Conestoga College Explained

Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
Image Alt:Conestoga College logo
Established:1967
Chair:Frank Boutzis[1]
Students:11,000 full-time; 30,000 part-time (2020: 10,536 FTEs)[2]
State:Ontario
Country:Canada
Free Label:Sports teams
Free:Conestoga Condors

Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is a public college located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

History

In 1967, the college was founded as Conestoga College of Applied Arts and Technology by the government of Ontario to grant diplomas and certificates in career-related, skills-oriented programs.

The college started to offer degree programs in B.Eng. Mechanical Systems Engineering[3] and B.A. Tech Architecture - Project and Facility Management starting in August 2003,[4] and B.A. Tech in Integrated Telecommunication and Computer Technology[5] in 2007.

The early 2020s saw 70% to 81% of Conestoga's enrollees as international students, most commonly from India, [6] [7] [8] and a 1,579% increase in international student population since 2014.[9] Its total revenue increased over $137 million year over year.[10] By 2023, Conestoga College accounted for 30,395 international study permits, more than twice as many as any other post-secondary institution in Canada.[11] In March 2024, Conestoga College was criticized by the federal Minister of Immigration Marc Miller over its practice of foreign enrolment.[12] [13] The college is expected to lose over half of its current international students.[14] [15]

As of 2023, with over 30,000 students on study visas, it has the most international students of any post-secondary institution in Canada.[16]

Academic program

Conestoga has one, two, three, or four-year programs, as well as apprenticeship training programs. There are also many options available to students including four-year degrees[17] in Mechanical Systems Engineering, Integrated Telecommunications and Computer Technology, Architecture, Health Informatics or the International Business Management degree which started in the fall of 2006.

Trades and apprenticeship

The college operates trades programs at the campuses in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph; training facilities are operated in Brantford and Ingersoll. The school's programs include Construction, Motive Power, Industrial and Service sectors, as well as Traditional Apprenticeship and, most recently, Pre-apprenticeship,[18] offered in partnership with private enterprise companies.[19] The college's president revealed a plan in late 2019 to consolidate all of the trades programs at one location in future, but the date of the move was not disclosed at that time.[20] [21]

Campuses

Doon Campus is the main campus for Conestoga College. It is located at the south end of Kitchener and houses the central administration offices as well as the majority of courses offered by the college. Regional campuses have select programs.

  1. Brantford: 274 Colborne St.[22]
  2. Cambridge: 850 Fountain St. South, 25 Reuter Drive[23]
  3. Guelph: 460 Speedvale Ave. West[24]
  4. Ingersoll: 420 Thomas St.[25]
  5. Kitchener: 299 Doon Valley Drive (Doon Campus), 49 Frederick St. (downtown)[26]
  6. Milton: 8160 Parkhill Dr., 433 Steeles Ave. East[27]
  7. Stratford: 130 Youngs St.[28]
  8. Waterloo: 108 University Av. East[29]

Planned Milton Campus

The town of Milton and Wilfrid Laurier University had been working together since 2008 to develop the 61ha campus in Milton within the planned Milton Education Village (MEV) on 61ha of land donated by the town.[30] The university subsequently partnered with Conestoga College which would also add a satellite campus at that location.[31] [32] [33]

In April 2018, the Province announced a funding plan of $90 million for the project. Construction of the 61ha campus was expected to conclude in Q3 of 2021; in the meantime, the college would offer courses in rented premises, commencing in September 2019.[34] [35]

In October 2018, however, the new provincial government (elected in June 2018) withdrew the funding before any construction had begun, citing a greater than expected provincial deficit. This effectively cancelled the plans for the joint project with Laurier.[36] Mayor Gord Krantz said the town would explore alternatives for funding the Milton Education Village campus.[37] A news release issued by the college said that it would continue working with Laurier, "the government, industry and community partners to develop a revised model for the cost-effective delivery of post-secondary education ... in Milton..."[38]

Cambridge expansion

The college decided to purchase 17ha of land in this city in 2019, to relocate all of the trades programs (offered at various campuses) to Cambridge at a future date. Specifics were not immediately provided at the time of the announcement in late 2019.[39] The new campus opened in Fall 2022 on 16ha of land at Reuter Drive, next to Highway 401. The college aims to modernize and consolidate all skilled trades programs in this single location.[40]

Planned Guelph expansion

The college has operated a small campus in Guelph for some years, but in late 2019, it advised the news media that a major expansion was planned after the trades program was relocated to Cambridge. "Within five or six years, we will have at least 5,000 students there ... [with] full-service programming," said college President John Tibbits. At the time, the Guelph campus had approximately 1,000 students.[41]

In 2023, the college announced it would be purchasing a soon-to-be vacant building in downtown Guelph, with the first phase of a new campus scheduled to open in 2025. At full capacity, the new downtown Guelph campus will have approximately 5,000 students.[42]

Other buildings

Future

The School of Engineering and Information Technology was relocated, in 2011, to a new expansion of the Doon campus opposite the current facility across Highway 401. This City of Cambridge site will eventually hold 93000m2 of space.

