TORONTO/OAKVILLE, Thursday, October 12, 2017 - After what will have been a successful 22-year collaboration between two leading post-secondary institutions, York University and Sheridan College will end the York-Sheridan Design program (YSDN) in 2022.
The change supports both institutions’ long-term academic goals, while providing current students with many years notice. The existing YSDN program will admit one additional cohort of students in September 2018 and will continue to run, offering a high-quality student experience, through to April 2022. All students enrolled in the joint program will have the opportunity to finish their degree.
“We are proud of the collaboration between York University and Sheridan College. This program has graduated exceptional leaders in the field of design,” says Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt, Interim Dean of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD). "We remain committed to ensuring that over the next five years all YSDN students experience the same high quality education that the program has built a reputation for, and to seeing them graduate and join the exclusive global network of YSDN graduates."
“We remain incredibly proud of both the YSDN program and the contributions made by its alumni, which have advanced Toronto’s reputation as a leading centre for design across the continent,” adds Ronni Rosenberg, Dean of the Faculty of Animation, Art and Design at Sheridan College. “We are committed to building on our 50 year history of teaching design and our purposeful approach to nurturing creativity to further prepare students for an ever-changing design field.”
Both York University and Sheridan College will announce plans for distinct design programs in the near future.
The YSDN program was established in 1999 as the first Baccalaureate design degree in Ontario, now with close to 2,000 alumni. With a curriculum focused on typography, print, interaction design, information design and design studies, the program serves the needs of one of the largest design communities in North America.
The future of design education in Ontario is bright, and students will be well served with expanded and enhanced specialized programs in the years to come.
About York
York University is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. York U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.
About Sheridan
Sheridan College is one of Canada’s leading postsecondary institutions, serving over 23,000 full time students at three campuses in the western Greater Toronto Area. We welcome over 6,000 students from 100 countries worldwide. Sheridan offer overs 120 diploma, certificate, and bachelor degree programs in the fields of arts, business, community service, health, technology and the skilled trades. Sheridan’s faculty, staff, programs, students have garnered many national and provincial awards of excellence, while our alumni include a long list of nominees and winners of Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Canadian Screen Awards and Annie Awards.
For more information, please contact:
Sandra McLean, York University Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca
Susan Atkinson, Manager, Communications and Media Relations T: 905-815-4073 or E: susan.atkinson@sheridancollege.ca
