Under the circumstances, she prefers less pomp.

The new principal at Brescia University College is taking a pass on a $25,000 welcome party and is instead directing that money toward student scholarships.

“Everything we do here has to benefit students, or why do we exist?” said Susan Mumm, who heads Canada’s only all-female university college, an affiliate of Western University.

When she learned the school had budgeted $25,000 for an installation ceremony — a longstanding university tradition that, in this instance, would have included a formal Catholic mass and a reception with dignitaries from far and wide – she initially thought it was an OK idea.

Then she pondered how cash-strapped students are, how much they and their parents and taxpayers sacrifice to make university affordable. And she couldn’t do it.

“There’s no benefit directly or indirectly for students,” she said.

University installations, during which the principal or president is officially designated the head of the school, are typically heavy on ceremony, with speeches and greetings from university principals and presidents and other dignitaries. The cost of their travel and lodging is often part of the event’s expense.

Installations have taken place at Brescia since the first non-Ursuline principal was appointed in 2000. The 2008 installation took place at St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica and featured a Roman Catholic mass, with a reception for 300 people afterwards.

The proposed $25,000 cost of this one was “very much on the low side” of similar events elsewhere, Mumm said.

But her decision is not just an austerity measure. “It’s about re-prioritizing. It’s about making a strong statement about how everything we do should be focused on students,” she said Wednesday.



Susan Mumm, the new principal at Brescia University College, has decided to set aside money for student scholarships instead of spending it on an installation ceremony that would’ve included a reception for dignitaries. (MIKE HENSEN, The London Free Press)

Brescia board chairperson Larry MacKinnon said in a statement that the board applauds Mumm’s “bold leadership,” which shows commitment to the values of the school’s founders, the Ursuline Sisters, a teaching order of nuns.

Brescia has an enrolment of about 1,500 women.

A small, private installation ceremony will take place at the Brescia chapel in November.

The money saved from the cancelled event will be set aside as Installation Scholarships for students. Mumm is challenging supporters to match that amount to create a bigger pool for students.

“I see leadership as something that involves the whole community going forward,” she said.

Mumm, who had previously been dean of the faculty of arts and science at Queen’s University, began her work at Brescia in July.

Raised on a sheep farm in ­Saskatchewan, Mumm studied British history in Saskatchewan and England.

Her career as an academic and administrator has included leadership roles at York University, The Open University in England, Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax and Massey University in New Zealand.

dvanbrenk@postmedia.com

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