Scotiabank Makes Major Investment in StFX’s Schwartz School

The Gerald Schwartz School of Business and Information Systems got a funding boost today, as Scotiabank made a $500,000 donation toward a major capital project that will one day create a new home for the school.

Dr. Sean Riley made the announcement this afternoon, accepting the cheque from John Oliver, Senior Vice-President of Scotiabank.

“Scotiabank’s gift is a tremendous endorsement, and we are delighted that the bank joins other business leaders such as Gerry Schwartz in acknowledging the high calibre of this national School of Business,” Dr. Riley said.

“Scotiabank is a loyal supporter of StFX for which we are extremely grateful. The gift we are announcing today brings their total giving to StFX to well over $1.5 million.”

“At Scotiabank, we are particularly interested in investing in educational initiatives that help students acquire the skills, tools and information they need to become leaders in a global economy,” John Oliver said.

“Scotiabank has always had a strong commitment to education and is proud to support St. Francis Xavier University and the Gerald Schwartz School of Business and Information Systems.”

The Schwartz School of Business and Information Systems is one of the contributing strengths of StFX’s growing academic reputation as Canada’s premier undergraduate university.

The School combines groundbreaking programs in information systems with traditional business programs, making it cross-disciplinary and a powerful educational option not found anywhere else in Canada.

“We are so pleased at the generosity of Scotiabank and the signal it sends to our faculty and students of the bright and important future ahead for the Gerald Schwartz School of Business and Information Systems at StFX,” added Dr. Mary McGillivray, Academic Vice-President of StFX. “A new state-of-the-art facility will enhance the learning environment and enable members of the Schwartz School to further their goals in academic excellence in business education and research.”

The Schwartz School of Business and Information Systems is named after Gerald Schwartz, one of Canada’s pre-eminent business leaders and founder of Onex Corporation, one of the country’s largest companies. Mr. Schwartz’s legendary business acumen and longstanding commitment to social responsibility is a fitting match to the ethos of the Schwartz School and the broader St. Francis Xavier University.

More than 700 students a year enjoy the unique undergraduate experience at the Schwartz School. The integrated approach to the program exposes students to real-world conditions where technology plays a critical role in managing today’s business enterprises. Students are given opportunities to augment their classroom learning with research projects, internships and co-op placements. A low student-to-faculty ratio means students learn directly from exceptional faculty who draw on their wealth of experience through their work as researchers and business leaders.

The new physical home for the Schwartz School will result in a significant increase in lecture theatres, seminar rooms and lab facilities, and will be equipped with a technical infrastructure that is comparable to today’s business environment.

The project marks the next phase in the University’s campus renewal. Since 1999, over $130 million has been invested in renewing campus facilities.

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