Dr. David Doherty, President of MRU
Dr. David Docherty, President of MRU
By Ralph Lundberg
Bill Walsh introduced our speaker, Dr. David Docherty, the ninth President of Mount Royal University, who was instantly transformed into “Dave”, the high energy spokesman for the school, which he reminded us, was built the same year as our lunch venue !
Bill Walsh introduced our speaker, Dr. David Docherty, the ninth President of Mount Royal University, who was instantly transformed into “Dave”, the high energy spokesman for the school, which he reminded us, was built the same year as our lunch venue!
Some interesting aspects of the student composition at our universities: students from outside a province contribute in a meaningful way to the provincial economies. Nova Scotia is estimated to enjoy $300 million in income from the impact of out of province students. The issue of affordability is a concern. There are three categories of graduates: those who come out debt free, those who have modest debt which can be regarded as an investment in the future, and those with a crushing debt that will take years to retire. MRU is more concerned with addressing the issues that lead to the third category.
As is the case with most universities, about one half of revenue comes from the Provincial government, supplemented by corporate training fees, tuition fees and private donations. Private donations have created new developments at MRU include the spectacular Bella Concert Hall in the Taylor Centre for the Performing Arts and the soon to be completed Riddell Library and Learning Centre.
The 9,600 full time students, 80 per cent of whom are locals, are taking the lead in social issues such as gender and religious intolerance, mental health stigma and sexual violence. One successful venture is the Crowchild Classic, featuring the largest university indoor hockey tournament in Canada which pits MRU against U of C. Begun in 2012 with the Calgary Flames donating use of the Saddledome, it is the envy of other universities across Canada who cannot get their minds around the idea that the Flames make their rink available for free.
MRU is reaching out with a program of indigenous practices embracing and enhancing the culture and knowledge of aboriginal students, whose enrollment is targeted to increase from four per cent today to seven per cent by 2025. During the same period international students are expected to increase from 280 to 650.
In closing, Dave declared that the key thing students will take away from their MRU experience is the ability to collaborate with others, working toward solutions. The facts they learn will fade or become irrelevant as society carries them along.
Following an animated question and answer session, I’m sure many of us felt we had just spent half time in a SuperBowl locker room with a pumped up head coach!
Brent Buechler rounded out his birthday by thanking our speaker with a certificate from CAWST and presented him a copy of our 100 year of Rotary history book which will serve to bring us back full circle to the simultaneous arrival of Mount Royal College and Rotary to the city.
Our Speaker, Dr. David Docherty