University of Calgary

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The University of Calgary (sometimes abbreviated "The U of C") is a public university in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The enabling legislation is the Post-secondary Learning Act. The University is composed of about 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students. The U of C has graduated 140,000 alumni over its 44-year history, including the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk and Mayor of Calgary Naheed Nenshi.

Initially, the university was the Calgary Branch of the University of Alberta. In the first half of the 20th century, the University of Calgary separated from the University of Alberta, and was founded in 1966. The University of Calgary, or "U of C", is composed of 14 faculties including: Arts, teachers' college, Environmental Design, engineering school, business school, law school, kinesiology, university of Calgary-Qatar, medical school and veterinary school. Banff Centre, a college specializing in fine arts, has been affiliated with the university since 1967. The campus is located in the north-west quadrant of Calgary, near the Bow River. The University of Calgary's Arms and Badge were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on October 15, 2006.

The university is the birthplace of many important inventions, including the neurochip. The university's sponsored research revenue of $352 million, with total revenues exceeding $1.1 billion, is one of the highest in the country. Being in Calgary, with Canada's highest concentration of engineers and geoscientists, both the Faculty of Science, Department of Geosciences and the Schulich School of Engineering maintain ties to the petroleum and geoscience industry.

The University of Calgary is the seventh-ranked research universities in Canada based on the number of Canada Research Chairs. It is a member of the G13 (Group of Thirteen), Association of Commonwealth Universities, International Association of Universities, and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

Early history
The University of Calgary was established in 1966, yet its roots date back more than half a century earlier to the establishment of the Normal School in Calgary in 1905. The Alberta Normal School was established in Calgary to train primary and secondary school teachers in the new province. The people of Calgary, however, attempted to establish another publicly-funded university in Calgary itself. "An Act to Incorporate the University of Calgary" was presented for first reading as a Bill in the Alberta Legislature in an attempt to establish a private university in Calgary. The Legislature allowed the institution to incorporate as 'Calgary College', rather than as the 'University of Calgary'. It withheld from the College the powers to confer degrees and to hold the examinations required for admission to the professions.

Calgary strove to have an institute of higher learning with degree conferring powers which led to the University of Alberta opening a branch in Calgary in 1945. The University of Alberta Calgary Branch eventually gained full autonomy in 1966 and became the University of Calgary.

The university was modeled on the American state university (similar to the University of Alberta), with an emphasis on extension work and applied research. The governance was modeled on the provincial University of Toronto Act of 1906 which established a bicameral system of university government consisting of a senate (faculty), responsible for academic policy, and a board of governors (citizens) exercising exclusive control over financial policy and having formal authority in all other matters. The president, appointed by the board, was a link between the bodies to perform institutional leadership.

In the early 20th century, professional education expanded beyond theology, law and medicine. Graduate training based on the German-inspired American model of specialized course work and the completion of a research thesis was introduced. The policy of university education initiated in the 1960s responded to population pressure and the belief that higher education was a key to social justice and economic productivity for individuals and for society. The University of Calgary launched its program in architecture in 1971. The University of Calgary tartan is associated with the university and with its pipe band.

The university's first president, Herbert Stoker Armstrong, held a strong belief that "although the university is accountable to the society that supports it, the university must insist on playing a leadership role in intellectual matters if it is to be worthy of the name."

During the late 1960s, the University of Calgary saw a massive construction boom. Construction on campus included Blocks F and G of Calgary Hall, Blocks C and D of the Engineering Building, the lab of the Kananaskis Centre, a research, training, and service unit, and the opening of the new University Theatre in Calgary Hall. In addition, Banff Centre (originally known as The Banff School of Fine Arts) became affiliated with the University of Calgary. The School of Social Welfare was also established. Total full-time enrolment in 1966 exceeded 4000 students and there were 355 academic members of staff.

