Bishop's University

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Coordinates: 45°22′0.16″N 71°50′43.67″W / 45.3667111°N 71.8454639°W / 45.3667111; -71.8454639

Bishop's University
Motto	Recti cultus pectora roborant  (Latin) Sound learning strengthens the spirit.
Established	1843 Bishop's College Now Bishop's University.[1]
Type	Public
Religious affiliation	non-denominational
Chancellor	Scott Griffin
President	Robert Gordon
Principal	Michael Goldbloom
Undergraduates	1740 full-time students 523 part-time students [2]
Location	Sherbrooke (Lennoxville), Quebec, Canada
Campus	Rural: 550 acres [3]
Colours	Purple and Grey
Nickname	Bishop's Gaiters
Affiliations	AUCC, IAU, QSSF, CBIE, CUP.
Website	http://www.ubishops.ca

Bishop's University is a small liberal arts university in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Located in the borough of Lennoxville, Bishop's is one of three universities in the province of Quebec that teach primarily in the English language (the others being McGill University and Concordia University both in Montreal). The university shares a campus with its neighbour, Champlain College Lennoxville an English language CÉGEP. It remains one of Canada's few primarily undergraduate universities. The fact that it is a small university is considered to be one of its trademarks.

Established in 1843 as Bishop's College, the school remained under the Anglican church's direction from its founding until 1947. Since that time the university has been a non-denominational institution.^[4]

Bishop's University has a strong academic history, and has graduated fifteen Rhodes Scholars.^[5]

History

George Jehoshaphat Mountain

Bishop's College was established by Bishop George Jehoshaphat Mountain in 1843 for the education of members of the Church of England and erected into a University in 1853.^[6] The school was originally founded by Bishop Mountain, the third Anglican bishop of Quebec as a liberal arts college.^[7] In 1845, instruction began and in 1854, the first degrees were granted.^[8]

An act of the Quebec Legislative Assembly ratified its foundation. In 1853, it was established as a university by royal charter bearing the name University of Bishop's College and affiliated to University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. Its charter empowered the University to grant degrees in theology, law, medicine, and fine arts. The Church of England controlled the university until 1947.^[8]

Since 1947, a corporation made up of Anglican bishops from the dioceses of Quebec and appointed trustees have been responsible for its business affairs. A senate have dealt with academic matters.^[8]

The governance was modeled on the provincial University of Toronto Act of 1906 which established a bicameral system of university government consisting of a senate (faculty), responsible for academic policy, and a board of governors (citizens) exercising exclusive control over financial policy and having formal authority in all other matters. The president, appointed by the board, was to perform institutional leadership and provide a link between the senate and the board of governors.^[9]

In the early part of the twentieth century, professional education expanded beyond the traditional fields of theology, law and medicine. While graduate training based on the German-inspired American model of specialized course work and the completion of a research thesis was introduced,^[9]

The policy of university education initiated in the 1960s responded to population pressure and the belief that higher education was a key to social justice and economic productivity for individuals and for society.^[4]

Academic programs

Primarily undergraduate, it also offers graduate courses and M.A. and M.Ed. degrees in education and M.Sc in Computer Science and Physics. Bishop's offers several programs from five academic divisions:

• William's School of Business
• Division of Humanities
• Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
• Division of Social Sciences
• School of Education

Each division seeks to provide a well-rounded education for all its students. The average class size as of Fall 2004 was 36 in first-year courses and 12 in upper-year courses. Thirty-two percent of the classes offered at Bishop's have ten or fewer students, allowing each person's voice to be heard.

In 2004, Bishop’s joined the Universite de Sherbrooke in creating SIXtron, a joint spin-off of technology based in Montreal which is focused on developing highly scalable and cost-effective, amorphous silicon carbide (SiC)-based thin film coatings for the solar industry.^[10] In the fall of 2007 the university announced a strategic research plan which will position “Research and Creativity” as a central focus for the University’s future development, making Bishop's unique among Canadian undergraduate institutions.^[11]

As of 2007, Bishop’s has 1817 full-time students. The student body represents every Canadian province and territory along with 18 U.S. States and over 50 countries.^[3]

Campus

The Bishop's campus is located on 500 acres (2.0 km²) of land at the junction of the St. Francis and Massawippi rivers in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec. The site of Bishop's College, a grassy knoll at the confluence of two rivers, provided a natural setting where architecture would be viewed as an integral but subsidiary part of the scenic vista.^[12] Known as 'Oxford on the Massawippi' for its stunning architectural style, the campus is significantly influenced from the Gothic Revival period, and is home to some of Quebec's most historic buildings, including St. Mark's chapel.^[13] Construction on campus began with "Old Arts" in 1846 and continues today with the University's most recent building, Paterson Hall, in 2003.

School Spirit

Students are known for their strong affinity towards the university especially during sports games.^{[citation needed]} A popular spot for social gatherings is the nearby Golden Lion Pub. In 2005, the CBC's Rick Mercer Report named it the best student pub in Canada.^[14]

Principals of Bishop's University

• The Rev. Jasper H. Nicolls, 1845
• The Rev. J.A. Lobley, 1878
• The Rev. Thomas Adams, 1885
• The Rev. J.P. Whitney, 1900
• The Rev. T.B. Waitt, 1905
• The Rev. H. de B. Gibbins, 1906
• The Rev. R.A. Parrock, 1907
• The Rev. Canon H.H. Bedford-Jones, 1920
• The Rev. Arthur Huffman McGreer, 1922
• A.R. Jewitt, 1948
• C.L.O. Glass, 1959
• A.W. Preston, 1969
• D.M. Healy, 1970
• C.I.H. Nicholl, 1976
• H.M. Scott, 1986
• Janyne M. Hodder, 1995
• Robert Poupart, 2004
• Jonathan Rittenhouse (Interim), 2007
• Michael Goldbloom, 2008

Greek Life

Bishop's University has 2 Sororities and 2 Fraternities.

