As a first step in the anticipated next phase of the province’s Major Capacity Expansion for postsecondary education, the University of Guelph and Humber are proposing to bring their highly successful University of Guelph-Humber partnership to Brampton.

The two institutions met with the City of Brampton’s “University Blue Ribbon Exploratory Panel” today. Guelph was among the Ontario universities invited to meet with the panel.

The City of Brampton created the panel to explore options for establishing a university campus in the region. And with the expected Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) call for proposals for a new campus to serve the Peel and Halton regions, the city is seeking a potential partner.

As many in the Humber community are aware, the University of Guelph-Humber allows students to earn both a university honours degree and a college diploma in four years. This one of its kind Canadian partnership was created to address changes in higher education and skill shortages in the workplace.  Now with 4,700 full-time students, Guelph-Humber is considered a model of innovative education and a successful collaborative venture.

Our two institutions have worked together to form a proven model for a campus that fully meets the provincial government’s vision for greater access to high-quality education and preparing students to be innovative and successful in their fields.

As I noted during our meeting, with about one quarter of U of G-H students living in Brampton, and more than 230 area employers providing work placements and internships, Guelph-Humber may already be the city’s local university. We’re now looking forward to building on those relationships, and our reputation, and we envision an urban campus that provides new opportunities for students and advances development of the regional economy.

I look forward to keeping the Humber community updated on further progress.

Best regards,