University of Guelph
Encyclopedia
The University of Guelph, also known as U of G, is a comprehensive public
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...

  research university in Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...

, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College
Ontario Agricultural College
The Ontario Agricultural College originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto...

, the Macdonald Institute, and the Ontario Veterinary College
Ontario Veterinary College
The Ontario Veterinary College is the oldest and one of the most well known veterinary school in Canada and North America. It is located on the campus of the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario...

. While the U of G currently offers over 94 undergraduate degrees, 48 graduate programs, and 6 associate degrees in many different disciplines, it is the on-going history of achievement in its roots of biomedical science, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 and veterinary medicine
Veterinary medicine
Veterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...

 and the modern focus on life sciences that define the university. U of G is home to more life science expertise per capita than any other university in North America and receives more health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...

 related research funding than any other Canadian university without a medical school. The majority of students entering the University are enrolled in one of the 29 bachelor of science majors offered and enter with a 80% average or higher with the exception of students enrolled in the Biomedical science program which has a higher cut off.

The University of Guelph is consistently ranked as a top comprehensive university in Canada by Maclean's
Maclean's
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly news magazine, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.-History:Founded in 1905 by Toronto journalist/entrepreneur Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean, a 43-year-old trade magazine publisher who purchased an advertising agency's in-house...

magazine, and given top marks for student satisfaction among medium-sized universities in Canada by The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...

. It has held these rankings with its reputation, innovative research-intensive programs, and lively campus life cited as particular strengths. Currently, the faculty at the University of Guelph hold 39 Canada Research Chair positions in the research areas of natural sciences, engineering, health sciences and social sciences.

History

The University of Guelph traces its origins back to when the Ontario government bought 500 acres (202.3 ha) of farmland and opened the Ontario School of Agriculture on May 1, 1874, which was renamed the Ontario Agricultural College
Ontario Agricultural College
The Ontario Agricultural College originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto...

 (OAC) in 1880. Its first building was Moreton Lodge, located where Johnston Hall now stands, which included classrooms, residences, a library, and a dining room.

Several other buildings were constructed during this time period and still exist as part of the campus today, including the President's Residence, Raithby House, and Day Hall.

The Macdonald Institute was established in 1903 to house women's home economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...

 programs, nature studies, and some domestic art and science. It was named after its financier, Sir William Macdonald
William Christopher Macdonald
Sir William Christopher Macdonald was a Scots-Quebecer tobacco manufacturer and major education philanthropist in Canada.-Early life and career:...

, who worked to promote domestic sciences in rural Canada, and founded Macdonald College
Macdonald Campus
The Macdonald Campus of McGill University houses its Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, and the McGill School of Environment.- History :...

 and McGill University College
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...

. The Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), originally founded in Toronto in 1862, was moved to Guelph in 1922. From the turn of the century to the movement of the OVC, many more buildings were added to the campus: MacDonald Hall, Massey Hall, the Bullring, Mills Hall, and Food Science.

The War Memorial Hall (1923-4) (more generally known as Memorial Hall) is a landmark building on the campus of the University of Guelph designed by Harry Reginald Coales (architect) as a lecture hall or theatre to honour students who had enlisted and died in the First World War.

Two bronze tablets in the Memorial Chapel remembers the alumni who died in the First World War and in the Second World War.

Johnston Hall was constructed in 1931, taking the place of the torn-down Moreton Lodge and becoming the home for the OAC Administration.

These three adjacent colleges would be amalgamated into the single body of the University of Guelph by the Ontario Legislature
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...

 on May 8, 1964. The University of Guelph Act also brought about the Board of Governors to oversee administrative operations and financial management, and the Senate to address academic concerns. The non-denominational graduate and undergraduate institution was, and remains known especially for the agricultural and veterinary programs that shaped it.

At its first convocation on May 21, 1965 George Drew was instaled as chancellor of the University.

Wellington College was established shortly after the University of Guelph Act, and five years later, was split three ways into the College of Arts (COA), which exists in the present day, the College of Physical Science and the College Social Science. The Macdonald Institute would also be renamed the College of Family and Consumer Studies during the split.

