Indigenous 
Serving SLC is an incredible honour, and I am fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing group of dedicated professionals who are as devoted as I am to our collective goal of putting our students first in all that we do.
Whether you’re at SLC to study full-time, part-time, upskilling with one of our micro-credentials, or you are part of the employee team, we work hard to create a college where everyone feels welcome and knows they belong here.
In ten years as SLC’s president and CEO, it has been an incredible journey for me, personally and professionally, and I want to share three things I have learned over the past decade:
- Get out of your comfort zone. Put yourself in new situations that may feel uncomfortable. It doesn’t need to be skydiving or scaling mountains; it could be as simple as raising your hand to deliver a speech when you have a fear of public speaking or joining a new group for a bike ride when you usually ride solo. The point is, challenge yourself and put yourself in new situations – it’s how we grow as people.
- Take care of your mental well-being and personal wellness. Create balance in your life and recognize when you are being stressed. Have outlets that help you deal with life’s pressures. Each of you will have different methods to handle stress. For me, I try to keep a regular fitness routine. Whether it is cycling, running, playing tennis with my son, Josh, or doing yoga and HIIT workouts with my wife, Theresa, or taking our dog, Lily, out for a walk, I’m always getting some type of exercise. It helps me deal with the daily complexities that come my way.
- If you’re in a meeting and you’re the smartest person in the room, you need to find another room. Fortunately for me, this rarely happens, and I always get to stay in the room. My point is, always listen and learn from others. There are some truly brilliant and inspiring people in this world. Surround yourself with them!
I hope to meet as many of you as I can as I walk our hallways. As always, please feel free to reach out to me, and to my team. We’re all here for you.
Glenn Vollebregt
President and CEO
Updates on Strategic Commitments
Strategic Plan Update: SLC in Five + 3
2023-2024 marked the final year of St. Lawrence College’s strategic plan, SLC in Five. With strong support from our Board of Governors and college community, we have extended the plan by three years to take us to 2027. This extension, informed by feedback from over 500 participants during our recent listening tour, ensures that our strategic priorities remain at the forefront of our efforts. To learn more about SLC in Five + 3 and how it will guide us visit our dedicated website at stratplanslc.ca (link: https://www.stratplanslc.ca/)
Our Multi-Year Objectives
These are specific actions that help us make progress toward the College’s strategic goals. Our MYO’s are: Employee Sucess, Academic Excellence, Student Enrichment, Operational Excellence, Community Engagement, and Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being.
You can read all about our Strategic Initiatives for the upcoming year in our Business Plan 2024-2025, as well as review the year that was and our successes in each of these objectives in the Annual Report.
Read all the latest news from SLC here!
Governance and Administration
Final responsibility for the planning, establishment and co-ordination of programs of instruction and services in the 24 colleges of applied arts and technology rests with the provincial Ministry of Colleges and Universities. The Minister is assisted by the Ontario Council of Regents, which consists of a Chair and members representing the broad spectrum of citizens from various parts of the province who are appointed for three-year renewable terms by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. The Council's responsibilities are of an advisory nature.
The Board of Governors has the flexibility to respond effectively to the post-secondary and adult education needs of our local communities and is responsible for establishing policies for the day-to-day operation of St. Lawrence College.
Glenn Vollebregt, President & CEO
Kathy O'Brien, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Communications & Advancement
Dr. Maher Ghalayini, Senior Vice President, Academic
Grant McMichael, Vice President, Belonging, People, and Culture
Shelley Aylesworth-Spink, Vice President, Student Success
Program Advisory Committees (PACs) consist of experts in their fields of work who volunteer to assist the Board of Governors in monitoring program quality and supporting student success. Advisory Committee members are critical to the success of our students by helping us keep our programs current and relevant to the needs of the marketplace
The College administration carries out the policy decisions of the Board of Governors and reports directly to the Board on the activities in the College. The President is the Chief Executive Officer and Secretary to the Board. There are five other members of the senior executive committee responsible for Academic, Finance, Corporate Services, Government Relations and Communications, and Education & Information Technologies.
The President’s Advisory College Council reports to the President and CEO and provides a means for employees and students of St. Lawrence College to offer advice and feedback on matters of importance.
The President’s Advisory College Council:
- Promotes communication and consultation and demonstrates the values of St. Lawrence College;
- Represents the college community and includes representatives from the student body, faculty, administrative staff and support staff; and,
- Is a forum for receiving input/feedback and forwarding the input and feedback, along with any council recommendations, to the appropriate decision making body within the College (i.e. Academic Council, CLT, CET).
The President’s Advisory College Council (PACC) provides a vehicle for staff, faculty, and students to be consulted and provide input on the following matters related to St. Lawrence College including student life/services, college services, technology integration, campus sustainability matters, broad college system issues, college promotion, and educational services.
As agreed to at the December 19, 2019 Board of Governors meeting, all St. Lawrence College employees and students are considered members of PACC thus allowing all stakeholders the opportunity to share feedback and ideas with the President.
Meetings of PACC will take place regularly and through channels ranging from open forum events such as College Conversations and meetings with Student Government. Regular surveys and opportunities to share feedback following such events will also be available.
As per the Ministry of Colleges and Universities Governance and Accountability Framework, College Boards of Governors are to ensure that an advisory college council is established, the purpose of which is to provide a means for students and staff of the college to provide advice to the president on matters of importance to students and staff. The board of governors is to ensure that the structure, composition, terms of reference and procedures for the council are established in by-law. A report from this advisory council shall be included in each college’s annual report.
The Okanagan Charter is an International Charter for Health Promoting University and Colleges. It calls on post-secondary schools to embed health into all aspects of campus culture and to lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally. SLC is a proud and committed member institution, having signed on to the Charter and it fuels work and initiatives underway as part of our Integrated Mental Health Strategy.