After approving Trent’s 2023-24 budget on March 24th, which saw further increases to international student and out-of-province domestic student tuition alongside the revelation of steeply increasing enrolment figures and comparatively diminutive increases to faculty positions, the University held what it characterized as the “first in a series of nationwide events” for its “Campaign for Momentous Change.” 

During the May 12th Board meeting, Julie Davis, VP of External Relations, reiterated the fact that Trent has already raised $42M towards their goal of $100M for the campaign. This goal makes this fundraising effort the largest in the University’s history.   

The quoted $42M is the same amount which was originally announced via press release following the Board meeting on March 24th. This prior announcement outlined that this figure includes previously announced funding, including $6.6M toward a new residence and academic building and student supports at Trent Durham GTA. 

Additionally, it includes a $2.5M gift from the Joyce Family Foundation, which will be used to help students from Haliburton and Durham areas who face socio-economic barriers to attending post-secondary institutions. 

Also included is the previously announced $2.4M to launch and support the inaugural Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership which was announced in November, and a $1M gift from David and Joan Moore to support students from across the world through international scholarships. 

In April, immediately following the announcement of the “Momentous Change” campaign, the university announced a $1.2M gift that will support the Trent Community Research Centre (TCRC). This funding, Trent says, will double the number of students and organizations who will be able to participate in the program over the next four years. 

“We've built the campaign as a comprehensive campaign, which means all of the money that we're raising is counted towards the campaign,” Davis told the Board.

Over the past decade, donations to Trent University have been steadily increasing, according to Davis.

“When I started back in 2011, we were raising about $2.5M to $3.5M every year. The last two years, we've raised more than ever before—$9.5M—and we just closed this year at $10.3M. So the challenge is to sustain that as a baseline and then on top of that, we need to start to attract the $10 million plus gifts to name faculties and research centers,” Davis continued.

The recently announced student housing development on Water Street was not mentioned during the meeting’s proceedings despite Trent’s purported plans to open it in late 2024.

What was on the agenda, however, was an announcement for the increase to domestic, in-province, student tuition in three programs at Trent University. The motion, which ultimately passed without substantial discussion, introduced a 7.5% increase for incoming students in Business Administration, Computer Science, and Data Science Programs starting in 2023–24.

The proposal is still awaiting provincial approval, according to VP Finance Tariq Al-idrissi, however, the motion would allow for Trent to implement these changes once provincial approval is acquired—which Al-idrissi suggested should be soon, given that other universities have started to hear back from the provincial government.   

The idea is to bring Trent’s tuition fees in these three specific programs up to the sector average in cases where the program’s tuition rests 30% below that established average. According to the Board’s report, tuition fees for these three programs would continue to increase by 7.5% until at least 2024–25. In the case of Business Administration, tuition fees will be raised by 7.5% until 2027–28.

Trent expects that in the first year of implementing these changes, the increased net tuition revenue will be approximately $189,000, with the multi-year increases amounting to even more as enrolment grows and these students progress through their programs. 

The lone question during discussion came from Governor and Coordinator of Student Life at Durham/GTA, Chris Nelan, who asked whether or not this extra money would be earmarked for anything in particular, and requested more detail be given on how this money might be used to improve programming. 

“We don't take the money and earmark it for certain things right away,” Al-idrissi responded. “The money that we do raise generally goes towards University operating.”