St. Thomas University (also St. Thomas or STU) is a Catholic, English-language

liberal arts university A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capac ...

located 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 ...

, New Brunswick, Canada. It is a primarily undergraduate university offering bachelor's degrees in the arts ( humanities and social sciences), education, and

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

to approximately 1,900 students. The average class size is 30 and no class is larger than 60. The university offers a number of unique programs including recognized majors in

Criminology Criminology (from Latin , "accusation", and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'' meaning: "word, reason") is the study of crime and deviant behaviour. Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in both the behavioural and so ...

, Journalism, Human Rights, an
Communications and Public Policy
St. Thomas is the home of the Frank McKenna Centre for Communications and Public Policy. The university is unique in Canada for its sole focus on liberal arts and its commitment to social justice. St. Thomas' notable alumni includes a Canadian prime minister,

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney ( ; born March 20, 1939) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studied political sci ...

, a New Brunswick premier, Shawn Graham, federal and provincial cabinet ministers, prelates, university presidents as well as several Rhodes Scholars.

History

St. Thomas University traces its institutional origins to the establishment of a Catholic academy in the former community of Chatham, New Brunswick (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 ...

) in the late nineteenth century. Due to an influx of Irish immigration in northwestern New Brunswick, Chatham saw a need for more centres of education and religious instruction. Officially opened in October 1860, St. Michael's Academy was inaugurated by Bishop James Rogers of the newly formed Diocese of Chatham.Church, Politics, and STU: The Relocation of St. Thomas University from Chatham to Fredericton, p. 3-4. St. Michael's Academy catered to young English-speaking males in the Miramichi River Valley and the growing port town of Chatham. A women's academy was created a year later. St. Michael's consisted of a single wooden structure constructed near the seat of the Diocese of Chatham, the new St. Michael's Cathedral. The institution offered a classical education and was intended to prepare students to study for the diocesan priesthood. From 1865, the school was known as St. Michael's College. It closed for several years in the 1870s and 1880s. Its uneven operation was curbed by the Basilian Fathers, a religious order who assumed the administration of the College in 1910. Since the Toronto-based religious order already had a Catholic college in the Ontario capital, named St. Michael's College (a federated component of the University of Toronto), St. Michael's in Chatham was renamed St. Thomas College after Thomas Aquinas. It remained a high school and a junior college; however, in 1934 the institution gained degree granting status from the Government of New Brunswick.

After 1923, the Basilian Fathers transferred the administration of the college to the Diocese of Chatham. The diocese was restructured as the Diocese of Bathurst. Its seat was moved to the primarily francophone community, Bathurst, north of Chatham. While St. Thomas College remained in Chatham, its future remained uncertain. In 1959, the college was subject to territorial changes in the reorganized Diocese of Bathurst. English-speaking parishes and the college were transferred to the

Diocese of Saint John The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick ( la, Dioecesis Sancti Ioannis Canadensis) (erected 30 September 1842, as the Diocese of Saint John in America) is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Moncton. It was renamed on 15 November 19 ...

with its seat in New Brunswick's major port city. The Bishop of Saint John became the Chancellor of St. Thomas. By mid-century, the economic and social significance of post-secondary institutions saw an increased role of state intervention. In 1960, the institution was renamed St. Thomas University by an act of the New Brunswick Legislature. Under the government of Louis Robichaud, the Royal Commission on Higher Education was launched. Headed by

John James Deutsch John James Deutsch (26 February 1911 – March 18, 1976) was a prominent Canadian economist, who served as the first chairman of the Economic Council of Canada, and as principal (1968–74) of Queen's University. Born in Quinton, Saskatc ...

, a professor and administrator from

Queen's University Queen's or Queens University may refer to: *Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada *Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK **Queen's University of Belfast (UK Parliament constituency) (1918–1950) **Queen's University of Belfast ...

, the commission recommended greater centralization and public funding in post-secondary education. Arising from the Commission's recommendations, St. Thomas University was encouraged to relocate to the campus of the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton to share facilities. Not without controversy and animosity, St. Thomas University moved to the provincial capital and abandoned its secondary school curriculum. A new campus was built in the Neo-Georgian style by the architects of the University of New Brunswick (Larson & Larson) to complement the campus of its institutional neighbour. It officially welcomed students in October 1964. Today, St. Thomas University is largely a secular institution and remains the only exclusive liberal arts university in Canada.

