Quest University
Encyclopedia
Quest University Canada 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 74 students; its current enrolment is 300. Quest University is located on a 60 acres (24.3 ha) mountain-top campus on the edge of Garibaldi Provincial Park. It is approximately 73 kilometres (45.4 mi) from Vancouver and 57 kilometres (35.4 mi) from Whistler.
Quest University is accredited by the Degree Quality Assessment Board (DQAB) under the British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education. Quest University is registered as a British Columbia Education Quality Assurance (EQA) approved post-secondary institution. (EQA is a quality assurance designation that identifies BC public and private post-secondary institutions that have met or exceeded provincial government recognized quality assurance standards and offer consumer protection.)
’s passage of the Sea to Sky University Act, which had been introduced as a private member's bill by MLA Ralph Sultan
. The act’s aim was to create a university that would "offer a rigorous and well-rounded university education in the arts and sciences with a global focus".
The university was the brainchild of Dr. David Strangway
, OC, FRSC, who, after his retirement as president of the University of British Columbia, had begun to explore the possibility of creating a four-year, residential, liberal arts institution in Canada. Strangway wanted to create a university "where the student-teacher ratio was better than the Canadian national average of 30 to one, and where students could get a general arts and sciences curriculum that focused not on specific disciplines, but rather how those disciplines operated within the world at large."
A 240 acres (97.1 ha) parcel of clear-cut land was purchased in the Garibaldi Highlands neighborhood of Squamish, BC; the central 60 acres (24.3 ha) was designated as the campus, with the surrounding lands zoned for housing development. The fledgling university received grants from the J.W. McConnell Foundation, R. Howard Webster Foundation, and the Stewart and Marilyn Blusson Foundation, which enabled the university to begin construction on its campus and hire staff. In October 2005, the university changed its name to Quest University Canada.
The first administrative staff and faculty were hired in 2006, and began developing a curriculum and institutional policies that would shape a university that was "intimate, integrated, and international”. On August 29, 2007, Quest University held its opening convocation for its first 74 students, who were from four Canadian provinces, seven U.S. states, and eleven countries outside North America.
Over the next year, the university underwent a number of administrative changes. David Strangway stepped aside as president and was named chancellor; he was replaced as president by Thomas L. Wood, who had previously served for 14 years as president of Mount Royal College
and three years as Quest’s chief academic officer. Less than a year later, Wood was replaced by an interim president, Dean Duperron. Duperron’s appointment was the result of an alliance with CIBT Education Group, but, within a month, the alliance was dissolved. The board invited Professor David Helfand, chair of the astronomy department at Columbia University
in New York and a visiting tutor at Quest since 2007, to serve as interim president.
Helfand has overseen the expansion of Quest University, which has grown to 330 students as it begins its fifth academic year. There are now 22 full-time and two half-time faculty. The faculty come from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, and Switzerland. In addition, there are three additional academic staff working directly with students and a total support staff of 28. Visiting tutors have included faculty and researchers from the Universities of Toronto, Ottawa, and British Columbia and the Canadian Center for Human Health, as well as from Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, and Colorado College in the United States and the Open University in the United Kingdom.
On April 30, 2011, Quest University graduated its first class, bestowing the degree of Bachelor of Arts and Sciences on 49 students.
tradition, emphasizing breadth as well as depth. Quest offers one degree: a Bachelors of Arts and Sciences. During the first half of the program, students are required to take 16 "Foundation" courses, which are distributed among five broad disciplinary areas: the Humanities, the Life Sciences, the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and the Social Sciences.
The second half of the program is devoted to a "Concentration" program. With the help of a faculty advisor, all students design their own program of concentration studies according to an interdisciplinary question or topic of research. Each student's Individual Concentration Program consists of four principal elements:
The Concentration Program may also include experiential learning components such as a semester abroad, leadership training, service learning, or an internship.
Courses at Quest are limited to a maximum of 20 students. Students at Quest study on the block plan, taking one course at a time, each for 3 ½ weeks. There are four blocks per semester; full-time students take eight blocks per year.
