WINNIPEG, MB – The University of Winnipeg continues to be one of Canada’s top undergraduate universities, particularly in the area of academic excellence, according to today’s The Globe & Mail Canadian University Report 2009. UWinnipeg ranks 1st or 2nd in six important categories including quality of education (1st), class sizes (1st), recreation & athletics, quality of teaching, student-faculty interaction and most satisfied students. As well, UWinnipeg placed 1st in Western Canada for academic reputation. Here are some of the key results:
GLOBE & MAIL RANKINGS – UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG
Subject
Quality of Education – Overall: 1st (with four others); Western Canada: 1st (with two others)
Class Sizes – Overall: 1st (with three others); Western Canada: 1st (with one other)
Recreation and Athletics – Overall: 2nd (with three others); Western Canada: 2nd (with one other)
Quality of Teaching – Overall: 2nd (with five others); Western Canada: 1st (with one other)
Student-Faculty Interaction – Overall: 2nd (with three others); Western Canada: 2nd (with two others)
Most Satisfied Students – Overall: 2nd (with four others); Western Canada: 2nd (with one other)
Academic Reputation – Overall: 3rd (with four others); Western Canada: 1st (with one other)
In the survey, UWinnipeg was rated alongside 17 other universities across Canada, including five from Western Canada, with student populations between 4,000 and 12,000. On the academic front, UWinnipeg again placed highly in several key categories earning ‘A’ marks in class sizes, quality of education, quality of teaching, most satisfied students, satisfaction with overall university experience, faculty members’ knowledge of subjects, availability of faculty outside classroom hours, student-faculty interaction, library hours of operation, online library resources and tolerance for diverse opinions and ideas.
“Academic excellence remains the key characteristic of The University of Winnipeg,” said UWinnipeg President & Vice-Chancellor Dr. Lloyd Axworthy. “The students have spoken and their message is clear – the quality of post-secondary education is of the highest importance. In this year’s survey, UWinnipeg again rates as one of Canada’s best universities, and that is due to the tremendous work done by our professors, instructors and staff.”
UWinnipeg ranks higher in many key categories
Encouragingly, students rank The University of Winnipeg higher in 14 categories compared to a year ago including: sense of personal safety and security, sense of community, tolerance for diverse opinions and ideas, overall atmosphere, career preparation, reputation among employers, on-campus network for Internet and emails, recreational and athletic programs and services, extracurricular activities, attractiveness of campus, library hours, up-to-date computer equipment on campus, availability of quiet study space, and merit-based scholarships.
“We are a campus that is evolving and clearly, students are noticing that we are listening to their needs, and rewarding our investments with higher rankings,” said Axworthy. “In the last year we have opened a state-of the art fitness facility on-campus that is free for students. We have enhanced campus security and that is reflected in students’ increased sense of personal safety. We have created a new Faculty of Business and Economics linked to real-world career preparation. The Globe survey captures what we intuitively know – that as we create a new physical infrastructure and reach out to attract a more diverse student population, our sense of community is enhanced. Students themselves are stating this and that is extremely gratifying.”
More improvements coming
The Globe survey was completed before another important initiative on campus was introduced: the new WebAdvisor on-line registration system, which in now a reality and is receiving very positive student feedback. The new-state of the-art McFeetors Hall: Great West Life Student Residence and daycare centre is also under construction, which is another example of how UWinnipeg is marshalling resources to respond directly to student needs.
UWinnipeg noted for green commitment
Axworthy is also quoted extensively in the lead Globe story, “Lean Green Campus Machines” for his commitment to campus and community sustainability. The article notes that since Axworthy returned to his alma mater in 2004, the concept of sustainability has been endorsed as a core value by the University’s Board of Regents.
The Globe article states, “today, curriculum design, campus construction, relationships with the local community and even the President’s performance are measured for their environmental and social impact. As well, the University of Winnipeg has introduced a campus-wide composting program, invested in a gas-electric hybrid heating system that saves more than $80,000 a year in utility bills and is committed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 790 tonnes by 2012, a 19% reduction from 2007.”
The Globe & Mail Canadian University Report 2009 is based on results from responses to more than 100 questions from more than 43,400 undergraduate students at 55 universities. The survey was conducted by Strategic Counsel and the Educational Policy Institute.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Diane Poulin, Communications Officer, The University of Winnipeg
P: 204.988.7135 E: d.poulin@uwinnipeg.ca
