Western Ontario and Fanshawe College [Archive]

ldoto

May 16, 2009, 4:36 PM

Sat, May 16, 2009

BEYOND CRISIS: Exploring our region's next economy

The University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College received a total of $12 million from the province yesterday to help deal with a rise in enrolment amid an increasingly tough job market.

Fanshawe, which expects its student population to jump 5% in September, received $3 million while UWO got $9 million.

The struggling economy has caused a surge in postsecondary school enrolment, something many see as a positive.

"(The) traditional jobs we are losing today are not coming back," LondonFanshawe MPP Khalil Ramal said as he announced the money. "That's why we're investing in post-secondary education -- to increase the capacity of our schools to assist students with the skills they need."

Provincewide, $150 million is being split among all post-secondary schools in the one-time handout.

Chris Bentley, the London West MPP who serves as Ontario's attorney-general, said he would encourage those struggling to find work to head back to school.

Those without postsecondary schooling should do the same, he said.

"If you've completed high school, you should really be considering some form of post-high school education," including trades, he said. "Because 70 to 80% of the jobs of the future are all going to require that.

"They say that in 15 years a huge number of the jobs won't even have been thought of today."

Bentley, who served as Ontario's minister of colleges and universities from 2005 to 2007, says there are 100,000 more post-secondary students in Ontario than in 2003, when the Liberals took over Queen's Park. That's a 25% jump.

With the post-secondary funding model in flux, schools like Fanshawe and UWO don't yet know how much money they will get for the next school year. But the enrolment increase will make every dollar all the more important, said Fanshawe's vice-president of finance.

"Often in an economy that's in a downturn, what we see are people going back to school to upgrade their skills," Scott Porter said. "We believe there are people who want to come and update their skills."

ldoto

May 16, 2009, 4:37 PM

:previous:
btw this thread should be called Western Ontario and Fanshawe College ;)

ldoto

May 16, 2009, 4:54 PM

Thanks that's better!!!!!;)

ldoto

May 26, 2009, 1:47 AM

Fanshawe College Receives $31.8-Million in New Funding:cheers: :cheers:

Fanshawe College is starting the new work week with a $31.8-million dollar announcement from the Federal and Provincial Governments.

$15.9-million dollars will come from Ottawa while another $15.9-million dollars will come from Queens Park.

The announced funding will allow Fanshawe College to expand its recently purchased building at 1764 Oxford Street. The Centre for Applied Transportation Technologies will accommodate 1,500 full time students who are seeking job-ready credentials in trades and technologies that support the transportation industry.

Dr. Rundle was pleased about today's announcement. "We have one of the highest confirmation rates to date for fall 2009 and there is a marked increase in demand from adult learners and Second Career applicants. This is a great step toward meeting that increased demand." said Rundle.

The investment is part of the federal government's two-year, $2-billion plan to repair and expand research and educational facilities at Canadian colleges and universities.

London West MP Ed Holder announced the federal funding today which will be put towards Fanshawe's Centre for Applied Transportation Technologies.

"This is a significant investment in Fanshawe College and all of London will benefit as a result, especially with the new jobs in the short-term. This is the stimulus spending we have been pushing, which will help our local economy recover while investing in long-term innovation," said MP Holder.

"This is an example of the swift response that is possible when the federal and provincial governments work for the best interests of our community."

ilp

May 27, 2009, 9:27 PM

I'll try and post some pictures of the new residence building under construction at Fanshawe once the weather turns nicer :)

Also, I'll try and get some pictures of the new courtyard uploaded.

ldoto

May 28, 2009, 3:11 AM

:previous:
btw what new courtyard pics??????:shrug:

JrUrbanDesigner

May 28, 2009, 2:07 PM

:previous:
btw what new courtyard pics??????:shrug:

There was a redesigned courtyard that opened last fall at Fanshawe College

ldoto

May 29, 2009, 3:15 AM

:previous: I see!!!!!

ldoto

May 30, 2009, 4:01 AM

Fri, May 29, 2009

The province and federal governments are chipping in $50 million to help build a new Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

The announcement this afternoon means the 1,000 students at the business school be under one roof instead of spread across five locations, one of them off-campus.

Western is chipping in $22.5 million and the business school is raising $27.5 million through private donations.

Construction will start at the new site, in front of Brescia University College in August and create 600 new construction jobs.

The first phase of the school should be complete by March 2011.

ldoto

May 30, 2009, 4:10 AM

Area MPPs announced $50 million for two new schools and renovations to three others this morning.

The Thames Valley District school board will get:

- $7 million for an addition to Glendale high school in Tillsonburg

- $10.1 million to build a new elementary school in the Stoney Creek neighbourhood in London

- $1 million to build an addition at Northridge public school in London.

The London District Catholic school board will get:

- $27 million to build a new Catholic high school in northwest London

- $5 million for an addition at St. Joseph’s Catholic high school in St. Thomas.

The cash was part of a $500 million province-wide investment.

ldoto

Jun 20, 2009, 2:11 AM

Dubbed Tornado Alley, Southwestern Ontario will soon be able to produce mini-twisters even if there aren't any in the sky.

The world's first six-sided wind tunnel able to simulate a tornado will be built at the University of Western Ontario.

The nearly $24-million facility will be the second wind-related project at UWO, home to a wind tunnel laboratory famed for wind tests run there on model structures ranging from New York's Freedom Tower to the Confederation Bridge.

The new hexagonal facility, called the WindEE Dome -- it stands for wind engineering, energy and environment -- will use a series of giant fans to create swirling winds to simulate an F3 tornado about six metres in size.

The 25-metre-diameter dome will be housed in a larger, futuristic structure about 40 metres in diameter.

"By manipulating the fans, the dome can simulate any kind of swirling wind environment," said engineering professor Horia Hangan, leading the project.

Traditional wind tunnels, such as the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel at UWO, he said, cannot simulate the swirling wind of a tornado or downdraft.

Hangan said scale models of urban buildings, power lines, field crops, forests and industrial plants will be built inside the dome.

The dome will feature a variety of terrains, so the impact of tornado winds can be accurately assessed.

Scale-model wind farms -- pint-sized versions of what's popping up across Ontario -- will also be built in the dome to determine the best design to get maximum electrical power from their turbines.

The dome could also be used to track the spread of pollutants over wide areas.

Southwestern Ontario is one of Canada's tornado hotspots, but the twisters usually prove less manacing than they look. Hangan said tornadoes have been simulated in lab conditions before, but never on the scale being tried by Western.

Western's Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel has done testing for high-profile projects around the world. More recently, a UWO research facility near London Airport -- dubbed the Three Little Pigs -- has done ground-breaking research on wind damage on typical suburban homes.

Hangan, a director of UWO's existing wind tunnel, said the WindEEE dome will reinforce UWO's reputation in wind research. "This intention is to make Western a world leader in wind research,'' he said.

Hangan said construction of the WindEEE dome should begin within a year. It should be operating a year or two later

The project had been kept under wraps until UWO received confirmation yesterday of $9.5 million in funding from the Canada Foundations for Innovation.

The project was one of four research projects that received a total of $17.6 million in foundations funding. Others were:

- Western's anthropology department received $3.9 million to collect and preserve archeological artifacts unearthed at housing and highway projects across Ontario in partnership with First Nations.

- The Robarts Research Institute and Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry received $2.5 million for research into minimally-invasive surgeries using miniature surgical tools guided remotely by medical imaging.

- The chemistry department received $1.6 million to enhance the imaging capabilities of two X-ray machines being used at a research facility in Saskatoon, Sask.

MolsonExport

Jun 21, 2009, 1:13 AM

with all the hot air blowing out of city hall, I would have thought that the city was already a world leader in wind research :D

ldoto

Aug 29, 2009, 1:43 AM

The next long weekend for most of us is still a week away, although if you're a city police officer or someone who lives near Fanshawe or Western -- the next couple of days might feel like a long weekend for other reasons.

This is the weekend thousands of students begin returning to London for the new school year, and Police will be out in force along Richmond Row and student neighbourhoods trying to make sure everyone behaves.

It's all part of Project L.E.A.R.N, an annual crackdown on rowdy student behaviour. Last fall, between August and October, Police issued more than 1400 tickets and laid 130 charges.

One of the most notorious areas for student partying is Fleming Drive near Fanshawe College. Stephanie Drummond lives on that street and says she always has to brace herself for this time of year.

"I'll tell ya, they're pretty wild. Not right here, but down there... they light fires, and throw beer bottles all over the place and they just act like kids." she said.

Deputy London Police Cheif Ian Peer says every year is a challenge because a fresh batch of students come into the residences.

"We're starting at square one with many people to educate them - the first year students, and trying to get them to understand that they can be sort of a student here but yet a responsible citizen that can live co-operatively with everybody."

Officials at Fanshawe College are doing what they can to assist police. Spokesperson Leanne Perrault says they're trying to get a good line of communication between the students, the college and the neighbours.

"With newsletters, and some door-to-door visits, and through-out orientation, there's a focus throughout part of the orientation providing useful information to the 7,000 plus first-year students who will be here."

