Nipissing University is celebrating being 25 years young.

They marked the silver anniversary of receiving their charter on Thursday with an event at the Robert J Surtees Athletic Centre.

President Dr. Mike Degagne says Nipissing has come a long way in a quarter century, from 1,200 students to 5,000 today.

He says another big difference is the amount of infrastructure they’ve built, but he hopes one thing never changes.

“To be known for the kind of programs that we offer and to make sure we don’t lose that small town community feel that we’ve become known for,” Degagne says.

On hand were past graduates, instructors and even a banner from 1992 found in a student’s basement.

The banner says “Nipissing University: Canada’s newest university’

Degagne says North Bay getting a university was a big deal back then.

‘When we got our independent charter in 1992 the community was a very big booster of that. As the smallest town in Ontario with its own university I think we can all be really be proud of that,” he says.

Degagne goes on to say Nipissing plays a big role in educating students from teaching to criminal justice to nursing.

“We’ve become synonymous with training public servants. People who are in the helping professions, people who are into specific professions who are going out into Ontario and making a difference,” he adds.

The university marked the silver anniversary by removing the items they put in a time capsule back in 1992 and putting in items from today, for the next quarter century.

 

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