Niagara Falls’ new university welcomes students for inaugural term
Mayor ‘excited’ about the school’s presence downtown — and for its future
While so many people were busy watching the total solar eclipse on April 8, it was also a significant day in Niagara Falls for another reason.
That’s when University of Niagara Falls Canada marked the start of its inaugural spring term at its downtown campus.
“We’ll have another small intake in the summer and then we’re expecting a fairly substantial start in October,” said Cyndi McLeod, board director for University of Niagara Falls Canada and chief executive officer of Global University Systems Canada, which is the company behind the university.
She said the university “still has very serious plans” of constructing a purpose-built campus and accommodations in the future.
“Those discussions continue to be underway. In the meantime, we’ve had a soft launch with about 60 students, with a nice mix of domestic students and international students. We’re delighted at the calibre of the students that have enrolled.”
According to the university’s website, renovations were recently completed on the initial campus, located inside the Hatch building on Queen Street, next to city hall.
Including classrooms, study areas, a library and lounge, each area was designed with students’ needs in mind.
An open house is scheduled Thursday, April 25, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., when visitors can see the newly renovated building and learn more about the undergraduate and graduate programs offered by the university. People can register for free to attend the open house at the university’s website.
The first intake of students was welcomed into two graduate programs — master of management and master of data analytics.
According to the university’s website, the private school will see another intake of students in July for its master of management program.
It will launch a third master’s program in the fall, master of arts in digital media and global communication, in addition to two undergraduate degree programs, honours bachelor of business administration and honours bachelor of science — biomedical sciences.
“We’re very excited at the number of partnerships and pathways that we’re creating, not only in Canada but across the globe,” said McLeod.
“There’s very strong interest in the university because of the quality and uniqueness of all of the programs.”
She said the university continues to hire faculty and staff, adding it’s at about 80 full-time people.
“I’m incredibly excited to watch how this university will unfold because it’s got so many very unique opportunities and the interest in the programming, not only from students, but from business industries, the sectors that we’re working with and working in.”
Mayor Jim Diodati said he’s “excited” about the university’s presence downtown —and for the future.
“They’ve spent millions of dollars renovating the Hatch building for academic space. They’re going through their planning process to build residences and more academic space downtown. I know that they’ve been working with our planning staff to come up with locations and what’s going to work best,” he said.
“This group is absolutely entrenched in our community. They’re weaving themselves into the fabric of Niagara Falls and they’re generously offering finances and time.”
Diodati said like Global University System’s other academic facilities around the world, as well as Brock University, the Niagara Falls site will see a “gradual build up.”
According to Brock’s website, the public institution, which now teaches more than 19,000 students in seven faculties, opened in 1964 with 127 students who attended class in a refurbished refrigeration factory.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day and the Niagara Falls university will build out over several years; they’ll find their place in the community,” said Diodati. “Already, they’re doing so well. I think they fight way above their weight.
“They do have a global presence already. They’ve got medical schools and law schools and engineering schools around the world. They’re not new to education, they’re just new to Niagara Falls.”
He said the university will help attract and retain youth, while being a major reason why the city's downtown will see its long-soughtafter revitalization.
“It won’t be traditional education. It’s emerging technologies. They’ll be teaching kids for jobs that maybe haven’t even been created yet in the digital world,” he said.
“The more and more we hear about AI, we hear about cybersecurity, we hear about crypto, we hear all about these digital words and that’s where the world is going and that’s where the university is going to take us.”