The first graduating class of four-year baccalaureate degree students received their Bachelor of Applied Technology degrees from Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning at a special graduation ceremony held Saturday, November 3 in Kitchener.
In all, 24 graduates received their degrees in Architecture - Project and Facility Management, while 27 earned degrees in Integrated Advanced Manufacturing Technologies.
Conestoga was among the first of Ontario’s colleges to institute four-year degree programs in 2003, under the authority granted by the province’s Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB). Conestoga now offers five four-year baccalaureate programs - the two mentioned above, plus Health Informatics Management (Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences), International Business Management (Bachelor of Applied Business), and Integrated Telecommunication and Computer Technologies (Bachelor of Applied Technology). As of September 2007, Conestoga has an enrolment of 224 students in its four-year programs.
Several additional baccalaureate programs are currently under development.
In his remarks to the graduates on November 3, President John Tibbits stated, "The degree programs you have completed have been intensive, demanding and rigorous. You have acquired a high level of technical skill associated with your chosen field of specialization. You have had the opportunity to gain valuable real-world experience through your co-operative education terms. You have seen and developed an appreciation for the business aspects of your field in general and your co-op employers in particular.
"Again and again, businesses and industries indicate clearly to us what they want and need now and in the future - highly skilled and knowledgeable graduates, ready to take on challenges; motivated individuals who can master details yet understand the big picture; professionals who have the ability to tackle challenges by themselves, or by contributing productively as a team member.
"Today, I see you here and I see the people who fit that description."
CONTACT: John Sawicki, 519-748-5220, ext. 3336