Oshawa, Ont. - Completion of the new South Wing as well as construction of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology campus are solid steps toward providing the additional postsecondary spaces needed for students in the double cohort.
At a special ceremony in Oshawa today, more than 200 dignitaries, business and community leaders, area residents, students and staff celebrated the official opening of the 96,000-square-foot South Wing. Designed by the team of Adamson Associates of Mississauga and Mills & Associates of Oshawa, the two-storey, state-of-the-art building houses a large learning commons, networked classrooms, new health labs, administrative offices and other facilities. This and two other recently completed buildings at the Oshawa campus have created almost 3,000 more student spaces. Currently used by Durham College students, the South Wing will also be available to students at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, which opens at the college's Oshawa campus in September 2003.
Guests also viewed progress on the construction of the first building for the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Canada's newest university. Dianne Cunningham, minister for training, colleges and universities for Ontario, and Gary Polonsky, president and CEO of Durham College and founding president and vice-chancellor of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, poured concrete for a structural column. They also lowered a time capsule containing university mementos and special items into the building site.
The internationally acclaimed firm of Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated of Toronto has designed the university campus. The first building, which will be five storeys tall and cover 114,000 square feet, will feature lecture halls, classrooms, research
labs, seminar rooms, administrative offices and other facilities. The university expects to
admit approximately 1,000 students during its first year, with enrolment projected to reach 6,500 students by 2010.
"The Ontario government is a proud partner in the creation of UOIT and the expansion of Durham College," said Cunningham. "By working with our partners in the private sector and the community, we are accommodating increasing enrolments, and ensuring that Ontario students will be prepared to compete and succeed in today's rapidly changing economy."
"The two events we're celebrating today will become milestones in the history of Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology," remarked Polonsky. "Durham College has served students, employers and graduates admirably for 35 years and it will continue to do so. The new university, which opens next fall, is determined to become a leading centre for higher learning, innovation and research."
About the University of Ontario Institute of Technology
As Canada's newest university, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology will provide a unique combination of academic knowledge, vibrant student life, leading-edge research and hands-on skills. The university will offer nine degree programs initially and will share selected facilities with Durham College. Currently under development in Oshawa, Ontario, the university will welcome its first students in September 2003. For more information, visit the Web site at www.uoit.ca or call 1.866.844.8648.
About Durham College
For 35 years, Durham College has been committed to providing job-focused programs, accomplished professors, quality-driven innovation, student success and superior accountability. More than 5,600 full-time students and 23,000 part-time students are enrolled at Durham College. The college employs approximately 2,300 full- and part-time staff. For more information, visit the Web site at www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.
Media contact:
Catherine Shearer-Kudel
905.721.3111, ext. 2162
catherine.shearer-kudel@uoit.ca
Please see the accompanying backgrounders:
Disclaimer: The contact information provided in archived news releases was current at the release date. For current information please contact Communications and Marketing.