Quest University

Quest University Canada

Motto	Intimate, integrated, international.
Type	Private University
Established	2002
Chancellor	Dr. David Strangway
President	David Helfand
Location	Squamish , British Columbia , Canada
Campus	77-hectare (190 acre) site
Colours	Green  , Silver  , white   and black
Nickname	Kermodes
Affiliations	AALE, CBIE, CUP.
Website	Quest University Canada
File:Questu logo.png

Quest University Canada (formerly Sea to Sky University) is a private non-profit liberal arts and sciences university in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. The enabling legislation is the Sea to Sky University Act. The university opened in September 2007 with an enrolment of 80 students and hopes to ultimately grow to 800.

History

Quest was created May 29, 2002, following the passing of the Sea to Sky University Act by the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and adopted its current name in October, 2005. The University has adopted "intimate, integrated, international" undergraduate education as its mission statement. The University was founded by Dr. David Strangway, former President of the University of British Columbia and funded primarily by Canadian Geologist Stewart Blusson. In September 2007, Thomas Wood, former President of Mount Royal College was appointed to succeed Dr. Strangway. In August 2008, Dean Duperron, President of Sprott-Shaw Degree College, was hired to replace Thomas Wood and manage the finances for the University. After a very brief stint as President, Duperron resigned and in September 2008, Professor David Helfand, Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University and a part-time visiting faculty member at Quest, replaced Duperron.

Partnerships

Quest has established partnerships with universities around the world including Colorado College, the University of Hong Kong, Hanyang University (South Korea), Malmo University (Sweden), North-South University (Bangladesh), Richmond University (England), Trinity University College (Wales), the Universiti Sains Malaysia and the Amsterdam University College.

Buildings and features

The campus is built on a pedestrian-friendly 77-hectare (190 acre) site on a hill top 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.

Academics

Quest's approach to academics is rooted in the liberal arts tradition, emphasizing breadth as well as depth. 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 concentration (major) courses, and experiential learning, which emphasizes non-classroom-based learning, including work experience, study abroad, and a Capstone project. 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.

Quest provides a rigorous and challenging education. Classes are small: courses 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.

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."

As a private institution with no direct subsidy from government, a Quest education is more expensive than all publicly funded institutions in Canada. The Vancouver Sun notes, "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." (Tuition for two semesters / eight blocks in 2011-2012 is $27,000.) Average full-time tuition for Canadian universities in 2010/11 was $5,138.

Athletics

In 2007 Quest introduced women’s and men's varsity basketball teams, which play in the British Columbia College Athletics Association. Quest introduced women’s and men’s varsity soccer teams in the fall of 2008. Martina Franko, a Canadian 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.

Enrolment

With buildings that can accommodate up to 640 students in class, and an academic schedule that operates three semesters year-round, the University can expand up to 800 full-time students in its current phase. In the Fall of 2008, the entering class size was down from the inaugural year which was a disappointment for many who assumed that results would improve as the institution became more established. In the Fall of 2009, however, the entering class numbered slightly more than 100. Enrolment as of September 2010 is over 280 full time students.

Media

• [1], "The student’s Quest", Maclean's Magazine, February 24, 2011
• [2] "Squamish's Quest University looks forward to first convocation", Vancouver Sun, February 18, 2011
• [3] "Quest for the Future", Canadian Architect Magazine, March 2009
• [4] "The Most Expensive U.S. Colleges", Forbes Magazine, March 2, 2009
• [5] "Noble Quest", Maclean's Magazine, November 12, 2008
• [6] "New Non-Profit University Welcomes First Class", Maclean's Magazine, August 16, 2007
• [7] "Small University, Big Dream", Globe and Mail, October 31, 2006
• [8] "Strangway's Quest", Maclean's Magazine, February 27, 2006

See also

• List of universities in British Columbia
• Higher education in British Columbia
• Canadian Interuniversity Sport

External links

• Official website