Identity area
Type of entity
University Name
Authorized form of name
Ryerson Centre
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
- Ryerson Union
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1966-2014
History
In 1966 the Ryerson Institute of Technology Students' Union’s name changed to The Ryerson Union. Howard Kerr stepped down as its President and David Crombie was appointed in June of that year. The organization also began to change roles, which took several years to refigure. In the 1967-1968 course calendar the Union fell under the purvue of Student Services and the following explanation was printed:
“The Ryerson Union was founded before Ryerson came under its own Board of Governors. The Union was originally designed as a special means of supplying amenities not customarily provided by provincially supported educational institutions. Among these amenities were the Health Service, Residences, and Intercollegiate Athletics. In the early days, the Union was the parent body and controlled the budgets of the SAC, the Athletic Directorate, the Publications Committee, the Health Service, the Bookstore Committee, the Band Committee, and the House (Residences) Committee.
However, the SAC became financially independent of the Union, raising their money through per capita grants. The new SAC constitution makes that body independent of the Union completely.
The new Health Sciences Department of the Institute has undertaken partial responsibility for running the Health Clinic, and the Communication Department will be bearing the brunt of the cost of the new ‘professionalized’ Ryersonian, since working on the paper will now be an integral part of the Journalism course.
The Ryerson Union is being re-organized to meet these new conditions.”
In the 1969 Course calendar Ryerson Union is listed under the Student Services department and is responsible for Alumni, Bookstore, Kerr Hall, Residences, and Social and Cultural events. It again states that changes are being made to the Union in the wake of SAC's independence and other re-alignments. By the 1970-1971 Course calendar - Ryerson Union is no longer listed as a Student Association - with all its former responsibilities being taken care of by the Department of Student Services.
As of 1970 it was still functioning as a non-profit corporation, though no longer receiving money from student fees. Its purpose to provide non-academic facilities and to students, staff, faculty, and alumni Its Board was made up of a 4 students, two faculty, and 2 alumni members. Their responsibilities lay in the planning and construction of a new Ryerson Centre building using the funds collected and invested from student fees collected prior to 1970 - a project that took many, many years to come to fruition. In the meantime the Union provided funding various projects, including several real estate purchases. In 1971 they purchased a farm near Peterborough and it became the Ryerson Rural Centre, and would later purchase a ski chalet in Collingwood and land in Brampton. All three properties were eventually sold, with the money being used toward renovating Oakham House and further monies put towards a new student Campus Centre. In 1976 Oakham House was declared the Student Campus Centre with money being put forward by Ryerson Union, and Ryerson's Board of Governors (BOG). The School and the Union also formed the Palin Foundation to run Oakham House.
In 1979 Ryerson Union changed the letters of patent by officially changing their name to Ryerson Centre. By 1983 Ryerson Centre's future was in question because of the sale of its final property, the lodge in Collinwood, it was no longer fulfilling its mandate. It would continue to fund Oakham House's needs. The bulk of their remaining finances were put towards the New Student Campus Centre that was finally constructed in 2004.