:''This article is about Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. You might be looking for
Nottingham Trent University in the UK''
'Trent University' is a
liberal arts oriented institution located along the
Otonabee River in
Peterborough, Ontario,
Canada. Dr.
Roberta Bondar is currently the chancellor of Trent, and its president is
Bonnie Patterson.
The Symons campus of Trent is approximately 14.60 square kilometres, over half of which is a part of Trent's Nature Areas, an ecologically diverse wild-life preserve. It is divided into a series of colleges:
Champlain College at Trent University,
Lady Eaton,
Catharine Parr Traill, Otonabee,
Peter Gzowski, and Julian Blackburn. Each college has its own residence hall, dining room, and student government. The exception to this rule is Julian Blackburn, which is a building primarily used for administrative purposes. The campus plan and the original colleges were designed by the Canadian architect
Ron Thom. A large portion of the main campus consists of land that was donated by
GE Canada. This donation included a functioning
hydroelectric power plant dating from the 1890s, and which still generates a substantial portion of the university's electricity; the power plant is being updated and a second generating plant being considered.
Trent also runs a full- and part-time program in Oshawa at the campus of the
University of Ontario Institute of Technology, with an enrollment of over 800 students. The university is represented in
Canadian Interuniversity Sport by the Trent Excalibur.
History
Trent University came about from public discussion in
1957 about the possibility of opening a
post-secondary institution in the
Trent Valley. In
1963, the university received a provincial
charter and opened Rubidge Hall, Traill College, and Peter Robinson College in
1964. The first students were admitted in September,
1964.
Catharine Parr Traill College
Named after local
biologist and
writer Catharine Parr Traill, this college was one of the first to be opened, in 1964. It serves as the base for the Departments of
English, Cultural Studies, and
Canadian Studies. The college also includes the Alan Wilson reading room as well as the Frost Centre for Canadian Studies, where the M.A. and PhD. programs are housed. The last of Trent's "downtown" colleges, Traill acts as a link between Trent University faculty, staff and students and the Peterborough community.
Traill College consists of Wallis Hall, Bradburn, Stewart, Langton and Crawford Houses, which are residential; as well as Scott House — the original location of Catharine Parr Traill College in its entirety — Kerr house, and the Principal's Lodge, all of which are not.
There has been discussion among the university's administrators of adhering to a decision made at the turn of the century to close Traill College in an effort to consolidate Trent on to the Symons campus in the north end of Peterborough. Opposition has arisen, as many Trent students, alumni, faculty and staff feel that Traill is essential as a connecting link to the downtown Peterborough core and plays a key role in some students' "Trent Experience".
It has recently been decided that Traill will not be closed, but converted into a college for graduate programs, particularly in the Arts.
Champlain College
Located on Symons Campus along the Otonabee River, this college was opened in
1967. It is named after the early 17th century explorer
Samuel de Champlain, who explored the Otonabee area in
1615 and whose sword is featured in the Trent crest.
Lady Eaton College
The fourth college, established in
1968, it is named in honour of
Lady Flora McCrea Eaton, one of the original sponsors of the university. It contains the offices for the departments of History, Philosophy,
Women's Studies, and Modern Languages.
Otonabee College
Founded in 1972 and named for the
river that runs through the university, Otonabee College was the fifth established college at Trent. Its name was the source of debate, with some suggestions including
Norman Bethune,
Lester B. Pearson, and
Ojibwa for a
tullibee. It is now the only college in the university to bear a name in a Native language (
Ojibwa) and the only one not named after a person. Otonabee includes the offices for the Departments of
Psychology,
Anthropology,
Computer Science, and
Sociology. It is also the home of Trent's main auditorium, the
Wenjack Theatre, named after
Charlie Wenjack, a native student who suffered at the hands of the
residential school system and died trying to escape back to his home.
Peter Gzowski College/Enweying
Founded in 2003 it is the newest of the Trent University colleges. It is named after
CBC broadcaster Peter Gzowski who was the 8th chancellor of the school. At one point, the college had two campuses: one on Argyle Street, in buildings on lease from the
Eastern Pentecostal Bible College which houses the Teacher Education and Nursing Programs, and the main one: in the building named
Enweying (''enweying'', which in
Anishinaabe language means "The Way We Speak Together") on the main Symons campus, which houses Indigenous Studies, Economics, Mathematics and Business Administration. All programs located at the Argyle location were moved to the main campus before the 2006-2007 academic year.
Peter Robinson College
The first college to open at the university, it is dedicated to
Peter Robinson, the member of the
Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada who oversaw emigration of
Irish settlers to the area in the 1820s. The city of
Peterborough is also named in his honour. The college used to have a residence (apartment style) until its sale to a private landlord in 2004. The college was shut down by the university administration, although many Peter Robinson students and faculty protested the closure.
By referendum in March, 2003, Trent students voted to create and operate a non-profit educational and cultural student facility, to be shared with the community as a whole. Chosen to house this new facility was Sadleir House: one of the original university buildings at the PR site, it holds special historical significance for both the Trent and Peterborough communities. Funded by a new student levy and organized as the
P.R. Community and Student Association (PRCSA), the students' offer to purchase the property was accepted by the current non-university owners. The Trust secured a mortgage for the property and the students took possession of Sadleir House on 27 February, 2004.
The PRCSA facility at Sadleir House is completely independent from the influence of Trent University administrators.
Julian Blackburn College
This college has programs for
part-time students in Peterborough, and part-time and full-time students in Oshawa. It is named after
Julian Blackburn, who was one of the original professors who helped establish Trent.
