Cape Breton University

History

In 1951, the St. Francis Xavier University Sydney Campus was opened as a satellite campus of St. Francis Xavier University in the Sydney Lyceum, situated in the central business district of Sydney, Nova Scotia. It was also referred to as "St. Francis Xavier Junior College" or "Xavier Junior College" (XJC), and colloquially as "Little X." The building was reduced to three stories due to a fire, which caused the fourth story to collapse. The college underwent an expansion in 1960, which included a new arts building along with classrooms in Holy Angels High School and Navy League buildings. In 1963 the institution was renamed Xavier College.

In 1955, Mother St. Margaret of Scotland (Sister Margaret Beaton) came to Cape Breton to become the first full librarian of Xavier Junior College. During her time at the college, she recognized that documents of historical significance to Cape Breton Island were being lost. In response, she began to grow the collection of the college library by collecting books and archival material specific to the culture and history of Cape Breton Island and the various cultural groups (e.g. Mi'kmaq, Italian, Polish, Lebanese, Gaelic) which inhabited it. In 1957 she named this collection Cape Bretoniana. In 1966 she began overseeing the collection on a full-time basis. In 1975, Cape Bretoniana was expanded and branched into two main divisions: an Archive and institute Library and the Centre for Ethnic Studies, Folklore and the Social and Cultural History of Cape Breton Island. Sister Beaton died in a car accident that same year. The collection and additional institutions built around it were renamed the Beaton Institute in her honor.

In the early 1960s, Harry Boadmore emigrated from England to Canada, where he met and later married Elizabeth 'Liz' Boardmore (née MacDonald). Both later joined Xavier Junior College as English teachers in 1966. Within that year, they collaborated with the college and community to produce a stage version of The Crucible by Arthur Miller, which was presented at the Vogue Theatre in Sydney, and a version of The Collection by Harold Pinter. The Boardmores went on the Xavier College Drama Society and host drama festivals on the top floor of the Sydney Lyceum, where Xavier Junior College was hosted at the time. This would later become the Xavier College Theatre.

In 1968, the Nova Scotia Eastern Institute of Technology (NSEIT) opened on Grand Lake Road several kilometres east of the Sydney city limits. The institution focused on business technology and trades. It was created with the help of provincial and federal funding in response to serious challenges faced by the coal and steel industries in Industrial Cape Breton. In 1974, NSEIT and Xavier College were officially amalgamated into the College of Cape Breton (CCB). The college was consolidated at the location of the former NSEIT and began expanding.

Campus

The Beaton Institute, housed at CBU, is the second largest public archive in Nova Scotia. Sister Margaret Beaton of Scotland, recognizing that many documents of significance to Cape Breton were being lost to neglect during her career as librarian at Xavier Junior College, began collecting these documents back in 1957. Preceded by Cape Bretoniana, the Beaton Institute operates as a regional archive from and about Cape Breton Island's history, society, politics, economy, health, people, places, and events. The building is 17,000 square feet and includes a reading room, vault, work room, and several offices and specialized rooms. The collection includes paper records, photographs, film, video, audio materials, books, maps, plans, and microfilms, housing 3,000 manuscript collections, 60,000 images, 2,500 sound recordings, 1,500 video cassettes and film reels, 1,500 reference books, 2,000 maps and plans. Materials in the collection reflect the Mi'kmaq, Jewish, Acadian, Ukrainian, African Nova Scotian, Lithuanian, Polish, and Italian communities of Cape Breton, along with a collection of Gaelic materials.

CBU's library is located adjacent to the Campus Center, along with the main cafeteria, Art Gallery 1, and Boardmore Theatre. The library features twelve special collections, apart from the main collection, including a CBU thesis repository, the Bernier LGBT Collection, the Fortress of Louisbourg Collection, and the F.A.C.E. Collection which provides access to the publications and contributions of the CBU faculty. There is also has a collection of Cape Breton Post and Chronicle Herald publications on microfilm, which can be read on the microfilm readers located on the first floor. CBU Library has access to Novanet Search, Novanet Classic, and WorldCat, allowing students to search for publications from libraries all across Nova Scotia and the world. Interlibrary loaning services are available to access publications and journal articles not held in the CBU Library's collection or accessible through CBU's electronic resources.

