Laurentian University

Laurentian University
Motto Emitte lucem et veritatem
Motto in English Send forth thyne light and thyne truth
Established 1960 Laurentian University of Sudbury/Université Laurentienne de Sudbury. Former name, University of Sudbury
Type Public
Endowment C$143 million
Chancellor Aline Chrétien
President Dominic Giroux
Admin. staff 922
Undergraduates 9000
Postgraduates 515
Location Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Campus urban green belt, 304 ha (750 acres)
Sport Teams Laurentian Voyageurs
Colours gold      & blue     
Nickname Voyageur
Mascot Voyageur
Affiliations AUCC, IAU, COU, AUFC, CVU, Ontario Network of Women in engineering, CIS, OUA, CBIE, CUP.
Website www.laurentian.ca

Laurentian University (Université Laurentienne), was incorporated on March 28, 1960, is a mid-sized bilingual university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. [1]

While LU's focus is primarily on undergraduate programming, the university also features Canada's newest medical school — opened in 2005, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, in consortium with Lakehead University. Its school of Graduate Studies offers a growing number of graduate-level degrees.[2] Laurentian is the largest bilingual provider of distance education in Canada.

Contents

Overview

The university's campus is located on the south side of Lake Ramsey, just south of Greater Sudbury's downtown core and near some of the city's wealthiest residential neighbourhoods. The city's Idylwylde golf course also borders on the university campus.

The university has a federated school structure, similar to that of the University of Toronto. The school also has an unusual and sometimes controversial student government structure — there are two separate student unions (in addition to the part time and graduate student associations). The Francophone Student's Association (AEF) is for francophones, while the Student's General Association (SGA) is for both anglophones and francophones. However, any student can affiliate with either union, regardless of language, and because the two unions do not offer identical student services, many students from one language group change their affiliation to the other student union depending on which services they want. Consequently, in practice, the two student unions often compete with each other rather than serving distinct groups.

History

Laurentian's historical roots lie in the Roman Catholic church.[3] A university federation combining representatives from the Roman Catholic, United, and Anglican churches was formed in the 1959-60 academic year.[3] With the new university's space needs exceeding the capacity of the existing Collège du Sacré-Coeur facility, the university held classes in a variety of locations in the city, including the Sudbury Steelworkers Hall, until its current campus was opened in 1964.[3]

The federated colleges include Huntington College (United Church), University of Sudbury College (Roman Catholic, descended from the Collège du Sacré-Coeur established by the Jesuits in 1913), and Thorneloe College (Anglican)[4] Collège universitaire de Hearst in Hearst is the only remaining affiliated college while both Nipissing University College in North Bay and Algoma University College in Sault Ste. Marie were previously affiliated with Laurentian.[3] Nipissing University and Algoma University were established as independent universities, in 1992 and in 2008 respectively.

There is a plaque at the entrance to the R. D. Parker Building, University Dr., Sudbury

Laurentian University of Sudbury;

On petition of the University of Sudbury, the United Church of Canada and the Anglican Diocese of Algoma, supported by prominent citizens, this non-denominational, bilingual institution of higher learning was incorporated in 1960. Higher education in Northern Ontario had its origins in Sacred Heart College, founded in 1913 by the Society of Jesus, which as the University of Sudbury first exercised its degree-granting powers in 1957. Such power, except in theology, were suspended in 1960 when both the University of Sudbury (Roman Catholic) and the newly incorporated Huntington University (United Church) federated with Laurentian University, which awarded its first degrees in 1961. In 1963, Thorneloe University (Anglican), incorporated in 1961, joined the federation.

In recent years, the university has expanded its professional programs, launching the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in 2005 and receiving approval to launch the Northern Ontario School of Architecture in 2011.[5]

Partnership

The university has strong ties with the mining industry, being one of the few schools in Canada offering mining engineering, and the only Canadian university located in a city where the major industry is mining. The Willett Green Miller Centre, a provincial building located on the site, is home to the Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO), a not-for-profit applied research and technical service company formed through collaboration between Laurentian University and the private and public sectors. The Willett Green Miller Centre is also home to the Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC), a semi-autonomous research and teaching centre whose focus is field-based, collaborative research on mineral deposits and their environments. The mission of MERC is to conduct and promote cutting-edge, field-based, collaborative research on mineral deposits and their environments, and to educate and train highly qualified personnel for careers in the minerals industry, academia or government.

