Articles from:June 2021

• Brock University’s 109th Convocation launches Friday

  Monday, June 14, 2021 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 14 June 2021 – R0069

  More than 3,300 people will take the next step in their educational journey on Friday, June 18 when they move from Brock University students to alumni.

  Brock’s 109th Convocation ceremony will launch as a virtual Convocation portal on Friday as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact how post-secondary graduation ceremonies are delivered.

  Spring Convocation is traditionally held as nine ceremonies over five days each June with thousands of graduands crossing the stage inside Ian Beddis Gymnasium at Brock.

  Similar to both Spring and Fall 2020 Convocations, the University’s Class of 2021 will have their degrees conferred and will officially join more than 111,000 Brock alumni when the Convocation portal goes live early Friday morning.

  When Spring Convocation goes live, each graduand will get their own personalized online experience with keynote addresses from Brock President Gervan Fearon and Chancellor Hilary Pearson, as well as video messages from student leaders and others. In addition, a number of Brock Faculties and departments are planning their own complementary online events to celebrate graduating students after they convocate.

  In all, more than 2,800 undergraduates and 520 graduate students representing all seven Brock Faculties will convocate. Among that group are approximately 60 Brock Badgers student-athletes.

  Starting Monday, all graduates will be mailed Convocation in a Box packages containing their degree parchment, a Convocation program, an alumni pin, a copy of Surgite magazine, other information from the Brock University Alumni Association and a bag of Class of 2021 confetti.

  After going live Friday morning, the Virtual Convocation portal will remain online and available to students and the wider Brock community so they can enjoy the experience with friends and family when it’s convenient for them. For faculty, staff and others who want to see what Brock’s Virtual Spring Convocation is all about, an invitation will go out on Monday, June 21 inviting them to the Convocation portal.

  New this year, graduands, family, friends, faculty, staff and the wider community can use a new Celebration Wall to post messages and photos of congratulations to the Class of 2021. The Celebration Wall will be accessible to all at brocku.ca/convocation/celebration-wall/submit

  Also new this year was the option for students to order souvenir graduation gowns and hoods — the colourful sashes that are placed around their necks during a traditional Convocation ceremony. It’s the first time Brock has offered the graduation gowns for sale, and they’ve been incredibly popular with hundreds of students from the Class of 2021 purchasing them. The sets are still for sale through the Brock Campus Store online and are part of a new line of Convocation items for students launched this year, which also includes degree frames, lawn signs and commemorative items.

  In the leadup to the Convocation portal going live, a full slate of Convocation stories starts today in The Brock News and continues through the next two weeks including dedicated days of coverage to each Faculty the week of June 21 to 25.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University [email protected] or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases

• Large incoming class expected as Ontario high school students choose Brock

  Wednesday, June 09, 2021 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 9 June 2021 – R0068

  As Brock University looks toward the Fall 2021 Term and its own recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, all indicators point toward a large incoming class.

  Last week marked the deadline for Ontario secondary school students to accept their university admission offers and while there is an increase in applicants to universities across Ontario, the increase in those applying to Brock outpaces the provincial growth rate by a significant margin.

  While the provincial average sees an increase of 1.9 per cent in first-year confirmations, Brock has received a 6.5 per cent increase in high school applicant confirmations, marking an important bounce back after an enrolment dip due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21.

  Looking at the broader picture of all applications to Brock from across Ontario, Canada and around the world, the University is on pace to welcome more than 4,000 new students this fall. Total enrolment is expected to be nearly 19,000 students.

  The University is continuing to plan for a significant return to campus in September with a mix of classes being offered in-person and online.

  “At Brock, we have consistently placed a strong emphasis on the student experience and excellence in academic programs, making the University a special choice for students,” said Brock President Gervan Fearon. “We recently established new facilities, such as the Zone Fitness Centre in collaboration with our student organizations, so the return to campus this fall will be an enhanced experience for all students coming to Brock.”

  In addition to the strong incoming class of high school students, applications from transfer students, international students and those pursuing school in non-traditional ways are also positive this year. Brock has also seen strong demand for residence spots, which is expected to rise further in the coming weeks.

  While the increases in enrolment are indicated across the majority of Brock’s undergraduate and graduate programs, there has been particularly strong growth in the Faculty of Education, the Goodman School of Business and the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, where Nursing has proven to be very popular this year in response to an expanded number of available student spaces.

  “COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on the lives of all Canadians, as it has on everyone around the world,” said Brock Provost and Vice-President, Academic Lynn Wells. “As we begin to move towards the recovery phase of the pandemic, we look forward to welcoming both our new students and those who are returning back to campus in September.”

  Geraldine Jones, University Registrar and Associate Vice-President, Enrolment Services, said the enrolment growth is a sign of Brock’s growing reputation, and the result of a lot of hard work by many people and teams across the University.

  “When we look at the traditional ways recruiting teams get the word out to prospective students and their families, much of that is face-to-face through school visits and events like the Ontario Universities’ Fair,” she said. “This year, we’ve had to completely rethink how we tell the Brock story and show off our beautiful and scenic campuses.”

  Instead, the University used virtual tours, online open houses and a significantly enhanced digital marketing campaign to attract attention at a time when all universities across the country were trying to set themselves apart.

  While some programs are now completely full, there are still some open spaces for full- and part-time studies across all seven Faculties and the admissions process is ongoing.

  For more information about enrolling at Brock, contact [email protected] or visit brocku.ca

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University [email protected] or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases