St. Thomas University (Canada)

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Coordinates: 45°56′37.18″N 66°38′48.40″WFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaSt. Thomas UniversityLatin: Universitatis S. ThomaeFormer nameSt. Thomas College (1910–1960)MottoDoce Bonitatem Scientiam et Disciplinam (Latin)Motto in EnglishTeach me Goodness and Knowledge and Discipline[1]TypePublicEstablished1910; 110 years agoReligious affiliationRoman Catholic[2]Academic affiliationsUACCCUPICUSTAChancellorHon. Graydon NicholasPresidentM. Nauman Farooqi[3]VisitorChristian Riesbeck (as Bishop of Saint John)[4]Students1,733[5]Undergraduates1,712Postgraduates21LocationFredericton, New Brunswick, CanadaCampusUrbanColours Gold  and  Green NicknameTommiesSporting affiliationsU Sports - AUSCCAA - ACAAWebsitewww.stu.caSt. Thomas University (also St. Thomas or STU) is a Catholic, English-language liberal arts university located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It is a primarily undergraduate university offering bachelor's degrees in the arts (humanities and social sciences), education, and social work to approximately 1,900 students. The average class size is 30 and no class is larger than 60.[6]The university offers a number of unique programs including recognized majors in Criminology, Journalism, Human Rights, and Communications and Public Policy. St. Thomas is the home of the Frank McKenna Centre for Communications and Public Policy.[7] The university is unique in Canada for its sole focus on liberal arts and its commitment to social justice.St. Thomas' notable alumni includes a Canadian prime minister, Brian Mulroney, a New Brunswick premier, Shawn Graham, federal and provincial cabinet ministers, prelates, university presidents as well as several Rhodes Scholars.[8]History[edit]St. Thomas University traces its institutional origins to the establishment of a Catholic academy in the former community of Chatham, New Brunswick (now Miramichi) in the late nineteenth century. Due to an influx of Irish immigration in northwestern New Brunswick, Chatham saw a need for more centres of education and religious instruction. Officially opened in October 1860, St. Michael's Academy was inaugurated by Bishop James Rogers of the newly formed Diocese of Chatham.[9]St. Michael's Academy catered to young English-speaking males in the Miramichi River Valley and the growing port town of Chatham. A women's academy was created a year later. St. Michael's consisted of a single wooden structure constructed near the seat of the Diocese of Chatham, the new St. Michael's Cathedral. The institution offered a classical education and was intended to prepare students to study for the diocesan priesthood. From 1865, the school was known as St. Michael's College. It closed for several years in the 1870s and 1880s.[9]Its uneven operation was curbed by the Basilian Fathers, a religious order who assumed the administration of the College in 1910. Since the Toronto-based religious order already had a Catholic college in the Ontario capital, named St. Michael's College (a federated component of the University of Toronto), St. Michael's in Chatham was renamed St. Thomas College after Thomas Aquinas. It remained a high school and a junior college; however, in 1934 the institution gained degree granting status from the Government of New Brunswick.[9]

STU's lower campus in Fredericton

After 1923, the Basilian Fathers transferred the administration of the college to the Diocese of Chatham.[10] The diocese was restructured as the Diocese of Bathurst. Its seat was moved to the primarily francophone community, Bathurst, north of Chatham. While St. Thomas College remained in Chatham, its future remained uncertain. In 1959, the college was subject to territorial changes in the reorganized Diocese of Bathurst. English-speaking parishes and the college were transferred to the Diocese of Saint John with its seat in New Brunswick's major port city.[11] The Bishop of Saint John became the Chancellor of St. Thomas. By mid-century, the economic and social significance of post-secondary institutions saw an increased role of state intervention. In 1960, the institution was renamed St. Thomas University by an act of the New Brunswick Legislature.[12] Under the government of Louis Robichaud, the Royal Commission on Higher Education was launched. Headed by John James Deutsch, a professor and administrator from Queen's University, the commission recommended greater centralization and public funding in post-secondary education.[13]

Arising from the Commission's recommendations, St. Thomas University was encouraged to relocate to the campus of the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton to share facilities. Not without controversy and animosity, St. Thomas University moved to the provincial capital and abandoned its secondary school curriculum.[12] A new campus was built in the Neo-Georgian style by the architects of the University of New Brunswick (Larson & Larson) to complement the campus of its institutional neighbour.[14] It officially welcomed students in October 1964.[12]

Today, St. Thomas University has been subject to the pervasive effects of secularization that has seen the university depart from much of its rich tradition of Catholic higher education and scholarship , St. Thomas University remains the only exclusive liberal arts university in Canada.