London Police will be frequenting not only the areas surrounding Fanshawe College but also Western and the downtown bars.

SlickFranky

Aug 31, 2009, 11:02 PM

'They light fires' ??? I went to a lot of rowdy keggers in my day, but I don't remember fires being typical. I do remember some beer bottles being thrown though.

manny_santos

Sep 1, 2009, 1:36 AM

'They light fires' ??? I went to a lot of rowdy keggers in my day, but I don't remember fires being typical. I do remember some beer bottles being thrown though.

In recent years there have been several student fires in the Fleming Drive area. One such fire was set on a couch that was dragged out onto the street, and was caught on tape by an A-Channel news crew.

ldoto

Oct 6, 2009, 3:16 PM

At last, a hero's role for the much-maligned starling.

The dark speckled bird that some deride as a pest is one of a dozen species to get star billing in a new, $9.2-million bird wind tunnel and laboratory at the University of Western Ontario -- the only one of its kind in the world.

And in the process, the various birds at the Advanced Facility for Avian Research may provide clues to understanding aerodynamics, climate change, human obesity, language development and brain growth.

A unique aspect of the facility is that the wind tunnel can give a close-up look at birds in flight -- at temperatures, air pressure, wind speeds and humidity levels simulating conditions during migrations at altitudes as high as 7,000 metres.

"It's one-of-a-kind in the planet. You will find a facility like this nowhere else in the world except London, Ont.," said Ted Hewitt, vice-president research at UWO.

Scott MacDougall-Shackleton, head of the facility, said studying birds is important partly because they live in diverse environments, have the capability of learning language -- much like humans -- and are sentinels of ecological change.

"We need to be able to understand birds' physiology if we're going to protect them," he said.

And in the process, we just may learn to understand and protect ourselves better.

The facility includes ecologists, psychologists, neuroscientists, molecular geneticists and engineers.

Its showpiece, the wind tunnel, will help researchers delve into the aerodynamics, physics and biology of flight.

The birds are being trained to fly from their enclosures into the wind tunnel, which can reach speeds of as high as 15 metres per second and can be adjusted to simulate environmental conditions birds encounter while migrating. "It's like swimming in an endless-lap pool," MacDougall-Shackleton said.

"How can they fly (at altitude)? It's a very high-performance exercise and yet they're doing this with very low oxygen."

Starlings are ideally suited for the job because they're "incredibly bright," are easily trained to fly into a wind tunnel and have a wide range of vocalizations, he said.

The wind tunnel will also help show researchers how birds use their large stores of fat as energy during the long distances of migration. That may provide clues to reducing obesity in humans.

Researcher Roi Gurka of the engineering faculty and a specialist in fluid mechanics, is looking forward to setting up specialized cameras that can help decipher how a bird uses its energy. "How can they eat so little and still fly so efficiently? That's one of the most important puzzling questions that exist," he said.

And MacDougall-Shackleton said the research may help find answers to questions no one has yet thought to ask about bird behaviour and neurology.

ldoto

Dec 18, 2009, 3:52 AM

Province injects $2.5 million into college's equipment

The Ontario government is giving Fanshawe College $2.5-million for new equipment and upgrades to its facilities.

The money will be used to pay for state-of-the-art machines such as an X-ray unit, cardiac monitor, FM broadcast transmitter and welding machines — to better train students on each industry’s latest technologies.

The move is part of the McGuinty government’s long-term plan to invest in post-secondary education, London Fanshawe MPP Khalil Ramal said today.

“We cannot maintain our economic prosperity without keeping pace with the rapid speed of technology,” Ramal said.

The investment is part of the province’s ReNew Ontario Infrastructure program.

sparky212

Jan 22, 2010, 8:17 PM

Elbow room costly hurdle
FANSHAWE COLLEGE: Finding money for downtown London expansion may be a problem

By HANK DANISZEWSKI, THE LONDON FREE PRESS

"There is a very real and pressing need," said Rundle, pointing out Fanshawe has run out of room at its main London campus because of soaring enrolment.

But Rundle said the major challenge will be finding the money for the $30-million to $50-million project and that could mean tapping into the city's $55-million economic development war chest as well as provincial and private funding.

"The moment we have that lined up we will leap into action," he said.

Rundle said Fanshawe's satellite campus in Citi Centre is crammed with staff running community employment services and faculty and students from the theatre arts programs He said the college would like to offer complementary programs in costume design and technical theatre skills. It would also like to move the culinary arts program into a facility with a new kitchen. Other arts and media-related programs could be added in the future.

But he said there's no room to expand in Citi Centre because the employment programs alone could take up the whole space.

"In five years time when the lease expires we will be up against it. We want to be somewhere else where we can grow," he said.

Rundle said the campus could be part of a downtown arts district and could be in a new or renovated building.

He said the programs could share stage facilities with the Grand Theatre and offer training in downtown restaurants.

"This whole package is better located in the heart of the city," he said.

Rundle noted George Brown community college has a theatre arts program in Toronto's historic distillery district and the University of Waterloo runs a downtown pharmacy program.

Janette MacDonald, manager of Downtown London, said a Fanshawe campus would be a valuable addition to the city core and there are a number of suitable properties available.

"Any successful downtown we have seen has an educational presence," she said.

MacDonald said a downtown campus would be a catalyst for further development, much like the John Labatt Centre.

She said students would be more likely to live in the core and spend money at the many new bars, restaurants and retailers that cater to younger customers.

"It gives us residents, customers and feet on the street. We want downtown London to be densely populated with the creative class," she said.

Hank Daniszewski is a Free Press reporter.

This is gonna be sweet. Not to mention awsome for down town

ldoto

Jan 23, 2010, 4:33 AM

This would be great for the downtown core!!!!!:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

manny_santos

Feb 2, 2010, 3:50 AM

Anybody catch The Agenda on TVO tonight? The program was live from UWO and talked about London's future.

Very interesting stats - only 5% of Western graduates remain in London after graduating, while that number is 85% for Fanshawe College grads.

I have posted here before that a ton of Western grads that I have known leave London after graduating - but even I'm stunned at this number. And yet when I think about it, most of the Western students I knew during my career there had no connection to London. Many of them didn't give two sh*ts about London, the only things they visited off campus were off-campus housing after first year, grocery stores and Masonville Place, and the bars on Richmond Row.

Amit Chakma was in the panel on the program, and unfortunately I found him to be rather indifferent to Western's role in helping London's future as well as Western's reputation as a "party school". Host Steve Paikin asked Chakma a question about Western's role in keeping its talent in London, and he deflected to talk about Western students being prepared to work all over the world. That's all well and good (and I'll be the first to say I have aspirations to work in another country), but he didn't answer the question. He didn't seem at all concerned about the 5% statistic. When the "party school" issue was brought up, Chakma claimed it was part of Western's past and pointed to their high admission average. While Western doesn't have some of the problems Fanshawe has had in the past few years, as a recent graduate I can say it is still very much a party school.

Perhaps most interesting was the comment from the teacher in the panel - she said that in all the cities across Canada and the United States she has worked in over the years, London was the most difficult to get skilled employment in, because while in other places it's about what skills you have, in London it's about who you know. I haven't applied for jobs in other cities yet but that is definitely true of London.

SlickFranky

Feb 5, 2010, 12:35 AM

Those numbers are interesting, but not all that surprising.

First thing I would look into is where the students are coming from for both schools. UWO draws from across Canada, but mostly from Ontario, and most of that from GTA. Fanshawe (anecdotally) draws from a much more local pool. There are some programs that pull from all over, but it's mostly SW Ontario students, for whom London is already the regional center.

The easiest way to improve this would be to better integrate co-op into UWO programs. London's job market is very much 'who you know', so getting students 'known' to local employers and vice versa would make a massive difference. Co-op also edges away from the party school image, and is hugely beneficial to students.

manny_santos

Feb 5, 2010, 1:44 AM

Co-op is definitely something Western should be setting up, as Waterloo and some others have done. One of the student senators I know has told me he wants to see this happen for Western and he has talked about lobbying for this if he gets into the USC for next year.

As for where Western students are coming from, I don't have exact numbers, but the anecdotal numbers I've seen indicate 40% GTA, 10% international, and 15-20% London, with a good chunk of the remainder being from other parts of SW Ontario and also other parts of Canada (the current USC President hails from Nova Scotia). TVO's program seemed to indicate that a lot of the graduates who do stay in London are ones who come from smaller communities in Southwestern Ontario.

SlickFranky

Feb 6, 2010, 3:57 AM

manny_santos

Feb 6, 2010, 7:58 PM

Those %'s sound about right...I got the same impression when I went there. From my friends and acquaintances there the students from other provinces/countries all went back home, GTA almost all went back to GTA, and the Chatham/Exeter/St Thomas/etc (locals) were much more likely to stick around.

Every single student from the GTA I've known at Western has gone straight back to Toronto after graduating, unless they're pursuing further post-secondary education.

