Mount Allison University

Mount Allison University
Latin: Universitatis Montis Allisoniani
Motto	Litterae, Religio, Scientia
Motto in English	Writing, Divinity, Knowledge
Established	June 1839
Type	Public
Religious affiliation	United Church of Canada
Endowment	$110 million
Chancellor	Peter Mansbridge
President	Dr. Robert Campbell
Students	2,694[1]
Undergraduates	2,678
Postgraduates	16
Location	Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada
Campus	Rural
Colours	Garnet      & gold
Athletics	CIS, AUS,
Nickname	Mounties
Affiliations	AUCC, IAU, ACU, CIS, CBIE, AUS, CUP
Website	mta.ca

Mount Allison University (also Mount A or MTA) is a primarily undergraduate Canadian liberal arts and science university situated in Sackville, New Brunswick. It has been ranked first in the country for 17 of the last 23 years by Maclean's magazine (in the category of "primarily undergraduate" universities) and given top ratings in Maclean's annual alumni survey.^[2]

Mount Allison University was the first university in the British Empire to award a baccalaureate to a woman (Grace Annie Lockhart, B.Sc, 1875). Mount Allison graduates have been awarded a total of 52 Rhodes Scholarships,^[3] the most per capita of any university in the Commonwealth.^[4] Mount Allison is the wealthiest university in Canada on an endowment per student basis.^[5][6]

History

Mount Allison's origins go back to a boys' academy founded in June 1839 by a local Methodist merchant, Charles Frederick Allison. Charles Allison's grandfather had emigrated from Ireland to Canada in the late 18th century because of the after effects of a dinner with the local government tax collector. Wanting to impress the man, the family had set the table with their one valuable possession; silver spoons. After entertaining their guest, the Allisons were informed by the tax collector that if they could afford silver spoons, then they could certainly afford to pay more taxes. The Allisons left Ireland shortly thereafter. The offending spoons are now on display in the main university library.

In June 1839, Charles Allison proposed to the Wesleyan Methodists that a school of elementary and higher learning be built. He offered to purchase a site in Sackville, to erect a suitable building for an academy, and to contribute operating funds of £100 a year for 10 years. This offer was accepted and the Wesleyan Academy for boys subsequently opened in 1843.^[7]

Mount Allison University is a United Church-affiliated, but non-sectarian university which was established at Sackville, New Brunswick on January 19, 1843. The university was named after Charles Frederick Allison, in honour of his gift of land and money.^[8] Its origins were steeped in the Methodist faith. It was designed to prepare men for the ministry and to supply education for lay members.^[9] The university was chartered on April 14, 1849.^[8]

Current Chancellor, Peter Mansbridge

In 1854, a girls' institution (later known as the "Ladies College") was opened to complement the boys' academy. In 1858 an Act of the New Brunswick Legislature authorized the trustees to establish a degree-conferring institution at Sackville, under the name of the Mount Allison Wesleyan College.^[10]

In July 1862, the degree-granting Mount Allison College was organised. The first two students, Howard Sprague and Josiah Wood, graduated in May 1863. Mount Allison was the first university in the British Empire to confer a Bachelor's degree to a woman (Grace Annie Lockhart, B.Sc. 1875).^[11] It was also the first university in Canada to grant a Bachelor of Arts to a woman (Harriet Starr Stewart).^[12] For nearly a century, Mount Allison functioned as three distinct, mutually enriching parts: the College proper, the Boys' Academy and the Ladies College. The Corporate name was changed to University of Mount Allison College in 1886.^[10]

The university's affiliation was transferred to the United Church of Canada following church union in 1925. Original components of the university included: the Mount Allison Wesleyan Academy for Boys (1840–1958), the Ladies' College (1854–1958), and Mount Allison College. Mount Allison College was established in 1862 with degree-granting powers on behalf of the other two.^[13]

The Sackville founders monument commemorates Sackville's incorporation and its founding peoples. It was installed on the campus of Mount Allison University in 2003.