The university continued to expand with major campus additions initiated in 2009. As a collaborative player, CBU became a lead partner in the establishment of the Cape Breton Health Recreation Complex. The $10 million project is a newly opened health and recreation community facility situated on the CBU campus. It provides CBU students and the community with access to a track and field operation and year-round indoor soccer facilities as well as a fitness centre.

CBU is growing in terms or residence and enhanced food services through the construction of Harriss Hall, a new student residence and dining hall, in September 2010, giving the campus a total of four residences. Harriss Hall is also the new location for residence mail services, replacing MacDonald, and holds the office of the Residence Life Coordinator. With this new addition, the residence halls now offer meal service and living space for over 550 students. Recently, each dorm, along with the off-campus students, have been assigned colors and animals to represent them in residence competitions. The four residences on campus include Cabot Residence, MacDonald Residence, Harriss Hall, and Alumni Hall. MacDonald offers single and double rooms, Harriss offers single suites, Cabot offers four-bedroom apartments, and Alumni offers five-bedroom apartments along with two-bedroom dorms.

Academics

Enrolment

Cape Breton University currently has about 3,600 full-time and part-time students, of which roughly one half are international. Since 2017, a focus on international enrolment at CBU has more than doubled enrolment, with the number of students increasing by over 1,000 per year in 2018, 2019, and 2022. Public criticism of CBU's foreign enrolment policies came after the death of a CBU student in a house fire. In 2026, total enrolment at CBU decreased by 25% compared to the previous year.

Rankings

Cape Breton University has ranked 20th in the MacLean's primarily undergraduate university rankings for 2024, and 47th in their 2024 reputational survey. The university ranked 17th out of 20 in the 2024 in the Reputational Survey for primarily undergraduate universities.

Membership and Accreditation

Cape Breton University is a regular institutional member of the Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU), Universities Canada (UC), Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), and the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE).

Both elementary and secondary streams of the Bachelor of Education are recognized by the Nova Scotia Office of Teacher Certification. All four tracks of the Nursing program are accredited by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN). Two Engineering programs are accredited by the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists (CCTT). The Bachelor of Health Sciences, Public Health (BHSc) is accredited by the Board of Certification of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors.

Cape Breton University is an active member of the University of the Arctic. UArctic is an international cooperative network based in the Circumpolar Arctic region, consisting of more than 200 universities, colleges, and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the Arctic region.

Academic structure

Virtually all Cape Breton University degree, diploma and certificate programs offer a transition-to-work component through co-op education, work placements, internships and work-study programs. The university is composed of the following schools and affiliated colleges:

Dean: Dr. Chris McDonald

The School of Arts and Social Sciences offers 15 Bachelor of Arts (BA) options, 12 Bachelor of Arts Community Studies (BACS) options, 1 diploma option, and 9 certificate options. It also includes a minor in Gaelic. Both the BA and BACS include an Honours option.

In 2016, the university began offering an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts and Science in Environment (BASE) degree. In 2023, the School began offering a post-baccalaureate Bachelor of Social Work.

Dean: Dr. Ellyn Lyle

The School of Education and Health (SEH) offers four Master of Education degrees (one of which is offered jointly with the Memorial University of Newfoundland) and a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree along with two post-degree diplomas and one certificate. There is also a transfer Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in nutrition with the University of Prince Edward Island, Mount Saint Vincent University and St. Francis Xavier University. Additionally, the SEH offers a Bachelor of Health Sciences in Public Health. It has previously offered a Bachelor of Emergency Management.

Dean: Dr. Karen Kennedy

The School of Nursing offers three Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSCN) options, a three-year program for students directly from high school, a two-year program for students who have university experience, and a program for Licensed Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses (typically completed in 24 months).

Dean: Dr. John Nadeau

The Shannon School of Business offers one Master of Business Administration with a focus on Community Economic Development (MBA CED) along with 9 Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree options. There is also a Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Four post-baccalaureate diplomas are also offered.

Scholarships and bursaries

CBU offers nine major entrance scholarships based on the student's average from high school. Students with a 90% average or greater are eligible for scholarships ranging in amount from $10,000 (Orpha Thayer-Scott) to $24,000 (Chancellor's) over a four-year period. Other entrance scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 a year are also available.

Students taking a minimum of 24 credits are eligible for in-course scholarships the following year depending on their academic performance. Unlike in-course bursaries, which are also available, in-course scholarships do not require an application.

A new Work-Study Bursary Program is also available to provide students with financial need the opportunity for on-campus employment.

