Ryerson University
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Ryerson University is a publicly funded post-secondary education institution located in the heart of downtown Toronto, Ontario, which is Canada's largest city. Ryerson was founded in 1948 and is named after Egerton Ryerson (1803-1882), chief superintendent of education for Canada West.
Ryerson University today has 20,000 full-time students and is the largest of the 21 universities in Canada in the 'primarily undergraduate' category. Offering more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, Ryerson's growing research activities have a strong applied focus. Ryerson is well known for its media-related programs, specifically:
- Journalism, publishers of the award-winning Ryerson Review of Journalism magazine;
- Radio and Television Arts, the only four-year broadcasting degree in Canada; and
- Image Arts (film, photography and new media), Canada's most prestigious fine arts program.
The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is the country's largest provider of university-level adult education with over 60,000 enrollments.
According to Maclean's Magazine Annual University Rankings, Ryerson's best rating is in the 'Reputation' classification where it is consistently ranked in the top 5 of the 21 'primarily undergraduate' category universities and in the top 20 of universities in all categories. According to the Globe and Mail's University Report Card 2006, Ryerson is ranked 5th of the medium size universities in the category of 'Preparation for Employment'. Webometrics ranking of world universities, has placed Ryerson University at 432nd best university overall, in its list of World's Top 3000 Universities.
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History
In 1852 at the core of the main campus, the historic St. James Square, Egerton Ryerson founded Ontario's foremost teacher's academy, the Toronto Normal School. It also housed the Department of Education and The Museum of Natural History and Fine Arts, which became the Royal Ontario Museum. An agricultural laboratory on the site led to the later founding of the Ontario Agricultural College and the University of Guelph. St. James Square went through various other educational uses before housing a namesake of its original founder.
Egerton Ryerson was a leading educator, politician, and Methodist minister. He is known as the father of Ontario's public school system. He is also a founder of the first publishing company in Canada in 1829, The Methodist Book and Publishing House, which was renamed The Ryerson Press in 1919 and today is part of McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Canadian publisher of educational and professional books. Although not affiliated with the university, the well known publishing company still bears Egerton Ryerson's name for its Canadian operations.
The Ryerson Institute of Technology was founded in 1948; the name was changed in 1964 to Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. It became a university-degree granting institution in 1971 accredited by both provincial government legislation and nationally by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). That year, it also became a member of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU). In 1992, Ryerson becomes Toronto’s second school of engineering following accreditation from the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. A flag bearing the Ryerson crest is carried aboard the space shuttle Columbia, signifying Ryerson’s collaboration in research with Canadian astronaut Roberta Bondar. Research funding tops $9 million for the period 1986-92. In 1993 Ryerson received approval to also grant graduate degrees (master's and doctorates). The same year it changed its name to Ryerson Polytechnic University reflecting a stronger emphasis on research associated with graduate programs and its expansion from being solely an undergraduate university-degree level college. In June 2001, the school renamed itself again, assuming its present identity as Ryerson University. Today, Ryerson University offers strong programs in Aerospace, Mechanical, Industrial, and Electrical Engineering. The university also has the prestige of being the only one in three Canadian Universities to offer programs in Aerospace Engineering, and many leading Aerospace Industries choose Ryerson graduates as in comparison with other universities.
The university is represented in Canadian Interuniversity Sport by the Ryerson Rams.
Faculties
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Business
- Faculty of Communication & Design
- Faculty of Community Services
- Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science
- Graduate Studies
- The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education
The Ryerson Faculty Association represents the 650 full-time faculty, librarians, and counsellors.
Governance
Ryerson has a bicameral system of governance.
Board of Governors
A board of governors makes major administrative policy, staff, and financial decisions for the university. For the 2004-2005 academic year these individuals were:
- The Chancellor: John Craig Eaton.
- The President and Vice Chancellor: Sheldon Levy.
- 9 members appointed by the government of Ontario: Lori-Ann Beausoleil, G. Raymond Chang, Janice Fukakusa, Kevin Garland, Michael Guerriere, Raymond Protti, Harriet Stairs, and Ramesh Zacharias.
- 2 members appointed by the board of governors itself: Marcelle Lean and Peter Lukasiewicz.
- 3 members of Ryerson University alumni: Oliver Carroll, A.G. Klei, and Gregory Konigshau.
- 3 members of Ryerson faculty: Bryan Evans, Linda Lewsi and Maurice Mazarolle.
- 2 administrative staff members: Peter Gee and Raydeen Martin.
- 3 student members: Muuhammed Ali Jabbar, Nora Loreto, and Rebecca Rose.
Academic Council
An academic council or academic senate makes all academic decisions for the university.
Facts & trivia
- Ryerson Institute of Technology 1948-1963
- Ryerson Polytechnical Institute 1963-1993
- Accredited as a university-degree granting institute in 1971
- Received approval to grant graduate degrees in 1993
- Ryerson Polytechnic University 1993-2000
- Ryerson University 2001
- More than 80 degree programs in its Faculties of Arts, Business, Communication & Design, Community Services, and Engineering and Applied Science
- 11 undergraduate degree programs are unique among Canadian universities: Arts and Contemporary Studies, Disability Studies, Early Childhood Education, Fashion, Graphic Communications Management, Health Services Management, Image Arts, International Economics, Occupational and Public Health (Occupational Health and Safety option), Radio and Television, and Retail Management
- 10 graduate programs, four of which lead to a Ph.D., offered through the School of Graduate Studies; two master's programs unique in Canada: Photographic Preservation and Collections Management, in partnership with George Eastman House in Rochester, New York; and Immigration and Settlement Studies
- Annual funded research has increased more than four times the amount over a decade ago, from $2.4 million to $10 million
- Home to 20,000 full-time undergraduate students, 600 graduate students, and more than 61,000 Continuing Education enrolments
- International student enrolment of more than 901, representing 90 countries
- The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, Canada's leading provider of university-based adult education, offers more than 1,000 courses, workshops, and seminars; 185 distance education courses; over 65 career-related certificate programs, and 10 advanced training designations
- Largest undergraduate Faculty of Business in Canada
- Undergoing the largest expansion in 30 years, with more than $210 million in construction
- 106,000 alumni
- Ryerson International Living Learning Centre is an 11 storey former hotel with 252 units for student housing and located at 133 Mutual Street.
- Pitman Hall Residence is a 14 storey apartment with 555 units for student housing and located at 160 Mutual Street.
Noted alumni
Associations
- Association of Commonwealth Universities ACU
- Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada AUCC
- Council of Ontario Universities COU
- Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE)
- University Continuing Education Association (UCEA)
- Continuing Education Students' Association of Ryerson CESAR
- Ryerson Students' Union
- Ryerson Engineering Student Society RESS
- Ryerson Faculty Association RFA
- Ontario Public Service Employee's Union OPESEU
- Canadian Union of Public Employees CUPE
External links
- Ryerson University Homepage
- Ryerson Students' Union
- The Eyeopener, student newspaper
- Ryerson Student Groups
- Ryerson Student Book Exchange
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