At an all time high number of students, UOIT is bucking the trend of declining enrolment that other Ontario universities are facing. As Ontario university enrolment rates begin to dwindle, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) is becoming stronger than ever. Lower enrolment in Ontario universities is happening due to a demographic change, which affects the number of high school students, according to media reports.
UOIT has grown by 416 students, jumping to 10,113 students enrolled this fall from 9,697 in 2013.
UOIT opened its doors to 947 students in 2003 and has been growing successfully since. This fall semester, more than 3,000 new students poured through the doors, with the biggest increases in the Engineering, Business and Information Technology, and Social Science and Humanities.
Brad MacIsaac, UOIT registrar and assistant vice-president of planning and analysis, credits the university’s success to its innovative approach to learning.
“We have infused technology throughout all the years that gives you the skill set that no matter where you go or what technology you have, you have some capability of being flexible of the changing times,” he explains.
UOIT offers innovative and co-operative programs that continue to draw new students in.
College-to-university pathway programs allow students to use their college diploma towards a university degree. Available in 19 programs over six faculties, this program has allowed eligible Ontario students to further their education and have the opportunity to reach their career goals, MacIsaac says.
“We offer that breadth of experience to give you the critical thinking,” explains MacIsaac, “but we also are able to provide the hands on knowledge.”
Through co-ops and internships, the university allows its students the hand-on experience employers want. Students who complete a co-op in their program often are employed faster and start with a higher salary, according to the Council of Ontario Universities.
With a 96 per cent job success rate two years after graduation, UOIT is among the top universities in Ontario.
“It’s the skill set,” MacIsaac explains of post-graduate success. “It’s the connections we’ve made with the local community.”
MacIsaac believes that by connecting with institutions, organizations, and employers in the region, students can leave their UOIT experience with confidence in the real world.
