A founding proposal · University of Jasper

Build something
worth passing on.

Help establish a university where physical courage, independent thought and useful creation grow together.

Read the two-page founding briefPrepare your founding introduction
01 — The model

Two possible routes.
One founding purpose.

The proposal describes two ways substantial support might help establish the institution. Both are proposed funding approaches only, not completed agreements, confirmed appointments or established governance rights. Their scope, boundaries and relationship to each other remain open for discussion.

Route 01Proposed

The Founding Five

C$2 millionper proposed position

The Founding Five remains the founder’s proposal: five founding positions at C$2 million each, seeking C$10 million in total. Vincent Zhang’s intended model includes lifetime board voting rights. Those rights are not established and cannot be promised in exchange for a contribution. The legal structure, election and removal rules, director duties, total board composition and the founder’s role must be resolved before any appointment or agreement.

Route 02Alternative for discussion

An anchor family or foundation

Anchor supportscope not yet defined

One family or foundation could also help establish the institution through a substantial anchor commitment. This is an alternative route for discussion, with no confirmed relationship or funding.

A lasting founding legacy must support independent thought, clear oversight and the educational mission.

02 — The sequence

People. Evidence.
Then a larger institution.

A staged approach: establish what can responsibly be delivered, fund a pilot, learn from evidence, and only then consider building lasting capacity.

  1. 01Establish

    A credible first step

    Identify a local host, capable educators, actual costs and the arrangements needed for an in-person Jasper programme.

  2. 02Support

    A funded pilot

    Secure sufficient support and written responsibilities before committing to delivery. A short introductory event has its own scope.

  3. 03Examine

    Work you can inspect

    Review learner portfolios, feedback, access barriers and actual costs. Examine the evidence before deciding whether to expand.

  4. 04Build

    Lasting capacity

    Use proven delivery and a multiyear plan to seek major support. Premises follow demonstrated need and secure funding.

03 — Use of support

Give the idea
the means to live.

Support could help make a credible learning programme possible. The actual scope and allocation must be determined through a detailed budget and staged agreements.

  1. 01Qualified people and capable educators
  2. 02Appropriate teaching spaces and programme arrangements
  3. 03Access and participation for learners
  4. 04Equipment and the practical resources needed for delivery
  5. 05Insurance, evaluation and the reserves needed for reliable delivery
What is not yet approved

A detailed budget and staged agreements must define the actual use of funds. No specific allocation, site purchase or construction programme has been approved.

04 — Governance & trust

Good intentions need clear terms.

Lifetime voting rights are the founder’s intended model, not established legal rights. For a federal nonprofit corporation, directors’ terms cannot exceed four years, although re-election is possible. Jasper’s appropriate structure and governing documents remain to be determined.

No contribution automatically creates an appointment. No investment return or tax receipt is promised. Charitable status and university authorisation have not been established.

Governance and operating references
05 — The next conversation

Start with the questions
that matter.

The next step is a clear conversation about the founding brief, the proposed funding model, the evidence needed for a first programme and the governance work still to be done.

Review the founding modelReview governance questionsPrepare your founding introduction

For a founding-support conversation, email Vincent Zhang at vincent@ujasper.ca. Introduction drafts stay on your device. This website does not accept money, appoint directors or receive applications.

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“Fearless in learning. Lead by example.”
Founding mottoOne University One Family