Lakehead University, City of Orillia Approve Partnership to Develop Satellite Campus in Orillia

(Thunder Bay - January 18, 2005) Lakehead University and the City of Orillia are pleased to announce that an agreement in principle has been reached to develop a satellite campus of the University in Orillia. Such a collaboration would offer, initially, academic courses and programs that can be partnered with Georgian College; would respond to the City of Orillia's interests in international studies, aboriginal studies, and tourism; and are linked to the distributed learning capacity of Lakehead University's Thunder Bay campus.

These courses and programs would require physical facilities in Orillia that are compatible with the learning technology of the Advanced Technology and Academic Centre (ATAC) in Thunder Bay.

Dr. Frederick Gilbert, President of Lakehead University says: "The City of Orillia is an ideal community to partner with our institution. Over the next months we will be working with the City, Georgian College, and our own faculty and staff to develop academic and business plans for the delivery of university education in Orillia. We are very positive about the enormous potential this initiative has for the community of Orillia as well as for Lakehead University."

The partnership with the City of Orillia is intended to bring the capacity of Lakehead University to the community of Orillia in a way that will be mutually advantageous to the City and the University, and would tap the potential of Lakehead University in a meaningful, progressive, and innovative way.

Ron Stevens, Mayor of the City of Orillia states: "While much serious planning and dialogue need to be done, once in place, the collaboration will provide a university presence in Orillia that will have a long-term positive socio-economic impact on Orillia, leveraging at the same time the experience and presence of Georgian College in the community. This will absolutely be great for our community profile."

As part of the dialogue, a joint task force with Georgian College will be established to explore collaborative opportunities. The joint task force will include Georgian College President Brian Tamblyn, and representatives from Georgian College, Lakehead University, and the City of Orillia.

The target date to start the satellite campus in Orillia is the fall of 2006.

Media: Dr. Frederick Gilbert, President Lakehead University, and Ron Stevens, Mayor of the City of Orillia, are available for interview.

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Contact: Lakehead University, Eleanor Abaya, Director of Communications at 807.343-8372, eleanor.abaya@lakeheadu.ca;
City of Orillia, Robert Lamb, Manager of Economic Development at 705. 325-4900, rlamb@city.orillia.on.ca