Welcome
to Mount Allison University...
When you first arrive at Mount Allison, you know this University is special.
The charming campus tells a tale of rich history, with historic buildings,
antique books delicately bound, and stately portraits of past presidents
and chancellors hanging in Convocation Hall. But Mount Allison also has
its sights firmly set on the future. Underground, for example, the campus
is connected by an intricate network of fibre-optic wiring, granting all
on campus access to the Internet. Mount Allison was the first university
in Canada to offer this access, and the University continues to embrace
innovative technology in other new and exciting ways.
OUR MISSION
Mount Allison University is committed to the creation and dissemination
of knowledge in a community of higher learning, centred on undergraduate
students, in an intimate and harmonious environment. Our teaching, research
and creative enterprise are combined with extracurricular activities,
in a liberal education tradition, that emphasizes development of the whole
person. This integrated approach involves collaborative efforts among
all members of the University community and leads to superior scholarship,
cultural understanding and appreciation, personal and social maturation,
leadership development and informed citizenship.
WELL-ROUNDED STUDENTS
IN A TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY
Mount Allison is primarily an undergraduate, liberal arts and science
university with a controlled enrollment of approximately 2,250 full-time
students. It has preserved the character of a compact, scholarly community
to foster excellence in teaching, mentoring and student-centred research.
A strong emphasis on extra-curricular activities, ranging from athletics
to the exercise of student government complements the dedication to high
academic performance. Mount Allison strongly supports the philosophy of
developing the "whole student" intellectually, spiritually,
socially, culturally and physically. It shapes leaders who are critical
thinkers, problem solvers and creative participants in society. Moreover,
our students agree that Mount Allison is more than a university...it's
a way of life. If there is one common thread to Mount Allison students,
it is their academic strength and their propensity of leadership. Mount
Allison has produced 45 Rhodes Scholars, more per capita than any other
university in the Commonwealth. The University has also graduated a number
of Rotary International Scholars, Commonwealth Scholars, and in 1997,
one of the first winners of the Canadian Cambridge Scholarship. Many graduates
have become preeminent in their endeavours. Notable alumni include: playwright
John Gray; artists Alex Colville, and Mary and Christopher Pratt; national
broadcaster Ian Hanoomansing; former Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick
Margaret McCain; former Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick Marilyn Trenholme
Counsell and Imasco Chairman Purdy Crawford, who also served as Chancellor
of Mount Allison.
THE FACULTY
The University's faculty is talented and dedicated, exemplifying a strong
blend of teaching and research. In a recent University survey, 100% of
graduates felt their professors were approachable, which speaks volumes
about the relationships between faculty and students at Mount Allison.
AN EDUCATION SUITED
TO THE 21ST CENTURY
Mount Allison offers Bachelor's degrees in Arts, Science, Commerce, Fine
Arts and Music, as well as Master's degrees in Biology and Chemistry and
Certificates in Bilingualism. In 1995, it revised its curriculum to give
students even greater "depth and breadth" to their education
as they enter the 21st century. A series of majors and minors was developed
in the traditional disciplines and in a number of interdisciplinary areas
such as International Relations, Canadian Public Policy, Japanese Studies
and Cognitive Science. The Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees
are achieved through completion of one of a specialized honours programme;
a major plus a minor; a double major; or a general degree of three minors.
In addition, each Arts and Science student takes at least six credits
from each of four disciplinary areas of Arts and Letters, Humanities,
Social Science, and Science. The revised requirements have resulted in
very exciting intellectual opportunities for students, giving them a chance
to examine problems and issues from a number of different perspectives.
Prospective students often wonder about the purpose of receiving a bachelor's
degree from a liberal arts institution in a globally competitive economy.
The usefulness of a bachelor's degree is not only found in personal development
but also in professional areas. A degree from Mount Allison, or a few
carefully selected courses or electives as part of a Mount Allison degree,
may permit a student admission to a professional programme. Some of these
programmes include medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine,
law, education, theology, social work, audiology and speech, occupational
physiotherapy, optometry, architecture and nutritional programmes as well
as many others. These professional programmes may be accessed upon successful
completion of courses and/or a degree from Mount Allison and in combination
with other requirements as appropriate (e.g. LSAT, MCAT, GRE, etc.). Interested
students should consult the Academic and Career Counsellor for advice
on course selection and the process to enter these professional programmes
after their undergraduate career at Mount Allison.
A REPUTATION FOR
LEADERSHIP
For more than a century, Mount Allison has been recognized as a leader.
