McMaster University officially opened the DeGroote School of Business Ron Joyce Centre in Burlington, Ont. yesterday. The Centre, located on the South Service Road west of Appleby Line, houses McMaster’s MBA and executive education programs.

The Ron Joyce Centre is one part of McMaster’s expansion to the Halton Region, which also includes a regional family medicine clinic and resident program and a future affiliation with Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital. In May, the University officially opened the Halton McMaster Family Health Centre on Harvester Road.

“The City of Burlington and the Halton Region have been instrumental in securing McMaster’s commitment to Burlington,” said McMaster President Patrick Deane. “Their engagement has allowed us not only to bring the DeGroote School of Business to this dynamic, growing region, but also to advance a more comprehensive partnership between McMaster and the Burlington community.”

The Ron Joyce Centre is a four storey, 90,000 square foot building housing state-of-the-art classrooms, meeting spaces and lecture facilities. It has been specifically designed to meet the unique educational needs of professional graduate MBA students.

Featuring 27 collaborative meeting spaces to foster intensive group work and a hardwired ‘Investment Decision Center’ for tomorrow’s financial investor, the Ron Joyce Centre will provide an optimal learning environment while enhancing the student experience.

“DeGroote students, faculty and alumni perform at the highest levels and contribute to our local, national and international communities in countless ways. The Ron Joyce Centre allows us to enhance the student experience and provide our students with an education that is defined by quality and relevance,” said Paul Bates, dean of business.

This $27 million project was completed without a chalkboard, overhead projector or tangible library. The Ron Joyce Centre is meant to represent the next generation of post-secondary business and management education facilities.

As the DeGroote School of Business physical space expands so do the MBA and executive education programs. By 2013-14 it is projected that 700-800 students will be enrolled in the graduate and executive education programs at the Ron Joyce Centre, compared to the current enrollment of 440.

The professional academic programs offered at the Ron Joyce Centre align with Burlington’s and Halton’s goals for building a knowledge economy, strengthening the local environment for businesses and attracting new business investment. The City and the Region each invested $5 million in the Ron Joyce Centre.

“The new Ron Joyce Centre is nothing short of transformational to the City of Burlington,” said Cam Jackson, Mayor of Burlington. “Burlington has a vision of long term economic prosperity and our city’s partnership with McMaster University is an integral part of that vision.”

Philanthropist and businessman Ron Joyce donated $10 million to the Burlington campus. The land on which the new Centre was constructed was donated by Michael H. DeGroote of Westbury International.

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