15 Years of the Vancouver Campus

Happy birthday, Vancouver!

A man stands at a lecturn.

Vancouver Campus Executive Wilfred Zerbe speaks at the celebration. (Photo: Rob Atkins Photography)

January 31, 2023 — The Vancouver Campus, which now serves more than 1,000 students, marked its 15th anniversary and celebrated the opening of its second location at 89 West Georgia St. with an event on January 19.

In attendance were several delegates from the University’s New Jersey campuses: Pierre Balthazard, dean of Silberman College; Peter J. Woolley, founding director of the School of Public and Global Affairs; Alfredo Tan, professor of computer sciences and engineering; and Benjamin Rifkin, dean of Becton College.

Six people, two men and four women pose in a line for a photo.

Vancouver Campus graduates and Pinnacle winners returned to campus for the anniversary event. (Photo: Rob Atkins Photography)

Several previous Vancouver Campus Pinnacle Award winners were also present: Juliana Fiorentino, BA’12; Ronaldo Martins, BS’13; Carlos Martell, BS’17; Peter Mate, BAIS’18; Fiona Ma, BA’20; and Ces Anthony Plaras, BAIS’21.

On the New Jersey campuses, faculty and staff wore lapel pins to commemorate the anniversary.

Two elders of the Squamish First Nation, who have presided over convocation ceremonies for many years, delivered an invocation. The program included remarks from Campus Executive Wilfred Zerbe and Vice Provost for International Affairs Jason Scorza and was followed by a reception.

A crowd photo. Guests mingle and clap.

(Photo: Rob Atkins Photography)

“The Vancouver Campus exemplifies FDU’s mission of preparing global citizens through global education. Through the efforts of committed and dedicated staff and faculty, the campus has grown from a starting class of 18 students to nearly 1,000 students today, representing more than 50 countries,” says Zerbe.

The second Vancouver Campus location, which opened in 2021, is located on the 11th floor above Rogers Arena, home of the Vancouver Canucks National Hockey League team.

“Together the two locations allow us to meet the needs of a campus that was growing steadily before COVID-19, and that will be on a growth trajectory again soon,” says Zerbe.

An ice sculpture in red and blue to celebrate the Vancouver Campus's 15th anniversary.

(Photo: Rob Atkins Photography)

The new location features a convenient footprint located all on one floor and is close to both the Cambie Street location and to transportation. It adds approximately 14,900 square feet to the campus, including five classrooms, two computer labs, 12 offices and study and social spaces. This gives the Vancouver Campus a total capacity of up to 1,300 students.

Originally planned to be held much earlier, the celebration of the opening of the 89 West Georgia St. location was postponed to due to COVID-19, and then held in conjunction with the 15th Anniversary.

Vancouver Campus students can enroll in undergraduate and graduate programs offered by FDU’s International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management; the School of Public and Global Affairs; the Lee Gildart and Oswald Hasse School of Computer Sciences and Engineering; and the Silberman College of Business. Last year, the campus added a Master of Science in Applied Computer Science degree.

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