Crandall University

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox university Template:Coord Crandall University is a Baptist Christian liberal arts university located in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. It is owned by the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (Canadian Baptist Ministries).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

File:Crandall University.jpg

Stultz Hall

Crandall University was founded in 1949 under the name United Baptist Bible Training School (UBBTS), and served as both a secondary school and a Bible school by the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada.<ref name="Randall Herbert Balmer 2004, p. 42">Randall Herbert Balmer, Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition, Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 42</ref> Over two decades, the focus of the school gradually shifted toward post-secondary programs. In 1968, UBBTS became a Bible and junior Christian liberal arts college, and in 1970 the name was changed to Atlantic Baptist College (ABC).<ref name="Randall Herbert Balmer 2004, p. 42"/> A sustained campaign to expand the school's faculty and improve the level of education resulted in ABC being able to grant full Bachelor of Arts degrees in 1983.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its campus at this time was located along the Salisbury Road, west of Moncton's central business district.

The institution moved to a new campus built on the Gorge Road, north of the central business district, in 1996. The name was changed to Atlantic Baptist University (ABU), a reflection of expanded student enrolment and academic accreditation. In 2003, the ABU sports teams adopted the name The Blue Tide. The institution was the first, and thus far only, English-language university in Moncton. The Atlantic Baptist University Act was passed by the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On August 21, 2009, it was announced that the institution had changed its name to Crandall University in honour of Rev. Joseph Crandall, a pioneering Baptist minister in the maritime region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In conjunction with the university name change, Crandall Athletics took on a new identity as "The Crandall Chargers."

The university’s first chancellor was Ralph Richardson, who served in the role from 2001 to 2009. Richardson graduated from UBBTS in 1964, began teaching at the college in 1971, and proceeded to take on greater leadership roles until eventually becoming president in 1986, which he served as until stepping down in 2000. Richardson passed away in 2022.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Academics

Template:As of, Crandall offers 16 undergraduate programs, 3 graduate programs, and a variety of certificate programs.<ref name="viewbook">Template:Cite web</ref> Through its partnership with Acadia Divinity College (which is also owned by Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada), students can also enrol in the Bachelor of Theology program concurrent with a Crandall degree.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Controversy

Academic freedom and CAUT investigation

Following concerns being brought to its attention,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in 2009 the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) authorized an ad hoc investigatory committee to open an investigation to determine whether Crandall University might be denying academic freedom to some of its academic staff by requiring a statement of faith as a condition of initial and/or continuing employment. The investigation included an interview with the university’s president, vice-president of academic affairs, and president of the faculty association, and concluded in 2010. The report found that “while the university has a statement on academic freedom, it is significantly inconsistent with that of the CAUT and the majority of universities across the western world, and assurances that free enquiry is still possible within its constraints are unconvincing.” The committee therefore recommended that Crandall University "be placed on the list of institutions 'found to have imposed a requirement of a commitment to a particular ideology or statement of faith as a condition of employment.'"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Anti-gay hiring policy

In 2012, Crandall University came under public scrutiny for receiving municipal funds while refusing to hire non-celibate LGBTQ people. That policy, although regarded as scriptural and consistent with its denominational tradition, was characterized by the press as anti-gay.<ref name="thestar.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That same year, the Crandall Student Association publicly broke with the university's administration over the policy, with the student president at the time telling the CBC, "The Christian faith does say do not judge others. And the Christian faith is all about love. So I feel that this policy – to me – doesn't seem like it's following those specific guidelines."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, a year after the controversy erupted, the university opted to not apply for $150,000 in public funding that it had received annually.<ref name="CBC_Controversy_1">Template:Citation</ref> The university president also issued an apology, stating: "We wish to apologize for anything that Crandall University might possibly have communicated in the past that may have seemed unloving or disrespectful in any way toward any individual or groups."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Termination of John G. Stackhouse Jr. and subsequent lawsuits

In 2023, Crandall University engaged Pink Larkin law firm to conduct an independent investigation following anonymous accusations posted on social media of inappropriate behaviour by one or multiple unnamed university employees. The investigation resulted in the termination of John G. Stackhouse Jr., a Religious Studies professor and the Dean of Faculty Development.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Over 120 students, staff, faculty, and alumni signed an open letter criticizing the university for its failure to act on prior complaints and for its policies that discouraged and presented barriers for students to report sexual harassment on campus.<ref>Template:Cite web archived</ref> The university’s leadership has faced ongoing criticism for its failure to act on prior complaints about the professor, its handling of the investigation, and its stance on sexual harassment and misconduct, which has resulted in multiple lawsuits.

