Photo Courtesy / Jessica Lee

The UTSC campus has officially expanded across Ellesmere Road, cementing the beginning of the north campus expansion.

After two years of construction, the much-anticipated Instructional Centre will open in May for the start of the summer semester. By replacing the Management Building, the Instructional Centre will act as the new home for the Management, Co-op and Computer and Mathematical Sciences program, increasing campus space by 25 per cent.

“I enjoyed having the closeness and connectivity that the current campus has but I definitely enjoy the fact that the campus is no longer in one confined location,” said Ronald Chan, a fourth-year management student.

At 165,000 square-feet, the Centre features state-of-the-art designs and equipment, providing advanced resources for students and faculty. The makeup of the four floors of the new building includes seven lecture halls (the largest seating 350), six full-sized classrooms, as well as computer labs, study space and a presentation area in the foyer.

Photo Courtesy / Jessica Lee

“It looks like it’s going to be a great environment to not just attend class, but to also spend leisure time and do group work,” Chan said. “The newer technology and design should complement the progressive style of learning we have particularly in the management program where we are required to give presentations frequently.”

In addition to more advanced resources, the new building will feature a dine-in restaurant and café, expected to open in September. At the moment, the university has not confirmed what restaurant and café will be opening, but they’re hoping the café will be a Starbucks, said Jim Derenzis, director of facilities management.

Although new food options are a necessary addition to this campus, the opening of the Instructional Centre also helps solve another problem on this campus: the lack of study space for students.

Photo Courtesy / Jessica Lee

“I’m happy that we get a new place for classes and more study space which UTSC desperately needs,” said Purni Rahman, a fourth-year international development student. “I’m also happy that our campus is expanding, but I feel like the other programs at UTSC always get the bad end of the deal. We get smaller buildings while the management students move into a newer, better building. I just feel like the school cares more about them. I mean, the two newest buildings at UTSC have been for them.”

Rahman’s opinion is a concern that the university has foreseen. Thus, accommodations for the other departments are currently being planned, including renovating the Management Building and the Bladen Wing. Once students have relocated to the Instructional Centre, the social sciences department that currently occupies the Bladen Wing will move to the Management Building, leaving the B-Wing ready for further renovations. Renovations will focus on creating more study space but will happen in the course of the next few years, said Derenzis.

Situated on the northwest corner of Military Trail and Ellesmere Road, the $78-million Instructional Centre is the first step to an expanded campus.

“We were reluctant to make the first step in terms of building on the north side because everyone wants to be close to the hub of the campus, but it’s a good thing it happened because now it paved the way for future development,” Derenzis said.

Integrated in the Instructional Centre are over 100 offices for professors and faculty that are located in its own wing, connected to the core of the building by a glass hallway.

“It envisions the development of the north campus,” Derenzis said. “Future development of UTSC will increase on this side of Ellesmere. After this building, the next one will be the athletics centre.”