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University of St. Michael's College

Coordinates: 43°40′1″N 79°23′23″W / 43.66694°N 79.38972°W / 43.66694; -79.38972
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43°40′1″N 79°23′23″W / 43.66694°N 79.38972°W / 43.66694; -79.38972

University of St. Michael's College
File:St Micheal's College University of Toronto.jpg
MottoΕυσέβεια μουσική γυμναστική
Motto in English
Piety, music, gymnastics
TypeFederated college of the University of Toronto (1910–)
EstablishedSeptember 15, 1852
AffiliationRoman Catholic Church
PresidentAnne Anderson
PrincipalMark McGowan
Undergraduates4,500
Postgraduates245
Location
Toronto
,
Ontario
,
Canada
CampusUrban
AffiliationsAUCC, TST
Websiteutoronto.ca/stmikes

The University of St. Michael's College (USMC) is a federated college in the University of Toronto. It is one of two Roman Catholic colleges within the university (the other being Regis College) and the only one at the undergraduate level. There are three divisions within USMC: St. Michael’s College (undergraduate division, within the Faculty of Arts and Science of the University of Toronto), the Faculty of Theology (graduate division, a founder member of the Toronto School of Theology) and Continuing Education (offering lifelong learning opportunities for personal and professional enrichment). In 2006, the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, formerly a division of USMC, became an independent though affiliated body.

With an enrolment of about 4,500 students, St. Michael's College is the largest of the three divisions at USMC. Its students can enrol in courses and programs in every department in the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto, from Aboriginal Studies to Zoology, and are awarded degrees from the University of Toronto upon graduation. Within the Faculty of Arts and Science, St. Michael’s make a distinctive contribution through four College sponsored programs: Book and Media Studies, Celtic Studies, Christianity and Culture, and Mediaeval Studies. The university press, The Mike, is a member of CUP.

History

St. Michael’s College was established in 1852 by the Basilian Fathers. By withdrawing financial support, the Ontario government pressured its denominational universities to consider co-operation with the public sector in 1868. On December 8, 1910, St. Michael’s College was declared a federated college in the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto. The federative model solved the problem of reconciling religiosity and secularism, diversity and economic pragmatism. The College maintained university status and autonomy in instruction and staffing, but restricted its offerings to the sensitive and less costly liberal arts subjects. The University of Toronto, a non-denominational public university, was responsible for instruction in all other areas and for the granting of degrees (except in theology).[1] Under the arrangement, St. Michael's College students continued to take classes at the college from St. Michael's College faculty, and were awarded degrees from the University of Toronto upon graduation.

In 1911, Sir Robert Falconer, President of the University of Toronto, recognized the wish of St. Joseph's College and Loretto College to affiliate with the University. This led to their affiliation as member institutions of St. Michael's College in 1912, thereby allowing their female students to receive University of Toronto degrees.

In the early part of this century, professional education expanded beyond the traditional fields of theology, law and medicine. Graduate training based on the German-inspired American model of specialized course work and the completion of a research thesis was introduced. [1] With the opening of the Institute of Mediaeval Studies in 1929, St Michael’s expanded further into graduate teaching and research.

Ten years later, Pope Pius XI signed a papal charter creating the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies (PIMS), and empowering it to grant degrees. PIMS held its first Convocation for the conferring of degrees on June 5, 1940.

In 1946, Marshall McLuhan was one of the first laypeople hired to teach at St. Michael's. McLuhan taught English at the College until his death in 1980, during which time he became famous for his books The Mechanical Bride (1951), The Gutenberg Galaxy (1962), and Understanding Media (1964) and for his oft-quoted aphorisms on communications and the media, such as "the medium is the message".

1952 saw the end of lectures for women at Loretto and St. Joseph's Colleges; thereafter all teaching for men and women was conducted coeducationally in the classrooms of St. Michael's College.

The Ontario Legislature passed an amendment in 1954 to the original St Michael’s College Act of 1855, giving the College the right to grant degrees in theology. His Eminence James C. Cardinal McGuigan became St Michael’s first Chancellor.

The policy of university education initiated in the 1960s responded to population pressure and the belief that higher education was a key to social justice and economic productivity for individuals and for society.

In 1969 the TST was created as an independent federation of 7 schools of theology, including the divinity faculties of St. Michael's College. In May 1974, along with the other federated universities, Trinity and Victoria, USMC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Toronto, establishing the terms of their new relationship with the Faculty of Arts and Science. Through all these changes, there has been vigorous debate, including among alumni, concerning the Catholic identity and academic integrity of St Michael’s.[2]

Within its own federation, U of T granted all but theology or divinity degrees. Since 1978, by virtue of a change made in its charter, the U of T has granted theology degrees conjointly with St. Michael's College and other TST's member institutions.[3]

The Division of Continuing Education was established in 1986.

In September 1996, for the first time, academic departments (French and German) of the University of Toronto took up residence on the St Michael’s Campus. They were followed, in September 2000, by the Departments of Italian and Slavic Studies.

