Nipissing University
Encyclopedia
Nipissing University is a public liberal arts university located in North Bay, Ontario
, Canada
, on a 720 acres (291.4 ha) site overlooking Lake Nipissing
. The university's unique character is defined by its location in Northern Ontario
, and a large and highly respected faculty of education. Its newly-constructed, $25 million library is named after former Ontario Premier, Mike Harris.
in Sudbury, and received its charter as an independent university in 1992.
The university's roots go back as early as 1909, when the North Bay Normal School, a teacher training school, was established in the city. The school was renamed North Bay Teachers' College in 1953, and became Nipissing University College's faculty of education in 1967. After the university received a prestigious award in 2010, the Faculty of Education was re-named the Schulich School of Education.
Nipissing University was honoured with the Schulich designation as this distinguishes the faculty of education for its superior teacher education program and reputation for excellence in education. The Schulich School of Education at Nipissing University joins the Schulich School of Business at York University, the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario, the Schulich School of Music at McGill University, the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University and the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary. In 2009, Nipissing University celebrated 100 Years of Teacher Education in Ontario. The university is proud of its roots and is regarded as one of Canada's foremost faculties of education with a strong emphasis of technology in the classroom.
Nipissing University is one of the largest providers for Additional Qualification courses for Teachers. The University offers courses online, on- site, and partially online. Every year the University receives around 5,000 registrations from Teachers across the Province that register for AQ, ABQ, Honour Specialist and Principals Qualification courses. Nipissing University is the only university in Ontario to offer the Advanced Bachelor of Education Degree. Since 1909 over 25,000 teachers have achieved their Teaching credentials from Nipissing University.
The governance of Nipissing University was modelled on the provincial University of Toronto Act of 1906 which established a bicameral system of university government consisting of a senate (faculty), responsible for academic policy, and a board of governors (citizens) exercising exclusive control over financial policy and having formal authority in all other matters. The president, appointed by the board, was to provide a link between the two bodies and to perform institutional leadership. Nipissing University has a strong emphasis on teacher education and nursing.
The Schulich School of Education at Nipissing University remains a popular choice for students in Ontario to obtain their Bachelor of Education Degree. Selection for the BEd. Degree is based primarily on academic average and the Faculty is one of Ontario's most competitive faculties of education to get admission. On December 14, 2001, the government of Ontario passed a bill revising the university's charter to permit it to grant graduate degrees. Nipissing University has a joint BEd. program with Wilfrid Laurier University for the Concurrent program. Nipissing University has one of the largest Faculties of Education in the Province with 750-800 Bachelor of Education students Consecutive, plus 150 from the joint program with Wilfrid Laurier University. On average the Faculty of Education receives over 7000 applications and enrolls between 750-800 students for the Bachelor of Education program.
The university is also widely known for its portrayal in Lynn Johnston
's comic strip For Better or For Worse
, in which Elizabeth Patterson
was a student in the education program. Johnston lives near North Bay in real life, although the Patterson family was depicted as living in a fictional community in Southern Ontario.
.
The Student Union represents the students at Nipissing University. They are members of the Canadian Federation of Students
. Along with the Canadore Students' Representative Council, the Student Union is the joint owner and operator of the student centre at Canadore College
.
Within the executive council, there are four elected positions: the President; the Vice-President External – whose responsibilities include representing the student body and its interests outside the university, as well as managing the student health plan; the vice-president internal – whose responsibilities include representing the student body and its interests within the University, managing the clubs and sitting on Senate in the university; and vice-president student life – whose responsibilities include organizing events on campus.
The student representatives, known as the NUSU Delegates, are members of the student population who represent different areas of study, campuses, and residences at the university. There are a total of 14 delegates. They represent students from sciences, humanities, social sciences, professional schools, the Muskoka campus, residences, faculty of education, graduate studies and part-time and mature students.
station, although the Campus Free Press produces a regular radio program which airs on CKTR-FM
.
by the Nipissing Lakers
.
, the university also has two satellite campuses in Southern Ontario.
, the heart of Muskoka
. The campus offers students the opportunity to study full-time or part-time towards three different Arts and Science degrees; Child and Family Studies, Culture and the Arts or a 3-year liberal arts degree. Students can also opt to do more course work in a specific discipline, positioning themselves for further studies towards an Honours degree which may be completed at the North Bay campus.
Class sizes are small. The campus provides access to special support programs, including—Career Counselling, Job Search, Academic Skills Programs, Peer Tutoring resources and individualized assistance for special needs students. Muskoka Campus applicants are also eligible for Nipissing University entrance scholarships and bursaries. In September 2008, the new Nipissing University Muskoka Campus opened its new facility on Wellington St right beside the old Centennial Centre( now the new Georgian College Facility)
campus is a satellite campus of Nipissing University. The campus offers education courses for professional development and part-time Masters of Education courses.
