Statement from President Sara Diamond on the Creative City Campus

Dear Members of the OCAD U Community:

 At 4:45 p.m. on Friday afternoon, OCAD University received the devastating news that the government of Ontario has withdrawn provincial funding for the Creative City Campus (CCC). We are unwilling to accept this as a final decision. 

Ontario’s competitiveness depends on OCAD University’s talent. Our institution delivers practical, technical, creative learning to fulfil the needs of Ontario’s labour market. OCAD University students get jobs and create jobs.

The Creative City Campus has been in planning for more than a decade and will add approximately 50,000 square feet of new space and 95,000 square feet of renovated and repurposed space, a step towards addressing OCAD University’s critical need for an expanded campus.

Since we launched the project in 2016 with a provincial commitment of $27M, we have been successful in raising private, federal government and institutional funds to match this funding. As a result, the Creative City Campus project is already underway.

We have been in ongoing communication with government to reinforce the value of OCAD University to the Province and we are shocked at this decision.

There is no better, concrete example of our vision for the future of OCAD University than the Creative City Campus, and our supporters continue to share this vision. Together, we will explore all possibilities as we determine our way forward.

In the near term, we will consult with the university’s Board of Governors and key stakeholders to establish a set of next steps that supports the continued transformation of OCAD U. We will remain unwavering in our commitment to strengthening our role as the largest and most comprehensive Canadian university of art, design and media.

We will keep you informed as new developments emerge, and as circumstances determine the need for community input and recommendations.

Sincerely,

Sara Diamond
President & Vice-Chancellor