Redeemer University is a private

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term '' art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically th ...

and science university located in

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of ...

, Canada, in the community of

Ancaster Ancaster may refer to: * Ancaster, Lincolnshire, England * Ancaster, Ontario, Canada *Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster, (8 December 1907 – 29 March ...

. Founded in 1982, Redeemer stands in the

Reformed Tradition Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Calv ...

and offers

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

Bachelor of Education A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) is an undergraduate professional degree which prepares students for work as a teacher in schools. In some countries such as Tanzania and Kenya, additional tasks like field work and research are required in order for ...

, Bachelor of Business Administration and

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degrees.

History

The college opened in 1982 as "Redeemer College", with 97 full-time and 63 part-time students. This number grew to about 250 for the 1985–1986 academic year, the final year classes met in facilities rented from the Board of Education of the City of Hamilton. In 1985 the college purchased of land in Ancaster, Ontario for the construction of a new campus. The

college A college ( Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

occupied the new facilities in August 1986 and welcomed 279 full-time students in September. In November 1986, the college held its first

graduation Graduation is the awarding of a diploma to a student by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it. The date of the graduation ceremony is often called graduation day. The graduation ceremony is a ...

, with 40 students graduating. On June 25, 1998, the

Ontario Government The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the p ...

passed Bill Pr17, which granted Redeemer College the authority to offer

and

degrees. Prior to that time, the college conferred a Bachelor of

Studies degree which was recognized by the AUCC (Association of Universities & Colleges of Canada) as comparable to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. As a university degree granting institution, Redeemer undergoes audits of its

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...

program reviews, carried out under the auspices of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU). In view of its status as an undergraduate university, the Ontario Legislature approved a change in institutional name to Redeemer University College on June 22, 2000 (Bill Pr19). On June 26, 2003, the

passed Bill Pr14, granting Redeemer the authority to offer a

degree to replace its B.C.Ed. degree. On December 10, 2003, the new teacher education (B.Ed.) program was granted initial accreditation by the Ontario College of Teachers, giving Redeemer the only provincially recognized

teacher education program (K-10) in Ontario. In 2005, a considerable expansion to the academic facilities including the addition of the Peter Turkstra Library was completed. Redeemer University's Arms and Badge were registered with the

Canadian Heraldic Authority The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; french: Autorité héraldique du Canada) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority i ...

on September 15, 2005. In 2013 they settled a class action lawsuit with about 450 families over the tax deductible donations the families made to the institution which the institution in turn lent to their children to pay tuition and would forgive the loan if the child completed the academic year. The Canadian government had ruled that the donations were ineligible for tax deduction since the donors had benefited and ordered payment of back taxes and interest from donors. In the settlement the institution gave back 10% of the donations and paid the legal costs of the families. In February 2019, a $11 million donation allowed Redeemer University to lower tuition to $9800. In early 2020, Redeemer University updated its name, formerly known as Redeemer University College after a review by Ontario's Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board. Redeemer currently has legislation before Parliament to receive expanded degree-granting capabilities (25 total degrees), including a Bachelor of Business Administration, a Master of Education, and a Master of Science. In 2021, the Federal Court ruled that the government had unfairly denied Redeemer University participation in the Canada Summer Jobs Program based solely on its religious opposition to same-sex marriage. In a rare move, the court also ordered the government to pay Redeemer University's full legal costs.

Programs

Redeemer University offers over 40 majors and minors. Bachelor of Arts: Applied

Social Sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of society, societies and the Social relation, relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the o ...

(Applied Social Sciences, Social Work), Art, Business (Business, Accounting, Management, Marketing), English (Literature, Writing),

Environmental Studies Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sciences, commerce/economics, the humanities, and socia ...

History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

Kinesiology Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human health ...

and

Physical Education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explora ...

(Kinesiology, Physical Education),

Media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...

and

Communication Studies Communication studies or communication science is an academic discipline that deals with processes of human communication and behavior, patterns of communication in interpersonal relationships, social interactions and communication in diffe ...

(Digital Media and Production, Media and Culture),

Music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact definition of music, definitions of mu ...

, Philosophy,

Politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...

and

International Studies International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...

(Politics and International Studies, International Development, International Relations),

Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

(Clinical, Experimental),

Religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural ...

and

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

(Religion and Theology, Urban and Intercultural Ministry, Youth Ministry) Bachelor of Science:

Biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology ...

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditar ...

, Chemistry,

Health Sciences The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to health sciences: Health sciences are those sciences which focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Health sciences relate to multiple ac ...

(Health Sciences, Pre-Medicine, Professional),

, Mathematics. Bachelor of Business Administration: Business - Accounting, Business - Not-for-profit Management, Business - Management, Business - Marketing Bachelor of Education:

Education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. ...

(Primary/Junior Division, Junior/Intermediate Division)

Residence

Redeemer offers three styles of on-campus residence. Townhouse: Incoming students typically live in the

Townhouse A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type of city residence ...

residences at Redeemer, located at

Calvin Calvin may refer to: Names * Calvin (given name) ** Particularly Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States * Calvin (surname) ** Particularly John Calvin, theologian Places In the United States * Calvin, Arkansas, a hamlet * Calvin T ...

Court, Luther Court, and Cranmer Court. There are 43 two-storey townhouse residences in all, each with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a dining room, a living room, and a basement. Features of a Townhouse residence are a furnished common area, dining/living room, and bedrooms,

wireless Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The mos ...

and

cable Internet access In telecommunications, cable Internet access, shortened to cable Internet, is a form of broadband Internet access which uses the same infrastructure as a cable television. Like digital subscriber line and fiber to the premises services, cable In ...

