A new program will soon be launched to help Indigenous students obtain their degree or certificate from the Levene Graduate School of Business at the University of Regina.
The Indigenous Pathway program will support Indigenous students who have finished high school and are pursuing post-secondary education or who have completed an undergraduate degree and want to pursue graduate level education.
Marci Elliott, assistant dean of the Levene Graduate School of Business, says the programming will be designed with the help of Indigenous leaders.
“We will consult with elders and we are hoping to get tremendous insight,” Elliott says. “We are in the early stages. We do know that it will involve scholarships. The hope of the program is to make us accessible. We are looking to launch in the fall.”
The initiative is being funded by a donation from Kenneth Levene, which is being matched by the University of Regina.
“The funding will also be used to create the Kenneth Levene Streaming Studio which will allow courses to be streamed to Levene Graduate School students remotely, allowing them to participate in classes in real time,” Dr. Gina Grandy, Dean of Hill and Levene Schools of Business says.
Levene and the U of R are donating $100,000 each.
“In May 2005, the Levene Graduate School of Business was established in honour of my parents David and Margery Levene, continuing a long tradition in my family of giving back to the community,” Levene says. “I am pleased to be able to continue that tradition by providing Indigenous and distance students greater opportunities to participate in Levene Graduate School programs.”
(PHOTO: Kenneth Levene, left, and University of Regina President Vianne Timmons, right. Photo courtesy of University of Regina.)