The Victor Phillip Dahdaleh building, formally known as TEL (Technological Enhanced Learning), is located at 88 The Pond Road. It was conceived in 2001 as a joint venture between York University and Seneca College of Applied Arts as one of their “SuperBuild” projects. The building features 345,000 sq/ft of floor space, 31 classrooms, 42 computer labs, three library and resource centres, a virtual reality centre, a 4000+ student capacity and cost $84 million to build. It’s construction was complete in September 2003. The design of the building challenges conventional concepts, encourages and cultivates an interactive environment, and provides flexible workspaces that can be reconfigured as needs change and programs evolve. Using 'smart-building' advancements such as wireless technology, students, faculty and staff are able to work outside the traditional paradigms.
In 2015, York University alumnus Victor Phillip Dahdaleh, a Canadian business magnate based in the United Kingdom, made a transformational donation of $20 million for the expansion of the University’s global health initiatives. Dahdaleh’s donation is the largest to be made by a York graduate in the University’s 56-year history. The noted philanthropist graduated with a BA (Honours) degree in administrative studies almost four decades ago and recognizes the University’s commitment to addressing international health challenges. The building officially changed its name in 2016.
There has been some controversy around this “transformational donation” following a Toronto Star/CBC investigation into the Panama Papers finding evidence of Dahdaleh’s involvement in a decades-long kickback scheme involving global aluminum giant Alcoa and government officials in Bahrain. U.S. officials say he “enriched himself” with $400 million (U.S.) in markups and made “at least $110 million in corrupt payments,” although he has not been convicted of any of these crimes.
This controversy sparked a conversation around Universities in general being “forced to seek funding from wherever they can get it — leading to inevitable problems with optics and moral,” said Stephanie Ross, an associate professor in the faculty of social sciences at York.
Certainly, there is more than meets the eye to a simple name change on one of York’s most innovative buildings on campus.
Read more about the controversy here
http://www.yorku.ca/csbo/facilitiesdevelopment/buildingshowcase/tel.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keele_Campus_(York_University)#Victor_Phillip_Dahdaleh_Building_.28Formerly_TEL.29
