The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a
public university
A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...
with two primary campuses in
Fredericton
Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...
and
Saint John,
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
. It is the oldest English-language university in Canada, and among the oldest public universities in North America.
[University of New Brunswic]
Retrieved on: August 18, 2008. UNB was founded by a group of seven
Loyalist (American Revolution), Loyalists who left the United States after the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
.
[Happy Birthday to the University of New Brunswick](_blank)
. ''MacLeans''. By Julia Belluz
Julia Belluz is a Canadian journalist who specializes in health and science reporting. She is the senior health correspondent for American news website '' Vox'', as of August 2020. Belluz is known for her reporting on various public health issu ...
. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
UNB has two main campuses: the original campus, founded in 1785 in
Fredericton
Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...
, and a smaller campus which opened in
Saint John in 1964. The Saint John campus is home to New Brunswick's anglophone medical school, Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, an affiliate of
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...
. In addition, there are two small satellite health sciences campuses located in
Moncton
Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. The ...
and
Bathurst, New Brunswick, and two offices in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
and in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. UNB offers over 75 degrees in fourteen faculties at the
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...
and
graduate levels with a total student enrolment of approximately 9,700 between the two principal campuses. UNB was named the most entrepreneurial university in Canada at the 2014 Startup Canada Awards.
The University of New Brunswick has educated numerous Canadian federal cabinet ministers including
Sir John Douglas Hazen,
William Pugsley
William Pugsley (September 27, 1850 – March 3, 1925) was a politician and lawyer in New Brunswick, Canada.
Biography
He was born in Sussex, New Brunswick, the son of William Pugsley, of United Empire Loyalist descent, and Frances Jane Hay ...
and
Gerald Merrithew
Gerald Stairs "Gerry" Merrithew (September 23, 1931 – September 5, 2004), born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, was an educator, provincial and federal politician, and statesman.
Merrithew graduated from the New Brunswick Teachers' Col ...
, many Premiers of New Brunswick such as
Frank McKenna
Francis Joseph McKenna (born January 19, 1948) is a Canadian businessman and former politician and diplomat. He is currently Deputy Chairman of the Toronto-Dominion Bank. He served as Canadian Ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2006 ...
and
Blaine Higgs
Blaine Myron Higgs (born March 1, 1954) is a Canadian politician who is the 34th and current premier of New Brunswick since 2018 and leader of the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party (PC Party) since 2016.
Higgs graduated from the U ...
, two puisne justices of the Supreme Court of Canada,
Oswald Smith Crocket and
Gérard La Forest, as well as prominent artists and writers. UNB had ties to the
Confederation Poets ''Confederation Poets'' is the name given to a group of Canadian poets born in the decade of Canada's Confederation (the 1860s) who rose to prominence in Canada in the late 1880s and 1890s. The term was coined by Canadian professor and literary cr ...
movement;
Bliss Carman and
Sir Charles G.D. Roberts were alumni.
History
Founding and charters
In 1783,
Loyalist
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...
settlers began to build upon the ruins of a former
Acadian
The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...
village called Ste-Anne-des-Pays-Bas. The new settlement was named Frederick's Town in honour of
Prince Frederick, son of
King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
and uncle of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
.
["Fredericton"](_blank)
. ''Collections Canada''. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
Initially modelled on the
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
ideals of older, European institutions, the University of New Brunswick was founded in 1785 as the Academy of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The petition requesting the establishment of the school, titled "The Founders' Petition of 1785," was addressed to Governor
Thomas Carleton
General Thomas Carleton (c. 1735 – 2 February 1817) was an Irish-born British Army officer who was promoted to colonel during the American Revolutionary War after relieving the siege of Quebec in 1776. After the war, he was appointed as L ...
and was signed by seven
Loyalist
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...
men:
William Paine,
William Wanton
William Wanton (September 15, 1670 – December 1733) was a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving a short term prior to his death. He spent most of his adult life in the civil and military service of the colon ...
, George Sproule,
Zephaniah Kingsley, Sr.,
John Coffin,
Ward Chipman, and Adino Paddock.
["The Founders' Petition of 1785"](_blank)
''UNB Libraries''. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
![UNB Old Arts Building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/UNB_Old_Arts_Building.jpg)
By an 1800 provincial charter, signed by
Jonathan Odell, the Academy of Liberal Arts and Sciences became the College of New Brunswick.
["Historical Sketch of UNB"](_blank)
. ''About UNB''. Retrieved 2012-03-03. The college was succeeded by King's College, which was granted by royal charter in December 1827. King's College operated under the control of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
until 1859, when it was made non-sectarian by an act of the provincial legislature that transformed the college into the University of New Brunswick.
