Bob McNutt selected to lead Burlington Campus planning

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Bob_McNutt.jpg” caption=”Bob McNutt, the new advisor for the McMaster Burlington Campus visits the Burlington Campus website. Photo credit: Chantall Van Raay”]McMaster's Burlington Campus project has acquired new, focused leadership in the person of Bob McNutt. McNutt has been named as an advisor to the provost to oversee the project's co-ordination. His specific responsibilities include recommending the governance structure and co-ordinating the preparation of program proposals and a financial business plan.

McNutt brings an especially pertinent background to this new role, having served for seven years as the principal of the University of Toronto at Mississauga, or UTM (formerly Erindale College). In addition to his familiarity with a multiple-campus institution, he brings a wealth of experience at McMaster. During his 30-year career here, he as served as chair of the Department of Geology and as dean of the Faculty of Science, and is currently the acting chair of Modern Languages and Linguistics. His role as advisor to the provost is an interim, part-time position.

“As a long-time member of the McMaster faculty, Bob is well-known and highly respected on our campus,” says provost Ken Norrie. “His UTM experience dealing with the practical challenges of multiple campuses will be invaluable, helping ensure that the Burlington campus is planned on a foundation of best practices.”

Considerable activity will take place over the summer months to advance the planning for the Burlington Campus project. A Learning Framework exercise, which drew on broad participation from the university, colleges and the community, has already developed an innovative program model which will guide the development of new programs for Burlington. Three interdisciplinary program development groups, in interactive arts, communications management, and sustainable environments, as well as an integrated services planning group will develop proposals targeted to the new campus. Program proposals are to be brought forward this fall to begin the University and government approval processes.

McNutt says, “It's a pretty exciting project, using many different styles of teaching and learning. We're hoping to develop programs that draw on McMaster's tradition of innovation and, at the same time, integrate the community into our campus in a way that enriches the student and faculty experiences.”

The overall goal of the project is to create, within 15-20 years, a campus of about 5,000 students. Current plans envision an initial cohort of 150 in the first year of operations, growing to an enrolment of 1,000 students within five years.

“It's an ambitious target,” says Norrie, “but one which we believe is eminently achievable, given the superb partner we have in the City of Burlington. Everyone involved in this project is energized by the prospect of building from the ground up, and asking, 'What do we think post-secondary education will look like in 25 years? Let's build backwards from that.' We have an opportunity to design from scratch, now, the program structures and learning environments that we think everyone will be using in the future. It's very much like the transformative thinking that McMaster's medical school led 25 years ago.”

The Burlington location is perfect for this project, he says, since the city's economic, cultural and social climates fit well with the three program theme areas. Burlington's aspirations for a post-secondary presence, as a centre of excellence that will be nationally and internationally recognized, also fit well with McMaster's own commitment to excellence in learning and discovery.

The campus site has yet to be determined, although several locations are currently being examined. Funding for the campus is expected to come from a variety of sources, including per-student funding from the province as well as public and private support. Open houses and town hall information sessions will be held over the upcoming months to provide opportunities for community input.

“I am delighted that Bob McNutt has agreed to take on this challenge,” says Norrie. “The ideas for the Burlington campus are bold and imaginative, and we need someone who can be excited by the vision but who will, at the same time, ask the hard-headed implementation questions we need to answer. Bob is practical and realistic, and his leadership will be a tremendous asset to the project.”