Relationship with UNB

St. Thomas University and the University of New Brunswick's Fredericton campus are located in the College Hill neighbourhood in Fredericton. The two institutions share facilities for their student unions, libraries, athletics, and a common heating plant and building maintenance services. Students from STU are permitted to take a certain number of classes at UNB and vice versa. However, STU and UNBF itself are financially and academically separate. STU is able to offer many amenities other smaller schools cannot, in large part to its UNB partnership. The two universities enjoy a good-natured rivalry.[15]

Now sharing a campus with the University of New Brunswick (pictured), STU relocated to Fredericton from Chatham, New Brunswick in 1964[12]

Academics

STU offers the following programmes to students: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Applied Arts, Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Social Work.[16]

STU offers the following degrees to students: Anthropology, Catholic Studies, Communications and Public Policy, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Economics, Education, English Language and Literature (with the option to additionally concentrate in Creative Writing or Drama), Environment and Society, Fine Arts, French, Gerontology, Great Books, History, Human Rights, Humanities, Interdisciplinary Studies, International Relations, Irish Studies, Journalism, Mathematics, Media Studies, Native Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Romance Languages, Science and Technology Studies, Social Work, Sociology, Spanish, Women's Studies and Gender Studies.

Athletics

STU offers athletic programs for men's and women's basketball, cross-country, soccer, and volleyball, as well as women's rugby and hockey. Collectively, the Tommies have won 41 ACAA titles and 3 AUS titles. Throughout its history, student-athletes have achieved 404 CCAA National Scholar and 417 U Sports Academic All-Canadian awards.[17]

STU participated in AUS men's hockey until 2016 (winning the championships in 1961 and 2001),[18] and men's and women's track and field from 2011-2022.

Scholarships and 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. St. Thomas University scholarships for Aboriginal, First Nations and Métis students include: ATV Media Scholarship.[19]

STU's upper campus

Research

At St. Thomas University, there are 6 focal areas of research: qualitative analysis, human rights and social justice, New Brunswick studies/Atlantic region, narrative studies, global and international studies, and on learning and teaching. The university holds Canada Research Chairs (with the associated research centres) in New Brunswick studies, social justice, qualitative analysis, and narrative. The university is home to the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Narrative.[20]

Campus life[edit]

Brian Mulroney Hall

There are six academic buildings on campus housing classrooms and faculty offices. They are: James Dunn Hall, Edmund Casey Hall, George Martin Hall, Brian Mulroney Hall, Holy Cross House, and Margaret Norrie McCain Hall.

James Dunn Hall also contains Tim Hortons and Subway restaurants. Further, it contains the wall of flags on which flags representing the nationalities of all international students are represented [21]

George Martin Hall contains a meal hall that makes use of an all-you-care-to-eat model. Meal plans are available to students and range from 10 meals a week to unlimited dining. [1]

STU's athletic facility is called the J.B. O'Keefe Centre.

There are three residence buildings at St. Thomas University. All three (Harrington Hall, Vanier Hall, and Holy Cross House) are located on campus.

The university maintains its own campus police force. Campus police members are students who are hired annually by the University to maintain security at campus events.[22] The student newspaper, The Aquinian, is available on campus and around the city during the regular academic year.

