York University has broken ground on the School of Continuing Studies’ signature new 97,000-square-foot building, with the start of construction marked by a virtual ceremony.
Designed by Perkins and Will, the new building, located at the university’s Keele campus, will help meet the increasing demand for York’s professional certificate programs and the York University English Language Institute (YUELI).
“This new, standalone home for our School of Continuing Studies demonstrates York’s commitment to serving the current and future needs of learners and employers, here at home and around the world, as they rise to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the demands of a dynamic global knowledge economy,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton.
Currently, students attend classes at various locations throughout the campus and staff are spread across four buildings. The building will also accommodate the school’s rapidly growing student and staff population.
Due to COVID-19 physical distancing measures, the school took a non-traditional approach to the construction groundbreaking by inviting the extended York community to visit its virtual groundbreaking webpage.
“Our students are bold, they’re confident, they’re ambitious. The building is an embodiment of who we are as a school,” said Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly, Assistant Vice-President, Continuing Studies. “The building will be a twisted, iconic gateway site and showcase York’s long commitment to providing high-quality education to non-traditional students.”
Scheduled to open for students in fall 2021, the building will allow for expanded access to the English-language university pathways that support international students and new Canadians, and programming to support professionals looking to pursue careers in emerging and in-demand fields.
“Our language programs are the top programs in North America. Our professional programs are among the most innovative in Canada and among the top programs in North America,” said Taylor-O’Reilly. “Our physical environment needs to be an extension of the quality of the education we’re providing to our students. This building will allow us to bring innovation using the cutting-edge twisted design to create a world-class education experience in North America.”