Mission's municipal council formally presented a novelty cheque worth $500,000 Tuesday evening to the University of the Fraser Valley to establish a new graphic design program.
The seed funding for UFV's new flagship program on Mission's campus will help prepare the university for the program's September debut.
The two-year, 60-credit diploma program is being revived and updated after being dormant for nearly a decade. It was previously based at UFV’s Abbotsford campus.
Mayor Ted Adlem said the program is a good addition to the revitalization for Mission's downtown, "and we're excited to help with this substantial contribution."
The donation will help renovate the Mission campus, create a tech lab, and purchase new equipment and setup a network. Students will be working with Adobe Creative Suite on a Mac system.
“We think we have an interesting program that’s distinctive in the Lower Mainland because it gives an introduction to all of the creative industry. After the program, they’ll have a portfolio and a strong idea of which avenue they want to pursue," said program head Karin Jager.
Graphic design program graduates will be prepared to work in traditional area such as design studios, newspapers, and magazines, but will also be ready for work in web design, design for applications for the smartphone application market, the video game industry, and animation studios.
According to the university, September's program is already full and has a waiting list.
The District of Mission’s commitment of $500,000 will be secured through the gaming reserve fund – a non-tax revenue funding source.