City takes first steps to attract York U campus

Vaughan Weekly
March 19, 2014
By Angela Gismondi

York University is proposing to expand into York Region and the City of Vaughan wants to be the host site for new campus.

The proposed “York in York” campus initiative was brought forward at a city council meeting yesterday (Tuesday).

Council approved a recommendation directing the interim city manager to put together a group of staff to prepare a formal response package and presentation that will promote Vaughan as the location of choice for the proposed expansion of York University.

On March 12, the office of the city manager received a communication from Region of York Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch containing a letter from York University President Mamdouh Shoukri requesting assistance in facilitating meetings with regional municipalities interested in being the host site for the university’s proposed expansion. York University and the Region of York have arranged for each interested municipality to make a private presentation to York University on April 17.

In his letter, Shoukri explained that the university intends to respond to the Major Capacity Expansion Policy Framework document released by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in Dec. 2013. The document was issued in preparation for a request for proposals that will solicit submissions from post-secondary institutions which are interested in establishing new campus locations in the province.

“Our submission will confirm York’s desire to locate a new university campus within York Region,” states the letter.

York University has a strong presence in York Region already, Shoukri noted in the letter. Almost 50,000 York University alumni live in York Region, one third of the university’s workforce (1,900 staff and faculty) reside in York Region and York is a first choice for the region’s youth who choose to pursue post-secondary education with one-third of all York Region applicants enrolling at York.

“York University is, in many ways, already ‘York Region’s University,’ having a strong presence that is evident across the Region,” stated Shoukri in his letter. “Given this strong affinity between us, it is easy to see why York University is pursuing this exciting opportunity to create a new ‘York in York’ campus.”

The province has noted that municipalities interested in being considered as host locations will be expected to work in collaboration with institutions that would be prepared to submit a proposal. Therefore a key component of the bid submission by York University to the Province will be confirmation of both a campus location and indication that the local municipality is a willing partner in the initiative.

The next step in the process is for York to meet with interested York Region municipalities to determine the most appropriate location for the new campus.

“An evaluation of these submissions would enable York University to assess the merits of each candidate and to ensure that the strongest location and partner municipality is confirmed and included in our final bid submission to the Province,” Shoukri explained in the letter.

The consultation will take place over the next 60 days.

Promoting and attracting educational institutions to the City is something Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua believes in. Bevilacqua publicly asked Shoukri to consider Vaughan as the location for the new campus at the recent Mayor’s Luncheon hosted by the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce.

“I am such a believer of York University, not only did I go there, my son Jean Paul is actually a second year law school student at Osgoode Hall,” said Bevilacqua. “So if you don’t want to do it for me, do it for my son and do it for the incredible number of people who have a really deep loyalty for York University in the City of Vaughan. We consider ourselves very much tied to York University. We are from York Region after all.”

“I want to really ask you to consider our city for a new campus,” he added. “We need it.”

By approving the recommendations contained in the staff report, council also confirmed that Vaughan is a willing partner in the “York in York” campus initiative and authorized staff to approach one or more key landowners in the City of Vaughan to identify potential partnership arrangements for the proposed university expansion project and report back to Council prior to the City’s submission.

A copy of the report will be forwarded to the Region of York, the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities and the Office of the President of York University.