A regional university plays a critical role in their community. They are the primary provider of university education to high school graduates in the region. They are the intellectual heart of their community, and provide both formal and informal learning opportunities for people of all ages. Brandon University is no exception. From Junior Kindergarten and Mini U, to affordable education opportunities for senior citizens, we provide lifelong learning opportunities for all in the region. Our University graduates sucessfully continue their studies elsewhere or immediately put their knowledge and skills to use for the benefit of our community.

A regional university also provides cultural opportunities for all residents. From art to music to politics to sports, regional universities host events that all community members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Brandon University hosts such events on a regular basis and sees this as an important role for the university. It is part of our commitment to development and growth in Western Manitoba.

A regional university plays an important part in the local economy. They are major employers who pay well and provide good benefits. They are economic drivers for the region. Through their prestige, their facilities, and the opportunities they offer, regional universities also serve as a strong recruitment tool for other local employers, events, and even tourism.

Brandon University is a regional university whose primary student population comes from Westman. We welcome a critical mass of international students, and our large Indigenous student population represents both our nearby First Nations and Métis, as well as many from northern Manitoba. Our commitment is to a diverse and inclusive campus that enriches life for our entire community. While we attract students from all over, the majority of our students continue to be from southwestern Manitoba.

Brandon University has campuses in both Treaty 1 and Treaty 2 territories. These are traditional territories of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Assiniboine, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation. The many groups who have long called Turtle Island home have deep and complex relationships that pre-date the treaties, but treaties are important documents that formalize still- evolving relationships between Indigenous peoples and Settlers.

As Canada’s finest regional university, Brandon University is committed to positive and reciprocal relationships with the communities we serve. We are rooted in the land and territory we call home, and are both inspired and guided by the Indigenous knowledge and understanding that grows from this land.

We share knowledge with and among our communities, and we accept with humility the knowledge that is in turn shared with us. That is at the heart of being a fine regional university.

Embedded in our region, Brandon University embodies and reflects the values of southwestern Manitoba. We are especially engaged in the creation of rural-based knowledge that we share with vibrant rural areas everywhere. Brandon University strives to be Canada’s finest regional university. But how is that defined? We shun the term “best” as that implies competition and a pursuit of impossible perfection. Only one can be “Number One.” We choose instead collaboration, and community, and to seek and support success for all.

Quantitative measures are straightforward. They may be difficult or laborious to achieve, they may be ambitious and require painstaking attention to detail, but they are straightforward because they require numerical measures and assessments.

Our path is not straight and forward. We choose instead a braided path, a path that emphasizes the cyclical and interconnected nature of success, a path that rewards patient process rather than merely tracking progress.

Our measures of success must be broader and more inclusive than “best.” We ask: Are we happy? Are we healthy? Are we respectful and kind? Instead of best, “fine” means sharp, incisive, and keen – like the minds of our students, our alumni, our faculty, our staff – and also means a feeling of well-being.

At Brandon University, the finest regional university is one where vibrant and engaged people choose to gather. Agile, courageous and inclusive in our thoughts and actions, together we create and celebrate community success.