, local telephone access, self-locking doors and

campus security Campus police or university police in the United States and Canada are sworn police or peace officers employed by a college or university to protect that private property of the campus and surrounding areas and the people who live, work, ...

patrol of campus 24/7, Residence Advisor or Housing Advisor, porch,

coin laundry A self-service laundry, coin laundry, laundromat, or coin wash is a facility where clothes are washed and dried without much personalized professional help. They are known in the United Kingdom as launderettes or laundrettes, and in the Unit ...

facilities, and parking space. Augustine Hall: Typically, second-year students live in Augustine Hall at Redeemer, located just past the Recreation Centre. A three-storey complex, Augustine Hall is made up of twelve 3-bedroom residences and three 2-bedroom residences. Each 3-bedroom residence includes two bathrooms, a full kitchen, dining room, living room, and an extra storage unit. Up to six students live together in these residences. One of them serves as Housing Advisor (HA) who meets with the Assistant Resident Coordinator in Student Life on a regular basis. The HA ensures everything runs smoothly as students share meals, chores and devotions together. As of 2015, Augustine Hall has become a senior student residence for third-, fourth- and fifth-year students. The building is overseen by two fellow senior students known as Residence Life Facilitators (RLFs) who plan monthly events and ensures that each apartment is cared for. Independent apartments: Independent apartments are available for students with disabilities, married students, mature and senior students. The 23 apartments are located in Luther Court and in

Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...

Hall. Some of the features are choice of a one or two bedroom unit,

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

, wireless and cable internet access, kitchen appliances, bathroom, parking space, extra storage unit, and

facilities. Charis Live and Learn Centre: A 77,000-square-feet facility that has 35 suites for 170 students, classrooms, and host the new Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Student activities and traditions

LAUNCH is a week-long orientation made up of many activities and held for first-years during the first week of school in September. One part of LAUNCH is the LAUNCH Olympics, a day of events where teams of new students and a senior leader play through games, activities, and competitions and end with a mud pit tug-of-war. The Decade Dance is held on the night of the LAUNCH Olympics; students enjoy music and wear costumes from previous decades, as well as having dance contests. Spring Banquet is an end of the year event held at a banquet hall in Hamilton, generally in March. There is a sit-down dinner and dance held afterward. Rooted Worship, previously named Church in the Box (CITB), is a student run worship service held once a month on Sunday evenings, and includes music and drama as well as a speaker. This tradition began in the school's "black box" but has grown over the years and is now held in the auditorium for students, staff and the community. Hot Spot is an informal worship event intended for students. Held in the Rec. Centre once a month on Thursday evening, it includes a musician and a singer, and a speaker or speakers. Chapel is a worship service held in the auditorium on Wednesday mornings for students and faculty which includes student participation in music and readings, while having an in-school or guest speaker. The Battle of the Bands is a contest where Redeemer bands perform to showcase their skills, to learn from other musicians, and to be crowned the top Redeemer band. Coffeehouse is a monthly student gathering hosted by Student Senate, either in the Commons or the Rec. Centre, where songs, skits, poetry and other talents are performed. Students for Life is anti-abortion student group that hosts occasional discussions and organizes protests and gatherings in support of religious

anti-abortion Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respo ...

ideologies.

Research and faculty

The campus houses two research institutes through the Centre for Christian Scholarship, the Pascal Centre for Advanced Studies in Faith and Science and The Dooyeweerd Centre for Christian Philosophy. Each year, the Centre for Christian Scholarship hosts two on-campus events: a fall conference in October as well as The World and Our Calling Lectures in January.

Partnerships

The university holds membership in the

Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada Universities Canada (french: Universités Canada) is an organization that represents Canada's universities. It is a non-profit national organization that coordinates university policies, guidance and direction. Formed in 1911, as the Association ...

, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the International Association for Promotion of Christian Higher Education, and the

Association of Reformed Institutions of Higher Education The Association of Reformed Institutions of Higher Education (ARIHE), recently renamed ''Association of Reformed Colleges and Universities'' https://web.archive.org/web/20170622202630/http://reformedcolleges.org/ is an affiliate of the Internationa ...

in North America.

Athletics

Redeemer Royals fields sports teams in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association. The Royals compete in men's and women's basketball, volleyball, cross country, soccer, indoor soccer, and badminton. They have a men's hockey team in the Niagara Christian Hockey League. The Royals have five people inducted into the OCAA hall of fame: Terry Talsma (volleyball and soccer), Ryan Talsma (volleyball), Michelle Van Berkel (volleyball), Colin DeRaaf (

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

) and John Byl (builder). Athletic Facilities Redeemer's Athletic Facilities are open to all students free of charge and also to all athletic centre members. The facilities include one squash court, two lit tennis courts, a soccer field, an indoor soccer dome, a beach volleyball sand court, a lit outdoor basketball court, a double sized hardwood gymnasium, and a workout studio/fitness centre. In September 2011, Redeemer, in conjunction with the Ancaster Soccer Club, opened a new sports complex, featuring an outdoor, artificial-turfed field, and a 10 x 70 meter domed sports field, with an adjoining field house.

References

External links

*
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada profile
{{authority control Christian universities and colleges in Canada Education in Hamilton, Ontario Educational institutions established in 1982 1982 establishments in Ontario Private universities and colleges in Canada Council for Christian Colleges and Universities