View source for Mount Saint Vincent University

{{Short description|University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada}}
{{for|the university in New York City|University of Mount Saint Vincent}}
{{Redirect-distinguish2|MSVU|[[Mississippi Valley State University]] (MVSU)}}
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{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Mount Saint Vincent University
 | native_name            = 
 | latin_name             = 
 | image                  = MSVU Heraldry.jpg
 | image_size             = 
 | motto                  = ''Veritas ad Deum ducit'' ([[Latin language|Latin]])
 | mottoeng               = ''Truth Leads to God''
 | established            = {{start date and age|1873}}
 | type                   = [[Public university|Public]] [[Liberal arts college|liberal arts university]]
 | endowment              = CAN$36.22 million<ref>{{cite web |title=Management Discussion and Analysis and Financial Statements for the year ended March 31, 2018 |url=https://www.msvu.ca/site/media/msvu/Mount%20Saint%20Vincent%20University%20Financial%20Statements%20March%2031%202018_final.pdf |publisher=Mount Saint Vincent University |access-date=March 23, 2019 |page=15}}</ref> (as of March 31, 2022)
 | administrative_staff   = 
 | faculty                = 
 | president              = Joël Dickinson
 | principal              = 
 | rector                 = 
 | chancellor             = Vacant
 | dean                   = 
 | head_label             = 
 | head                   = 
 | total_staff            = 600
 | students               = 4,762 <ref>{{cite web |title=2018 MSVU Enrolment Statistics |url=https://www.msvu.ca/about-msvu/university-profile/university-statistics-and-reports/enrolment-stats-at-a-glance/ |access-date=29 June 2020}}</ref>
 | undergrad              = 3,316
 | postgrad               = 1,446
 | address                = 166 Bedford Highway<br />[[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]]<br />B3M 2J6
 | campus                 = [[Suburban]]
 | free_label             = 
 | free                   = 
 | coor                   = {{coord|44|40|15|N|63|38|47|W|region:CA_type:edu|display=title}}
 | former_names           = Mount Saint Vincent Academy (1873–1925)<br/>Mount Saint Vincent College (1925–1966)
 | colours                = [[Blue (color)|Dark Blue]] {{color box|#072B61}}
 | mascot                 = Captain Crow
 | nickname               = Mystics
 | affiliations           = [[Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada|AUCC]], [[International Association of Universities|IAU]], CBIE, [[Canadian University Press|CUP]].
 | logo                   = Mount Saint Vincent University Logo.svg
 | website                = {{URL|https://www.msvu.ca/}}
}}

'''Mount Saint Vincent University''', often referred to as '''the Mount''', is a public, primarily undergraduate, university located in [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]], Canada, and was established in 1873. Mount Saint Vincent offers undergraduate Arts, Science, Education, and Professional Studies undergraduate programs. The Mount has 13 graduate degrees in Applied Human Nutrition, School Psychology, Child and Youth Study, Education, Family Studies and Gerontology, Public Relations and Women's Studies. The Mount offers a doctorate program and a Ph.D. in Educational Studies through a joint initiative with [[St. Francis Xavier University]] and [[Acadia University]]. The Mount offers over 190 courses, ten undergraduate degree programs, and four online graduate degree programs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mount Saint Vincent University|url=http://www.aucc.ca/canadian-universities/our-universities/mount-saint-vincent-university-2/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819191112/http://www.aucc.ca/canadian-universities/our-universities/mount-saint-vincent-university-2/|archive-date=2014-08-19}}</ref>

The university attracts many students partly because of its small class sizes, specialty programs, and location. The Mount has [[Canada Research Chairs]] in Gender Identity and Social Practices as well as Food Security and Policy Change. This institution is unique nationwide as it has a Chair in learning disabilities, a Master of Public Relations program, a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies, and numerous other programs, faculty, and research initiatives.<ref>{{cite web |title=Quick Facts |url=http://www.msvu.ca/en/home/aboutus/home/QuickFacts.aspx |publisher=Mount Saint Vincent University |access-date=March 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140807001503/http://www.msvu.ca/en/home/aboutus/home/QuickFacts.aspx |archive-date=August 7, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==History==
[[Image:Mount Saint Vincent University.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Mount Saint Vincent University Entrance from the Bedford Highway, Halifax]]

