Navigating through rough waters: 2024–25 Annual Report

Five priority areas drove our activities in FY2024-25:

• Embracing our role as a polytechnic to create more entrepreneurship, applied research and experiential learning opportunities for students.
• Increasing access to higher education through the creation of pathways within and outside of Seneca.
• Improving how students and employees experience Seneca Polytechnic, from on-campus events and activities to accessing services to receiving wellness supports.
• Continuing to implement Seneca Au Large initiatives and developing new initiatives under its major pillars of equity, sustainability and more virtual.
• Creating and leveraging data to improve our decision-making in enrolment planning and retention efforts.

• Expanding the integration of human skills into curriculum to prepare students for their careers and rapidly evolving workplaces.
• Offering seed funding to entrepreneurs through microgrants at HELIX, Seneca’s business incubator and accelerator.
• Providing more work-integrated learning opportunities, employer support and career services.
• Enhancing experiential learning through new labs and cross-disciplinary immersive learning hubs that enable students and faculty to connect, share knowledge and work on projects.

• Launched transferable human skills programming, with 54 programs participating and 44 faculty champions in the first cohort.
• Updated the HELIX Catalyst Fund program (Microgrants) to focus exclusively on students and alumni. Seven ventures received more than $50,000 in Catalyst Fund microgrants.
• Secured $75,000 annually in Seneca Student Federation funding for student ventures for a three-year period (2024-2027).
• Launched several new initiatives, including:
  • 13-week HELIX entrepreneurship WIL program
  • 13-week Innovation WIL industry projects program
  • Global Learning Abroad Badge, a career-focused learning journey
  • Partnership with Business + Higher Education Roundtable to support matching students with top employers in the GTA
• Full-time Career Development Practitioner Navigator in place to assist Internationally Educated Nurses with navigating job application process and additional examinations required to work in Ontario and Canada.
• The following construction projects were completed:
  • Esthetics lab at Newnham Campus
  • Eyeglass Dispensing Lab at Newnham Campus
  • Fashion Computer Lab at Newnham Campus
  • Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Assistant Lab at King Campus
  • Renovations to the Cosmetic Lab at Newnham Campus
• Equipment and medical beds for the Esthetician and Medical Esthetics Nursing programs at Newnham Campus were refreshed or replaced.
• A four-year RBC Future Launch grant was secured to fund the future retrofitting and expansion of skills labs and simulation suites at King Campus. The upgrades will address the growing needs of the Seneca Nanji Foundation School of Nursing.
• Hosted a multi-campus Career Fair that connected students with more than 180 employers.

Six Seneca alumni were nominated for the 2024 Premier’s Awards for College Graduates: Kris Boyce, Law Enforcement (now Police Foundations); Eunice Sik Tung Chow, Fashion Arts; Kirsti Clarida, Veterinary Technician; Ginella Massa, Broadcast Journalism; Shawn McBurnie, Computer Systems Technology and Josephine Muhaya, Early Childhood Education and Child Development.

Seneca Polytechnic had a strong showing at the 2024 Skills Ontario Competition, where top students from secondary and postsecondary institutions showcased their talents in skilled trades and technology. Mentored by Seneca professors, 33 students participated in the competition, with nine medalling in the categories of fashion design, computer aided manufacturing, coding, cloud computing and geographic information systems.

RBC Future Launch awarded Seneca Polytechnic a $600,000 grant to help nursing students prepare for the jobs of tomorrow. The funds will be directed to the Seneca Nanji Foundation School of Nursing, with the goal to boost student retention and increase the number of nursing graduates entering the Canadian health care sector. This latest grant brings RBC and the RBC Foundation’s cumulative giving to Seneca to $1.76 million.

Seneca Polytechnic made headlines in the latest edition of the Maclean’s College Guidebook. Graduates Andrea Enriquez-Henriquez, (Clinical Research) and Humdan Yarkhan (Human Resources Management) spoke to Maclean’s about their time at Seneca and how it prepared them for successful careers.

