University of Calgary

The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being instituted into a separate, autonomous university in 1966. It is composed of 14 faculties and over 85 research institutes and centres. The main campus is located in the northwest quadrant of the city near the Bow River and a smaller south campus is located in the city centre. The main campus houses most of the research facilities and works with provincial and federal research and regulatory agencies, several of which are housed next to the campus such as the Geological Survey of Canada. The main campus covers about 200 hectares (490 acres).

A member of the U15, the University of Calgary is also one of Canada's top research universities (with the faculty holding 80 Canada Research Chair positions). The university has a sponsored research revenue of $380.4 million, with total revenues exceeding $1.2 billion. The university maintains close ties to the petroleum and geoscience industry through the Department of Geosciences and the Schulich School of Engineering. The university also maintains several other departments and faculties, including the Cumming School of Medicine, the Faculty of Arts, the School of Public Policy, the Faculty of Law, and the Haskayne School of Business.

Notable former students include Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Java programming language creator James Gosling, Uber co-founder Garrett Camp, astronaut Robert Thirsk, and Lululemon Athletica founder Chip Wilson. The university has produced over 170,000 alumni who reside in 152 countries.

History

The University of Calgary was established in 1966, which is the official date for when it was granted autonomy. However, its roots date back more than half a century earlier to the establishment of the Normal School in Calgary in 1905. The Alberta Normal School was established in Calgary to train primary and secondary school teachers in the new province. The Calgary Normal School was absorbed by the University of Alberta's Faculty of Education in 1945, and operated as a part of its Calgary branch campus, a satellite campus of the University of Alberta. Operating from the west wing of the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art, the Calgary University Committee was formed 1946, in an effort to lobby for separate permanent facilities for the branch campus.

In July 1957, the University of Alberta signed a one dollar lease with the City of Calgary, for 121.4 hectares (300 acres) of land. In 1958, the University of Alberta changed the name of the branch campus to the "University of Alberta in Calgary," and unveiled plans for new permanent facilities on the leased land. The new campus opened its first permanent facilities in October 1960, the Arts and Education Building (presently the Administration Building), and the Science and Engineering Building (presently Science A).

In May 1965, the satellite campus was granted academic and financial autonomy from the University of Alberta. In the following year, in April 1966, the institution was formally made into an independent university, with the passage of the Universities Act by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The university was modelled on the American state university (similar to the University of Alberta), with an emphasis on extension work and applied research. The governance 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 a link between the bodies to perform institutional leadership.

In the early 20th century, professional education expanded beyond 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. The university's first president, Herbert Stoker Armstrong, held a strong belief that "although the university is accountable to the society that supports it, the university must insist on playing a leadership role in intellectual matters if it is to be worthy of the name."

Administration

The governance of the University of Calgary is conducted through a board of governors and a senate. The role of the board of governors and the senate is governed under the Post Secondary Learning Act, a provincial act of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The board of governors is responsible for the university's conduct, management, and control of the university and its property, revenues, business, and other affairs. Members of the board of governors include the chancellor of the university, the university president, two alumni nominated by the alumni association, a member of the university senate, nine members of the general public, as well as three students, and three staff members nominated by their respective associations.

The University Senate acts as an outreach body between the university and the wider community. The university's senate is made up of 62 members of the alumni association, academic staff, the student body, and the general public, as identified by the Post-Secondary Learning Act. Members of the senate include various members of the university community, including the university president, the chief academic officer of student affairs, academic staff, as well a one undergraduate and graduate student appointed by their respective student association. In addition to members of the university community, the senate also includes nine members of the general public, appointed by the Alberta Minister of Advanced Education. In relation to its mandate, the university senate is also the governing body that authorizes issuance of honorary degrees.

The university senate is chaired by the university chancellor. In addition to chairing the senate, the chancellor also presides over all degree-conferring ceremonies, and acts as the ambassador for the university.

The university's support staff are represented by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, organized as Local 052 University of Calgary chapter. In October 2008, the University of Calgary was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" by Mediacorp Canada Inc. Later that month, the university was also named one of Alberta's Top Employers.

In November 2025, it was reported that the university would lose $34.7 million for the 2025/26 academic year due to a decline in international student enrolment.

Academics

The university offers 250 programs in post-secondary education awarding bachelors, masters, and doctorate (PhD) degrees. The University of Calgary has developed a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. The campus has an area of 200 hectares (490 acres) and hosts 14 faculties, 55 departments and 85 research institutes and centre (see Canadian university scientific research organizations).

The university is accredited through Alberta's Post-Secondary Learning Act and is considered a "comprehensive academic and research university" (CARU). CARUs offer a range of academic and professional programs, which generally lead to undergraduate and graduate level credentials, and have a strong research focus.

Faculties

The University of Calgary's faculties are:

Libraries and Cultural Resources

Libraries and Cultural Resources (LCR) includes eight libraries, two art galleries, Archives and Special Collections, the University of Calgary Copyright Office, Research Data Centre and the University of Calgary Press.

MacKimmie library was the first library to open at the University of Calgary in 1966. Since then, five different library branches have been opened in order to provide students with a greater amount of literary choice in many subjects. In addition, the University of Calgary has the first library system in North America to contain a video game library. Over 3.7 million printed volumes combined with online access to more than 300,000 full-text electronic journals and more than 800 electronic databases are available at the university. As of 2012, the library system is the eighth largest, by the number of volumes held, in Canada. In 2011–2012 the university library was rated 43rd in North America for Total Library Expenditures by the Association of Research Libraries.

