In the news: Ontario backs growth of colleges and universities with cash

The Hamilton Spectator has this story about reaction to yesterday's provincial budget from Mohawk President Rob MacIsaac and McMaster University President Dr. Patrick Deane.

Rob said the money showed the McGuinty government understands the role of the colleges in building a strong economy for the province. “This is good news for the colleges. It shows the government continues to show it is committed to our role in strengthening the economy.”

Where McMaster feels its growth potential might be constrained by its current campus, Rob said there is still plenty of room to expand Mohawk’s Fennell Avenue main campus. That growth will be needed because the college currently has 12,000 full-time students and is growing by as much as five per cent a year.

Much of that growth is clustered in the nursing, health care and engineering technology fields. There’s also the potential for more growth in apprenticeship training if the economy continues to improve.

“This money is going to be very helpful to us in the coming years,” Rob said.