After this split, the University of Guelph started reorganizing into its present day form, starting from the establishment of the College of Biological Sciences (CBS) in 1971. The College of Physical Science would be married to the OAC's School of Engineering in 1989, creating the College of Physical and Engineering Sciences (CPES). The College of Social Science and the College of Family and Consumer Studies were joined to create the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences (CSAHS) in 1998. Finally, the College of Management and Economics (CME) would be established from the segregation of offered business, management and economic degrees and courses in 2006.

Students occupied the university's administration offices in March 1997, protesting escalating tuition hikes.

Main campus

The main university campus spans 1223 acres (494.9 ha), including the 408 acres (165.1 ha) University of Guelph Arboretum
University of Guelph Arboretum
The Guelph Arboretum is modeled after the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University which was founded in 1872. The Arnold Arboretum is privately endowed as a department of Harvard just as the Guelph Arboretum is a department of the University of Guelph...

 and a 30 acres (12.1 ha) research park.

The campus, which mixes old-fashioned brick buildings with mid-century Brutalism, as well as more contemporary stone structures, is generally regarded as scenic and architecturally diverse. It is well-populated with trees, including those which line the main walkways, many of which are paved with red brick. The campus includes an arboretum with an impressive collection of trees.

Another highly visible landmark is Johnston Hall, constructed in 1931. The Johnston Clock tower overlooks Winegard Walk and is visible from much of the campus. The building also overlooks Johnston Green, a popular location for recreational sporting activities and outdoor concerts.

Campus safety is provided by the University of Guelph Campus Police, First Response Team and Fire Prevention officers.

Regional campuses

Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) Campuses:
The Ontario Agricultural College
Ontario Agricultural College
The Ontario Agricultural College originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto...

 has a network of campuses and research stations throughout Ontario, which were formerly operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. Courses are offered in English in Guelph, Kemptville and Ridgetown, and in French at Collège d’Alfred. The Collège d'Alfred is located in the eastern Ontario, in the town of Alfred, Ontario close to Canada’s capital city, Ottawa. This unique campus attracts students from across Canada and the world. It offers diploma and certificate programs which are all taught in French. The Kemptville Campus of Ontario Agriculture College is located in Kemptville, Ontario
Kemptville, Ontario
Kemptville is a community located in the Municipality of North Grenville in Southern Ontario, Canada in the northernmost part of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville...

. It has been serving the residents of Eastern Ontario since 1917. The campus and research station is located on over 800 acres (323.7 ha) and features 21st century facilities. The Ridgetown Campus is located on over 450 acres (182.1 ha) in Ridgetown, Ontario
Ridgetown, Ontario
Ridgetown is a community located in south-east Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus. It has a population of roughly 3,500 and is one of many small farming communities in Chatham-Kent.-History:...

 this campus provides the advantages of a small town atmosphere with the opportunities of a larger center within a 30 minute drive.

University of Guelph-Humber

The University of Guelph-Humber is a university-college partnership between the University of Guelph and Humber College
Humber College
Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning is a polytechnic college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Humber offers more than 150 programs including: bachelor’s degree, diploma, certificate, post-graduate certificate and apprenticeship programs, across 40 fields of study. Humber serves...

. It is located on Humber's North Campus in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The school offers eight regular four-year academic programs, each of which grant both a university honours degree and college diploma.

Profile

The University of Guelph offers over 90 majors in 13 degree programs and 63 Open Learning/Distance Education Opportunities. The University is home to 17,332 full-time and part-time undergraduate students, 2,076 full-time and part-time graduate students and almost 3000 faculty and staff Over 99.8% of students entering the University of Guelph for the first time have academic averages of 75% and above. Guelph students also have the highest graduation rate among Canadian comprehensive universities (at 89%), 5.8% higher than the national average. As well, University of Guelph has been stated to be the best comprehensive university of Canada by Macleans magazine in 2006 and 2007. Recent academic achievements include the first scientific validation of water on Mars, Alpha-Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) on board the Mars Exploration Rovers and the Barcode of Life project for species identification. University of Guelph is home to the birthplace of DNA barcoding
DNA barcoding
DNA barcoding is a taxonomic method that uses a short genetic marker in an organism's DNA to identify it as belonging to a particular species. It differs from molecular phylogeny in that the main goal is not to determine classification but to identify an unknown sample in terms of a known...

 by Dr.Paul D. N. Hebert for species identification.

