Conrad Grebel University College is a

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 ...

affiliated with the

University of Waterloo The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a Public university, public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to uptown Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also op ...

in Waterloo,

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. It is affiliated with the Mennonite Church Canada. The college is named after Conrad Grebel, a co-founder of the Swiss Brethren movement who is called the "Father of Anabaptists".

History

Starting in the late 1950s, discussions among Harvey W. Taves (Director of the Canadian office of the Mennonite Central Committee) and others occurred with the purpose of establishing a college undergirded by the peace commitment of the Mennonite church. Following the founding of Conrad Grebel College in 1963, Taves served as secretary of the board for several years. In 2001, it has become a university. An Act respecting Conrad Grebel University College was assented to June 24, 2004.

Facilities

Grebel (pronounced "Grey-bull") is located next to the University of Waterloo and offers residence and classes for students. The facility has space in residence for 140 students, as well as an on-campus apartment building which houses an additional 32 students. Along with classrooms, Grebel's academic wing is home to the Milton Good Library and the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement.

Ensembles

Many music ensembles are run by the Conrad Grebel University College, including: Orchestra @UWaterloo, instrumental chamber ensembles, jazz ensemble, Balinese

gamelan Gamelan (; ; , ; ) is the traditional musical ensemble, ensemble music of the Javanese people, Javanese, Sundanese people, Sundanese, and Balinese people, Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussion instrument, per ...

ensemble, and choirs. These ensembles are open to students in the music programs or those outside of the College. Since 2003, the Grebel community has put on a musical once every two years. In 2025, they performed the first Canadian production of The Clockmaker's Daughter.

Scholarships and bursaries

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. Conrad Grebel University College scholarships for Aboriginal,

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

and

Métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...

students include: Sundance Aboriginal Student Award

Media

The college runs the Conrad Grebel Review, a peer-reviewed journal of Christian inquiry from broadly-based Anabaptist/Mennonite perspectives. It is published three times a year. Grebel also has a student-run publication, currently titled ''GrebelSpeaks'', and previously titled ''Rabble'.'' This publication is by and for Grebel residents, apartment-dwellers, and associates.

Relationship with the University of Waterloo

Undergraduate students at Conrad Grebel, and all of the other university colleges surrounding the central university, are registered at, take classes at, and graduate from the University of Waterloo. Specialized classes are available from Conrad Grebel, which has an academic focus on Music, Peace and Conflict Studies, Religious Studies, and Mennonite Studies. Courses from Grebel may be taken by any University of Waterloo student, and are taught by Grebel professors at the Grebel college, but count as credit at the University of Waterloo. At the graduate level, Grebel offers a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies program as well as a Master of Theological Studies program

Community

Conrad Grebel University college places a strong emphasis on community. This is both a reflection of founding Mennonite values and of the small size of the college. Because of Grebel's small size (at most 140 residence students, 32 Apartment residents per term in addition to a number of off-campus associates) and emphasis on providing room for upper year students, most of the students know most of the other students in residence. Relationships with others are encouraged through Snack Nights, regular chapel services, and a weekly Community Supper at which the entire residence community, as well as some associate students and faculty and staff gather for a more formal dinner. Conrad Grebel University College is also affiliated with the Inter-Mennonite Children's Choir.

References

Books

*Kenneth McLaughlin 'Waterloo: The Unconventional Founding of an Unconventional University' (Waterloo: University of Waterloo Press © 1997) *Kenneth McLaughlin 'Out of the Shadow of Orthodoxy: Waterloo @ 50' (Waterloo: University of Waterloo Press © 2007) *Brian McKillop, 'Matters of Mind: The University in Ontario, 1791-1951' (Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press ©1951)

External links

Official website

in ''Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online'' {{authority control Seminaries and theological colleges in Canada Mennonite universities and colleges in Canada 1963 establishments in Ontario Mennonite schools in Canada University of Waterloo buildings Mennonitism in Ontario