MolsonExport

Feb 6, 2010, 8:18 PM

Those %'s sound about right...I got the same impression when I went there. From my friends and acquaintances there the students from other provinces/countries all went back home, GTA almost all went back to GTA, and the Chatham/Exeter/St Thomas/etc (locals) were much more likely to stick around.

As a Prof at UWO, this corroborates my own impressions.

ForestryW

Feb 7, 2010, 2:14 PM

Sometimes the purpose of a school is not to bring skilled labor to the city, though. Princeton grads don't stay in Princeton, Cornell grads don't stay in Ithaca, Yale grads don't stay in New Haven, etc...

The fact is that the administrators of UWO have differing perspectives from local residents regarding what the purpose of the school should be.

Also, I completely agree that getting a job in London has nothing to do with what skills you have but purely who you know. That's discouraging to the type of skilled labor the city is trying to attract. The fact is most of the wealth in London is held in the hands of some very established (read: Old North) families and it's there to stay.

ldoto

Feb 9, 2010, 2:34 PM

TECHNOLOGY: Paid over the next three years, the federal government funding will cover 122 projects

By DEBORA VAN BRENK, THE LONDON FREE PRESS

Last Updated: 9th February 2010, 8:55am

New technology is under development to build molecules that work in much the same way as a non-stick frying pan, but with precise application to higher tech instruments, said researcher Paul Ragogna who heads the project.

"Oil and water don't mix, and this (surface) doesn't mix with either," he said.

The technology could be used as a micro-thin coating that eliminates corrosion on instruments ordinarily too sensitive for outdoor use, such as some low-energy light sources or next-generation solar cells.

Ragogna said he hopes the technology, with industry partners, could become market-ready in five to seven years.

"Ultimately we would like to be able to manufacture these things on a large scale," he said.

His team's work is just one of 122 university research projects that will receive $53.5 million in funding during the next three years, Gary Goodyear, minister of state for science and technology, announced at Western on Monday.

The NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) program of strategic project grants offers funding to academic research that has industry partnerships and commercial potential.

Also at UWO, researchers will benefit from a grant to do full-scale testing of wood frame failures in severe windstorms -- one further step in building homes that are safer and more durable in extreme weather.

Combined, the two Western projects will receive $310,000 from the funding program.

Goodyear said strategic areas targeted for the grants include information technology, health, security and renewable energy. The grants, Goodyear said, can build a diverse and strong Canadian economy with "real-world research."

Collectively, the projects will help "make us a country of leading-edge innovators," Goodyear said

ldoto

Feb 9, 2010, 2:42 PM

Board of Control Considers Downtown College Campus Plan

The City is teaming up with Fanshawe College to turn empty and under-used buildings in the downtown core into works of art.

Board of Control will debate the proposed plan tomorrow to convert heritage buildings near the corner of Richmond and Dundas into a new campus for the College's applied and performance arts programs.

The 10 year program would cost $10-million dollars in city subsidies and would be the last major investment aimed at revitalizing the downtown core.

Fanshawe will be announcing details of the plan soon, including how they plan to buy and renovate several 'hertiage type buildings' in the area to create a 'district concept' campus for about a thousand students.

Officials from the College say they have no room to expand at the main campus on Oxford, so they need to look elsewhere.

Their threatre arts program is already downtown but their lease at the CitiPlaza is up in 5 years and they want to expand even more.

For their part, the City hopes to turn the proposed downtown campus into a tourist destination and use the space on nights and weekends for youth-focused arts competitions.

To help pay for renovating the older buildings -- which costs more than building new ones -- City staff could recommend a grant of $100 a square foot, but Fanshawe still needs funding from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and the Federal government.

This would be City Hall's last in a long list of initiatives centred in the core which started in 1995 and included building the John Labatt Centre.
__________________

ldoto

Feb 10, 2010, 2:54 PM

POINT OF VIEW

By PAUL BERTON, THE LONDON FREE PRESS

Last Updated: 10th February 2010, 9:34am

A Fanshawe College vision for a downtown campus in London should excite everyone but the core's fiercest critics.

And city hall can pat itself on the back for helping make the dream a possibility.

Indeed, it's hard to imagine this even being proposed without the considerable investment downtown over the last decade by the taxpayer and some progressive policies instituted by city hall.

The result: a snowball effect of investment, both public and private, in downtown London, and a new future for the core.

It wouldn't have happened without the construction of important public buildings such as the Central Library, Covent Garden Market and the John Labatt Centre. And with private investment in commercial renovations and the construction of apartments and condominiums, more people are deciding they want to live downtown.

It's true downtown critics still abound. They don't appreciate that most of the city's best restaurants and entertainment venues are downtown. That most of the summer festivals are downtown. That a large part of the city's workforce is downtown. That most of the unique retailers and most of the city's heritage architecture is downtown. That much of the interesting housing options are downtown. They prefer to focus on such things as traffic, the perceived parking challenges, the unique mix of people on the sidewalks, the empty stores . . .

The reality may have changed downtown in the past decade, but the criticisms and the perceived challenges have not. Nor is it ever likely to.

But for those who can see beyond the rust and peeling paint, who are unimpressed with the temporary shine of disposable suburbia, we are in the midst of a remarkable few decades in London's core. Fanshawe's plan to establish a downtown education and arts district in and around the heritage buildings of Dundas and Richmond streets is more proof of that.

If it happens over the next decade, it could mean more performing arts venues, more retailers, more restaurants and more housing. It could mean a true renaissance that even the core's fiercest critics would have to concede (although that's unlikely). We don't know exactly what lies ahead, but it cannot be a bad thing.

Fanshawe and city hall should congratulate themselves. The rest of us should take a bow.

manny_santos

Feb 10, 2010, 10:51 PM

I sure hope they take over the old CIBC building at Dundas and Richmond. That has become a real eyesore since it was abandoned.

ForestryW

Feb 11, 2010, 4:35 PM

I always thought that old CIBC building would be a perfect spot for a Chapters.

MolsonExport

Oct 27, 2010, 1:34 AM

For the ninth consecutive year, the University of Western Ontario has made top grades in a survey of students across the country.

Western scored top marks in several of the benchmarks, including “most satisfied students” in the annual survey by the Globe and Mail and was the top university in 13 of 17 categories.

“I am tremendously grateful to our students for clearly demonstrating that Western continues to provide the best student experience in Canada,” Western president Amit Chakma said in a news release.

“As we continue our work to make it even better, our vision is that our students will carry the message to the world and Western will have increasing international impact. I also want to offer my thanks to all our faculty, staff and community members who together create the best student experience.”

The survey results are based on the questionnaires completed by 35,000 undergraduate students. The students were asked 100 questions.

Western ranked first among large universities (more than 22,000 students) in quality of education, teaching, student-faculty interaction, technology, atmosphere, libraries, buildings and facilities, student residences, food services, recreation and athletics, ease of course registration and course availability and variety.

UWO also tied for second in two areas (career preparation and class size) and third in two (satisfaction with town or city and environmental commitment.)
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=65974581#post65974581

Just wait. If UWOFA/UWOSA go on strike, this level of satisfaction will plummet.

ldoto

Oct 31, 2010, 3:49 AM

London's newest public school – the first to be built in the Forest City in 17 years – was officially opened on Oct. 18.

Classes at Stoney Creek public school, a 69,000-square-foot building just north of Fanshawe Park Road W, began for the first time this September.

The school's 620 pupils, from kindergarten to grade 8, joined school board officials and staff for a special ceremony last week.

ldoto

Oct 31, 2010, 3:50 AM

The roof at Fanshawe College’s new applied transportation technology building is covered with lush vegetation and looks like a meadow.

Students of Fanshawe’s horticultural program are learning how to maintain the ecologically friendly green roof.

It’s an example of the “green” jobs that have become a focus for Fanshawe and other community colleges across Ontario.

“The skill-set demands of the new green economy requires us to look ahead to the future,” Fanshawe president Howard Rundle said at a Friday news conference.’

The new transportation building just east of the main campus is scheduled to open in April. Sedum and other drought-resistant plants growing on the roof will act as natural insulation, absorbing heat and moisture.

The building will have other environmental features including solar water heating, water bottle filling stations and GPS-tracking skylights.

About 50 Fanshawe students are working in a $2.3-million program on sustainable energy funded mainly by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

There are seven projects under way at Fanshawe, including solar-powered golf carts, residential awnings and blinds and a solar-powered de-icing system.

Lambton College in Sarnia is another leader in “green” campus building technology. The college installed its own green roof planted with moss from the Gobi Desert that is equivalent to R-40 insulation.

The college is planning to build a “smart” house as a working lab on campus with a geothermal heating, solar panels and a moss roof.

Linda Franklin, chief executive of Colleges Ontario, said there has been rapid change in curriculum with 35 new environmentally based programs introduced in community colleges in the last three years.

“Years ago, we never heard of eco-systems surveyors or renewable energy technicians. Now we are graduating these people,” she said.