["UNB's Heraldic Tapestries"](_blank)
''UNB Libraries''. Retrieved 2012-03-03. In 1866, Mary Kingsley Tibbits became the first regularly admitted female student of UNB. By 1867, the University of New Brunswick had two faculties: Arts and Applied Science. It awarded the degrees of
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
,
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
,
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
, and
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...
. The latter was awarded only in the fields of
civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...
,
electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
, and
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
.
UNB was one of only two schools in Canada in the late 1800s that offered a Forestry Engineering degree (the other being the University of Toronto). So when the federal government began creating Dominion Forests on federal land in Western Canada between 1899 and 1906, most of the first Forest Rangers were from UNB.
20th/21st centuries
In 1906, UNB established a bicameral system of university government consisting of a senate responsible for academic policy, and a board of governors exercising exclusive control over financial policy and other matters. The president, appointed by the board, was to provide a link between the two bodies and to provide institutional leadership. At this time, the university had 156 male students, 21 female students, and only eleven academic staff, who were all male.
In 1964, a second, smaller campus was established in
Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of Ki ...
. The growth of the UNBSJ campus is particularly notable, for the campus began with only 96 students spread throughout various buildings in Saint John's central business district. In 1968, UNBSJ moved to its new home at Tucker Park.
In 1968 the university's governance structure was reorganized with the aim of giving faculty members control of academic affairs. The UNB Act of 1968 led to the formation of two governing bodies, both chaired by the president. The Board of Governors, whose role was to oversee and give guidance to president as "chief executive officer" was to have four faculty representatives, while the majority of the Senate was to be made up of faculty members elected by their peers.
The
Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers (AUNBT) was established in 1954; in 1979, this association became the bargaining agent for all full-time academic staff, and in 2008, it achieved certification for contract academic staff.
Relocation of the Faculty of Law
![UNBSJ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/UNBSJ.jpg)
In 1959, the Faculty of Law moved from Saint John to Fredericton following a report on the status of legal education in Canada by Professor Maxwell Cohen from
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
. In his report, Cohen stated that the Saint John Law School was only "nominally a faculty of UNB". This prompted
Lord Beaverbrook
William Maxwell Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook (25 May 1879 – 9 June 1964), generally known as Lord Beaverbrook, was a Canadian-British newspaper publisher and backstage politician who was an influential figure in British media and politics o ...
, as Chancellor, and UNB President
Colin B. Mackay, to permanently move the Saint John Law School to the UNB Fredericton campus, despite the Dean's objections.
The Strax affair
In March 1969 UNB was censured by the
Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) because of its suspension of Norman Strax, a physics professor who had led protests in September 1968 against the introduction of
photo id
Photo identification or photo ID is an identity document that includes a photograph of the holder, usually only their face. The most commonly accepted forms of photo ID are those issued by government authorities, such as driver's licenses, ident ...
cards. The censure was lifted after the university agreed to engage in arbitration with Strax. Among the "tumultuous events" of the 1968–69 academic year were the occupation by Strax's supporters of his office in Loring Bailey Hall and the prosecution and jailing of a student journalist over an article in the ''
Brunswickan
''The Brunswickan'' is the official student newspaper of the Fredericton campus of the University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Canada. It has a circulation of 4,000 and issues are published on the first Wednesday each month, traditionally run ...
''.
Polytechnic controversy
In the fall of 2007, a report commissioned by the provincial government recommended that UNBSJ and the
New Brunswick Community College
New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) is a community college located throughout various locations in New Brunswick, Canada including Moncton, Miramichi, Fredericton (its head office), Saint John, St. Andrews, and Woodstock.
New Brunswick Co ...
be reformed and consolidated into a new
polytechnic post-secondary institute. The proposal immediately came under heavy criticism and led to the several organized protests. Under heavy fire from the public, the
Graham government eventually announced that it would set aside the possibility of UNB Saint John losing its status as a university and would refer the report to a working group for further study. The government would go on to announce in January that UNBSJ would retain its liberal arts program and its association with UNB and the working group reported back to government in May, with its findings and government's response being made public in June.
Campuses
Currently UNBF has approximately 9,000 students, while UNBSJ has 3,000. Though UNBF has more students at the moment, UNBSJ is growing at a faster rate. Both campuses have undergone significant expansion over the years, and many university buildings have received funding from Lord Beaverbrook and other prominent industrialists and philanthropists. UNB's largest expansion coincided with the
baby boom
A baby boom is a period marked by a significant increase of birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds of defined national and cultural populations. People born during these periods are often ca ...
, when its Fredericton campus tripled in size.
