Bill Norrie's Parting Gift

 

Dr. Bill Norrie (pictured left) served as Chancellor of the University of Manitoba for nine years before stepping down in December 2009. In that time, he was integral to advancing the role of the university in the community. He also shook more than 38,000 hands at convocation.

 

One of his greatest legacies has been his commitment to the Inner City Social Work Program (ICSWP) – a Bachelor of Social Work program designed to support students who have traditionally faced social, economic or academic barriers to achieving a post-secondary education.

 

The program is based out of the William Norrie Centre in Winnipeg’s core area.

 

Now Norrie and his wife Helen, have left a parting gift to the university to create the Bill and Helen Norrie Bursary, which will provide bursaries for students enrolled in the ICSWP who are in financial need. The Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative has also made a contribution to this fund.

 

The Norries hope the new bursary will encourage people who may think attending university is out of reach.

 

“I hope it would let somebody realize they have access to a university education. Many people who live in the inner city may think that’s not possible,” says Norrie, adding that highlights of his career were working with students and being a liaison between the U of M and the community. “This bursary was about continuing our work in (the inner city). It seemed to fit well.”

 

Darlene Klyne, a 2005 graduate of the ICSWP, credits the opportunity to go to university with helping her realize her potential, and she is pleased to know that the Bill and Helen Norrie Bursary in the ICSWP will aim to help students like her.

 

A mature student when she finished high school at the age of 44, Klyne now works as director of the Bright Futures Program at the Community Education Development Association in the inner city.  “It is an area I’ve always wanted to work in. This is my dream job,” Klyne says.

 

Klyne says the ICSWP changed her outlook on life. “I became educated and learned about things I was interested in,” she says. “The biggest piece is that I learned to think for myself and to do what I needed to succeed.”

 

The ICSWP can be completed through full-time or part-time studies through ACCESS programs. It is an important option for students who may not see themselves in a typical university environment but have the desire to help shape their community through their commitment to social work.