OIPMAC announces endowments to support SCM education

Toronto, ON – 06/02/2010 - The Ontario Institute of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada (OIPMAC) has announced three significant endowments funds established at Ontario post-secondary institutions.

Awarded to Conestoga College, Ryerson University and Wilfrid Laurier University, these endowments have been created to assist and encourage students to further their education and continue to grow in the evolving field of supply chain management.

“The awards we are sponsoring at these institutions through the endowments will recognize the excellent performance of students in their supply chain management studies and support them in their pursuit of successful careers in the SCM field,” said R. David Fletcher, President & CEO, Ontario Institute of PMAC. “We feel that our awards will do much to enhance recognition of Conestoga, Laurier and Ryerson, as well as the Ontario Institute of PMAC, and increase marketplace awareness of the growing value of supply chain management professionals in the success of organizations around the world.”

These endowments were established on behalf of the OIPMAC members through the district reserves funds remitted to the Ontario Institute of PMAC during its Strategic Transformation. During the transformation, four service zones were created across the province to better meet the needs of members.

To aid in the decision making process for allocating the funds, a District Reserves Ad Hoc Committee was established. This committee had the mandate of advancing the Supply Chain Management profession and heightening recognition of OIPMAC and its members by assessing the best way to spend the OIPMAC District Reserve funds. The Committee considered a number of options for the funds, including establishment of new scholarships, bursaries and/or endowments as well as supporting case study research. Committee members made a commitment to make every effort to understand what district members would have wanted, and took these perceived wants into consideration when making decisions on how these funds should be allocated.

After identifying various options and many post-secondary institutions with reputable SCM educational programs, the Committee decided that the top three post-secondary schools that would be considered for funding would be Conestoga College, Ryerson University and Wilfrid Laurier University. Members of the Committee felt that each of these institutions would also maximize the district reserve funds through a matching program called Ontario Trust for Student Support (OTSS), which is sponsored by the Provincial government.

Ryerson University

OIPMAC had already accredited Ryerson University’s Supply Chain Management MBA Program with a specialty in supply chain management for advanced standing in OIPMAC’s accreditation process for its professional designation, recognizing the quality of SCM education at Ryerson. The Committee felt that it would be a natural fit to establish a scholarship or bursary for the graduates of this Ryerson MBA program.

To view the complete Ryerson media release, please click here.

Wilfred Laurier University

Laurier University was selected by the Committee due to the breadth of the supply chain management programs and academic research. They have aided in the development of the SCM Resource Centre by providing original research for our members and fellow supply chain professionals. The donated funds also support a speakers’ series hosted by the Centre for Supply Chain Management at Laurier. This speaker series will allow our members to access best practices and networking opportunities.

To view the complete Laurier media release, please click here.

Conestoga College

Conestoga College has been a strong supporter of OIPMAC and its programs for several years. The College was selected by the Committee for its in-depth SCM related program and to further enhance the relationship with the students.

To view the complete Conestoga media release, please click here.

SCM Resource Centre

District Reserve funds were also dedicated to launching the new OIPMAC SCM Resource Centre, which brings together a vast amount of SCM knowledge from diverse international sources into one convenient location. Creating a portal for members to visit and obtain best practices and leading-edge SCM related information was a high priority.

To view the complete SCM Resource Centre media release, please click here.

Through the support of the District Reserve Funds, OIPMAC is now has an academic scholarship at the following institutions (alphabetically):

Algonquin College
Conestoga College
Confederation College
Fanshawe College
Laurentian University
Ryerson University
Sir Sanford Fleming
Wilfred Laurier University

OIPMAC is grateful for all the support and input provided by our District Reserves Ad Hoc Committee.

If you would like further information or have any questions, please contact David Lyons, Manager, Marketing and Member Development, at 416-907-7079 or dlyons@ontarioinstitute.com.