Fredericton
The UNB Fredericton campus is located on a hill overlooking the
Saint John River. The campus is well known for its colourful fall foliage, Georgian style red-brick buildings, and a very steep hill. UNB Fredericton has shared the "College Hill" with
St. Thomas University (STU) since 1964, when the former St. Thomas College moved from Chatham, NB (now
Miramichi The name "Miramichi" was first applied to a region in the northeast of New Brunswick, Canada, and has since been applied to other places in Canada and the United States. Although other interpretations have been suggested, it is believed that "Mirami ...
). While the universities share some infrastructure, they remain separate institutions.
Architecture
Architect
G. Ernest Fairweather
G. Ernest Fairweather was a prominent Canadian architect. While also he built residential structures, he is best known for his commercial buildings.
Buildings
Saint John
* 200 - 206 Germain Stree* 114 and 116 Wentworth Stree* Carnegie Building, ...
designed several of the campus buildings, including the Old Civil Engineering Building (1900) and the Gymnasium (1906). In addition, several of the stained glass windows in the Convocation Hall were created by
Robert McCausland Limited
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
.
UNBF's War Memorial Hall (usually referred to as Memorial Hall), originally built as a science building in 1924, honours the 35 UNB Alumni who died in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
UNBF's Brigadier Milton F. Gregg, V.C., Centre for the Study of War and Society (usually referred to as The Gregg Centre) was created in 2006.
The Richard J. Currie Center, a five-storey 139,000-square-foot building, was constructed in 2013.
National Historic Sites
Two buildings on the Fredericton campus have been designated
National Historic Sites of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...
: the 1827
Sir Howard Douglas Hall
Sir Howard Douglas Hall, commonly referred to as "The Old Arts Building", is the oldest university building still in use in Canada, completed in 1827. The building is named after Howard Douglas and is located on the Fredericton campus of the Uni ...
(the Old Arts Building), and the 1851
William Brydone Jack Observatory.
Saint John
The UNB Saint John campus (UNBSJ) is located in Tucker Park in the
Millidgeville neighbourhood, several kilometres north of the city's central business district, and has views of the Kennebecasis River and Grand Bay. New Brunswick's largest health care facility,
Saint John Regional Hospital, is located adjacent to the UNBSJ campus. Since 2010, the UNBSJ campus has been home to Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, a medical school that operates as a partnership between the
Government of New Brunswick
The Government of New Brunswick (french: Gouvernement du Nouveau-Brunswick) refers to the provincial government of the province of New Brunswick. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867.
The Provinces and territories of ...
, the University of New Brunswick and
Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine.
The Saint John campus has undergone expansion over the years and is the fastest growing component of the UNB system with many new buildings constructed between the 1970s and the first decade of the 21st century. A trend in recent years has been a growth in the number of international students.
![Commons unbsj 003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Commons_unbsj_003.JPG)
Notable differences from its parent campus in Fredericton lay in the campus culture. While UNB Fredericton has a substantial number of students living in its on-campus residences, this is not the case for UNBSJ. The majority of students do not live within walking distance of the campus due to its remote location, so unlike Fredericton, Saint John is predominantly a "commuter campus".
Architecture
Construction on the Hans W. Klohn Commons began on April 1, 2010, and the building officially opened on September 7, 2011. This building is one of the most environmentally friendly buildings in
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
.
["A smarter, greener library"](_blank)
''UNB Excellence''. Retrieved 2012-03-03. The building features an electric elevator that produces power for the commons. The building is part of the Tucker Park enhancement project, which includes the refurbishment of the Canada Games Stadium, the new Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick facility, and the New Brunswick Community College's Allied Health building. The Commons houses the library, Writing Centre, Math and Science Help Centre, an IT help desk, and the Commons Cafe.
A new residence building, named the Barry and Flora Beckett Residence, which opened in Winter 2021, is a geothermally-heated building, offering 104 beds. This new residence building is named after the Becketts; two prominent figures in the campus' history. Dr Barry Beckett taught as a chemistry professor all the way back when UNB Saint John was just a campus in uptown Saint John, while Dr Flora Beckett taught mathematics and served as the director of the Math Help Centre. With the announcement of the Integrated Health Initiative (IHI), the campus is set to reconstruct the currently (unused) Ward Chipman Library into the new Health and Social Innovation Centre.