The 2024 HELIX Rise Summit, delivered in partnership with The Scotiabank Women Initiative, featured inspirational women speaking about professional and personal well-being. Events included a keynote address from Bobbie Racette, Founder and CEO of Virtual Gurus, on setting boundaries. The theme of the event was Invest in Yourself and included a virtual fireside chat, panel discussions and workshops.

Three students from Seneca Polytechnic’s School of Electronics & Mechanical Engineering Technology – Matt Moulds, Andres Baute and Karandeep Singh – took first place at the Siemens Realize Live 2024 Design Hack competition. Competing against teams from various universities, they impressed the judges with their innovative solution to redesigning the weighing scales used by Andretti Racing for their INDY 500 cars.

Seneca Polytechnic and s2h, a fintech software innovation company, are developing an artificial intelligence program to help predict the propensity to repay debt and improve collection practices. Mariam Daoud, Professor, School of Software Design & Data Science, is leading a team that is working with s2h’s D2R-Collect product, which enables cloud-based technology to automate administrative tasks and helps lenders collect money faster and at higher rates of recovery.

Sara Sarhangpour, a graduate of Seneca’s Illustration diploma program, created artwork to promote the 2024 Toronto Comic Arts Festival. Sara’s work, conceptualized and art directed by JoAnn Purcell, Professor, School of Creative Arts & Animation, depicts a decolonized version of Gulliver’s Travels.

Two graduates from the Independent Music Production program were nominated for Juno awards: Luna Li’s album When a Thought Grows Wings was recognized in the Alternative Album category, while Maddee Ritter’s album Songs of Love & Death received a nod in the Adult Contemporary Album category.

Tharsha Ravichakaravarthy, a graduate of Seneca Polytechnic’s Journalism diploma program, is the inaugural recipient of the CBC David Suzuki Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship recognizes students from racialized communities with a demonstrated interest in science journalism. Tharsha also received the Susan Anton Clark Award, the Bob Hesketh Memorial Award and the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s Narcity News Creator Fellowship.

Tia Kureshi, a graduate of the Fashion Arts diploma program, was named Fashion Design Student of the Year at the 2024 Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards. This recognition follows two Seneca awards Tia received: the Vivienne Poy Knitwear Award and the School of Fashion Avant-Garde Fashion Award. She also won gold in the fashion category at the Ontario Skills Competition.

Stephanie Bertini, graduate from Seneca Polytechnic’s Journalism diploma program, has landed her dream job as a reporter at Fox 5 New York. She has also been recognized for her series, “Migrants in America: In Their Own Words,” which was nominated for a New York Emmy Award. Stephanie also teaches at Barry University in Miami and sits on the board of directors for the Radio Television Digital News Association.

Marc Salvatore Lajoie, a graduate of the Animation program, was awarded Best Animated Short Film at the 2024 Markham International Film Festival. His 2D animated short film, End of the Line, previously received awards at the 311 Jikosapo International Film Festival in Japan and the Toronto Animation Arts Festival International.

For the third year in a row, School of Marketing students placed in the top three at the Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition (OCMC). The OCMC provides an opportunity for participants to work in teams to demonstrate their skills for panels of industry professionals.

Zurich Canada has begun a new apprenticeship program, paying full tuition, fees and books for students in Seneca’s Business – Insurance program. Students will follow a hybrid schedule, balancing coursework with part-time work rotations at Zurich. Graduates will earn credits towards their Chartered Insurance Professional designation and be offered a full-time position at Zurich.

Maria Alejandra Benavides and Atinuke Victoria Adepoju, two recent graduates from the Broadcasting - Television diploma program, have received prestigious industry mentorships. Maria has been awarded the 2024 Formosa Group Sound Mentorship through Women in Film & Television, and Atinuke has been selected for the OYA Black Arts Coalition Emerging Filmmakers Program.