The Government of Canada sponsors an Aboriginal Bursaries Search Tool that lists over 680 scholarships, bursaries, and other incentives offered by governments, universities, and industry to support Aboriginal post-secondary participation. Cape Breton University scholarships for Aboriginal, First Nations and Métis students include: Earth Tech/CBCL Award – Entrance Award; Verschuren Family Entrance Scholarship; Wood, Walker Foundation Aboriginal Awards Entrance Scholarship; Bank of Montreal Aboriginal Business Administration Student Scholarship.

Research

Associate Vice-President, Academic & Research: Dr. Tanya Brann-Barrett

CBU is a small comprehensive university that performs over $3 million in externally funded research and employed over 65 students as researchers in 2011. The Office of Research and Graduate Studies publishes two annual research publication titled Research Matters, as well as a separate student Research Matters magazine. Research chairs at CBU include:

Tier 1 & Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs

Healthy Environments and Communities (Dr. Xu Zhang, Tier 2)

Musical Traditions (Dr. Heather Sparling, Tier 2)

Social Enterprise in Inclusive Markets (Dr. Kevin McKague, Tier 2)

Post-Industrial Communities (Dr. Lachlan MacKinnon, Tier 2)

Sport Coaching and Adult Learning (Dr. Bettina Callary, Tier 2)

Viola Desmond Chairs

Social Justice (Dr. Graham Reynolds)

Purdy Crawford Chairs

Aboriginal Business Studies (Dr. Mary Beth Doucette)

University Research Chair

Marine Ecosystem Research (Dr. Bruce Hatcher)

Former Tier 1 & Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs

Integrative Science (Dr. Cheryl Bartlett, Tier 1)

Students' union

The Cape Breton University Students' Union provides services such as the Emergency Bursary Fund, funding and management of societies, health and dental plans, Food Bank, Women's Centre, Pride and Ally Centre, Multicultural Hub, Capers Helping Capers, The Orange Initiative, Caper Convenience (store), and free legal service. The CBUSU's main focus is advocacy on behalf of its members, and it is also the largest employer of students on the CBU campus.

Student Representative Council

The SRC acts as the board of directors for the Union. It is a body of students elected to represent the various demographics of CBU, including the different schools within it. They meet on a regular basis to vote on motions put before the SRC by representatives or CBU students.

The current Executive includes:

President & CEO: Harsimran Kaur Antaal

Executive Vice-president: Rebecca Seymour

Vice-president Finance & Operations: Simran Sharma

Vice-president Promotions: Angelica Bermudez Hereara

Vice President Student Service: Destiny Dawn Tobin

Clubs and societies

The CBU Students' Union has had over 60 societies since 2003.

Newspaper

The Caper Times is a newspaper owned collectively by the students of Cape Breton University and published by the Publishing Board of the Caper Times. The newspaper has been autonomous from the Cape Breton University Students' Union since March 1, 2013. It is a member of the Canadian University Press. The newspaper publishes as an electronic monthly newsletter, which is tailored specifically for Cape Breton University students and faculty.

Athletics

CBU is represented in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) association by the CBU Capers. The Capers' varsity program includes four teams: men's and women's soccer and basketball teams. All sports teams wear uniforms with the Caper logo and mascot along with the school colour (orange).

Notable alumni

Entertainment

Steve Arbuckle, actor

Richie Wilcox, singer, actor, theatre director, contestant on Canadian Idol

Arts and humanities

Ursula Johnson, multidisciplinary Mi'kmaq artist

Neil Libbey, author and historian

Politics and public service

Nolan Crouse, former mayor of St. Albert, Alberta

David Dingwall, former Liberal politician, President of Cape Breton University

Ray Ivany, executive, former President of Nova Scotia Community College and Acadia University

Manning MacDonald, former Nova Scotia Liberal MLA Cape Breton South

Derek Mombourquette, Nova Scotia Liberal MLA Sydney-Whitney Pier

John W. Morgan, former mayor of Cape Breton Regional Municipality

Gerald Sampson, former Nova Scotia Liberal MLA Victoria-The Lakes

Sports

Amanda Budden, professional footballer

Pamela LeJean, former para-athlete

Meshack Lufile, basketball player

Jason Massie, soccer player in League1 Ontario

Boitumelo Rabale, professional footballer

Peter Schaale, professional footballer, centre-back for HFX Wanderers