Fanshawe also announced the renewal of a program that helps nurses from other countries get the training and experience they need to be qualified to work in Ontario hospitals

MolsonExport

Oct 31, 2010, 3:25 PM

Strike is imminent. UWOFA is in a legal strike position at 12:01am Wednesday, and they WILL strike at that time if an agreement is not reached.

on salary, the last offer is 0%,0%, 0.5%, 0.5% for four years. That's right, kiddies! 1% over four years. Which is about a 10% decrease factoring in inflation, not to mention the effects on future salary.

manny_santos

Oct 31, 2010, 11:19 PM

I'm not sure where I stand on the UWO employees, especially as a former UWO employee and a UWO alumnus myself. Any increase in costs for the university will have to be paid for somewhere, and I'm concerned that could end up being the students who already pay some of the highest tuition in the country.

As I worked in a support capacity I'm more familiar with the UWOSA than the UWOFA, so I can't comment much on the faculty side. I'm not going to comment directly on the UWOSA right now, although I will say that increased support staff costs will have to be paid by someone - again, probably the students in increased prices for food, reduced library hours, increased prices for textbooks and school supplies, and increased residence costs. Guess they won't be going to Jack's as often.

It should be noted that if the UWOFA goes on strike, classes at King's University College, Huron College, and Brescia University College will not be affected unless the professor is directly a UWO professor and not a professor of the college. For example one King's student I know will still have four of his five classes in the event of a strike.

manny_santos

Nov 2, 2010, 2:11 PM

I have looked into the demands of the UWOSA (a different union than the one MolsonExport is part of) and I have decided I do not support the UWOSA's demands. From what I have gathered from another UWO employee the UWOSA is demanding a 10% raise and further restrictions on the hiring of students as part-time employees.

If they get their way, these things will do nothing but hurt students - students will have a harder time accessing campus employment to help themselves earn cash during the school year and in the summer, and they will ultimately pay more for services such as food, textbooks, and residence - together a bigger expense than tuition. In the long run this could put more strain on the OSAP system and the taxpayers, as taxpayers pay the interest on student loans (which pay for expenses in addition to tuition) while students are in school up to 6 months after they finish. It could also impact Western's ability to attract students; my colleague at Western reports that more and more students in Ontario are going out-of-province for post-secondary education as it is becoming unaffordable in Ontario.

On the UWOFA side I do agree that academic freedom must be upheld.

MolsonExport

Nov 3, 2010, 1:28 AM

UWO Strike at Midnight Likely as UWOFA Stands Firm
As of 8 p.m. no updates have been provided in the talks between the administration and the UWOFA regarding the midnight strike

http://www.businessreviewcanada.ca/tags/education/uwo-strike-midnight-likely-uwofa-stands-firm

MolsonExport

Nov 3, 2010, 12:17 PM

Strike Averted; Tentative Agreement Reached Between Uwofa And Administration At 3am Wednesday.

MolsonExport

Nov 3, 2010, 1:44 PM

Strike Averted As Western and Faculty Reach Tentative Agreement
http://www.cjbk.com/LocalNews/Story.aspx?ID=1305447

MolsonExport

Nov 4, 2010, 4:26 PM

Staff (UWOSA) could be on strike as early as tomorrow.

MolsonExport

Nov 5, 2010, 2:14 PM

UWOSA strike averted with a tentative deal reached at 3am this morning.

what the hell is it about 3am? (same time UWOFA deal was reached)

"Ahhh, fuck it!!! I give up! Let's shake hands, and call it a night, already!"

haljackey

Nov 6, 2010, 3:43 AM

"Ahhh, fuck it!!! I give up! Let's shake hands, and call it a night, already!"

That's how unions in the 21st century work. :haha:

bolognium

Feb 6, 2011, 7:39 AM

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/01/31/17105781.html#/news/london/2011/01/31/pf-17105781.html

FANSHAWE: College officials are not committing to an exact downtown location for the proposed campus
By PATRICK MALONEY, THE LONDON FREE PRESS

A skirmish may be looming over Fanshawe College’s proposed downtown London campus, with its exact core location possibly dividing the school and one council veteran.

With Fanshawe leaders preparing to present the just-completed business plan for their proposed arts campus, Coun. Bud Polhill is citing rumblings he’s heard that the school may not go exactly where he’d hoped.

“We were sold on the fact this was to rejuvenate the downtown on Dundas (St.),” Polhill said in a recent interview.

“If the good part of this is not in the Dundas corridor . . . then I’m having issues with it.”

While Fanshawe officials won’t rule out the downtown Dundas strip, they’re not guaranteeing that’ll be their new home, either.

It’s the school’s understanding the partnership with city hall focused on a so-called arts and entertainment district in the core, said Bernice Hull, Fanshawe’s vice-president of administration.

That district, presented to politicians a year ago, focused on Dundas and Richmond and is bordered basically by Talbot, Kent and Clarence streets and just south of Dundas to Market Lane.

“We have not excluded any street that falls within (that) district,” Hull said. “This is a long-term process where we’re looking at a variety of options. We’re not able to say exactly what it is we’ve identified at this time, but we’re exploring all options.”

The project could bring as many as 1,000 students to the downtown.

Students would be enrolled in arts-related Fanshawe programs. The college would buy and renovate heritage buildings to house the courses.

The project would require at least $10 million from city hall. There’s also as much as $10 million more in city dollars earmarked to help cover costs of downtown building upgrades.

Polhill, whose ward is in the east end, says Dundas revitalization should be a focus for all councillors.

“It will help a lot of businesses downtown if we rejuvenate it.”

The project is a priority for Coun. Judy Bryant, whose ward includes downtown.

Bryant is a firm supporter of having Fanshawe downtown, but won’t comment until after the college presents its business plan to councillors Feb. 10.

“I’m open to whatever’s going to work best for the city,” she said.

Fanshawe’s Hull isn’t surprised rumours are circulating about the campus location — “Something as big as this, people speculate,” she said — and says the project would move quickly if approved by council.

The school is looking to make “a start within the next year,” Hull said.

ForestryW

Feb 6, 2011, 7:03 PM

The school is looking to make “a start within the next year,” Hull said.

Talk about ambiguous...I wonder what this means.

MolsonExport

Feb 10, 2011, 3:50 AM

seems like a rather steep investment proposition for the city

MrSlippery519

Feb 10, 2011, 2:45 PM

seems like a rather steep investment proposition for the city

Agreed and not really sure of the benefits, I do not see why the city should give Fanshawe money to build downtown. If they want a campus downtown then put up the money and build it.

haljackey

Feb 10, 2011, 4:20 PM

The city seems absolutely desperate to build anything downtown in order to boost it's reputation.

Check out http://www.downtownlondon.ca/, a really overblown website made by the city. That's your tax dollars at work!

MrSlippery519

Feb 10, 2011, 4:56 PM

I get the "revitalizing" downtown thing I really do, that said it should be smart investments not building things just for the sake of doing it. Fanshawe is one of those things I really do not see the benefit in building a campus downtown.

MolsonExport

Feb 10, 2011, 5:57 PM

^agreed. In Montreal, there was a similarly-sized downtown campus put in by Lasalle college. The effects on the neighborhood vitality were negligible at best (unless you count the explosion of cheap chinese noodle-joints and shawarma bars as a fantastic addition to the urban landscape).

STudents, esp. Fanshawe (vs. UWO) students are not very rich.

What is the cost/student to the city? vs. fINANCIAL benefits to the city of London (since the city is investing)?

Show me the objectively prepared report.

bolognium

Feb 10, 2011, 9:36 PM

I know a large chunk of the City money is going towards renovating heritage buildings. It's almost two times more expensive to renovate than build new and I guess the City wants those buildings renovated and is willing to help pay for it.

I'm waiting to read something official before I really form an opinion on this, but can you guys actually not see any upsides to this?

Students schooling downtown will likely live downtown. Students living downtown will spend their money downtown. Even if they're not well-off they will still have money to spend. Whether it's on food, bars, music venues, etc. More students (especially arts students) likely means more street performing and busking. Again, since they will be arts students there will likely be different forms of art on the streets, making for a more interesting streetscape. Then there are the actual renovated buildings with classrooms and performing areas that the City would like to use for youth/other purposes on nights and weekends.

Like I said, I'm waiting for information on Fanshawe's official plans before I form much of an opinion, but I'm pretty surprised you guys don't see any benefits to this.

Snark

Feb 11, 2011, 12:20 AM

Kitchener put up $30M to U of W and $9M to WLU to build campuses in downtown Kitchener. This brought in less than 400 students. The idea is to seed new business nodes in the downtown around the specialty of the school. Although certainly not invented in Kitchener, the idea has been very strongly embraced by the urban planning community.

You guys are always slamming London for not being "progressive like Waterloo region", yet when the City of London and the local college try to introduce an initiative that is similar to one of the lynch pins of the "new economy" in Waterloo region - but with a far better cost/return ratio - you guys question or criticize it.

suckin and blowin.....

Agreed and not really sure of the benefits, I do not see why the city should give Fanshawe money to build downtown. If they want a campus downtown then put up the money and build it.

manny_santos

Feb 11, 2011, 12:30 AM

I haven't commented on the idea but I personally like the idea of getting some more students downtown. It would help breathe some more life into the area. It's one of those costs I think will be worth it.

