含羞草传媒

Defy Gravity: Campaign for U of T offers vision of inclusive excellence with global impact

A person walking alone on a rocky, icy surface.

A new fundraising and alumni engagement campaign brings U of T鈥檚 focus on academic excellence, equity and compassion to bear on the most urgent social, environmental, economic and health challenges of our time. 

The 含羞草传媒 has launched the largest university fundraising and alumni engagement campaign in Canadian history to address some of the world鈥檚 most pressing issues.

The Defy Gravity campaign seeks to elevate U of T鈥檚 position as one of the world鈥檚 leading public universities and advance the U of T community鈥檚 outsized impact in solving complex social, economic, and health problems. It also seeks to reinforce U of T鈥檚 commitment to excellence, equity and inclusion, creating more opportunities and support for talented people 鈥 students, faculty, staff, alumni, and donors from every financial circumstance 鈥 to discover, learn, create, collaborate, and thrive together.

For the first time ever, U of T has set an alumni engagement target of inspiring 225,000 alumni to get involved as volunteers, mentors, donors and leaders, and contribute their time and talent to U of T one million times collectively. The effort promises to have a powerful and lasting effect on the university 鈥 especially students, as they prepare for success out in the world.

The campaign also aims to raise $4 billion for the university鈥檚 highest priorities, a target that reflects the ambition and scale of the U of T community and its potential for global impact. Achieving this goal will generate new opportunities for talented students from every financial background, strengthen U of T鈥檚 commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, spark exciting interdisciplinary research initiatives, and help build new facilities that create community and enhance world-class teaching, research, and innovation across U of T鈥檚 three campuses.

Global impact

 

 

Led by U of T President Meric Gertler, the virtual campaign announcement featured students, faculty, staff, university leadership, the campaign co-chairs and alumni from around the world speaking to the vitality, hope, and optimism of the U of T community and the transformative power of philanthropy.

President Gertler spoke to the urgency of the campaign and how it will support U of T鈥檚 efforts to lead pandemic recovery, challenge inequity and systemic racism, improve health, power a clean-tech revolution, sustain artistic and cultural communities, drive discovery and innovation and educate the next generation of creative, engaged and caring citizens.

鈥淲e鈥檙e one of the few institutions anywhere with the breadth and depth of talent that鈥檚 needed to solve the toughest problems and to imagine a better world,鈥 said President Gertler. 鈥淭hrough the campaign we鈥檙e launching today, together we can make U of T an even more powerful engine of progress.鈥

The campaign theme, Defy Gravity, reflects U of T鈥檚 long history of discovery, advancing the frontiers of knowledge, and opening life-changing opportunities to foster a more caring and inclusive world through its faculty, students, alumni and supporters 鈥 critical today in addressing racial injustice, climate change, technological disruption, pandemic recovery and more.

鈥淣o phrase better captures the courageous spirit of our U of T community at this historic moment,鈥 said Vice-President, Advancement, David Palmer. 鈥淯 of T has long seen the impossible not as a barrier but as an invitation to explore new frontiers and reach new heights.

鈥淒efy Gravity reflects our boldness, ingenuity and resolve, our willingness to pursue knowledge, ideas and ventures that are visionary and transformational. It captures the aspirations of our students for social change and the watershed moments of personal transformation they experience throughout their university education. And it underlines our commitment to removing barriers to inclusion and social equity wherever they appear so that our entire community can thrive.鈥

A framework for inclusive excellence

Enhancing and strengthening inclusive excellence at U of T will be a key priority of the campaign, recognizing that U of T鈥檚 creativity and impact are inextricably linked to its ability to bring together ideas, talent, experiences and perspectives from all backgrounds.

The campaign will increase the number of awards for talented students in need, support vital initiatives such as the Black Research Network and help create new, inviting spaces such as Indigenous House at U of T Scarborough. It will also support a broad range of multidisciplinary centres such as the Climate Positive Energy Initiative, the Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium (EPIC), and the , which focus respectively on sustainability, health security and urban issues through an equity lens.

鈥淎t U of T,鈥 said President Gertler, 鈥渆xcellence is about openness, knowing that great ideas are the product of diverse perspectives. For us, excellence is inclusive excellence.鈥

Alumni engagement a key priority

The campaign鈥檚 new alumni engagement goal 鈥 to inspire 225,000 alumni to get involved as volunteers, participants, mentors, donors and leaders and encourage them to contribute their time and talent to the university one million times 鈥 recognizes the indispensable work of our graduates, said U of T Chancellor Rose Patten.

鈥淥ur community of more than 640,000 alumni around the world play a vital role in the life of the University,鈥 said Patten. 鈥淭hey enhance our global reputation through their work, share their expertise with our students, offer their time and wisdom to critical initiatives and give generously to many priorities across our campuses. By doing so, they elevate our community in so many ways.鈥

The new alumni engagement goal will expand these activities significantly, enriching the life of the university community and advancing U of T鈥檚 impact on communities across the globe. More than 99,000 alumni have already contributed their time and talent toward this goal more than 342,000 times to date.

鈥淚鈥檓 continually amazed and inspired by how dedicated our alumni are to making a positive difference here at U of T and beyond,鈥 said 含羞草传媒 Alumni Association President Sana Halwani. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a spirit of giving back that is truly infectious.鈥 

A new benchmark for philanthropy in Canada

The campaign has already raised $1.091 billion toward its record Canadian goal of $4 billion. The goal was revealed by campaign co-chairs, alumni John M. Cassaday, Claire M. C. KennedyBrian D. Lawson and Som Seif, who, along with volunteers from every division of the university, are part of a dedicated campaign leadership team championing the vision of Defy Gravity.

The co-chairs each spoke to how the new goal reflects the enormous depth and breadth of academic aspirations across U of T鈥檚 faculties, schools, colleges and campuses, and the university鈥檚 commitment to excellence, access and inclusion at a scale unrivalled by other institutions. They added that the $4-billion goal will help elevate U of T as a global hub for talent, knowledge, diverse perspectives and innovative solutions for a changing world.

The co-chairs also underlined the widespread impact this goal will have on philanthropy across the country, setting a new standard for giving in Canada and internationally, encouraging historic support in a challenging time and creating a rising tide of generosity for other groups and charities.

A community like no other

In launching the new campaign, President Gertler emphasized how the U of T community has consistently shown what is possible when a global community comes together to support the tremendous work of the university鈥檚 students, staff, faculty members, alumni and donors across so many diverse areas.

鈥淭he U of T community has the capacity to make historic breakthroughs as well as countless daily contributions to progress across the sciences, humanities, social sciences and professions,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e can transcend disciplines and borders. We can create new knowledge and solutions that make a major difference in the lives of individuals and communities. We can think of things no one has thought of before and achieve things no one else thought possible.鈥

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