鈥淎t Redeemer, I was able to experience the world of science through the lens of a Christian worldview and to appreciate the innate details of God鈥檚 creation. More than that, through my classes I was given the opportunity to apply my passion for optometry and prepare me for graduate studies.鈥
Emily Kendall 鈥14
Graduate student at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University
Why does it matter, especially for a university? Isn鈥檛 its purpose just to provide an education and provide a place for research?
Redeemer鈥檚 mission is to deliver university-level learning that helps students understand the world in the light of God鈥檚 Word and His redemptive claims on every part of life so that they are prepared to use their gifts in the callings God has for them. This is the core objective at the heart of why Redeemer does what it does.
But the landscape in which Redeemer operates is dynamic鈥攖he world of higher education, the expectations of students and the communities in which students and faculty are called to serve have all changed dramatically this past decade. 鈥淎s a relatively small university, we need to and can be, responsive to our environment,鈥 notes Redeemer President, Dr. Hubert Krygsman. 鈥淲e need to adapt鈥攚ithout changing the heart of who we are鈥攖o the needs and interests of students who are seeking a holistic, transformative Christian university education that equips them to serve at the front lines of today鈥檚 culture.鈥
In response to this ever-changing landscape 鈥聽and to continue to meet the needs of students, faculty, the workplace, schools and families 鈥斅燫edeemer has developed a new strategic plan鈥Redeemer 2020鈥攖o guide the University through the next 5 years.
At the heart of Redeemer 2020 is a commitment to the goals and principles upon which Redeemer was founded. 鈥淲hat we are doing with Redeemer 2020 is looking anew at how we can best work out the mission and vision of Redeemer in a new context,鈥 says President Hubert Krygsman. 鈥淢uch has changed since we opened our doors to 97 students in 1982; through this planning process, we carefully re-examined all aspects of the university so that Redeemer can still honour its calling 鈥斅爐o serve its students, support community and society.鈥
As the plan is implemented over the next five years, Redeemer will launch a series of initiatives to help translate its mission to this new current context. Specifically, it will:
Earlier this year, Redeemer restructured several areas of responsibility. Through a more dedicated approach to marketing and enrolment, Redeemer is becoming more proactive, strategic and intentional in its recruitment, financial aid and retention activities.
Redeemer is enhancing its in-house expertise in branding, marketing and communications. This includes increasingly utilizing digital platforms to tell Redeemer’s story.
A designed and updated website was launched on September 1. The new www.redeemer.ca features increased functionality, greater integration with social media and more robust navigation.
A greater focus on strategic partnerships with churches, schools and other organizations, which share and support Redeemer’s mission. These institutions will see benefits of supporting Redeemer as the University prepares graduates that are equipped to support them. By working together, these institutions further advance the Lordship of Christ and the Kingdom of God.
Redeemer’s information technology systems have been dramatically updated. This project – known as Telling Our Story – provides a better experience for students and others who interact with Redeemer, with and through technology. The most visible component is a new website, but it also includes:
These upgrades also allow students to use the gifts of technology to better interact with and serve society and its increasingly complex structures and relationships.
Plans are being developed to update labs, offices and student spaces. These will better serve faculty and students and prepare the campus for subsequent development projects.
The University’s long-term debt is being reduced. Paying down this debt, all of which is held by Redeemer’s supporters, frees resources to fund other ongoing program and facility needs, as well as financial aid. With the generous help of supporters, we have already been able to reduce Redeemer’s debt by more than $2 million this year.
The Redeemer 2020 strategic plan seeks to revitalize Redeemer’s mission so that it can continue to train students and develop graduates who will impact society for Christ and his Kingdom. “God has blessed Redeemer in amazing ways for its first 33 years, and we believe Redeemer has been uniquely positioned to provide urgently needed Christian post-secondary education for today’s youth,” notes Krygsman. “Relying on God and all those who share Redeemer’s mission, we look forward to continuing to prepare the next generation of students for lives of discipleship, leadership and service and today’s and tomorrow’s world.”
The experience of Emily Kendall, quoted at the beginning of this article, demonstrates the vital role of Redeemer鈥檚 mission today. Emily is in the optometry program at Salus University in Pennsylvania. As a biology major who earned her B.Sc. in the context of Redeemer’s liberal arts and sciences core program, not only was she well prepared for graduate studies, she came to understand the deeper purpose of her education, one that is reflected by Redeemer’s mission. She recognized that while science is certainly the study of cells, formulas, wavelengths and algorithms, it is also a way to see, explore and impact a world she proclaims as God’s own.
Our creation is full of wonder and beauty, but which we only 鈥渟ee鈥mperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror.鈥 The teaching, research and learning that takes place at Redeemer helps students see those reflections more clearly, especially when the ripples caused by our dynamic, rapidly changing world further dim our vision. Through that study, they become equipped for lives of leadership and service under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.