Today
The U of C is in the midst of its largest capital expansion ever. Fuelled by Alberta's nation-leading economic growth, the university has embarked upon a plan to add capacity for more students and a host of new teaching and research activities. These major developments, including the Taylor Family Digital Library (TFDL), the U of C downtown campus and the new Energy, Environment and Experiential Learning building, are fulfilling distinct academic strategies and creating progressive learning environments.

The University of Calgary's Child Development Centre is Alberta's first building designed and constructed to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, the North American benchmark for environmentally high-performance buildings. The facility, which houses the university's second child-care facility and a full continuum of researchers, clinicians and frontline workers, is dedicated to child health. The building officially opened in October, 2007.

Recently, an addition of rare neurology books dated over 500 years have been added to the MacKimmie library collection. The collection broadens the neuroscience educational experience and digitizing the collection enables people around the world to share in the resource. The collection includes an original copy of the 1953 Nature paper where Nobel winners James D. Watson and Francis Crick first described the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. It also includes the rare first neurological text written in the 1600s by Thomas Willis, the man who coined the term neurology and is known as the 'father of neurology'. The collection is valued at approximately $600,000.

Canada's fifth Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was opened at the U of C in mid-2008. Research and graduate education programs will be focused on areas of strength and importance in Alberta and will fall in line with the college's areas of emphasis: production animal health, equine health, ecosystem and public health and investigative medicine. The first class of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students will began classes in the fall of 2008.

Profile
The university offers 150 programs in post-secondary education awarding bachelors, masters, and doctorate (Ph.D.) degrees. The University of Calgary has developed a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. The U of C also encourages multi-disciplinary programs, meaning students can combine their interest areas and create an education that suits them. The campus has an area of 2.13 kmÂ² (200 hectares)and hosts 15 faculties, 55 departments and 36 research institutes and centers (see Canadian university scientific research organizations). The teaching staff is 2,596. The university employs 2,777 management, professional and support staff. This puts the staff at 5,363, making it one of Calgary's largest employers. The university has Alberta's toughest entry requirements, and due to the higher demand in post-secondary education, the acceptance rate is around 35%.

With the economic boom in Alberta, the government has promised $4.5 billion to post-secondary institutions in the province.

Urban Alliance
The university maintains a research partnership with the City of Calgary, the Urban Alliance. Its purpose is to deliver quality of life and qualified people to the city, province and county. Early innovations are helping reduce GHG, integrate immigrant newcomers, reshape urban form, reduce youth crime, adapt to climate change, create alternate energy, support seniors, increase disaster resilience, improve mobility, water quality and other aspects.

Faculties and college
U of C's faculties include the Schulich School of Engineering, the Haskayne School of Business, Kinesiology, a medical school (MD), a law school (LLB), and, starting in 2008, Western Canada's second veterinary school.

The university has 14 faculties and one affiliated college:


 * Faculty of Arts is home to the spectrum of Arts programs and departments, from Anthropology to Women's Studies.
 * Amalgamated on April 1st, 2010 from the faculties of Communication and Culture, Social Sciences, Humanities and Fine Arts
 * Faculty of Continuing Education
 * Faculty of Education offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Elementary, Secondary Education, or combined.
 * Faculty of Environmental Design
 * Faculty of Graduate Studies
 * Haskayne School of Business offers MBA, BCom, PhD and ExecEd degrees.
 * Faculty of Kinesiology focuses on the studies of human movement through sport science, kinesiology, physical education, physical activity and health, and tourism studies.
 * Faculty of Law
 * Faculty of Medicine
 * Faculty of Nursing
 * Schulich School of Engineering
 * Faculty of Science is made up of seven departments (Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Physics and Psychology.) More than 60 Bachelor of Science (BSc) programs in 35 subject areas are offered by the University. Students in the Nanoscience program are allowed to use the university's nanolab in their research and studies.
 * Faculty of Social Work offers the only social work degrees available in Alberta, and is committed to providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in the field of human and health services.
 * Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is the University's newest Faculty and Canada's fifth veterinary medicine program.