The governance was modelled on the provincial University of Toronto Act of 1906 which established a bicameral system of university government consisting of a senate (faculty), responsible for academic policy, and a board of governors (citizens) exercising exclusive control over financial policy and having formal authority in all other matters. The president, appointed by the board, was to provide a link between the 2 bodies and to perform institutional leadership.^[14]

Sidney Perry Dumaresq (architect) designed the rear addition to Central Building, 1910.^[15]

In the early part of the 20th century, professional education expanded beyond the traditional fields and graduate training based on the German-inspired American model of specialized course work and the completion of a research thesis was introduced.^[14]

By 1920, Mount Allison University had three faculties: Arts, Theology, and Engineering. It awarded the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Divinity (BD), and Master of Arts. It had 246 male students and 73 female students, as well as 28 academic staff, all male.^[16]

The closure of the School for Girls in 1946 and the Boy's Academy in 1953 coincided with a period of expansion and provided much-needed space for the growing university. In 1958, a period of construction and acquisition of buildings began, easing the strain of overcrowding at the institution. At this time the university board and administration decided to reaffirm the traditional aims of Mount Allison in providing a high-quality undergraduate liberal arts education, along with continuing to offer professional programmes in already-established fields. As such, the university decided not to compete for new professional programs and generally avoided post-graduate course development.

The policy of university education initiated in the 1960s responded to population pressure and the belief that higher education was a key to social justice and economic productivity for individuals and for society.^[17] Mount Allison University was established by the Mount Allison University Act, 1993.^[18]

Mount Allison University's Arms and Badge were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on November 15, 2007.^[19]

Andrew R. Cobb designed several campus buildings including: Memorial Library, 1926–27, demol. 2011; Flemington (Science) Building, 1930–31; Centennial Hall, 1933. The Memorial Library (renamed University Centre in 1970) was constructed in 1927 in the Tudor Revival style.^[20] Part of a memorial listed in the Canadian Forces' National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials - № 13002-004 - the memorial also included the original set of brass plaques which are now located in the Wallace McCain Student Centre.

Owens Art Gallery

Opened to the public since 1895, Owens Art Gallery which can be found on campus adjacent to the student centre, is the oldest University-owned art gallery in Canada.

Academics

In November 2013, Mount Allison University was ranked the #1 university in Canada for the 17th time in the primarily undergraduate university category, as rated by Maclean's magazine.^[21] Mount Allison has also produced 52 Rhodes Scholars, with 11 students receiving the award in the past 13 years.^[22]

The mission statement of Mount Allison University promotes "the creation and dissemination of knowledge in a community of higher learning, centred on the undergraduate student and delivered in an intimate and harmonious environment". Mount Allison currently offers Bachelor's degrees in Arts, Science, Commerce, Fine Arts and Music, as well as Master's degrees in Biology and Chemistry and Certificates in Bilingualism.^[23] A Bachelor's degree in Aviation has recently been developed in conjunction with the Moncton Flight College.

In 2013, 67% of the student body had received an entrance scholarship.

The university's enrollment is approximately 2,500 students.^[24]

Faculties, departments, and programs

(Alex) Colville House

• Faculty of Arts (B.A, B.Mus.,B.F.A.)
  • Classics
  • English
  • Fine Arts
  • History
  • Modern Languages & Literatures
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Psychology
  • Religious Studies
  • American Studies
  • Canadian Studies
  • Drama
  • Women's Studies

• Faculty of Social Sciences (B.A., B.Comm.)
  • Anthropology
  • Commerce
  • Economics
  • Geography & Environment
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Sociology
  • Environmental Studies

• Faculty of Science (B.Sc., M.Sc.)
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Mathematics & Computer Science
  • Physics
  • Psychology
  • Aviation (in conjunction with Moncton Flight College)
  • Biochemistry
  • Environmental Science
  • Cognitive Science

Housing

One of the single rooms at Campbell Hall

Mount Allison has housing facilities available for approximately 50 percent of its student population. More than 90 percent of first-year students choose to live in residence. On-campus accommodations are guaranteed to all first-year students who meet admission and deposit deadlines. All rooms come with high speed wired as well as wireless Internet.

All buildings are co-ed with wing to wing or integrated bathrooms. Sixty percent of rooms are either single or ensuite style and 40 percent are double accommodation. Campbell Hall, a newly built residence and winner of CBIP Award for incorporation of environment features, offers large single rooms with ensuite bathrooms.^[25] For students wishing to immerse themselves in French language and culture, based on student interest, the university offers students the opportunity to live together. In addition, Mount Allison also offers students a chance to live in one of four satellite residences (Bermuda, Carriage, Cuthebertson, and The Anchorage), which are smaller in size, ranging from eleven residents to 30. These houses also offer specific themes, Bermuda as the international house (housing a mix of students from around the world), Carriage as the animal house (taking care of animals for the Moncton SPCA), Cuthbertson as the environmentally-friendly house, and Anchorage as the healthy living house.

