The centre, which officially opened May 15, 2012, has enabled Glendon to broaden its range of programs and courses in response to the urgent need for increased postsecondary offerings in French in southern Ontario. The centre鈥檚 development was supported by a $20-million investment by the Government of Ontario. The expansion project was built on Glendon鈥檚 existing facilities and includes more than one dozen new classrooms and lecture spaces, state-of-the art language labs, open study spaces and a 250-seat amphitheatre.

The Centre of Excellence at 91亚色鈥檚 Glendon campus聽

The Centre for Excellence has a fully equipped interpretation lab and training facility, five lecture halls with tiered seating, seminar rooms with LCD projectors and screens, a student cafe, meeting areas, a large art studio, and a rooftop terrace. The facility is approximately 55,000 sq. ft, including both聽newly added and renovated space.

The historic Glendon campus presented a challenge to architectural firm , selected to lead the construction of the new building. Managing for 91亚色 was the Campus Services & Business Operations (CSBO) team. Accepting the Toronto Urban Design Award on behalf of 91亚色 were Kenneth McRoberts, principal of Glendon College, and Richard Francki, assistant vice-president, CSBO.

The company successfully merged the historic buildings with the sleek, new glass walled building. In their decision to award the prize, the jury wrote: 鈥淭he Glendon Campus has emerged from its reclusive ravine setting of dense forest at Bayview and Lawrence Avenues. The new transparent glass addition to the original red brick campus dramatically alters the first impression of the Francophone component of 91亚色 and creates a distinctive arrival pavilion and a desirable axial termination to Lawrence Avenue. Interior stairs act as vertical beacons on the exterior, and student spaces pushed to the perimeter animate and soak in the dense greenery of the site. This is a skillful handling of a top of ravine site, creating a new threshold and sense of arrival, while maintaining the proximity and presence of the forest.鈥�

Pictured聽 second from the right are Kenneth McRoberts and Richard Francki (far right) at the Toronto Urban Design Awards ceremony

The improvements mean that Glendon is now a preeminent provider of French-language higher education for Francophone learners in Southern Ontario, as well as Anglophone students seeking to study in French. New programs housed in the centre include:

• Bilingual and trilingual international Bachelor of Arts (iBA) degrees available across 18 disciplines.
• New doctoral program in 脡tudes francophones.
• Enhanced bilingual activities outside the classroom.
• A master鈥檚 program in conference interpretation.
• A unique, direct-entry Bachelor of Education for future French teachers available at the primary-junior, junior-intermediate, and intermediate-senior levels, offered through 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education.
• Collaboration with Coll猫ge Bor茅al and la Cit茅 coll茅giale.

In 2012, the Glendon campus and the Centre of Excellence were featured in the AWARD magazine.

The post Glendon's Centre of Excellence wins a 2013 Toronto Urban Design Award appeared first on Research & Innovation.

鈥淛erzy brings a broad range of experience to the position. He has chaired the Hispanic studies department for several years now. Beyond that, he has been chair of a wide range of committees, from faculty council committees to tenure and promotion adjudication committees,鈥� says Glendon Principal Kenneth McRoberts.

Right: Jerzy Kowal

Kowal, who聽joined聽the聽Department of Hispanic Studies as a professor in 2003 and assumed the role of coordinator of the Spanish Language Program, will .

Kowal was acting chair of Hispanic Studies from 2005 to 2006, becoming chair in 2007, working closely with Mougeon, then acting associate principal academic & research. In his new position, Kowal hopes to make a contribution to Glendon鈥檚 academic development, in particular to the , a designation received by Glendon from the Ontario government in 2008.

鈥淏uilding on the outstanding achievements of the Glendon Faculty, I will work to further expand the college鈥檚 bilingual reality and enhance the offerings in Spanish. I also hope to make this campus more prominent on the local, national and international levels,鈥� says Kowal. 鈥淲e need to raise awareness of the research accomplished here, as well as to promote specializations which could attract the media, the francophone milieu and future students.鈥�

Kowal鈥檚 vision includes a re-examination of Glendon鈥檚 electronic public image to enhance the college鈥檚 branding. He is also planning to review the content of Glendon鈥檚 BA degree programs with a view to evaluating Glendon鈥檚 place in Canada鈥檚 academic setting, including its level of technology.

By Marika Kemeny, Glendon communications officer

The post Professor Jerzy Kowal,. Glendon's new associate principal academic & research, starts July 1 appeared first on Research & Innovation.

鈥淔ran莽oise Mougeon has made a signal contribution to Glendon through her two tenures as associate principal academic & research,鈥� said Glendon Principal Kenneth McRoberts. 鈥淥ver these several years, Fran莽oise could always be counted on to discharge her responsibilities with a clear sense of purpose, with a concern with rigour and fairness, and with close attention to detail. Through it all, she managed to maintain an active research program, to which she soon can give her full attention with a well-deserved sabbatical.鈥�

Right: Fran莽oise Mougeon

Mougeon聽is completing her second term as associate principal academic & research, having also served from 2003 to 2004.聽She will be on sabbatical starting July 1, and will return to teaching in 2012.

Mougeon鈥檚 research focused on the progress of students in their second language with funding through a Social Science & Humanities Research Council of Canada grant, from 2005 to 2008, and it continues still, in collaboration with a professor at the University of Toronto.

鈥淢y hope is to establish a French-as-a-second-language institute at Glendon, enlarging our research to studying students who are not specializing in languages,鈥� said Mougeon, an active member of Glendon鈥檚 . 鈥淚 have always tried to project linguistics and language studies as more than a support subject, but rather an important academic subject on its own.鈥�

Other future projects on her agenda include establishing a centre for advanced studies on francophonies, which she considers a natural development for Glendon, given that relating projects are already in progress and there are a significant number of fellow faculty members on campus 鈥� a core group 鈥� who are interested in participating.

She has several ongoing projects to hand over with the position. These include an innovative program for francophone students choosing public relations as their future profession. The four-year program, still to be approved, would provide graduates with a Glendon BA and a Cit茅 Coll茅giale diploma, completed at the same time.

Submitted by Glendon communications officer Marika Kemeny

Republished courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Professor Fran莽oise Mougeon, Glendon's associate principal academic & research, steps down appeared first on Research & Innovation.