university college In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies f ...

is a federated or affiliated academic

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

institution of a larger public university (often referred to as the "parent" campus). Federated and affiliated colleges have existed in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, for over a century. The establishment of these institutions came from Christian religious groups. There are a total of 24 such university colleges in Ontario, with 10 primarily offering secular programs and 14 primarily offering theological programs. University colleges share a number of characteristics: * Focus on

undergraduate studies Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

in the

liberal arts Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...

and post-degree professional programs in the helping professions (i.e.

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

teaching Teaching is the practice implemented by a ''teacher'' aimed at transmitting skills (knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills) to a learner, a student, or any other audience in the of an educational institution. Teaching is closely related ...

, etc.) * Experiential learning opportunities and

student A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution, or more generally, a person who takes a special interest in a subject. In the United Kingdom and most The Commonwealth, commonwealth countries, a "student" attends ...

life rooted in

altruism Altruism is the concern for the well-being of others, independently of personal benefit or reciprocity. The word ''altruism'' was popularised (and possibly coined) by the French philosopher Auguste Comte in French, as , for an antonym of egoi ...

and

social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...

* Residence for students who wish to live on campus * A smaller campus community within a greater campus community (this experience is often advertised as the "best of both worlds") *Small class sizes * Student services and resources exclusively for those students for whom the university college is their home campus, referred to as "co-registration" due to simultaneous access to services of parent campus

Affiliated versus federated university colleges

"Affiliated" and "federated" are often used interchangeably when describing a university college, but they have somewhat different legal relationship with the parent campus. For example, affiliated university colleges typically suspend their degree-granting powers so their students are able to officially earn their degree from the “parent” institution. A federated university college differs in that, although it is a type of affiliation, it is where "two or more institutions come together to create a new university that is recognized by civic authorities and is eligible for government funding" (MacDonald, 2016).

List of Ontario university colleges

Former affiliated university colleges in Ontario

A number of university colleges were affiliated with

Laurentian University Laurentian University (), officially Laurentian University of Sudbury, is a mid-sized Bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, incorporated on March 28, 1960. Laurentian offers a variety of undergr ...

/ Université Laurentienne until 2021 financial crisis: * Huntington University was affiliated from 1960. *

Thorneloe University Thorneloe University, also known as Thorneloe University at Laurentian, is an Anglican affiliated university formerly federated with, and still inset on the campus of, the larger Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Programs The ...

was affiliated from 1963. *

Université de Hearst Université de Hearst (formerly Collège universitaire de Hearst) is a public French-language university with its main campus in Hearst, Ontario, Canada. The university has additional campuses in Timmins and Kapuskasing. For most of its history ...

was affiliated with the University of Sudbury in 1957, and then Laurentian from 1963. * University of Sudbury / Université de Sudbury was affiliated from 1960.

Former University colleges in Ontario

Brescia University College Brescia University College was a Catholic higher education, Catholic Liberal arts college, liberal arts women's college located in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Affiliated with the University of Western Ontario, Brescia was the la ...

was affiliated with Western University until its closure in 2024. *

Dominican University College The Dominican University College (DUC; ) was a bilingual university located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. From 2012 to 2024, Dominican University College was an affiliated college of Carleton University. Founded in 1900 and granted a civil univ ...

was affiliated with Carleton University from 2012 until its closure in 2024.

References

{{reflist Tertiary education Education in Ontario History of education in Canada