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 to a woman, Harriet Starr Stewart. Mount Allison boasts
the oldest university art gallery in Canada; it was the first to wire
all of campus to the information highway; it was the first to offer a
Canadian Studies programme; and it is a pioneer in the establishment of
services for students with learning disabilities. In recent years, it
has consistently been ranked the number-one undergraduate university in
Canada by Maclean's magazine. A high-calibre faculty, outstanding students
and financial stability are among the reasons why.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
Founder Charles Frederick Allison's grandfather emigrated from Ireland
in the late 1700s, as a result of a dinner with the local tax collector.
Wanting to impress him, the family set the table with their one valuable
possession of silver spoons. After entertaining their guest, the Allisons
were informed that if they could afford silver spoons, they could afford
to pay more taxes. They left Ireland shortly thereafter. The spoons are
on display in the main Library. In June 1839, Sackville merchant Charles
Frederick Allison proposed to the Wesleyan Methodists that a school of
elementary and high learning be built. His offer to purchase a site in
Sackville, to erect a suitable building for an academy, and to contribute
operating funds of 100 pounds a year for 10 years was accepted. The formal
opening of the Mount Allison Academy for boys took place in 1843. In 1854,
a branch institution for girls, known as the "Ladies College",
opened to complement the Wesleyan Academy for boys. In July 1862, the
degree-granting Mount Allison College was organized. The first two students
graduated in May 1863. For nearly a century, Mount Allison functioned
as three distinct, mutually enriching parts: the College proper, the Boys'
Academy and the Ladies College. The closure of the School for Girls in
1946, and the Academy in 1953, coincided with a period of expansion and
provided much-needed space. In 1958, the beginning of a period of construction
and acquisition of buildings eased the strain of overcrowding. At this
time, it was decided to reaffirm the traditional aim of providing a high-quality
undergraduate liberal arts education, along with continuing to offer professional
programmes in already-established fields. Mount Allison has a long and
proud tradition, and part of that tradition has been the ability to evolve
and to adapt to new and changing demands. It is very much a university
of the 21st century, while remaining the direct and recognizable descendant
of the first Wesleyan Academy of 1843.
ONE OF THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL CAMPUSES IN CANADA
The Mount Allison calendar for 1851 declared Sackville a "pleasant
and healthy" community, "easy of access from all parts of the
Lower Provinces." The Mount Allison buildings are "elegant,
spacious and comfortable, and delightfully situated upon an elevation
of ground." The facilities offered were, "all that could be
desired, either for the enterprising Teacher to aid him in his work of
instruction, or to the ambitious Student to facilitate his honourable
progress." Writing styles have changed since then, but Mount Allison
still continues to take pride in its campus. The campus encompasses about
76 acres, 45 buildings and one million square feet of assignable space.
The tree and shrub count is about 1,100, giving the campus a tranquil,
park-like setting. The physical surroundings are enhanced even further
by the Swan Pond, a symbol of Mount Allison since its introduction in
1901. It has traditionally been the site of picnics, cultural events,
orientation activities and wintertime skating. The past few years have
witnessed a number of improvements to the facilities. Almost $25 million
was spent on much-needed repairs to buildings and grounds, including residences.
A three-phase project to upgrade the underground steam and electrical
tunnels was completed, and the University seized this opportunity to spruce
up the landscaping, particularly in the heart of the campus. Improvements
continue to take place to enhance the learning environment. For example,
the opening of the Dr. Y.S. Wu Teaching Centre in 1996 provides faculty
and students with state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and learning.
Unlike some other institutions, this University has never moved from its
original campus; it has expanded in area, but is still centred on that
rise of ground named "Mount Allison" after the founder. The
traditional use of red and grey local sandstone, plus continual efforts
to beautify and upgrade facilities, offers a setting that honours the
past, yet embraces the future.
Source: 2004-2005 Mount Allison Academic Calendar
UNIVERSITY CHANCELLORS
Ralph Pickard Bell 1960-1968
Harold Roy Crabtree 1968-1977
Angus James MacQueen 1977-1985
Margaret Norrie McCain 1986-1994
Harold Purdy Crawford 1995-2000
James J Keith 2001- 2004
John L Bragg 2005 -
UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS
Humphrey Pickard 1862-1869
David Allison 1869-1878
James Robert Inch 1878-1891
David Allison 1891-1911
Byron Crane Borden 1911-1923
George Johnstone Trueman 1923-1945
William Thomas Ross Flemington 1945-1962
William Stanley Hayes Crawford (Acting) 1962-1963
Laurence Harold Cragg 1963-1975
William Stanley Hayes Crawford 1975-1980
Guy Robertson MacLean 1980-1986
Donald Otis Wells 1986-1990
Sheila A. Brown (Interim) 1990-1991
Ian David Campbell Newbould 1991-2001
A. Wayne Mackay 2001-2004
Kenneth L. Ozmon 2004-2006
Robert M. Campbell 2006-