Programs
There are over 75 undergraduate programs, while the School of Graduate Studies offers course and research-based programs in over 30 fields. UNB has a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
* Arts - Anthropology (Fredericton), Classics and Ancient History (Fredericton), Creative Writing (Fredericton), Culture and Media Studies (Fredericton), Drama (Fredericton), Economics (Fredericton), English (Fredericton), French (Fredericton), History (Fredericton), History & Politics (Saint John), Humanities & Languages (Saint John), International Development Studies (Fredericton), Philosophy (Fredericton), Political Science (Fredericton), Psychology (Fredericton), Psychology (Saint John), Social Science (Saint John), Sociology (Fredericton)
* Business - Faculty of Business (Saint John), Faculty of Management (Fredericton)
* Computer Science - Computer Science (Fredericton), Computer Science (Saint John)
* Education - Faculty of Education (Fredericton)
* Engineering - Chemical Engineering (Fredericton), Civil Engineering (Fredericton), Electrical Engineering (Fredericton), Software Engineering (Fredericton), Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering (Fredericton), Geological Engineering (Fredericton), Mechanical Engineering (Fredericton), two-year Engineering Certificate (Saint John)
* Forestry - Forestry & Environmental Management (Fredericton)
*Health - Society and Health (Saint John), Management in Health (Saint John), Biomedical Sciences and Health (Saint John)
* Kinesiology - Faculty of Kinesiology (Fredericton)
* Law - Faculty of Law (Fredericton)
* Leadership Studies - Renaissance College (Fredericton)
* Nursing - Faculty of Nursing (Fredericton), Faculty of Nursing (Moncton), Humber College (Toronto), Nursing & Health Sciences (Saint John)
* Science - Biological Sciences (Saint John), Biology (Fredericton), Chemistry (Fredericton), Earth Sciences (Fredericton), Environmental Sciences (Fredericton), Mathematics and Statistics (Fredericton), Mathematics and Statistics (Saint John), Physics (Fredericton), Physics (bi-campus)
Research and academics
UNB is the seat of 14 Canada Research Chairs and is home to more than 60 research centres and institutes. It conducts about 75 per cent of all university research in the province. UNB's annual research spending (2013–14) generated $32.2 million i
for the New Brunswick economy. Between 2004 and 2009, the university's research revenue increased by 77 per cent: the highest increase among Canadian comprehensive universities.
UNB has developed technology used by Google, is a research partner with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is a global leader in powered prosthetic research and developing MRI technology, and is home to one of the motion analysis labs in North America as well as the world's first research centre in dermoskeletics.
Reputation
In 2021, UNB was awarded 5 stars from the ''
QS World University Rankings
''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for the ...
'', the second university in Atlantic Canada to receive this rating.
In ''
Maclean's
''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...
'' 2023 "comprehensive university" rankings, UNB ranked eigth out of 15 universities, tied with
Toronto Metropolitan University
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) is a public university, public research university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Garden District, although i ...
.
In 2014, UNB was awarded the most entrepreneurial university in Canada by Startup Canada.
The university has also supported in launching 23 new startup companies as of 2015.
In 2012, UNB's law school was ranked second nationally in elite firm hiring by ''Maclean's''. According to Canadian Lawyer Magazine, the law school ranks among the top five in Canada.
In 2008, the ''
National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
'' and the ''
Ottawa Citizen
The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
History
Established as ''The Bytown Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the '' ...
'' recognized UNB as being among the top three comprehensive research universities in Canada for the highest percentage growth of research income across a five-year period.
Poets' Corner
Because so many of UNB's students, alumni, and professors have produced celebrated poetry, the city of Fredericton has earned the nickname "Poets' Corner." Two of Canada's four
Confederation Poets ''Confederation Poets'' is the name given to a group of Canadian poets born in the decade of Canada's Confederation (the 1860s) who rose to prominence in Canada in the late 1880s and 1890s. The term was coined by Canadian professor and literary cr ...
–
Sir Charles G.D. Roberts and
Bliss Carman – were educated at UNB, as was
Francis Joseph Sherman, along with a number of notable 20th- and 21st-century Canadian writers. In 1947, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada unveiled a "Poet's Corner" monument in honour of Carman, Roberts, and Sherman.
["Poets' Corner"](_blank)
''UNB Archives' 225th Anniversary Projects''. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
. ''Collections Canada''. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
Institute of Biomedical Engineering
The Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME) on the Fredericton campus is one of the research institutes in biomedical engineering in Canada. It was founded in 1965 as the Bio-Engineering Institute, making it one of the oldest research institutes to be solely dedicated to the field of biomedical engineering. The institute is also the region's prosthetic fitting centre where amputees are fitted with "intelligent" artificial limbs. The institute also carries out research in the field of myoelectric signal processing, biomedical instrumentation and human
motion analysis Motion analysis is used in computer vision, image processing, high-speed photography and machine vision that studies methods and applications in which two or more consecutive images from an image sequences, e.g., produced by a video camera or high ...
