The outgoing president of the University of Windsor stopped Thursday to look back on his tenure.
Dr. Alan Wildeman personally greeted students, faculty and alumni at a farewell reception held for him at the CAW Student Centre's Alumni Auditorium. Wildeman, the sixth president of U of W, is retiring next month after a decade in the president's chair.
Wildeman delivered a 15-minute farewell address during the reception, attended by over a hundred people. He looked back on his time with fondness and thanked the university community for helping to move the school further into the 21st century.
"I leave knowing it was the collective efforts of all of you that will safeguard in the future," said Wildeman, pausing to control emotion. "It has been an extraordinary privilege for me to have served you, and our community of Windsor-Essex."
Wildeman announced in January 2017 that he would be stepping down.
The president is leaving U of W following a time of great transformation, with increasing enrollment and unprecedented construction around the university's west side campus. The school has opened a new engineering school, moved its School of Social Work into the former Windsor Star building downtown, and transformed the former Armouries downtown into a state-of-the-art SoCA (School of Creative Arts).
The transformation hasn't always been a smooth one, though, with complaints about rising tuition, labour disputes with faculty and staff, and the shelving of a plan to move the law school into the former Paul Martin Building downtown, though it was recently announced the plan may be back on again with the discovery of funds in the Ontario budget.
Wildeman thanked everyone associated with the university for their efforts to push through and accomplish its goals.
"You've responded to the challenges and the opportunities that I've tried to articulate on behalf of all of you," said Wildeman.
Provost Dr. Douglas Kneale has been named interim president and will take over once Wildeman leaves. The U of W Board of Governors is continuing the search for a permanent replacement.