 * Banff Centre - The Banff Centre, formerly known as The Banff Centre for Continuing Education, is an arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference complex located in Banff, Alberta. The Banff Centre is part of Alberta's post-secondary educational system, and offers programs in the performing and fine arts, and leadership training. It is affiliated with The University of Calgary.

Library system
MacKimmie library was the first library to open at the University of Calgary in 1966. Since then, 5 different library branches have been opened in order to provide students with a greater amount of literary choice in many subjects. In addition, the U of C will be the first library system in North America to contain a video game library. Over 3.2 million printed volumes combined with online access to more than 300,000 full-text electronic journals and more than 700 electronic databases are available at the U of C. As of 2006, the library system is the sixth largest, by the number of volumes held, in Canada. The university library was rated 42nd in North America by the Association of Research Libraries.

Specialty libraries
The library system at the U of C consists of six library branches:


 * MacKimmie Library - The first library to be established at the U of C in 1966. It contains the greatest share of the library systems printed volumes.
 * Data Library
 * Canadian Architectural Archives
 * The Military Museums Library and Archives
 * Fine Arts and Visual Resources
 * Business Library
 * Virtual Business Library
 * Doucette Education Library
 * Bennett Jones Law Library
 * Virtual Law Library
 * Health Sciences Library

Taylor Family Digital Library
The Taylor Family Digital Library (TFDL) is an innovative convergence of libraries, historical archives, arts museum, scholarly publishing, and student academic support services. The TFDL will allow the full re-engineering of the university's library system, creating more and better space for teaching and learning resources, while streamlining user access to the U of C's growing collection. In addition, The TFDL will offer books and online resources, a large Learning Commons with cafÃ©, workrooms, film and audio rooms, editing and recording suites, multimedia labs, quiet study areas, and seminar and consultation space for academic growth.

Don and Ruth Taylor, longtime friends and supporters of the University of Calgary, donated $25 million in December, 2006 to help build the new digital library. In recognition of this generous gift, the Board of Governors of the University named the library the Taylor Family Digital Library (TFDL).

In addition, the gift from the Taylor Family will be used to create the Taylor Quadrangle, a green space in the centre of campus adjacent to the TFDL. Such quadrangles often serve as iconic meeting places for the entire university community, for both informal and formal gatherings.

Rankings
Webometrics University Rankings, which ranks universities on their presence on the Internet, ranks the University of Calgary 50th in the USA and Canada category and 75th in the world. It is ranked 5th in Canada.

Research Infosource ranks the top 50 research universities in Canada each year. In its 2009 ranking Calgary was 6th.

Academic Ranking of World Universities ranks the university 6-7 in the national category. It is given a regional rank (encompassing the Americas) of 55-77.

Calgary's Haskayne School of Business has for years dominated the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (I.C.B.C.), hosted annually by Queen's University. For much of the competition's lifetime, the teams representing Haskayne have come out on top each year by winning first in the majority of the competition's case study categories, including accounting, business policy, debating, ethics, finance, human resources, marketing, and MIS. In 2010, The Economist ranked Haskayne's MBA program 3rd within Canada, 43rd in North America, and 82nd worldwide.

The University of Calgary ranks 8th in the medical-doctoral category of Maclean's annual university rankings. However, the rankings have been met with criticism. The University of Calgary and other universities have argued that Maclean's Magazine takes data out of context and is an inaccurate reflection of performance. In 2006, 21 Canadian universities along with the University of Calgary, many being part of the leading group of research universities known as the G13, opted out of the rankings. Other universities opting out in 2006 included Alberta, British Columbia, Carleton, Dalhousie, Lethbridge, Manitoba, McMaster, MontrÃ©al, Ottawa, Simon Fraser, Toronto and Queen's.