. The IBME also developed the UNB Test of Prosthetic Function which is used by researchers all over the world. Although the institute does not offer degrees in biomedical engineering, students at UNB usually enrol in one of the other faculties of engineering such as electrical or mechanical and pursue their research in biomedical engineering at the IBME.
Canadian Rivers Institute
The Canadian Rivers Institute was founded in 2000 and is a site of
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
sciences research. The mandate of the CRI is to conduct both multi-disciplinary basic and applied research focusing on rivers from their
headwaters to their
estuaries
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
, to promote the conservation, protection and sustainable use of water, and to educate professionals, graduate students and the public on water sciences. Members of the CRI conduct research on regional, national and international issues related to rivers and their land-water linkages.
With researchers from both UNB campuses, the CRI develops the aquatic science needed to understand, protect and sustain water resources. Since 2013, the CRI and its partners have been working with NB Power to research the potential environmental impacts of the future options being considered for the Mactaquac Generating Station. The Mactaquac Dam on the Saint John River will reach the end of its lifespan by 2030, and CRI has been evaluating key environmental challenges such as river health, fish passage and flow management. In 2015, CRI was given an additional $2.8 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to conduct an aquatic ecosystem study on the Saint John River.
In 2021,
Parks Canada
Parks Canada (PC; french: Parcs Canada),Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 48 National Parks, th ...
announced their first research chair in aquatic restoration, carrying out
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlantic salmon are ...
recovery research with researchers from the Canadian Rivers Institute.
Mi'kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre (MWC)
UNB created its BEd program for
First Nations students in 1977 in an effort to help First Nations communities take control of their own schools. In 1981, the Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Institute (MMI), the former name of the MWC, opened its doors with an expanded mandate to train professionals and improve First Nations access to First Nations education. The Institute provided a variety of services, including research, curriculum development, language education, policy development, children's literacy, and more. In addition, the Institute funded the Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Resource Collection, which contains materials that are immensely valuable to knowledge of First Nations culture, history, and perspective in the region.
Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy
The Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy was founded in 1996 as the Atlantic Centre for Policy Research, supported by the Canadian Institute For Advanced Research. The name change took effect in January, 2000. The institute was designated as a Statistics Canada Research Data Centre in 2002. The institute brings interdisciplinary researchers together to focus on issues pertaining to social policy on a national and international level, specifically issues relevant to children and youth development. Projects included the New Brunswick Schools Early Literacy Initiative; Mapping Literacy as a Determinant of Healt;, Raising and Leveling the Bar: A Collaborative Research Initiative on Children's Learning, Behavioural, and Health Outcomes; and the Confident Learners Initiative.
Faculty of Engineering
The Faculty of Engineering at UNB is the first to offer engineering degrees in Canada. It has five departments and offers seven accredited engineering programmes in Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical, Geomatics Engineering, Geological Engineering (jointly offered with the Faculty of Science), Mechanical Engineering, and Software Engineering (jointly offered with the Faculty of Computer Science). The faculty had 920 full-time equivalent students as of Winter 2021.
Medical Training Centre
The University of New Brunswick's Medical Training Centre is the first anglophone school of medicine in New Brunswick. It is a joint medical programme, offered with
Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine.
Scholarships
UNB awards over five million dollars in scholarships each year.
These include the
Blake-Kirkpatrick, Beaverbrook, and President's scholarships. With $7.2 million available in undergraduate scholarships, one in two students entering UNB from high school received a scholarship as of 2015. UNB has a scholarship guarantee in which any admitted student with an average of 80% or higher will receive a guaranteed amount of five hundred dollars.
As a member of the
Loran Scholars university consortium, UNB offers a matching tuition waiver as part of a $100,000 undergraduate scholarship to recognize incoming students who demonstrate "exemplary character, service and leadership". Five Loran Scholars have studied at UNB over the years. Additionally, it is part of the
Schulich Leader Scholarships
The Schulich Leader Scholarships is a Canadian and Israeli undergraduate award program that provides scholarships for students enrolled in STEM areas of study. Established in 2011 following a $100 million gift from Canadian businessman and phila ...
program, awarding an $100,000
STEM
Stem or STEM may refer to:
Plant structures
* Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang
* Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure
* Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
scholarship to an incoming engineering student and a $80,000 scholarship to a science, technology, or mathematics student each year.
Student life
UNB has approximately 10,000 students from over 100 countries. Students have over 125 clubs and societies to choose from between the Fredericton and Saint John campuses and there are 13 residences available to students in Fredericton and two in Saint John. Students on both campuses have access to UNB's facilities, fitness classes and outdoor activities such as snowshoeing and kayaking. There are exchanges available in more than 35 countries around the world with over 89 university partners.