Relationship with UNB

St. Thomas University and the University of New Brunswick's Fredericton campus are located in the College Hill neighbourhood in

. The two institutions share facilities for their student unions, libraries, athletics, and a common heating plant and building maintenance services. Students from STU are permitted to take a certain number of classes at UNB and vice versa. However, STU and UNBF itself are financially and academically separate. STU is able to offer many amenities other smaller schools cannot, in large part to its UNB partnership. The two universities enjoy a good-natured rivalry. UNB_Old_Arts_Building

Academics

STU offers the following programmes to students: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Applied Arts, Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Social Work. STU offers the following degrees to students: Anthropology, Catholic Studies, Communications and Public Policy, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Economics, Education, English Language and Literature (with the option to additionally concentrate in Creative Writing or Drama), Environment and Society, Fine Arts, French, Gerontology, Great Books, History, Human Rights, Humanities, Interdisciplinary Studies, International Relations, Irish Studies, Journalism, Mathematics, Media Studies, Native Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Romance Languages, Science and Technology Studies, Social Work, Sociology, Spanish, Women's Studies and Gender Studies.

Athletics

STU offers the following athletic programs for men: basketball, cross-country, soccer, and volleyball. STU offers the following athletic programs for women: basketball, cross country, soccer, volleyball, rugby, and hockey. Collectively, the St Thomas Tommies have won 41 ACAA titles and 2 AUS titles. Throughout these athletic endeavours STU has maintained an excellent academic status with 371 national scholars and 397 academic all-Canadians.

Scholarships and bursaries

The Government of Canada sponsors an Aboriginal Bursaries Search Tool that lists over 680 scholarships, bursaries, and other incentives offered by governments, universities, and industry to support Aboriginal post-secondary participation. St. Thomas University scholarships for

Aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...

, First Nations and

Métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...

students include: ATV Media Scholarship.

Research

At St. Thomas University, there are 6 focal areas of research: qualitative analysis, human rights and social justice, New Brunswick studies/Atlantic region, narrative studies, global and international studies, and on learning and teaching. The university holds Canada Research Chairs (with the associated research centres) in New Brunswick studies, social justice, qualitative analysis, and narrative. The university is home to the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Narrative.

Campus life

There are six academic buildings on campus housing classrooms and faculty offices. They are: James Dunn Hall, Edmund Casey Hall, George Martin Hall, Brian Mulroney Hall, Holy Cross House, and Margaret Norrie McCain Hall. James Dunn Hall also has a place for students to enjoy a warm cup of Tim Hortons coffee and a good subway sandwich. This building also has the famous wall of flags. Each international student in the school has their country's flag on this wall in order to show how diverse the school is. George Martin Hall has a Meal hall that provides All-You-Care-To-Eat dining. A student just needs to swipe there student card and not have to worry about paying each individual item. Students that live on campus have three meal plan options: Freedom meal plan, 14-meal plan. 10-meal pla

STU's athletic facility is called the J.B. O'Keefe Centre. There are four residence buildings at St. Thomas University. Three are located on campus (Harrington and Vanier Halls, and Holy Cross House), while one is located a short distance away (Rigby Hall). Students that move on campus are welcomed with very fun activities during the welcome week. This week is fully dedicated to help students gain familiarity with campus and have a positive transition to student life. It is usually organized by the student union.

The university maintains its own campus police force. Campus police members are students who are hired annually by the University to maintain security at campus events.The student newspaper,
The Aquinian ''The Aquinian'' is a student-owned-and-operated publication at St. Thomas University (STU) in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. ''The Aquinian'' is published on a weekly basis during the regular academic year and is a member of the Canadian ...
, is available on campus and around the city during the regular academic year.

Chancellors

Bishop of Chatham (1910–1938) after Bishop of Bathurst (1938–1959) * Thomas Francis Barry, 1910–1920 * Patrice Alexandre Chiasson, C.I.M., 1920–1942 * Camille-André LeBlanc, 1942–1959 Bishop of Saint John (1959–2019) * A.B. Leverman, 1959–1968 *

Joseph Neil MacNeil Joseph Neil MacNeil (April 15, 1924 – February 11, 2018) was a Canadian prelate of the Catholic Church. MacNeil was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and was ordained a priest on May 23, 1948. MacNeil was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Saint J ...