The university is also a key partner in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO), the world's deepest underground laboratory that has been providing, since 1998, new clues on the composition of the sun and the origins of the universe.

In 2004, the university, along with Lakehead University, formed the Northern Ontario Medical School.

The university is a member of L'Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne, a network of academic institutions of the Canadian Francophonie.[6]

Administration

Upon the resignation of the last president, Dr. Judith Woodsworth, Dominic Giroux became the president of Laurentian University. Dr. Woodsworth had been president of Laurentian University since July 2002. In April 2006, she had been reappointed by the Board of Governors for a second five-year term which commenced in July 2007. She left the university as the new President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University, Montreal. Under her leadership, Laurentian saw the opening of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in 2005, the creation of the university’s first six PhD programs, tremendous growth in research capacity and numerous construction projects on campus. The Board of Governors heads the university with the president. Directly to the left and right of the president is the assistant to the president, and the Laurentian University senate.

Aline Chrétien, the wife of former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, was named the university's chancellor on September 22, 2010.[7]

Laurentian University's affiliate universities, each have a chancellor. The chancellor is largely a ceremonial role, and has little participation in the day-to-day operations of the university. The chancellor for the affiliated, University of Sudbury is prominent Sudbury lawyer André Lacroix Q.C./c.r. LL.D. (from the law firm Lacroix Forest LLP/s.r.l.). The chancellor for the affiliated Thorneloe University is Dr. Ernie Checkeris. And the first chancellor of the affiliated Huntington University is Dr. Edward (Ted) Conroy, another prominent Sudbury lawyer from the law firm of Conroy Scott Trebb Hurtubise LLP. University administration is the responsibility of the Board of Governors, headed by the chairperson of the Board of Governors. This post is current held by Floyd Laughren.

Presidents

Chairpersons of the Board of Governors

Undergraduate programs

Arts

Humanities

Social Sciences

Sciences

Professional programs

School of Management

Faculty of Medicine

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine's goal is to graduate medical generalists who are innovative, resourceful, self-reliant, culturally and emotionally sensitive, and who are fully acquainted with the rigours and rewards of medical practice in Northern, remote and culturally diverse settings. It is the first medical school in Canada to be opened during the Digital Age, NOSM’s four-year Undergraduate Medical Education e-curriculum emphasizes the use of broadband technology to bridge the distance between campuses, and to facilitate an extensive distributed learning model that is unique in modern medical education.

The innovative undergraduate MD program involves students learning in small groups, much of the time in distributed community-based learning sites supported by broadband communication information technology. The curriculum is clinically driven, while ensuring students gain a strong grounding in core knowledge and skills including the basic sciences.

Program information

Commerce and administration

Laurentian's school of commerce and administration was founded in 1960. Laurentian has embraced the world of international business by creating and maintaining relationships with other universities around the world. It is modeled on the University of Western Ontario's Richard Ivey School of Business. The school offers small class sizes, one-on-one teaching, and an outstanding faculty. The School of Management offers a wide variety of programs, from MBAs to honours degrees in Commerce and Sports Administration (SPAD).

The school utilizes the case study method, in which it teaches through extensive use of business case studies. The case method enables class discussion of real business problems; which will apply the concepts, decision making methods and tools to those situations to help develop analytical and decision making skills. Students get involved in the community by studying real organizations of their choice, participating in research projects sponsored by businesses in the community and solving real problems.

Education (B.Ed.)

Laurentian has both English and French language education programs for teacher training.