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, on a 720 acres (291.4 ha) site overlooking Lake Nipissing
Lake Nipissing
Lake Nipissing is a lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It has a surface area of , a mean elevation of above sea level, and is located between the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay. Excluding the Great Lakes, Lake Nipissing is the fifth-largest lake in Ontario. It is relatively shallow for a...
. The university's unique character is defined by its location in Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
, and a large and highly respected faculty of education. Its newly-constructed, $25 million library is named after former Ontario Premier, Mike Harris.
History
Nipissing University College was established in 1967 as an affiliate of Laurentian UniversityLaurentian University
Laurentian University , was incorporated on March 28, 1960, is a mid-sized bilingual university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada....
in Sudbury, and received its charter as an independent university in 1992.
The university's roots go back as early as 1909, when the North Bay Normal School, a teacher training school, was established in the city. The school was renamed North Bay Teachers' College in 1953, and became Nipissing University College's faculty of education in 1967. After the university received a prestigious award in 2010, the Faculty of Education was re-named the Schulich School of Education.
Nipissing University was honoured with the Schulich designation as this distinguishes the faculty of education for its superior teacher education program and reputation for excellence in education. The Schulich School of Education at Nipissing University joins the Schulich School of Business at York University, the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario, the Schulich School of Music at McGill University, the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University and the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary. In 2009, Nipissing University celebrated 100 Years of Teacher Education in Ontario. The university is proud of its roots and is regarded as one of Canada's foremost faculties of education with a strong emphasis of technology in the classroom.
Nipissing University is one of the largest providers for Additional Qualification courses for Teachers. The University offers courses online, on- site, and partially online. Every year the University receives around 5,000 registrations from Teachers across the Province that register for AQ, ABQ, Honour Specialist and Principals Qualification courses. Nipissing University is the only university in Ontario to offer the Advanced Bachelor of Education Degree. Since 1909 over 25,000 teachers have achieved their Teaching credentials from Nipissing University.
The governance of Nipissing University was modelled on the provincial University of Toronto Act of 1906 which established a bicameral system of university government consisting of a senate (faculty), responsible for academic policy, and a board of governors (citizens) exercising exclusive control over financial policy and having formal authority in all other matters. The president, appointed by the board, was to provide a link between the two bodies and to perform institutional leadership. Nipissing University has a strong emphasis on teacher education and nursing.
The Schulich School of Education at Nipissing University remains a popular choice for students in Ontario to obtain their Bachelor of Education Degree. Selection for the BEd. Degree is based primarily on academic average and the Faculty is one of Ontario's most competitive faculties of education to get admission. On December 14, 2001, the government of Ontario passed a bill revising the university's charter to permit it to grant graduate degrees. Nipissing University has a joint BEd. program with Wilfrid Laurier University for the Concurrent program. Nipissing University has one of the largest Faculties of Education in the Province with 750-800 Bachelor of Education students Consecutive, plus 150 from the joint program with Wilfrid Laurier University. On average the Faculty of Education receives over 7000 applications and enrolls between 750-800 students for the Bachelor of Education program.
The university is also widely known for its portrayal in Lynn Johnston
Lynn Johnston
Lynn Johnston, CM, OM is a Canadian cartoonist, well known for her comic strip For Better or For Worse, and was the first woman and first Canadian to win the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Award.-Early life:...
's comic strip For Better or For Worse
For Better or For Worse
For Better or For Worse is a comic strip by Lynn Johnston that ran for 30 years, chronicling the lives of a Canadian family, The Pattersons, and their friends. The story is set in the fictitious Toronto-area suburban town of Milborough, Ontario. Johnston's strip began in September 1979, and ended...
, in which Elizabeth Patterson
For Better or For Worse characters
The characters in Lynn Johnston's cartoon strip For Better or For Worse have extensive back stories. The birthdates of the characters given below were the characters' birthdates as shown on the strip's website prior to the cartoonist's decision to re-boot the strip from 1 September 2008, returning...
was a student in the education program. Johnston lives near North Bay in real life, although the Patterson family was depicted as living in a fictional community in Southern Ontario.
Harris Learning Library
Nipissing University's Harris Learning Library, shared with Canadore College, opened its doors officially on June 25, 2011. Although based at the North Bay Campus, the Harris Learning Library services are provided to students at campuses located in Bracebridge and Brantford, or studying on their own. The library is named in honour of former Ontario premier and North Bay Teachers' College alumnus Mike HarrisMike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
.