The high school program administered by the college became St. Michael's College School, a private preparatory school. The school maintained its direct affiliation with the college until 1950.

Historically strong in athletics, St. Michael's students were known as the "Fighting Irish of Bay Street", a reference to the Catholic sports powerhouse of the University of Notre Dame in the United States. Toronto's current Ontario Hockey League franchise, the St. Michael's Majors, is the descendant of the College's once elite ice hockey team (the team is now operated by St. Michael's College School). On December 7, 2006, St Mike’s defeated the Faculty of Physical Education 5 goals to 4 to become the undisputed champions of the University of Toronto’s Division 1 hockey league for that season.

The University of St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto. From left: Carr Hall, Teefy Hall, Fisher House, More House, and the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies. The sculpture in the centre is a representation of St. Michael.

Through much of its existence, the College had enjoyed a "living endowment", a system whereby staff and faculty who were members of religious orders would donate their salaries back to the College. With the rise in numbers of lay staff, this source of income has become almost non-existent today, compelling the college to seek new revenue. Through aggressive fundraising and land sales, the College was able to increase its endowment, provide ongoing support for the its programs, and construct a new residence building.

An Act respecting the University of St. Michael’s College was assented to December 15, 2005.[4]

St. Michael's College drew fire when it accepted a large donation from Imperial Tobacco for a business ethics course. Anti-tobacco activists opposed the donation, and pushed the college to reject it. However, students were mostly indifferent to the cause, and welcomed the donation as a new source of funds. Failing to gather significant student support, the anti-tobacco campaign soon receded.

Kelly Library

The John M. Kelly Library is one of 40 libraries within the University of Toronto and is known for its innovative services to students and faculty. The library has also taken a lead role in the University of Toronto's mass digitization partnership with the Internet Archive. Its present building was opened in 1969 but the collection goes back to the earliest days of the College. The collection has since been developed in support of undergraduate programmes in the Faculty of Arts and Science, graduate programmes in the Faculty of Theology, and programmes of the Continuing Education Division. The book collection numbers 300,000+ volumes. The Library maintains subscriptions to almost 500 journals and magazines and has the largest suite of public computers on the east side of the University of Toronto campus.

The collection is particularly strong in the areas of humanities and social sciences. Book history, media studies, philosophy, Celtic history, languages and literature, Canadian history, English literature, and Medieval history are particularly well-represented. The theological collection emphasizes patristics, early and medieval church history, Thomism, the Bible (especially Canon, Johannine literature, and the history of criticism), liturgical renewal, religious education, and Catholic missions. There are also extensive special collections including substantial holdings of Chesterton, John Henry Newman, early printed books, and the papers of Henri Nouwen and Sheila Watson.

All holdings of the John M. Kelly Library appear in the University of Toronto Libraries' online catalogue.

Undergraduate residence

Within the secular environment of the University of Toronto, the Catholic traditions of St. Michael's are still evident in its College programs, fellows' interests, and student activities. Thus far, the college has largely avoided stirring controversy in its move toward coeducational residences.

Unlike the coeducational residences at other colleges of the university, male and female students at St. Michael's reside on different floors of the residences. Overnight guests of the opposite sex are not permitted. Women students may choose to live at the single-sex Loretto College residence; men are permitted to visit Loretto during designated guest hours.

The dons at Loretto and other residences of St. Michael's College are graduate, senior undergraduate and professional faculty students. The College's dining hall, the Canada Room, has recently been expanded and renovated and its hours have been extended.

The residences for SMC students are: Elmsley Hall Residence (Elmsley First, Mallon House, McBrady House, and Soulerin House), The Queen's Park Residence (Fisher House, More House, and Teefy House), the Historic Houses (formerly named as McCorkell House, Sullivan House, Gilson House, and Maritain House), and Sorbara Hall Residence.

Notable faculty and alumni

The section of St. Joseph Street running through USMC is co-named Marshall McLuhan Way.

Former and current faculty

Alumni

Gallery

  • The Brennan Hall complex at the University of St. Michael's College.
    The Brennan Hall complex at the University of St. Michael's College.
  • The University of St. Michael's College as seen from Bay Street at night.
    The University of St. Michael's College as seen from Bay Street at night.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b *http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm? PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0008242
  2. ^ http://*www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm? PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0008242
  3. ^ University of Toronto
  4. ^ www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/source/private/english/2005/elaws_src_private_pr05007_e.htm University of St. Michael’s College Act, 2005, S.O. 2005
  • Martin L. Friedland 'The University of Toronto: A History' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press © 2002)
  • Robin Harris 'A History of University of Toronto' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press © 1970)
  • Rick Helmes-Hayes 'Forty Years, 1963-2003: A History of the Department of Sociology, University of Toronto.' (Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press, 2003, 215 pp.)
  • Professor Brian McKillop, 'Matters of Mind: The University in Ontario, 1791-1951' (Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press ©1951)
  • Marian Packham '100 Years of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto: An Illustrated History' 1908-2008, (Toronto: University of Toronto Press © 2008)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to University of St. Michael's College.
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