Reputation
The University of Calgary has been ranked as one of the top universities in Canada, and ranked 149th worldwide. The university enjoys high rankings in its science and engineering programs. Historically the university has produced 11 Rhodes Scholars and 1 nobel laureate. In October 2008, the University of Calgary was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in Maclean's newsmagazine. Later that month, the university was also named one of Alberta's Top Employers. The Globe and Mail's University Report Card reflects the opinions of 25,000 current undergraduates who responded to some 100 questions about their respective universities. The University of Calgary received scores of A- and above in the following categories:


 * overall academic reputation of the university, reputation of university among employers, reputation for conducting leading-edge research, reputation for undergraduate studies, reputation for graduate studies
 * overall quality of education, faculty members' knowledge of subjects
 * overall university atmosphere, sense of personal safety/security, tolerance for diverse opinions/ideas, availability of quiet study space, overall library, library services, online library resources, availability of journals/articles/periodicals, total number of library holdings, computer accessibility on campus, availability of up-to-date computer equipment, on-campus network for Internet/email, overall quality/availability of technology on campus, access to course/teaching materials online

Main Campus
The university grounds lie about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of Downtown Calgary, and immediately south of the neighbourhoods of Varsity and Dalhousie. The U of C campus occupies more than 200 hectares (2.13 km2), an area larger than Calgary's entire downtown. The campus is bounded by Crowchild Trail, 16 Avenue NW, 32 Avenue NW and Shaganappi Trail. 24 Avenue NW provides direct access to the interior of the campus.

The architecture is defined by a combination of Gothic Revival, Brutalist and Postmodern buildings spread across campus, most of them dated between 1905 and 1980. The dramatic effect of this blended design of different architecture has drawn a considerable amount of praise.

A light rail transit link is provided to the university by the C-Train at the LRT station.

A large park is built in the center of the main campus, and is home to the infamous "Prairie Chicken" sculpture. In addition, a pond surrounded by benches and an open field is available for students to relax at. The park contains old oak trees which were specially transplanted to the location when the university was opened. Together, they form a considerable amount of tree canopies which add a more natural feeling to the campus.

West Campus
In 1995, the Province of Alberta gave the University of Calgary a large tract of land west of the Main Campus with the understanding it would be used in the future to advance the University's mission, vision, values and priorities. About a third of the size of downtown Calgary, the land overlooks the Bow River valley and covers 80 hectares (184 acres) east of Shaganappi Trail between 16th Avenue (TransCanada Highway) and 32 Avenue N.W. The western campus lies on mostly hilly terrain, near the Bow River. It is adjacent to the main campus of the university, and is home to the Alberta Children's Hospital and Child Development Centre. With the recent boost in annual funding, the U of C has begun a development plan in order to make better use of the remaining space.

Five years ago, part of the West Campus was leased for the new Alberta Children's Hospital and a new Ronald McDonald House. So far, the campus is only halfway developed and is considered building room for the future. From this location, it is possible to see the entire university and also Downtown Calgary.

Downtown Campus
On September 13, 2010 the University of Calgary opened its new downtown campus located at 8th avenue and 8th street south-west. The first phase is currently open, with a second phase containing a bookstore, library, retail space and additional learning spaces to come next. Once complete, the building will house classes including Continuing Education, and energy & environment, as well as classes offered by the Haskayne School of Business and the new U of C School of Public Policy.

Qatar Campus
In 2007, the University of Calgary established a campus in Doha, Qatar, the University of Calgary - Qatar, which currently focuses upon nursing education. The University of Calgary-Qatar offers a flexible, innovative, Bachelor of Nursing (BN) degree to prepare students for the opportunities and challenges of a rewarding nursing career. Throughout the program, students are provided with a theoretical base and supervised clinical experience in a variety of nursing practice settings.

The University of Calgary offers two routes towards a Bachelor of Nursing (BN) degree:


 * A Regular Track program for high school and College of the North Atlantic - Qatar transfer students (BNRT)
 * A Post-Diploma program for students with an acceptable Nursing diploma (PDBN)

In addition, several graduate programs are expected to be phased in.