In the Alphonse Raymond building, at the east end of campus, is "L`École des sciences de l`éducation de l`Université Laurentienne". Named after Father Alphonse Raymond, and opened in 1974, the building houses classrooms, a cafeteria, an auditorium, a small gymnasium, and offices for more than a dozen professors. Students attending L'École des sciences have a variety of programs from which to choose. The school, for example, offers a traditional consecutive post-grad B.Ed., a newer concurrent B.A. Educ. degree that can be taken full or part-time, the possibility of engaging in studies on-line, and the chance for certified teachers to complete additional qualifications. B.Ed. students who attend L'École des sciences must complete fifty days of practicum placement focusing on observation and practice teaching. The program provides many of the French-speaking teachers who work in Ontario's publicly-funded education system, particularly in schools located in the northeastern section of the province.

Graduate programs

Federated schools

Nipissing University in North Bay and Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, both now independent universities, were federated schools of Laurentian.

Laurentian's Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is also taught colleges across Ontario as part of one of three agreements between colleges and the university. Graduates of these collaborate programs receive Laurentian degrees upon graduation. The Northeastern Ontario Collaborative Nursing Program (NEOCNP) is a partnership between Laurentian University, Cambrian College, Northern College, and Sault College. St. Lawrence College offers Laurentian's Nursing Program through an agreement called the Laurentian-St. Lawrence Collaborative Nursing Program. Finally, Collège Boréal provides the Nursing program through an agreement with Laurentian University's French-language "sciences infirmières" program.

St. Lawrence College also offers Laurentian's Bachelor of Business degree, a four year program.

Research centres

Student life

Student General Association

The SGA is the largest student union at Laurentian, with around 5100 students. It offers services in both English and French, although in recent years the English services have become predominant. The association is presided over by a board of directors consisting of representatives of each of the academic departments and residences, as well as commissioners representing groups within the school (francophone, aboriginal, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, international students, women, cultural affairs and special needs), three university senators and the executive. Under the by-laws the board only comes into existence on the first day of classes of the fall session and is dissolved at the end of the winter session, for the remainder of year the executive has the full powers of the board.

The executive consists of the president and two vice-presidents (student issues and services), supplemented by an executive director and a receptionist. The staff of the association is relatively small — the president, executive director and receptionist are all full time employees. The vice-president of services is a full time employee from May 1 until the first day of classes in the fall term, when he or she becomes part time. The vice-president of student issues is a part time employee from the second Monday in August onward. The Chief Returning Officer is a part time employee during the election campaign. The editor of Lambda, the director of CKLU, the manager of Pub Down Under and the manager of the games room are part-time employees of arm length operations.

Media

The university's campus radio station, CKLU, broadcasts at FM 96.7 in both English and French. Its campus newspapers are Lambda in English and L'Orignal déchaîné ("The Unchained Moose") in French. Lambda is a member of Canadian University Press, and CKLU is a member of the National Campus and Community Radio Association.

Sports

The university's varsity teams, known as the Voyageurs for the men's teams and the Lady Vees for the women's teams, compete in basketball, soccer, swimming, cross-country running, golf, curling, and Nordic skiing. There are also competitive club teams in lacrosse and rowing and a plethora of intramural sports programmes. The Lady Vees basketball team have been one of the most successful franchises in the history of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's basketball championship, winning the title seven times. Notable alumnae of the basketball team include broadcaster Sylvia Sweeney. The current director of the athletic department is Peter Hellstrom.

Campus

Great Hall (Grand Salon)

The Great Hall is a multipurpose dining hall and auditorium that plays a prominent role in the life of the University. During special events, invited speakers and dignitaries may address the University population or general public from the Great Hall. Many conferences held in Sudbury may book the hall for lectures or presentations. Even bands touring Canadian campuses may schedule concerts at the Great Hall.

On a more routine basis, the Great Hall serves as the dining area of the university cafeteria, and is a popular place for student, staff, and faculty alike to grab a snack at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The adjacent servery features a made-to-order sandwich bar, Pizza Pizza counter, stir-fry station, grill, fruit stand, soup station, and baked goods stand that also has cereal and bagels.

The hall's outdoor balcony has a view of the greens of the Idywylde Golf and Country Club.

