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view . spring 2012
The University of Windsor will construct a two-
storey Innovation Centre and a seven-level parking
garage with approximately 1,000 spaces on the
south side of Wyandotte street between Sunset and
California.
The University has entered into contract
discussions with Newton Parking Structures Ltd. from
Guelph, Ont., to construct the first-ever design-build
project on campus.
The University’s Board of Governors voted in favour
of the $25.8-million project on December 14. Revenue
generated from parking and tenant occupancy within the
facility will fund the project, ensuring no impact on the
University’s operating budget.
Dr. Alan Wildeman, president and vice-chancellor
says that, “With this project, and with the downtown
developments, the University is continuing to pursue better
alignment with key partners in ways that can strengthen
our commitment to teaching, research and community
engagement.
“This Wyandotte-California-Sunset facility will enable
us to consolidate much of the parking on campus onto a
significantly reduced footprint, and create opportunities to
add more green space and provide land for future capital
development.”
The project consists of two separate buildings
connected by a second-storey pedestrian bridge from the
Innovation Centre to the parking structure. The Innovation
Centre will become the new home of Campus Community
Police, Parking Services, and other services and amenities
such as a café with a courtyard, and potentially a main
floor financial institution. The second floor will be used by
organizations engaged in innovation and enhancement of
the community working with UWindsor students, faculty
and staff.
Some of the current surface lot parking will be
centralized into the new parking structure. The affected
lots will then be repurposed into green space or future
development. The new parking structure will add
approximately 300 spaces, bringing the total availability on
campus to 3,000.
Construction will begin in 2012 and will be completed
during the summer of 2013. Plans are underway to conduct
a full review of UWindsor’s entire parking program and
allocations, with the support of the University’s Parking
Advisory Committee.
INNOVATION CENTRE PROJECT TO OPEN IN THE SUMMER OF 2013
UWINDSOR FIRST-CHOICE APPLICATIONS UP SIX PER CENT
Expanded recruiting efforts and a broader provincial
profile are just two of the reasons UWindsor has
experienced a six per cent increase
over last year in
applicants selecting UWindsor as their first choice, topping
the provincial average increase of two per cent.
Dr. Dave Bussière, assistant provost, admissions and
recruiting, says a new approach to student recruitment has
significantly helped increase interest in UWindsor.
“We’re crediting a number of factors, including a
50 per cent increase in high school visits by our Liaison and
Student Recruitment staff this fall,” Dr. Bussière says. “This
is in addition to expanded faculty and student participation
in the Ontario University Fair, exceptional efforts by our
deans and a greater co-ordination of efforts between our
recruiting and advertising departments.”
He added that a new advertising campaign with
expanded reach into such areas as malls and theatres
brings the UWindsor message even closer to students.
“These numbers show that we are having considerable
success in sharing the UWindsor story with students
making post-secondary decisions, and that we seem to be
reaching them in a number of different ways,” Bussière
says. “High school students may hear great things from
our liaison people during school visits, but they are also
hearing these same things from friends and siblings who
are already attending UWindsor and this is reinforced by
our advertising campaign.
“These students want to be assured that they’re
making the right choice and the combined efforts of
our faculty and staff to help students and their parents
make informed decisions is really the driver of this year’s
recruiting success.”
Some highlights within individual faculties include:
• The Faculty of Engineering is up by 29.4 per cent
across all areas, generated by interest in the opening
of the Centre for Engineering Innovation this fall
• The Odette School of Business is up 10.8 per cent
compared to the provincial average of 5.9 per cent
• The School of Nursing is up 11.9 per cent
• The Faculty of Science is up 8.7 per cent with
significant gains in biology, computer science and
physics
• The Faculty of Arts and Social Science is up 6.5 per
cent with strong numbers in political science, social
work and the new digital journalism program