Facilities
The university is home to MacEwan Hall Ballroom, a concert venue holding 1000 people. The Ballroom is also used for conferences, dinners, and political debates, and recently the 2006 Alberta PC leadership debate.

The university also has the Rozsa Centre, a theatre and concert hall on the south west side of campus, off 24th Ave NW. The Rozsa Centre has a Bach organ built by JÃ¼rgen and Hendrik Ahrend. The Rozsa Centre hosts wind ensembles, choirs, and other fine arts. Musical competitions are held at every year and can host 384 people. The University Theatre, beside the Rozsa Centre, is designed for drama and dance with seating for 505.

The campus is home to the Black Lounge. Throughout most of the 1990s, the room was a music venue. Its capacity for live music entertainment is 350.

The Olympic Oval ice arena was site of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, the fastest ice in the world. It has a 400m track oval as well as a short track and two ice hockey rinks. The campus also has the Jack Simpson Gymnasium, consisting of three gymnasiums with bleachers that cover the outer two courts capable of seating 2,700 people. The University campus also covers the McMahon Stadium, which is home to the Dinos Football Team and the Calgary Stampeders.

Many other sport facilities are also located a the university of calgary. These include among others:


 * University of Calgary Aquatic Centre: Contains an Olympic sized swimming pool with a deep end diving tank featuring two sparging units for the world famous bubble machine which is used for springboard and platform divers, kayakers and general ocean simulated swims. The diving tank features a full Olympic diving complex, including 2x1 & 3m Max-flex diving boards and related Durafirm adjustable fulcrums and a 3, 5, 7.5 and 10 meter platform complex.


 * Fitness Studios


 * Dance Studio


 * Weight Room: Equipment includes universal, free weights, global, hydra gym, nautilus.


 * Climbing Walls


 * Fitness and Lifestyle Centre: The physical facility offers members 3750m2 of space with the most extensive, current and easy to use fitness equipment found at a Canadian university. Certified staff are available to assist the participant in becoming familiar with the facility and equipment. A 32 station circuit training system is available for those who are tight on time and prefer a quieter, more structured work-out.

Athletics
The Calgary Dinos are the athletic teams that represent the University of Calgary in the Canada West, a division of Canadian Interuniversity Sport, and in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. They were known as the "Dinosaurs" but usually referred to as the "Dinos" until 1999, when the name was officially shortened. Some of its venues are the Jack Simpson Gymnasium (basketball, volleyball), McMahon Stadium (football, soccer), Olympic Oval (speed skating), Hawkings Field (field hockey), University of Calgary Aquatic Centre (swimming, often shortened to Aquatic Centre) and a 200m Running Track (cross-country and track & field practice).

The Dinos compete in 12 varsity sports: basketball, cross-country, field hockey, football, golf, hockey, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. The Dinos also have 2 club teams: Men's Baseball and Men's Rugby.

The men's hockey team plays at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena, while the women's hockey team's schedule is split between the Olympic Oval and Father David Bauer Olympic Arena. In the rare case of scheduling conflicts, both men's and women's hockey have used the Max Bell Centre for games.

The University of Calgary has been associated with the Olympics since 1976, when the 10-year-old athletic department sent three athletes to Montreal. Since then, 42 Dinos athletes have competed at both the summer and winter Games, bringing home 11 medals, and UC whosted the athletes' village and speed skating events at the XV Olympic Winter Games in 1988.

The football team plays home matches at McMahon Stadium, home of CFL's Calgary Stampeders. It has won the Vanier Cup on four occasions, 1983, 1985, 1988 and 1995.

