May 6, 2019 - While the academic year has just finished at universities across the country, Desjardins has announced their commitment towards improving the student experience at Laurentian University with a $300,000 investment.
‘I’m very proud of this donation because it illustrates our commitment to youth and education. One of our priorities at Desjardins is to serve Canadian youth by building relationships with them and assisting them with achieving their goals. At Desjardins, we firmly believe that education plays a key role in helping us to create prosperity and maintain vibrant social and economic networks in our communities,’ said Guy Cormier, chair of the board, president and CEO of Desjardins Group.
The donation will enhance leadership development and support student success. This contribution will take life in the form of two student scholarships, experiential learning opportunities and the future upgrading of a campus classroom.
“Desjardins has historically been a great partner of Laurentian University and this commitment is taking our partnership into the future. When I see community partners like Desjardins taking an active role in enhancing the student experience, it gives me tremendous confidence in building our next generation of leaders.” said interim President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Pierre Zundel.
Desjardins Award in Business Administration
- The scholarship will be awarded annually, starting in fall 2019, as the top prize in the venture project competition which consists of presenting a business plan, budget estimates and other documents to assess the feasibility of a potential business.
- This scholarship will be awarded to two students – one enrolled in the French-language program (Baccalauréat spécialisé en administration des affaires), the other in the English Business Administration program – who design the best products and achieve the highest scores in the competition.
Desjardins Innovation Challenge Award
- A second scholarship will also be created, this one under the name “Desjardins Innovation Challenge Award” starting in fall 2019, and awarded annually.
- This scholarship will be awarded as the top prize to students in the Voyageur Innovation Challenge.
Funds will also be dedicated to support leadership development and experiential learning activities and initiatives within the University as well as in community and sector-specific settings. In addition to the financial contribution, Desjardins will be offering co-op placement opportunities for Laurentian University students to work at Desjardins.