Athletics
![UNB_Reds_Logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/UNB_Reds_Logo.png)
UNB Fredericton is represented in
U Sports
U Sports (stylized as U SPORTS) is the national sport 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 Ca ...
by the
UNB Reds
The UNB Reds are the athletic teams that represent the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
The Reds compete in the following sports: men's and women's basketball, men's and women's hockey, men's and women's soccer ...
while UNBSJ is represented in
CCAA by the
UNB Saint John Seawolves
The UNB Saint John Seawolves are the men's and women's athletic teams that represent University of New Brunswick from the University of New Brunswick#Saint John, Saint John campus in Saint John, New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. ...
.
The Reds compete in the following sports: men's and women's
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, men's and women's
hockey, men's and women's
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
, men's and women's
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. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
, and
swimming. Men's and women's track & field and cross country were added as a varsity sport for 2010–2011; this is a joint Fredericton/Saint John Campus program.
In the past, UNBF used different names for each individual sport's team; for instance, the men's swim team was the Beavers, and the hockey team was the Red Devils. The university club teams, which are supported financially by the Student Union as well as by individual members of the teams, do not use the Reds name and thus continue the tradition of using different nicknames for each sport.
Songs
Traditional among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various times such as
commencement,
convocation
A convocation (from the Latin ''wikt:convocare, convocare'' meaning "to call/come together", a translation of the Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:ἐκκλησία, ἐκκλησία ''ekklēsia'') is a group of people formally assembled for a speci ...
, and athletic events are "Carmina Universitatis Novi Brunsvici", "Alma Mater" (1904), and "UNB Anthem", with words by A.G. Bailey and music by D.V. Start.
Colloquial songs included "Bombers Away" to celebrate the football team:
Bombers away, my boys
Bombers away,
'Cause when you fight red bombers.
Fight you Bombers, Fight you Bombers,
Fight, Fight, Fight.
Notable academic milestones
UNB Saint John was the first university in Canada to offer an
e-business program with its bachelor of business administration in electronic commerce. The university has since been ranked by ''Canadian Business Magazine'' as first in e-business.
People
List of presidents
* Paul Mazerolle (2019-)
*
Eddy Campbell (2009-2019)
* John McLaughlin (2002-2009)
*
Elizabeth Parr-Johnston
Elizabeth Parr-Johnston, Order of Canada, CM (born Elizabeth H. Parr in 1939 in New York City, New York, NY) is a Canadian business woman. She is the Managing Partner of Parr-Johnston Consultants, an economic policy consultancy based in Chester B ...
(1996-2002)
* Robin L. Armstrong (1990-1996)
*
James Downey (1980-1990)
* John M. Anderson (1973-1980)
*
Desmond Pacey
William Cyril Desmond Pacey, (May 1, 1917 – July 4, 1975), was a pioneer of Canadian literary criticism. He was also a notable author of verse and short fiction and a long-time university administrator. He was awarded the Lorne Pierce Medal by ...
(1972)
*
James Owen Dineen (1969-1972)
*
Colin Bridges Mackay (1953-1969)
*
Albert William Trueman
Albert William Trueman, OC, FRSC (January 17, 1902 – June 29, 1988) was a teacher, professor, cultural and university administrator.
Early life
Trueman was born in the United States, where his New Brunswick-born father John Main Trueman ta ...
(1948-1953)
*
Milton Fowler Gregg (1944-1947)
*
Norman Archibald Macrae MacKenzie (1940-1944)
* Cecil Charles Jones (1906-1940)
* Thomas Harrison (1885-1906)
*
William Brydone Jack (1861-1885)
* Joseph R. Hea (1860-1861)
*
Edwin Jacob (1829-1860)
* James Somerville (1811-1828)
Notable current and former faculty
*
Xiaoyi Bao
Xiaoyi Bao () is a Chinese Canadian physicist, recognized for her contributions to the field of fiber optics. She is a professor at the University of Ottawa, where she holds the Canada Research Chair in Fiber Optics and Photonics. Bao was awarded ...
- Physicist, recognized for her contributions to the field of
fiber optics
An optical fiber, or optical fibre in Commonwealth English, is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Optical fibers are used most often as a means to ...
*
Bill Bauer - Poet and short-story writer, critically acclaimed for his "strikingly inventive imagination"
*
Philip Bryden Philip Bryden, BA ( Dalhousie) 1975, BA (Jurisprudence) (Oxford) 1978, B.C.L. (Oxford) 1979, LL.M. (Harvard) 1985 is a lawyer, and Deputy Minister.Sankey, Derek (2010)An Interview with the University of Alberta’s Dean of Law: Recognizing that A ...
