Building on a 46 year history in Durham Region, Trent University Durham GTA has added many significant milestones since opening the doors of the Thornton Road campus one decade ago. Read on for a snap shot of some of the most memorable moments from the last 10 years at Trent Durham:

1. New Spaces, New Places

Trent Durham’s presence is growing in the GTA. Our Thornton Road campus has recently expanded with the opening of a new student residence (our first!) and state-of-the-art academic building this fall. With strategic acquisitions of additional properties for future growth on King Street, the University is well positioned to continue this trajectory of momentum and growth.

2. Expanding our Academic Offerings

For fall 2021 a new B.A. in Logistics and Supply Chain Management and four year Communications degree will be added to our growing roster of innovative and in-demand academic programs, designed to meet the changing economic goals of the region. Unique to Trent Durham programs including Child and Youth Studies, Master of Management, and Policing & Community Well-Being, also provide robust opportunities for students to gain hands-on career experience through local field placements. Explore our list of programs. 

3. A Campus Community on the Grow

Trent Durham has experienced exponential growth in the last 10 years—from 700 students in 2010 to more than 1,700 in 2020. A number of dedicated supports have been put in place to manage the campus’s evolution. The introduction of an Indigenous counsellor, international student supports, library services, and more, demonstrates the University’s commitment to a robust and engaging student experience.

4. Investing in the Future of Trent Durham
Trent University’s philanthropic presence is certainly not unique to the Durham campus, but the tremendous growth of Trent Durham can be attributed to the support of donors. One such example of how this benefits students is the recent endowment fund developed between the City of Oshawa and Trent University Durham GTA, in exchange for an equivalent land transfer. The new fund will provide support to Durham students in need attending the campus beginning in the 2021 academic year.

5. Nearly 50 Years of Community Connections

Community connections have been a significant part of Trent Durham’s development. Established relationships with the City of Oshawa, Region of Durham, local chambers of commerce and Ontario Shores have culminated in impactful initiatives such as Teaching City, City Studio Durham, Big White Wall and the Oshawa Museum digs. The undeniable student benefit is an experiential learning opportunity is second-to-none.

6. Faculty Experts

Dean and head of Trent Durham, Dr. Scott Henderson, professors Dr. Robert Wright, Dr. Jim Cosgrave, Dr. Joel Baetz, Dr. Amanda Paxton, Dr. Rita Bode, among many others, are familiar faces representing the University’s published faculty members. One such example is the success of the 2013 Canadian Documentary film Our Man in Tehran, adapted in part by Professor Wright’s 2010 book of the same name. Prof. Wright was a co-writer for the film that premiered at TIFF and won five Canadian Screen Awards. 

7. A Distinctly Trent Durham Convocation

In a student driven movement, Trent’s 2016 convocation ceremony honoured more than 100 graduating students from the Trent Durham GTA campus and marked the first time that a class graduated as a distinct cohort with its own convocation right here in the Durham Region. Prior to the inaugural celebration, Trent Durham students were honoured alongside their fellow Trent students in Peterborough.

8. Students Supporting Students

The Trent experience extends well beyond the lecture hall. The creation of the Trent Durham Student Association, or TDSA as it has known, has established a connected student community on campus. With in-person and online events, the association is a support to students living in Trent’s brand new residence or commuting for their studies.

9. Trent Durham Athletes Face-off

Trent Durham’s extramural soccer team launched in 2016, grabbing the attention of many students who geared up to take on other college and university soccer teams throughout the province. The development of such sports teams has been an asset to the Durham campus as it sits adjacent to one of Oshawa’s largest sports centres, the Oshawa Civic Recreation Complex.

10. Events to Remember

A number of high-profile individuals have visited the Trent Durham campus in recent years including former Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau and former Canadian ambassador to Iran Ken Taylor. The introduction of TEDx events and the student-led Black History Month celebrations have all created a buzz on campus. These memorable events are milestones in their own right, individually.