Durham College announced today that it has received $22 million in funding from the provincial government toward the construction of the Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE) at the Oshawa campus. The announcement, which was made by Reza Moridi, minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, at an event held at the Oshawa campus this morning, represents one of the largest investments in DC by the provincial government since the college opened its doors in 1967.

The CFCE will replace the college’s aging Simcoe building, which was originally built as a temporary structure and opened in 1969. The new three-storey facility, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50^th anniversary in 2017, will bring together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s innovative and ground-breaking programs.

“Although our Simcoe building has served us very well over the past 50 years, leaving behind a wonderful legacy of teaching, learning and memories for our students, faculty members and administrative staff, it has reached its end of life,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “As we prepare to celebrate DC’s 50^th anniversary in 2017, we are excited to bridge our past with our future through the creation of a new facility where students, employees and the broader community can work together in ways that transcend traditional concepts of education. On behalf of everyone at DC, I extend my sincere thanks to the provincial government for its wonderful support in bringing our vision for the Centre for Collaborative Education to life.”

DC has continued to experience tremendous growth year after year. This includes the addition of more than 40 new programs in high-demand and emerging areas of study; expanding its daily academic hours; increasing the number of students enrolled in both summer and winter-month programs; and adding more than 3,000 post-secondary registration spaces since 2008.  

“In addition to creating a strong need for physical infrastructure at the Oshawa campus, our significant growth has positioned Durham College as a college of choice for students in Durham Region and well beyond,” said Lovisa. “The new Centre for Collaborative Education is a direct reflection of that growth combined with our ongoing commitment to building a high-quality and sustainable post-secondary education system that meets the needs of our students, the local community and today’s economy.

The CFCE will house the following:

• The Aboriginal Student Centre.
• The Entrepreneurship Centre including the Spark Centre.
• Global, Open and Collaborative Space that will enable faculty, students and the broader community to use technology in creative ways to gain unprecedented access to students, educators, thought leaders, subject matter experts and other visionaries from more than 40 countries around the world.
• Health science facilities including state-of-the art classrooms and labs.
• Foundation programs designed to prepare students for the continuation of post-secondary education at college or university.

Final plans and costs for the project are still being determined including ongoing work with the government to obtain additional funding. In addition, the college will be launching a capital campaign designed to raise financial support for the construction of the building in partnership with individuals, corporations, community partners and alumni over a two-year period.