Algonquin College: 1980s
Posted on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2015
By 1981, student and apprentice day-time enrolment at Algonquin had already passed the 10,000 mark. In addition, continuing education was attracting tens-of-thousands of course registrations each year.
Ground breaking for the construction of the new Hospitality Centre on the Woodroffe Campus began at the end of the 1980s to house the College’s growing selection of Hospitality programs, and provide space for the First Class Bookstore and the Campus Travel office.
Throughout the 1980s, the College’s infrastructure and course offerings were being transformed. With a focus on technology and workplace needs, it has always been imperative for Algonquin to stay ahead of emerging trends. The 1980s saw the introduction of many new programs, such as Hospitality Management – Hotel and Restaurant, Technical Writer, Florist and Public Relations to name a few – along with the labs, studios, and equipment needed to support them. The Journalism – Print program introduced the Algonquin Times, a publication that would go on to win numerous Ontario Community Newspaper Awards.
Growth and change continued on the Perth Campus in the 1980s with the introduction of the Carpentry and Millwork – Heritage and the Women In Trades and Technology programs. On the Pembroke Campus, the 1980s were years of optimism and growth that began with a 10 percent increase in enrolment, the subsequent purchase of the College facility, and the addition of new technology and community service programming.
Algonquin finished the decade as a bold and confident leader in Canadian post-secondary education, ready to take advantage of the technological opportunities that the 1990s would provide.