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New University...where should it go?

York has a ton of unused space. Couldn't they expand it significantly? If nothing else its centrally located and will have strong transit connections.
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That is what they are doing and they now have a ton of students and its the third biggest university. At the rate they are going at and the huge space they have they can easily become the largest.

Ryerson is expanding very quickly as well.


I can see a larger expansion of current campuses as a better idea. UFT is already quite full but ryerson can still become more dense.
 
From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070801.UNIVERSITY01/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/
___________
Transfer programs may solve Toronto's feared enrolment crunch
JILL MAHONEY
EDUCATION REPORTER
August 1, 2007
The solution to an expected enrolment crunch at Toronto's universities may lie partly in looking west, to provinces that allow more movement between colleges and universities.

According to estimates, between 40,000 and 75,000 spots will be needed in Toronto in the next decade or two, demand fuelled by immigration and an increasing desire for a university degree. The projected growth is unique to the Toronto area; enrolment elsewhere is expected to remain stable or decline.

Administrators grappling with the problem are eyeing the practice in other jurisdictions, where transfer programs are available to students to take their first year or two of postsecondary education at a college before completing a degree at a university.

"It's a tried-and-true formula in other places in Canada," said Linda Franklin, president of Colleges Ontario, an advocacy group for the province's 24 colleges.

In Alberta and British Columbia, students can opt to start at colleges - which are cheaper and often have better instructor-student ratios - and then switch to universities.

"The environment feels a lot smaller, open, friendly, and the classes are small so that the transition from a high-school type of education to university-level education [means] you really get a lot more personalized attention," said Susan Gottheil, registrar and associate vice-president for enrolment management at Calgary's Mount Royal College, from which nearly 600 students transferred to the University of Calgary last fall.

Under the Alberta feeder system, colleges design their university-transfer programs in collaboration with university professors. And students know which courses will be accepted by universities before they even sign up.

In Ontario, universities often do not recognize college credits, meaning system-wide change would be needed for such an arrangement. (However, some colleges and universities in the province already offer joint programs.)

The leaders of Toronto's big three universities - the University of Toronto, York University and Ryerson University - are working with the provincial government on a variety of approaches to the feared enrolment crunch.

In addition to transfer programs, administrators are also bandying about the idea of opening a new institution in partnership with an existing university or college that would focus on undergraduate demand. (As well, some are considering expanding.)

Talks are at an early stage and many of those involved are not convinced of the merits of a transfer program.

"We haven't really as a group sat down and asked ourselves under what conditions could something like this work," said Sheldon Levy, president of Ryerson University.

"You don't want to create a system under which the students who go there feel that they're getting a second-rate experience or that they think that, 'Well, only the best kids get directly into university; those that have the poorer grades get this second alternative.' "

However, Chris Bentley, Ontario's Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, said he would like to improve credit transfer.

"I think there's an appetite out there on the part of the students, I think there's an appetite on the part of the parents, I increasingly see an institutional appetite, both among colleges and universities, to improve the current state."
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in a lot of immigrant/minority families colleges are looked down upon very harshly by thier parents and university is seen as the only way to go.

That is how it was for me and for a lot of people i know.

"Son, you better be going to university or else THAT RESP IS USELESS!!"
 
Wasn't there an old plan for Queensville (north of Newmarket) to be a masterplanned city of 100,000 including a university? Not that it's a good idea, though Barrie, Newmarket, or Aurora could likely all make decent university towns. A second university for Hamilton is another idea.

Sticking to closer to TO, I like the idea of a Mississauga/Oakville university, possibly piggybacking on Sheridan (or a newly independent UTM). How successful is the Scarborough Coronation Dr industrial park these days? I've always thought it had a lot of redevelopment potential and is located right on the GO line at a logical location for a new station.

No matter what city is chosen, I think the location within that city is the most important thing. The disaster that is UOIT should never be repeated.
 
Personally, I believe that the best place to locate Universities is in relatively smaller communities (than the GTA) [if it is primarily for full time students] -- like Queen's University, Western, etc. A smaller community tends to be better for school spirit, etc.

