Université de Saint-Boniface

Université de Saint-Boniface
Established	1818
Type	Private public-interest corporation
Chairman	Léo Robert (depuis 2009)
President	Raymonde Gagné (since 2003)
Location	Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 49°53′19″N 97°07′11″W / 49.888631°N 97.119725°W / 49.888631; -97.119725Coordinates: 49°53′19″N 97°07′11″W / 49.888631°N 97.119725°W / 49.888631; -97.119725
Campus	Francophone neighbourhood of St. Boniface
Affiliations	University of Manitoba
Website	http://www.ustboniface.ca/

Université de Saint-Boniface (USB) is a French-language post-secondary institution in the province of Manitoba, Canada. USB offers general and specialized university degree programs as well as technical and professional training to a wide variety of students from Manitoba, the rest of Canada and some 20 different countries. Located in the St. Boniface neighbourhood in the city of Winnipeg and affiliated with the University of Manitoba, USB now has 1,250 regular students and more than 5,000 enrolments in its Continuing Education Division, which includes a language school. It is the only French-language university in Western Canada.

History

With its origins dating back to 1818 and established by Father Norbert Provencher (1787–1853), Université de Saint-Boniface is Western Canada’s oldest post-secondary educational institution. It had its humble beginnings as a small school where Latin was taught to the boys of the French-speaking Red River Colony.^[1]

The school continued to grow, and in 1855, Msgr. Alexandre-Antonin Taché (1823–1894) oversaw the construction of Collège de Saint-Boniface, a two-story building on the corner of Taché Avenue and Masson Street.

From 1866 to 1870, under the guidance of Bishop George Dugas, Collège reorganized its programs to consolidate the instruction of Latin, Greek and philosophy into a classical curriculum.

Incorporated in 1871, Collège was one of the first official institutions of the new province of Manitoba, which had joined Canadian Confederation the year before. In 1877, together with the Anglican St. John’s College and the Presbyterian Manitoba College, it helped establish the University of Manitoba.^[2] Collège served both francophone and anglophone Catholic students. Around the same time, Manitoba saw a major influx of French-speaking newcomers from Quebec as well as France, Switzerland and Belgium. In 1880, increased enrolment led to the construction of a larger building on the site of what is now Provencher Park. Annual enrolment at that time was around 300 students.^[3]

In 1890, French lost its official language status in Manitoba, and in 1916, the Thornton Act strictly prohibited French-language instruction in the province’s public schools. As a private institution, Collège remained in operation and even encouraged public schools to defy the government ban. French-language teaching continued clandestinely.

In 1922, a major fire completely destroyed the building, including all of its records and the 40,000-volume library; it also claimed ten victims. In response to this tragedy, Msgr. Arthur Béliveau, Archbishop of St. Boniface, donated the seminary (Le Petit Séminaire) on Avenue de la Cathédrale, the present location of USB. The English-speaking Jesuits founded their own college (St. Paul’s College) in 1925, and USB became a francophone institution, although it offered business courses in English until 1941.^[4]

The 1960s were marked by three major changes: the arrival of women in the classroom (1959), the beginnings of continuing education (including conversational French and French as a second language classes) and the institution’s transition to a secular administration (1969).

In 1975, Collège began to offer technical and professional programs, which led to the creation of the École technique et professionnelle in 1989. In 1983, high school classes were transferred to Collège Louis-Riel and Collège began to focus solely on post-secondary education.

The institution officially became the Université de Saint-Boniface in September 2011.

Maintaining an historical connection

Despite its new university status, USB continues to be affiliated with the University of Manitoba, which it helped establish in 1877. Enshrined in the Université de Saint-Boniface Act, the affiliation with the University of Manitoba has valuable benefits for USB staff and students, and USB was committed to preserving this special 135-year-old relationship. University degrees will continue to be conferred by the University of Manitoba. However, graduates of the technical and professional programs of the École technique et professionnelle (ETP) will receive their diploma or certificate from Université de Saint-Boniface.

A pivotal hub of French-language education and of Manitoba's francophone community, USB now welcomes students from around the world and its reputation for excellence has spread far beyond Canada's borders.

Campus

Located in the heart of Winnipeg's green and quiet St. Boniface neighbourhood, Université de Saint Boniface is a stone's throw away from cafés, restaurants and shopping. It is also close to the St. Boniface Hospital, the St. Boniface Cathedral, and the meandering Red River. Pedestrians can walk across the striking Esplanade Riel to Winnipeg's downtown core or the large public market at The Forks.

With its magnificent Tyndall stone façade, the main USB building houses two gymnasiums, the Sportex fitness centre, a library, a chapel, the Étienne Gaboury student centre, the campus radio station, an amphitheatre, computer facilities, a performance hall and an art gallery.

The brand new Pavillon Marcel-A.-Desautels health sciences building opened its doors in 2011.

