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 2011. UWinnipeg ranks 1st or 2nd in 10 important categories including class sizes (1st), environmental commitment (1st), quality of education, recreation & athletics, quality of teaching, student-faculty interaction and most satisfied students. As well, UWinnipeg placed 1st in Western Canada in four categories. Here are some of the key results:
GLOBE & MAIL RANKINGS – UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG
SUBJECT OVERALL WESTERN CANADA
Class Sizes 1st (with four others) 1st (with one other)
Environmental Commitment 1st (with one other) 1st
Academic Reputation 2nd (with two others) 1st
Recreation & Athletics 2nd (with three others) 1st (with one other)
Student-Faculty Interaction 2nd (with three others) 2nd
Libraries 2nd (with five others) 2nd
Quality of Teaching 2nd (with five others) 2nd (with one other)
Most Satisfied Students 2nd (with five others) 2nd (with one other)
Quality of Education 2nd (with six others) 2nd (with one other)
Student Services 2nd (with seven others) 2nd (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, faculty members’ knowledge of subjects, availability of faculty outside classroom hours, student-faculty interaction, library hours of operation, online library resources, physical fitness, sports & recreational facilities, and recreational & athletic programs & services.
“Again the students have told us that the quality of university education is the most important thing to them,” said UWinnipeg President & Vice-Chancellor Dr. Lloyd Axworthy. “The outstanding work by our professors, instructors and staff is being recognized by the students in these results.”
The Environmental Commitment category is new to the Globe & Mail rankings this year.
“We’re pleased that the Globe & Mail added environmental commitment to the survey this year because it has been a priority for our University for several years and it is an area of considerable importance to our students,” said Axworthy. “This year we became the first post-secondary institution to ban plastic water bottles, thanks largely to the efforts of our students. We are undergoing a major renewal of our campus that is designed to better meet student needs and create a physical infrastructure that is environmentally friendly and sustainable.”
The Globe survey was completed before the University introduced several important initiatives on campus: the new-state of the-art McFeetors Hall: Great West Life Student Residence, the new daycare centre and Diversity Foods Services, which are only three examples of how UWinnipeg is directly responding to student needs. As well, the University is planning on adding a campus pub to add to the quality of student life.
The University of Winnipeg is also referred to in two Globe stories: “Extreme Makeover, Campus Edition” and in a feature on University of Ottawa President Allan Rock.
The Globe & Mail Canadian University Report 2010 is based on results from responses to more than 100 questions from more than 38,000 undergraduate students at 53 universities. The survey was conducted by the Globe & Mail with its partners the Strategic Counsel and the Higher Education Strategy Associates. The full survey results may be seen at: http://www.globecampus.ca/navigator/.
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UWinnipeg is consistently ranked in the Top-10 in the country on an annual basis by both Maclean’s Magazine and The Globe & Mail newspaper. The University of Winnipeg is a leader in academic excellence, Aboriginal education, environmental studies & sustainability, and theatre & the arts. Find out more by visiting www.uwinnipeg.ca.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Diane Poulin, Communications Officer, The University of Winnipeg
P: 204.988.7135, C: 204.293.1167, E: d.poulin@uwinnipeg.ca
