Appointed president of Ryerson University in 2005, Sheldon Levy is overseeing a major campus expansion, including the development of the fabled Sam the Record Man site in downtown Toronto.

Ryerson University president Sheldon Levy.

Ryerson University president Sheldon Levy.

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The expansion is part of the university's master plan unveiled in March, which aims to increase urban intensification, promote a pedestrian environment and commit to design excellence.

Interviewed by Jessica Werb

In the past decade six buildings have been built and you're in the midst of more, with construction beginning on the Student Learning Centre and the Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre. How do you manage growth without compromising the community feel of a university?

We're very sensitive to the issue of feel, or student engagement, and it's one of the reasons we have to have controlled growth. The board and senate considered the idea of a satellite campus and it was rejected. Our identity is so defined by our urban nature and centre that we thought we would lose focus if we began to move to suburbs and other areas.

Ryerson's master plan refers to the university as a city builder. Can you explain what that means?

When you're at Ryerson you cannot draw a line that separates it from the City of Toronto. We're not like a campus that has borders around us; we are part of the city. And therefore when Toronto, especially in our neighbourhood, gets better and stronger, we benefit. And the reverse is true. We have a stake in the health and safety of our community, so Ryerson as a city builder really means that every time we consider building—and that is either a new building, landscaping, signage or anything that has an impact upon our environment—we should think about how we could leverage that investment and money to make Toronto a better place.

There's been talk of a waterfront campus for Ryerson.

That's still on the agenda. We have no plans today to build at the waterfront, but I wouldn't rule it out.

But if you moved to the waterfront you would have to do it for a very specific quality reason, and we haven't seen [such] a proposal.

How important is the private sector to your expansion?

We're no different than any other university. We look to the private sector for financial support...and it goes to student scholarships and bursaries, chairs, naming of buildings, et cetera. We're not dependent upon it, in the sense that if it wasn't there nothing could happen, but we have certainly benefited from the generosity of the private sector.

You've got more applications than any other university relative to size, and the Greater Toronto Area is running up against a demographics crunch with thousands more undergrad spaces needed than can be filled. You're obviously feeling that crunch.

Absolutely. We are not able to handle the level of demand, so we're working with York [University] and U of T [University of Toronto] and the provincial government to find solutions, involving other institutions coming into the GTA or other Ontario-based institutions having satellite campuses in the GTA. The size of the increase that is coming at Ryerson is much too large…and we can't put volume ahead of quality. But at the same time, we're more than happy to help other institutions that might not be as blessed demographically as we are to recruit in Toronto. Some institutions have indicated an interest in having a campus in the GTA. I have no objections.

What are the greatest challenges facing Ryerson?

There are two. I think it's to stay committed to quality—not to grow beyond capacity—and to deliver quality at the undergraduate and graduate levels regardless of the pressures. The second one is to stay focused on what we do best and do it well. Ryerson has, by reputation, a very unique mission. Our success has been sticking to what we do best and not trying to be all things for all people.