Phase one of the new Cambridge Campus was finished and open for the start of the fall 2011 semester. 24000m2 building is home to the School of Engineering and Information Technology, as well as to the Institute for Food Processing Technology. The Engineering facility has programs with a focus on advanced manufacturing, robotics, renewable energy, telecommunications, and information technology. The expansion has increased capacity by 2,350 additional full-time spaces and allowed for an additional 800 new spaces for apprentices.

In May 2019, a new downtown campus for the International Business program was announced to be opening at Kitchener's Market Square in January 2020. It will host 1,000 students to start.[43]

Residences

Conestoga's Kitchener - Conestoga College Blvd. residence is close to the Kitchener - Doon and Cambridge - Fountain Street campuses. Scheduled to open in fall 2023, the Waterloo - University Ave. residence is close to the Waterloo campus and a short drive to the Kitchener - Downtown campus.[44] Despite the international student body at Conestoga College increasing by 1579%,[45] on-campus student housing does not meet the demand of enrolled students resulting in many students struggling to find housing in the region.[46] [47]

Student Life Centre

Student media

Student sports

Conestoga College student sports teams are named the "Condors". They compete against varsity level teams. There are also intramural and extramural programs.

Notable alumni

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About conestoga Governance . Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning . 11 September 2023.
  2. Web site: Ontario College FTEs . Ontario Colleges Library Service . 6 July 2022.
  3. http://www.conestogac.on.ca/fulltime/programoverview.jsp?SchoolID=2&ProgramCode=1066C B.Eng. Mechanical Systems Engineering
  4. http://www.conestogac.on.ca/fulltime/programoverview.jsp?SchoolID=2&ProgramCode=1099C B.A.Tech Architecture - Project and Facility Management
  5. http://www.conestogac.on.ca/fulltime/programoverview.jsp?SchoolID=2&ProgramCode=1094c&v=1001 Integrated Telecommunication and Computer Technology
  6. News: McGinty . Joe . New rules for international students will change the landscape for local colleges . 25 December 2023 . CambridgeToday.ca . 15 December 2023 . en.
  7. Web site: College enrolment - Dataset -Ontario Data Catalogue . Government of Ontario . 11 September 2023.
  8. Web site: Fleguel . Indira Kannan and Jordan . India tensions source of concern for Canada's postsecondary schools . 2023-12-29 . BNN . 22 September 2023 . en.
  9. News: Davis . Stefanie . Conestoga College president addresses need for housing as international enrolment soars . 13 January 2024 . CTV News . 21 September 2023 . en.
  10. Web site: Groleau . Carmen . Conestoga College president John Tibbits defends school's intake of international students . CBC . 16 February 2024.
  11. News: Canada's international student spike was blamed on private colleges. Here's what really happened. Valerie Ouellet. Mike Crawley. CBC. February 27, 2024.
  12. News: Outhit . Jeff . Immigration minister slams Conestoga College over foreign enrolment . 29 March 2024 . The Record . 26 March 2024 . en.
  13. News: Sandstrom . Alison . Immigration minister criticizes Conestoga for international student strategy . 29 March 2024 . Kitchener . 26 March 2024 . en.
  14. News: Douglas . Mark . Conestoga College to lose more than half its current international students in Ford government changes . 29 March 2024 . CityNews . 28 March 2024.
  15. News: Conestoga College will need to cut international student intake by more than half this September . 29 March 2024 . CBC News . 28 March 2024.
  16. Web site: Ouellet . Valerie . 27 February 2024 . Canada's international student spike was blamed on private colleges. Here's what really happened . CBC.
  17. Web site: Welcome to Degrees Home Page - Conestoga College. www.conestogac.on.ca.
  18. News: Funding injection for skilled trade program at Conestoga College's Cambridge campus. 8 November 2019. Cambridge Times. 15 December 2019. help people gain experience and knowledge in trades and foundational job skills to secure fulfilling and vibrant jobs. Pre-apprenticeship programs are free for participants and always includes a work placement..
