Niagara University has strengthened its binational presence with the establishment of an additional location for its Niagara University in Ontario program in Vaughan, Ontario. The site is also the first-ever university to be established in the City of Vaughan and York Region, and supports Niagara University’s commitment to becoming the premier binational university within the Province of Ontario.
For 35 years, Niagara University has offered programs in Canada which operate under the written consent of the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. The opening of an additional location in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre will give Niagara University students and alumni a place to call their Niagara University home, and provide opportunities to better serve them with the culture, resources, and supports necessary for success in Niagara’s mission-based academic programs.
The site will be in the heart of Vaughan’s emerging downtown core, located in the Vaughan Metropolitan Center. The more than 12,000 square-foot addition will include seven classrooms, faculty and administration offices, and student lounge areas. There are nine full-time faculty and administrators as well as a number of part-time faculty and supervisors on staff at that location, where more than 300 students are pursuing Bachelor of Professional Studies and Master of Science in Educational Leadership programs. In addition, approximately 50 practicing teachers take Additional Qualification course work each year.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Niagara University to continue to strengthen our binational relationship to build and sustain our cross-border community,” said the Rev. James J. Maher, C.M, Niagara University president. “As the largest university in the region in terms of enrollment, and one of the largest employers in Niagara County, this collaboration with the City of Vaughan will enable us to look beyond Western New York to make a deliberate and focused economic impact on this binational region, positively impacting the lives of others.”
“It has long been my dream to attract a university to Vaughan,” said Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua. “Having a post-secondary institution in an urban setting, within walking distance from homes, businesses, and amenities, connected by regionally integrated transit, will contribute to both the economy and the quality of life for residents of the City of Vaughan. Niagara University in Ontario is an unprecedented investment in our community and in the Vaughan Metropolitan Center.”
Father Maher was presented with the key to the City of Vaughan the following week:
Classes started in Vaughan on Jan. 21 for Niagara University in Ontario’s Bachelor of Professional Studies in Education program, which is accredited by the Ontario College of Teachers, and the Master of Science in Education program. Both prepare aspiring professionals for careers in primary-junior and intermediate-senior teacher positions, among other education-related employment opportunities.
ABOUT NIAGARA UNIVERSITY:
Founded by the Vincentian community in 1856, Niagara University is a comprehensive institution, blending the best of a liberal arts and professional education, grounded in our values-based Catholic tradition. Its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education, and Hospitality and Tourism Management offer programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral level. The university also offers a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Education and a Master of Science in Education degree in Ontario. For 35 years, Niagara University has offered programs in Canada which operate under the written consent of the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.
As the first Vincentian university established in the United States, Niagara prepares students for personal and professional success while emphasizing service to the community in honor of St. Vincent de Paul. Niagara’s institutional commitment to service-learning has led to its inclusion on the President’s Honor Roll for Community Service every year since its inception in 2006, and its recognition with the Carnegie Foundation’s Classification for Community Engagement.