In December 2023, Stackhouse sued Crandall University in the Court of King's Bench of New Brunswick, claiming wrongful termination and damages to his reputation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Stackhouse’s wife, Sarah-Jane Britton, later joined the lawsuit, also claiming damages to reputation. In its response, the university denies any and all liability to Stackhouse or his wife and requests the court dismiss their claim with costs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In March 2025, Stackhouse and Britton filed an affidavit challenging the independence and legitimacy of the investigation, claiming among other things that Stackhouse was never informed of specific allegations made against him during the investigation process, and that university president Bruce G. Fawcett manipulated the investigation process and collaborated extensively with the investigator, including through interviewing witnesses, editing the final investigation report, and co-writing its summary. Stackhouse and Britton further claim that on multiple occasions the investigator suggested closing the investigation due to a lack of evidence, but that the president insisted it continue. The allegations have not been proven in court.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2024, Crandall University sued AIG Insurance Company of Canada, claiming that, as a result of an insurance policy purchased by the university, the insurance company was responsible for all costs associated with defending the university in the action commenced by Stackhouse. The insurance policy provided coverage for wrongful acts made by the university’s directors and officers (including for wrongful termination of employees), but included a sexual misconduct exclusion, which excluded coverage for matters in any way involving sexual misconduct. Due to the exclusion, AIG rejected the university’s claim and declined to pay costs associated with the action commenced by Stackhouse. The university argued that the exclusion was ambiguous and that sexual harassment is not a form of sexual misconduct under the policy. The Court of King's Bench of New Brunswick dismissed the university’s application, determining that the plain and ordinary meaning of sexual misconduct includes sexual harassment, and ordered the university to pay $3,000 in costs plus disbursements to AIG. <ref>Template:Cite court</ref> The university appealed to the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick, which dismissed the appeal in a unanimous decision and ordered the university to pay an additional $2,500 in costs to AIG.<ref>Template:Cite court</ref>

Affiliations

Crandall is an affiliate member of the Association of the Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC); a full member of the ARUCC regional association, the Atlantic Association of Registrars and Admissions Officers (AARAO); an active member of Christian Higher Education Canada (CHEC); and an active member of the New Brunswick Association of Private Colleges and Universities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.<ref>Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, Members, cccu.org, USA, retrieved September 19, 2022</ref>

Athletics

Crandall University is represented in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) by 8 varsity teams. The Chargers teams include men's and women's soccer, basketball, volleyball, and cross country. The Chargers also offer a boxing club program that competes internationally.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Chargers have won eight ACAA championship banners:

• Women's soccer in 2003–04<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Women's cross country in 2022–23 and 2023–24<ref name="ACAA Cross Country">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Men's cross country in 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024-25, and 2025-26<ref name="ACAA Cross Country"/>

Athletic controversies

In the 2018-2019 men’s basketball season, the Chargers had to forfeit seven games they had previously won after it was discovered that they used an ineligible player.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Under league rules professional players are required to wait a full year after their last professional game before they are eligible to play in the ACAA. The university disclosed that the player had previously played professional basketball, but they failed to note the date of the player's last professional game. The team had been in fourth place prior to the forfeitures but immediately dropped to last place in the eight team league as a result.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The team finished the season in seventh place, recording five wins in their 21 game season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A similar incident occurred in the 2025-26 men’s soccer season. The Chargers had to forfeit two games (a win and a tie) for use of an ineligible player, which resulted in the team finishing the season in fifth place in the seven team league.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Without the forfeitures, the team would’ve finished the season in fourth place and qualified for playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable alumni

• David Alward – former Premier of New Brunswick<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Ken LeBlanc – entrepreneur<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Cathy Rogers – politician

See also

• List of schools in Moncton
• Higher education in New Brunswick
• List of universities and colleges in New Brunswick

External links

• Crandall University homepage
• Crandall Athletics homepage