ForestryW

Feb 11, 2011, 12:54 AM

You guys are always slamming London for not being "progressive like Waterloo region", yet when the City of London and the local college try to introduce an initiative that is similar to one of the lynch pins of the "new economy" in Waterloo region - but with a far better cost/return ratio - you guys question or criticize it.

I am actually hugely in favor of the idea, so...

MrSlippery519

Feb 11, 2011, 1:47 PM

MolsonExport

Feb 11, 2011, 3:04 PM

Ah, so KW does it, we the taxpayers can't ask for the official study? C'mon Snark. What is this "You guys" stuff? I believe that there is a fair degree of diversity of opinion on this and other topics among the Londoner forumers.

I personally think that there should be a healthy debate about any and all projects considered; here, there, and everywhere.

I have no doubt that the bars of Richmond Row will benefit.

MolsonExport

Feb 12, 2011, 2:00 AM

SSP London meetup tomorrow (saturday february 12) at Crabby Joes downtown. come one, come all.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=188121

ldoto

Feb 13, 2011, 5:56 AM

It's official. A campus is coming the core.
Last night councilors agreed to provide Fanshawe College with $20-million for a new arts campus in downtown London.!!!!!!

manny_santos

Apr 4, 2011, 1:13 PM

As I enter the final two weeks of my one-year certificate at Fanshawe, I can't help but think about my experience there versus my four-and-a-half years at Western. I can't say that one institution is better than the other, but I have a few observations.

One of the things that has struck me most is the evacuation mentality many Fanshawe students have; many have a drive to "get away from campus" as soon as their classes are done, and then work in isolation from their peers - something I can't relate to. I constantly hear students complaining "I don't wanna be here" or "I wanna go home", and especially for group projects that makes it difficult to get anything done. That was never a problem at Western, especially in my upper years when I was in classes with students with similar goals.

I went and studied at Weldon Library at Western yesterday, and was struck at how busy that campus was. On a Sunday. The UCC was filled and Tim Hortons had a big lineup, The Spoke was full of students eating and watching sports, and the library was full of students studying. Fanshawe on a Sunday is like a bowling alley. More so, it is next to impossible to find a social niche at Fanshawe. I have actually re-enrolled in a club at Western that I was a member of during my undergrad. I had my niche at Western, and that's something I've missed this year.

On the other hand, Fanshawe doesn't have a "bubble" like Western. Western seems to exist in isolation from the rest of London, with a student body that considers the whole city to stretch along Richmond Street from Masonville Place to the Greyhound station. At Western I never heard of students from out of town going out to explore what all the city has to offer.

Fanshawe's existence feels more integrated with London, and students from out-of-town seem to explore the city more so. I know of one international student who went and checked out Boler Mountain this winter. The city doesn't stop at York and Richmond for them. As a lifelong Londoner I can talk with other Fanshawe students about stuff in London and not be met with looks of puzzlement or exclamations of "wow, that's so far away!"

Of course, at Fanshawe I've also acquired a wealth of life skills and work skills I didn't get at Western. However at Western I enhanced my ability to think and learned a lot of theory that will stand me in good stead for life. Academically, the combination is unbeatable.

It has been very interesting to experience both of London's post-secondary institutions. You can take the graduate out of the Mustang, but you can't take the Mustang out of the graduate.

MolsonExport

Apr 4, 2011, 2:44 PM

Wharn

Apr 4, 2011, 3:18 PM

On the other hand, Fanshawe doesn't have a "bubble" like Western. Western seems to exist in isolation from the rest of London, with a student body that considers the whole city to stretch along Richmond Street from Masonville Place to the Greyhound station. At Western I never heard of students from out of town going out to explore what all the city has to offer.

This. A million times this. All my friends at Western think I'm some sort of psycho freak for wanting to get out and explore the city. Moreover, they think I'm weird for even liking the place to begin with. I haven't told anyone that, despite all its flaws, I'd pick London over Toronto if given the chance.

As a lifelong Londoner I can talk with other Fanshawe students about stuff in London and not be met with looks of puzzlement or exclamations of "wow, that's so far away!"

Another thing that pisses me off about Western students. My fellow students poke fun at me for living at Windermere and Adelaide ("OMG ADELAIDE?!? TEH GHETTO!!!"). I honestly live closer to the University in London than I did to my old High School in Toronto, and people still look at me with raised eyebrows and ask why I would choose to rent a place "so far away". They honestly react as if I chose to live in a farmhouse near Lucan.

haljackey

Apr 4, 2011, 6:13 PM

Just keep in mind that one is a university, the other is a community college. These two institutions share some similarities but also have a lot of differences.

As a student going to both schools, I can certainly notice a chance in atmosphere.

manny_santos

Apr 4, 2011, 11:19 PM

Aren't most Fanshawe students locals or from the surrounding communities? I reckon that 70-75%+ of Western's undergrad population (and 90% of grad students) are from outside of Southwestern Ontario (Toronto mainly, but also across Canada and around the globe).

Generally that is the case. My program is a bit different though - about 20% from the London area and 20% international students, with the rest being from other parts of Ontario. My undergrad program at Western probably had the same percentage from the London area, but closer to 30% international students.

manny_santos

Apr 4, 2011, 11:24 PM

Another thing that pisses me off about Western students. My fellow students poke fun at me for living at Windermere and Adelaide ("OMG ADELAIDE?!? TEH GHETTO!!!"). I honestly live closer to the University in London than I did to my old High School in Toronto, and people still look at me with raised eyebrows and ask why I would choose to rent a place "so far away". They honestly react as if I chose to live in a farmhouse near Lucan.

Yeah...that was a mentality I could never figure out there. I knew a girl who grew up in the east part of Oakridge, and blew her money on an apartment just slightly closer to campus. All so she could say she lived "near" campus.

And the silly thing is, living where she grew up she could get a 10 Wonderland and actually find a seat on it. Once it gets to Sarnia Road sometimes it's full and it drives right by.

Wharn

Apr 5, 2011, 4:28 PM

Yeah...that was a mentality I could never figure out there. I knew a girl who grew up in the east part of Oakridge, and blew her money on an apartment just slightly closer to campus. All so she could say she lived "near" campus.

And the silly thing is, living where she grew up she could get a 10 Wonderland and actually find a seat on it. Once it gets to Sarnia Road sometimes it's full and it drives right by.

:sly:

I think her parents may have a bit too much money to throw around. That is certainly the most ridiculous "lifestyle choice" story I've heard from a student, although I do know of several adults who have made similarly stupid housing decisions.

When I lived in Toronto, my house was close to the border with Markham around Steeles Avenue East and Leslie Street. Every day I would take the 51 Leslie (possibly the worst bus route in Canada) all the way down to York Mills Road, and then walk to school from there. Commute was often about 40 minutes in the morning, sometimes over an hour coming home (and people wonder why nobody likes transit). After 4 years of doing that, going from Adelaide Street to the University (even on the dreaded 32 Windermere) feels like a dream. The distance that this girl moved would not even get me halfway along my old route.

manny_santos

Apr 5, 2011, 5:03 PM

:sly:

I think her parents may have a bit too much money to throw around. That is certainly the most ridiculous "lifestyle choice" story I've heard from a student, although I do know of several adults who have made similarly stupid housing decisions.

That's the most extreme example I know of, but I've known numerous students who have thrown away money to live closer to UWO. That's about $30,000 over four years.

This is where I think the OSAP system is inequitable. There's only so much funding province-wide to go around, and students from London, for example, have the option to live at home through university or college. Yet they have no problem getting thousands of dollars of OSAP, taking away money from students who really need it. Not so much students like myself who have personal savings, but students who go to university in other cities and due to various family circumstances can't get the financial help from their families that OSAP "expects" them to get. I know of at least one girl who got screwed over by OSAP because of this.

Meanwhile I know people from London from well-off families who would never get OSAP if they lived at home, but get OSAP because they choose to move somewhere else in the city while going to Western or Fanshawe. These students should not be getting that extra $30,000 worth of OSAP that other students truly need.

Wharn

Apr 5, 2011, 5:59 PM

Like most government welfare systems, OSAP is broken. Of course, I am quite sure that any attempt to fix it in order to make it more equitable will be met with stiff resistance, especially if the PCs propose the changes.

Pimpmasterdac

Apr 5, 2011, 8:53 PM

OSAP is a great system for those that know how to work it! With all the grant money I got, I was able to buy my PS3 and pay for my partying during the year! :cheers:

The loan portion is collecting minuscule interest, but at least getting something off it. I'll sent them a check for the principle when I'm done a few week and be good to go. :cool:

The system does need reform, If the PCs attempt reforming it once they win in October i bet there will be fierce opposition. Anything the PCs cut people will treat it like the good ol Harris days.

Welfare needs reform first as those people aren't contributing whereas students are getting an education and employment thereafter!

manny_santos

Apr 6, 2011, 1:58 AM

Welfare needs reform first as those people aren't contributing whereas students are getting an education and employment thereafter!

