The University of Toronto’s Victoria University has created the Norman Jewison Stream for Imagination and the Arts, a new offering for first-year students which examines how the arts can play an integral role in confronting social problems. The offering was made available after a $1 million donation from chairman and CEO of AGF Management, Blake Goldring. Goldring graduated from Vic in 1981.

The namesake of the program, acclaimed director Norman Jewison, has himself continually challenged social paradigms with such films as In the Heat of the Night, And Justice for All, A Soldier’s Story and The Hurricane – to name only a few. Jewison also has a strong connection to Vic U, having been installed the faculty’s 12th chancellor in May, 2004. He concluded his term October, 2010.

“The Norman Jewison Stream for Imagination and the Arts is quite simply a fantastic way to recognize an iconic Canadian, particularly given Norman’s commitment to education as chancellor of Victoria University and as the founder of the Canadian Film Centre,” observed Blake Goldring.

“I also deeply believe in the value of a liberal arts education and the foundation it provides for a person’s career prospects after university,” he continued. “Vic One is a premier program for students to learn and challenge their analytic and creative skill set. The addition of the Norman Jewison stream to Vic One is a marvelous way to nurture creative young minds, and is a great credit to Vic and U of T as preeminent institutions.”

The Norman Jewison Stream will be available for the 2011-2012 academic year, pending final university approval of course curriculum. The new offering joins four already established streams at Vic One: the Northrop Frye Stream for Humanities, the Lester B. Pearson Stream for Social Sciences, the Augusta Stowe-Gullen Stream for Life Sciences and the Egerton Ryerson Stream for Education.