Academic organization
The university comprises three faculties: the Schulich School of Education, the Faculty of Arts & Science and the Faculty of Applied and Professional Studies. Currently there are three full time graduate programs: the Master of Education, a Master of Arts in History and a Masters of Science in Mathematics. The Schulich School of Education features the iTeach Laptop Learning Program, which was established in 2001. The iTeach Program, which is the first teacher preparation program in North America to utilize a dual Operating System laptop (Mac OS X & Windows), facilitates equipping the pre-service teacher candidates with an expanded skill-set in the area of educational technology. Teacher-candidates explore the process of integrating digital resources & technology into their practice teaching experiences throughout the school year. The end result is a set of graduating teachers ready to enter the 21st Century classroom --- prepared to supplement and enhance their teaching using various forms of educational technology (e.g., SMART Boards, Personal Response Systems, Podcasting, digital presentations using Mac OS X Keynote & Microsoft PowerPoint, iPod Touch units, Wii-Mote Interactive Whiteboard systems, etc.)Aboriginal programs
Nipissing University developed governing board and senate policies as well as Aboriginal governed councils within the university structure. The Nipissing University’s Aboriginal Teacher Certification Program and Native Special Education Assistant Diploma Program were developed in partnership with specific Aboriginal communities to meet specific needs within Aboriginal communities. The Nipissing University First Generation Strategy Pilot Project, a three-credit university success course for first generation students, begins first-year Aboriginal students to campus before the start of the school year.Student Union
Canadian Federation of Students
The Canadian Federation of Students is the largest student organization in Canada. Founded in 1981, the stated goal of the CFS is to work at the federal level for high quality, accessible post-secondary education.-Structure:...
. Along with the Canadore Students' Representative Council, the Student Union is the joint owner and operator of the student centre at Canadore College
Canadore College
Canadore College is a college of applied arts and technology located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1967 as a campus of Sudbury's Cambrian College, and became an independent institution in 1972...
.
Within the executive council, there are four elected positions: the President; the Vice-President External – whose responsibilities include representing the student body and its interests outside the university, as well as managing the student health plan; the vice-president internal – whose responsibilities include representing the student body and its interests within the University, managing the clubs and sitting on Senate in the university; and vice-president student life – whose responsibilities include organizing events on campus.
The student representatives, known as the NUSU Delegates, are members of the student population who represent different areas of study, campuses, and residences at the university. There are a total of 14 delegates. They represent students from sciences, humanities, social sciences, professional schools, the Muskoka campus, residences, faculty of education, graduate studies and part-time and mature students.
Residences
The university has several student residences: Chancellors House Residence; Founders House Residence; Governor's House Residence; Muskoka Residence Complex; and Townhouse Residence.Media
The university has two student newspapers, Student Spotlight and Campus Free Press, both of which publish monthly. The university does not have its own campus radioCampus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
station, although the Campus Free Press produces a regular radio program which airs on CKTR-FM
CKTR-FM
CKTR-FM is a radio station broadcasting at 104.9 FM in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The station operates a tourist information format with community radio programming.-History:...
.
Sport
The university is represented in Canadian Interuniversity SportCanadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree granting universities in the country. Its equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association...
by the Nipissing Lakers
Nipissing Lakers
The Nipissing Lakers are the athletic teams that represent Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario, Canada.The Lakers compete in men's ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country running and cheerleading. There is also a cross country ski team that occasionally obtains varsity status depending...
.
Campuses
In addition to Nipissing University's main campus in North Bay, a facility shared with Canadore CollegeCanadore College
Canadore College is a college of applied arts and technology located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1967 as a campus of Sudbury's Cambrian College, and became an independent institution in 1972...
, the university also has two satellite campuses in Southern Ontario.
Muskoka Campus
In August 1996, Nipissing University opened a satellite campus in BracebridgeBracebridge, Ontario
Bracebridge is a town and the seat of the Muskoka District Municipality of Ontario, Canada.The town was built around a waterfall on the Muskoka River in the centre of town, and is known for its other nearby waterfalls . It was first incorporated in 1875...
, the heart of Muskoka
Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario
The District Municipality of Muskoka, more generally referred to as the District of Muskoka, or simply Muskoka, is a Regional Municipality located in Central Ontario, Canada. Muskoka extends from Georgian Bay in the west, to the northern tip of Lake Couchiching in the south, to the western border...
. The campus offers students the opportunity to study full-time or part-time towards three different Arts and Science degrees; Child and Family Studies, Culture and the Arts or a 3-year liberal arts degree. Students can also opt to do more course work in a specific discipline, positioning themselves for further studies towards an Honours degree which may be completed at the North Bay campus.
Class sizes are small. The campus provides access to special support programs, including—Career Counselling, Job Search, Academic Skills Programs, Peer Tutoring resources and individualized assistance for special needs students. Muskoka Campus applicants are also eligible for Nipissing University entrance scholarships and bursaries. In September 2008, the new Nipissing University Muskoka Campus opened its new facility on Wellington St right beside the old Centennial Centre( now the new Georgian College Facility)
Brantford Campus
BrantfordBrantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
campus is a satellite campus of Nipissing University. The campus offers education courses for professional development and part-time Masters of Education courses.