U of R’s Timmons proud of advocacy for Nigerian students, increases in enrolment

Looking back on her 11-plus years as president of the University of Regina, Vianne Timmons says she’s proud of her work on increasing student enrolment and of her advocacy for two deported Nigerian students in 2013.

Timmons had to play the role of impromptu advocate as Victoria Ordu and Favour Amadi were forced into hiding in various Regina churches and then were deported in 2013 over work regulations for international students with study permits.

“That was a challenging time. I did everything I could to support those two women. I’m so pleased to see they’ve graduated and they’re working and they’re doing very, very well,” Timmons said Monday, four days after it was announced she was leaving the U of R to become the president of Memorial University of Newfoundland.

The two women eventually returned to the U of R in June 2014, from which they graduated.

“What I don’t think people realize is that the rules for international students changed through that. At that time you could not work with a study permit,” Timmons said.

“With the whole focus on Favour and Victoria, it changed the Canadian immigration rules so that students could work with a study permit. Their experience made it better for every single international student in Canada.”

When Timmons took the post at the U of R in September 2008, the school’s executive office had gone through a period of instability. That featured several short presidential stints, including that of David Barnard, Timmons’ predecessor.

With her at the helm, the school took on a rebranding campaign as part of efforts to increase the size of the student body.

“We slowly and incrementally started to build our enrolments. We went from 10,000 and 11,000 to this year, 16,600. That’s a significant accomplishment,” she said.

Timmons added she’s proud of helping to open the renovated College Avenue Campus, and of the school’s Indigenization strategy.

“We’re now at 14 per cent of our undergraduate students who self-declare as Indigenous,” she said. “I think the diversity on our campus now is a strength. We have 19 per cent international students. Twelve thousand students have disabilities. I think those things make us richer and stronger.”

Timmons said she will miss Regina’s weather, in all its varieties.

“People are surprised when I say that. But that sunshine, all the time, I don’t care how cold it is. If the sun is shining I am happy. And I grew up in Labrador, so I don’t mind the cold,” she said.

“I have lived in six provinces in Canada. I think Regina is the nicest (weather) of any of the provinces.”

Timmons said she’s looking forward to being closer to her family, particularly her 86-year-old mother.

“I have mixed emotions about leaving,” Timmons said. “When the search committee at Memorial asked me what the biggest challenge would be, I told them, ‘Leaving Regina.’ I have loved my 11 years here.”

It’s to the point where she’ll always keep a special part of Saskatchewan with her.