Saint Mary's University (Halifax)

Infobox_University
name =Saint Mary's University
native_name =
latin_name =


motto ="Age Quod Agis" (Latin: What you do, do well)
established =1802
type =Public
endowment =$16.9 million
staff =393
faculty =246
president =Dr. J. Colin Dodds
principal =
rector =
chancellor = Dr. David F Sobey
vice_chancellor = Dr. J. Colin Dodds
dean =
head_label =
head =
students =8,800
undergrad =
postgrad =
doctoral =89
city =Halifax, Nova Scotia
Province =Nova Scotia
country =Canada
campus =Urban
free_label =
free =
colors =Maroon color box|#800000 and White color box|#FFFFFF
colours =
mascot =Husky
nickname =Saint Mary's Huskies
affiliation = Roman Catholic
affiliations = AUCC, IAU, CIS, UArctic, ACU, CUSID, AUS
website =http://www.smu.ca/
logo =

Saint Mary's University (SMU) is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada. The school is best known today for having one of the best football programs in Canada, strong undergraduate programs, and nationally leading programs in Business, Astronomy and International Development Studies.

The campus is situated in Halifax's South End and covers approximately 30 acres.

History

Founded in 1802 by Reverend Edmund Burke, Saint Mary's is the second oldest English-speaking and first Roman Catholic initiated university in Canada. With meagre resources Burke initiated instruction for young men at Glebe House, located on the corner of Halifax’s Spring Garden Road and Barrington Street.

The Roman Catholics founded St. Mary's University at Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1840. [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/tlctd10.txt The Project Gutenberg EBook #6466 of 'The Intellectual Development of the Canadian People, A historical review' by John George Bourinot, House of Commons, Ottawa, February 17th, 1881 ]

In 1841 the Nova Scotia Legislature bestowed the degree granting charter to Saint Mary’s and eleven years later granted the University formal legal status. After a great deal of uncertainty, in 1913 the Christian Brothers of Ireland were asked by the Archdiocese of Halifax to direct the college and academic programs. With this change of leadership the University's reputation thrived as a Liberal Arts Institution and expanded its undergraduate programs, with the most notable being the Faculty of Commerce in 1934 (now known as the Sobey School of Business), which was the first of its kind in Canada. In 1940 the Upper Province of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) was invited to succeed the Christian Brothers as both administrators and faculty.

The next 30 years would see the University flourish under the Jesuit supervision, with such advancements as the formal recognition of the "college" as a University in 1952 and purchasing the first computer in Atlantic Canada (a Royal McBee LGP-30) in 1959. In 1970 the Jesuits formally incorporated the University under the "Acts of Incorporation" which gave all administrative and academic duties to the Board of Governors and Academic Senate.

.

In 1992, the Faculty of Commerce was renamed the Sobey School of Business, after Frank H. Sobey, founder of Sobeys.

In 2001, SMU's Huskies were the first Atlantic Canadian university team to advance to the world finals in the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest World Finals.

In March 2005, Saint Mary’s started the “Science Building Renewal Project” which was estimated to cost $25.5 million. This project is part of the larger project the “University’s Strategic Directions and Academic Plan” which was developed by meeting with Students, Faculty and local Citizens in order to meet both the needs of the University and local community over the next decade. The first stage of the project focused on:

* Modernization and expansion of the Science Facility's resources
* Renew the architectural, mechanical and electrical infrastructures of the Science building and its surroundings
* Provide additional office and research space to every faculty member
* Improve lab layout for hands-on teaching purposes
* Integrate flawlessly with future projects in both function and appearance

On April 29, 2008 Saint Mary's turned sod on the Atrium and Global Commons project. The three story, $ 17.5 million dollar, complex will link the now completed Science Centre, the Burke Building and the Patrick Power Library with common spaces, theater style classrooms, offices and study spaces. The project, which features green enviromental technologies and fully integrated hard and Wi-Fi systems, is expected to be ready for the 2009 school year.

Huskies Football

The Huskies won back-to-back Canadian University Football Championships (2001 & 2002), the third university to do so (after Manitoba and Western). It is the only university to have appeared in three consecutive tournements.

In 2003 the Huskies lost to the Laval Rouge-et-Or.

In 2007, the Huskies won the Uteck Bowl and advanced again to the Vanier Cup, but were unsuccessful, losing to the Manitoba Bisons.

Faculties

Saint Mary's comprises five faculties:
* [http://arts.smu.ca Arts] Dean: Dr. Esther Enns
* [http://sobey.smu.ca Sobey School of Business] Dean: Dr. David Wicks
* [http://science.smu.ca/ Science] Dean: Dr. Malcom Butler
* [http://www.smu.ca/academic/arts/education/ Education] Acting Dean: Dr. Esther Enns
* [http://fgsr.smu.ca/ Graduate Studies and Research] Dean: Dr. Kevin Vessey

Notable Alumni

* Steve Armitage, CBC Sportscaster
* Zach Churchill, National Director of the [http://www.casa.ca Canadian Alliance of Student Associations]
* Glenn Graham, fiddler and Celtic musician
* Robert P. Kelly, CEO of the Bank of New York Mellon
* Joseph Phillip Kennedy, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
* Steven Landry, CEO of DaimlerChrysler Canada
* William Linton, CFO of Rogers Communications

Saint Mary's University Academic Senate

The Saint Mary's University Academic Senate is the part of a bicameral university governance structure responsible for academic decisions at the University. It is paired with a board of governors responsible for administrative and financial decisions.

The Senate consists of ten ex-officio members comprising of the President, Vice-Presidents, Deans, Registrar, Director of Student Services, Director of Continuing Education and University Librarian; fifteen faculty members elected to three year terms; and five students elected by the general university population to one year terms.

Function

The academic senate is governed by the Saint Mary's University Act. It is subject to the powers of the university's Board and is responsible for the educational policy of the University in addition to:

* May create, maintain and discontinue such faculties, departments, schools or institutes and establish such chairs as it may determine and may fix the duties of those employed therein
* May recommend to the Board the affiliation or discontinuance of the affiliation of or with other universities
* May determine courses of study, admission standards, qualifications for diplomas, certificates and degrees, examinations, scholarships and bursaries and may issue university calendars and other official publications
* Shall be responsible for the library
* Shall be responsible for student discipline
* May create such committees as it deems necessary or useful
* May make regulations governing the matters that are assigned to it by this Section

See also

* Huskies Stadium
* Saint Mary's Huskies
* List of oldest universities in continuous operation
* Saint Mary's University Students' Association

External links

* [http://www.smu.ca/ Saint Mary's University]
* [http://www.smuhuskies.ca Saint Mary's University Huskies]

References

* [http://www.smu.ca/registrar/calendar.html Saint Mary's University Academic Calendar]
* [http://www.smu.ca/administration/businessoffice/governance/SMUAct.pdf Saint Mary's University Act]
* [http://www.smu.ca/administration/facman/sci.html Saint Mary's University Science Building Renewal Project]
* [http://www.smu.ca/administration/facman/atrium.html Saint Mary's University Atrium Project]