Seneca Polytechnic has partnered with Myx Foods Inc., a Hamilton-based company, to develop a high-protein meat substitute using fungal proteins. Research is being led by Frank Merante and Monica Wong, professors in the School of Biological Sciences & Applied Chemistry, working with Ryan Hayman, Principal Investigator, Seneca Centre for Innovation in Life Sciences. Also contributing to the research are graduates of Seneca’s Biotechnology advanced diploma program.

Derek Gruchy, Professor, School of Fire Protection Engineering Technology, was awarded the prestigious Spotlight Award by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). Derek received this honour from his peers, with nominations coming from more than 100 SFPE chapters worldwide. The SFPE represents professionals working in the field of fire protection and fire safety engineering.

Cami Condon, Professor, School of Public Safety, is a recipient of the 2022-23 Minister’s Awards of Excellence in the Future-Proofing Ontario’s Students category. This category recognizes educators who have demonstrated leadership in adapting programs to support new ways of learning. Cami conducted innovative research on the factors that determine decision making by police officers during armed confrontations.

Kirsti Clarida, Professor, School of Health Sciences, and Past President, Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians, has long been an advocate for legislative changes to improve veterinary care in Ontario. In April, the Ontario government introduced the Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act, which will create the College of Veterinary Professionals of Ontario – replacing the current College of Veterinarians of Ontario. This change reflects the impact of Kristi’s work and recognizes the critical role veterinary technicians play in animal care.

Seneca Polytechnic recently released the 2023-24 Applied Research Annual Report and the 2024 Applied Research Project Showcase. Both highlight the achievements by students and faculty in collaboration with industry and community partners over the past academic year.

• Advancing Seneca’s reputation, domestically and internationally, by differentiating the polytechnic brand.
• Offering new pre-professional and diploma-to-degree completion pathways.
• Expanding prior learning assessment and recognition.
• Improving use of data to create more accessible admission-based financial aid options for incoming students.
• Establishing new credential types, including applied master’s degrees, three-year degrees and executive certificates.
• Expanding use of academic data for institutional reporting, planning and decision making.
• Expanding and upgrading flexible learning classrooms and labs.

• Phase three branding applications complete, which includes updating all remaining ‘Seneca College’ branded assets to ‘Seneca Polytechnic’.
• New Seneca Polytechnic brand campaign launched in January that defines and amplifies the Seneca Polytechnic difference. ‘This is Seneca Polytechnic’ campaign launched through television, out of home and digital with positive feedback.
• New pre-professional and diploma-to-degree pathways are in development. Once implemented, all diploma students will have the opportunity to seamlessly pathway from a diploma to a bachelor’s degree at Seneca.
• A holistic approach in identifying opportunities to support students' access to all forms of financial aid, including payment plans and flexible payment options is underway. For the Winter 2025 term, tuition deposit amount for domestic students has been reduced and the enrolment process simplified.
• A comprehensive catalogue of all Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)-eligible courses was created, along with a centralized system for students to access support.
• New credentials launched:
  • Behaviour Technician (microcredential)
  • Ingest Operations for Unscripted TV (microcredential)
  • AI Essentials for the Workplace (microcredential)
  • Bachelor of Business Administration (three-year)
  • Bachelor of Science – Cosmetic Science (three-year)
  • Bachelor of Computer Science (three-year)
  • Indigenous Community & Advocacy (Ontario Learn)
  • Medical Esthetics Nursing (graduate certificate)
  • Occupational Therapy Assistant and Physiotherapy Assistant (diploma)
  • Visual Content Creation (diploma)
• Inaugural applied master’s degree program in Artificial Intelligence Design and Development awaiting Ministry approval.
• Alignment of program review reporting with enrolment management processes completed.
• Upgrade from WiFi-5 to WiFi-6 completed. 106 outdoor WiFi access points have been added ensuring students have reliable, high-quality network access across campuses.

Seneca Polytechnic’s new brand campaign This is Seneca Polytechnic is more than just a tagline – it defines what makes Seneca and its approach to polytechnic education stand out. The campaign features five graduates, each thriving in their chosen careers, showcasing the benefits of a hands-on Seneca Polytechnic education.