Faculties

The University of Guelph consists of seven faculties (or colleges, as they're known at Guelph):
  • College of Arts
  • College of Biological Science
  • College of Management and Economics
    College of Management and Economics (University of Guelph)
    The College of Management and Economics at the University of Guelph, in Guelph, Ontario was formed on May 1, 2006. The current dean of CME is Julia Christensen Hughes, who was appointed in April 2009 for a 5-year term beginning on May 11, 2009. David Prescott and founding dean of the CME, Chris...

  • College of Physical & Engineering Science
  • College of Social & Applied Human Sciences
  • Ontario Agricultural College
    Ontario Agricultural College
    The Ontario Agricultural College originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto...

  • Ontario Veterinary College
    Ontario Veterinary College
    The Ontario Veterinary College is the oldest and one of the most well known veterinary school in Canada and North America. It is located on the campus of the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario...



Other areas of academic specialization include the:
  • School of Computer Science
  • School of Engineering
  • School of English and Theatre Studies
  • School of Environmental Design and Rural Development
  • School of Environmental Sciences
  • School of Fine Art and Music
  • School of Languages and Literatures
  • School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
  • Office of Open Learning
  • University of Guelph-Humber
    University of Guelph-Humber
    The University of Guelph-Humber is a university-college partnership between the University of Guelph and Humber College. It was established in 2002. It is located on Humber's North Campus in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...


The Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition has an accredited dietetic program. The university is accredited by a professional organization such as the Dietitians of Canada
Dietitians of Canada
Dietitians of Canada is the professional organization and "nation-wide voice of dietitians in Canada". They claim to be the most trusted source of information on food and nutrition for Canadians. DC brings brings the knowledge and skills of its members together to informdecisions that affect...

 and the university's graduates may subsequently become registered dietitians.

UoG is the first University in Canada to offer a Nanoscience BS.c Major.

The University of Guelph, along with University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...

 and Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....

 is a member of the Tri-University History group, which combines the history departments of the three universities at the graduate level. Graduate students are registered at one of the three universities according to their supervisor, but can take courses at any of the campuses. This allows the group to have more diverse course offerings more efficiently. The University of Guelph specializes in Scottish History, as well as local and rural history.

Joint Graduate Programs

  • Guelph-Waterloo Center for Graduate Work in Chemistry and Biochemistry (GWC2) is one of Canada’s largest and most successful graduate schools
  • Guelph-Waterloo Physics Institute (GWPI) is a joint graduate program offered by the Departments of Physics at the University of Guelph and Waterloo
    University of Waterloo
    The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...

  • The Guelph-Waterloo MA Program in Public Issues Anthropology
  • Guelph-McMaster
    McMaster University
    McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...

     Collaborative MA Program in Public Policy and Administration
  • Tri-University Graduate History Program (Waterloo, Guelph, Laurier
    Wilfrid Laurier University
    Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....

    )

Facilities and Plans

The Pathobiology and Animal Health
Animal Health
Animal Health is the UK government's executive agency primarily responsible for ensuring that farmed animals in Great Britain are healthy, disease-free and well looked after....

 Laboratory was opened in 2010. Its goal is to strengthen Canada's ability to prevent disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...

s and solve health issues at the human/animal interface. Supporting the growing role of veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....

s in research and educational initiatives related to public health, this four-storey building includes a lecture theatre, seminar rooms, a teaching lab, and research and laboratory facilities.

The Science Complex opened for the 2007/2008 academic year. It is the largest integrated science teaching and research facility in North America. This facility houses 150 faculty and 4500 students, and centralizes physical, biological and computational sciences.

The Biodiversity Institute of Ontario is the world’s first centre for high-volume DNA barcoding
DNA barcoding
DNA barcoding is a taxonomic method that uses a short genetic marker in an organism's DNA to identify it as belonging to a particular species. It differs from molecular phylogeny in that the main goal is not to determine classification but to identify an unknown sample in terms of a known...

 – the rapid identification of millions of species. It is anticipated that faculty will enter over 500,000 barcode analyses per year.

