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Brief History
A Grounded Vision
Dr. David Strangway, O.C., founded Quest University Canada following his distinguished 12-year tenure (1985-97) as President of the University of British Columbia. As one of Canada’s foremost scholars and academic administrators, he concluded that to alleviate the ever-increasing demand for university places in public post-secondary institutions, our nation would benefit from the establishment of independent, secular universities such as those in many other countries of the world.
Project Team
Accordingly, in 1998, Dr. Strangway formed a Project Team to transform into reality his vision of an independent, secular and not-for-profit liberal arts and science university that would welcome students from Canada and around the globe. He and his Team, headed by Project Leader Peter Ufford and Strategic Counsel Blake Bromley, conducted a province-wide search for a suitable home. They selected the District of Squamish following strong and enthusiastic representations of cooperation from the District Council, civic and community organizations, and the local populace.
Location
Squamish is equidistant (68 km.) between Vancouver and Whistler (sites of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games) in the heart of B.C.’s breathtaking “Sea to Sky Country,” so named because the town, situated in a tranquil valley at the head of Howe Sound, is surrounded by the majestic Coast Range Mountains. The Project Team decided to operate under the interim name “Sea to Sky University.” (We adopted our permanent name of Quest University Canada in October, 2005.)
Legislative Act and Financial Support
In May 2002, the government of British Columbia passed the historic Sea to Sky University Act, through which we became the first independent and secular university in Canada to attain official status, including degree-granting authority. Upon our attainment of this distinction, a generous donor arranged the financing through which we purchased our beautifully located, 97-hectare (240-acre) property in Garibaldi Highlands above the Squamish town centre. And through bylaw and Official Community Plan amendments passed by the District of Squamish, our property also included provision for 960 market-housing units. Sale of these lands would flow into our campus construction budget.
Donors such as the foregoing individual, and many other contributors including the J.W. McConnell Foundation and the R. Howard Webster Foundation, have sustained our independent University (a registered charitable institution) since its inception. These funds were utilized for infrastructure costs and site preparation, including construction of a $3.25 million bridge over Mashiter Creek in 2004-05 to connect our property with the adjoining Garibaldi Highlands residential development.
In July 2005 our principal benefactor, Dr. Stewart Blusson, O.C., one of Canada’s most acclaimed geologists as co-discoverer of the prolific Ekati diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories, and his wife, Marilyn, continued their support of our university through further, and extraordinarily generous, participation that ensured our campus would be built. Their agreement was initiated by Mr. Bromley in conjunction with Mr. Ufford, an accomplished business leader and noted Canadian fund-raising professional who had given up his leadership position with the Project Team to become the founding President & CEO of Sea to Sky Foundation (SSF), the entity responsible for the University’s capital funding and campus construction.
As a result of the generosity of the Stewart and Marilyn Blusson Foundation, and additional funding negotiated by SSF, the university’s $100 million campus construction program has been fast tracked and will be completed during the summer of 2007 in preparation for an inaugural enrollment of 160 students, increasing to a maximum 640 students by 2010.
Program Development
While the University’s campus construction and infrastructure programs are proceeding aggressively, its academic programs are keeping pace under the sure leadership of Dr. Strangway, assisted by Larry Sproul, former Director, UBC International, who joined us in January 2005 and now serves as Vice-President External Affairs & Planning, and Thomas Wood, retired President of Calgary’s Mount Royal College, who joined in September 2005 as Senior Advisor to the President. Messrs. Sproul and Wood are also members of the Curriculum Advisory Committee of accomplished academic professionals formed in 2005. In early 2006, the senior leadership of the University was further enhanced with the addition of Chief Financial Officer Lyndon Scott, and Dean of Enrollment Management, Mark Campbell. A full program to enroll the University for Fall 2007 is fully underway.
Our curriculum has been a work in progress dating back to two major International Consultations we hosted in 2001 and 2002, at which some of the world’s leading academic and university advisors provided input regarding our Academic Plan. Other volunteers, including members of our International Academic Advisory Committee and a Canadian Academic Advisory Committee, provided further ongoing refinements.
International Support
Largely as a result of Dr. Strangway’s global academic contacts, Quest University Canada today has negotiated “Founding Member” agreements with 17 of the world’s leading universities who will annually review our curriculum and academic programs.
As noted earlier, we adopted our permanent name of Quest University Canada in October 2005. Our Board of Governors approved the selection as “Quest” captures the essence of the academic journey our students will undertake when they join us.
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Quest University Canada is a Academic organization
Enrollment: 160
No. of Schools: 1
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