Photo/DAN PELTON GEORGIAN COLLEGE Orangeville campus manager David Forbes poses in the hall of the college's new 12,000-square-foot Centennial Rd. campus. The new facility will have seven classrooms, a nursing lab and a 25-station computer lab. Georgian College has enhanced its place in the Dufferin academic community with the acquisition of a 12,000-squarefoot facility on Orangeville's Centennial Road that will house seven classrooms, a nursing clinic and a computer lab.

"We will continue to do our academic upgrading and literacy classes here," says Dave Forbes, manager of Georgian's Orangeville campus. "As well, we have a lab for our practical nursing students, a boardroom for community use, and a computer lab with 25 computers.

"We will be announcing some new programs over the next two years, and they will be full-time programs."

Brian Tamblyn, President and CEO of Georgian College, says Georgian is working in tandem with Humber College, another community college that is expanding its Orangeville campus operations.

"We're working in partnership with Humber and we will be offering noncompeting programs," points out Mr. Tamblyn. "Our student numbers will grow. Students will be able to stay in the community and not have to leave home."

Sylvia Jones, MPP for Dufferin-Caledon, is enthusiastic about both the new facility and the curriculum within.

"Our society is changing so quickly," points out Ms. Jones. "Our technology and manufacturing sectors can tap in to what Humber and Georgian College are doing.

"A good college reacts to what a community needs. One example that comes to mind is that all of the health care sectors are looking for additional workers, and I feel Georgian College has done an excellent job of encouraging local learning."

Another important and innovative partnership Georgian has is the one it has with six Canadian universities. It's an agreement, in place since 2002, where students from a university can carry on their studies at a Georgian campus.

Currently, 1,000 Laurentian University students are attending Georgian's Barrie campus. All told, 1,700 students are taking part in the program.

"This is a unique approach to bringing university degrees to this region of the province," says Mr. Tamblyn. "It's a model that we borrowed from the United States that has been very successful. And it's unique in Canada."