Laurentian University

Laurentian creates new faculties in health, education and graduate studies

Senate has approved a new Faculty structure, re-organizing and aligning many of the University’s schools and departments.

March 19, 2014 - The Laurentian University Senate approved a new Faculty structure, re-organizing and aligning many of the University’s schools and departments.

The existing Faculty of Professional Schools will be replaced by a Faculty of Health and a Faculty of Education. The existing Faculty of Science and Engineering will be renamed the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture. The Faculty of Social Sciences and Faculty of Humanities will be merged into a Faculty of Arts. The School of Graduate Studies becomes a Faculty of Graduate Studies.

“This re-alignment of some of our academic programs will help to promote interdisciplinary studies, and the development of new programs and new program options in the future,” said Vice-President, Academic and Provost, Dr. Robert Kerr.

The creation of a Faculty of Health is one of the outcomes identified in the University’s 2012-2017 Strategic Plan, which called for professional health programs to be united into one Faculty to position Laurentian as a leader in inter-professional health education and research. Today’s decisions followed extensive consultations within the University community since early 2012.

The new Faculty of Health will include the School of Human Kinetics, the School of Indigenous Relations, the School of Nursing, the School of Rural and Northern Health, the School of Social Work, the Midwifery program, the Orthophonie program (Speech Pathology in French) and Huntington University’s Department of Gerontology.

The renamed Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture will feature the departments of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Earth Sciences, Forensic Science, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics, the Bharti School of Engineering endowed in October 2011, the new School of Architecture which welcomed its charter class of 70 students in September 2013 and the new School of Environment created earlier this year.

The new Faculty of Education will feature the English School of Education and the École des sciences de l’éducation.

The new Faculty of Arts will feature the departments of Economics, English, Études françaises, Geography, History, Law and Justice, Modern Languages and Literatures, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology, the new School of Northern and Community Studies, the M.A. program in Interdisciplinary Humanities, the PhD program in Human Studies as well as most departments from Laurentian’s federated and affiliated universities (Classical Studies, Communication publique, Communication Studies, Folklore et ethnologie, Indigenous Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Theatre Arts, Women’s Studies).

The new Faculty of Graduate Studies reflects the growing importance of the University’s 38 master’s and PhD programs. Applications to graduate programs are up 60% for Fall 2014. Two new master’s programs are being introduced this fall: a M.A. in Indigenous Relations and a Maîtrise en sciences infirmières (M.Sc. Nursing in French).

No changes have been made to the Faculty of Management, the Faculty of Medicine (Northern Ontario School of Medicine) and the Goodman School of Mines.

The Faculty of Management will continue to feature the School of Commerce and Administration and the School of Sports Administration.

The Faculty of Medicine (Northern Ontario School of Medicine) continues to offer the undergraduate medical education program, postgraduate residency programs, continuing education and professional development, and interprofessional education programs.

The Goodman School of Mines launched in 2013 aims at expanding interdisciplinary majors and minors to enhance the skills of future professionals in mineral exploration and mining, and drive the creation of world-class executive programs in the five key areas of the mining cycle: from mineral exploration to project feasibility, mine development, mine closure and monitoring.

Construction to begin on Laurentian Architecture's Phase Two

University Board approves contract for 55,000 square foot project in downtown Sudbury

February 14, 2014 - Laurentian University’s Board of Governors today unanimously approved the awarding of a $23.9M contract for the construction of Phase Two of the Laurentian School of Architecture. Work on the 55,000 square feet of new construction is expected to begin in March, 2014, with preparation of the foundation at the Elm and Elgin site.

“Phase Two of our Laurentian Architecture project will see the completion of an important landmark in the city’s downtown core. We are confident this building will be an extraordinary home for the Architecture program,” said Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor, Dominic Giroux.

Designed by LGA Architectural Partners, the School of Architecture will be a unique building comprising two distinct and contrasting wings. The North Wing, fronting on Elm Street, will be a steel framed structure containing mezzanines above the second floor. The West Wing will be a two-storey glulam and Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) wood structure, and will be the first large-scale use of CLT in a public building in Ontario. The two new wings will house classrooms and studio space, a lecture theatre, lounges and office areas, while creating an inner courtyard and a public walkway. The first phase of construction consisted of renovating the two heritage buildings that currently provide faculty and studio space for the Laurentian Architecture program, which officially launched in September, 2013.

“It is an exceptional and innovative design and we believe the final result will be an exciting, visually stunning addition to the cityscape,” said Laurentian Architecture’s Founding Director, Dr. Terrance Galvin. “The whole community is going to see this beautiful structure taking shape over the months to come, and I think it’s going to be thrilling to watch this dynamic process.”

The contract has been awarded to Bondfield Construction of Concord, Ontario, after a competitive bidding process. Approximately 100 local tradespeople and labourers are expected to be involved in the 18-month construction project.

Bondfield Construction is a family-owned Canadian construction company with broad experience in public infrastructure projects, and is a leader in LEED and green energy construction. Among many other public buildings across the province, Bondfield Construction’s portfolio includes the Queen’s School of Business, Kingston; the University of Guelph Engineering Complex; the University of Waterloo Science Building; Global Innovation Exchange, Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo; Georgian College Health and Wellness Centre in Barrie; Bishop Strachan School in Toronto; the Barrie Public Library, and the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts.

The Laurentian University School of Architecture is the first new school of architecture to open in Canada in 45 years. Major funding partners in the project are:

⎯ The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU)

⎯ The Government of Canada’s Regional Development Organization for Northern Ontario (FedNOR)

⎯ The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund

⎯ The City of Greater Sudbury

⎯ Centre for Research & Innovation in the Bio‐Economy (CRIBE) Laurentian University