Quest provides a rigorous and challenging education. In the 2010 National Survey of Student Engagement
(NSSE), Quest University was ranked highest among Canadian universities on five key criteria: academic challenge, student-faculty interaction, supportive campus environment, active and collaborative learning, and enriching educational experience. The Vancouver Sun reported that the NSSE report "found Quest students more satisfied with their educational experience than students at any of the other 52 participating Canadian universities."
, a uniquely colored black bear native to certain regions of BC. The program currently competes in the British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association
.
Martina Franko
, a Canadian women's 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. The women’s soccer program became the first Quest playoff team with a trip to provincials in 2010.
Quest’s athletic facilities feature a CIS-standard basketball gym and a FIFA standard synthetic grass field unique to the Sea to Sky region.
To lessen the difference between a family’s resources and the cost of attending Quest, the University provides scholarships, bursaries, and employment opportunities.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
non-profit liberal arts
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
and sciences university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in Squamish
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, 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...
. The university opened in September 2007 with an enrolment of 74 students; its current enrolment is 300. Quest University is located on a 60 acres (24.3 ha) mountain-top campus on the edge of Garibaldi Provincial Park. It is approximately 73 kilometres (45.4 mi) from Vancouver and 57 kilometres (35.4 mi) from Whistler.
Quest University is accredited by the Degree Quality Assessment Board (DQAB) under the British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education. Quest University is registered as a British Columbia Education Quality Assurance (EQA) approved post-secondary institution. (EQA is a quality assurance designation that identifies BC public and private post-secondary institutions that have met or exceeded provincial government recognized quality assurance standards and offer consumer protection.)
History
Quest University Canada is a private, secular, non-profit liberal arts and sciences university in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. It was created as “Sea to Sky University” on May 29, 2002, by the Legislative Assembly of British ColumbiaLegislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
’s passage of the Sea to Sky University Act, which had been introduced as a private member's bill by MLA Ralph Sultan
Ralph Sultan
Ralph Sultan is a Canadian politician. He is currently the Member of the Legislative Assembly for West Vancouver-Capilano in British Columbia....
. The act’s aim was to create a university that would "offer a rigorous and well-rounded university education in the arts and sciences with a global focus".
The university was the brainchild of Dr. David Strangway
David Strangway
David William Strangway, OC, FRSC is a Canadian Geophysicist and University Administrator. Strangway is the founder, first President and first Chancellor of Quest University Canada, a private non-profit liberal arts and sciences university in Squamish, British Columbia which opened in September...
, OC, FRSC, who, after his retirement as president of the University of British Columbia, had begun to explore the possibility of creating a four-year, residential, liberal arts institution in Canada. Strangway wanted to create a university "where the student-teacher ratio was better than the Canadian national average of 30 to one, and where students could get a general arts and sciences curriculum that focused not on specific disciplines, but rather how those disciplines operated within the world at large."
A 240 acres (97.1 ha) parcel of clear-cut land was purchased in the Garibaldi Highlands neighborhood of Squamish, BC; the central 60 acres (24.3 ha) was designated as the campus, with the surrounding lands zoned for housing development. The fledgling university received grants from the J.W. McConnell Foundation, R. Howard Webster Foundation, and the Stewart and Marilyn Blusson Foundation, which enabled the university to begin construction on its campus and hire staff. In October 2005, the university changed its name to Quest University Canada.
The first administrative staff and faculty were hired in 2006, and began developing a curriculum and institutional policies that would shape a university that was "intimate, integrated, and international”. On August 29, 2007, Quest University held its opening convocation for its first 74 students, who were from four Canadian provinces, seven U.S. states, and eleven countries outside North America.
Over the next year, the university underwent a number of administrative changes. David Strangway stepped aside as president and was named chancellor; he was replaced as president by Thomas L. Wood, who had previously served for 14 years as president of Mount Royal College
Mount Royal College
Mount Royal University is a public university in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1910 as a primary and secondary school, Mount Royal became a post-secondary institution in 1931 as Mount Royal College offering transfer courses to the University of Alberta and later to the University of Calgary...
and three years as Quest’s chief academic officer. Less than a year later, Wood was replaced by an interim president, Dean Duperron. Duperron’s appointment was the result of an alliance with CIBT Education Group, but, within a month, the alliance was dissolved. The board invited Professor David Helfand, chair of the astronomy department at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York and a visiting tutor at Quest since 2007, to serve as interim president.
