Guelph-Humber to Hold Inaugural Convocation
June 13, 2006 - News Release
The University of Guelph-Humber will hold its first convocation ceremony June 19, awarding 152 students both honours bachelor’s degrees from the University of Guelph and diplomas from the Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning.
“Humber and U of G have succeeded in expanding student opportunity by creating a University that offers both theoretical and practical education in just four years of study,” said U of G president Alastair Summerlee.
Humber president Robert A. Gordon added: “The budding success of these first graduates demonstrates that this partnership has provided for a curriculum that meets the emerging needs of employers for graduates with strategic skills, as well as a base for those who intend to continue their education.”
The convocation ceremony begins at 2:30 p.m. at the Pearson Convention Centre. Prof. Michael Nightingale, who served as Guelph-Humber's first vice-provost until his retirement last year, will receive the first honorary degree. He will be awarded an honorary doctorate of laws and address the graduands.
Guelph-Humber's first graduates are from the media studies and business programs. Media studies students will receive a bachelor of applied arts degree from Guelph and a diploma in either journalism or public relations from Humber. Business students will receive a bachelor of business administration from Guelph and a diploma in business administration from Humber.
“The graduates of this joint initiative are well prepared for the world outside the classroom,” said John Walsh, Guelph-Humber’s vice-provost (chief academic officer).
The only one of its kind, Guelph-Humber is a joint initiative between the two partnering institutions. It first began offering classes in the fall of 2002, taught by faculty from both institutions, and serves about 1,800 students.
In 2004, the university moved to its own $45-million state-of-the-art building on the Humber campus. The four-storey, 133,130-square-foot building was designed to complement the university’s commitment to a learner-centred environment. Most classrooms are for small groups of between 30 and 65 students, and the entire second floor is devoted to informal learning. There are also computer classrooms, state-of-the-art laboratories, an Internet café, and a plant wall biofilter, a “living wall” that improves air quality and creates a natural source of indoor fresh air.
Guelph-Humber offers programs in business, computing, media studies, early childhood, family and community social services and justice studies.
Contacts:
Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
Deb Bourk, (416) 675-6622, Ext. 5481, deborah.bourk@humber.ca
University of Guelph
Lori Bona Hunt, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 53338, l.hunt@exec.uoguelph.ca
