Trinity Western University
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| Trinity Western University | |
|---|---|
| Image:Twu.jpg
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| Motto | Turris Fortis Deus Noster, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God |
| Founded | 1962 |
| School type | Private |
| President | Dr. Jonathan S. Raymond |
| Location | Langley B.C. Canada |
| Enrollment | Over 3,300 students |
| Coed Status | Men and Women |
| Campus surroundings | Urban |
| Campus size | Medium |
| Satellite Campuses | The Laurentian Leadership Centre in Ottawa. |
| Mascot | Spartan |
Trinity Western University (TWU) is a private Christian liberal arts university located in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. The University, founded in 1962 as Trinity Junior College, currently enrolls over 3,500 students. With a broad-based arts and sciences curriculum, the University offers 48 undergraduate majors and 14 graduate programs. TWU has a thriving international and travel studies program, enabling students to study all over the world for either a few weeks in the summer (in New York City or Hong Kong, for example, studying business and commerce) or for a semester or year (as at the University of Oxford). TWU has a faculty of over 200 professors and instructors, 87% of whom hold doctorates.
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University Profile
TWU's 3,300 students come from all 10 Canadian provinces, 37 U.S. states and 33 foreign countries. There are approximately 3000 undergraduate and 575 graduate students. TWU is accredited by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, and is recognized by the United States Department of Education. The University employs 109 full-time and 98 part-time instructors, with a student/faculty ratio of 11.2 to 1, the average class size being 15.9.
The University offers 38 Bachelor's degree programs in arts and sciences (BA, BSc, BBA, BHk, BScN, BEd), 14 Master's degree programs, and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min./D.M.) programs.
Recognitions
For two consecutive years, Trinity Western University alumni (Dorothy Peters & Matthew Thiessen) have earned the University of Oxford's prestigious "Best Dissertation" award for their graduate work.
Professor Peter Flint, Ph.D, of TWU has been appointed a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, granting the University $1.4 million for research. Dr. Jens Zimmerman has been appointed to a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair from 2006-2010.
TWU’s Dead Sea Scrolls Institute is home to the largest collection of primary Greek manuscripts of the New Testament in North America, fourth to Munster, the British Museum, and the Vatican City.
TWU’s Septuagint Institute is the core of North America’s research, translation, and study of the earliest Greek translations of the Jewish texts.
TWU's Laurentian Leadership Centre in Ottawa provides students with the opportunity to spend a semester studying the political process in the nations capital while also completing an internship in a government office, non-governmental organization, or on Parliament Hill. Students reside on prominent Metcalfe Street, just minutes away from Parliament Hill, in the historic Booth House.
Trinity Western University is the first B.C. University, and one of six in all of Canada, to obtain Certified Financial Planner registered status, offering a bachelor-level CFP education program.
Canada's leading conservation organization, The World Wildlife Fund, has awarded Professor Karen Steensma a highly competitive $10,000 grant to complete research on the endangered Oregon Forest Snail.
The men's volleyball team is the current CIS national championship team. Other recent national championship titles for the Spartans include: Men's Soccer (Bronze, 2005), Men's Volleyball (Silver, 2005), Women's Soccer (Gold, 2004).
31 per cent of TWU's student-athletes are CIS Academic All-Canadians.
Spartan women's volleyball assistant coach Ryan Hofer was named Male Coach of the Year by Volleyball Canada, the National Association for Volleyball in Canada.
Trinity Western University was granted exempt status from detailed reviews of its programs by the Minister of Advanced Education, becoming the first non-public institution in the province granted this standing.
In 2002, Trinity Western University president Dr. Neil Snider, was presented with the Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (also called the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award). Senator St. Germain described TWU as a University which is “recognized worldwide for the excellent calibre of education that it produces.”
Trinity Western University has won four bronze awards at this year’s Council For Advancement and Support Of Education (CASE) District VIII Juried Awards Competition. The competition is held each year to acknowledge the best in university advancement projects and publications across the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada.
Members of TWU’s chamber choirs are often invited to guest perform with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, performances which have been broadcasted on a number of occasions on CBC Radio; as well, TWU's choirs have performed frequently with the CBC Radio Orchestra, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and at venues including Carnegie Hall in New York City and frequent performances at the Orpheum, Vancouver, and the Chan Shun Concert Hall. TWU's Director of Choral Activities is Wes Janzen, D.M.A., a recognized choral expert at the international level and an adjudicator at numerous Choral Olympics events, now known as the World Choir Games.
Trinity Western University vs. British Columbia College of Teachers
In 1995, TWU attempted to certify students going through its teaching program, but the British Columbia College of Teachers denied accreditation of TWU's program, arguing that the agreement students must sign is discriminatory and that those graduating from Trinity Western's program might discriminate against gay students. The lower courts in British Columbia and, later, the Supreme Court of Canada, ruled in favour of Trinity Western University, stating that there was no basis for the BCCT's decision, and, moreover, that "the concern that graduates of TWU will act in a detrimental fashion in the classroom is not supported by any evidence."
The final analysis of the case, as reported by the Factum of the Intervener, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, was that "In the circumstances of this case the Council of the B.C. College of Teachers failed to conduct such an inquiry and erroneously concluded that equality of rights on the basis of sexual orientation trump freedom of religion and association. They do not."
Athletics and Student Government
The university is represented in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) league, the top university athletics league in Canada, by the Trinity Western Spartans; the Spartans can be heard live on Spartan web radio. The Spartans are known for their spirited fans, who have earned the title, the "Spartan Faithful."
Even though they joined the CIS only six years ago, the Spartans have already made a notable impression. Their victories at the national level include:
- CIS Gold, Men's Volleyball, 2006
- CIS 5th Place, Women's Volleyball, 2006
- CIS Bronze, Men's Soccer, 2005
- CIS Silver, Men's Volleyball, 2005
- CIS Gold, Women's Soccer, 2004
- CIS Bronze, Men's Volleyball, 2004
31 per cent of TWU's student-athletes are CIS Academic All-Canadians.
Spartan women's volleyball assistant coach Ryan Hofer was named Male Coach of the Year by Volleyball Canada, the National Association for Volleyball in Canada.
Other teams, not part of the CIS, also compete for Trinity Western University including the Trinity Western University Bombers hockey team.
Their students are represented by the Trinity Western University Students Association.
Notable alumni
- Carolyn Arends
- Nathan Braun
- Paul Chamberlain (professor)
- Roger Cross
- Paul Janz (philosophy professor, former famous international musician)
- Richard J. (Rick) Sutcliffe
- Phillip H. Wiebe (professor)