Branch libraries

The library system at the University of Calgary has eight library locations in total:

Taylor Family Digital Library – contains the greatest share of the library system's printed volumes, as well as rare special items like a gaming collection. In 2011 The Taylor Family Digital Library replaced, as the university's primary facility, the MacKimmie Library, which is no longer used as a library.

• Data Library
• Canadian Architectural Archives
• Fine Arts and Visual Resources

High Density Library – located at the university's Spy Hill Campus, serves as a climate-controlled repository for lesser-used materials, which may be called-back for use as required.

• Business Library
• Doucette Education Library
• Bennett Jones Law Library
• Health Sciences Library
• Gallagher Library (Sciences and Engineering)

Campuses

Main Campus

The university grounds lie about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northwest of Downtown Calgary, and immediately south of the neighbourhood of Varsity. The University of Calgary campus occupies 213 hectares (530 acres) or 2.13 km2 (0.82 sq mi), an area larger than Calgary's entire downtown. The campus is bounded by Crowchild Trail, 32 Avenue NW, Shaganappi Trail NW, and 24 Avenue N.W..

The architecture is defined by a combination of Brutalist and Postmodern buildings spread across campus, most of them built between 1960 and 1980. In 2016, the campus finished repurposing and renovating the Canadian Natural Resources Limited Engineering Complex situated within the Schulich School of Engineering. In 2017, the university has recently started on rehabilitating the aging MacKimmie Complex.

The main campus is connected to Calgary's C-Train light-rail system at University Station.

A large park is built in the centre of the main campus, and is home to several specially commissioned sculptures. In addition, a pond surrounded by benches and an open field is available. The park contains old oak trees which were specially transplanted to the location when the university was opened. Together, they form a considerable amount of tree canopies which add a more natural feeling to the campus.

West Campus

In 1995, the Province of Alberta gave the University of Calgary a large tract of land west of the Main Campus with the understanding it would be used in the future to advance the university's mission, vision, values and priorities. About a third of the size of downtown Calgary, the land overlooks the Bow River valley and covers 80 hectares (198 acres) east of Shaganappi Trail between 16th Avenue (TransCanada Highway) and 32 Avenue N.W. The western campus lies on mostly hilly terrain, near the Bow River. It is adjacent to the main campus of the university, and is home to the Alberta Children's Hospital and Child Development Centre. With the recent boost in annual funding, the university has begun a development plan in order to make better use of the remaining space. Dubbed the University District, the area is to include a mixture of residential and commercial development.

Part of the West Campus was leased for the new Alberta Children's Hospital and a new Ronald McDonald House. Currently, the campus is only halfway developed and is considered building room for the future. From this location, it is possible to see the entire university and also Downtown Calgary.

Health Sciences Campus

The University of Calgary Board of Governors chose to launch a medical school in the late 1960s, with the first tangible building to house this endeavor being the Health Sciences Building, which opened in 1972. The Health Sciences Building shared a site with the Foothills Medical Centre some distance south of the Main Campus. This site became known as the Health Sciences Campus, with subsequent additions being the Heritage Medical Building (opened 1987), the Health Research Innovation Centre and the Teaching, Research and Wellness building.

Facilities

The university is home to MacEwan Hall Ballroom, a concert venue holding 1000 people. The Ballroom is also used for conferences, dinners, and political debates, including the 2006 Alberta PC leadership debate.

The university also has the Rozsa Centre, a theatre and concert hall on the southwest side of campus, off 24th Ave NW. The Rozsa Centre has a Bach organ built by Jürgen and Hendrik Ahrend. The Rozsa Centre hosts wind ensembles, choirs, and other fine arts. Musical competitions are held at every year and can host up to 384 people. The University Theatre, beside the Rozsa Centre, is designed for drama and dance with seating for 505 people.

The Olympic Oval ice arena was site of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, the fastest ice in the world. It has a 400 m track oval as well as a short track and two ice hockey rinks. The campus also has the Jack Simpson Gymnasium, consisting of three gymnasiums with bleachers that cover the outer two courts capable of seating 2,700 people. The university campus also covers the McMahon Stadium, which is home to the Dinos Football Team and the Calgary Stampeders.

Many other sport facilities are also located at the University of Calgary. These include among others:

University of Calgary Aquatic Centre: Contains an Olympic sized swimming pool with a deep end diving tank featuring two sparging units for a bubble machine which was used for springboard and platform divers, kayakers and general ocean simulated swims.

Fitness Studios

Dance Studio

Weight Room: Equipment includes universal, free weights, global, hydra gym, nautilus.

Climbing Walls

Fitness and Lifestyle Centre: The physical facility offers members 3,750 m2 (40,365 sq ft) of space with fitness equipment.

Athletics

The Calgary Dinos are the athletic teams that represent the University of Calgary in the Canada West, a division of U Sports, and in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. They were known as the "Dinosaurs" but usually referred to as the "Dinos" until 1999, when the name was officially shortened. Some of its venues are the Jack Simpson Gymnasium (basketball, volleyball), McMahon Stadium (football, soccer), Olympic Oval (speed skating), Hawkings Field (field hockey), University of Calgary Aquatic Centre (swimming, often shortened to Aquatic Centre) and a 200 m Running Track (cross-country and track & field practice).

The Dinos compete in 14 varsity sports: basketball, cross-country, field hockey, football, golf, ice hockey, ringette, Women's rugby, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. The Dinos also have club teams: Men's Baseball, Men's Rugby as well as Men's and Women's Rowing.

The men's hockey team plays at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena, while the women's hockey team's schedule is split between Bauer Arena and Olympic Oval. In rare cases of scheduling conflicts, both teams have used the Max Bell Centre for games.

Эх сурвалж: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)