Georgian College and Lakehead University to develop Central Ontario’s only four-year Electrical Engineering degree

Electrical Engineering MOU

(Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013 – Thunder Bay, ON)

Lakehead University and Georgian College have announced plans to develop a four-year degree in electrical engineering that they will deliver jointly in Central Ontario.

Students will enrol in both institutions and graduate with a Georgian advanced diploma and Lakehead degree. Graduates will be eligible to apply for a Professional Engineer (PEng) designation.

The program was announced at Georgian College’s Barrie Campus, yesterday, by Georgian College President and CEO, Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes, and Lakehead University President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Stevenson.

This will be the first engineering degree of its kind to be offered in Central Ontario. Pending all approvals, the program will begin in September 2015.

“Georgian College and Lakehead University share a commitment to addressing the postsecondary aspirations of people in Simcoe County and Central Ontario,” said Dr. West-Moynes. “By working collaboratively, we will be able to give residents, for the first time, an opportunity to earn an engineering degree and an advanced diploma without having to leave the region. Employers throughout our area will also benefit by having access to a larger pool of engineering professionals who can help meet the demands of today’s global economy.”

“Lakehead University is very proud to count Georgian College as an important partner, and I am excited about the new engineering program,” said Dr. Stevenson. “This partnership ties together our institutions’ growth and capacity development, and further demonstrates how Lakehead and Georgian continue to benefit postsecondary education in, and the economic development of, Central Ontario.”

Students will study concurrently at Lakehead and Georgian throughout their four years, taking classes at Georgian’s University Partnership Centre on the Barrie Campus and Lakehead’s Orillia Campus.

“Georgian and Lakehead share strong track records and established reputations in engineering and technology programs,” added West-Moynes. “I am thrilled that degree students will soon be learning in our university-calibre, state-of-the-art labs on Georgian’s Barrie Campus. This will be a marquee program in our one-of-a-kind University Partnership Centre.”

The agreement to pursue a joint Electrical Engineering degree results from ongoing discussions between Lakehead and Georgian, aimed at creating access to innovative programs to meet the needs of local communities and employers. Just last week, in Thunder Bay, West-Moynes and Stevenson signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue joint international recruitment of students for select programs; to work together to develop new student pathways and programs for Aboriginal learners; and to extend postsecondary learning opportunities using modern distance delivery modes.

Photo Caption  (left to right):

  • Baldev Pooni, VP, Academic and University Programming, Georgian College
  • Angelo Orsi, Mayor, City of Orillia
  • Jeff Lehman, Mayor, City of Barrie
  • Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes, President and CEO of Georgian College
  • Dr. Brian J. Stevenson, President and Vice-Chancellor, Lakehead University
  • Cal Patterson, Warden, County of Simcoe
  • Garfield Dunlop, MPP, Simcoe North
  • Shelly Cunningham, Senior Vice President, Engineering Services, PowerStream

 

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Georgian College media contact:  Mark Hall, Senior Communications Specialist, at 705-728-1968, ext. 1008 or mark.hall@georgiancollege.ca.

Lakehead University (Thunder Bay) media contact: Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177, or brandon.walker@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 120 career-focused programs across seven locations in Central Ontario (Barrie, Midland, Muskoka, Orangeville, Orillia, Owen Sound and South Georgian Bay), Georgian serves 11,000 full-time students and 28,000 Continuing Education registrants 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 received the highest score among Ontario colleges in the 2013 International Student Barometer – ranking number three in the world – and has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers seven times and one of Canada’s Greenest Employers four years in a row.

 

Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.