Quest University
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Coordinates: 49°44′24.64″N 123°6′29.75″W / 49.7401778°N 123.1082639°W
| Quest University Canada | |
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| Motto | Intimate, integrated, international. |
| Established | 2002 |
| Type | Private University |
| Chancellor | Dr. David Strangway |
| President | David Helfand |
| Location | Squamish, British Columbia, Canada |
| Campus | 77-hectare (190 acre) site |
| Colours | Green , Silver , white and black |
| Nickname | Kermodes |
| Affiliations | AALE, CBIE, CUP. |
| Website | Quest University Canada |
Quest University Canada (formerly Sea to Sky University) is a private non-profit liberal arts and sciences university in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. The university opened in September 2007 with an enrolment of 80 students and hopes to ultimately grow to 800.
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[edit] History
Quest was created May 29, 2002, following the passing of the Sea to Sky University Act by the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and adopted its current name in October, 2005. The University has adopted "intimate, integrated, international" undergraduate education as its mission statement. The University was founded by Dr. David Strangway, former President of the University of British Columbia and funded primarily by Canadian Geologist Stewart Blusson. In September 2007, Thomas Wood, former President of Mount Royal College was appointed to succeed Dr. Strangway. In September 2008, Professor David Helfand, Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University and a part-time visiting faculty member at Quest, replaced Wood who returned to Alberta.
[edit] Partnerships
Quest has established partnerships with universities around the world including Colorado College and the University of Hong Kong.
[edit] Buildings and Features
In 2007, construction delays meant that the student residences were not available for the commencement of classes. Consequently, the first three weeks of the inaugural semester were conducted at Red Mountain ski resort in Rossland, British Columbia. Students were then moved to a hotel in Squamish (Sea to Sky Hotel) for a month as construction continued.
The campus is built on a 77-hectare (190 acre) site that includes academic buildings, a library, a recreation centre, and student residences. The campus design reflects a significant concern for the environment; it includes geo-thermal heating and cooling.
[edit] Academics
Quest's approach to academics is rooted in the liberal arts tradition, emphasizing breadth as well as depth. During the first half of the program, students are required to take 16 "Foundation" courses, which are distributed among four broad disciplinary areas: the Humanities, the Life Sciences, the Physical Sciences, and the Social Sciences. The second half of the program is devoted to concentration (major) courses, and experiential learning, which emphasizes non-classroom-based learning, including work experience, study abroad, and a Capstone project. With limited enrolment and resources, Quest's focus is academic rather than social or athletic, but it does field Varsity men's and women's teams in basketball and soccer.
Students at Quest study on the block plan, taking one course at a time, each for 3 ½ weeks.
As a private institution with no direct subsidy from government, a Quest education is more expensive than all publicly funded institutions in Canada. The Vancouver Sun notes, "tuition of $24,000 a year might seem high by Canadian standards, but it's a bargain compared with similar schools in the U.S." Average full-time tuition for Canadian universities in 2008/2009 was $4,724. [1]
[edit] Athletics
In 2007 Quest introduced women’s and men's varsity basketball teams, which play in the British Columbia College Athletics Association. Quest announced the introduction of women’s and men’s varsity soccer teams for fall 2008. Martina Franko, a Canadian national soccer team player and a member of the Canadian Olympic team that competed in Beijing 2008, joined Quest as the varsity women's soccer head coach in January 2008.[2]
[edit] Struggling Enrolment
With only one residential space constructed at opening, Quest's initial class enroled at less than 50% of what was initially anticipated. The University was designed to accommodate 800 students. In the Fall of 2008, the entering class enrolment mirrored the inaugural class of 75 students which was a disappointment for many who assumed that results would improve as the institution became more established. The total enrolment is approximately 150 students. [3]
[edit] Media
- [1] "Quest for the Future", Canadian Architect Magazine, March 2009
- [2] "The Most Expensive U.S. Colleges", Forbes Magazine, March 2, 2009
- [3] "Noble Quest", Macleans Magazine, November 12, 2008
- [4] "New Non-Profit University Welcomes First Class", Macleans Magazine, August 16, 2007
- [5] "Small University, Big Dream", Globe and Mail, October 31, 2006
- [6] "Strangway's Quest", Macleans Magazine, February 27, 2006
[edit] See also
- List of universities in British Columbia
- Higher education in British Columbia
- Canadian Interuniversity Sport
[edit] References
- ^ "Average undergraduate tuition fees for full time Canadian students, by discipline, by province". Statistics Canada. http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/educ50a-eng.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- ^ "Quest Athletics and Recreation". Quest University Canada. http://www.questu.ca/athletics_recreation/. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
- ^ "Rocky Start for Quest University". Macleans Magazine Canada. http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2008/10/21/rocky-start-for-quest-university/. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
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