The University's school of Engineering is in the midst of an approximately $50 million expansion between 2009 and 2011 in the form of new construction and renovations. This is in response to recently introduced Mechanical, Biomedical and Computer Engineering programs, increased enrollment in existing undergraduate and graduate programs and expanding fields of research especially in areas related to sustainability.

Alexander Hall, is located beside the Science complex it is a cutting-edge environmental teaching and research centre.

Animal Cancer Center- Canada's first institute for comparative cancer investigation, includes a linear accelerator offering the most advanced animal radiation treatment available, it is anticipated that discoveries in animal cancer will help study cancer treatment in humans as well.

Rozanski Hall, is located in the heart of the University of Guelph campus. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including electronic white boards, laptop sound, picture and wireless internet and high luminance video/data projectors, Rozanski Hall accommodates over 1,500 students in several lecture halls.

Originally built in the 1940s and expanded in the 1950s, the current W.F. Mitchell Athletic Centre is to be upgraded and expanded to keep up with university and community needs. 70% of Guelph students currently participate in athletics, recreation or fitness programming, and the demand continues to grow. The full build-out of the proposed plan includes a total of 800000 square feet (74,322.4 m²), 11 fields, site improvements and parking; mostly to be implemented over the next 10 years.

With 14 different campus living environments, U of G has one of the largest university housing systems in Canada.The University is planning to construct a new student residence on campus with assistance from a private-sector builder that would provide the capital for the new building.

Student residences

A large portion of students reside on campus in co-ed residences. Those that do typically live in the East Residence (610 residents), East Townhouses (645), Johnston Hall (315), Lambton Hall (400), Lennox/Addington Hall (520), Macdonald Hall (150, female only), Maids Hall (50, also known as Artz Haüs), Mills Hall (160), Watson Hall (67, also known as International House), West Residences (110 students living amongst the Family Housing community), and South Residence (1700 residents evenly distributed across Mountain, Prairie and Maritime Halls).

The LLC (Living Learning Centre) community is made up of Maids and Watson Halls, as well as two sections of the Dundas area in East known as Eco House and French House sometimes linked together as Freco. The program is conducted such that students who are interested in extracurricular development of their interests peripheral to academic achievement can cohabitate among others with the same goal. Each individual community has Residence Life Staff personnel assigned to facilitate programming and community development centred on their respective focuses.

Also on campus are the East Village Townhouses that were opened during the fall of 2001. The townhouses consist of 164 four-, five- and six-bedroom self-contained units. These primarily house upper-year students and international students.

West Residences, consisting of the 78 College Avenue and 252 Stone Road (also referred to as Wellington Woods) locations, is home to 110 upper-year students. These students live amongst the Family Housing residents in either two bedroom townhouses, or one to two bedroom apartments (only available at the College Avenue location). West Residences promote diverse programs and includes many opportunities for community involvement.

South Residence, the largest residence on campus, is home to 1700 students, as well as over 50 Residence Life Staff members.http://www.housing.uoguelph.ca/page.cfm?group=subnav&id=9. South Residence is split into three self-contained Halls with independent fire alarm grids. It was built in 1965 by Australian architect John Andrews
John Andrews (architect)
John Hamilton Andrews is a Canadian and Australian architect.John Andrews graduated with a bachelors from the University of Sydney in 1956. In 1957 he entered the masters of architecture program at Harvard University. After graduation he worked with John Parkin in Don Mills, a suburb of Toronto,...

, a brutalist architect
Brutalist architecture
Brutalist architecture is a style of architecture which flourished from the 1950s to the mid 1970s, spawned from the modernist architectural movement.-The term "brutalism":...

 who has designed several Canadian university residences, as well as Toronto's iconic CN Tower. The persistent rumour that the residence was designed by the same architect as the Kingston Penitentiary
Kingston Penitentiary
Kingston Penitentiary is a maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario between King Street West and Lake Ontario....

 is false. This would be all but impossible, as the iconic Canadian prison was constructed over a century before South Residence.

Library

The six-storey McLaughlin Library provides students with more than 400 computers in the library and access to books, periodicals, films, audiovisual and archival materials, government documents and maps. The library provides support for everyone's research needs, from undergraduate essays to specialized graduate-level investigations. The library has more than 1 million visitors annually.

