July 29, 2004

The City of Burlington and McMaster University to work together to bring a campus to Burlington

The City of Burlington and McMaster University announced that they aim to bring a post secondary campus to Burlington within the next three years.

Burlington, ON - The City of Burlington today announced its intention to pursue discussions with McMaster University with the aim of bringing a post secondary campus to Burlington within the next three years.

Burlington Mayor Rob MacIsaac, who initiated the search for a campus in the city by establishing a Mayor’s Task Force on Post-Secondary Education said, “The Task Force has been hard at work the past few months meeting with a number of colleges and universities, and considering a variety of options for post-secondary education in Burlington.”

The Task Force developed selection criteria and a vision for a post-secondary institution in Burlington. Key criteria included finding a respected partner with a proven track record in post-secondary education, the creation of unique and innovative learning opportunities for Burlington citizens, and identifying an institution committed to reflecting the values of the community.

“McMaster University is very pleased to pursue this expansion opportunity with the city of Burlington,” said McMaster President Peter George. “As McMaster considers its future growth plans, the possibility of a new campus in Burlington opens many exciting options. We are committed to working with the city and potential partners to explore how we might provide a quality post-secondary education facility that complements the Burlington community as well as the university.”

Together, the City of Burlington and McMaster University will establish a process for the two partners to build upon their common strengths and together develop a plan that explores the feasibility of a McMaster University campus in Burlington. The aim of this partnership is to create a new campus for a new century that recognizes the changing educational needs of today’s society.

The city and the university hope to arrive at a memorandum of understanding on overall goals and timing for the new campus within the coming weeks. This would be followed by a period of research and consultation to ensure that the campus and its programs reflect the needs and objectives of future students and faculty as well as those of the larger community.

The 11 members of the Mayor’s Task Force on Post-Secondary Education represent a wide cross-section from both the private and public sectors of the community. For more information on the Task Force and related developments please visit the city’s website at www.burlington.ca.

McMaster University, one of Canada's leading research-intensive universities, has world-renowned faculty and state-of-the-art research facilities. McMaster's culture of innovation fosters a commitment to discovery and learning in teaching, research and scholarship. Based in Hamilton, the University has a student population of more than 20,000 and more than 112,000 alumni in 128 countries around the world.