- Current deputy minister of justice and deputy solicitor general of
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
*
E. Sandra Byers - academic psychologist and sexologist
*
Silver Donald Cameron
Silver Donald Cameron (June 21, 1937 – June 1, 2020) was a Canadian journalist, author, playwright, and university teacher whose writing focused on social justice, nature, and the environment. His 15 books of non-fiction dealt with everything ...
- Journalist, author, and playwright whose writing focused on social justice, nature, and the environment
*
Eddy Campbell - Mathematician and former University president (2009-2019)
*
Jacqui Cole
Jacqueline Manina Cole is the Head of the Molecular Engineering group in the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. Her research considers the design of functional materials for optoelectronic applications.
Early life and educatio ...
- Head of the
Molecular Engineering group in the
Cavendish Laboratory
The Cavendish Laboratory is the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge, and is part of the School of Physical Sciences. The laboratory was opened in 1874 on the New Museums Site as a laboratory for experimental physics and is named ...
at the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
*
Baron d'Avray - New Brunswick superintendent of education (1854-1858)
*
George Eulas Foster
Sir George Eulas Foster, GCMG, PC, PC (September 3, 1847 – December 30, 1931) was a Canadian politician and academic.
Foster was a Member of Parliament (MP) and a Senator in the Canadian Parliament for a total of 45 years, 5 months and ...
- Seven-times minister in the Government of Canada, and longtime member and senator in the Parliament of Canada
*
Karen Kidd - Aquatic ecotoxicologist and member of the
International Joint Commission
*
Gérard La Forest - Former
puisne justice of the
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; french: Cour suprême du Canada, CSC) is the Supreme court, highest court in the Court system of Canada, judicial system of Canada. It comprises List of Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, nine justices, wh ...
*
David Lametti - Current
minister of justice and attorney general of Canada
*
Nicole Letourneau - Child health scholar. Named to Canada's "Top 40 Under 40" people by the Globe and Mail (2008)
* Salem Masry - Founder of
Universal Systems/CARIS
*
Anne McLellan
A. Anne McLellan (born August 31, 1950) is a Canadian politician and academic who served as the ninth deputy prime minister of Canada from 2003 to 2006. She was a cabinet minister in the Liberal governments of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, ...
- Former
deputy prime minister of Canada
* Brigadier Maurice Tugwell - Founder of the
Mackenzie Institute
The Mackenzie Institute for the Study of Terrorism, Revolution and Propaganda is an independent and non-partisan think tank in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend ...
think tank
*
Petr Vaníček
Petr Vaníček (born 18 July 1935) is a Czech Canadian geodesist and theoretical List of geophysicists, geophysicist who has made important breakthroughs in theory of frequency spectrum#Spectrum analysis, spectral analysis and geoid computation.
...
- Geophysicist and geodesist. Instigator and president of the
Canadian Geophysical Union
The Canadian Geophysical Union (French: Union géophysique canadienne) (CGU) began as a society dedicated to the scientific study of the solid earth and has evolved into one that is concerned with all aspects of the physical study of Earth and its ...
(1986-1988)
Notable alumni
As of 2020, the University of New Brunswick reports 90,000 living alumni, with over 39,000 in New Brunswick.
File:Lord Beaverbrook 1947b.jpg, Lord Beaverbrook
William Maxwell Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook (25 May 1879 – 9 June 1964), generally known as Lord Beaverbrook, was a Canadian-British newspaper publisher and backstage politician who was an influential figure in British media and politics o ...
, Anglo-Canadian press baron & member of the British War Cabinet
A war cabinet is a committee formed by a government in a time of war to efficiently and effectively conduct that war. It is usually a subset of the full executive cabinet of ministers, although it is quite common for a war cabinet to have senior ...
File:Bliss Carman cph.3b15835.jpg, Bliss Carman, poet
File:Oswald Smith Crocket.jpg, Oswald Smith Crocket, Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
File:Wade MacLauchlan in DC (cropped).jpg, Wade MacLauchlan, former Premier of Prince Edward Island
The premier of Prince Edward Island is the first minister and head of government for the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Prince Edward Island.
The current premier of Prince Edward Island is Dennis King (politician), Den ...
File:Frank McKenna2.jpg, Frank McKenna
Francis Joseph McKenna (born January 19, 1948) is a Canadian businessman and former politician and diplomat. He is currently Deputy Chairman of the Toronto-Dominion Bank. He served as Canadian Ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2006 ...