The Library has student-centred services from building hours, computer access, individual and group study space, and a main floor lounge serving food and refreshments. The Learning Commons also offers resources and services to help users with research, technology, writing, and learning with locations on the main floor of McLaughlin Library, the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) Learning Commons and Guelph-Humber Learning Commons.

The Tri-University Group of Libraries (TRELLIS) is part of a partnership involving the libraries of the Universities of Guelph, Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier. Students have access to library resources totaling 7.5 million items through the automated library system. Guelph students, faculty and staff also have access to electronic resources from any location at any time. The Library is a leader in offering electronic resources, including nearly 10,000 e-journals as well as databases, reference resources, and live online help.

Ranking and reputation

In a national online survey of university students by the University Report Card, University of Guelph students graded the university as the top medium-sized university in Canada.

UoG ranks 14th among the top 50 research Universities in Canada, the highest ranking for a university without a medical school.

Guelph was also the only school among large and/or medium-sized universities to receive an "A" for student services. They also received an "A" for overall educational experience, which included the categories of: quality of teaching, faculty subject knowledge, teaching methods and availability of faculty outside the classroom. The University also gained an "A+" in faculty member's knowledge of subjects; overall university atmosphere; personal safety and security; freedom of expression; campus atmosphere and online services which included library resources, access to teaching materials and on-campus network.

The University of Guelph is currently ranked by Maclean's magazine as the fourth best comprehensive university in Canada ("comprehensive" indicating institutions with significant research activity and a range of programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including professional degrees). The University of Guelph has ranked as a top 3 of comprehensive universities in Canada ranking #1 in 1999, 2002, 2003, and 2006.

RIM

The University holds a partnership with Research In Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...

 (RIM). Ground is being broken through the Center for Mobile Education and Research, the Chair for Women in Science and Engineering and the financial and educational support RIM extends to the University of Guelph. The Center for Mobile Education and Research (CMER) is housed within the Department of Computing and Information Science at the University of Guelph. The mission of CMER is to engage in leading edge applied research to develop state-of-the-art applications and services to facilitate and enhance mobile education and learning, and to provide leadership in integrating mobile devices into the computer science curriculum.

Career fair at RIM Park

A collaborative effort between the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...

,Guelph, Wilfird Laurier and Conestoga College the Partnerships for Employment Career Fair is the largest in the country.

OMAFRA - U of G Partnership

The agreement between the University of Guelph and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, attracts a critical mass of research expertise to the University and the city.

Student life

Student government on campus is governed officially through the university's Student Organization Policy or "SOP". This document, created initially in 2005 provides the basis for accrediting student groups on campus.
The Student Groups listed as Primary Student Organizations under the policy are:
  • The Central Student Association (CSA)
  • The Graduate Students' Association (GSA)
  • The College of Arts Student Union (CA-SU)
  • The College of Biological Science Student Council (CBS-SC)
  • The College of Management & Economics Student Association (CME-SA)
  • The College of Physical & Engineering Science Student Council (CPES-SC)
  • The College of Social & Applied Human Sciences Student Alliance (CSAHS-SA)
  • The Student Federation of the Ontario Agricultural College
    Ontario Agricultural College
    The Ontario Agricultural College originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto...

     (SF-OAC)
  • The Central Veterinary Students' Association (CVSA)
  • Interhall Council (IHC)


Each of the above PSOs accredit and thus are held accountable for many of the various clubs and student groups on campus. By and large the CSA accredits the most student groups with approximately 70 accredited today. Generally CSA-accredited groups are special interest groups like CHAT (a multi-lingual group), the Jewish Students' Organization (JSO), the Muslim Students' Association and more, catering to those who wish to begin new interest-specific clubs on campus. The College Governments (CA-SU, CBS-SC, CME-SA, CPES-SC, CSAHS-SA, SF-OAC and the CVSA) accredit academically focused groups while IHC accredits 14 groups (includes the temporary residence Brock House for the 2011/2012 year) as hall councils, one for each residence hall on campus.

The University also has a department called Student Life which offers a comprehensive package of programs and services that help students make a successful transition to, through and from university life and study. The curricular and co-curricular initiatives, advising and support activities are set out to serve as vehicles through which students can explore their leadership capacity, make long lasting connections, and optimize opportunities to learn through experiences. As well as develop a sense of civic/community responsibility, and be engaged in the campus and community life of the University.