Seneca Polytechnic has received government approval to deliver the first three-year bachelor’s degrees programs in its history. The Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Computer Science and Bachelor of Science – Cosmetic Science programs are also among the first to be offered in Ontario by a postsecondary institution other than a university.

More than 100 program advisory committee (PAC) members attended the second All-PAC Meeting at Newnham Campus. Guests heard a “state of the polytechnic” address from President David Agnew. The evening also included group discussions about how generative artificial intelligence is changing the workplace and what Seneca can do to prepare graduates to excel using this transformative technology.

Three graduates from Seneca’s Civil Engineering Technology program transferred to the third year of engineering studies at Queen’s University through a newly established pathway to the university’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering degree program.

• Providing a seamless experience for prospective and current students exploring full- or part-time study options.
• Continuing to expand programming to engage students, celebrate diversity and build community.
• Increasing fundraising efforts to support additional financial aid for students.
• Integrating additional departments to The Service Hub and expanding digital and self-serve options.
• Implementing an innovative data-driven advising module for early identification of students at risk.
• Enhancing distributed computing commons, including implementation of technologies to support bring-your-own device.

• Gained input from students, employees and external stakeholders to support a more flexible approach to student learning.
• Events are being integrated into theme days/weeks, whenever possible, to maximize resources during this time of financial constraint, while ensuring a high-quality student, employee and community experience.
• A revised approach to collecting student feedback is underway, splitting the Student Satisfaction Survey into shorter, targeted surveys. The goal is to provide immediate insights and enable faster operational improvements.
• Majority of departments supporting students are now using The Service Hub (TSH) as the first point of contact.
• TSH appointment booking system operational, enabling centralized scheduling to ensure efficient booking across departments for real-time availability monitoring.
• Queue management system sourced and implemented across all three TSH locations. SMS notifications notify guests when it is their turn and specialist service areas can also notify the front-line team when they are ready for the next guest.
• Survey developed and launched for students who withdrew from their studies at Seneca, including those close to completing a credential. An outreach campaign is planned to understand how students can be supported in completing their program.
• Seneca@York computing commons now open 24/7 to offer students and employees continuous access to essential resources and technology.
• Enhancements to the computing commons at King, Markham and Newnham campuses completed. Students can now seamlessly access computing resources, fostering greater flexibility, supporting collaboration and ensuring they have the necessary tools and connectivity for their learning.

• Expanding workplace wellness supports through development of a comprehensive strategy on employee well-being.

• Employee and Family Assistance Program was extended to part-time employees, providing them and their families access to free, 24-7 confidential support services.
• Wellness supports in a financially constrained environment continue to be explored.

• Designing and developing the Health and Wellness Centre at Newnham Campus.
• Continuing to upgrade video surveillance across all campuses to ensure community safety.
• Enhancing Newnham Residence infrastructure and expanding student accommodations.
• Converting legacy office space to faculty hubs to facilitate on-campus student-faculty interactions.

• Demolition of existing facilities is complete and construction planning is underway. Target completion for the new building is now extended to winter 2027–28.
• Multi-year video surveillance project is completed at King, Peterborough and Seneca@York campuses.
• Newnham Campus video surveillance upgrade will be a multi-year project beginning with buildings and areas identified as high priority.
• Keycard access system integration with video surveillance system and access control programming are ongoing.
• Elevator modernization completed.
• New bunk beds were purchased and installed in five residence suites. Further conversion of the remaining 20 suites is on hold.
• Phase one of the Faculty Hub spaces at Newnham Campus is complete. The spaces include meeting and breakout rooms, lounge areas and bookable workstations.
• Potential locations for future Faculty Hubs have been identified and are under review. Learnings from phase one conversions will inform the planning and design of future hubs.

Seneca Polytechnic has once again been named a Greater Toronto Top Employer. This initiative honours organizations that excel in human resources and workplace policy. Factors used in the evaluation of employers include work atmosphere, health benefits, employee communications, skills development and community involvement.

