II--The University

II--The University

The University of Guelph combines a tradition dating back 125 years with a progressive outlook that has made it one of Canada's leading research institutions. Our roots go back to the Ontario Agricultural College, Ontario Veterinary College and Macdonald Institute. These three colleges were the basis of the new university, established in 1964, and remain essential components of a much expanded and diversified institution that now includes programs in the physical and biological sciences, the arts, the social sciences, and family and social relations.

In 1997 Ontario's three agricultural colleges at Alfred, Kemptville and Ridgetown became part of the University under an enhanced partnership between the University and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and began to offer diploma courses for the University of Guelph Associate Diploma Program.

The University of Guelph is co-educational, non-denominational and provincially supported.

With an estimated $79 million in research funding, the University of Guelph is one of the country's top research institutions. Among its researchers, Guelph numbers 15 Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada. A 30-acre research park adjacent to the campus is home to a growing number of research-intensive industries.

In the University's aims document, Toward 2000: Challenges and Responses, a commitment is made to teaching, research and service in the community. The university must exercise a moral concern for all its members, the document says "...and for the effects of the institution's actions on society and the environment." It must also "...maintain a collegial atmosphere in which free and open debate on major issues can contribute to their resolution."