Seneca College Of Applied Arts And Technology

Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology, branded as Seneca Polytechnic since 2023, is a multi-campus public college in the Greater Toronto Area and Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. It offers full-time and part-time programs at the baccalaureate, diploma, certificate, and graduate levels.

History

Seneca opened in 1967 as part of a provincial initiative to establish an Ontario-wide network of colleges of applied arts and technology providing career-oriented diploma and certificate courses as well as continuing education programs to Ontario communities. The province was responding to the increasing need for sophisticated applied learning as technology continued to change the nature of work and the provincial economy. General education was considered an important element in post secondary education, and breadth courses continue to be a part of every program. In 2001, the colleges were granted the ability to offer baccalaureate degrees. Seneca is one of five Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning that can offer up to 15 per cent of its program activity at the degree level.

Campuses

Seneca has campus locations throughout the Greater Toronto Area and in Peterborough.

Newnham Campus

The Newnham Campus is one of the largest college campuses in Canada. It has more than 15,000 full-time students in business, engineering, aviation, early childhood education, fashion, opticianry, information and communications technology, and liberal arts. The campus, initially known as Finch Campus, was renamed in 1984 after founding president William Thomson Newnham, and is also the site of continuing education activity during the evenings and weekends. The campus includes a 1,113-bed residence, sports centre, and daycare centre. It is located west of the intersection of Highway 404 and Finch Avenue East .

The campus's first building was opened in 1969 and has involved various architects (William H.D. Hurst (Phase 1); John B. Parkin (Phase 2 with Searle, Wilbee and Rowland); Abram, Nowski, and McLaughlin (arena)). In 1973 a domed planetarium was added to the Phase 3 section of the campus, but it has since closed.

In fall 2011, a expansion, designed for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, was officially opened at the campus. The new building, designed by Craig Applegath of Dialog, features three 80-seat classrooms; twenty-three 40-seat classrooms; fourteen 40-seat computer labs; a multi-purpose auditorium for 240 students that can be turned into a conference room or two 120-seat lecture halls; increased computing commons and library space; several new areas of collaborative student study and work space; a new "front door" for the campus; and improved campus access for people with disabilities. The atrium in the new space was named after Frederick Minkler, Seneca's first chair of the board of governors.

In 2019, Seneca's Centre for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CITE) opened at Newnham Campus. CITE includes Seneca's innovation centre known HELIX, technology labs for mechatronics and robotics courses, and computer labs and classrooms. CITE is infused with Indigenous design, the highlight of which is a diameter medallion in terrazzo rendered from an original work by Joseph Sagaj.

Seneca@York

Seneca@York Campus, located on York University's Keele Campus, includes the Stephen E. Quinlan Building, designed by architect Raymond Moriyama and named after Seneca's third president Steve Quinlan. Seneca also shares the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Building (formerly known as TEL building) with York University. Several schools are located at this campus, including the Schools of Creative Arts and Animation, Media, Biological Sciences and Applied Chemistry, English and Liberal Studies, and Legal, Public and Office Administration.

King Campus

King Campus is located on of woods, lake and fields in King City. It is home to full and part-time programs in Applied Arts, Health Sciences, and Community Services; which include Public Safety, Nursing, Social Service Worker, Child and Youth Care, Behavioural Sciences, Early Childhood Education, Environmental Landscape Management, Recreation and Leisure Services, Underwater Skills, and Veterinary Assistant and Veterinary Technician. There is a residence for Seneca students on campus. Seneca Residence is a suite-style building for about 230 students with a lounge, laundry room, and common kitchen.

Eaton Hall, the former summer home of the Eaton family, is on the shore of Lake Seneca. Eaton Hall is the former home of Seneca's Management Development Centre, and has also been the setting of several films, including David Cronenberg's ''A History of Violence'', Richard Benjamin's '' Mrs. Winterbourne'', and William Fruet's '' Death Weekend'' (''The House by the Lake'').

In June 2011, the Government of Ontario announced a $43 million project to expand services at the campus, including a new building with 25 classrooms, a library, computer services, and health care training laboratories. The project became Magna Hall, a facility that officially opened on 27 September 2018. Named in recognition of a significant gift from Magna International, it includes 25 classrooms, computer labs, specialty labs, a library, a student centre and a multi-purpose athletic and recreation space.

A part of the campus at the northwest corner of Dufferin Street and 15th Sideroad will house a community centre for King City. The township of King will lease the land for $1 per year for 99 years.

Markham Campus

Markham Campus opened in 2005, becoming the first post-secondary education facility in the city of Markham. The campus houses full and part-time programs in the areas of business, marketing, and tourism, as well as the college's departments of Finance, Human Resources, and Information Technology Services. Since 2011, the campus has been home to the Confucius Institute.

In 2020, Seneca International Academy (SIA) was established within Markham Campus for international students. The academy offers dedicated services for international students.

In October 2024, a press release stated that Seneca Polytechnic would temporarily close the Markham campus at the end of 2024, transferring program resources to the Seneca@York or Newnham campuses.

Peterborough Campus

Peterborough Airport in Peterborough is the home of Seneca's aviation campus, including a fleet of aircraft and flight training devices used by students enrolled in the Bachelor of Aviation Program. Opened in January 2014, in response to the pending closure of Buttonville Airport, the campus serves the second, third and fourth years of the degree program, while first-year students study at Newnham Campus. Some courses and services at the Peterborough Campus are offered in partnership with Fleming College.

As of November 2023, Seneca's fleet consists of 21 aircraft: seventeen Cessna 172

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