Adopt-a-Dino is a university initiative to provide athletes with monetary assistance by allowing participating members to "adopt" an athlete. All Adopt-A-Dino donors will be recognized in the following season's ROAR Magazine, in addition to receiving: Two all-sport season passes valid for all Dinos regular season home games, a plaque-mounted photo of your chosen athlete or team, an invitation to a free event to meet an interact with your chosen team, and a tax receipt for $890.

Newspaper
The University has three main newspapers, OnCampus, UToday, and The Gauntlet. UToday is the University of Calgary's E-newsletter while OnCampus is the campus newspaper.

The Gauntlet is the University of Calgary's weekly student newspaper, covering the campus and the Calgary community. First published in 1960, it is primarily focused towards undergraduates. It currently publishes every Thursday throughout the year.

The University also prints Libin Life, which is published by the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta.

Radio
CJSW is the university's campus radio station, broadcasting at 90.9 MHz FM. CJSW is a member of the National Campus and Community Radio Association and the University of Calgary Tri-Media Alliance in partnership with NUTV (the campus television station) and The Gauntlet (the campus newspaper).CJSW is a non-profit society maintained and operated by a group of four staff members and over 200 volunteers drawn from both the University of Calgary student body and the wider city of Calgary population. CJSW broadcasts music, spoken word and multicultural programming.

In addition to the FM broadcast, the station can be heard at 106.9 MHz cable FM, and via Ogg Vorbis stream from its web site. Select shows are also available for podcast download.

Television
NUTV is one of the oldest university-based television production societies in Canada. Established in 1983 and incorporated in 1991, NUTV is a campus-based non-profit organization. NUTV offers the opportunity to University of Calgary students and community members to explore the medium of television by learning the various stages of production. This includes reporting/interviewing; hosting; writing; camera operation; lighting; sound mixing; Final Cut Pro & Adobe Creative Suite editing; producing; and directing. NUTV is part of the University of Calgary Tri-Media Alliance, comprising of print The Gauntlet, radio CJSW 90.9, and television (NUTV). The University of Calgary is unique in that it is the only Canadian university that houses three media operations on-campus.

Book publishing
The University of Calgary Press was founded in 1981 and to date has published over 280 titles. Special emphasis is placed on three areas: works concerning the geographic regions spanning the Canadian Northwest and the American West; innovative and experimental works that challenge the established canons, subjects and formats, with special interest in art and architecture; and internationally focused manuscripts with particular attention to Latin America, World Heritage Sites, international relations and public policy.

Residence
The University of Calgary offers a wide range of residences on campus as a significant proportion of undergraduate students reside on the campus.

The residence buildings on campus house 2200 students, situated in eight buildings named after mountains in the Canadian Rockies. The two traditional buildings are Rundle Hall and Kananaskis Hall and were built in the early 1960s when the university relocated to its present campus. Five newer buildings named Glacier, Olympus, Norquay, Brewster, and Castle Halls were built prior to the 1988 Winter Olympics as the athletes' Olympic Village. However, each is smaller than the traditional buildings, being three or four stories tall and housing 10 to 30 students on each floor. One of the newest, Cascade Hall, is five stories and is the third largest residence building, its floors being able to house more students. The newest six buildings are all designed in the style of apartments with a hallway on each floor with sets of rooms that can accommodate up to four people each. This is in contrast to the traditional buildings which have hallways on each floor, each having rooms accommodating two, along with a common area at the centre of the building on each floor. Yamnuska Hall opens September 2011 to upper year, international, and transfer students. The two and three bedroom suites are designed to ensure that students experience residence life by sharing space, but also ensures that each student has a private room. A new building, International House houses 200 international students, instructors and conference attendees. In addition, a new residence for first year undergraduate students is due to be completed in 2011. Construction of the new residence at the University of Calgary broke ground Friday, May 15, 2009. Scheduled to open in spring 2011, the 596-bed residence is part of the university's ongoing commitment to students' academic success and personal growth. Through innovative building design and construction, the residence will meet current expectations for student housing and will help support institutional recruitment and retention objectives. This is part of the university's $1.5 billion capital program. With the completion of this new building the number of beds on campus will increase to 3000.

