Quest University

Quest University Canada

File:Questu logo.png
Motto	Intimate, integrated, international.
Type	Private University
Established	2002
Chancellor	Dr. David Strangway
President	Dr. David Helfand
Location	Squamish , British Columbia , Canada
Campus	24-hectare (60 acre) site
Colours	Green  , Silver  , white   and black
Nickname	Kermodes
Affiliations	AALE, CBIE, CUP.
Website	Quest University Canada

Quest University Canada is a private non-profit liberal arts and sciences university in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. The university opened in September 2007 with an enrolment of 74 students; its current enrolment is 300. Quest University is located on a 60-acre mountain-top campus on the edge of Garibaldi Provincial Park. It is approximately 73 km (45 miles) from Vancouver and 57 km (35 miles) from Whistler. Quest University is accredited by the Degree Quality Assessment Board (DQAB) under the British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education. Quest University is registered as a British Columbia Education Quality Assurance (EQA) approved post-secondary institution. (EQA is a quality assurance designation that identifies BC public and private post-secondary institutions that have met or exceeded provincial government recognized quality assurance standards and offer consumer protection.)

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's motto is "intimate, integrated, international". 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.

Academics

Quest's approach to academics is rooted in the liberal arts tradition, emphasizing breadth as well as depth. Quest offers one degree: a Bachelors of Arts and Sciences. 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 a "Concentration" program. 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. Each student's Individual Concentration Program consists of four principal elements:

1. a statement of the Question;
2. a course plan;
3. a list of related readings; and
4. a Capstone project.

The Concentration Program may also include experiential learning components such as a semester abroad, leadership training, service learning, or an internship.

Courses at Quest 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.

Quest provides a rigorous and challenging education. 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."

Athletics

In 2007 Quest introduced women’s and men's varsity basketball teams, which play in the British Columbia Colleges Athletic 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.

Study Abroad / Partner Institutions

Quest students can apply to study with one of several international exchange partners for one or two academic terms. These partner institutions include the following:

• Amsterdam University College, Netherlands
• Colorado College, United States
• European College of Liberal Arts - Berlin, Germany
• Hanyang University, South Korea
• Malmo University, Sweden
• North South University, Bangladesh

• 
Richmond University, England
• University of Wales - Trinity Saint David, Wales
• 
Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, Mexico

• University of Hong Kong, China
• 
Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

Buildings and features

The campus is built on a pedestrian-friendly 60 acre site on a hilltop 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.

Tuition

In the absence of federal or provincial funding, tuition revenue and private donations cover the costs of operating the University. Full-time tuition for the academic years (two semesters / eight blocks) in 2011-2012 is $27,000. Average full-time tuition for Canadian universities in 2010-11 was $5,138. The Vancouver Sun noted, "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." To lessen the difference between a family’s resources and the cost of attending Quest, the University provides scholarships, bursaries, and employment opportunities.

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