Seneca Polytechnic earned two Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) Awards of Excellence at the 2024 CICan Connection Conference, hosted in Calgary. Seneca received gold in the Indigenous Education category and silver in the Global Engagement category. These awards celebrate a select group of CICan member institutions and individuals for their exceptional achievements within Canada’s postsecondary network.

Seneca Polytechnic capped another successful year of convocations. Twenty ceremonies took place at Meridian Hall, with more than 18,500 graduates crossing the stage and thousands of supporters cheering them on in person and around the world. Thanks to the outstanding commitment of hundreds of Seneca employees, the ceremonies were a warm and welcoming celebration of our graduates’ success.

A new bursary program, funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Canada’s Innovation Hub, will provide financial support to domestic students who are completing unpaid forms of work-integrated learning. This includes community and industry research and projects, field placements, internships and service learning. Funds from the $699,900 bursary will be distributed through Seneca Works, with students eligible to receive up to $1,500.

Twenty-five per cent of students who leave Seneca Polytechnic before completing their programs cite financial difficulties as the primary factor. Donor support continues to be critical when it comes to keeping students in the classroom. The generosity of Seneca’s many donors was recognized at the 2024 Seneca Awards reception. This event also offers an opportunity for student recipients to meet the donors who are directly contributing to their success.

Seneca’s vendors and service suppliers took to Angus Glen Golf Club for the Seneca Golf Tournament to raise money for student financial aid and for the United Way. The 2024 event raised $192,000. Since the tournament was first held in 2014, more than $1.5 million has been raised for the Campaign for Students and community organizations.

As part of Seneca’s United Way Campaign, a team of 30 students and employees climbed the CN Tower’s 1,776 stairs, raising $12,446. United Way ClimbUp supports the organization’s work to fight local poverty and build strong neighbourhoods across Peel, Toronto and York Region.

Seneca Polytechnic’s innovative approach to providing a one-stop solution for student support at The Service Hub was recently recognized by Gartner, Inc. The internationally recognized technological research and consulting firm named Seneca as a finalist for its global 2023 Eye on Innovation Award for Education in the category of Enhancing Student Experience & Security.

Aviation students and employees were invited to attend a special event at Peterborough airport where they witnessed world-class airmanship from the Snowbirds, or more formally the Canadian Forces (CF) 431 Air Demonstration Squadron. The squadron performed an aerobatic routine then enjoyed a barbecue hosted by the School of Aviation Student Council.

Honours Bachelor of Aviation Technology degree students Ryan Khourchid and Andrew Pleter-Ladar received scholarships as part of the 2024 Airport Management Council of Ontario Student Sponsorship Program. Another Aviation Technology student, Trisha Virdee, was one of eight recipients of the CAE Judy Cameron Scholarship for Canadian women studying to become commercial pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers

Seneca has partnered with Gartner, a research company that helps to translate complex technology-related issues, to provide students and employees with access to an extensive database of research, reports and webinars. By logging in with their Seneca credentials, students and employees can access research from more than 2,500 analysists and consultants from more than 80 countries.

Sheriauna Haase, a student in the Acting for Camera and Voice program, made her Paralympic debut in Paris in 2024. She earned a fourth-place finish in the women’s T47 100-metre, a sprint for athletes with upper limb impairments. Sheriauna was also inducted into the Toronto Sports Hall of Honour and named Para Athlete of the Year.

After Seneca Sting athletes Anthony Tso (Child & Youth Care) and Jordan Lau (Computer Systems Technology) captured the OCAA championship in men’s badminton doubles with a perfect 6-0 record, the duo earned a silver medal in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association national championships. The final was a hard-fought battle against Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

The Seneca Sting women’s soccer team won their second consecutive Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Championship, defeating the Humber Hawks 3-1. In 2023, the Sting became the first Ontario team to win the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association tournament. In the subsequent national championship, the team brought home the bronze medal.

