Acadia University is a university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada. It began as Horton Academy (1828), which was founded by Baptists from Nova Scotia. The two major Universities of the day in Nova Scotia, were heavily controlled by Denominational structures. King's College (University of King's College) was an Anglican School and Dalhousie University, which was originally non-denominational, had placed itself under the control and direction of the Church of Scotland. It was the failure of Dalhousie to appoint a prominent Baptist pastor and scholar, Edmund Crawley, to the Chair of Classics, as had been expected, that really thrust into the forefront of Baptist thinking the need for a College established and run by the Baptists.
In 1838, the Nova Scotia Baptist Education Society founded Queen's College (named for Queen Victoria). The College began with 21 students in January 1839. The name "Queen's College" was denied to the Baptist school, so it was renamed "Acadia College" in 1841, in reference to the history of the area as an Acadian settlement. It became a university in 1891.
The original charter as a College stated:
And be it further enacted, that no religious tests or subscriptions shall be required of the Professors Fellows, Scholars, Graduates or Officers of the said College; but that all the privileges and advantages thereof shall be open and free to all and every Person and Persons whomsoever, without regard to religious persuasion... And it shall and may be lawful for the trustees and Governors of the said College to select as Professors, and other Teaches or Officers, competent persons of any religious persuasion whatever, provided such person or persons shall be of moral and religious character.
This was unique at the time, and a direct result of Baptists being denied entry into other schools that required religious tests of their students and staff.
As of 2004, Acadia has approximately 4,000 students. Some would consider Acadia University's most outstanding factor to be its Acadia Advantage program. The initiative (which was unique in Canada for several years after beginning in 1998) integrates the use of laptop computers, which are loaned to all students, into the undergraduate curriculum. Acadia also has the highest tuition in Canada, in part because of the additional fees students must pay to participate in the Acadia Advantage program.
As of 2004, Acadia's president is Gail Dinter-Gottlieb; she took on her position after the retirement of past president Kelvin Ogilvie in 2003. In February and March of 2004, Acadia experienced it's first ever strike by the professors. The profs were off the job for about two weeks before they reached a settlement.
The university is also home to the Baptist Acadia Divinity College.
Acadia's sports teams are called the Axemen and Axewomen. They participate in the Atlantic University Sports conference. |