, former Ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
& Premier of New Brunswick
The premier of New Brunswick ( French (masculine): ''premier ministre du Nouveau-Brunswick'', or feminine: ''première ministre du Nouveau-Brunswick'') is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of New Brunswick.
The ...
File:Anne Murray.jpg, Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian singer. Her albums, consisting primarily of pop, country, and adult contemporary music, have sold over 55 million copies worldwide during her over 40-year career.
Murray was the fir ...
, singer
File:Charles G. D. Roberts cph.3a43709.jpg, Sir Charles G.D. Roberts, author
Media
![UNB Student Union Building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/UNB_Student_Union_Building.jpg)
The university presses, ''The Baron'' and ''
The Brunswickan
''The Brunswickan'' is the official student newspaper of the Fredericton campus of the University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Canada. It has a circulation of 4,000 and issues are published on the first Wednesday each month, traditionally run ...
'', are members of
Canadian University Press
Canadian University Press is a non-profit co-operative and newswire service owned by more than 50 student newspapers at post-secondary schools in Canada. Founded in 1938, CUP is the oldest student newswire service in the world and the oldest ...
. Publishing since 1867, ''The Brunswickan'' is the oldest official student publication in Canada.
["Who We Are"](_blank)
. ''The Brunswickan''. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
UNB is also home to several notable magazines and journals, such as ''
The Fiddlehead
''The Fiddlehead'' is a Canadian literary magazine, published four times annually at the University of New Brunswick. It is the oldest Canadian literary magazine which is still in circulation.
History and profile
''The Fiddlehead'' was establis ...
'' and ''
Studies in Canadian Literature
''Studies in Canadian Literature/Études en littérature canadienne'' (''SCL/ÉLC'') is a bilingual journal of peer reviewed literary criticism published out of the University of New Brunswick. ''.
Radio
* 107.3FM
CFMH-FM
CFMH-FM is a Canadian radio station broadcasting at 107.3 MHz in Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the campus-based community radio station at the University of New Brunswick Saint John. CFMH-FM's studios and offices are located in the Thomas ...
(
Saint John)
* 97.9FM
CHSR-FM (
Fredericton
Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...
)
Newspapers
* ''The Baron'' (Saint John campus)
* ''
The Brunswickan
''The Brunswickan'' is the official student newspaper of the Fredericton campus of the University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Canada. It has a circulation of 4,000 and issues are published on the first Wednesday each month, traditionally run ...
'' (Fredericton campus)
* ''The Pillar'' (Engineering Newspaper) (Fredericton Campus)
Magazines and journals
* ''
The Fiddlehead
''The Fiddlehead'' is a Canadian literary magazine, published four times annually at the University of New Brunswick. It is the oldest Canadian literary magazine which is still in circulation.
History and profile
''The Fiddlehead'' was establis ...
''
* ''
Studies in Canadian Literature
''Studies in Canadian Literature/Études en littérature canadienne'' (''SCL/ÉLC'') is a bilingual journal of peer reviewed literary criticism published out of the University of New Brunswick. ''
* ''
Acadiensis''
See also
*
List of oldest universities in continuous operation
This article contains a list of the oldest existing universities in continuous operation in the world. Inclusion in this list is determined by the date at which the educational institute first met the traditional definition of a university used ...
*
Higher education in New Brunswick
Higher education in New Brunswick (also referred to as post-secondary education) refers to education provided by higher education institutions in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Higher education has a rich history in New Brunswick. The fi ...
*
List of universities and colleges in New Brunswick
*
List of historic places in New Brunswick
*
Maritime College of Forest Technology
*
Atlantic University Sport
*
U Sports
U Sports (stylized as U SPORTS) is the national sport 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 Ca ...
*
Canadian government 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.
Research in the natural and social sciences in Canada, with a few importa ...
*
Canadian industrial research and development organizations
Further reading
* Bailey, Alfred G., ed. ''The University of New Brunswick: Memorial Volume''. Fredericton: University of New Brunswick, 1950.
* McGahan, Peter. ''The Quiet Campus: A History of the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, 1959–1969.'' Fredericton: New Ireland Press, 1998.
* Montague, Susan. ''A Pictorial History of the University of New Brunswick''. Fredericton: University of New Brunswick, 1992.
References
External links
Arts Building, UNB, National Historic Site of CanadaWilliam Brydone Jack Observatory, UNB, National Historic Site of Canada
{{Authority control
Educational institutions established in 1785
1785 establishments in New Brunswick
Forestry education
Buildings and structures in Fredericton
Buildings and structures in Saint John, New Brunswick
Education in Saint John, New Brunswick
Education in Fredericton
Universities in New Brunswick
Distance education institutions based in Canada