Judy Bornais, Associate Vice President, External, Gary McNamara, mayor of Tecumseh, Dr. J.J. McMurtry, President and Vice Chancellor and Robert Auger, Director of Legislative Services/Municipal Clerk sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Town of Tecumseh and the University of Windsor. (PHOTO BY PETER MARVAL/University of Windsor)
For Town of Tecumseh residents, the impact of a new partnership with the University of Windsor could turn up in familiar places — along the trails they walk, in the services they rely on and in the books stacked on their bedside tables.
The five-year partnership will create opportunities for University students and researchers to work alongside the Town on local priorities.
The University and Town signed a memorandum of understanding Oct. 1 establishing a framework for collaboration in research, innovation and experiential learning, with initial areas of collaboration spanning artificial intelligence, environmental stewardship, municipal records and expanded community access to Leddy Library.
“This partnership is about taking the knowledge, creativity and research happening at the University of Windsor and putting it to work in ways that make a tangible difference in our communities,” said University of Windsor President Dr. J.J. McMurtry. “It will also give our students meaningful opportunities to learn through experience, contribute their ideas and see the impact their work can have close to home.”
The Town is excited draw on UWindsor expertise as it explores how artificial intelligence could improve municipal service delivery.
Faculty, researchers and students from the School of Computer Science are exploring opportunities to work with Town staff through a Computer Science co-op placement, graduate student research and staff training.
Alongside practical applications of AI, the importance of ethics, privacy, security, transparency and human oversight are areas of priority for the Town.
“Municipal government gives our students and researchers an opportunity to explore AI where the questions are practical and the impact is close to home,” said Dr. Ziad Kobti, director of the School of Computer Science. “It is not only about what the technology can do, but how it can be used responsibly, securely and transparently to serve people.”
Beginning immediately, Tecumseh residents will become the first municipal community eligible for free external borrowing privileges at Leddy Library, a first for the library.
Under the new Leddy Library Community Borrowers initiative, Tecumseh residents aged 18 and older who provide photo identification and proof of address can obtain an External Borrowers Card at no cost.
The card provides borrowing and access privileges for the library’s onsite collections.
At Fairplay Woods, the partnership aims to put University research and student learning to work on a Town-owned property that includes old-growth Carolinian forest, wetlands and former agricultural land.
Students in Biology and Environmental Studies may have the opportunity to contribute to habitat restoration planning, species monitoring, stewardship protocols and public education, working alongside researchers and Town staff to support the site’s long-term stewardship.
“Fairplay Woods is the kind of place where research, student learning and community stewardship can come together in a very tangible way,” said Dr. Catherine Febria, associate professor with the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Freshwater Restoration Ecology. “Students can gain experience tackling real-world restoration and conservation questions while our research helps inform decisions about how these ecosystems are cared for over the long term.”
A proposed 2027 co-op placement would see a student from the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences work with the Town’s Legislative and Clerk Services Department on the preparation, scanning, classification and electronic management of records.
The goal of the proposed placement is to provide hands-on experience in a municipal setting while supporting the Town’s transition to more accessible electronic records.
"This partnership between the Town and the University of Windsor will open the door to creating meaningful opportunities for innovation, research and experiential learning in Tecumseh,” said Mayor McNamara.
“By connecting our community with the knowledge and expertise of University faculty and students, we can explore new approaches to service delivery, advance environmental stewardship and embrace emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in a responsible way.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to building a stronger, more innovative future while providing valuable learning experiences that benefit students, residents and our community as a whole."
The five-year agreement is designed to make those connections easier as new priorities emerge, linking community needs with University expertise, student learning and research opportunities.
