Sheridan Student Centre opens thanks in part to a $20M donation from its Student Union

Sheridan recognized a historic $20M donation from its Student Union at a plaque unveiling and opening celebration on October 5, which helped bring the Hazel McCallion Campus’ (HMC) newest building – a Student Centre – to life.

With the support of the Sheridan Student Union (SSU), Sheridan Athletics and Sheridan College, a ribbon was cut marking the opening of the five-storey, 70,000-sq. ft. space that serves to facilitate student engagement. The partnership, as SSU President Kyle Budge described, “allowed us to pool resources and ensure the design choices directly reflect the needs and wants of the study body.”

The HMC Student Centre highlights include a bright student atrium with a variety of seating options and food services, meeting rooms for clubs and student groups, quiet rooms, fitness facilities including studios, a gymnasium and a wrap-around running track, and a large reception room with city views from its open-air balcony.

Inclusivity is woven into the built environment, with an abundance of glass walls around enclosed spaces so students feel a part of the community and encouraged to get involved, and universal washrooms to establish a new standard for equitable practice at Sheridan.

Designed to be Sheridan’s highest energy performing building to date, the Centre features a high-quality building envelope, low-temperature heating systems, state-of-the-art lighting and building controls, and ability to share heating and cooling equipment with the building next door. As with the adjacent building, also built by the same architecture firms, rainwater is captured for re-use.

For the second time, Sheridan partnered with prominent Toronto-based architecture firms Moriyama & Teshima (designers of the Aga Khan Museum and the Toronto Reference Library Revitalization) and Montgomery Sisam Architects (Toronto Botanical Gardens and the Island Yacht Club).

“The SSU’s visionary, strategic and stalwart support of its community will have ripple effects across the institution for decades to come. Students, particularly those commuting, can now stay on campus and make use of the facilities, connect with people outside of their program, and get involved in the big student life we have to offer. We’re not just here to launch students into the workforce, we want to cultivate good citizens.”

– Dr. Janet Morrison, President and Vice Chancellor, Sheridan College

Daniel Teramura, Principal at Moriyama & Teshima Architects addressed attendees and spoke of the design challenge and the creative approach: “How do you design a building that facilitates a rich student experience? We prioritized high-quality spaces with natural light and materials and ensured it’s an easy building to move through – you can’t get lost in here.”

Members of government including MPP Natalia Kusendova, Mississauga Centre, Bonnie Crombie, Mayor of Mississauga, Councillor John Kovac, Mississauga Ward 4, and other community leaders and Sheridan employees – many of whom were instrumental in the building project – were on site to celebrate the completion of the new space and tour each floor.

On the mezzanine, Sheridan’s Chancellor Hazel McCallion, placed a signed photo collage of her with students from various occasions over her years as the ceremonial head of the college. She said: “A student-centred facility is so important so they can assemble outside of class and form friendships.” Jim Flack, Athletics Director, who also spoke throughout the tour, noted that, “the building is an expression of what Sheridan is – inclusive and equitable. It’s reflected in the design from top to bottom.”

Dr. Janet Morrison, Sheridan’s President and Vice Chancellor, acknowledged the significance of the SSU’s generosity and noted the gap being filled at the Hazel McCallion Campus with the addition of the Student Centre. “The SSU’s visionary, strategic and stalwart support of its community will have ripple effects across the institution for decades to come,” she said. “Students, particularly those commuting, can now stay on campus and make use of the facilities, connect with people outside of their program, and get involved in the big student life we have to offer. We’re not just here to launch students into the workforce, we want to cultivate good citizens.”

Other opportunities will be planned for the Sheridan and Mississauga community to see the Student Centre, including an in-person Fall Open House on Saturday, November 19, 2022.