Tanis Kolisnyk

BA, CMS, MA

Kind, caring, knowledgeable, and dedicated — these are just a few of the ways Tanis Kolisnyk is described by her UWinnipeg colleagues. During her 15 years with the University, Kolisnyk has helped thousands of students achieve their academic goals with thoughtful guidance and support. She has been an integral resource for students in the awards and financial aid office, the Aboriginal Student Services Centre (ASSC), and, currently, in the academic advising department.

As a recruiter with ASSC, Kolisnyk went on no fewer than 500 trips to meet potential students in remote Manitoba communities. Whenever students chose to attend UWinnipeg, she went above and beyond to make sure they had the academic, personal, and cultural supports they needed to find success.

She has brought that same level of care into her work as an academic advisor. Kolisnyk is well-versed in every aspect of the university experience and assists students from registration to graduation and beyond.

She also provides counselling to students in the Youth in Care Tuition Waiver program and the University’s Walls to Bridges program, which brings incarcerated and campus-enrolled students together in classes taught at the Women’s Correctional Centre and Stony Mountain Institution. Through this work, Kolisnyk has helped marginalized students see a future at UWinnipeg.

Kolisnyk knows the resolve required of an adult learner, having completed a UWinnipeg Master of Arts in Theology degree in 2015. She is a musician, church organist, and an ordained Anglican deacon who often delivers blessings at campus events and convocation ceremonies.

An advocate for community-building on campus, she is also a proud and active member in herlocal Indigenous community and serves onthe Manitoba Métis Federation ANCR Board and the Louis Riel Institute board of directors.

For her significant and continued dedication to student success, UWinnipeg is proud to award Rev. Tanis Kolisnyk with the 2018 Stars of Spence Street Prize.