Another successful season for the Seneca Sting resulted in two leaders being recognized for outstanding contributions to the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA). Gillian McCullough, Director of Athletics and Recreation, was named 2023-24 Athletic Administrator of the Year, while Luca Sirianni, Head Coach of the women’s outdoor soccer team, was named the OCAA’s 2023-24 Coach of the Year.

The Seneca Sting women’s soccer team was inducted into the Toronto Sports Hall of Honour at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. It was recognized as Toronto’s Team of the Year following the historic 2023-24 season. The Sting won the first Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Soccer National Championship in Seneca’s history and became the first team from Ontario to win a national championship in women’s soccer.

Taylor Kampen, a student in the Honours Bachelor of Commerce – Accounting & Finance degree program, placed second at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association women’s cross-country race. She also finished tenth at the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association National Championships.

Women’s basketball player Tianna Leveridge (911 & Emergency Services Communications) was named an Ontario College Athletic Association (OCAA) East Division Second Team all-star, while Shameen Brown (Tourism – Travel Operations) made the OCAA East Division All-Rookie Team. On the men’s team, Jerron Alexander (Fitness & Health Promotion) was named an OCAA East Division First Team All-Star and Atsa Ortabaev (Social Service Worker) made the OCAA East Division All-Rookie Team. Men’s Head Coach Jay McNeilly was also named the OCAA East Division Coach of the Year.

• Continuing to implement Seneca’s Reconciliation and Inclusion plan: A Shared Commitment with Responsibilities.
• Ensuring equitable access to resources and inclusive experiences through innovative and expanded student services.
• Improving access to essential accessible learning supports and technologies.
• Securing new art that features Indigenous and equity-deserving artists to display on campuses.

• Construction is complete for the Path to Reconciliation and an official opening is set for September 30, 2025. Indigenous artist and musician Isaac Murdoch serves as the voice guide for the Path. Signage to enhance the Path experience is currently being developed.
• Employee Resource Groups created to function as communities for racialized and other equity-deserving employees to support their retention and sense of belonging at Seneca.
• An overall vision for wellness and a mental health strategy is in development to support programming and services offered through the Health and Wellness Centre.
• Three distinct intake pathways are continuing to be offered to students through a self-booking portal, including access to group and peer supports. Programming is available both in person and virtual. Group programming includes autism spectrum disorder (or ASD) social support, assistive technology integration. Peer2Peer programming includes self-advocacy skills and executive functioning support.
• Art purchased from Indigenous and equity-deserving groups.

• Continuing to track and rate sustainability initiatives using the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).
• Reducing carbon footprint from facilities, transportation and commuting.

• Virtual Green Citizen Symposium, held this fall, connected more than 1,800 students, innovators, Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts, Seneca alumni, Indigenous leaders and renowned non-profits for keynotes and workshops aimed at tackling global environmental and sustainability challenges.
• EDI and sustainability values are integrated in Seneca’s procurement approach.
• Alternative financing options and Green House Gas reduction technologies are being investigated.

• Optimizing digital technologies and channels to support student recruitment and conversion.
• Implementing Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) programming to enhance student/employee experience.

• Successfully completed conversion rate optimization testing to enhance user experience, finalized a search engine optimization audit with a detailed action plan to strengthen web search rankings and implemented a new program search filter to improve browsing and selection for users.
• Completed migration of enrolment data into a centralized platform to enhance the email marketing strategy and experience for stakeholders.
• AI Tutor, developed in a three-year collaboration with Microsoft, is now operational in 11 courses for the fall term, with plans to expand to additional courses.
• Gen AI technology has been integrated into TSH to help employees respond to student queries more effectively. CoPilot live chat services launched, improving access for prospective and current students across MySeneca, TSH portal, Student Home and the Seneca website.
• A platform has been developed to provide personalized career guidance and skill development recommendations for students engaged in WIL. A GenAI-powered feature will help students explore career options by aligning their interests, strengths and values with in-demand career fields. The full rollout is planned for summer 2025.