Across campus, members of the Residence Student Government, known as Interhall Council, contribute to the programming in each hall. This group of 61 elected members works with students within their halls and are also responsible for facilitating a hall council for hall members to attend. During the 2011/2012 year, a council was stricken at the West Residence Family Housing units and the temporary Brock House residence, bringing the total number of councils to 14.

Interhall Council also acts as a liaison between students and Student Housing Services, University Administration, and other on-campus organizations.

Organization

The governance of the University of Guelph is a bicameral system consisting of:
  • The Senate
  • The Board of Governors

Chancellors

  • George Drew (1965–1971)
  • Emmett Matthew Hall
    Emmett Matthew Hall
    Emmett Matthew Hall, CC, QC was a Canadian jurist and civil libertarian and is considered one of the fathers of the Canadian system of Medicare....

     (1971–1977)
  • Pauline Mills McGibbon
    Pauline Mills McGibbon
    The Hon. Pauline Mills McGibbon, CC, O.Ont , served as the 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1974 to 1980...

     (1977–1983)
  • William Atcheson Stewart
    William Atcheson Stewart
    William Atcheson Stewart was a Canadian politician.In 1957, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the riding of Middlesex North. A member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, he was re-elected in 1959, 1963, 1967, and 1971. From 1960 to 1961, he was a Minister...

     (1983–1989)
  • Edmund Bovey (1989–1990)
  • Lincoln Alexander
    Lincoln Alexander
    -External links:* * *...

     (1991–2007)
  • Pamela Wallin
    Pamela Wallin
    Pamela Wallin, OC, SOM is a former Canadian television journalist and diplomat. On January 2, 2009, she was seated in the Canadian Senate, where she sits as a Conservative.-Early life and career:...

     (2007–2011)

Presidents

  • John Douglas MacLachlan
    John Douglas MacLachlan
    John Douglas MacLachlan was a Canadian botanist and the first president of the University of Guelph.Born on a farm near Burritts Rapids, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry and biology at Queen's University in 1931. He received a Master of Arts degree in 1933 and Ph.D. in...

     (1964–1967)
  • William Winegard
    William Winegard
    William Charles Winegard, PC, OC, FGU, FASM is a Canadian educator, engineer, scientist and former Member of Parliament....

     (1967–1975)
  • Donald Forster
    Donald Forster
    Donald Forster was a Canadian academic. He was president of the University of Guelph, and was appointed president of the University of Toronto just before his death....

     (1975–1983)
  • Burton Matthews (1983–1988)
  • Brian Segal
    Brian Segal
    Brian Segal is a publishing executive and former university administrator. He is the president and CEO of the Rogers Publishing division of Rogers Communications....

     (1988–1993)
  • Mordechai Rozanski
    Mordechai Rozanski
    Mordechai Rozanski became Rider University’s sixth president on August 1, 2003. In his first year, he has built upon both the foundation of his predecessors and Rider’s rich history...

     (1993–2003)
  • Alastair Summerlee
    Alastair Summerlee
    Alastair J. S. Summerlee became the 7th President of the University of Guelph on July 15, 2003.President Summerlee, whose career as a scholar, professor, researcher, and administrator spans nearly 30 years, joined the University of Guelph faculty in 1988 as a professor in the Department of...

     (2003–Present)

Athletics

The university is represented in the Ontario University Athletics
Ontario University Athletics
Ontario University Athletics is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and events to the public...

 and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree granting universities in the country. Its equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association...

 by the Guelph Gryphons
Guelph Gryphons
The Guelph Gryphons are the athletic teams that represent the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The university's varsity teams compete in the Ontario University Athletics conference of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport and, where applicable, in the west division.-Varsity...

. The school colors are red, black and yellow or gold. The UG's mascot is a Gryphon named Gryph. The current athletic director is Tom Kendall.

The University offers 15 varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...

 sports for men and 15 for women. OUA only sports include baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 (men), figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...

 (women), golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

, Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....

, rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

, and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 (men). Currently 7 out of every 10 Guelph students participate in athletics, recreation or fitness programming.

Nationally, the OUA is one of the CIS
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree granting universities in the country. Its equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association...

 conferences, along with Atlantic University Sport
Atlantic University Sport
Atlantic University Sport is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and events to the public and...

