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| Motto: | In pulvere vinces ("In dust, you conquer") |
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| Established: | 1838 Queen's College established. Now Acadia University. |
| Type: | Public |
| Religious affiliation: | non-denominational initially founded by Baptists |
| Endowment: | $40 million |
| Chancellor: | Arthur Irving |
| President: | Ray Ivany |
| Staff: | 211 full and 37 part-time |
| Students: | 3000 (as of 2008) |
| Undergraduates: | 2760 |
| Postgraduates: | 76 |
| Location: | Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Campus: | 250 acres (1.0 km2) |
| Sports: | Axemen and Axewomen |
| Colors: | Garnet and blue |
| Affiliations: | AUCC, IAU, CIS, AUS, CUSID, CBIE, CUP |
| Website: | http://www.acadiau.ca |
Acadia University is a non-denominational, predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level.
The University
Acadia University is located in the town of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, approximately 100 kilometres northwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia the provincial capital. Founded in 1838 by the Baptist Community, Acadia's beginning was the result of the commitment and enthusiasm of a community determined to build a university. The University has been shaped by their spirit of hard work and dedication to the principles that everyone should have access to university regardless of gender, race or religious affiliations - a spirit which continues to guide the university today.
In 2007, Acadia was ranked first in Maclean's Magazine (tied with Mount Allison University) for Best Overall in the Primarily Undergraduate University category. The university has emphasized a personalized education. Acadia's average class has 26 students, which helps to maintain an intimate learning environment for students.
History
In 1831 the Baptists founded Acadia in Horton, Nova Scotia.
Acadia University, established at Wolfville, Nova Scotia in 1838 has a strong Baptist religious affiliation. It was designed to prepare men for the ministry and to supply education for lay members. Acadia began as Horton Academy (1828), which was founded by Baptists from Nova Scotia and Queen's College (1838).
The two major Universities of the day in Nova Scotia were heavily controlled by Denominational structures. King's College (University of King's College) was an Anglican School and Dalhousie University, which was originally non-denominational, had placed itself under the control and direction of the Church of Scotland. It was the failure of Dalhousie to appoint a prominent Baptist pastor and scholar, Edmund Crawley, to the Chair of Classics, as had been expected, that really thrust into the forefront of Baptist thinking the need for a College established and run by the Baptists.
In 1838, the Nova Scotia Baptist Education Society founded Queen's College (named for Queen Victoria). The College began with 21 students in January 1839. The name "Queen's College" was denied to the Baptist school, so it was renamed "Acadia College" in 1841, in reference to the history of the area as an Acadian settlement. Acadia College awarded its first degrees in 1843 and became Acadia University in 1891, established by the Acadia University Act.
The Granville Street Baptist Church (now First Baptist Church Halifax) was an instrumental and determining factor in the founding of the University. It has played a supporting role throughout its history, and shares much of the credit for its survival and development. Many individuals who have made significant contributions to Acadia University, including the first president John Pryor, were members of the First Baptist Church Halifax congregation. Similarly, the adjacent Wolfville United Baptist Church plays a significant role in the life of the university.
The original charter of the college stated:
And be it further enacted, that no religious tests or subscriptions shall be required of the Professors Fellows, Scholars, Graduates or Officers of the said College; but that all the privileges and advantages thereof shall be open and free to all and every Person and Persons whomsoever, without regard to religious persuasion... And it shall and may be lawful for the trustees and Governors of the said College to select as Professors, and other Teaches or Officers, competent persons of any religious persuasion whatever, provided such person or persons shall be of moral and religious character.
This was unique at the time, and a direct result of Baptists being denied entry into other schools that required religious tests of their students and staff.
Clara Belle Marshall, from Mount Hanley, Nova Scotia, became the first woman to graduate from Acadia University in 1879.
In 1966, the Baptist denomination relinquished direct control over the University. The denomination maintains nine seats on the University's Board of Governors.
On January 4, 2008, Dr. Gail Dinter-Gottlieb decided to step down as President and Vice Chancellor of the University before her term expired. Her resignation was effective February 29, 2008. Dr. Tom Herman is currently acting President and Vice-Chancellor, with [Ray Ivany] slated to assume the role on 1 April 2009.
Faculty Strikes
The faculty of Acadia University have been on strike twice in the history of the institution. The first was February 24 to March 12, 2004. The second was October 15 to November 5, 2007. The second strike was resolved after the province's labour minister, the Mark Parent, appointed a mediator, on November 1, to facilitate an agreement.
Academics
Profile
As a primarily undergraduate institution, the university places significant importance on teaching and instruction.
The mission of Acadia University is to provide a personalized and rigorous liberal education; promote a robust and respectful scholarly community; and inspire a diversity of students to become critical thinkers, lifelong learners, engaged citizens, and responsible global leaders.
Faculties
Acadia is organized into four faculties: Arts, Pure & Applied Science, Professional Studies and Theology. Each faculty is further divided into departments and schools specialized in areas of teaching and research. The Division of Research & Graduate Studies is separate from the faculties and oversees graduate students as well as Acadia's research programs.
The Acadia Advantage
In 1996, Acadia University pioneered the use of mobile computing technology in a post-secondary educational environment. This academic initiative integrated the use of notebook computers into the undergraduate curriculum and featured innovations in teaching. By 2000, all full-time, undergraduate Acadia students were taking part in the Acadia Advantage. The initiative went beyond leasing notebook computers to students during the academic year, and included training, user support and the use of course-specific applications at Acadia that revolutionized learning at the Wolfville, N.S. campus and beyond.