Seneca Polytechnic recognized International Women’s Day with a series of events under the theme “strength in every story.” Connie Walker, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and Peabody Award-winning host of the podcast Stolen, visited Newnham Campus to deliver a moving retrospective of her work documenting Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the intergenerational victims of Canada’s residential schools.

Three projects from the Seneca Centre for Health and Social Innovation, focusing on sustainable farming, textile waste and gender-based violence, received nearly $1.2 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, or NSERC. The projects include partnerships with Counterpoint Counselling and Education Co-operative, the York Region Centre for Community Safety, Fashion Takes Action and Just Vertical.

January 26 marked the opening of the Zancor Centre, Canada’s first zero-carbon combined aquatics and ice sports facility, which is located on King Campus land leased to King Township for $1 a year. The opening ceremony was attended by Seneca Polytechnic President David Agnew, as well as Premier Doug Ford, King-Vaughan MPP Stephen Lecce, King Mayor Steve Pellegrini and hundreds of community members.

Over the next three years, Seneca will provide $75,000 from The Jane Fund to POV Film to train aspiring creative professionals – prioritizing equity-deserving groups, 2SLGBTQIA+, newcomer and refugee communities. This agreement also provides POV participants access to the industry-level facilities, technological resources and microcredentials at the Seneca Film Institute. The Jane Fund, an endowment established by Seneca in 2021, supports student-focused equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.

For the 14th year, Seneca hosted its Green Citizen Symposium, with the theme “thrive and transform: a resilient journey.” This online event, sponsored by TD Insurance, welcomed more than 1,900 students, employees and community members. Over three days, attendees engaged in workshops on AI, sustainable finance, sustainable brands, the role of arts in sustainability, Indigenous teachings and more. This year’s edition also included a sustainability networking event sponsored by TD Insurance.

Seneca Polytechnic has been awarded $30,000 through the Wawanesa Climate Champions: Youth Innovation Grant. This joint initiative of Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery and Wawanesa Insurance supports climate change-related projects. Under the supervision of Juan Marcelo Gómez, Professor, School of Human Resources & Global Business, researchers will explore how Variable Rate Technology in agriculture can reduce carbon emissions, while enhancing resource efficiency and profitability.

In 2024, the Seneca Soup Program served 101,293 free bowls of soup across Seneca Polytechnic campuses, with an average of 2,726 subscribers each month. Since the program’s inception in January 2022, more than 263,200 bowls of soup have been served anonymously to students experiencing food insecurity. This achievement was made possible thanks to the generous support of our students, employees and community.

For the first time, Seneca Polytechnic has been recognized as a top performer on the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainable Campus Index (PDF). Seneca rank third in overall performance for Associate and ShortCycle Institutions. The index uses the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System to consider several impact areas, such as water conservation and reuse, waste reduction practices and incentives to sustainable research.

With the support of Seneca Polytechnic’s ITS team, Seneca Works has introduced Generative Artificial Intelligence-powered projects to support work-integrated learning. New resources now available to students include a comprehensive experiential learning record, an employer verification process and AI tutors for the Work-Term Preparation course.

The Office of Reconciliation and Inclusion and the School of Fashion worked together to create a window display at The Boutique at Newnham Campus. Crafted by students in the Visual Merchandising Arts program, this display marked the start of the annual campaign at Seneca Polytechnic to acknowledge the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls on May 5.

Seneca marked Transgender Awareness Week with events to foster dialogue on transgender belonging. Events included a special performance from The Epic Choir, Toronto’s first collective for transgender, non-binary, Two-Spirit and gender-queer singers, a discussion with Seneca graduate Bernardo Morais and a collage night with Seneca Pride.

Seneca Polytechnic collaborated with Let’s Get Together, a non-profit organization promoting equity and accessibility in education, to study how influential a children’s book can be. Researchers invited Ontario grade school educators, parents and guardians to evaluate the book True North Friends, examining its effectiveness in promoting growth mindset principles.

Sabine Weber, Professor, School of Fashion, co-authored the international study “Urban Transitions Toward Sufficiency-oriented Circular Post-consumer Textile Economies,” which was recently published in the online version of the journal Nature Cities. Ms. Weber and her co-authors studied clothing disposal practices in nine high-income cities.

