The college is situated near the heart of Downtown Montreal in a former nunnery on approximately 12 acres (5 ha) of green space.

[1] In September 1945, McGill University established a satellite campus called Sir William Dawson College at the Royal Canadian Air Force base in St. Johns (now Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu), Quebec.

In August 1982, the college signed an agreement to acquire the Mother House of the Sisters of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame in order to unify its fourteen separate locations.

[citation needed] In August 2010, because of an increase in CEGEP enrollments, the college was faced again with a lack of space.

In 2018, Dawson leased additional space on the Forum 2nd floor, adding general classrooms, active learning rooms and 4 labs for the college Physiotherapy Technology Program.

Technical programs take three years to complete and allow graduates to enter the workforce or to pursue their studies at a university level.

[9] New School takes a Critical Humanistic approach to learning and allows students to do their English and Humanities courses in a smaller group setting.

Using seminar-style settings, Reflections offers a different yet effective pedagogical approach, which include teacher-led discussions and short lectures.

Dawson also has a radio station, CIXS: The Edge, as well as a student newspaper, The Plant, which publishes every month during term, with a circulation, in 2012, of about 1,350 copies.

Founded in 1969, it is a member of Canadian University Press (CUP), and is the largest CEGEP newspaper in Quebec.

The articles are published after being edited by a board of student editors and then undergo evaluation by referees who are experts in the field.

Kimveer Gill, a 25-year-old resident of Laval, Quebec, approached the school and began firing at students outside of the entrance.

On September 13, 2011, the ecological Peace Garden on the campus grounds was inaugurated to become a “living memorial” for de Sousa.

[16] A CTV News report framed the garden project and the accompanying Living Campus program as a demonstration of the college community's healing and resilience.

[17] The 20,000 square-foot garden was designated an urban biodiversity site in 2014 by Espace pour la vie Montréal.

After signing the non-disclosure agreement, the college expelled Al-Khabaz and his appeal to tell his side of the story was denied.

However, due to overwhelming public pressure, they said at a press conference that the student had been warned not to attempt to test the security of the system.