Expansion of Schulich School of Engineering launches new era in education and research

It is already one of the top engineering schools in Canada. Now, the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering is set to undergo a transformation with the announcement of $142.5 million from the government of Alberta for the Schulich Expansion and Renovation Project.

This will create more space for teaching, learning and research, and play a key role as the University of Calgary works towards its Eyes High  goals. It will also transform engineering education in the province, create capacity to graduate more highly-skilled engineers to meet industry demand and drive innovation in Alberta and beyond.

“The government of Alberta’s generous contribution moves us closer to improving engineering education for our future students and faculty, and it supports our goal of becoming one of the top five research universities in the country,” said Elizabeth Cannon, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Calgary. “Equipped with transformational learning and research facilities, this project will make the Schulich School of Engineering a centre of excellence for collaborative learning and engineering research in Canada and internationally.”

Premier Alison Redford made the announcement today on campus at a gathering of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community supporters that featured a showcase of engineering student projects.

“In Alberta, we’re focused on investing in infrastructure and growing our highly skilled workforce,” said Premier Alison Redford. “By giving the University of Calgary a new, expanded space for its engineering school, we can increase the capacity to educate more engineers who can help us meet our goals and keep building Alberta. This is a great investment in our province’s future.”

Expansion increases capacity by at least 400 students

The expansion will allow the school to increase its capacity by at least 400 additional undergraduate and graduate students, helping meet the needs of industry at a time when demand for engineers is on the rise. In addition, Schulich graduate students will apply research to address societal challenges, and drive research and innovation that will give Alberta a competitive edge. Given that 96 per cent of Schulich graduates stay and work in Alberta, this expansion means significant gains for our province.

“The expanded and renovated Schulich School of Engineering will provide advanced lab spaces to support research, new theatres for teaching, and open spaces for collaborative work,” said Thomas Lukaszuk, deputy premier and minister of enterprise and advanced education. “The student experience will be enriched by this new hub.”

The Schulich Expansion and Renovation Project adds approximately 18,300 gross square metres to the engineering complex and renovates an additional approximately 11,100 gross square metres of existing space within the complex. In keeping with the university’s strength as a leader in sustainability, a top priority is achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by using the latest energy saving technologies.

Initiative strengthens engineering profession

“We support initiatives such as the Schulich School of Engineering’s ground-breaking event because they help address the future shortages of professional engineers in the province,” says professional geoscientist Colin Yeo, president of the 70,000-member Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta. “The quality of life for all Albertans will be improved if we have a robust engineering and geoscience professions that, in turn, sustain Alberta’s competitive advantage.”

The total value of the project is $158.3 million. In addition to government of Alberta’s funding of $142.5 million, $15.8 million of the capital cost of the project is provided by the Engineering Leaders campaign which has raised $54.3 million so far. The campaign enjoys strong support from the donor community and is on track to reach its target of $60 million soon. Funding from the campaign enables further enhancements to the engineering facilities, student support through awards, activity funds and career advice, and research achievement through research centres and chairs.

Government, donors invest in future

President Cannon thanked the university’s partners and donors for investing in the education of future engineers and, by supporting the expansion, creating an environment that will help attract and retain world-class researchers across all disciplines.

“Community contributions along with government’s significant capital support provide the impetus to ensure we have the student capacity and learning infrastructure to continue to fuel the engineering industry for years to come,” said President Cannon. “On behalf of the campus community, I would like to sincerely thank the government of Alberta and our donor community for this very meaningful investment in the future of our students, the university and industry.”

Construction on the new building will begin immediately and the building will open in 2016, a major milestone to celebrate the university’s 50th anniversary. Once complete, the new building will provide a welcoming front door to the Schulich School of Engineering, a symbol that will inspire pride within the community.