In all honesty though, in Canada we should have some universities that are fully publicly funded, reducing the need for student loan programs and greatly improving accessibility to post-secondary education. Our economy would benefit in that students graduating would be able to own a home earlier. As the baby boomers retire and move into other living arrangements, there are going to be a lot of houses on the market, and if young people can't afford them, that along with excess supply could drive housing prices way down.

Needless to say, it is an interesting exercise to try and explain the concepts of tuition, student debt, and working in part-time minimum-wage jobs not related to my career path to my friends in other parts of the world.

MolsonExport

Apr 6, 2011, 2:45 AM

Pimpmasterdac

Apr 6, 2011, 9:26 PM

:previous:
From the prospective of Dundas & Richmond last Thursday, I could see many people that aren't contributing. Your high taxes are going to support a system of endless dependence to welfare queens and people that are motivated by the $650 they get bi-weekly for free! Of course there are exceptions, but many aren't contributing, that's the harsh reality.

Then there's OSAP, an underfunded system that is investing in peoples education and our economies future, specifically the information economy. Failure to invest in education or more generous OSAP terms is a recipe for disaster, rather it will lead to under-educated people, who rather than being independent and successful will struggle to get by and be government dependent themselves.

Given the choice between investing in welfare (Ontario "Works":jester:) which is lost money or OSAP that is substantially paid back with interest, OSAP in a heartbeat. McGunity has been increasing the amount paid to freeloaders on OW, while tuition has gone up massively without a substantial enrichment of OSAP. Stupidity personified!

manny_santos

Apr 6, 2011, 9:54 PM

Given the choice between investing in welfare (Ontario "Works":jester:) which is lost money or OSAP that is substantially paid back with interest, OSAP in a heartbeat. McGunity has been increasing the amount paid to freeloaders on OW, while tuition has gone up massively without a substantial enrichment of OSAP. Stupidity personified!

MolsonExport has a point though - OW benefits a wide range of people, some of whom have disabilities and face employment barriers.

There are some freeloaders in the welfare system, but it's certainly not everyone.

Pimpmasterdac

Apr 6, 2011, 10:18 PM

I worked for the provincial government a few years ago and I've seen that people with disabilities were not supported adequately. Technically that's apart of ODSP, which is different OW. They def deserve more money with the daily struggles they have that are beyond their control!

My issue is that its more worthwhile to invest in education through OSAP than it is to support endless dependence on OW. I've seen people milk the system like an old dairy farmer for more OW! Women that adopt/foster kids for the added money to their OW checks that don't give a shit about the kids. I'm a cynic because of my personal experience with the system, and how piss poor its managed and lack of accountability.

As far as reforming it through workfare, addiction tests or a definitive cut off date I don't know which is most effective. I just know post-secondary education is getting short changed while OW is getting fatter, bureaucratic, and unaccountable!

Snark

Apr 6, 2011, 11:16 PM

without a clear understanding of the myriad reasons why people (mostly, quite unwillingly) end up on welfare, it is extremely insensitive to make such a blanket statement (re: aren't contributing). I am saying this from the perspective of someone that hits the top tax bracket.

Fully agreed. I'm gonna hit harder though. Folks like our friend here got Mike Harris elected at one time.

When you are young it's easy to throw criticisms around and not know how you might sound (i.e. stupid and insensitive) to others:

...OSAP is a great system for those that know how to work it! With all the grant money I got, I was able to buy my PS3 and pay for my partying during the year! The loan portion is collecting minuscule interest...

...I've seen people milk the system like an old dairy farmer for more OW!...I'm a cynic (of OW) because of my personal experience with the system, and how piss poor its managed and lack of accountability

So let me get this straight: it's awful for the government to provide a subsistence living to the indigent, mentally ill, disabled, substance addicted, etc., but just fine for that same government to give you a nearly interest-free loan for you to in part purchase video games and booze. Those same governments that must fund health care, infrastructure, transportation, environmental protection, etc., should allocate some of my my hard-earned tax money to you so you can party nearly interest-free.

When the poor do it, they're "milking the system". When you do it, you're "working the system".

I just know post-secondary education is getting short changed while OW is getting fatter, bureaucratic, and unaccountable!

After reading this nonsense, I'd suggest that the government get out of the student loan business and leave that up to the Banks - where they can charge you a good 6 or 8 percent for your luxury of your video games and booze. After all, OSAP seems just as unaccountable, and the money saved can be poured directly back into the schools to improve the quality of education.

If you want to talk about accountability and the lack thereof, take a good look at yourself.

Pimpmasterdac

Apr 7, 2011, 12:17 AM

So let me get this straight: it's awful for the government to provide a subsistence living to the indigent, mentally ill, disabled, substance addicted, etc.

No, only the unmotivated! Mental & physically disabled are covered through OSDP, and should get more support than offered. The disabled face real barriers outside of their control and get inadequate support from the government.

I'd suggest that the government get out of the student loan business and leave that up to the Banks - where they can charge you a good 6 or 8 percent for your luxury of your video games and booze.

Already done! Banks are the ones that hold these loans, OSAP is the intermediary between the bank & student in school. Once your out, the bank is the one that contacts you for your loan repayment. I think the rate is Prime + 5%.

No need to hate cause I invested my OSAP in Sony & John Molson. It helped my education experience, which UWO is touting as the best in Canada :D

Either way I gotta pay the loan portion back so its no free ride, unlike OW and I won't perpetually be on the government tit. Get outta school, get working cause millions on welfare depend on it :whip:

Wharn

Apr 7, 2011, 12:35 AM

Whoa, leave for a day and come back to a flame war.

In all honesty though, in Canada we should have some universities that are fully publicly funded, reducing the need for student loan programs and greatly improving accessibility to post-secondary education.

I disagree. I think that the student loan porgram should be comprehensive and cover all expenses, but getting rid of it entirely is a bad idea. If you did that University students would essentially receive a "free ride" on the back of everyone else, and they wouldn't be forced to do a cost/benefit analysis for their education. The results would likely be even more crowded universities and even more pronounced dumbing-down of the courses (read: scantrons) to deal with crowding issues.

Our economy would benefit in that students graduating would be able to own a home earlier. As the baby boomers retire and move into other living arrangements, there are going to be a lot of houses on the market, and if young people can't afford them, that along with excess supply could drive housing prices way down.

I'm sorry but this made absolutely no sense. Assuming the baby boomers even want to move out, they will have to find housing elsewhere. There is no new excess supply being created; it remains unchanged, and people just move around inside the existing stock. An increase in supply would only occur if all the baby boomers died (which is still a while off) or if there was an increase in population which necessitated an expansion of the housing stock, but the latter would occur only after a demand shock.

Here's what will happen: first of all, there will be too many graduates. Since the supply of people with degrees has increased with demand remaining constant, they will have to accept lower salaries. On top of that they will be trying to outbid each other in the property ownership market instead of renting, so the end result will be a decrease in their purchasing power with regards to property. Renters, on the other hand, would benefit from decreased demand in their own market, which will either lead to stagnant or declining rents (in real terms adjusted for inflation). In the long run, there would eventually be an expansion of housing supply, but who knows how long that would take.

manny_santos

Apr 7, 2011, 1:54 AM

I disagree. I think that the student loan porgram should be comprehensive and cover all expenses, but getting rid of it entirely is a bad idea. If you did that University students would essentially receive a "free ride" on the back of everyone else, and they wouldn't be forced to do a cost/benefit analysis for their education. The results would likely be even more crowded universities and even more pronounced dumbing-down of the courses (read: scantrons) to deal with crowding issues.

I am saying the program would be reduced, not entirely eliminated. For example, if you go to a private university and don't have enough money, OSAP would still be available.

The public universities would have to raise the standards for entry in order to prevent overcrowding and dumbing down.

The problem with not having fully public universities and colleges is that students are forced to divert attention from their studies to work part-time jobs that have no relevance to their field - thereby taking away jobs from others. And these others have been fighting back - at Western, some students found themselves out of a campus job last fall when the UWO Staff Association fought to further restrict students from working part-time at Western as part of their new collective bargaining agreement. The number of residence work positions for students almost completely evaporated.

Had I not had to work 12-15 hours a week during university to get by financially, I could have spent more time on my studies and been more involved in campus life, something I still regret to this day. But I had no choice.

I'm sorry but this made absolutely no sense. Assuming the baby boomers even want to move out, they will have to find housing elsewhere. There is no new excess supply being created; it remains unchanged, and people just move around inside the existing stock. An increase in supply would only occur if all the baby boomers died (which is still a while off) or if there was an increase in population which necessitated an expansion of the housing stock, but the latter would occur only after a demand shock.

This is more of a long-term issue than an immediate issue. As tuition continues to rise in Ontario, the burden on OSAP will continue to rise, and student debt will continue to rise. As the population stands now in Canada, as the baby boomers die off there will be houses on the market. Excess supply means lower prices. And students graduating from university at that time not being able to afford to purchase a house will mean housing prices will decrease further.

