Trent University celebrates 50 years in Oshawa

Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area marked its 50th anniversary in Oshawa on Wednesday, with dignitaries and alumni on hand for the festivities.

“I feel fortunate to be leading Trent Durham into its second half-century. We will be building on the strong foundation of personalized learning and career opportunities for Trent students in collaboration with regional and global partners,” said newly installed Trent President Dr. Cathy Bruce. “Trent aims to build risk takers, solution finders, critical thinkers – all forms of leadership that fit perfectly with the ethos of leadership and growth we see in the City of Oshawa and the Region of Durham.”

Bruce was joined by Trent Board chair Doug Kirk (Class of ’70), interim vice-president of Trent Durham Dr. Scott Henderson as well as faculty, staff and students at a special celebration at the Thornton Road Campus to mark the anniversary. Durham regional chair John Henry and Oshawa councillor Jim Lee also attended.

“What truly defines Trent Durham is the community we’ve built—a community rooted in the values of collaboration, growth, and resilience. At the heart of Trent Durham’s story is a deep commitment to innovation, education, and the idea that a university is more than just a place to learn – it’s a hub for growth, creativity, and connection,” said Henderson. “I am incredibly proud of what we have built together.”

In 1974, Trent Durham started offering part-time evening courses out of Oshawa’s Eastdale Collegiate and by the early 1980s enrolment of part-time students reached 550. In 1993 Trent Durham GTA welcomed the first cohort of full-time students.

Now, 50 years later, Trent Durham has a dedicated campus on Thornton Road, which opened in 2010 and grew in 2020 to include a new residence and academic building. In 2023, Trent Durham expanded into downtown Oshawa with the opening of the Advanced Learning Centre, a dedicated home for the Master of Management and postgraduate certificate programs.

Today, Trent Durham is home to nearly 3,000 students and more than 35 undergraduate, postgraduate, and graduate programs, including unique offerings like Policing & Community Well-being, Logistics & Supply Chain Management and Child & Youth Studies. An innovative new degree in Artificial Intelligence – available as a B.A. or a B.Sc. – is pending ministry approval and is accepting applications for fall 2025.

“The expansion of this campus – both in its physical presence and in the breadth of opportunities it provides for students – has been remarkable,” Doug Kirk, who chairs Trent’s Board of Governors. “The work we are doing here at Trent Durham, constructing new buildings and adding new programs, is really about transforming the student experience. The addition of new residence spaces, career-focused academic programs, and enhanced experiential learning opportunities ensures that every student who steps onto this campus is equipped not only with knowledge but also with the tools to make a meaningful impact in their communities and the world.”