Toronto Amid an afternoon of live performances, music, food and festivity, the University of Toronto at Scarborough (UTSC) celebrated a unique partnership formed between students and the university to build a new student centre on the campus.
Today is not only about the construction of a significant new facility for the University of Toronto at Scarborough, it is also the celebration of students and the university coming together to achieve a common goal,? said vice-president and principal Paul Thompson to the scores of students, staff and faculty, alumni and community members here today for a special groundbreaking ceremony on the site of the new centre.
Designed by Dunlop Architects Inc. the three-story, 48,000 square foot facility is planned to open in September 2004. It will house meeting rooms, lounges, a restaurant/pub, prayer room and other services integral to a satisfying university experience.
This groundbreaking is particularly exciting for me because of how the project came about,? said U of T president Robert Birgeneau.
In 2001, UTSC students voted and passed a levy on themselves to donate $60 per full-time student each year for the next 30 years to build and operate the new facility. This is the largest student contribution in the University of Torontos 175-year history which the University is matching at 50-cents on the dollar. Todays ceremony signifies the start of construction on the much-anticipated project.
Birgeneau added, The extra facilities will make this building the hub of campus life, and it will contribute further to the sense of community that has always been integral to the student experience at Scarborough.?
Student union president Dan Bandurka recalled what it took to make this dream a reality. This project is the culmination of a lot of hard work from many individuals and a personal commitment from all students. Im excited that many of our past student leaders are here today because this is a direct result of their determination to make sure that future students will have what they did not.?
Bandurka was speaking to the fact that while UTSC is located on a lush 300-acre campus complete with modern academic facilities and a state-of-the-art athletic centre, it is one of only two university campuses in the country that lack a designated space for student clubs and activities.
Thompson added that despite this void UTSC has become the school of choice for thousands from across Canada and around the world, resulting in steady enrollment increases for the past several years. He said the new facility is an integral part of the universitys growth and that hes proud of the students for making this moment possible.
University is about more than the academic side of learning,? said Thompson. It is also about the lasting relationships you build with each other which makes having a facility like this so important to your time here at UTSC.?
The University of Toronto at Scarborough, which opened in 1964, offers undergraduate and graduate programs and has become the GTA leader in co-op education.
UTSCs $100 million expansion also includes an academic resource centre, 500-seat lecture and performance theatre, residence, a new home for the management program and an art gallery named in honour of celebrated artist and UTSC alumna Doris McCarthy.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Melissa Joseph, UTSC
(P) 416.287.7089
(E) joseph@utsc.utoronto.ca