MPP Vic Fedeli reminisced fondly about the early days of Nipissing University when the school was so small that the entire faculty could be accommodated at one house for the Christmas party.
Times have changed.
In 1992, Nipissing University had an undergraduate enrollment of 1,200, today it is 4,600. Full-time faculty and staff numbered 64, while today it is closer to 200. In a real throwback, tuition was $1,700 the year that Nipissing received its charter.
"Those fun days of the past have turned into monumental days for the future of Nipissing University," remarked Fedeli.
Fedeli also recalled assembling a case of 12 bottles of Dom Perignon champagne from various North Bay liquor stores to celebrate Nipissing receiving their charter as a degree-granting institution.
Rumour has it that one of those bottles of Dom made its way into the time capsule that was embedded at the university in 1992, with strict instructions that it not be opened until December 10, 2017, Nipissing's official 25th anniversary.
Dr. Blaine Hatt of the Faculty of Education and Dr. Trevor Bachelder, representing the Board of Governors, unveiled Nipissing University's 25th-anniversary logo in the main foyer of the school Friday morning.
Nipissing University President Dr. Michael DeGagné, following the announcement, touched on the school's importance as a leading producer of highly-qualified teachers, as a growing research facility, and as a university that strives to grow without losing its small-town charm and appeal.
"The real challenge with Nipissing was for it to define itself as, first and foremost, as a faculty of education, but also to provide broad undergraduate education, and of course now, the graduate programs," said DeGagné.
"We've come into our own, and it's taken 25 years. We're a very good fit for students from small communities, looking for an experience that is very teaching-centred. Nipissing is a place where those students can fit better than in a larger centre," observed DeGagné.
DeGagné says the school realizes that at some point the growth of Nipissing will reach a saturation point. In order to protect the favourable class-size ratios that draw students, eventually "we will limit growth to make sure that we remain a small, effective institution."
