Thompson Rivers University

Coordinates: 50°40′6.32″N 120°21′56.22″W / 50.6684222°N 120.3656167°W

Thompson Rivers University
Motto Quansem Ilep (To strive ahead)
Established
  • Cariboo College (1970-1988)
    *University College of the Cariboo (1988-2005)
    *Renamed Thompson Rivers University on April 1, 2005
Type Public
Chancellor Wally Oppal
President Dr. Alan Shaver[1]
Provost Dr. Ulrich Scheck
Academic staff
 650[2]
Students

On campus: 13,072[3]

Distance education: 8,964[3]
Location Canada Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
Campus Urban
Sport Teams Thompson Rivers WolfPack
Colours      Royal Blue
     Sage Green
Nickname TRU WolfPack
Affiliations CIS, AUCC, IAU, CVU, CWUAA, CBIE, CUP, RUCBC.
Website http://www.tru.ca/

Thompson Rivers University is a university located in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The enabling legislation is the Thompson Rivers University Act.[4] While the main campus is located in Kamloops, there is a second campus in Williams Lake and the university's Open Learning Division distance learning service maintains an examination and resource facility in downtown Vancouver. Wally Oppal is the Chancellor of TRU.

History

Founded in 1970, TRU was initially a community college known as Cariboo College, with government funding and support.

Five community colleges were granted authority to offer baccalaureate degrees following a 1988 government initiative designed to increase access to degree programs in British Columbia. These five institutions—Fraser Valley, Kwantlen, Malaspina, Cariboo, and Okanagan—were renamed university colleges. Initially, they offered degrees under the aegis of one or more of the three provincial universities. In 1995, they were awarded the authority to offer academic degrees and college diplomas in their own right.[5]

Also in 1995, the province of British Columbia enacted legislation changing the institution's name to University College of the Cariboo.[6] In 1998 the institution began offering its first undergraduate degrees. The Bachelor of Natural Resource Sciences (NRSC) was the first degree offered by the University College of the Cariboo.

Thompson Rivers University was established by the Thompson Rivers University Act,[7] and the college was renamed effective April 1, 2005. From that point forward, the institution became a full degree-granting university. As part of the agreement with the province, all courses and programs administered by the former British Columbia Open University (BCOU) became part of the new university under the Open Learning Division. On July 1, 2007, all TRU, Open Learning (TRU-OL) operations relocated from Burnaby to the BC Centre for Open Learning building, which is located on the Kamloops campus.[8]

The logo of Thompson Rivers University is a combined shield and logotype. The shield is composed of a sunrise representative of the Kamloops region, which averages over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually, and of the rising sun of enlightenment traditionally associated with higher education. The mountains in the shield represent the terrain of the region, which is located between the Coastal and Monashee ranges. The lines flowing from the mountains symbolize the meeting of the North and South Thompson Rivers at Kamloops. These lines also form a reference to the joining of UCC and BC Open Learning to become Thompson Rivers University. The colours, sage green and royal blue, reflect both the natural surroundings of the area and the boldness aspired to by the institution.[9]

In 2010, while celebrating the school's 40th anniversary, the school had its 40,000th graduate—Josephine Gambaretto .

Aboriginal services

TRU provides services to Aboriginal people in more remote communities. Thompson Rivers University's Aboriginal Tourism Certificate provides training in Aboriginal tourism to meet specific needs within Aboriginal communities.[10]

TRU-OL is assisting community-based First Nations Learning Centres across the province. At these learning centres, First Nations students study Adult Basic Education upgrading courses and programs, business and other college-level courses, and some university-level courses.

The campus is located in Secwepemc territory, and over 700 self-identified Aboriginal students attend the university. The Aboriginal Coordinator and the Aboriginal Transitions Planner provide a range of support services to all Aboriginal, First Nation, Inuit, and Metis students. TRU has stated among its strategic goals to become the University of Choice for B.C.'s Aboriginal students.

Space for enhanced Aboriginal programs and services will be included in the new $32-million House of Learning. A new Gathering House in the form of a traditional pit house will provide space for displays and ceremonies.

Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning

Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning (TRU-OL) (formerly Open Learning Agency) is TRU's distance education provider. The organization helped found the Canadian Virtual University, which operates in collaboration with other educational institutions and professional, industry, and business associations.

Athletics

TRU offers varsity sports (nine teams in six sports). Thompson Rivers WolfPack varsity sports teams include:

Women — badminton, basketball, volleyball, soccer. Basketball and volleyball compete in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Canada West Conference and soccer in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association BC Conference.[11][11]

Men — badminton, baseball, basketball, golf, volleyball, hockey, soccer. Basketball and volleyball compete in Canadian Interuniversity Sport Canada West Conference and badminton and soccer in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association BC Conference. Baseball competes in the Canadian College Baseball Conference.[12]

The Thompson Rivers Wolfpack Cheerleading team is both a Spirit Squad and a competitive team as of Fall 2009. Facilities - Hillside Stadium, Tournament Capital Centre, NorBorck Stadium.

Residence

TRU hosts two residences, the TRU Residence and Conference Centre and the McGill Student Housing. Neither of these facilities are operated by Thompson Rivers University.

Buildings and features

Brown Family House of Learning

The main buildings include the newly built House of Learning, Clocktower, Old Main, Arts and Education, International Building, Campus Activity Centre, BC Centre for Open Learning (BCCOL), Culinary Arts, and the Library.[13]

The $32-million Brown Family House of Learning was opened on May 26, 2011, which is the new home of a library, a coffee shop, study areas, and meeting rooms. The project has been approved by TRU to be built to LEED Gold Certified eco-friendly standards. The building features a vertical plant wall.

In the Summer of 2013, Old Main received a facelift, including a roof replacement, exterior redecorating, installation of a new Starbucks Coffee on Student Street.

On the grounds of the university are two residences, the 11-story Thompson Rivers University Residence & Conference Centre, and the McGill On-Campus Housing. They are operated independently of the university.

Accolades is a restaurant that has meals prepared by students from the Culinary Arts program and is staffed by students from the Tourism program.

Campus radio station and newspaper

CFBX is Kamloops's Campus and Community radio station and can be heard at 92.5 FM or online via streaming audio. Overseen by the Kamloops Campus Community Radio Society, CFBX receives most of its annual funding through TRU student fees. Other funding sources include on-air advertising, KCCRS membership dues, donations, and fundraising projects.[14] CFBX offers programming in languages other than English. African, German, Italian, Pan-Asian, South American, and South East Asian are all offered.

The student newspaper, The Omega, is a member of Canadian University Press.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://newsroom.blog.mytru.ca/2010/06/02/tru-announces-new-president-coverage/
  2. ↑ http://cariboo.tru.ca/trufa/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.tru.ca/about_tru/facts_figures.html
  4. ↑ http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/T/05017_01.htm Thompson Rivers University Act
  5. ↑ http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0010058
  6. ↑ BC Ministry of Advanced Education
  7. ↑ http://www.leg.bc.ca/37th6th/3rd_read/gov02-3.htm Thompson Rivers University Act
  8. ↑ http://www.tru.ca/about_tru/history/yesterday.html
  9. ↑ http://www.tru.ca/about_tru/history.html
  10. ↑ http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/cms-filesystem-action?file=pdfs/conferences/2007/aboriginal-rt-spring-report.pdf.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 http://www.universitysport.ca/ Canadian Interuniversity Sport
  12. ↑ http://www.ccaa.ca/ Canadian Colleges Athletic Association
  13. ↑ http://www.tru.ca/about_tru/kamloops/campus_map.html
  14. ↑ http://thex.ca/radio8/about.php

External links

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