Media

OTTAWA, March 4, 2010  —  The University of Ottawa is proud to announce the creation of four articulation agreements in the field of engineering, specifically, two with La Cité collégiale (computer engineering and electrical engineering) and two with Algonquin College (mechanical engineering and electrical engineering). Carleton University has forged two agreements with Algonquin College, one in mechanical and the other in electrical engineering.

This announcement is the culmination of a $240,000 investment received from the Ontario government in 2007 through the College-University Consortium Council (CUCC) for the establishment of partnerships designed to optimize the transfer of engineering students between colleges and universities in the Ottawa region.

Given the expected increase in demand for workers in various branches of engineering across Ontario, the University of Ottawa decided to put forward the articulation project in cooperation with Carleton University, Algonquin College and La Cité collégiale, the ultimate goal being to craft agreements that allow students to move more readily from college to university.

The articulation agreements are the national capital region’s first ever in the field of engineering. They provide easier access to studies, reduce curriculum overlap between postsecondary levels and contribute to economic development in the region by allowing college-level engineering students to pursue their training at the university level.

The two agreements with La Cité collégiale will not only help retain Francophone students in the French-language education system by offering a wider selection of disciplines, but also enhance cooperation between uOttawa and La Cité in the delivery of French-language programming.

According to the Ontario Ministry of Finance, projected population increases in the province over the next 20 years, especially in urban areas, will increase the need for infrastructure renewal in cities and for new highways, bridges, transit systems, power generation, waterworks, schools, etc.

In addition, with continued advancements in computing and technology, employers will need to hire more highly qualified specialists trained at the postsecondary level. As a result, the field of engineering will continue to be one of Ontario’s most popular in the years to come.

The University of Ottawa has been training the engineers of tomorrow for more than 50 years in its three engineering departments (Mechanical, Civil and Chemical-Biological) and at its School of Information Technology and Engineering. The Faculty of Engineering provides high-level instruction and CO-OP work terms that generate highly skilled and productive professionals. Excellence and diversity in research are paramount at the Faculty of Engineering, which maintains strong partnerships at this level with industry and government research labs.