Established by the [[Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (Halifax)]] as a [[women's college]] in 1873, the Mount was one of the few institutions of higher education for women in Canada at a time when women could not vote. The original purpose of the academy was to train novices and young sisters as teachers. Still, the Sisters also recognized a need to educate other young women.<ref>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/music-at-mount-saint-vincent-university-emc "Music at Mount Saint Vincent University"]. Mabel H. Laine, Margaret Young, Encyclopedia of Music in Canada.</ref> Over the ensuing years, the order developed a convent, schools, an orphanage, and health care facilities throughout the Halifax area and across North America. 

The Sisters of Charity Halifax, also staffed the Shubenacadie Residential School in Nova Scotia, which was open from 1930 to 1967, and the Cranbrook Residential School in British Columbia, which was open from 1890 to 1970. In October 2021, then-MSVU President Dr. Ramona Lumpkin apologized on behalf of the university to the survivors, their families and communities, as well as all Indigenous peoples, for the university’s role in the tragedy of residential schools in Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |title=An apology and our commitment to Indigenous Peoples |url=https://www.msvu.ca/about-msvu/indigenous-initiatives/apology-and-commitment-to-indigenous-peoples/ |access-date=2025-01-07 |language=en-CA}}</ref>

Architect Charles Welsford West designed the Romanesque chapel and annex (1903–05) at Mount St. Vincent Academy (now the University). He was the Architect of Nova Scotia Public Works & Mines 1932–1950.<ref>{{cite web |title=West, Charles Welsford |url=http://www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/node/344 |website=Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada 1800-1950 |access-date=March 23, 2019}}</ref>

By 1912, the [[Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (Halifax)]] recognized the need to offer more significant opportunities through university education. They adopted a plan to establish a college for young women. Two years later, in 1914, the Sisters partnered with Dalhousie University, enabling Mount Saint Vincent to offer the first two years of a bachelor's degree program to be credited toward{{clarify|date=July 2012}} a Dalhousie degree.

In 1925, the Nova Scotia Legislature awarded the Mount the right to grant degrees, making it the only independent women's college in the [[British Commonwealth]].<ref name="MSVUHistory">{{cite web |title=Tradition and History |url=https://www.msvu.ca/en/home/aboutus/universityprofile/traditionandhistory.aspx |publisher=Mount Saint Vincent University |access-date=March 23, 2019}}</ref>  By 1951, degrees were offered in Arts, Secretarial Science, Music, Home Economics, Library Science, Nursing and Education.

A new charter was granted in 1966, and the College became Mount Saint Vincent University, establishing a board of governors and senate. This was also a period of tremendous growth– with enrolment increases, new construction, and new agreements. In 1967, the Mount began admitting male students. The university continued to evolve with the expansion of programs during the 1970s and entered into several new fields, including Child Study, Public Relations, Gerontology, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Cooperative Education, and Distance Education. In July 1988, the [[Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (Halifax)]] officially transferred ownership of the institution to the Board of Governors.

=== Caritas Day===

After a fire in 1951 burned down Mount Saint Vincent's only building, the people of Halifax came together to support students by providing alternative accommodations for their classes. In recognition of the generosity of their community, the Sisters of Charity established a memorial holiday in appreciation of their gesture. Caritas Day, named after the Christian virtue of charity, takes place on the last Wednesday of January of each year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Caritas Day |url=https://www.msvu.ca/en/home/programsdepartments/professionalstudies/businessadministration/newsevents/caritasday.aspx |publisher=Mount Saint Vincent University |access-date=March 23, 2019}}</ref> No classes are held on this day, and students are encouraged to volunteer their time instead. Caritas Day is an opportunity for students and faculty alike to connect with the Sisters of Charity and come together outside of class in a personally and academically beneficial setting.

