New website launched to share Georgian-Lakehead degree expansion plan
August 5, 2014
Georgian University Partnership Centre and Lakehead University have an innovative plan to offer students a different kind of education – the best of college and the best of university, combined.
A website has been created to provide information about the new Georgian-Lakehead Plan. Launched this week, georgianlakehead.ca is the one-stop shop to learn about the plan, stay up to date on its progress, and find out how it will benefit students and our communities for years to come. The website also offers visitors the opportunity to share their thoughts and comments.
The new plan was developed in response to a call for proposals from the Province of Ontario to meet growing demand for postsecondary education in the province. As outlined in the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) Major Capacity Expansion program, the province’s goal is to increase undergraduate degree opportunities that are accessible and affordable.
Lakehead University and Georgian College, already the two largest postsecondary institutions in Simcoe County, plan to grow together to offer more than 50 degree programs to 6,000 students.
The joint proposal, which will be submitted to the MTCU by the province’s Sept. 26 deadline, outlines inventive solutions for meeting the needs of students throughout Simcoe County. Many program offerings will be integrated diploma-degrees, allowing students to graduate in four years, better prepared for their chosen careers.
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Media contacts:
Mark Hall, Georgian Senior Communications Specialist, 705.728.1968, ext. 1008 or mark.hall@georgiancollege.ca
Kathy Hunt, Lakehead Orillia Communications Officer, 705.330.4008, ext. 2014 or kjhunt3@lakeheadu.ca
Georgian College fosters a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, preparing students to become not only job seekers, but also job creators. Working together with industry and community partners, Georgian offers relevant, cutting-edge curriculum, quality work placements and co-op experiences. With more than 125 career-focused programs across seven locations in Central Ontario – Barrie, Midland, Muskoka, Orangeville, Orillia, Owen Sound and South Georgian Bay (Collingwood) – Georgian has 11,000 full-time students and 28,000 Continuing Education registrations annually. Advanced study options, including the only four-year automotive management and golf management degrees in Canada, are offered through the one-of-a-kind Georgian University Partnership Centre. Georgian has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers seven times and one of Canada’s Greenest Employers five years in a row.
In 2015, Lakehead University will celebrate 50 years of exceptional education. Guided by a new Strategic Plan (2013-2018), our University is known for providing an education focused on independent thinking, unconventional scholarship, and a close sense of community. About 9,700 students and 2,000 faculty and staff learn and work in ten faculties at two campuses, in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university: home to Ontario’s first new Faculty of Law in 44 years, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and Faculties of Engineering, Business Administration, Health and Behavioural Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, Science and Environmental Studies, Natural Resources Management, Education and Graduate Studies. Lakehead is among Canada’s Top 10 undergraduate universities (2014 Maclean’s University Rankings), as well as 1st in Ontario and 2nd in Canada for its innovative research (Re$earch Infosource). Visit http://www.lakeheadu.ca.