faculty, staff, and students from the Lakehead Orillia Campus community. Informed by the Strategic Plan 2018-2023 and the Academic Plan 2019-2024, this document represents the unique voice of the Orillia campus community, with its own tone and context. While under the umbrella of our institutional plans, this voice is intended to guide the implementation of strategic planning building on the strengths and successes of Lakehead University within the City of Orillia and County of Simcoe. Outlook 2020-2025 is intended to reaffirm Lakehead University’s commitment to serve post-secondary education throughout Simcoe County by continuing to increase the participation rate by positioning our university as Simcoe County’s university. The Orillia campus continues to work closely with the Chippewas of Rama Frist Nation to build a strong relationship in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, with a commitment to work jointly on strategies that will encourage indigenous students to obtain a university education. Building on the strength of our relationship with the City of Orillia and the County of Simcoe, and guided by the Academic Plan, the Orillia campus is well positioned to grow academic programming relevant to our local community context, both credit and non-credit options. The Orillia campus is a leader in the provision of programming focused on community engagement and lifelong learning. We will continue to strengthen this voice through interdisciplinary program delivery unique to the Orillia campus, as well as increased research and experiential learning opportunities for our students. The strength of the voice of our students comes through most clearly in themes concerning the growth and development of our campus. This vision for the future includes an exciting plan to buildout the campus to include additional facilities for recreation and fitness, student services, academic and research spaces as well as dedicated space for our indigenous students. The Orillia Campus Outlook 2020-2025 is ambitious as it speaks clearly to the potential that the campus and community bring to the future growth and development of the university in alignment with the five strategic pillars which follow in this document. We look toward a future that continues to bring prosperity to our community and a continued strengthening of our relationships with our many local partners.

Dr. W. Dean Jobin-Bevans Principal, Orillia campus