University of New Brunswick

University of New Brunswick
Motto	Sapere Aude
Motto in English	Dare to be Wise
Established	1785
Type	Public
Endowment	$104 million
Chancellor	Richard Currie
President	Eddy Campbell
Admin. staff	620 faculty
Students	9000 (Fredericton), 3000 (Saint John)
Location	Fredericton and Saint John, NB, Canada
Campus	Urban
Former names	College of New Brunswick (1800-1828); King's College (1828-1859)
Sports teams	UNB Varsity Reds (Fredericton), Seawolves (Saint John)
Colours	red      & black
Affiliations	AUCC, CARL, IAU, CIS, CVU, ACU, CUSID, AUS, AUFSC, CBIE, CUP.
Website	http://www.unb.ca

The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in Fredericton and a smaller campus which was opened in Saint John in 1964. In addition, there are two small satellite health sciences campuses located in Moncton and Bathurst, New Brunswick, and two offices in the Caribbean and in Beijing. UNB offers over 75 degrees in fourteen faculties at the undergraduate and graduate levels with a total student enrollment of approximately 11,400 between the two principal campuses. In the fall of 2010, UNB partnered with Dalhousie University and the government of New Brunswick to open the first English-language medical school in the province at the Saint John campus.

History

The Old Arts Building, 1826-28; altered 1876 by John Elliott Woolford (architect)a symbol of UNBF.

The University of New Brunswick was founded in 1785 in Fredericton as the Academy of Arts and Science, a non-denominational institution modelled on the democratic ideals of the older Scottish universities. In 1800, the Provincial Academy of Arts and Science became the College of New Brunswick (Anglican). King's College was established at Fredericton, New Brunswick in 1828 under the control of the Church of England. The King's College Charter was granted by George IV in 1828.

King's College offered the first engineering course taught at a Canadian university in 1854. In 1858 it was made non-sectarian under the designation of the University of New Brunswick. In 1859, it was established as a non-denominational provincial university, the University of New Brunswick (UNB).

G. Ernest Fairweather (architect) designed several buildings at the University of New Brunswick Fredericton Campus including: the Old Civil Engineering Building (1900); and Gymnasium (1906)

The governance of UNB 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 two bodies and to provide institutional leadership. In the early part of this century, professional education expanded beyond the traditional fields of theology, law, and medicine. Graduate training based on the German-inspired American model of specialized course work and the completion of a research thesis was introduced.

By 1920, the University of New Brunswick had two faculties: Arts, and Applied Science. It awarded the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Master of Arts (MA), and Doctor of Science (DSc). The latter was awarded only in civil engineering, electrical engineering and forestry. It had 156 male students and 21 female students, and only eleven academic staff, all male.

The War Memorial Hall (more generally known as Memorial Hall) is a landmark building on the campus of the University of New Brunswick. Originally built as a science building in 1924, the Memorial Hall honours the 35 UNB Alumni who died in the First World War.

Several stained glass windows in the Convocation Hall at the University of New Brunswick were created by Robert McCausland Limited: Robert Burns medallion (1928), "Sir Galahad" (1925), "Long fellow" (1930), Lt. Thomas Carleton; Sir Howard Douglas; and emblems (1942).

In the 1960s University policies changed in response to social pressure and the belief that higher education was a key to social justice and economic productivity for individuals and for society. In 1964, a second, smaller campus was established in Saint John, New Brunswick. The growth of the UNBSJ campus is particularly notable, considering it began in 1964 with only 96 students spread throughout various buildings in Saint John's central business district. By the late 1960s, the Saint John Law School was moved to UNBF to become the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law, and in 1968 UNBSJ moved into its new campus at Tucker Park. The Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers (AUNBT) was established in 1954; in 1979 it became the bargaining agent for full-time academic staff and in 2008 achieved certification for contract academic staff. In 1980, the university offered the first Elderhostel program in Canada.

Both campuses have undergone significant expansion over the years and many University buildings have received funding from Lord Beaverbrook and other prominent industrialists and philanthropists. UNB's largest expansion coincided with the Baby boom, and its Fredericton campus tripled in size. In 1973 the New Brunswick Teachers' College (now the Faculty of Education) was absorbed into UNB. Originally a department in the Arts faculty, the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Business Administration was formed in 1980 and is a major supplier of management education. In 1989, University of New Brunswick established undergraduate degrees in adult education.

Campuses

Currently UNBF has approximately 9,000 students while UNBSJ has 3,000, although UNBSJ is growing at a faster rate.

Fredericton

UNB Fredericton is located on the banks of the St. John River. The campus is well-known for its colourful fall foliage, Georgian style red-brick buildings and a very steep hill. UNB Fredericton has shared the "College Hill" with St. Thomas University (STU) since 1964, when the former St. Thomas College moved from Chatham, NB (now Miramichi). They share some infrastructure but remain separate institutions.