This scenario will be less likely if our birth rate increases, or if immigration increases.

MolsonExport

Apr 7, 2011, 1:30 PM

Another thing. Just focusing on the so-called undeserving Welfare cases. What do you think will happen if they are destitute?

Just look south of the border for a taste of the social disaster (unparalleled anywhere in the rich world) wrought by a less caring great society. Pay less taxes, but then, to keep safe, live in a gated community, pay insane premiums for health insurance, etc.? Lose your job and you are thrown to the wolves? No thanks.

I believe the state has a strong role in leveling the playing field (education, health, infrastructure) while at the same time, caring for those who need assistance.

Pimpmasterdac

Apr 7, 2011, 11:17 PM

:previous:

Fair enough. I don't want Canada to become like the United States either with its eyeballs in debt, rampant violent crime and major inequalities. Their asinine spending with inadequate taxing is not a roadmap for Canada's future.

That said the question is not what we want Canada to be idealistically, but rather where Canada needs to be realistically to compete. We're in a global economy now, facing fierce competition from developing countries like China & India which quite frankly have the work ethnic and fortitude that will eat our lunches if we don't step up.

The pre-free trade days when Canada could cut ourselves off from the world and live in our own protective bubble are over!

Investing in healthcare, education, and infrastructure are needed. But the excessive frills in our social services are a decadence that we cannot afford as it will hurt out competitive advantage. Taxes are going down, and to avoid become a debt ridden nation like the US, we either need to raise taxes to support existing and some new programs, or the most likely path to cut those programs that are excessive and are not truly needed. Either people get with the program, step it up and become apart of the new information economy or the rest of us will endless be supporting them!

Snark

Apr 7, 2011, 11:34 PM

Wharn

Apr 9, 2011, 3:45 PM

I am saying the program would be reduced, not entirely eliminated. For example, if you go to a private university and don't have enough money, OSAP would still be available.

The public universities would have to raise the standards for entry in order to prevent overcrowding and dumbing down.

The problem with not having fully public universities and colleges is that students are forced to divert attention from their studies to work part-time jobs that have no relevance to their field - thereby taking away jobs from others.

Yes, my proposal was to expand the loans program to be comprehensive. Instead of being able to take out a maximum of $6000-$7000, expand it to a maximum of $15,000. This reduces the need for students to work during the school year since they already have ample debt funding to cover all expenses. Instead of just reducing tuition and giving people a subsidy, it would be better to make potential students stop and think about the costs and benefits that come with a university education. To reduce losses the government may want to consider charging a nominal interest rate that will at least cover the inflation rate- something in the range of 2%.

And these others have been fighting back - at Western, some students found themselves out of a campus job last fall when the UWO Staff Association fought to further restrict students from working part-time at Western as part of their new collective bargaining agreement. The number of residence work positions for students almost completely evaporated.

I also love how the University unions propagandize students by claiming to protect "their interests" while simultaneously shutting them out of the job market.

ldoto

Apr 14, 2011, 4:42 AM

Downtown Fanshawe held up by reno costs
Core development

A steeper-than-expected cost of renovating heritage buildings is holding up a multimillion-dollar deal to bring a Fanshawe College campus to the downtown.

The city council-set deadline to finalize the deal to bring a Fanshawe arts campus to the core has passed with no pact — but both city hall and the school say the project remains on track.

What Mayor Joe Fontana described Wednesday as a “hiccup” appears to involve the $10 million city hall has pledged to offset the costs Fanshawe faces if it buys and renovates downtown heritage buildings to house its planned School of Applied and Performance Arts.

The college is concerned that money — up to $100 per square foot to cover those extra costs — may not be enough.

“We don’t want to get into a situation where we spent our $100 and the city spent their $100 and we’re $50 short,” said Bernice Hull, Fanshawe’s vice-president of administration.

The school, she added, isn’t seeking more money from the city. She also downplayed any suggestion the deal is in peril.

“There’s some complexities with the establishment of this agreement,” she said.

“And both Fanshawe and the city want to get it right,” Hull said, adding she’s “absolutely” confident it’ll be done within weeks.

Fontana, too, cautioned against alarm.

“It’s a little hiccup, but not a problem,” he told reporters.

City officials had predicted the agreement would be in place by mid-April.

Wednesday, city manager Jeff Fielding told council’s finance committee that negotiations with Fanshawe had been “pointed” and the deadline had been missed.

City hall’s $20-million contribution to the project can be split in half — the first $10 million to help offset the extra costs Fanshawe incurs by buying and renovating heritage buildings, as opposed to, say, building new in the east end.

The second $10 million would come from the city’s economic development fund, and council has endorsed handing it over once a legal agreement with Fanshawe is completed.

On unrelated matters Wednesday, council’s finance committee endorsed a plan to have appeals of dog-muzzle orders and other bylaws no longer handled by councillors but by a one-person tribunal — ending what many consider a waste of politicians’ time.

The committee also backed Coun. Bill Armstrong’s request to use his $7,000 expense account to rent office space in his east-end ward.

ldoto

Apr 29, 2011, 2:37 AM

Fanshawe College officials are rebuffing rumours their plans to build a much-vaunted campus in downtown London could be in peril.

Amid renewed focus on the rejuvenation of downtown, Fanshawe officials said Thursday they are inching closer to completing a $20-million deal with city hall to put down roots in the core.

"We're moving closer and closer to reaching a conclusion," Bernice Hull, Fanshawe's vice-president of administration, said, adding they are "very" close to finishing the deal.

City hall has proposed a $20-million pact with the college to establish a core campus that would house its planned School of Applied and Performance Arts.

The money can be split in two halves: the first $10 million would help offset the extra costs Fanshawe faces in buying and renovating heritage buildings. as opposed to building at a cheaper site.

The second $10 million would come from London's economic-development fund. Council has endorsed handing it over once a legal agreement with Fanshawe is completed.

But the expected deadline for that deal has passed - and Fanshawe has said the costs of renovating heritage buildings are higher than they'd expected.

Despite the delay, both Hull and Mayor Joe Fontana have stated with confidence the deal will be complete.

Veteran London journalist Phil McLeod, who blogs at themcleodreport.ca, cited a source in reporting this week that "the project is dead, at least in a heritage building in the downtown core."

Hull said heritage buildings remain part of Fanshawe's plan.

Earlier this month, Fontana termed the longer-than-expected negotiations a "hiccup." On Wednesday, he also downplayed concerns about the project.

The proposed downtown campus could be offering classes by 2012, with Fanshawe hoping its enrolment will hit 1,000 over the next decade.

Possible programs include theatre arts (performance), theatre production, costume design, digital media, culinary arts and broadcasting.

Pimpmasterdac

Apr 29, 2011, 3:24 AM

:previous:

This is an unfortunate consequence of government funding the buying of these properties by Fanshawe. The owners have probably been sitting on these for years, with no buyers in sight and them sitting vacant. While they had a listed price, now that they know governments gonna help pay for these properties they've magically upped the price out of nowhere.

More of our money going to support these slumlord owners.

Snark

Apr 29, 2011, 4:34 AM

Pimpmasterdac

Apr 29, 2011, 5:18 AM

Whoa there Mr. Judgmental the idea is good and I support it, but if these slumlords try and squeeze more money out of the city & Fanshawe I'm not in favour of that. This is an incredible opportunity for them to sell these properties that have been vacant for a while and now they're getting greedy asking for more, ultimately at our expense.

Either they can accept the original asking offers, offload them or pay more property taxes on their vacant slums.

ldoto

May 4, 2011, 4:44 PM

Brescia University College is planning to build a new low-rise residence to accommodate its growth, with plans to open the doors in September 2013.

A special community meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. in room 136 of Brescia’s St. James building, at which has invited neighbouring community members, alumnae, faculty, staff, students, and special guests to learn more about the university’s plans to build the residence that will provide 110 additional beds for prospective and current students.

“Brescia is showing managed growth, guided by our strategic plan, Living Leadership, which projects acquiring an additional 200 students by 2015. Building a new residence will help us achieve these objectives,” says Brescia’s principal Colleen Hanycz. “We’ll be able to offer students a safe, inclusive, and modernized living environment. We know our female students will appreciate the new design and layout of this complex because we invited and listened to their input and ideas.”

Construction of a dining pavilion, which will be open to the public, and the new residence will begin in the spring of 2012.

manny_santos

May 4, 2011, 6:24 PM

King's University College is also planning another expansion. They have plans for a "Student Life Centre" to be connected to the east side of the Cardinal Carter Library. There will be a cafeteria there as well as a new games room, and there will be at least one lecture hall. I believe it is slated to be completed in 2013.

ldoto

May 10, 2011, 4:56 AM

City council voted Monday to raise the curtain on a new star in downtown London, but not all the early reviews are positive.

By a 10-5 vote, politicians approved granting up to $20 million for Fanshawe College's downtown School of Applied and Performance Arts, which is projected to eventually bring 1,000 students to the core.

The project has been billed as a key step to further revitalize downtown, though not everyone joined Joe Fontana in a figurative standing ovation Monday.

