Opening of CCT Building

CCT Building at UTM

The communication, culture and technology building at UTM. (Image: Don Hunter)

March 2, 2006

Communications Building that Fosters Exchange of Ideas among Students Opens at UTM

The opening of the Communication, Culture and Technology building at the University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM) today signals a new era of discovery into how communication builds knowledge and creates culture.

"The University of Toronto is committed to enriching the student environment and this innovative building furthers that goal," says University of Toronto president David Naylor. "Our students are our top priority and it gives me great pleasure to know that the university and greater community have a new focal point for the interdisciplinary study of human communication."

The $34-million facility received support from the federal government through the Canada Foundation for Innovation, from the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Innovation Trust and from the City of Mississauga as well as private donations from the GE Foundation, Hitachi Canada Ltd., the Mississauga Board of Chinese Professionals and Businesses, and friends of R.H. McNutt.

"As we celebrate the opening of this leading-edge building, we also celebrate the unique learning opportunities it will offer our students," says Professor Ian Orchard, vice-president and principal of UTM. "This facility and the programs therein will stimulate the exploration and exchange of ideas among students, faculty and staff, and equip our students to succeed as leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators in today's workplace." Designed by Saucier + Perrotte Architectes, this four-storey, 112,819-square-foot, glass-walled building features multimedia studio theatre and editing suites, interactive computer classrooms and labs, a 500-seat lecture theatre, an auditory research facility and an e-gallery for electronic art exhibits.
"Today's official opening is a powerful example of what can be achieved when various stakeholders come together as partners," says Eliot Phillipson, president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. "This innovative new facility will allow students and researchers to work together to make Canada a leader in this increasingly important area of research."

The new building houses the Human Communication Lab and the Institute of Communication and Culture. Dedicated to the study of how human communication systems develop and change across the lifespan, the Human Communication Lab conducts research in the areas of auditory and visual perception, music cognition, sensory and cognitive aging and infant studies. The Institute of Communication and Culture, an interdisciplinary research and teaching institute, addresses questions of culture and communication across the humanities, sciences and social sciences. It consists of five academic units: the Communication, Culture and Information Technology program (delivered jointly with the Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning); the Professional Writing and Communication program; the Centre for Visual and Media Culture; Biomedical Communications; and the Blackwood Gallery. "In our knowledge and information-based culture, cutting-edge facilities like this one are more important than ever," says Dalton McGuinty, premier of Ontario and minister of research and innovation. "We're pleased to be a partner in this investment because it will help ensure Ontario remains a world leader in research and innovation - improving our quality of life for years to come." "The City of Mississauga has built a strong and unique partnership with the University of Toronto at Mississauga," says Hazel McCallion, the city's mayor. "I am proud of the city's investment in the university and its students. By investing in a dynamic building such as this one, we help educate our next generation of leaders and, in doing so, contribute to the future prosperity of our city." Established in 1967, the University of Toronto at Mississauga is one of three campuses of the University of Toronto, Canada's leading teaching and research university. Located on 225 acres along the Credit River, UTM is in the midst of unprecedented expansion - with approximately $140 million in capital growth underway - to enhance the quality and quantity of teaching, research and student space. UTM has 14 distinct academic departments offering 125 programs and 70 areas of study. Its innovative programs and community environment attract students and faculty from around the world.
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By Tracy Moniz, Marketing and Communications, Office of Advancement, UTM.