As the university grows and buildings are added, well-suited names are becoming increasingly important for wayfinding and clearly communicating purpose and vision.
Beginning with the naming of the Charis Live and Learn Centre last summer, Redeemer has continued that work over the year, considering names for several other important elements on campus.
One of the most significant developments will be a formal name for the main academic or administration building, which has always gone by a version of those generic terms. Since the addition of the Charis Centre, which also houses classrooms, offices and other spaces, it became clear that a formal name was needed. In an effort to honour the many people who worked with unrelenting passion and perseverance to establish a Reformed Christian university in Ontario, the building will be called Founders Hall.
"Many men and women have worked tirelessly over Redeemer's history to build and sustain this university, and they did so with faith and vision," said president Dr. David Zietsma. "The name Founders Hall allows Redeemer to honour them collectively and to be inspired to continue with the mission of Christian university education that began four decades ago."
Many men and women have worked tirelessly over Redeemer's history to build and sustain this university, and they did so with faith and vision.
The Centre for Experiential Learning and Careers opened in 2017 and has been helping students connect their calling with a career through co-op work terms, internships, workshops and individualized career guidance since then. While its name upon establishment was certainly descriptive of the work the centre does, it is long and its acronym CELC quickly became the shorthand. Unfortunately, for new students, potential employers and other stakeholders unfamiliar with it, the acronym becomes a barrier to understanding that cannot be easily intuited without explanation. To make a better connection to the kinds of services it provides, a more descriptive and functional name was chosen. The Centre for Experiential Learning and Careers will now be called the Redeemer University Career Centre, or simply Career Centre internally.
"This name change will provide instant recognition and clarity for both the students and alumni who use the centre's services and for the external businesses and organizations we work with," said Bruce Wilson, the centre's director. "A simpler name will improve the approachability and understanding of how we support our whole community."
As the university moves toward the campus master plan goal of a ring road pushing traffic to the outside edges of campus, that main road will be named University Avenue. A single name for the main thoroughfare around campus with entry from Garner Road will unify communication about travelling to and on campus and emphasize that this is a university campus, distinguished from the larger city roads that provide entry. The road entering from Kitty Murray Lane is also receiving a distinct name. Royals Lane captures a broadly recognizable community word that is also a reference to athletic facilities nearest to that entrance.
Tiffany Creek Amphitheatre
Finally, an outdoor campus feature built last year with rocks from Redeemer's property, will also receive an official name taking an opportunity to acknowledge "place." The amphitheatre located just north of the president's guest house will give a nod to the physical location of campus very close to the headwaters of one of the branches of Tiffany Creek with its new name, Tiffany Creek Amphitheatre.
All of these new names will be captured in an exterior signage project this summer, one of the last stages of implementation related to the rebrand.
By Shannon McBride, communications manager at Redeemer University.
