Brescia University College

This article is about the women's college in London, Ontario. For the university in Owensboro, Kentucky, see Brescia University

Brescia University College
Motto	Choose to Lead
Established	1919
Type	Affiliated college of The University of Western Ontario, Public university
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic
Principal	Dr. Colleen Hanycz
Academic staff	46
Undergraduates	922 full time + 135 part time
Postgraduates	12
Location	London, Ontario, Canada
Campus	Urban
Former names	Ursuline College (1919-1963) Brescia College (1963-2001)
Colours	Blue and Gold
Mascot	Bee (Queen Bee)
Affiliations	AUCC, IAU, COU, ACU, WCC
Website	http://www.brescia.uwo.ca

Brescia University College is a Catholic liberal arts college for women located in London, Ontario, Canada. Affiliated with the University of Western Ontario, Brescia is the only university-level women's college in Canada. It has approximately 1,100 undergraduate students.

Mission statement

Brescia University College:

• is a Catholic college in the Ursuline tradition,
• educates women to think critically and to participate actively in society.
• is a student-centred community,
• prepares graduates to respond with wisdom, justice and compassion to a changing world.

Priorities

The theme of Brescia's Strategic Plan for May 2006 - April 2009 was Learn, Live, Lead.

• To advance learning and scholarship in a student-centered environment.
• To be a vibrant organization that touches the mind, body and spirit.
• To be a strong voice for increasing the scope and visibility of women's leadership.

Programs

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Management & Organizational Studies
• Bachelor of Science (Foods & Nutrition)
• Bachelor of Arts (Human Ecology)
• Bachelor of Science (Human Ecology)
• Master of Foods and Nutritional Sciences
• Certificate in Community Development
• Certificate in Religious Education

The Honors Bachelors of Science in Foods and Nutrition at Brescia is accredited by Dietitians of Canada. This means people who graduate with this degree are eligible to apply for dietetic internship placements. The Master of Foods and Nutritional Sciences program is divided into two streams. The internship stream is for people who have graduated from a program accredited by Dietitians of Canada. It combines a masters degree and an internship together and upon graduating, the person has a MSc and can write the exam needed to become a registered dietitian. The second stream is for people who are already a Registered Dietitian in Canada.

Brescia also offers a Pre-University Year programme. According to the Brescia website, the Preliminary Year is a one-year university preparatory programme taught by university professors on the College campus. The programme is a bridge; students are able to acquire the academic courses required for successful entry into university. This programme is co-educational.

The College also offers and English as a Second Language programme called CultureWorks.

Admission Requirements

• The Preliminary Year program which is co-educational
• Brescia only admits women into its undergraduate programs of study.
• The Masters of Science (Foods and Nutrition) is co-educational.

• All classes at Brescia are open to both male and female students.

Research and Partnerships

• Just steps away from the University of Western Ontario's main campus of over 30,000 students, Brescia has a vibrant university community of 1,000 students. This partnership means students benefit from small classes and personal attention while enjoying the amenities of a large university.

Student life

• While residence and registration at Brescia are restricted to females, all courses are accessible to UWO students, male or female, including students from Western's two other affiliated university colleges. As such, it is not uncommon for male students from Main Campus, Huron University College or King's University College to take courses at Brescia.

Buildings

James Carlisle Pennington designed Brescia Hall (1924-25) for the Ursuline Sisters, near Western Road at Sarnia Road, on the campus of the University of Western Ontario. The Mother St. James memorial building is the main building on campus. It houses classrooms, offices, student-services, the business office, the Beryl Ivey Library and computer lab, the Mother St. James Memorial Auditorium, a coffee shop and the Circle Women’s Centre resource centre. The Ursuline hall is the residence for 170 female students. Ursuline Hall also has the cafeteria (Castle Cafe), some professor's offices, the food labs and a few classrooms.

History

Brescia University College is the only university-level women's college in Canada. Brescia was founded in 1919 as Ursuline College by the Ursulines. It was originally located at 556 Wellington Street London, Ontario. It was founded as a Roman Catholic affiliate of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. From the beginning, the graduates have always received University of Western Ontario degrees. The Ursuline Sisters named the Roman Catholic college after the Italian city of Brescia where their religious order was founded. The first class was of seven young women. Construction at the present location (1285 Western Road London, Ontario) began in 1923. Brescia Hall was the first building and was built by contractor Joseph Michael Piggot. Brescia Hall was renamed "Ursuline Hall". Ursuline College was renamed "Brescia College" in 1963, and in 2001 re-named "Brescia University College".

Advertising Controversy

Early into the 2010/2011 academic year, a new advertising campaign sparked controversy for the University College. The campaign, known as Bresia Bold, was meant to call attention to Bresia's unique position as the only university-level women's college in Canada through edgy, (quasi-)feminist marketing. A sign, displaying a former Brescia student and the message: "Her mind is as sharp as her heels", was the source of said controversy. Amidst claims that it "enforced gender stereotypes", "heteronormativity", and "focus[ed] on appearances rather than substance", the advertisement was removed from Brescia's campus.

Notable alumnae

• Margaret Chan - Director General of the World Health Organization (BA 1973)
• Beryl Ivey, CM - Philanthropist (BA 1947)

See also

Books

• Murray Llewellyn Barr A century of medicine at Western: a centennial history of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario (London: University of Western Ontario, 1977), ISBN 0919534007
• John R. W. Gwynne-Timothy Western's first century (London: University of Western Ontario, 1978)
• Ruth Davis Talman 'The beginnings and development of the University of Western Ontario, 1878-1924.' (MA Thesis, University of Western Ontario, 1925)
• Available from the Beryl Ivey Library are Emeritus Professor of History Dr. Patricia Skidmore's books Brescia College 1919-1979 and The History of Brescia

External links

• The Official Website
• Financial Aid Website
• Housing and Residence Website
• Special Needs Website
• The Ursuline entry in The Catholic Encyclopedia
• Brescia University College

• Works by An anonomous Ursuline at Project Gutenberg