If you haven’t heard, the City of Brampton will soon have a university. Mayor Linda Jeffrey and the Brampton City Council have been discussing topics such as education, economic and social change, and the city’s overall development as the 9th largest municipality in Canada. To help keep you up to date, here are ten facts you should know about the upcoming university in Brampton.
1 – The university will be a collaboration between Ryerson University and Sheridan College. This will demonstrate the partnership between universities and colleges across the province (i.e. Seneca and York).
2 – Milton will also get its own university, as Wilfrid Laurier and Conestoga College have expressed interest in a partnership and plan on expanding into the municipality.
3 – Between the two universities, the province has allocated $180 million, but there isn’t yet a set plan as to how the funding will be dispersed between the two institutions.
4 – Possible locations for the university include: downtown Brampton, Steeles and Hurontario, and the Bramalea City Centre area to name a few.
5 – Programs offered at the university will focus on the STEAM philosophy of integrated science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.
6 – Implementation of the university is expected to have huge economic and social benefits for the city. As per a staff report it will have a one-time impact of $373 million, or 1,820 jobs, during the construction phase, and ongoing annual benefits of $220 million, or 1,510 jobs, based on a medium-term enrollment of 5,000 students.
7 – Construction of the university will take place later in the 2020’s, as there is still much to go over with approvals, finalizing proposals, and funding.
8 – Council recently endorsed a plan to contribute $150 million towards creation of the yet-to-be-determined university area.
9 – The city also plans on making the university community accessible, stating that the collaboration is a “joint use centre for education, innovation, and collaboration”.
10 – According to Mayor Linda Jeffrey, the university will mean shorter commutes for Brampton students who would otherwise have had to travel to different cities as a means of pursuing their education.