  19. Web site: Trades & Apprenticeship Programs / Courses . 11 April 2019 . Conestoga College . 15 December 2019 .
  20. Web site: School of Trades & Apprenticeship . 11 April 2019 . Conestoga College . 15 December 2019 .
  21. Web site: Conestoga's Guelph campus targeted for big growth . 11 December 2019 . Guelph Today . 15 December 2019 . move all of its trades programs from all its campuses to the Cambridge location.
  22. Web site: Brantford campus . Conestoga College . 13 January 2024.
  23. Web site: Cambridge . Conestoga College . 13 January 2024.
  24. Web site: Guelph . Conestoga College . 13 January 2024.
  25. Web site: Ingersoll Skills Training Centre . Conestoga College . 13 January 2024.
  26. Web site: Kitchener . Conestoga College . 13 January 2024.
  27. Web site: Milton . Conestoga College . 13 January 2024.
  28. Web site: Stratford campus . Conestoga College . 13 January 2024.
  29. Web site: Waterloo campus . Conestoga College . 13 January 2024.
  30. Web site: Milton to transfer 150 acres for Wilfrid Laurier campus . Gregory . Michael . 22 July 2014 . Inside Halton . Metroland News . 26 October 2018 . University's acquiring of land valued at $50-million subject to Province's approval of satellite campus.
  31. Web site: Milton Campus . 23 May 2018 . WLU.
  32. Web site: Town of Milton . Milton.ca . 2014-04-01 . 2017-03-11 . 2016-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043338/http://www.milton.ca/en/News/index.aspx?newsId=d7d4cdb8-2861-48ec-91ab-4eb7c4156899 . dead .
  33. Web site: Town of Milton . Milton.ca . 2017-03-11.
  34. Web site: Milton Education Village to go ahead after a decade of work . April 18, 2018. CBC News.
  35. Web site: 18 April 2018 . Conestoga and Laurier partner for new campus in Milton . Conestoga .
  36. Web site: Laurier in Milton . 23 May 2018 . WLU.
  37. News: Milton mayor extremely "disappointed" with cancellation of $90M for Laurier campus – Conservative government says large budget deficit reason for funding withdrawal . 23 May 2018 . Milton Canadian Champion.
  38. News: Province pulls funding for Laurier-Conestoga campus in Milton . 24 October 2018 . Kitchener Post-Metroland Media.
  39. Web site: Conestoga's Guelph campus targeted for big growth . 11 December 2019 . Guelph Today . 15 December 2019 . move all of its trades programs from all its campuses to the Cambridge location as part of some major changes..
  40. Web site: Conestoga College skilled trades campus set to open this fall . 8 July 2022 . Cambridge Today . 11 January 2023.
  41. Web site: Conestoga's Guelph campus targeted for big growth . 11 December 2019 . Guelph Today . 15 December 2019 . What we want to have is a full-service programming college like we have in Kitchener. Not just social services but information technology, business, applied computer sciences, health ... there will be many more opportunities globally than there are now with some post-secondary and even degree programs.
  42. Web site: New $90M Conestoga College campus coming to downtown Guelph . 13 April 2023 . . 23 June 2023 .
  43. Web site: New Conestoga campus to open in Downtown Kitchener . Conestoga College . May 31, 2019.
  44. Web site: Conestoa Residenc - Conestoga College . Conestoga College . 11 September 2023.
  45. Web site: Labour market imbalance: Why international students in K-W are struggling to find jobs . 12 September 2023 .
  46. News: Stefanie . Davis . 'I'm unable to find anything': Waterloo Region students struggle to secure housing as fall semester inches closer . 11 September 2023 . CTV News Kitchener . CTV News . 21 August 2023.
  47. News: Aastha . Shetty . University, college students coping with high rent and scams ahead of fall semester . 11 September 2023 . CBC News . CBC . 24 Aug 2023.
  48. Web site: About Us . CJIQ 88.3 FM is the Tri-Cities Alternative . en.
  49. Encyclopedia: McIntosh . Andrew . Metamorphosis . Canadian Film Encyclopedia . . 6 April 2012 . https://archive.today/20130222193434/http://tiff.net/CANADIANFILMENCYCLOPEDIA/content/films/metamorphosis . 22 February 2013 . dead .
  50. News: Gillis. Wendy. Siekierska. Alicja. Goffin. Peter. From caring nurse to accused serial killer: who is Elizabeth Wettlaufer?. June 3, 2017. Toronto Star. October 29, 2016.

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