Saint John

The UNB Saint John campus (UNBSJ) is located in Tucker Park in the Millidgeville neighbourhood, several kilometres north of the city's central business district, and offers spectacular views of the Kennebecasis River and Grand Bay. New Brunswick's largest health care facility, Saint John Regional Hospital, is located adjacent to the UNBSJ campus. In 2010, a new medical school, a joint project between Dalhousie University, UNBSJ, and the Regional Hospital, took in its first class.

Sustainability

The University of New Brunswick has attempted to reduce its environmental impact through installing a natural gas burning microturbine at the Central Heating Plant that produces 100 kW of electricity for the university. Heat energy, a result of this process, is used to contribute to the overall heating of the campus to increase its overall energy efficiency. In addition, all produce and dairy products used within its dining services are obtained from local farmers and local producers; the campus offers grass-fed beef, fair trade coffee, and dining locations offer biodegradable to-go containers. UNB recycles electronics in addition to traditional materials and operates a move-out materials collection program. The university adheres to a green purchasing policy and has reduced greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent since 1990; they have also decreased water consumption since 2005 through the adoption of new technologies. With these efforts to create a more sustainable campus, the University of New Brunswick received an overall "B+" grade in the 2011 College Sustainability Report Card put out by the Sustainable Endowment’s Institute.

Research and Academics

UNB is the seat of 16 Canada Research Chairs and is home to more than 60 research centers and institutes. It conducts about seventy five percent of all university research in the province. Between 2004 and 2009, the university's research revenue increased by 77 per cent: the highest increase among Canadian comprehensive universities.

Reputation

In 2010, Maclean's magazine ranked UNB 6th in its evaluation of the top comprehensive universities in Canada. In 2008, the National Post and the Ottawa Citizen recognized UNB as being among the top three comprehensive research universities in Canada for the highest percentage growth of research income across a five-year period.

Also in 2010, UNB's law school was ranked 2nd nationally in elite firm hiring and 6th nationally in Supreme Court Clerkships by Maclean's. According to Canadian Lawyer Magazine, the law school ranks among the top five in Canada.

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

The Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME) on the Fredericton campus is one of the leading research institutes in biomedical engineering in Canada. It was founded in 1965 as the Bio-Engineering Institute, making it one of the oldest research institutes to be solely dedicated to the field of biomedical engineering. The institute is also the region's prosthetic fitting centre where amputees are fitted with state-of-the-art intelligent artificial limbs. The institute also carries out research in the field of myoelectric signal processing, biomedical instrumentation and human motion analysis. The IBME also developed the UNB Test of Prosthetic Function which is used by researchers all over the world. Although the institute does not offer degrees in biomedical engineering, students at UNB usually enroll in one of the other faculties of engineering such as electrical or mechanical and pursue their research in biomedical engineering at the IBME.

Canadian Rivers Institute

The Canadian Rivers Institute was founded in the year 2000 and is a leading site of aquatic sciences research.

Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Institute

UNB created its BEd program for First Nations students in 1977 in an effort to help First Nations communities take control of their own schools. In 1981, the Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Institute opened its doors with an expanded mandate to train professionals and improve First Nations access to First Nations education. The Institute provides a variety of services, including research, curriculum development, language education, policy development, children's literacy, and more. In addition, the Institute contains the Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Resource Collection, which houses materials that are immensely valuable to knowledge of First Nations culture, history, and perspective in the region.

Scholarships

UNB gives away over five million dollars worth of scholarships each year. The most prestigious of these are the Blake-Kirkpatrick, Beaverbrook, and President's scholarships. UNB has a scholarship guarantee in which any admitted student with an average of 80% or higher will receive a guaranteed amount of five hundred dollars, or more depending on their marks.

Athletics

Main article: UNB Varsity Reds

The Varsity Reds logo.

UNB Fredericton is represented in Canadian Interuniversity Sport by the UNB Varsity Reds while UNBSJ is represented by the UNBSJ Seawolves. The Varsity Reds compete in the following sports: men's and women's basketball, men's hockey, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's volleyball, and swimming. Men's and women's track & field and cross country have been added as a varsity sport for 2010/2011; this is a joint Fredericton/Saint John Campus program.

In the past, UNBF used different names for each individual sport's team; for instance, the men's swim team was the Beavers, and the hockey team was the Red Devils. The university club teams, which are supported financially by the Student Union as well as by individual members of the teams, do not use the Varsity Reds name and thus continue the tradition of using different nicknames for each sport.

Rugby

The UNB men's rugby team is known as the Ironmen, and they boast numerous New Brunswick and Maritime championships at the 'A' and 'B' levels of competition.

Wrestling

The UNB wrestling team is known as the Black Bears, and they have produced several CIAU/CIS medals, as well as a record 15 consecutive AUAA titles from 1987-2002.

Hockey

Main article: UNB Varsity Reds

St. Thomas and UNBF have a fierce rivalry in men's ice hockey and a growing rivalry in women's ice hockey. These "Battle of the Hill" games are among the most heavily anticipated and attended.

