Season 5, Episode 1: President David Agnew - The Future is Now

About Today's Show

Welcome to the first episode of #SenecaProud Season 5! As in previous seasons, we launch Season 5 with an interview with Seneca College President, David Agnew.

There's a lot that's changed in the year or so since President Agnew was on the podcast. While last year we were still in lock-down, this year, in-person classes are in full swing, students and teachers fill the hallways, and students are studying in the libraries. But it's definitely not the same as it was pre-pandemic. Technology has transformed much of the student administrative experience, and many more of our classes are completely flexible. And that's most definitely not all.

Also in this episode, we also talk about:

1. How the Apple Store shopping experience inspired the Seneca registration experience, making it much more efficient and easy to navigate.

2. The 3 Year Strategic Plan embraces the Polytechnic side of Seneca.

3. The roll ChatGPT, and other AIs, might play in our daily lives in the very near future.

About Today's Guest, President David Agnew

David Agnew has been Seneca College President since July 2009, and under his leadership, Seneca has experienced record growth in enrollment and expanded its offerings in both undergraduate and graduate programs, and continues to be a national leader in innovation in education in Canada, and globally.

One of the largest colleges in Canada, Seneca is growing its applied research, broadening international and corporate partnerships, investing in capital expansion and adopting an innovative academic direction to increase experiential, cross-disciplinary and flexible learning opportunities.

Mr. Agnew was Secretary to the Cabinet and head of the public service in the Government of Ontario, Canada from 1992 to 1995 after serving as Principal Secretary to the Premier. In 1995, he led the Public-Private Partnerships Project and was seconded to Massey College at the University of Toronto where he was a Senior Resident.

He was the President and CEO of UNICEF Canada, the first head of the organization recruited from outside the international development sector. As Principal for the consulting firm Digital 4Sight, he led the firm's global research initiative on Governance in the Digital Economy, an exploration of the impact of technology on government and democracy. In the co-operative sector, he was the Executive Vice-President and Corporate Secretary for the Credit Union Central of Ontario. Mr. Agnew was the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments, the national dispute resolution service for consumers and small businesses.

Mr. Agnew's working life started in high school as a newspaper reporter in Toronto and he continued his journalism career in St. John's, Ottawa and Edmonton. He was the gold medallist when he graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a B.A. in political science. Following his studies, he was a Parliamentary Intern at the House of Commons of Canada.

In 2012, Mr. Agnew received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service to the community.

Important Links and Contact Information

• To learn what the fuss is about with ChatGPT, click here
• For more on the Au Large Program, click here

All COVID-19 related information, questions or concerns should be sent to health@senecacollege.ca

For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here:

https://inside.senecacollege.ca/health

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Thanks for listening!

Pat Perdue