, Canada West Universities Athletic Association
Canada West Universities Athletic Association
The Canada West Universities Athletic Association is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and...

, and the Quebec Student Sports Federation
Quebec Student Sports Federation
The Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec formerly known as the Quebec Student Sports Federation is the governing body of primary and secondary school, collegiate and university sport in Quebec...

. CIS sports which UG participates in include basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...

 (women), Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...

 (men), ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

, rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 (women), soccer, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...

, track & field, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

 and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...

. The Gryphon's men's football team won its only national championship in 1984. In 2006-2007, the University of Guelph won CIS titles in cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

 (men) and cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

 (women) while finishing as runners-up in rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 (women). Following dual titles in cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

 at the end of 2007,the Gryphons repeated in the spring of 2008 winning track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

 (men) and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

 (women) making Guelph the first school to win both men's and women's cross country and track CIS titles in one season. In 2008 the Gryphon's Men's Lacrosse team won the Baggataway Cup at the Canadian national field lacrosse champions with a 14-9 win over McGill University at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton.

Painting Old Jeremiah

Old Jeremiah is the name of an antique British naval gun that currently rests along Winegard Walk in Branion Plaza, at the heart of the University of Guelph campus. Rumoured to have seen battle during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

, Old Jeremiah was last fired in April 1913. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the gun's barrel was plugged and it was brought to campus by students as a sign of remembrance for those lost in battle. It is often referred to simply and affectionately as The Cannon. During the 1970s, Old Jeremiah was briefly relocated to Johnston Green and renamed The Big Johnston.

As a result of jovial rivalry between Engineering and Agricultural Science students ("Aggies"), the cannon has enjoyed plenty of movement around the Guelph campus in the past as a result of practical jokes between the two majors. Although it is nearly impossible to nail down the exact previous locations of the cannon, it is rumoured to have traveled all over campus, at one point even perching on top of MacNaughton (a prominent university building containing the Bookstore), and at another even disappearing altogether and showing up a day later on the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...

 campus. Eventually, fed up with the movement of Old Jeremiah, university officials cemented the cannon in place where it sits today. However, as a final stab at humour, a group of students shifted the still-mobile direction of the cannon's face, and aimed it at the fourth floor of the University Center, home of the institution's senior administration. Old Jeremiah rests in this position today.

Despite its movement, the cannon enjoyed relative tranquility until the 1950s when an aspiring entrepreneurial student came up with the idea of painting a message on the highly visible landmark. The act of "painting the cannon" has since become a campus tradition with students, residences, sports teams, clubs and others braving the early morning hours to paint messages on the cannon, most often about upcoming events but also including birthday announcements, wedding proposals and public insults. The etiquette governing "painting the cannon" is unofficial but well-understood: 1) do not begin painting the cannon until the sun has set, 2) be finished by the time the first students arrive for classes in the morning, and 3) avoid profanity or coarse language. It is well-accepted practice to "guard" the cannon until sunrise so as to avoid another person or group painting over one's message.

In the fall of 2010, Master of Fine Arts student and art teacher Dawn Johnston began to strip Old Jeremiah of all the layers of paint it had accumulated since the 1950s as an art project. Calling it "[her] form of sculpture," Johnston completed the project over a week's time within a wooden enclosure to avoid the watchful eyes of passing students. Some students were upset about the removal, claiming that Johnston was "taking away [their] history," although the project was done with the approval of university faculty. Upon completion, the enclosure was removed and the bare cannon was revealed, however the tradition of painting Old Jeremiah has since resumed.

The Pep Rally

This successful cornerstone of the University of Guelph’s Orientation program takes place each year at the beginning of Orientation Week. All new students within each residence are taught a dance - often referred to as the Hall Boogie - which is performed to a variety of mixed popular songs. Awards are presented to the Halls which demonstrate the best spirit, creativity, synchronisation and co-ordination. Many of the dances are very impressive, despite being practiced in typically an hour or less.

A University of Guelph trademark dance move, Winding Your Toy, is almost always incorporated into each boogie, usually to a bass-heavy dance track. A winding motion is made with the rear hand - as if winding a wind-up toy - while the knees are bent in rhythm. The origins of "winding the toy" are not well known, yet it retains notoriety among students and friends of students at the university.
The Rally is the kick-off to the remainder of Orientation activities. The University of Guelph must apply for a special noise permit for the event as the activity can often be heard for miles.