UNBF has won four University Cups (Canadian Interuniversity Sport hockey championships): 1998, 2007, 2009, and 2011.

Cricket

In 2005, the UNB Cricket Club organized the initial UNB Cricket Cup, which took place in October. Featuring teams from several Residences on campus, it is believed that it is the first of its kind to take place at UNB. The tournament was won by Harrison House who chased a target of over 150 to beat McLeod by a margin of 1 wicket. All games, of innings comprising 10 overs, took place at Queen's Square Ball Field in Fredericton. The trophy is proudly displayed in the Harrison lounge.^{[citation needed]} In 2007, UNBCC grew to almost 40 members making it arguably the biggest cricket club in the Atlantic Provinces^{[citation needed]}.

Songs

Traditional among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various times such as commencement, convocation, and athletic events are: Carmina Universitatis Novi Brunsvici; 'Alma Mater' (1904); and 'UNB Anthem' with words by A.G. Bailey and music by D.V. Start.

Milestones

• The Faculty of Computer Science (FCS), UNBF, was the first computer science faculty in Canada, and it went on to develop the first software engineering degree program in Atlantic Canada.

• UNB Saint John was the first university in Canada to offer an e-business program with its bachelor of business administration in electronic commerce; the university has since been ranked by Canadian Business Magazine as first in e-business.

• UNB offered Canada's first university-level engineering program, established in 1855 and the first engineers graduating in 1857.

• The University was the only institution to grant both President John F. Kennedy and his brother (Robert F. Kennedy) an Honorary Doctorate in their lifetime.

• UNB owns 7,700 acres (3,100 ha) of real property in several sites, including an extensive wood lot adjacent to the Maritime Forestry Complex,formerly used for forestry education and research.

• Until 1968, the university had the power to expropriate land "it may deem necessary for the purpose of the University" without approval from the government.

• UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada, established in 1785.

• UNB has the longest running undergraduate forestry program in Canada. Its forest engineering program is the only accredited program of its kind in Canada.

Notable students and alumni

• Alfred Bailey - educator, poet, anthropologist, ethno-historian
• Sandra Barr - UNB's female athlete of the year in 1968, president of the Geological Association of Canada
• Elizabeth Brewster - poet and Member of the Order of Canada
• Bliss Carman - 19th-century Canadian poet
• Anne Compton - Governor General's Award winning poet
• Richard Currie - businessman, Chancellor of UNB
• Julie Dickson - civil servant
• Fredrik Stefan Eaton - department store executive
• J. Bruce Elliot - former CEO of Labatt Breweries and present CEO of Second Cup
• David A. Ganong - President of Ganong Bros. Limited
• William Francis Ganong - botanist, historian, cartographer
• Drew Josselyn - MTV Canada Star
• Ed Kavanagh - writer, musician, and teacher
• Gérard La Forest - former Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
• Walter Learning - noted theatre director and founder of Theatre New Brunswick
• Allison McCain - Chair of the Board of McCain Foods Limited
• Frank McKenna - lawyer, politician, diplomat, banker
• Gerald Merrithew - educator, politician
• Anne Murray - Grammy-winning singer
• Robert Nielsen - Journalist
• Troy Parfitt, travel writer and cultural critic
• Tony Proudfoot - all star CFL (Montreal Alouettes and B.C. Lions) player
• Sir Charles G.D. Roberts - 19th-century Canadian poet
• A. Edison Stairs - businessman, politician
• Andy Scott - Former politician
• Clark Todd - award-winning journalist, killed on assignment in Lebanon
• Edward Ludlow Wetmore, jurist, politician
• Mary Matilda Winslow - The University's first black female graduate
• Sam Hinds - The Prime Minister of Guyana
• Hal Fredericks - author and management consultant
• Mike MacSween - Executive Vice President- Major Projects - Suncor Energy Inc.

Media

The university presses, The Baron and The Brunswickan, are members of CUP.

UNB is also home to several notable magazines and journals, such as The Fiddlehead and Studies in Canadian Literature.

Radio

• FM 107.3 CFMH-FM (Saint John)
• FM 97.9 CHSR-FM (Fredericton)

Newspapers

• The Baron (Saint John campus)
• The Brunswickan (Fredericton campus)
• The Pillar (Engineering Newspaper) (Fredericton Campus)

Magazines and Journals

• The Fiddlehead
• Studies in Canadian Literature
• Acadiensis

See also

• List of oldest universities in continuous operation
• 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
• University of New Brunswick College, Singapore

Further reading

• Bailey, Alfred G., ed. 'The University of New Brunswick: Memorial Volume'. Fredericton: University of New Brunswick, 1950.
• McGahan, Peter. 'The Quiet Campus: A History of the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, 1959-1969.' Fredericton: New Ireland Press, 1998.
• Montague, Susan. 'A Pictorial History of the University of New Brunswick'. Fredericton: University of New Brunswick, 1992.