The following halls are open for new and returning students:

• Campbell Hall
• Harper Hall
• Windsor Hall
• Bigelow House
• Bennett House
• Hunton House
• Thornton House
• Edwards House
• Bermuda House (International Residence)
• Cuthbertson (Sustainable Residence)
• Carriage House (Animal House)
• Anchorage (Healthy Living)

Student enrollment increased 17% from 2007-2012, and an increase in cost for on-campus living has also occurred. As a result, the town of Sackville has seen a boom in construction of off-campus apartments for students and a very low vacancy rate.^[26] A majority of students live off-campus after completing their second year.

Social life

Social life at Mount Allison tends to focus on extracurricular activities. Mount Allison students also socialize at places like Gracie's, The Pond (Campus Pub), Ducky's, Joey's, Pickles, and the Bridge Street Café.

Mount Allison's campus paper, The Argosy, is produced weekly by Argosy Publications Inc., an independent organization funded by the students through an annual fee. The publication dates from 1872, making it one of the oldest continuous publications in Atlantic Canada. Its community radio station, CHMA 106.9 FM, is owned and operated by the members of Attic Broadcasting Company Ltd., a non-profit organization with its offices on the university campus.

Springtime in Sackville - a view of Convocation Hall from the swan pond, Mount Allison University.

Tintamarre theatre company was founded at Mount Allison by Professor Alex Fancy and produces a bilingual collective each year, staged at the Windsor Theatre and later presented at junior and senior high schools throughout the Maritime provinces. There is a performing arts series staged at Convocation Hall (one of the largest concert halls east of Montreal) during the school year. A Shakespearean "Festival by the Marsh" is traditionally staged by the Swan Pond in the summer.

Fine Art students run START Gallery within Struts Gallery, a CARFAC artist-run center.

Student government

The Mount Allison Students Union (MASU) is the representative council which governs the Mount Allison Students' Union Inc.

The Mount Allison Students' Union aims to foster a community where the quality of student life (educational, social and personal) is constantly improving.^[27]

The Mount Allison Students' Union acts as both a representative governing body and provides students with services. Services include: Funding for academic enrichment, assistance to 157 clubs and societies, an extended health and dental insurance plan, scholarships, grad class events, used book sales, yearbooks, orientation, Shinerama, a student housing directory, delivery condom service, entertainment, an exam database, faxing and photocopying.

Administration

Mount Allison University 107726820RR0001 was registered as a charitable organization in Canada on January 1, 1967. The primary areas in which the charity is now carrying on programs to achieve its charitable purposes, ranked according to the percentage of time and resources devoted to each program area follow:

• Universities and colleges 97%
• Scholarships, bursaries, awards 3%

The charity carried on charitable programs to further its charitable purpose(s) (as defined in its governing documents) this fiscal period:

• Provides rigorous liberal education primarily to undergraduate students in a co-educational intimate residential environment.
• Provides scholarships, bursaries and awards to students.^[28]

Notable alumni

Mount Allison has produced more Rhodes Scholars (noted by RS in the list below) per capita than any other university in the Commonwealth.

Athletics

Mount Allison Mounties

The school's team name in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) is the Mount Allison Mounties. The football team has appeared in the Vanier Cup twice (1984 & 1991). They finished second in the Atlantic University Sport conference in 2010 and the Mount Allison football team has made playoffs appearances in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Mount Allison is also home to a CIS-level women's hockey team, as well as swim, badminton and soccer teams. Basketball and volleyball teams compete against colleges and other smaller universities. Mount Allison is also the winner of the first ever ACAA men's rugby championship in 2007 and remained undefeated through 2010, resulting in four consecutive championships.^[30] In both 2008 and 2009 the men's and women's Mounties remained undefeated throughout the regular season and became ACAA champions.^[30] The university women's hockey team plays at the Tantramar Civic Centre.

See also

• Higher education in New Brunswick
• List of universities in New Brunswick
• Canadian Interuniversity Sport
• Canadian government scientific research organizations
• Canadian university scientific research organizations
• Canadian industrial research and development organizations

Books

• Dr. Marie Hammond Callaghan, Ed. 'We Were Here: Women's History at Mount Allison University' (Sackville: © Mount Allison University Press, 2006);
• J.W. Falconer and W.G. Watson 'A Brief History of Pine Hill Divinity Hall and the Theological Department of Mount Allison University' (Halifax: Pine Hill Divinity Hall, 1946 Pamphlet)
• John G. Reid, 'Mount Allison University: A History to 1963' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1984);
• John G. Reid, 'The Mount Allison Ladies College: A Short History, 1984. (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1984);

References

External links

• University Website

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mount Allison University.

Coordinates: 45°54′1.87″N 64°22′40.16″W / 45.9005194°N 64.3778222°W / 45.9005194; -64.3778222