Trent in Oshawa
Trent runs a full time program in
Oshawa at the campus of the
University of Ontario Institute of Technology and
Durham College. Administered by JBC, Trent has a history of over 30 years of offering courses in the Oshawa area. Over 800 students attend Trent in Oshawa (formerly Trent@UOIT), which is home to a number of tenure-track professors, as well as staff who are based at the main campus. Students may obtain degrees in Oshawa in Anthropology, Biology, Computer Studies, Cultural Studies, English, Environmental & Resource Studies, History, Psychology, Sociology and Women's Studies. Trent in Oshawa has a unique feel, with small classes and a tightly knit student body.
Trent's other undergraduate programs include the
Queen's University/Trent concurrent education program, the Trent University School of Education, a joint program with
Fleming College, in which students earn a B.Sc.F.S. in Forensic Science, as well as a B.Sc.N. program in Nursing.
Graduate studies
Trent has a small number of
graduate programs, including
Anthropology M.A. (current focus is in
physical anthroplogy and
Archaeology), Applications of Modelling / Natural & Social Sciences M.A. / M.Sc.,
Canadian Studies and
Native Studies M.A.
Canadian Studies
Ph.D., Theory, Culture and Politics
M.A., Indigenous Studies
Ph.D. Watershed Ecosystems Ph. D / M.Sc, and
Materials Science M.Sc. The university's Indigenous/Native Studies program was the first in Canada, and only the second in North America. In addition, the Joint
Carleton/Trent Canadian Studies
Ph.D. Program was the first program in Canada. The new Ph.D Program in
Cultural Studies is the first in Canada.
Famous Graduates
★
Lucie Edwards, (Canadian diplomat, High Commissioner)
★
Maggie Helwig, (
Writer)
★
Yann Martel, (
Writer)
★
Nancy Anne Sakovich, (
Model,
Actress)
★
Stephen Stohn, entertainment lawyer and
television producer (''
Degrassi'')
★
James Orbinski, (
Doctors without Borders/
Nobel prize)
★
Linwood Barkely, (
Journalist)
★
Don Tappscott, (
Writer/Futurist)
★
Leah McLaren, (
Writer)
★
David McGuffin, (
CBC News, Africa Correspondent)
★
Khoy Lim, (
IT Professional)
★
James Motluk, (
Filmmaker)
★
Chris Hodgson, (former Ontario government cabinet minister)
★
Paul Nicholas Mason, writer
★ Dunnery Best, writer
Media
★ ''
Arthur'' is a student-published newspaper at Trent, and is a member of the
Canadian University Press. It publishes a weekly newspaper that is circulated to students, funded by a $9.15 CDN levy paid by every Trent student. Most of the articles are about issues that affect students at Trent University, although some are more wide-ranging and may relate to subjects such as
the environment or
politics. ''Arthur'' is maintained by a board of directors and has editorial autonomy from the university's administrators.
★ ''
Absynthe Magazine'' is a student paper at Trent. It was founded in
1999. The paper was established as an alternative to ''Arthur'', and has since established itself as a venue for discussion and debate within the Trent student body. It is a submissions-based
publication, reliant on members of the Trent community to provide content. It is, like ''Arthur'', distributed free of charge. ''Absynthe'' is published by Absynthe Media, and receives a refundable
levy from each full-time student of Trent University.
★ Radio: The university's
campus radio station is Trent Radio 92.7 FM
CFFF.
★ ''Toast'' was a summer newspaper affiliated with Arthur. ''Toast'' was founded in summer 2004 in response to a need for a summer publication at Trent. ''Arthur'' ends publication in April and resumes in September, leaving the Trent community without a newspaper. In summer 2005 ''Toast'' published three issues on a biweekly basis, similar to ''Arthur'' in scope and content but with a slightly irreverent, cheeky twist.
Administration
Chancellors
★
Leslie Frost (1967–1973)
★
Eugene Forsey (1973–1977)
★
William Morton (1977–1980)
★
Margaret Laurence (1981–1983)
★
John J. Robinette (1984–1987)
★
Kenneth Hare (1988–1995)
★
Mary Simon (1995–1999)
★
Peter Gzowski (1999–2002)
★ Dr.
Roberta Bondar (2003–)
Athletics
There are many
varsity and
intramural sports at Trent. Trent competes at the varsity level under the name Excalibur in
men's[1] and women's
[2] rugby,
volleyball[3],
fencing[4],
rowing[5], competitive swimming, and
soccer.
Trent University installed a new artificial turf athletics field in the summer of 2005. The field was built as part of Trent's bid to hold the 2007 U19 Women's Lacrosse Championships. Currently there is only one set of bleachers, but there are plans to expand the seating to fit 1,000 spectators prior to 2007.
Trent Summer Sports Camp, a sports and leadership camp affiliated with the university's athletics department, offers a full range of activities to children 4 to 16 during the summer months. The camp's director is Bruce Emmerton.
Trent University takes pride in its rowing club. Each autumn, Trent in conjunction with the Peterborough Rowing Club
[6] hosts the Head of the Trent rowing regatta, a 5 kilometre head-style race along the Trent Canal and Otonabee River, finishing under the Faryon Bridge on the Trent University campus. The day-long event is open to university, club, and high school crews. Head of the Trent weekend is also homecoming at Trent University and includes a wide range of athletic and festive events.
Clubs and Groups
Trent has a variety of clubs and groups including a number of theatre groups, social interest groups, newspapers, religious groups, and academic societies. These groups include Trent Model United Nations,
Anne Shirley Theatre Company, and Sustainable Trent. These groups are showcased during Introductory Seminar Week (ISW) for the benefit of new students.
External links
★
Official Trent Website
★
OurTrent.com Website
★
Trent Radio
★
Trent Model United Nations
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
