The Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology (frequently shortened to Niagara College and branded as Niagara College Canada) is a public College of Applied Arts and Technology within the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario, Canada.
The college has four campuses: the Welland Campus in Welland, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Maid of the Mist Campus in Niagara Falls and the Taif Campus in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia.
With 9,000 full-time students, including more than 500 international students from more than 60 countries, the college offers over 100 post-secondary diploma, baccalaureate degrees and advanced level programs. The continuing education division attracts approximately 15,000 registrants to more than 600 courses each year. Niagara College employs 291 faculty, 89 administration staff and 224 support staff and has graduated more than 50,000 students.
History
On May 21, 1965, Ontario led the way for colleges of applied arts and technology with the creation of its college system. In 1967, Niagara College’s Welland Campus was established in response to the provincial initiative to create many such institutions, providing career-oriented diploma and certificate courses, as well as continuing education programs.
In 1998 Niagara College opened its Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. In 2004, Niagara College’s hospitality, tourism and culinary programs moved from the Maid of the Mist Campus to new facilities at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus. In 2002, Niagara College launched its Niagara College Teaching Winery, the first commercial teaching winery in Canada, and in 2011 it launched the Niagara College Teaching Brewery, also the first of its kind in Canada. Today, the culinary programs, teaching winery and teaching brewery are all part of Niagara College’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute.
In response to the rapid growth of Niagara’s tourism sector and the anticipated demand for thousands of new workers, the college established the Tourism Industry Development Centre (TIDC). Housed on the Maid of the Mist Campus in Niagara Falls, the TIDC serves as a dedicated industry development and training resource for the hospitality and tourism sector. In 2007, the Ontario Street Site was added for the expanding Health & Community Studies programs.
In 2008, Niagara College embarked on a $90 million campus redevelopment as part of the college’s overall master plan, which included significant improvements and additions to the Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake Campuses. The redevelopment project was designed to increase capacity in programs that serve key industries in Niagara, including skilled trades, technology, winery and viticulture and hospitality and tourism, while providing much-needed improvements to aging facilities. The project was also a response to the college’s growth, including a 10.1 percent increase in total enrolment for the fall 2008 term - the largest increase among all Ontario colleges.
Construction at the Welland Campus included a 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) expansion to the Rankin Technology Centre, as well as a new Academic Wing, a Library and Learning Commons, a two-storey Athletics Centre a Student Centre and the $40 million Applied Health Institute (AHI), funded by the federal and provincial governments under the Knowledge Infrastructure Program (KIP). The facility brings all of Niagara College’s health programs into one complex and created space for new programs and 1,000 new students. The AHI includes classrooms and simulation labs, a dental clinic, community health clinic and a 350-seat auditorium.
At the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus, the project included construction of a Wine Visitor + Education Centre, which integrates academic programming, facilities for the unique Niagara College Teaching Winery and an educational centre for students, industry and visitors. The project also saw an expansion of culinary facilities and the construction of the Niagara College Teaching Brewery. The project was completed in spring 2011.
The Learning Commons was renamed the Eva M. Lewis Learning Commons and Library in April 2016 following a $2.6 million donation from the estate of Eva M. Lewis. It was the largest private donation in the history of the school.
Programs
Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, media, teaching English as a second language, applied health and community safety, supported by learning in food, wine, beer, horticulture and esthetics. Niagara College offers Bachelor of Applied Business (International Commerce and Global Development) degree program.
Canadian Food and Wine Institute
Niagara College’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute (CFWI) provides food, wine and beer education and training for students, employers and consumers. The institute specializes in Canadian regional cuisine with a focus on culinary arts and science, wine and beer sciences, food technology, and research. It has three major learning enterprises including Benchmark restaurant, the Niagara College Teaching Winery and the Niagara College Teaching Breweryâ€"Canada’s first and only teaching brewery to date. This is all located at the 114-acre Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus, which is also home to 40 acres of teaching vineyards, a greenhouse, chef’s gardens, horticultural features across campus and the ecological initiatives along the Wetland Ridge Trail (which joins the Bruce Trail of the adjacent UN designated world biosphere reserve of the Niagara Escarpment).
Sophie, Countess of Wessex visited the institute in September 2012, as part of the Diamond Jubilee tour of Canada.
Campuses
The college is divided into four campuses where the different departments are placed. They are:
Welland Campus, 300 Woodlawn Road, Welland, Ontario
This campus offers a range of services and activities including a fitness and sports centre, student activity centre, open computer labs, campus store, library and cafeteria. The Welland Campus is home to programs in broadcasting, acting for film and television, communications, health and community studies, early childhood education, and policing. The Technology Skill Centre is an addition to this campus as is the Centre for Policing and Community Safety Studies, a product of a partnership between the college and the Niagara Regional Police Service. The Welland Campus consolidates all of the technology programs at one campus. A true "community" campus, the Welland campus is also home to the new Welland YMCA and the Niagara Children's Safety Village.
Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus, 135 Taylor Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus, opened in 1998, is located at Glendale Avenue and the Queen Elizabeth Way. The three-storey educational facility, featuring a greenhouse centre, the new Niagara Waters Spa, the Niagara Culinary Institute and its 100-seat dining room and the Niagara College Teaching Winery, is located at the base of the Niagara Escarpment, a World Biosphere Reserve. The campus is enveloped in an ecological band of wetlands, vineyards and community gardens, becoming a living laboratory for the college's thriving environment and horticulture programs. With more than 1,850 m². (20,000 sq ft.) of greenhouse space, as well as living labs, container and field nursery operations, and onsite greenhouse equipment, students cultivate plants of many varieties year round that are sold to the public and used to beautify the 68-acre (280,000 m2) Campus. In addition to the award-winning Niagara College Teaching Winery, the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus has three on-site vineyards and a wine sensory laboratory.
Maid of the Mist Campus, 5881 Dunn Street, Niagara Falls, Ontario
The Maid of the Mist Campus is the home of the Tourism Industry Development Centre (TIDC), a hub of services dedicated to the Niagara Region’s hospitality and tourism industry. Short term training opportunities include bartender, culinary techniques, Wine 101 and a range of hospitality and tourism training, education and skills development courses. Also at this campus is the Job Connect Program Niagara College Jobs and Training - helping young people access employment in hospitality and tourism. The Kerrio Dining room is open to the public Thursdays and Fridays during the school year. Lunch and dinners are prepared by the Level I Cook Apprentice students under the supervision of the chefs of Niagara Culinary Institute.
Also at the Maid of-the-Mist Campus is a salon for the hairstyling programs.
Taif Campus, Ta'If, Makkah, Saudi Arabia 26526
The college is currently establishing a "national centre of excellence" in tourism, hospitality and business innovation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Programs such as business and management studies, culinary studies and hospitality and tourism studies are offered to male Saudi citizens. A special foundation year studies program is designed to set students up for success by teaching them English communications, entrepreneurship and computer.
Sports
Niagara College, home of the Niagara Knights, is a member of the Ontario Colleges and Canadian Colleges Athletic Associations (OCAA & CCAA).
Niagara College Varsity Athletic programs include:
- Men's and Women's Basketball
- Men's and Women's Curling
- Men's and Women's Golf
- Men's and Women’s Soccer
- Men's and Women's Volleyball
In the fall of 2010, the Welland Campus opened a new athletic centre featuring two gymnasiums, a fitness centre, multi-purpose rooms and additional locker facilities. The Welland Campus also offers a softball diamond, an outdoor running track (0.6Â km), two-rink outdoor hockey facility and a soccer/football field.
The Niagara-on-the-Lake features a gymnasium and fitness room.
The intramural league programs and activities include ball hockey, basketball, badminton, touch football, basketball, co-ed volleyball, indoor soccer, outdoor ball hockey, soccer and ice hockey.
In spring 2011, Niagara College hosted the CCAA Women's Basketball National Championships, and in spring 2013, Niagara College hosted the CCAA Men's Volleyball National Championships.
Bachelor's degrees
Niagara College Bachelor of Applied Business Degree Programs:
- Bachelor of Applied Business - International Commerce and Global Development
- Bachelor of Applied Business - Hospitality Operations Management
University transfers
University Transfers Niagara College has a number of Joint Programs with the several institutions:
- Brock University, Canada
- Niagara University, New York State, U.S.A.
- Sanda University, China
- University of Santo Tomas, Chile
Niagara College has developed many degree completion agreements with universities and colleges in Canada and around the world. Diploma graduates have many opportunities to complete a degree through Niagara College's \partnering institutions in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and New Brunswick. International university partners can be found in New York State, Michigan, New Hampshire, Australia, United Arab Emirates and Chile.
Broadcasting
Niagara College operates the radio station CRNC-FM that transmits on an FM frequency at 90.1 MHz, which is transmitted from the Welland Campus on Woodlawn Road in Welland, Ontario. The station is branded as 90.1 FM The Heat, Niagara's New Rock. The station's programming is produced by students in the school's Broadcasting program.
Students taking television production as their major also put on a half-hour, magazine style program called Inside Niagara. The show airs weekly for 10 weeks on TV Cogeco from early February to late April.
Scholarships
The college has joined Project Hero, a scholarship program cofounded by General (Ret'd) Rick Hillier, for the families of fallen Canadian Forces members.
Notable alumni
- Edward Burtynsky, photographer
- Shirley Coppen, politician
- Dan Dunleavy, sportscaster
- Christel Haeck, politician
- Peter Kormos, politician
- Nick Hector, film editor
- Bernie McNamee, journalist
- Sandy White, former London, Ontario city councilor
See also
- Canadian government scientific research organizations
- Canadian industrial research and development organizations
- Canadian Interuniversity Sport
- Canadian university scientific research organizations
- Higher education in Ontario
- List of colleges in Ontario
- List of universities in Ontario
References
External links
- Official website