Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is a public college located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

History

In 1967, the college was founded as Conestoga College of Applied Arts and Technology by the government of Ontario to grant diplomas and certificates in career-related, skills-oriented programs. The college started to offer degree programs in B.Eng. Mechanical Systems Engineering and B.A. Tech Architecture - Project and Facility Management starting in August 2003, and B.A. Tech in Integrated Telecommunication and Computer Technology in 2007. The early 2020s saw 70% to 81% of Conestoga's enrollees as international students, most commonly from India, and a 1,579% increase in international student population since 2014. Its total revenue increased over $137 million year over year. By 2023, Conestoga College accounted for 30,395 international study permits, more than twice as many as any other post-secondary institution in Canada. In March 2024, Conestoga College was criticized by the federal Minister of Immigration Marc Miller over its practice of foreign enrolment. The college is expected to lose over half of its current international students. As of 2023, with over 30,000 students on study visas, it has the most international students of any post-secondary institution in Canada.

Academic program

Conestoga has one, two, three, or four-year programs, as well as apprenticeship training programs. There are also many options available to students including four-year degrees in Mechanical Systems Engineering, Integrated Telecommunications and Computer Technology, Architecture, Health Informatics or the International Business Management degree which started in the fall of 2006.

Trades and apprenticeship

The college operates trades programs at the campuses in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph; training facilities are operated in Brantford and Ingersoll. The school's programs include Construction, Motive Power, Industrial and Service sectors, as well as Traditional Apprenticeship and, most recently, Pre-apprenticeship, offered in partnership with private enterprise companies. The college's president revealed a plan in late 2019 to consolidate all of the trades programs at one location in future, but the date of the move was not disclosed at that time.

Campuses

Doon Campus is the main campus for Conestoga College. It is located at the south end of Kitchener and houses the central administration offices as well as the majority of courses offered by the college. Regional campuses have select programs.

Planned Milton Campus

The town of Milton and Wilfrid Laurier University had been working together since 2008 to develop the 61 ha campus in Milton within the planned Milton Education Village (MEV) on 61 ha of land donated by the town. The university subsequently partnered with Conestoga College which would also add a satellite campus at that location. In April 2018, the Province announced a funding plan of $90 million for the project. Construction of the 61 ha campus was expected to conclude in Q3 of 2021; in the meantime, the college would offer courses in rented premises, commencing in September 2019. In October 2018, however, the new provincial government (elected in June 2018) withdrew the funding before any construction had begun, citing a greater than expected provincial deficit. This effectively cancelled the plans for the joint project with Laurier. Mayor Gord Krantz said the town would explore alternatives for funding the Milton Education Village campus. A news release issued by the college said that it would continue working with Laurier, "the government, industry and community partners to develop a revised model for the cost-effective delivery of post-secondary education ... in Milton..."

Cambridge expansion

The college decided to purchase 17 ha of land in this city in 2019, to relocate all of the trades programs (offered at various campuses) to Cambridge at a future date. Specifics were not immediately provided at the time of the announcement in late 2019. The new campus opened in Fall 2022 on 16 ha of land at Reuter Drive, next to Highway 401. The college aims to modernize and consolidate all skilled trades programs in this single location.

Planned Guelph expansion

The college has operated a small campus in Guelph for some years, but in late 2019, it advised the news media that a major expansion was planned after the trades program was relocated to Cambridge. "Within five or six years, we will have at least 5,000 students there ... [with] full-service programming," said college President John Tibbits. At the time, the Guelph campus had approximately 1,000 students. In 2023, the college announced it would be purchasing a soon-to-be vacant building in downtown Guelph, with the first phase of a new campus scheduled to open in 2025. At full capacity, the new downtown Guelph campus will have approximately 5,000 students.

Other buildings

Future

The School of Engineering and Information Technology was relocated, in 2011, to a new expansion of the Doon campus opposite the current facility across Highway 401. This City of Cambridge site will eventually hold 93000 m2 of space. Phase one of the new Cambridge Campus was finished and open for the start of the fall 2011 semester. 24000 m2 building is home to the School of Engineering and Information Technology, as well as to the Institute for Food Processing Technology. The Engineering facility has programs with a focus on advanced manufacturing, robotics, renewable energy, telecommunications, and information technology. The expansion has increased capacity by 2,350 additional full-time spaces and allowed for an additional 800 new spaces for apprentices. In May 2019, a new downtown campus for the International Business program was announced to be opening at Kitchener's Market Square in January 2020. It will host 1,000 students to start.

Residences

Conestoga's Kitchener - Conestoga College Blvd. residence is close to the Kitchener - Doon and Cambridge - Fountain Street campuses. Scheduled to open in fall 2023, the Waterloo - University Ave. residence is close to the Waterloo campus and a short drive to the Kitchener - Downtown campus. Despite the international student body at Conestoga College increasing by 1579%, on-campus student housing does not meet the demand of enrolled students resulting in many students struggling to find housing in the region.

Student Life Centre

Student media

Student sports

Conestoga College student sports teams are named the "Condors". They compete against varsity level teams. There are also intramural and extramural programs.

Notable alumni

Gallery