Because of its pioneering efforts, Acadia is a laureate of Washington’s Smithsonian Institution and a part of the permanent research collection of the National Museum of American History. It is the only Canadian university selected for inclusion in the Education and Academia category of the Computerworld Smithsonian Award.
In addition, Acadia University received the Pioneer Award for Ubiquitous Computing. In 2001, it achieved high rankings in the annual Maclean's University Rankings, including Best Overall for Primarily Undergraduate University in their opinion survey, and it received the Canadian Information Productivity Award in 1997 as it was praised as the first university in Canada to fully utilize information technology in the undergraduate curriculum.
Canadian opinion leaders consistently place Acadia ahead of all other primarily undergraduate universities in the annual Maclean’s Magazine survey of post-secondary education. In fact, Acadia is the only university to have placed first in all four reputational categories: best overall, highest quality, most innovative, and leaders of tomorrow.
In October 2006, Dr. Dinter-Gottlieb established a commission to review the Acadia Advantage learning environment 10 years after inception. The mandate of the commission was to determine how well the current Advantage program meets the needs of students, faculty, and staff and to examine how the role of technology in the postsecondary environment has changed at Acadia, and elsewhere. The commission was asked to recommend changes and enhancements to the Acadia Advantage that would benefit the entire university community and ensure its sustainability.
Some of the recommendations coming from the Acadia Advantage Renewal Report included developing a choice of model specifications and moving from Acadia-issued, student-leased notebook computers to a student-owned computer model. The compelling rationale for this was the integral role technology now plays in our lives, which was not present in 1996.
The University was also advised to unbundle its tuition structure so that the cost of an Acadia education is more detailed and students can understand how their investment in the future is allotted. Acadia acted on this recommendation in 2007.
In September 2008, Acadia moved to a student-owned notebook computer version of the Acadia Advantage, now named Acadia Advantage 2.0.
Athletics
Acadia's sports teams are called the Axemen and Axewomen. They participate in the Atlantic University Sports conference of Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
School spirit abounds with men’s and women’s varsity teams that have delivered more conference and national championships than any other institution in Atlantic University Sport. Routinely, more than one-third of Acadia’s varsity athletes also achieve Academic All-Canadian designation through Canadian Interuniversity Sport by maintaining a minimum average of 80 per cent.
Expansion and modernization of Raymond Field was completed in the fall of 2007 and features the installation of an eight-lane all-weather running track and a move to the same premium artificial turf used by the New England Patriots of the National Football League for its main playing field. The Raymond Field modernization was a gift to the university by friends, alumni, and the province. War Memorial Gymnasium also saw the installation of a new playing floor to benefit its basketball and volleyball teams.
In September 2006, Acadia University announced its partnership with the Wolfville Tritons Swim Club and the Acadia Masters Swim Club to form the Acadia Swim Club and return competitive swimming to the university after a 14 year hiatus. On September 26, 2008, the university announced its intention to return swimming to a varsity status in September 2009.
Fight Song
Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement, convocation, and athletic games are: Stand Up and Cheer, the Acadia University fight song. According to 'Songs of Acadia College' (Wolfville, NS 1902-3, 1907), the songs include: 'Acadia Centennial Song' (1938); 'The Acadia Clan Song'; 'Alma Mater - Acadia;' 'Alma Mater Acadia' (1938) and 'Alma Mater Song.
Symbols
In 1974, Acadia was granted a coat of arms designed by the College of Arms in London, England. The coat of arms is two-tone, with the school's official colours, garnet and blue, on the shield. The axes represent the school's origins in a rural setting, and the determination of its founders who cleared the land and built the school on donated items and labour. The open books represent the intellectual pursuits of a university, and the wolves heads are a whimsical representation of the University's location in Wolfville. "In pulvere vinces" (In dust you conquer) is the motto.
The University seal depicts the Greek goddess of wisdom Athena in front of the first college hall.
The University also uses a stylized "A" as a logo for its sports teams.
Notable among a number of fight songs commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement, convocation, and athletic games are: the Acadia University alma mater set to the tune of "Annie Lisle". The lyrics are:
- Far above the dykes of Fundy
- And its basin blue
- Stands our noble alma mater
- Glorious to view
- Lift the chorus
- Speed it onward
- Sing it loud and free
- Hail to thee our alma mater
- Acadia, hail to thee
- Far above the busy highway
- And the sleepy town
- Raised against the arch of heaven
- Looks she proudly down
Buildings
Carnegie Hall, built in 1909, is a large, two-storey, Neo-classical brick building on the Registry of Historic Places of Canada Acadia Seminary, built in 1879, is on the Registry of Historic Places of Canada.
Student life
At Acadia University, students have access to the Student Union Building which serves as a hub for students and houses many Student Union organizations. The building also houses The Axe Lounge, a convenience store, an information desk and two food outlets. The university press, The Athenaeum, is a member of CUP.
Student Government
All students are represented by the Acadia Students' Union and the Union President for the 2009-2010 academic year is Jon Cottreau. The student newspaper is The Athenaeum
Residences
Approximately 1100 students live on-campus in 12 residences:[citation needed]
- Chase Court
- Cutten House (Currently closed for renovations)
- Roy Jodrey Hall
- Eaton House
- Christofor Hall
- Chipman House
- Dennis House - First floor houses student health services
- Whitman Hall (Tully) - All female residence
- Seminary House - Houses the School of Education
- War Memorial (Barrax) House
- Raymond House (French House)
- Crowell Tower (13 story high-rise)
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