==Programs==

Mount Saint Vincent University offers over 40 undergraduate arts, sciences, and  professional studies degrees. Professional studies programs include Applied Human Nutrition, Business Administration, Child and Youth Study, Family Studies and Gerontology, Information Technology, Public Relations, Non-profit Leadership, and Tourism and Hospitality Management. All undergraduate programs are work-experience eligible, meaning any Mount student can participate in a work placement (practicum, co-op, internship) as part of their program.

The Mount also offers diplomas in Business Administration and tourism and hospitality Management and certificates in Accounting, Business Administration, Marketing, Proficiency in French, and Non-profit Leadership.

Following the consolidation of post-secondary programs across Nova Scotia in the 1990s, the Mount became home to the only education program in the Halifax area. The faculty of Education is home to the only [[school psychology]] graduate program in Atlantic Canada. Graduates of this program are eligible to become registered psychologists in Nova Scotia and several other provinces in Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.msvu.ca/en/home/programsdepartments/education/graduateprograms/schoolpsychology/default.aspx |title=School Psychology |publisher=Mount Saint Vincent University|access-date=March 23, 2019}}</ref>

The Mount houses 16 research centres and institutes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mount Saint Vincent University|url=http://www.aucc.ca/canadian-universities/our-universities/mount-saint-vincent-university-2/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819191112/http://www.aucc.ca/canadian-universities/our-universities/mount-saint-vincent-university-2/|archive-date=2014-08-19}}</ref>

The Department of Applied Human Nutrition has an accredited dietetic program. The University is accredited by a professional organization such as the [[Dietitians of Canada]], and the university's graduates may subsequently become registered dietitians.

Mount Saint Vincent University is the only university in Canada to offer a Master of Public Relations program (MPR).<ref name="msvu_ca">{{cite web|url=http://www.msvu.ca/en/home/programsdepartments/graduatestudiesatthemount/PRandCommStudies/default.aspx|title=Public Relations and Communication Studies|publisher=Mount Saint Vincent University|access-date=8 May 2014}}</ref> The MPR program graduated its first class in October 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msvu.ca/en/home/aboutus/mediacentre/news/Oct23.aspx|title=First Masters of Public Relations class graduates from the Mount|last=Lovett|first=Akiko|publisher=Mount Saint Vincent University|access-date=8 May 2014}}</ref> The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) recognizes MSVU's MPR program for excellence in PR education in its Pathways to the Profession guide.<ref name="msvu_ca" />

=== Support services ===
Academic programs are supported by a wide variety of electronic and print research resources in the MSVU Library.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msvu.ca/library |title=Library|publisher=Mount Saint Vincent University}}</ref>  Research services include drop-in reference assistance, research appointments, and classroom workshops.

January 2019 marked the 40th anniversary of the Mount's co-operative education program. It is the longest-standing nationally accredited co-op program in the Maritime Provinces, offering an optional co-op program in 1979 for students in the Bachelor of Business Administration program. Four decades later, more than 8,000 Business Administration, Public Relations, and Tourism & Hospitality Management students have taken their learning from the classroom to the workplace, completing paid work terms in industries related to their field of study (today, co-op is a required part of the Public Relations and Tourism & Hospitality Management degrees). Since 2014, the Mount Co-op Office has also enabled experiential opportunities for Arts and Science students through an Arts & Science Internship Program.

Mount Saint Vincent University is home to the Centre for Women in Business, a not-for-profit university business development centre (UBDC), dedicated to assisting with entrepreneurial activities within and throughout Nova Scotia. Founded in 1992 by the University's Department of Business & Tourism, this remains the only UBDC in Canada with a primary focus on women. The Centre has served more than 7500 clients over the past 18 years.