Programs^[5]

Université de Saint-Boniface offers both university and technical and professional programs as well as continuing education courses.

University Programs

FACULTY/SCHOOL	DEGREE/CERTIFICATE
Faculty of Arts	Bachelor of Arts (General) Bachelor of Arts (Latin - Philosophy) Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - French Bachelor of Arts (Advanced Major) - French Master of Arts in Canadian Studies
School of Translation	Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Translation Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Translation (online program) Bachelor of Arts (Joint Major) - French and Translation Certificate in Translation Certificate in Translation (online program)
School of Business Administration	Bachelor of Business Administration
Faculty of Science	Bachelor of Science (General) Bachelor of Science (Major)
School of Social Work	Bachelor of Social Work
Technical and Professional Programs	Bachelor of Nursing
Faculty of Education after obtaining a first degree	Bachelor of Education - Early and Middle Years Bachelor of Education - Senior Years Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Education Master of Education - Counselling* Master of Education - Inclusive Education Master of Education - School Administration* Master of Education - Language, Literacy and Curriculum *program offered online and in the classroom

 

Technical and Professional Programs

DEPARTMENT	DIPLOMA/CERTIFICATE
Department of Business	Business Administration Diploma Tourism Management Diploma
Department of Technology	Multimedia Communications Diploma Information Technology Diploma Webmaster Certificate (online program)
Department of Health and Social Services	Health Care Aide Certificate Early Childhood Education Diploma Advanced Diploma in Leadership in Early Childhood Education Nursing Diploma Bachelor of Nursing

 

Continuing Education

Université de Saint-Boniface’s Continuing Education Division offers a variety of courses in several areas. Its Language School (École de langues) has French, Spanish and Italian courses, and also produces innovative instructional material for teaching French as a first or additional language. The Continuing Education Division has an annual enrolment of over 5,000 students.

Research

The research conducted at Université de Saint-Boniface garners international recognition and focuses especially on areas closely related to the university, such as health and Francophone and Métis identity.

Founded in 1985, USB’s Research Centre is home to the Centre d’études Franco-canadiennes de l’Ouest (CEFCO), Presses universitaires de Saint-Boniface (PUSB), the Canada Research Chair on Métis Identity (CRCMI) and the Community-University Research Alliance on Francophone Identities in Western Canada (ARUC-IFO).

Scholarships & Bursaries

The Government of Canada sponsors an Aboriginal Bursaries Search Tool that lists over 680 scholarships, bursaries, and other incentives offered by governments, universities, and industry to support Aboriginal post-secondary participation. Université de Saint-Boniface scholarships for Aboriginal, First Nations and Métis students include: Louis Riel Scholarships; Louis Riel Institute Bursaries^[6]

Administration

The purposes and powers of Université de Saint-Boniface are set out in the Université de Saint-Boniface Act,^[7] the most recent version of which dates back to June 2011. Its bilateral governance structure consists of the Board of Governors and the Senate. A number of ad hoc committees are also in place.

USB President, Raymonde Gagné

Manitoba born Raymonde Gagné worked for nearly 30 years in education before assuming her duties as President of Université de Saint-Boniface in 2003. She has held such positions as Director of Technical and Professional Programs and Director of New Programs at USB. She is currently co-chair of the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS) du Canada and sits on the boards of the Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne (AUFC), the Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities (CIRLM), the St. Boniface Hospital and the Centre Canadien de leadership en évaluation (CLÉ).^[8]

Board of Governors

The 15-member Board of Governors oversees the administration of USB affairs. Its duties include managing the institution's assets, appointing senior staff, approving the USB budget, and adding or eliminating programs.

Famous Alumni

A number of USB graduates went on to pursue exceptional careers or made a major impact in some other way. Its alumni include prominent judges, lawyers, visionary bishops and archbishops, true pioneers of radio and television, Stanley Cup hockey champions, a renowned architect and a world-famous singer. Another famous USB alumnus was, of course, Louis Riel, the Métis leader who negotiated the terms under which the province of Manitoba entered Canadian Confederation in 1870.

University Press

The Presses universitaires de Saint-Boniface (PUSB) university press was established in 1990. It publishes the research findings of Université de Saint-Boniface faculty as well as the work of the Centre d’études Franco-canadiennes de l’Ouest (CEFCO) and the Cahiers franco-canadiens de l’Ouest.^[9]

To date, PUSB has published works on educational integration, translation, grammar, cultural production, inter-linguistic and socio-cultural relations, and francophone education in a minority setting.

The literary works of Gabrielle Roy and Roger Léveillé have also been published at PUSB.

Notes and references

v t e Manitoba universities Public Brandon University Université de Saint-Boniface University of Manitoba University of Winnipeg University College of the North Private Booth University College Canadian Mennonite University Yellowquill College Providence University College and Theological Seminary Steinbach Bible College Public Colleges Red River College Assiniboine Community College