This past February, Trent University's Ashley Fellowship was awarded to Dr. Don Markwell. Dr. Markwell is the Warden of Rhodes House, Oxford University. He is responsible for the Rhodes Scholarships around the world. The Ashley Fellowship is funded by a bequest from the late Professor C.A. Ashley, longtime friend of Trent University and an enthusiastic proponent of the role that the informal contacts of College life can play in the academic pursuits of the University.
Dr. Markwell was at Trent for about two weeks and delivered three public events including a lecture, a panel and colloquium. I was fortunate to attend all three. While all three lectures were highly interesting and full of insight, the relevant one that I will briefly discuss was titled "The Value of University Residential Colleges". The lecture had an impressive response panel featuring Thomas H.B Symons, Founding President of Trent University. John Fraser, Master of Massey College, University of Toronto. Susan Wurtele, Professor of Geography and Trent University Alumna and finally, Julia Harrison, Professor and Director of the Frost Centre for Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies.
For those that attended this lecture, I am sure they walked away as satisfied and informed as I was. You can access a copy of the lecture here.
Markwell is huge proponent of the residential college system. In his speech, he cited a number of universities that have recently revitalized their colleges including Princeton, Yale, Rice, Harvard and Oxford University. He spoke about the renaissance in the college system as even more universities have started to establish, plan and expand internal systems of residential colleges.
Markwell revealed that through his own observations, "colleges provide one of the best potential environments for encouraging mutually rewarding connection between students from many different cultures and countries – but such positive interactions do not just happen by chance, and leadership within colleges is needed to encourage them and create good preconditions for them".
He referred to a quote by Alan Gilbert (Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester) that summed up his lecture quite nicely:
"the kinds of multilayered, close knit, highly interactive learning communities that good university colleges and halls of residence create are likely to remain among the hallmarks of any great undergraduate educational experience."
I would encourage everyone to read through his lecture
For those that attended this lecture, I am sure they walked away as satisfied and informed as I was. You can access a copy of the lecture here.
Markwell is huge proponent of the residential college system. In his speech, he cited a number of universities that have recently revitalized their colleges including Princeton, Yale, Rice, Harvard and Oxford University. He spoke about the renaissance in the college system as even more universities have started to establish, plan and expand internal systems of residential colleges.
Markwell revealed that through his own observations, "colleges provide one of the best potential environments for encouraging mutually rewarding connection between students from many different cultures and countries – but such positive interactions do not just happen by chance, and leadership within colleges is needed to encourage them and create good preconditions for them".
He referred to a quote by Alan Gilbert (Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester) that summed up his lecture quite nicely:
"the kinds of multilayered, close knit, highly interactive learning communities that good university colleges and halls of residence create are likely to remain among the hallmarks of any great undergraduate educational experience."
I would encourage everyone to read through his lecture
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