St. Thomas University (New Brunswick)
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St. Thomas University (STU) is jointly a public and Roman Catholic liberal arts university located in Fredericton, New Brunswick. It offers degrees exclusively at the undergraduate level for approximately 3,000 students in the liberal arts, humanities, journalism, education, and social work. Lawrence Durling and Patrick Malcolmson serve as the university's Vice-Presidents, with Larry Batt as the Registrar. The university's president and vice chancellor is Michael Higgins.

History

The university itself was founded by the Roman Catholic Church in 1910 in Chatham, New Brunswick, but moved to a new campus in Fredericton's "College Hill" neighbourhood, adjacent to the University of New Brunswick Fredericton campus in 1964. This move was controversial at the time, since it was made by the Bishop of Saint John without consulting the Catholics of the Miramichi River valley, who had contributed heavily to the university's construction and had financially supported it for many years. ¹

Relationship with UNB

The relationship between St. Thomas University and the University of New Brunswick's Fredericton campus is unique across Canadian universities. The two campuses share the college hill area in Fredericton, classifying New Brunswick's capital city as a university town. The two institutions now share facilities for their student unions, libraries, and athletics, and they have a common heating plant. 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 can't, thanks in large part to its UNB partnership. The two universities have a good-natured rivalry with each other.

Reputation

STU markets itself to prospective students as a 'small scale university with a big scale reputation.' STU's marketing campaign prides itself on its small school approach with a big school feel. While keeping class sizes small (the biggest class size at STU is at the most 60, with about 30 students in each class the norm), they are able to offer students a library and athletic facilities on par with larger institutions thanks to its partnership with UNB. STU's current advertising slogan is 'Think for yourself,' and is meant to highlight its commitment to the liberal arts. The 2007 Maclean's University rankings, released on November 8th, 2007, rates STU 18th out of 21 undergraduate universities surveyed.

Academics

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

STU offers the following degrees to students: Anthropology, Aquinas, Catholic Studies, Co-op Programme, Core, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Economics, Education, English Language and Literature, English as a Second Language, Environment and Society, Fine Arts, French, Gerontology, Great Ideas, History, Human Rights,Humanities, Italian, Interdisciplinary Studies, Irish Studies, Journalism, Latin, 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.

Campus Life

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.

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

There are five residence buildings at St. Thomas University. Three are located on campus (Harrington and Vanier Halls, and Holy Cross House), while two are located a short distance away (Chatham and Rigby Halls).

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.

The student newspaper, The Aquinian, is available on campus and around the city during the regular academic year.

Notable alumni

• Sheree Fitch, Author, Poet
• Harry Forestell, Journalist
• Raymond Fraser, Author
• Shawn Graham, Premier of New Brunswick
• Kelly Lamrock, New Brunswick Minister of Education
• Shane Ruttle Martinez, Human rights journalist
• Brian Mulroney, Former Canadian Prime Minister
• Sandra Lovelace Nicholas, Canadian Senator
• Al Pittman, Poet and Playwright
• Anna Silk, Actress
• Lyman Ward, Actor
• Edan Welch, Professional Hockey Player
• David Adams Richards, Author, Screenwriter

Further Reading

• Fraser, J. A. "By Force of Circumstance": A History of St. Thomas University. Fredericton: Miramichi Press, 1970.

External links

• St. Thomas University
• Virtual Tour
• St. Thomas University Campus Police (STU CP)
• St. Thomas University Students' Union
• Faculty Assn. of the University of St. Thomas (FAUST)

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St. Thomas University (New Brunswick)