October 20, 2002
Laurier Brantford Campus
The goal, set during a strategic planning process in 1995, was to have university education available locally for the citizens of Brantford. In 1996, a group of volunteers began developing a plan to increase the post secondary education levels in Brant County by opening a private university. Our education levels were below the provincial averages and far below those of university towns. The planning process had identified education levels as an area where there was room for improvement. These levels needed to be increased to provide an additional asset for promotion to companies looking to locate here.
The committee, now operating as the Grand Valley Educational Society, quickly learned that opening a private university would take many years because there was no legislation in place. As suggested by the Ministry of Education, GVES began working with an established university in hopes of forming a partnership. In 1998, Wilfrid Laurier University opened a campus in Brantford.
The campus had 50 students the first year. Costs of setting up came from a combination of the City of Brantford, building donation, GVES, $2 million fundraising campaign, Enterprise Brant, business plan and survey funding, HRDC, staffing for set up, and Wilfrid Laurier University.
The campus has grown and for the 2001 – 2002 school year it has:
- 5 full time faculty
- 5 full time administrative staff
- 50 part time faculty
- 200 full time and 80 part time students
- 65 residence beds
During 2002 – 2003 this will increase to:
- 8 full time faculty
- 7 full time administrative staff
- 50 part time faculty
- 400 full time and 80 part time students
- 109 residence beds
In addition agreements have been signed with Nippissing College and Mohawk College to offer 2 by 4 programs. The student attends school for 4 years and gets both a college and university graduation diploma. A Bachelor of Education Program will be available beginning September 2002. The key to the success of the Brantford Campus has been innovative staff and community members finding unique program options.
We are nominating this project and we think it is a winner because:
- It has worked and given our community an opportunity to CELEBRATE!
- It reduces the cost of the university option for local students (60% of the students are from the area)
- It has resulted in the beginning of downtown revitalization, the TD bank recently donated a closed downtown branch to the project
- 40% of the students are coming from out of town bringing energy and dollars to our community
- It has been complimentary to the satellite campus of Mohawk College, which participates in the 2 by 4 program
- Partnerships include the local YMCA, Sanderson Centre Theatre, Rotary Clubs, Chamber of Commerce, business, high schools, community groups
- A successful negotiation with Nippissing means that a Bachelors in Education can be acquired in Brantford (an occupation which is experiencing a shortage of qualified workers)
- The campus is now financially viable and is expected to continue to grow
- The campus staff are very visible in the community participating in many local events
- GVES’s attempt to establish a university here was the 3rd attempt in this community (all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place this time)
Our nomination goes to the Grand Valley Educational Society. They never gave up:
“Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world, if fact it is the only thing that ever has” - by Margaret Mead
GVES Chair:
John Wilson
13 Weston Street
Paris Ontario
N3L 4C2
(519) 442-4070
GVES’s Cheerleader (the driving force, always optimistic):
Colleen Miller
92 Race Street
Paris, Ontario
N3L 4A4
(519) 753-9826
CFDC: Brant Community Futures Development Corporation operating as Enterprise Brant
330 West Street, Unit 10
Brantford, Ontario
N3R 7V5
Contact: Cynthia Swanson, C.G.A.
General Manager
(519) 752-4636
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