Meet the University of Calgary -

Ambitious. Energetic. And entering its largest ever capital expansion. The U of C is building on its momentum with an ambitious commitment to add 7,000 new students by 2010.

"Our growth will have a lasting impact on each and every student at the U of C," says university president Dr. Harvey Weingarten. "This bold plan will redefine the university of the future."

ISEEE

The Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy (ISEEE) integrates multidisciplinary, mission-focused research, education, and innovation to ensure Albertans continue to have competitive energy supplies, a clean environment, and a strong economy. The $283- million project will create spaces for an additional 1,000 students in high-demand programs related to energy and environment, and will add 58,000 square metres of research space, 100 new faculty, and at least 25 new research chairs.

Experiential Learning Centre 

The Experiential Learning Centre (ELC) will revolutionize the way students learn by improving and expanding access to laboratories. This $300-million project will feature highly specialized analytical instrumentation, as well as learning spaces that eliminate the distinction between labs and lecture halls, giving students and their professors greater opportunity for teaching and learning, and the hands-on exchange of ideas; an integrated student facility that crosses boundaries and disciplines.

Urban Campus Partnership 

The U of C's $235-million Urban Campus Partnership will provide education in the community, for the community, and with the community. It will accommodate 5,000 more students, and for the first time, will offer a campus for all public post-secondary students to share.

Campus Calgary Digital Library 

The $140-million Campus Calgary Digital Library (CCDL) is part of a larger digital information collaborative that includes the Lois Hole Alberta Digital Library, which will provide vast amounts of information to all post-secondary students in the province. Combined, these two libraries will make Alberta one of the most information-rich jurisdictions on the continent.

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

In September 2008, the U of C will welcome the first class of 30 students into the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , located in a new 7,730-square metre Clinical Skills Building at Spy Hill, as well as the Health Sciences and new HRIC buildings. The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program will cover the full range of species and disciplines of veterinary medical education. In addition to this core, the program will focus on areas important to Alberta and Western Canada, preparing graduates for community and rural practice. Three major themes important for veterinary medicine in the 21st century will make up the curriculum: production animal and equine health, focusing on the livestock industry and rural practice; ecosystem and public health, involving the interface of domestic animal, wildlife, human and environmental health; and investigative medicine, including comparative health research and laboratory animal medicine. Budget: $80 million. Completion scheduled for 2008.

West Campus

In 1995, the university received approximately 74 hectares of land west of the main campus from the province for future expansion. Also home to the new Alberta Children's Hospital and Ronald McDonald House, plans are underway to initiate mixed-use development on the site, including a wide range of housing types, commercial, retail, cultural, and recreational development. With visioning complete, the master planning process is underway. Completion scheduled for 2012.

Administrative Conservation and Information Resources Facility (ACIR)

The proposed ACIR facility will help meet the university's ever-increasing demand for storage space and support academic growth. The facility will allow for the recovery of over 12,000 square metres of space in campus core buildings needed for academic and research purposes. Budget: $27 million. Completion scheduled for 2008.

Child Development Centre

The U of C's 12,000-square-metre Child Development Centre will double childcare spaces on campus and provide an innovative environment for clinicians, researchers, educators and policy-makers, incorporating world-class research, training, and services. It is the university's first LEED platinum building effort - a construction and building operations method that is estimated to result in facilities 40 percent more energy efficient than standard ones. Budget: $28.1 million. Completion expected January 2007.

Energy Centre

With three boilers nearly at full capacity, additional heating and cooling capacity is required to allow for required redundancy, service new facilities, and update current energy infrastructure, which is almost 40 years old. The new Energy Centre will also allow the university to work towards Kyoto Protocol targets for reduced greenhouse gas emissions and leverage the newest technologies for safe and clean power generation. Budget: $75 million. Completion scheduled for 2008.

Energy projects

The university is focusing considerable resources and effort into saving energy. With coordinated planning and effective partnerships with companies such as Direct Energy and Acklands-Grainger, we generate efficient, coordinated energy solutions such as the Turn Off the Lights action initiative to encourage energy-saving behaviour, and the $1.3-million lighting retrofit to standardize lights and fixtures, lower consumption, and streamline repair and replacement.

Health Research Innovation Centre (HRIC)

The new Health Research Innovation Centre will provide 1,300 new job opportunities for faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, and help meet the university's growing need for health sciences programs, services, and research. The 56,000-square-metre, five-storey HRIC lab and seven-storey HRIC Teaching, Research and Wellness Building will also help efforts to recruit and retain internationally recognized health researchers. Funding was provided by the Government of Alberta, the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, the Canada Foundation for Innovation and community partners. Budget: $219.4 million (buildings plus fit-up). Completion scheduled for 2008.

Health Sciences Centre Mechanical Room Upgrade

By replacing aging equipment inside the building with new equipment installed on the roof, 3,160 square metres will be reclaimed for classrooms, laboratories, and office space. Budget: $25 million.

International House

Work begins this fall on a new $18-million residence adjacent to the Dining Centre. It will mark the first building in the transformation of the "heart of campus," providing a dramatic new entry point to the university grounds, and a catalyst to enhance and expand our on-campus residential community for both international and domestic students. Completion scheduled for 2008.

Faculty of Law renovation

The U of C offers one of the best law programs in the country, and it's getting better. The goal is to achieve international recognition at the LLB and graduate levels for excellence in natural resources, energy, and environmental law specializations. To meet this goal, renovations in Murray Fraser Hall will include technology upgrades and the reconfiguration of teaching space to accommodate 106 more students. Budget: $8 million. Completion scheduled for 2007.

Pine Creek Research Centre

The university and the City of Calgary are working toward a new world-class research centre dedicated to improving the science and management of wastewater. The centre will be used to investigate pollution impacts on various bodies of water and test new options for the treatment of wastewater and storm water. Budget: $61 million (U of C portion).

Sustainable Renewal

Funded by the provincial Infrastructure Maintenance Program (IMP), this campus-wide program implements maintenance initiatives to upgrade, improve, and extend the life of university facilities. Budget: $20.9 million (2006-07).

Transitional Facilities

In order to support the university's tremendous growth over the next three to five years, at least 3,000 square metres of "swing space" are required for faculty and staff until other major capital projects are completed (CCDL and ISEEE, in particular). The temporarily vacant facilities will be renovated and renewed as improved teaching and research space, and some administrative space will be returned to its original teaching and research function. Budget: $10 million. Completion scheduled for 2008.

Download a copy of Building Momentum, the University of Calgary 's $1.5-billion capital plan, update Fall 2006