FANSHAWE COLLEGE

Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology, commonly referred to as Fanshawe College, is a public college located in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It stands as one of the largest colleges in Canada and boasts campuses in London, Simcoe, St. Thomas, and Woodstock, along with additional locations throughout Southwestern Ontario. Fanshawe College serves approximately 43,000 students and offers a diverse range of over 200 higher education programs.

Fanshawe College traces its origins back to the establishment of the Ontario Vocational Centre (OVC) in London, Ontario, in 1962. The OVC conducted its first classes on September 28, 1964. Three years later, in 1967, it was renamed Fanshawe College as part of the provincial network of applied arts and technology colleges. Over time, Fanshawe expanded to include campuses in Woodstock, St. Thomas, and Simcoe.

The name “Fanshawe” has Old English roots, combining “fane” (meaning temple or building) with “shaw” or “shawe” (meaning woods), resulting in “temple in the woods.”

Key Presidents:

1. James A. Colvin: Fanshawe College’s inaugural president from 1967 to 1979.
2. Harry Rawson: Succeeded Colvin and served as president until his retirement in 1987.
3. Barry Moore: Third president, in office from 1987 to 1996.
4. Howard Rundle: Fanshawe’s longest-serving president, leading the college for 18 years until his retirement on August 31, 2013.
5. Peter Devlin: Became president of the college on September 3, 2013, after serving as a lieutenant general in the Canadian Army.

Notable Developments and Initiatives:

• In 1995, Fanshawe College established the Fanshawe College Arboretum.
• In May 2011, the Centre for Applied Transportation Technologies was opened with the capacity to accommodate 1,500 students.
• In August 2013, Fanshawe College purchased Jazz Aviation facilities at London International Airport, leading to the creation of the Norton Wolf School of Aviation Technology.
• In 2014, the college acquired the building of the recently closed Kingsmill’s Department Store to expand its downtown London campus.
• In September 2014, Fanshawe College established the School of Public Safety to offer public safety programs.
• In June 2016, the Canadian Centre for Product Validation (CCPV), a 25,000 square feet testing facility, was inaugurated.
• In April 2015, the School of Building Technology was renamed the Donald J. Smith School of Building Technology in honor of Don Smith, co-founder of EllisDon.
• In 2018, Fanshawe established the School of Digital and Performing Arts to offer creative programs.
• In September 2018, the new building at 130 Dundas Street opened, accommodating students from the School of Information Technology and the School of Tourism, Hospitality, and Culinary Arts.