Federal and Provincial Funding Supports Refurbishments and Upgrades to George Martin Hall and Edmund Casey Hall
Published: Wednesday, Apr 11, 2012
Significant financial contributions from the federal and provincial government have helped to complete a refurbishment in several St. Thomas University buildings.
St. Thomas University President Dawn Russell, the Hon. Keith Ashfield, Federal Minister of Fisheries and Member of Parliament for Fredericton, and the Hon. Craig Leonard, Minister of Government Services and member of the Legislative Assembly for Fredericton-Lincoln, each recognized the value of the support in a joint announcement held recently on campus.
Campus Environment Means Student Success
“When our students are asked why they rank St. Thomas University so high for the quality of education, we hear about the small class sizes, the quality of our faculty, and the unique student-faculty interaction,” said President Dawn Russell.
“They also speak about ‘learning environment’ and ‘campus atmosphere.’ Both of these factors contribute strongly to student success, and that means success for St. Thomas University and New Brunswick.”
She noted that the results of the $5.3 million in combined support from the Government of Canada and the Government of New Brunswick for refurbishments and upgrades.
Key Services to Students
“Building refurbishments and information technology upgrades are not regularly front-page news,” added Russell.
“But I can assure you that everyone — from students to university presidents — knows that this type of financial support from the Federal and Provincial Governments is vital to our success.
Russell noted that for forty years, George Martin Hall has been the centerpiece of our nationally renowned courtyard and thanks to the government support, the building has been refurbished.
“This building is now the centre of our Student Services which are so important to our success — the Registrar’s Office, Residence Life Offices, Academic Advisors and Accessibility Services have modern facilities to deliver their key services to our students.”
In Edmund Casey Hall, a building for teaching, faculty offices and research, there were infrastructure repairs, window replacements, faculty office and laboratory upgrades, upgrade flooring, and repairs to the Auditorium. In four of the residences, there were a number of improvements such as replacing windows and trim, fixing the roofs, and upgrading flooring, heating and lighting controls. The information technology infrastructure upgrades saw the installation of a secure wireless network, an upgraded data network, as well as the creation of a back-up data facility.
“The Provincial and Federal Governments have made significant investments into improving technology, safety and class sizes at the university,” added Ashfield. “I am proud to see this funding is benefiting St. Thomas University so that it can remain a pillar for education for many years to come.”
He said that the Federal Government has invested in the renewal and expansion of laboratories, learning commons and student facilities at colleges and universities across Canada.
“We have no doubt that continued investments like the ones we have made here at St. Thomas will provide universities, and more importantly their students and researchers, with the tools required to better reach their goals.”
“Renovations like this help to not only enhance the functionality of buildings but, most importantly, help to promote a better learning experience for students,” added Leonard.
“Investments in an improved IT infrastructure are ensuring students, educators and administrators have the tools to maximize their learning and take full advantage of the benefits that the internet and related technology offer.