Fraser Auditorium

The Fraser Auditorium in the Fraser Building is another large-volume auditorium, though it is more formal than the Great Hall and is regularly used for the larger first-year classes. The Fraser Auditorium is also used for special events and conferences, but a student's most memorable visit will likely be for convocation ceremonies, held within the auditorium each spring. In addition the Fraser Auditorium has hosted the Falconbridge Lecture Series hosting such guests as Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, and Senator Roméo Dallaire (March 2006).

The auditorium also sometimes hosts cultural events, such as theatre and concert performances, and was the original home of the city's Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario and Sudbury Theatre Centre.

Ben Avery

The Ben Avery is the sports building on campus and is the focal point of the non-academic action. The Ben Avery has a weight and cardiovascular room, an IAAF 8-lane 400m mondo track (2010) that compliments the sport fields with seating for 5000, a 4-lane indoor track, a rock climbing wall, a bouldering room, an Olympic size swimming pool with high rise diving boards, squash courts, basketball courts, badminton nets, and is home of the pot-banging cheer club.

Many students will write their final exams in the Ben Avery.

Beach

With over 765 acres of land owned by the university, Laurentian has its own private beach. There are 5 freshwater lakes in the immediate campus area. School and residence activities are held at the beach year round. The beach is a 15 minute or less walk from all of the residences.

Games Room

On the second floor of the Parker Building there is a games room open for all students. It is complete with a Tim Hortons, an xbox which is hooked up to a big screen TV, ping pong tables and much more.

Residences

The Laurentian Residences offers four unique residences under the supervision of the main campus and three located at the main campus under the supervision of the federated colleges.

Single Student Residence (SSR)

The Single Student Residence is an apartment style complex consisting of 4-6 residents in personal apartment containing a living room, kitchen, and washrooms. The entire complex includes rooms for 387 students in 72 apartments. Student Street, consisting of a convenience store, computer room, mail room, snack bar, and games room, among other rooms and services, is located at the bottom of the SSR complex.

University College Residence (UC)

The University College Residence is a ten storey co-ed building with single and double (shared) rooms, providing accommodations for 240 students. University College is also connected to student street giving students access to the same amenitties available to SSR students.

Married/Mature Student Residence (MSR)

The Mature Student Residence offers furnished apartments for those whom have accumulated over 90 university credits. The residence is generally thought of as the overall quietest at Laurentian. The rooms consist of one bedroom, a living room, bathroom and kitchen.

The West Residence

This residence is the newest residence at Laurentian. It is designed for students who have spent at least two years at the university and obtained a minimum of at least 60 credits. The residence consists of same sex apartment style rooms and cost $14.5 million CAD.

Thorneloe Residence

The Thorneloe University College Residence provides accommodations for 58 students. This residence offers large kitchens, sauna, and common rooms with large pool tables. In 2004 the former administrative offices were transformed into a suite for four students. Thorneloe University College, although founded by the Anglican Diocese of Algoma, welcomes all students at Laurentian.

University of Sudbury

The University of Sudbury Lucien Matte Residence houses 174 students in 92 single and 41 double bedrooms. The University of Sudbury, although associated with the Roman Catholic Church, welcomes those of all religions.

Huntington University

The Huntington University College Residence houses 184 students in dorm-style rooms. Kitchens and TV lounges are present on both floors. The residence is located with the Academic complex which includes classrooms and a library. Huntington University is affiliated with the United Church of Canada, but does not require religious affiliation. Christopher Levan, noted author, was once president of Huntington University.

New Residence

There is currently construction for a new residence building. It is scheduled to be ready for the 2012-2013 school year.

Notable alumni

Noted faculty

See also

References

  1. ^ Pound, Richard W. (2005). 'Fitzhenry and Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates'. Fitzhenry and Whiteside. 
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ a b c d Laurentian University/Université Laurentienne
  4. ^ http://www.heritagefdn.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/nts_1_6566_1.html|Ontario Heritage Trust Laurentian University of Sudbury.
  5. ^ "Architecture school planned for Sudbury’s Laurentian University". Toronto Star, May 24, 2011.
  6. ^ AUFC
  7. ^ "Aline Chrétien named first chancellor of Laurentian University". Toronto Star, September 22, 2010.

External links