• Alpha Delta Pi - Eta Tau Chapter
• Alpha Phi - Eta Chi Chapter
• Sigma Chi - Iota Rho Chapter
• The Brotherhood

Sports

Bishop's University football helmet.

The Bishop's University teams are known as the Gaiters and compete in Canadian Interuniversity Sport. Although their logo and mascot suggest the term stems from the word alligator, "Gaiter" actually refers to a boot covering worn by Anglican bishops up until the beginning of the 20th century. The Gaiters are represented by eight varsity teams (Football, Men's & Women's Basketball, Men's & Women's Rugby, Women's Soccer, Women's Indoor Soccer and Golf) and two club teams (Men's Lacrosse, Women's Hockey).

The Bishop's Gaiters have a long history with the university. Rugby football began in 1888 and Canadian football was a budding varsity sport by the 1930s. From 1962 until 1987 the Bishop's University football sidelines were patrolled by the legendary Bruce Coulter, who went into retirement with the CIAU record for wins, having recorded 137 (137–80–3). In 1991 the football stadium was renamed in his honour. The Bishop's football team competes for two special trophies: The Mayor's Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the annual contest between Bishop's and the Université de Sherbrooke, and the Bigg Bowl, which goes to the winner between Bishop's and St. Francis Xavier University (currently scheduled once every three years).

The hard-court has also brought Bishop's great success. The men's basketball team enjoyed their most successful season in 1998, winning the CIAU National Championship, becoming the smallest Canadian university in history to do so. The women's basketball team won back-to-back National Basketball championships in 1983 and 1984.

'Unofficial' School Song

At both home and away athletic competitions, BU students can be heard singing their school fight song or alma mater. Bishop’s official school song, “Alma Mater,” was written in 1937 and continues to be a favorite. In 1964, however, the lyrics “Drink a toast to Bishop’s University” were written by John Piper, Douglas Tees, Ace Henderson and John Martland as part of the musical comedy, “The Grate Escape,” performed by the Bishop’s choir. The tune stuck and has become the beloved unofficial song.^[15]

Noted former students and alumni

• Maude Abbott — one of Canada's earliest female medical graduates, founder of the Federation of Medical Women of Canada
• Nick Arakgi — CFL football star and CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award winner.
• John Bassett — publisher of the Montreal Gazette, owner of the Toronto Argonauts, 1961–1971
• Peter Blaikie - Rhodes Scholar, lawyer, former President of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, television commentator
• Jim Corcoran - singer, songwriter and radio host.
• Tom Europe - CFL defensive back, BC Lions
• Reginald Fessenden — radio pioneer
• Robert Ghiz — Premier of Prince Edward Island
• Robert Gordon — former President of Humber College, President of Canada Basketball, President of Bishop's University
• Keith Godding - CFL wide receiver, Montreal Alouettes
• Scott Griffin — Chancellor of Bishop's University, Canadian businessman and philanthropist
• Ralph Gustafson — poet
• Kyle Jones - CFL linebacker, Toronto Argonauts
• Jamall Lee - CFL Running Back, BC Lions
• Galt MacDermot — musician, arranger, composer of 60's rock musical Hair (musical)
• Michael Ondaatje — poet, writer
• Alex Paterson — Senior Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP ; Order of Canada, former Chancellor of Bishop's University
• Damian Pettigrew — film director
• Francis Reginald Scott — poet, constitutional expert
• The Rev. Canon Frederick Scott - Senior Chaplain, First Canadian Division, Canadian Expeditionary Force, WWI
• Larry Smith — President of the Montreal Alouettes, former commissioner of the Canadian Football League
• Johnny Reid — country music singer
• Norman Webster — former Editor-in-Chief of The Globe and Mail, Chancellor of University of Prince Edward Island

In 1906, Reginald Fessenden transmitted the first radio audio broadcast from Brant Rock, Massachusetts.

The Rev. Canon Frederick Scott, Senior Chaplain, First Canadian Division, Canadian Expeditionary Force.

See also

• Bishop's College School
• Bishop's University Students' Representative Council
• The Campus (Lennoxville)
• Champlain College Lennoxville
• CJMQ-FM

References

Further reading

• Grant, Anna M. (ed.) (1993). A Portrait of Bishop's University: 1843-1993. Lennoxville: Bishop's University.
• Masters, Donald C. (1950). Bishop's University: The First Hundred Years. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin.
• Milner, Elizabeth H. (1985). Bishop's Medical Faculty, 1871–1905. Sherbrooke: Rene Prince.
• Nicholl, Christopher (1994). Bishop's University, 1843–1970. Montreal: McGill-Queen's.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bishop's University

• Bishop's University Historical Timeline
• Bishop's University
• Bishop's Gaiters
• Foreman Art Gallery
• The Campus Student Newspaper

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