On November 21, rooms were packed to capacity in the President’s Lodge as President William Lahey publicly launched Welcoming: The Future King’s, a campaign to pave the way to a more inclusive and diverse future. King’s goal is to raise $15 million to help the university advance its vision and offer space for underrepresented people—so they can see themselves reflected in the faces on campus and ideas in the classroom.
Lahey explained, “The future we envision is a King’s that welcomes students, faculty and staff from all backgrounds. Each time we create a pathway, our community grows in strength, vibrancy and inclusiveness—and we’re all richer for it.”
Applause erupted when Lahey announced that support for the campaign has already reached $10 million.
At the heart of this work, which builds on President Lahey’s mandate from 2019, is a new Academic Plan that outlines the educational priorities for King’s students with a vision that ensures equity, accessibility, inclusiveness and the university’s work toward reconciliation.
“Inclusion must be the focus and not an ancillary element of our educational mission,” said President Lahey. “If we just focused on getting students in the door but did not embrace the goal of inclusion in the whole of their educational journey, inclusion would fall short of fostering a true sense of belonging.”
To embark upon this journey of transformation and include a range of voices and perspectives, the university has been working closely with partners and advisors from the Mi’kmaw and African Nova Scotian communities, including the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia and the Mawaknutma’tnej Circle at King’s.
Projects funded so far include the creation of the Deane Little Community Support Centre, restorations to preserve historic residences modernized for improved accessibility and new scholarship initiatives to make King’s programs available to students with a love of learning who may not have previously had access or felt welcome.
Through this campaign, with the help of donors and partners, the academic learning and living community at King’s will be strengthened and enriched in all its dimensions. The King’s that emerges will provide an even more transformational education to its students that better prepares them for fulfilling consequential lives beyond King’s, giving them a long view of the complexities of the twenty-first century—a gift to the students and, in turn, a gift from our students to the world.
“This campaign is not just about the future of King’s, but our collective future,” said Lahey, addressing the room guests, including donors and alumni along with faculty, staff, the Board of Governors and students. “And we are buoyed by the vision of working with you to get there.”
Now, King’s is accelerating the pace of its progress. To accomplish the remaining campaign goals, King’s is seeking an additional $5 million in three priority funding areas:
- Empowering Student Success and Access (Goal $2 million)
To make King’s more equitable and accessible, the university seeks to establish new financial awards to attract and support the best students from diverse backgrounds and communities. It will also bolster tutoring and academic support programs and establish funding for study abroad programs and trips to conferences, galleries, theatres and other educational and cultural events. - Expanding and Diversifying the Educational Experience (Goal $2 million)
To enhance the range of expertise available to students of King’s, the university will establish new faculty positions in fields of existing and new academic strength, and facilitate special lectures, mentorships, visiting scholars and residencies for artists, writers and poets. It will also expand curricula and programs, upgrade learning spaces, establish initiatives to build community outreach, and develop experiential learning in public humanities and journalism. - Enhancing Excellence and the Cultural Life of King’s (Goal $1 million)
To improve, modernize, diversify and enhance the beauty of King’s campus, the university will make improvements to Cochran Bay residence, restorations to the foyer in the Arts and Administration Building, and improvements to the functionality, inclusiveness and accessibility of college spaces.
Read a transcript of President Lahey’s speech and learn more about the campaign at Welcoming: The Future King’s.