Graduates may choose to wear the traditional T-ring

Chancellors[edit]

Bishop of Chatham (1910–1938) after Bishop of Bathurst (1938–1959)

• Thomas Francis Barry, 1910–1920

• Patrice Alexandre Chiasson, C.I.M., 1920–1942

• Camille-André LeBlanc, 1942–1959

Bishop of Saint John (1959–2019)

• A.B. Leverman, 1959–1968

• Joseph Neil MacNeil, 1969–1973

• Arthur Gilbert, 1974–1986

• J. Edward Troy, 1986–1997

• J. Faber MacDonald, C.S.C, 1998–2006

• Martin William Currie, (acting chancellor), 2006–2007

• Robert Harris, 2007–2019

lay Chancellors (2020–Present)

• Graydon Nicholas, since 2020

Presidents and Vice Chancellors

• Nicholas Roche, C.S.B., 1910–1911

• William J. Roach, C.S.B., 1911–1919

• Frederick Meader, C.S.B., 1920–1923

• Raymond Hawkes, 1923–1927

• James M. Hill, D.D., 1928–1945

• Charles V. O'Hanley, 1945–1948

• A.L. McFadden, 1948–1961

• Donald C. Duffie, 1961–1975

• George W. Martin, 1975–1990

• Daniel W. O'Brien, 1990–2006

• Michael W. Higgins, 2006–2009

• Dennis Cochrane, C.M., 2010–2011

• Dawn Russell, LL.M., 2011–2022

• Kim Fenwick, Ph.D. (Acting), 2022—2023

• M. Nauman Farooqi, Ph.D., 2023—Present

Notable alumni

Guy Arseneault – Member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick and former member of parliament[23]Lewis C. Ayles – former justice of the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick[24]Daniel Joseph Bohan – 7th Catholic Archbishop of Regina[25]Frank Branch – 56th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick[26]Greg Byrne – former cabinet minister and Attorney General of New BrunswickRoger Clinch – former member of parliamentChris Collins – 67th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick[27]Ivan Court – 65th Mayor of Saint John, New BrunswickMatt DeCourcey – Former member of parliamentJames Doyle – former Member of the Legislative Assembly of New BrunswickSheree Fitch – author, poetRaymond Fraser – authorShawn Graham – 31st Premier of New Brunswick[8]Stephen Horsman – former Deputy Premier of New Brunswick and cabinet ministerAl Kavanaugh – former Member of the Legislative Assembly of New BrunswickJ. Fraser Kerr – former Member of the Legislative Assembly of New BrunswickCarl Killen – former New Brunswick MLAKelly Lamrock – former cabinet minister and Attorney General of New BrunswickCarolyn Layden-Stevenson – Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal (Canada)[28]Claudius Léger – former judge and Member of the Legislative Assembly of New BrunswickPaul Lordon – former MLASandra Lovelace Nicholas – senator[29]George W. Martin – former President of St. Thomas UniversityJoseph R. Martin – former MLA and Mayor of Chatham, New BrunswickFrederic McGrand – physician, senator, MLA and 42nd Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick[30]J. Killeen McKee – former judge and Member of the Legislative Assembly of New BrunswickMichael McKee – former judge, provincial cabinet minister, and New Brunswick MLARalph McInerney – former New Brunswick MLABrian Mulroney – 18th Prime Minister of Canada, (alumnus of St. Thomas College, Chatham)[31]Joseph Leonard O'Brien – former Member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, 38th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, member of parliament, and 21st Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick[32]Candy Palmater – lawyer, comedian, aboriginal and gay rights activistAl Pittman – poet, playwrightDavid Adams Richards – senator, author, screenwriter[33]Bernard Riordon – Director Emeritus of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and past director of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia[34]Carmel Robichaud – former provincial cabinet minister and New Brunswick MLAAnna Silk – actressJake Stewart – Member of Parliament and former provincial cabinet ministerGreg Thompson – New Brunswick MLA; former federal cabinet minister and member of parliamentLyman Ward – actorDoug Young – former federal and provincial cabinet minister, former Leader of the Liberal Party of New Brunswick[35]

Notable faculty and staff

• T.J. Burke - first Indigenous person elected to a legislative assembly in Atlantic Canada and former Attorney General of New Brunswick

• Mike Eagles – former NHL hockey player[36]

• Noël Kinsella – former Speaker of the Senate of Canada

• Kelly Lamrock – former provincial cabinet minister and Attorney General of New Brunswick

• Graydon Nicholas – first Indigenous Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, former judge, and first Indigenous law graduate from Atlantic Canada

• David Adams Richards – former writer-in-residence

• Jan Wong – journalist and author