On a related note, I believe that the government(s) should be developing a full curriculum online (top quality curriculum) [with the exception of labs and exams -- which could be offered by the closest University]. The online portion could be offered for a low cost or free to those that register.
 
Queensville was going to have Ontario's first private university. I would imagine that the plan has fallen through (though the Queensville development itself has not). Being private and supported by all that set, I'm sure it would be overwhelmingly technical. None of that wishy-washy artsy marginalia. Who needs philosophy in a university?

That's a good idea, cacruden. Sort of on the British Open University model. And I agree with you about small cities being better choices. One of the biggest problems with the Toronto universities is the large percentage of non-res students from the Toronto area who only come to the campus for their classes and hang out only with their old high school friends. The catch, of course, is that they'd have to get the outrageous residence costs down to make it accessible for city students to go away for school.

One of the biggest shames is Victoria moving from Cobourg. It was Ontario's one real chance to get a beautiful historic college town.
 
My hopes for the overall provincial proposals would be new campuses somewhere in central Toronto, 'downtown' Markham and one in Stratford.
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There is that piece of farmland directly north of Downtown Markham that doesn't seem to have anything planned for it. It's large enough for a university, central, would be served by Viva and is a short bus ride away from the GO train.
 
Yes, that's the best place to put a college/university in Markham...I'm pretty sure it's not spoken for (other than general zoning or urban design guidelines) and it's by far the most valuable plot of land in Markham and deserves much more than a few low rise office blocks and a master planned Tridel ghetto. Too bad York U is kind of the de facto university for York Region, otherwise Markham or Newmarket would be good spots for a new institution.
 
I'd still prefer to see a new university, or university campus, located downtown or close to downtown. The primary reason being that it will bring people downtown.
 
unimaginative2 said:
Queensville was going to have Ontario's first private university. I would imagine that the plan has fallen through (though the Queensville development itself has not). Being private and supported by all that set, I'm sure it would be overwhelmingly technical. None of that wishy-washy artsy marginalia. Who needs philosophy in a university?

....

One of the biggest shames is Victoria moving from Cobourg. It was Ontario's one real chance to get a beautiful historic college town.
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Queensville was during the height of Harris, who had no time for arts students, or even nurses for that matter. I'm glad that never went through, though I don't think Queensville would have been that big of a institution.

An university in Cobourg would certainly ensured a real college town, something lacking in Ontario (Guelph and Kingston come the closest, but have always been larger and more diversified. ) One of the college buildings remains though - I think it is now a seniors' residence.
 
^Yes it is. The old campus is now being redeveloped as townhouses and condos geared towards seniors. They look pretty good if you don't mind faux-heritage (don't tell Urban Shocker).

siteplan_map.jpg


Barrie doesn't have a university. In fact there's no university north of Toronto until you get to North Bay. With Barrie's booming population a university there makes perfect sense.
 
Hydrogen said:
I'd still prefer to see a new university, or university campus, located downtown or close to downtown. The primary reason being that it will bring people downtown.
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Although downtown Toronto has no trouble attracting people. Let's put it in a downtown that's not doing so well or that could use a boost; like WLU Brantford.
 
There's plenty of Universities/colleges as far as I'm concerned (around the GTA and a bit beyond).

What is really needed is better transportation to said places or more affordable dorms for students. There was another "study" report released in the Star that complained that kids that get out of the house by age 20 are more likely to own a home rather than mooch off parents. I'm looking at it and am thinking "duh!", people that can afford to live on campus have parents that can afford to help with tuition/buying a first home.
 
How about something like the UO@Barrie, UO@Milton, UO@Brampton, UO@Markham. ie, University of Ontario@________. Like UQAM in Montreal, Quebec. Each campus specializes in something--Barrie in ice fishing, Milton in urban farming, Brampton in Automotive Engineers, Markham in Mennonite roots/suburban new urbanism planning:)

while we're at it, just change that Oshawa ITU to UO@O

Thus, we have the following cool logos:
UO@B
UO@Mi
UO@Ma
UO@O
 
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