Royal Roads University
| File:RRU Crest.jpg | |
| Motto | Living Our Learning |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1995 |
| Chancellor | Mr. Bob Skene |
| Students | 2,668 |
| Location | , , |
| Website | www.royalroads.ca |
Royal Roads University (RRU) is a public university located in Colwood, a suburb of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is the only public university in Canada devoted exclusively to offering applied and professional programs, at both the Undergraduate and Graduate degree level. Located on the site of the former Royal Roads Military College, RRU has one of the largest MBA programs in Canada.
Campus and grounds
The campus and surrounding grounds of Royal Roads University are situated in Hatley Park National Historic Site. Royal Roads leases the land from the Department of National Defense for $1 per year and assumes all stewardship responsibilities related to the site including the cost of site management, operations, the preservation and restoration of heritage assets (which include all buildings on the site as well as many heritage gardens)and educating the public about the site's historic and natural attributes.
Originally used by the Coast Salish, the land was developed for agriculture by European immigrants and their descendants. In 1906, the coal magnate and politician James Dunsmuir purchased the land to build an estate. The Canadian government acquired the buildings and grounds from his descendants in 1940 to serve as a Naval Training Establishment, which came to be known as Royal Roads Military College. In 1995, the military college was closed and the land and facilities leased by the government of British Columbia. The site was converted into Royal Roads University the same year.
The military college and the university took their name from Royal Roads, the body of water that forms the entrance into Esquimalt Harbour from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, lying to the east of the facility. The grounds, a mix of landscaped gardens and natural woodland, still go by the name of Hatley Park which the Dunsmuirs gave their estate (it is not a designated park). Hatley Castle and its surroundings have made appearances in numerous movies and TV series programs such as Smallville where it serves as the Luthor Mansion, and the second and third X-Men films where the university is transformed into Professor Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters.
Admission Fees and Development Controversy
In June, 2006, Royal Roads University started charging admission fees to the main heritage gardens in Hatley Park National Historic Site, an area that makes up less than five per cent of the campus. RRU cited the need to generate funding to support the (unfunded) $20 million in heritage work facing the site. After a change in plans to create a combined parking and admission fee, RRU created a garden-only admission fee structure where the cost of one-time adult admission was reduced to $8 from the $12 originally proposed. The university also offered a $15 four-month garden pass to residents of Greater Victoria in addition to the free pass originally offered to Colwood residents.
Some people remain opposed to the fees, and cite them as an example of commercialization of the campus, which they also oppose. For example, RRU plans to build a combined accommodation and conference centre that would be used both by learners (who are mostly mature adults attending three-week residencies over the course of their two-year programs) and external visitors. An advocacy group, http://www.savehatleypark.com/ Save Hatley Park], formed in response to these developments.
Undergraduate Programs
- Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management
- Bachelor of Arts in Applied Communication
- Bachelor of Arts in International Hotel Management
- Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studies (legal studies degree)
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management
note: All undergraduate programs require at least 2 years (60 credits) of studies at another university or college before they can be completed.
External links
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