==Art Gallery==
[[File:MSVU Art Gallery Display 2015.jpg|thumb|One of two levels of the Mount's Art Gallery, located in Seton Academic Centre.|alt=]]
The Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery is located on the first floor of Seton Academic Centre. It opened in 1971 as a resource for Mount Saint Vincent, the communities served by the university, artists, Metro Halifax residents, and the art public. Admission is always free of charge.

MSVU Art Gallery reflects the University's educational aims by devoting a significant part of its activities to the representation of women as cultural subjects and producers. Its exhibitions explore various forms of cultural production, highlighting the achievements of Nova Scotian artists and themes relevant to academic programs offered by the university.<ref>{{cite web |title=MSVU Art Gallery |url=https://www.msvuart.ca/?menid=01&mtyp=3 |access-date=March 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Art Gallery |url=http://www.msvu.ca/en/home/community/artgallery.aspx |publisher=Mount Saint Vincent University |access-date=March 23, 2019}}</ref>

== Wikuom ==
[[File:MSVU Wikuom 2018.jpg|thumb|A wikuom raised beside Seton Road at Mount Saint Vincent University|alt=]]
The Mount was the first Nova Scotia university to add a wikuom to its campus facilities. First raised on June 12, 2017, the wikuom is a welcoming traditional Mi'kmaq space where Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities can gather and learn together.

The Mount is also home to the Aboriginal Student Centre (ASC),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msvu.ca/en/home/studentservices/Aboriginalstudentcentre/default.aspx|title=Mount Saint Vincent University Aboriginal Student Centre|website=Mount Saint Vincent University}}</ref> which is home to ASC staff who provide academic advising, counseling, and other support services to students. The ASC hosts several events, including the Mount's Mid-Winter Feast, Blanket Exercises, Cultural Workshops, Mini-Mount Camps, and more.

==Athletics==
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2017}}
Home to the Mystics, the Mount competes in the Atlantic Colleges Athletic Association (ACAA) in Women's & Men's Basketball, Women's & Men's Soccer, Cross Country and Women's Volleyball.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msvu.ca/en/home/studentservices/Athletics/default.aspx|title=Athletics, Mount Saint Vincent University|date=March 11, 2019|website=Mount Saint Vincent University}}</ref> The Mystics hold championship titles in all sports, making them the most acclaimed team of the ACAA division.

* Women's Volleyball claimed the ACAA title for the 8th consecutive year, February 2019<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/pg/MountMystics/photos/?tab=album&album_id=344899042785711|title=2019 Women's Volleyball ACAA Championship (PHOTOS)|website=Mount Mystics (Facebook)}}</ref>

== Notable alumni ==
Notable graduates of the Mount include:
* [[Patricia Arab]]
* [[Joanne Bernard]]
* [[Carolyn Bertram]]
* [[Ryan Cochrane (canoeist)|Ryan Cochrane]]
* [[Rafah DiCostanzo|Rafah DiConstanzo]]
* [[Barrie Dunn]] 
* [[Alice Mary Hagen]] 
* [[Leroy Lowe]]
* [[Catherine McKinnon]] 
* [[Paul D. McNair]] 
* [[Marianna O'Gallagher]] 
* [[Yvonne Pothier]] 
* [[Iain Rankin]] 
* [[Corrine Sparks]]

== See also ==
* [[List of current and historical women's universities and colleges]]
* [[Higher education in Nova Scotia]]
* [[List of universities in Nova Scotia]]
* [[Canadian Interuniversity Sport]]
* [[Canadian government scientific research organizations]]
* [[Canadian university scientific research organizations]]
* [[Canadian industrial research and development organizations]]
* [[List of colleges and universities named after people]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.msvu.ca Official website]

{{Commons category}}
{{Universities in Canada}}
{{Halifax, Nova Scotia}}

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[[Category:Mount Saint Vincent University| ]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Halifax, Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Catholic universities and colleges in Canada]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1849]]
[[Category:Former women's universities and colleges in Canada]]
[[Category:Catholic Church in Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:1849 establishments in Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Women in Nova Scotia]]