Olela, a seven-year-old retired mare from the RCMP’s Musical Ride, is enjoying a caring sanctuary at Seneca Polytechnic’s School of Health Sciences. Seneca was chosen to receive Olela out of hundreds of applicants because of her unique medical needs. Olela will receive ongoing care from veterinary students and enjoy the paddocks and historic barn at King Campus.

Applied Research has partnered with Toronto-based BFI Energy Group to create an AI-powered tool to mine data and interpret what resources lie under the Earth’s surface. Research was led by Professor Amir Moslemi. The research assistants were Anna Briskina, Zubeka Dang, Jason Li and Solmaz Heidar Nassab – all students in the Honours Data Science and Analytics degree program.

As part of the School of Media’s Walkie Talkie Project, Seneca graduate Camille Wilson, Associate Producer at Breakfast Television, returned to her high school, St. Joseph College, to share her career experiences. The Walkie Talkie Project, supported by The Jane Fund, seeks to address barriers that high school students in underserved communities can face when considering a career in journalism.

• Evolving the Start at Seneca, Stay at Seneca and Return to Seneca strategies with a continued focus on lead generation, converting applications to acceptances, retention and re-enrolment.
• Implementing a more comprehensive process to support evolving enrolment planning.
• Expanding the use of predictive analytics to assess student performance.
• Streamlining registration for international students through automated document management and evaluations of credentials and English language scores.
• Continuing to enhance Seneca’s defences against cyberattacks.

• Enrolment, recruitment and conversion strategies have been successfully launched to support Winter, Summer and Fall 2025 intakes. These efforts include dynamic marketing campaigns and engaging events such as Open House, Study Break Tours and Experience Seneca Days. Additionally, innovative initiatives such as student-in-a-day, a degree-completion strategy and a tuition deposit initiative to reduce financial barriers have been introduced, optimizing enrolment opportunities.
• Implementation of a new platform to support a coordinated, institutional approach to enrolment planning and budget management is complete. Work is now underway to develop an institutional enrolment projection model.
• Retention baseline, data collection and model complete to expand the use of predictive analytics to assess student performance; platform and timeline for implementation to be determined.
• Efforts are underway to determine how best to integrate auto-evaluation and credential verification into current international admissions processes. Work is progressing to increase the efficiency of auto-admit processing and post-review of documents.
• Seneca has operationalized a range of cybersecurity measures to combat phishing, system vulnerabilities and ransomware threats. Business continuity procedures are in place and formally integrated as a standing risk category for Enterprise Risk Management.

Thushara Rodrigo, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Toronto, met with President David Agnew to tour Newnham Campus and discuss the potential for educational collaborations between Seneca Polytechnic and Sri Lankan educational institutions.

Delegates from Al Ahly CIRA, Al Ahly Capital Holdings, Dorra Group, Eduhive, Sketches and Innovette – all located in Cairo, Egypt – visited Seneca Polytechnic’s Newnham Campus to meet with senior leaders and tour the campus. During the visit, Al Ahly CIRA and Seneca reaffirmed their partnership to deliver Seneca education in Egypt at two campuses to be built by the Egyptian partners in Cairo.

Thousands of future students visited Seneca Polytechnic virtually and in person during Open House events held throughout the year. Employees and student ambassadors went all out to ensure guests got a true sense of what it’s like to be a Seneca student through program information sessions, guided campus tours, student showcases and service fairs.

As part of the Colleges and Institutes Canada’s Empowerment Through Skills Program, and in partnership with Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Nana Bediako, Professor, School of Fashion, provided skills training in Tanzania to help garment artisans improve finishing techniques.

Seneca has partnered with 1Password, a leading cloud-based password management software service, to provide online password storage for full-time employees at Seneca. The 1Password software is fully integrated with Seneca’s single sign-on and multi-factor authentication login credentials. It will make managing passwords for online accounts more secure and convenient.