Building on our strengths and traditions
Our vision is to be a leader in innovation and excellence in engineering and computer science through education, research and scholarship in a professional framework that reflects our social responsibility. Aligned with the University’s Destination 20/20 strategic plan, it promotes a strong focus on interdisciplinary research in high-interest and high-impact areas, it opens the world to our students by offering international opportunities, whether through the Co-op program or through various competitions, it offers them an environment where they can study, work and play in English, in French or in both languages, and finally, it puts the student experience at the forefront of everything we do.
The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa has set four funding goals:
- To innovate in the areas of teaching methods and program content and to offer access to state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and equipment.
- To encourage and increase the number of students who actively participate and represent the Faculty and the University at pre-professional competitions and activities.
- To become a leader in educating the engineering and technology entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
- To expand the space available for students for instruction, meetings and experimentation.
The total funding required to achieve these four goals is $38.5 million. Each funding goal is explained in detail below.
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Goal 1: Laboratory and Equipment Renewal Fund
To ensure that our students are well prepared for their careers, we need to continually upgrade our engineering and computer science teaching laboratories with the newest technologies.
Maintaining PC workstations, technology-friendly teaching laboratories, and advanced computer software and laboratory equipment ensures a high-quality, state of-the-art research and study environment for students and faculty members.
Up-to-date software suites, operating systems and specialized equipment make it easier to study leading edge technology, and foster new teaching and research opportunities that meet or exceed industry standards and expectations.
Each of our departments has specific laboratory and equipment needs, such as FTIR measuring devices for our chemical engineering labs, turbomachinery for mechanical engineering, environmental designs for civil engineering and costing software to replace parts for electrical machines and power systems for our School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
The Laboratory and Equipment Renewal Fund, has an immediate need of $1 million to ensure state-of-the-art technology, which would greatly contribute to the quality of our students’ educational experience. Subsequently, this fund would require $300,000 annually to ensure constant renewal of laboratory and equipment.
Total required: $8.5 million
Immediate need: $1 million
Annually: $300,000
Goal 2: Student Initiative Fund
The Faculty strongly believes in the importance of extracurricular activities and encourages its students to participate in various student competitions and conferences, which contributes greatly to their student life and provides them with invaluable experience. As well, students participating in these competitions represent the Faculty and the University, providing us with great visibility and exposure. It is essential to provide these students with the required financial and academic support.Eventually, the Faculty would like to host some of these pre-professional competitions.
Financial support is currently provided through the student-funded Engineering Endowment Fund, the Faculty, the University, and alumni and friends of the Faculty.
The facilities and resources of the Brunsfield Engineering Student Projects and Entrepreneurship Centre are available to student teams engaged in these competitions. The Centre was established in 2010 thanks to a generous donation from Dr. Dato Ir Gan Thian Leong, a proud Faculty alumnus and Founder and Managing Director of the Brunsfield Group of Companies, headquartered in Malaysia.
Located at 200 Lees, the Centre consists of a large open concept room and a ventilated paint/moulding room which provide students with the space, tools and equipment to design, build and test complex prototypes in preparation for pre-professional competitions. Some of these prototypes involve energy-efficient cars, autonomous airplanes, concrete canoes and toboggans, and helicopters and submarines.
Contributions to the Student Initiatives Fund would enable the Faculty to better assist and encourage its students by providing financial support to a greater number of student teams and groups wishing to participate in pre-professional competitions and conferences. It would also allow the Faculty to offer more equipment for students working at the Brunsfield Centre, the result being more competitive entries, increasing the visibility and improving the reputation of the Faculty.
Total required: $5 million
Objective: $200,000 annually
Current student contribution: $35,000 annually
Goal 3: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Endowment Fund
In the competitive field of engineering and computer science education, we strive to differentiate ourselves by offering education and opportunities focused on entrepreneurship and innovation.
With this in mind, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Endowment Fund (EIEF) was established in 2007, with two objectives:
- To raise the awareness and interest of all members of the Faculty — students, professors and employees — regarding entrepreneurship and related opportunities.
- To actively support student business projects.
The Faculty has implemented two main programs for this purpose:
- Entrepreneurship Bridges Lecture Series: A way to introduce experienced technological entrepreneurs to diverse audiences, including students from the Faculty of Engineering, the Telfer School of Management and other faculties. These lectures have proven to be a great means to exchange knowledge and to motivate students to pursue their entrepreneurship interests.
- Prizes in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (PEI) student competitions: Two annual competitions for Faculty of Engineering students that require them to develop and defend business plans based on innovative products, technologies or services that have been technically validated, for possible commercialization. Prizes totalling $60,000 are distributed to the best business projects each year. Many winners of this competition have moved on to launch businesses.
Total required: $5 million
Objective: $200,000 annually
Goal 4: Expansion of Colonel By Hall
With the student experience being a central focus of the Faculty, and with an increasing number of engineering and computer science students choosing the University of Ottawa, the need for space is more acute than ever. This need is being addressed through plans for the addition of two floors to the existing Block E of Colonel By Hall.
The first new floor would be used to provide much needed workstations for our graduate students as well as common areas to encourage meetings and discussions, and a specific room for their thesis defences — additions that would all contribute to their student experience.
The second new floor would be dedicated to the Brunsfield Engineering Student Projects and Entrepreneurship Centre. Moving the Centre to the main Faculty of Engineering building would greatly benefit students, easing access to it.
The floor dedicated to student projects would provide a much larger room and be able to welcome more students at once. The hiring of full-time staff to manage the Centre and guide and support students would also then be possible.
Such an expansion would help the Faculty to establish itself as a world-class academic leader in the area of student entrepreneurship.
Total required: $20 million