There has been renewed interest this week about higher education in Niagara and the role it plays as a catalyst for the region’s sustainability, growth and development.

For nearly 60 years, Brock has proudly served as Niagara’s public university. Since the Allanburg Women’s Institute rallied our community to fundraise and advocate for Brock’s creation, more than 110,000 students have earned Brock degrees and diplomas. They come from all parts of the region, from across the province and the rest of Canada, and from many countries around the world.

Brock graduates teach our children and care for us in hospitals and clinics. They create great art and perform on our stages and on our screens. Brock grads manage our favourite sports teams, lead our businesses and serve in our governments. They are engaged in all aspects of society. They are nurses and doctors, scientists and accountants, teachers, lawyers, poets, union leaders and social justice activists.

Since its humble beginnings holding its first classes in various locations across St. Catharines, Brock has become one of Canada’s leading comprehensive universities.

The campus is home to renowned scholars and researchers tackling our greatest challenges and problems, while discovering new ways of learning, understanding and creating. Ten Canada Research Chairs are making breakthroughs in health, water, human movement, safer workplaces, child development, gender and more. Others are discovering better ways to teach, to provide medical care and to improve lives and transform society.

Thousands of Niagarans have learned to swim in Brock’s pools; have worked out in its state-of-the-art athletics facilities; have cheered on the Badgers as they win national championships or have enjoyed a hike on one of its nature trails. Brock’s library and special collections are home to a rich trove of artifacts and rare items that tell the shared story of Niagara and Canada.

For many years, Brock has been rated as one of the country’s top universities for student satisfaction and student services, including mental health care. Students rank Brock high for its campus amenities, its exceptional residences and food service and its commitment to helping them break through by providing supports and creating a caring and welcoming campus community.

Brock students are taught by faculty who are experts in teaching and learning and are widely recognized for their commitment to innovation in the classroom. As a public university, Brock’s academic programs are regularly reviewed by external experts to ensure they are of the highest quality.

Earlier this month, Brock’s Goodman School of Business cracked the top 20 list of Canada’s best business schools. Earlier this year, Brock’s sports science programs were ranked among the top 100 in the world and the top 10 in Canada.

Students from around the world choose Brock and Niagara as their new home. They arrive from all parts of the globe and quickly find a community and begin enriching campus and our neighbourhoods, contributing to our city and region in many ways.

When those visionaries made the case for a public university for Niagara, they understood the long term and lasting economic impacts for our communities. Brock remains committed to continue as Niagara’s university, just like those community leaders hoped and planned for six decades ago.

Professor Lynn Wells
Interim President and Vice-Chancellor
Provost and Vice-President, Academic