Helfand has overseen the expansion of Quest University, which has grown to 330 students as it begins its fifth academic year. There are now 22 full-time and two half-time faculty. The faculty come from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, and Switzerland. In addition, there are three additional academic staff working directly with students and a total support staff of 28. Visiting tutors have included faculty and researchers from the Universities of Toronto, Ottawa, and British Columbia and the Canadian Center for Human Health, as well as from Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, and Colorado College in the United States and the Open University in the United Kingdom.
On April 30, 2011, Quest University graduated its first class, bestowing the degree of Bachelor of Arts and Sciences on 49 students.
Academics
Quest's approach to academics is rooted in the liberal artsLiberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
tradition, emphasizing breadth as well as depth. Quest offers one degree: a Bachelors of Arts and Sciences. During the first half of the program, students are required to take 16 "Foundation" courses, which are distributed among five broad disciplinary areas: the Humanities, the Life Sciences, the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and the Social Sciences.
The second half of the program is devoted to a "Concentration" program. With the help of a faculty advisor, all students design their own program of concentration studies according to an interdisciplinary question or topic of research. Each student's Individual Concentration Program consists of four principal elements:
- a statement of the Question;
- a course plan;
- a list of related readings; and
- a Capstone project.
The Concentration Program may also include experiential learning components such as a semester abroad, leadership training, service learning, or an internship.
Courses at Quest are limited to a maximum of 20 students. Students at Quest study on the block plan, taking one course at a time, each for 3 ½ weeks. There are four blocks per semester; full-time students take eight blocks per year.
Quest provides a rigorous and challenging education. In the 2010 National Survey of Student Engagement
National Survey of Student Engagement
The National Survey of Student Engagement is a survey instrument used to gauge the level of student participation at universities and colleges in Canada and the United States as it relates to learning. The results of the survey help administrators and instructors to assess their students' student...
(NSSE), Quest University was ranked highest among Canadian universities on five key criteria: academic challenge, student-faculty interaction, supportive campus environment, active and collaborative learning, and enriching educational experience. The Vancouver Sun reported that the NSSE report "found Quest students more satisfied with their educational experience than students at any of the other 52 participating Canadian universities."
Athletics
In 2007 Quest introduced women’s and men's varsity basketball teams, followed by women’s and men’s soccer in 2008. The program’s team name is the KermodeKermode
Kermode may refer to:*the Kermode bear, also known as the spirit bear*Frank Kermode , British literary critic*Harry Kermode , Canadian basketball player*Mark Kermode , British film critic...
, a uniquely colored black bear native to certain regions of BC. The program currently competes in the British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association
British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association
The Pacific Western Athletic Association is a Canadian Athletics conference.-Members:* Camosun College* Capilano University* College of the Rockies* Columbia Bible College* Douglas College* Kwantlen University* Langara College* Quest University...
.
Martina Franko
Martina Franko
Martina Franko is a Canadian football defender who played for Vancouver Whitecaps.-Career:Franko performs a versatile role, and can play as either a midfielder or forward...
, a Canadian women's 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. The women’s soccer program became the first Quest playoff team with a trip to provincials in 2010.
Quest’s athletic facilities feature a CIS-standard basketball gym and a FIFA standard synthetic grass field unique to the Sea to Sky region.
Study Abroad / Partner Institutions
Quest students can apply to study with one of several international exchange partners for one or two academic terms. These partner institutions include the following:- Amsterdam University CollegeAmsterdam University CollegeAmsterdam University College was established in 2009 as a joint excellence initiative of the VU University and University of Amsterdam. AUC’s motto is Excellence and Diversity in a Global City. The college offers a three-year English taught Bachelor honours programme in the liberal arts and...
, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... - Colorado CollegeColorado CollegeThe Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... - European College of Liberal Arts - BerlinEuropean College of Liberal ArtsThe European College of Liberal Arts is a private, non-profit institution of higher education in Berlin, Germany. It was founded as a non-profit association in 1999 under the leadership of Stephan Gutzeit. The founding dean was Erika Anita Kiss. Since 2003, Peter Hajnal and Thomas Norgaard have...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - Hanyang UniversityHanyang UniversityHanyang University is one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea. In particular, Hanyang's School of Engineering is one of the oldest engineering schools in Korea. The main campus is Hanyang University at Seoul, located in the Seoul, with its branch campus, the ERICA campus , located...
, South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... - Malmo University, SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
- North South UniversityNorth South UniversityNorth South University or NSU is the first government-approved private university of Bangladesh. The university, where the language of instruction is English, offers a number of undergraduate and masters degrees in the fields of Business Administration, Computer Science, Electrical and...
, BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
-
Richmond University, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
- University of Wales - Trinity Saint David, WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
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Universidad Autonoma de GuadalajaraUniversidad Autónoma de GuadalajaraThe Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara A.C. is a private university in Mexico, the first of its kind.The campuses are located in Zapopan, Jalisco. The university has become one of the most important educational institutions in Latin America, attracting students from Mexico, Europe, South...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
- University of Hong Kong, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
-
Universiti Sains MalaysiaUniversiti Sains MalaysiaUniversiti Sains Malaysia is a public university with its main campus in Penang, Malaysia. There are three branch campuses: one in mainland Penang , one in Kelantan on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and a offshore collaboration with a university in India...
, Malaysia
Buildings and features
The campus is built on a pedestrian-friendly 60 acres (24.3 ha) site on a hilltop in Squamish, B.C. It includes academic buildings, a library, a recreation centre, and a dining hall. The campus design includes geo-thermal heating and cooling. The buildings of this phase of development can accommodate up to 640 students at any one time. There are currently four main student residences. All are built as condominiums, and all students are required to live in residence for the full four years of the undergraduate program.Tuition
In the absence of federal or provincial funding, tuition revenue and private donations cover the costs of operating the University. Full-time tuition for the academic years (two semesters / eight blocks) in 2011-2012 is $27,000. Average full-time tuition for Canadian universities in 2010-11 was $5,138. The Vancouver Sun noted, "tuition of $24,000 (2009 Tuition, $26,000) a year might seem high by Canadian standards, but it's a bargain compared with similar schools in the U.S."To lessen the difference between a family’s resources and the cost of attending Quest, the University provides scholarships, bursaries, and employment opportunities.
Media
- http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2011/02/24/the-student’s-quest, "The student’s Quest", Maclean's Magazine, February 24, 2011
- http://www.vancouversun.com/Squamish+Quest+University+looks+forward+first+convocation/4318435/story.html "Squamish's Quest University looks forward to first convocation", Vancouver Sun, February 18, 2011
- http://www.canadianarchitect.com/issues/ISArticle.asp?aid=1000228600&issue=03012009 "Quest for the Future", Canadian Architect Magazine, March 2009
- http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/03/most-expensive-colleges-business-0203_colleges.html "The Most Expensive U.S. Colleges", Forbes Magazine, March 2, 2009
- http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2008/11/13/noble-quest/ "Noble Quest", Maclean's Magazine, November 12, 2008
- http://www.macleans.ca/education/universities/article.jsp?content=20070816_211346_5008 "New Non-Profit University Welcomes First Class", Maclean's Magazine, August 16, 2007
- http://www.factsandopinions.com/Report/2BA848DD-3055-4EE0-909A-0F027188C07D.html "Small University, Big Dream", Globe and Mail, October 31, 2006
- http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20060227_121929_121929 "Strangway's Quest", Maclean's Magazine, February 27, 2006
See also
- List of universities in British Columbia
- Higher education in British ColumbiaHigher education in British ColumbiaHigher education in British Columbia is delivered by 25 publicly funded institutions that are composed of eleven universities, eleven colleges, and three institutes. This is in addition to three private universities, five private colleges, and six theological colleges...
- Canadian Interuniversity SportCanadian Interuniversity SportCanadian 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...