One in six Londoners has attended Fanshawe College. Since its opening in 1967, the school has established itself as a vital organization for the Forest City. It increases employment rates and provides a world-class education to those who attend.
The recent expansion of Fanshawe College campuses has sparked our interest in the history of the renowned institute. Read on to take a closer look at the college campuses throughout the years and the exciting expansion that Fanshawe has recently undergone.
A Brief History
Fanshawe College opened in September of 1967 with 15 acres of land to its name, and 720 students enrolled. By the summer of 1968, the college had purchased a whopping 78 more acres. At this time, the school also owned a campus in Woodstock, which was solely for Farm Business Management.
With plenty of land under their belt, Fanshawe would go on to expand the campus based on steadily growing reputation, enrolment and additional programs offered to students. By 1984, 1,700 students attended the school, which employed 1,140 people. By 2006 Fanshawe would be home to 15,000 full-time students and 40,000 part-time students. These enrolment numbers completely surpassed any predictions the founders could have made some 40 years prior!
Today, Fanshawe College has planted its roots in London, Simcoe, St. Thomas, Woodstock and additional areas scattered throughout Southwestern, Ontario. It has approximately 45,000 students (full-time, part-time and online) in over 200 degree, diploma, certificate, continuing studies and apprenticeship programs.
So what’s new?
The London community has been abuzz with the new campus that Fanshawe is integrating into the city. Fanshawe itself is relatively out of the way from the goings on of London – about a fifteen to twenty-minute drive depending on traffic. Most Londoners have always known of it as a “city within a city” tucked in the southeast end.
With this being said, the vast campus consisting of eleven buildings, home to 21,000 full-time students is an impressive feat for a school that started out so small. This campus has grown with its enrolment rate and has seen thousands of eager students walk through its halls.
By the fall of 2018, a brand new downtown campus will be fully up and running. This campus will be home to classes for the information technology, tourism, hospitality and culinary programs. Construction on the new campus is moving along quickly!
What was once a historic London retail store, Kingsmill’s, is a shiny new state-of-the-art Fanshawe Downtown Campus! Passersby will notice a modern touch to the six-story building, which has a 1,600-student capacity and cost a total of $66.2m with a $9m contribution from the city. The building is a distinct addition to the stretch of Dundas St. between Talbot St. and Richmond St. but isn’t ostentatious in its design.
This is an essential move for Fanshawe as it is taking a significant step forward to integrate itself with the London community. Downtown, London is vibrant and full of life, and the influx of locally owned businesses and local interest in the city itself is undeniable. By making themselves part of the downtown core, Fanshawe will be instantly recognizable and a lot more relatable to the average Londoner!