"We're talking about building a city and a future (for) our downtown," the mayor said following a long debate.

Chief among councillors uneasy with the investment is Joe Swan, who's concerned that Ontario's government -- colleges, after all, are a provincial responsibility -- has so far committed no money.

Swan was firm in his questioning of Howard Rundle, Fanshawe's president, and steadfast in about whether the project is a good use of taxpayers' money.

"It just seems the city is the only one putting $20 million on the table and everyone else might come at some time," Swan said, adding he's not convinced that will happen.

"It's a concept, it's a plan, it's a hope, it's a wish."

And considering the size of the city's investment, Swan wondered about the "magnitude" of the impact -- noting the John Labatt Centre cost $42 million.

The deal would give post-secondary education -- a feature of many thriving downtowns in North American cities -- its first major presence in London's core.

The resistance to the deal was no doubt interesting for Rundle, who noted the city approached the college about the plan -- not the other way around.

If all the downtown campus plans come to fruition, the total price tag is about $40 million.

While the contract doesn't specifically state the college and province will spend $20 million to match the city share, Rundle says it's a likely expectation.

"Fanshawe is committed to this project. Our estimate is that it would cost another $20 million to do the project completely," he told reporters after the vote.

Of the $20-million half Fanshawe must supply, it's hoped $6 million will come from Queen's Park (the rest from fundraising and the school's reserves). But if it doesn't, the city needn't worry, Rundle told politicians before Monday night's debate.

"You give us the $20 million -- and it's up to us to come up with the other $20 million," he said. "It's our problem. The city doesn't have to worry about that."

Some councillors, such as Paul Hubert, expressed confidence in the safeguards built into the deal, which essentially state if Fanshawe's promises don't come to fruition, the city can scale back its investment.

With the concerns mounting, there was also a sense of urgency to Monday's debate.

Fanshawe has options to buy at least two downtown buildings that will expire in about two weeks. If council didn't approve the money Monday night, it could badly hamper the project's progress.

"It's now or never. We either pass this or we don't," Coun. Harold Usher said.

The much-delayed deal, under which the downtown campus could develop over the next decade, calls for the city to invest at least $1.5 million a year from 2011 to 2022 and $2 million in 2023.

The city, however, can invest at a faster rate if possible.

Of the city money, $10 million is an "economic development" grant. The other $10 million will offset renovation costs if Fanshawe buys "heritage" core buildings built before 1950.

The campus is expected to bring some 1,000 students downtown for a number of programs. Confirmed so far are theatre performance, technical theatre and costume design.

The school expects the campus to open in September 2013.

The councillors who voted in vain against the $20-million funding were Swan, Stephen Orser, Paul Van Meerbergen, Bill Armstrong and Denise Brown.

But criticisms of the plan aren't confined to city hall. Another bit of concern comes from the Fanshawe union, which says the college at first promised 75 full-time jobs at the campus but now pledges only 75 "full-time equivalents."

MolsonExport

May 31, 2011, 4:45 PM

King's is doing well. Brescia is struggling. Huron is in-between.

manny_santos

Jun 1, 2011, 2:36 AM

King's is doing well. Brescia is struggling. Huron is in-between.

For some time I have believed that King's will eventually become its own independent university.

MolsonExport

Jun 1, 2011, 2:41 AM

nah. Western holds the charter, but moreover, is the very big draw. What would you want on your diploma?

manny_santos

Jun 1, 2011, 1:02 PM

nah. Western holds the charter, but moreover, is the very big draw. What would you want on your diploma?

If Western holds the charter, they could sever King's at will if they feel King's is becoming too much of a competitor. That's pure speculation on my part though. As a King's grad though, it would not surprise me if Western pulled its charter at some point. In theory the overall experience (academic, social, and networking) is supposed to be the same whether going to King's or Western, but I feel it was inferior to Western. If I could have done everything over again I would've gone to Western, not King's.

ldoto

Jun 25, 2011, 7:17 PM

UWO: Gearing up to increase enrolment

A new residence to be built near Western and Sarnia roads will house 1,000 UWO students.

More university students will be able to stay on campus once Western builds the $90-million residence its board of governors approved this week.

The residence, to be finished by Sept. 2013, will add 1,000 beds and have a health and wellness centre. It is expected to create 20 architectural and engineering jobs along with 400 construction jobs over the next two years.

"We're very excited about this new residence," said Susan Grindrod, vice-president of housing and ancillary services at UWO. "It's going to be a good new addition to Western."

The province expects 60,000 more students will want to go to college or university by 2015-16. Western plans to increase the number of first-year students it accepts to help that anticipated influx.

The university is expecting 5,100 first-year students this fall - more than its 4,800 target.

Western, said Grindrod, guarantees all first-year students a spot in on-campus housing.

"We know the best place for them is on campus," she said, adding when first-year students live on campus it ensures they have the support they need to do well in their studies.

Residences on campus have been at or over capacity the last few years, she said, adding the new residence will free space for upper-year students who want to live on campus but weren't able to because of a lack of beds.

Work on the new residence, which will be built on Althouse's north parking lot, near Western and Sarnia roads, will begin this fall.

When the new residence is complete, Western will have 5,350 available beds among its residences.

ldoto

Jun 25, 2011, 7:19 PM

FANSHAWE COLLEGE: It’s a major step in nailing down financing for the downtown campus

The $40-million downtown arts campus for Fanshawe College is one step closer with a commitment of $6 million in provincial funding.:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

The announcement was made at the community college Friday by London-Fanshawe MPP Khalil Ramal.

Fanshawe president Howard Rundle said the project would accommodate the expansion of Fanshawe and provide a major economic boost for the downtown.

"Arts and culture are a big business. Businesses want to locate in cities with a vibrant cultural scene," he said.

The city has already committed up to $20 million to the project and Fanshawe's board of governors has pledged $7 million in capital reserves with the rest coming from community fundraising.

Mayor Joe Fontana said city council's commitment is an investment in jobs and education.

"Education is at the centre of who we are and what we can be. We want to dream of making London the education capital of the country," Fontana said at the announcement.

Rundle said the location and configuration of the downtown campus is still in the planning stages and the buildings may not be adjacent to one other.

He said the campus plan is based on buying and renovating existing buildings rather than new construction.

Rundle said Fanshawe is moving to acquire the first of the buildings needed for the campus.

"We would like to close on that building by the end of the summer so we can start doing the design work. We can't do anything until we know what we have," he said.

The campus is expected to bring about 1,000 students and 75 staff downtown for a number of programs including theatre, design, digital media and culinary and hospitality programs.

The school expects the first facility in the new campus to open in September 2013.

Fanshawe leases space in Citi Plaza for theatre arts programs, continuing education and job search services. Rundle said Fanshawe may continue to use that space even after the new campus opens

manny_santos

Jun 25, 2011, 8:08 PM

"We know the best place for them is on campus," she said, adding when first-year students live on campus it ensures they have the support they need to do well in their studies.

The problem is, some students are from London and cannot afford to go into residence in first year (as was the case with me). Western treats its first-year off-campus students like second-class citizens, and these students do not feel a part of the community there. This was especially evident with O-week. My first year at Western was a disaster, and I almost applied to transfer to another university so that I could qualify for sufficient OSAP to live on-campus or with other students off-campus. As much as I think Western is a high-quality academic institution, the social aspect is one thing that bothers me strongly about the university. To this day I consider my first year of university to have been the worst year of my life.

That is one area where I give Fanshawe College credit. In fact, when I worked in their marketing department, one of the things we promoted is that ALL events are open to ALL students, regardless of whether they were in residence or not. The college was set up to embrace all students, and there were no exclusive residence events, and no divide between off-campus and on-campus students. I made more friends in one year at Fanshawe than I ever did in five years at Western. Academically I have no regrets about my education, but socially I have regrets.

Kokkei Mizu

Jun 26, 2011, 2:04 AM

The new UWO residence:

http://communications.uwo.ca/images/2011/june/NewresidenceDNS.jpg

Simpseatles

Jun 26, 2011, 2:59 AM

^I wish there was a more detailed render than that, but it looks decent.

I hope it is integrated to the campus, pedestrian walk, road...etc in a good way.

Wharn

Jun 26, 2011, 5:16 AM

The problem is, some students are from London and cannot afford to go into residence in first year (as was the case with me). Western treats its first-year off-campus students like second-class citizens, and these students do not feel a part of the community there. This was especially evident with O-week. My first year at Western was a disaster, and I almost applied to transfer to another university so that I could qualify for sufficient OSAP to live on-campus or with other students off-campus. As much as I think Western is a high-quality academic institution, the social aspect is one thing that bothers me strongly about the university. To this day I consider my first year of university to have been the worst year of my life.

I'm very sorry to hear about your experience during first year- I was in Med-Syd, so there was no way for me to tell if Western was actively alienating first-year off-campus students. That being said, most of my friends are London natives, and I've never really heard these types of complaints from them. What specifically was the university doing to isolate off-campus people? Or, more accurately, what were they failing to do to integrate them?