In 2004, "Student Power" was introduced as a low-key alternative event to the Pep Rally for anyone who may not be as inclined to participate in the highly energetic and boisterous Pep Rally.

College Royal

An annual feature of the university is its open house, known as College Royal. For a weekend each March, every part of the campus and its programs is exhibited to the public, from the barns of the Agricultural College to the sugar bush in the arboretum. It is highly popular with visitors of all ages, especially families with children who take advantage of the March break (the usual Ontario school break) to have an outing.

The 2006 College Royal was visited by Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...

, taping a segment for his show, the Rick Mercer Report
Rick Mercer Report
Rick Mercer Report is a Canadian television comedy series which airs on CBC Television...

.

Newspapers and magazines

  • The Ontarion
    The Ontarion
    The Ontarion is an independent English-language student newspaper published at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. As of 2004, it publishes each Thursday with over 10,000 copies distributed weekly on and off campus during the fall and winter semester and bi-weekly during the summer...

     - since 1951 and publishes every Thursday
  • The Peak
  • Hornblower: The HTM Magazine - since 1973, official publication of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
  • At Guelph - University's official newspaper
  • Herd The Werd - Interhall Council's seasonal publication for residence students

The Cannon

The Cannon is an online website co-founded by The Guelph Campus Co-operative and the CSA created for, and funded by, undergraduate students. Although it has a paid editor, all students are encouraged to submit news articles, announcements for upcoming events, opinion pieces, digital photographs and other content that Guelph students may find interesting or useful. Founded in September 2002, the site has features such as Rate-a-Prof, where students share insight and opinions regarding professors, and a free classifieds section, available as a means of buying and selling used textbooks and course materials. The name of the site is a reference to Old Jeremiah, as the website parallels the use of the cannon as a campus-wide message board.

Alumni

The University of Guelph alumni keep touch with the university by a magazine which is named "The Portico". This magazine is sent to University of Guelph alumni each semester and they can find university news there. For names and articles about University of Guelph alumni, see University of Guelph alumni.

See also

  • Canadian government scientific research organizations
    Canadian government scientific research organizations
    Expenditures by federal and provincial organizations on scientific research and development accounted for about 10% of all such spending in Canada in 2006...

  • Canadian industrial research and development organizations
    Canadian industrial research and development organizations
    Expenditures by Canadian corporations on research and development accounted for about 50% of all spending on scientific research and development in Canada in 2007....

  • Canadian Interuniversity Sport
    Canadian Interuniversity Sport
    Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree granting universities in the country. Its equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association...

  • Canadian university scientific research organizations
    Canadian university scientific research organizations
    Expenditures by Canadian universities on scientific research and development accounted for about 40% of all spending on scientific research and development in Canada in 2006....

  • Higher education in Ontario
    Higher education in Ontario
    Higher education in Ontario includes postsecondary education and skills training regulated by the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities and provided by universities, colleges of applied arts and technology, and private career colleges. The current minister is Glen Murray who assumed the...

  • List of Ontario Universities
  • Muck Crops Research Station
    Muck Crops Research Station
    The Muck Crops Research Station is an agriculture research facility near Kettleby and Ansnorveldt, in Ontario, Canada. It is operated by the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph....

  • Ontario Student Assistance Program
    Ontario Student Assistance Program
    The Ontario Student Assistance Program is a financial aid program delivered by the government of Ontario, Canada, for post-secondary education students...

  • Ontario Veterinary College
    Ontario Veterinary College
    The Ontario Veterinary College is the oldest and one of the most well known veterinary school in Canada and North America. It is located on the campus of the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario...

  • University of Guelph Arboretum
    University of Guelph Arboretum
    The Guelph Arboretum is modeled after the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University which was founded in 1872. The Arnold Arboretum is privately endowed as a department of Harvard just as the Guelph Arboretum is a department of the University of Guelph...


Further reading

  • David R. Murray, 'Hatching the Cowbird's Egg: The Creation of the University of Guelph'. Guelph: University of Guelph, 1989.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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