Mount Allison strongly supports the philosophy of developing the "whole student" intellectually, spiritually, socially, culturally and physically. As part of its mission, Mount Allison University encourages, welcomes and celebrates diversity among faculty, staff and students. The University recognises that the more diverse a learning community is the more learning is likely to take place. Students with diverse backgrounds from visible and invisible populations enhance the wonderful learning community that already exists at Mount Allison.

There are several ways in which diversity is developed and encouraged at Mount Allison. These include:

In keeping with its commitment to diversity, Mount Allison has a non-discriminatory policy and does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, creed, colour, national or ethnic origin or sexual orientation.

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Mount Allison University has traditionally been a welcoming place for women. For more than a century, the University has been recognized as a leader. Nowhere is this more true than in approach to the education of women. Mount Allison was the first university in the British Empire to confer a Bachelor's degree to a woman; Grace Annie Lockhart received a Bachelor of Science in 1875. It was also the first university in Canada to grant a Bachelor of Arts degree to a woman, Harriet Starr Stewart. For at least a decade, women students have outnumbered their male counterparts. Further, the Women's Studies department is a hub of activities related to women's issues and feminist studies. The University supports women students through the office of the Sexual Harassment Advisor, Melody Petlock, at 364-2613, the President's Advisory Committee on Women' s Issues and the student organisation SEE.

Mount Allison recognises that students come from diverse financial backgrounds. The University seeks, welcomes, and admires students from less affluent backgrounds. In fact, some of our most famous graduates came from low income households. The University endeavours to ensure that academically qualified students have fair access to Mount Allison regardless of their financial means. Mount Allison is committed to helping students achieve their educational goals by providing financial assistance and financial counselling to reduce financial hardship.

Prospective students who are concerned about the cost of a Mount Allison education should be aware that, according to Stats Canada, only 9% of high school students planned to be in the job they are in now, that only 40% of Canadians have the literacy skills necessary to meet the demands of every day work life, that Arts graduates are earning more by age 45 than those who took applied programmes and, that for every year of post-secondary education, average salaries rise by 8.3%.

Mount Allison's general bursary programme provides assistance to full-time and part-time students who demonstrate financial need and have first tried other areas of support. For more information, contact Melissa Bourque at mbourque@mta.ca or 506-364-2258 or visit the Financial Aid website at http://www.mta.ca/apply/financial.htm

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Diversity encompasses many things. Mount Allison strives to topple barriers to students based on race and welcomes students of different ethnic and racial backgrounds and seeks to expand this diversity in its faculty, staff and students. Race relations on campus have a very positive history which is supported by a policy that racism is never tolerated :

http://www.mta.ca/departments/sss/policies/racism_policy.html

While founded under Methodist direction, Mount Allison upholds freedom of all religions and creeds. Chapel worship and activities are ecumenical by design and the Office of the Chaplain is intended to be an ecumenical appointment. Although responsive to the many Christian denominations represented on campus, the Chaplain is open to engaging students of all religious faiths in faith development. There is a Muslim (http://www.mta.ca/clubs/msa/index.htm) and a Jewish (http://sac.mta.ca/clubsdata/jewish.shtml) student association present on campus as well as a Earth Religions Organisation of Students (http://www.geocities.com/mtapagansociety ) There is also a multi-faith prayer room on campus.

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Mount Allison seeks, welcomes and celebrates the presence of international students on campus. We are proud to currently have over 150 (7%) international students from over 40 countries. The University aspires to raise the percentage of international students to at least 10% and preferably more, and to sustain that figure.

The University's strategic plan states that the essential knowledge and skills Mount Allison seeks to foster include national, international and cultural appreciation. This includes national and international understanding and awareness, inter-cultural awareness and exposure and capacity for effective enlightened citizenship. By increasing and sustaining the number of international students, Mount Allison will continue to cultivate this appreciation and develop a growing sense of internationalism.

For more on information on international student at Mount Allison visit,

http://www.mta.ca/apply/international/
Society of All Nations http://www.mta.ca/clubs/san/sanindex.html

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Mount Allison is committed to providing equal access and accommodations for persons with disabilities and to do so in a manner which promotes, as much as possible, self-determination. However, it remains an individual's decision whether to request an accommodation or whether to self-identify as a person with a disability.

Mount Allison profoundly respects the rights of privacy of the individual. To this end, information on students with disabilities is treated as completely confidential. Only information necessary for programme development and implementation or for determining reasonable accommodations is collected or shared and no information is shared without the informed consent of the student.

The University is committed to improving access to academic programmes, to campus buildings and to support services for students with disabilities.

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Learning Disabilities

The Meighen Centre for Learning Assistance and Research provides academic assistance to students found to have a Learning Disability.

Services include academic counselling; learning strategies instruction, peer tutoring, consultation, access to text books on audio tape and arrangements for special accommodations for writing tests and examinations when appropriate.

Students with a learning disability who are applying for admission to Mount Allison are encouraged to identify themselves on the application form so that the university can meet thrie needs. As well, they should make contact with the Meighen Centre as early as possible in the admissions process for the same reason.

Disabilities Other Than Learning Disabilities

The Student Life Office provides services to students with disabilities, other than learning disabilities, who are currently attending Mount Allison University.

Services include academic counselling, personal counselling, instruction and ongoing support in learning and organizational strategies, liaison with food services and arrangements for accommodations for writing tests and examinations when appropriate.

Students with a disability other than a learning disability who are applying for admission to Mount Allison are encouraged to identify themselves on the application form so Mount Allison and contact the Student Life Office as early as possible so students needs can be addressed early.

Visit the Student Life site at http://www.mta.ca/departments/sss/disabilities.html

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The University recognizes that academically qualified students with disabilities may require individualised assistance. It is recognized that students with disabilities may require certain accommodations not required by other students in order to have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their achievement of academic objectives.

The University's policy on Student with Disabilities may be viewed at

www.mta.ca/departments/sss/policies/disabilities.html

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Mount Allison welcomes and celebrates students of diverse sexual identity. The University is committed to enhancing its proactive role in human rights education to foster environments of inclusion, fairness, equality and dignity for all faculty, staff and students.

The student group, Catalyst, has played an important educative and supportive role at the University. Its website is http://www.mta.ca/clubs/catalyst/index.html

Mount Allison is proud that the student body currently comprises a number of First Nations students from at least 10 First Nations communities.

Recently, the University has founded The Aboriginal Community Development Centre (ACDC) Initiative. Its objectives include:

•  Increasing the complement of First Nations students at Mount Allison University;

•  Enhancing Mount Allison's academic programmes to reflect First Nations community priorities and striving for the educational success of First Nations students;

•  Supporting and expanding Socio-Economic Research in the areas of First Nations community development; and

•  Developing collaboration among First Nations communities, Mount Allison and other stakeholders

The Coordintaor of the ACDC is Ausra Burns at aburns@mta.ca.

Two student contacts are Desmond Montague, a student of Inuit ancestry who belongs to the Labrador Inuit Association and who can be contacted at drmntg@mta.ca and Jessie Spence, a member of the Manitoba Metis Federation, (North-West Region, Swan River , MB ) whose e-mail address is jlspnc@mta.ca.

Mount Allison welcomes students who have been out of school or away from university study for some time. Mature students usually adapt to the academic milieu quite quickly and they bring experience and motivation to their studies which are highly valued by our course instructors. The University is concerned about the specific interests of mature students. Students with interests or concerns should contact Heather Patterson, Mature Student Advisor, at 364-2266 or hpatters@mta.ca.

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