, 1969–1973 * Arthur Gilbert, 1974–1986 * J. Edward Troy, 1986–1997 * J. Faber MacDonald, C.S.C, 1998–2006 *

Martin William Currie Martin William Currie (born December 11, 1943) is a Canadian Catholic who was the seventh archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland. He retired in 2018 and holds the title of Archbishop Emeritus of St. John's. He had previously s ...

, (acting chancellor), 2006–2007 * Robert Harris, 2007–2019

lay Lay may refer to: Places *Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada *Lay, Loire, a French commune *Lay (river), France *Lay, Iran, a village *Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community People * Lay (surname) * ...

Chancellors (2020–Present) * Graydon Nicholas, since 2020

Presidents and Vice Chancellors

*Nicholas Roche, C.S.B., 1910–1911 *William J. Roach, C.S.B., 1911–1919 *Frederick Meader, C.S.B., 1920–1923 *Raymond Hawkes, 1923–1927 *James M. Hill, D.D., 1928–1945 *Charles V. O'Hanley, 1945–1948 *A.L. McFadden, 1948–1961 *Donald C. Duffie, 1961–1975 *George W. Martin, 1975–1990 *Daniel W. O'Brien, 1990–2006 *

Michael W. Higgins Michael William Higgins (born October 24, 1948) is a Canadian academic and writer. He was the interim principal of St. Mark's College and president of Corpus Christi College from July 15, 2020July 31, 2023 Higgins and his wife Krystyna, a profess ...

, 2006–2009 *

Dennis Cochrane Dennis H. Cochrane, CM (born 26 October 1950 in Moncton, New Brunswick) is a Canadian politician and civil servant. He graduated from the New Brunswick Teacher's College in 1970, received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Ne ...

, C.M., 2010–2011 *Dawn Russell, LL.M., 2011–2022

Notable alumni

File:Shawn Graham 2007.JPG, Shawn Graham, former Premier of New Brunswick File:Mulroney.jpg,

, former Prime Minister of Canada File:Thecandyshow.jpg,

Candy Palmater Candy Palmater (December 4, 1968 – December 25, 2021) was a Canadian actress, comedienne, and broadcaster. She was the creator and writer of her own national television show for APTN, ''The Candy Show'',Angelina ChapinSweet, hard-earned succes ...

, Miꞌkmaq comedian & activist File:David Adams Richards - DanH-4021 (cropped).jpg,

David Adams Richards David Adams Richards (born 17 October 1950) is a Canadian writer and member of the Canadian Senate.

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

& author File:Greg Thompson w poppy.jpg,

Greg Thompson Gregory Francis Thompson, (March 28, 1947 – September 10, 2019) was a Canadian politician who served six terms as a Member of Parliament (MP), and for one term he represented the district of Saint Croix in the New Brunswick Legislative Assemb ...

, Minister of Veterans Affairs

Notable faculty and staff

* T.J. Burke - first Indigenous person elected to a legislative assembly in Atlantic Canada and former

Attorney General of New Brunswick The Office of the Attorney General (french: Cabinet du procureur général) is a part of the government of New Brunswick. It is charged providing legal services to all departments and agencies of the government. The post of attorney general is the ...

Mike Eagles Michael Bryant Eagles (born March 7, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played sixteen seasons in the National Hockey League. He is currently the Athletic Director of St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswic ...

– former NHL hockey player *

Noël Kinsella Noël Augustus Kinsella, (born November 28, 1939) is a Canadian politician and was Speaker of the Senate of Canada from 2006 to 2014. Education Kinsella was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Univ ...

– former Speaker of the Senate of Canada *

Kelly Lamrock Kelly Lamrock (born February 5, 1970) is a lawyer and political consultant in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He was previously a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick for Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak, and Minister of ...

– former provincial cabinet minister and Attorney General of New Brunswick * Graydon Nicholas – first Indigenous Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, former judge, and first Indigenous law graduate from Atlantic Canada *