Efforts are being made to preserve green space wherever possible, which includes retaining the green belt fronting 24 Avenue N.W. and transplanting five mature oak trees to the front of the Dr. Fok Ying Tung International House this fall. A new site landscape plan is also being prepared, which involves planting replacement trees and creating additional recreational green space on the grounds of the new residence.

The Den and Black Lounge
The Den and Black Lounge is the campus bar located in MacEwan Hall, the student centre in the middle of campus. Occupying two floors, with the Den located on the lower floor and the Black Lounge on the upper floor, in the warmer months of the year the second floor features a large outdoor patio. Once run by the University of Calgary, the Den was taken over by the Students' Union in 2000.

The LDL
The Last Defence Lounge (LDL) is run by the University of Calgary Graduate Students' Association. It is a members-only club that is open to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty, staff and members of the public.

Traditions

 * Bermuda Shorts Day (BSD): An annual end-of-school student celebration. Organized and run by the Students' Union, BSD occurs on the last day of classes. Students' wear Bermuda style shorts and participate in a variety of informal pre- and post-BSD activities including couch racing (recently banned by the university administration over safety concerns), the beer mile, and breakfast parties. The official event is an outdoor fenced in party with live music and beer garden.
 * The Empty Space: Every Friday the Students' Union hosts a live music venue in The Empty Space, attended by students for free.
 * Student Appreciation Night: Every Thursday The Den (the campus bar) is filled to capacity and serves cheap drinks to a mostly undergraduate crowd.

Greek life
The University of Calgary is home to the very first collegiate fraternity founded, Kappa Sigma, whose Calgary chapter has been active since 1984.

The Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta, also known as Fiji or Phi Gam, is the other fraternity present at the university. It was the first fraternity at the university which is still running, being on campus since 1982. A friendly rivalry is shared between the two, as they are the only fraternities on campus.

Alpha Gamma Delta and Alpha Omicron Pi are the two existing sororities at the U of C, being established in 1983 and 1985 respectively. Toegther, they form the Panhellenic Association of Calgary. The Panhellenic Association oversees all women's chapters and continually encourages the women to go above and beyond individual and shared expectations.

Leadership on campus
In 2009, the U of C's Office of the Student Experience (now the Student Success Centre) launched their own co-curricular record, the first of its kind in western Canadian universities. The co-curricular record is an official university document to be coupled with a student's academic transcript, that recognizes out-of-classroom experiences that are still connected to the university. The Student Success Centre (SSC). The SSC offers programs and services to support students in creating: (1) Academic Success, (2) Personal Success, and (3) Career Success. The SSC offers Orientation Programs, Personalized Career Planning Sessions, Career and Life Workshops, Leadership Programs, the First-Year Experience Program, the Senior-Year Experience Program, Arts & Science Program Advising, Learning Support Services, and Writing Support Services.

In April 2011, the University of Calgary launched the Scholars Academy Program: a program for bright, dynamic students that excel beyond just mere academics. Students in the Scholars Academy Program are leaders in the community, show enthusiasm toward learning, compassion and integrity toward others, and inspire those around them. In addition to the formation of a community of high-achieving peers and success student perks, a dedicated academic development specialist provides one-on-one support with scholarship and post-degree applications, as well as with each student's overall academic plan. This support enables students to compete and win prestigious awards and scholarships, and leads to even greater opportunities.

The University of Calgary also offers the President's Award for Excellence in Student Leadership to five graduating students (undergraduate or graduate) that represent the best in academic achievement in addition to outstanding extracurricular contributions to the university and community.

Scholarships and Awards
The University of Calgary offers many scholarships, awards, and bursaries to students. For detailed information, visit the Office of Student Awards and Financial Aid.

A notable high school level scholarship is the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship which was introduced by the Government of Alberta in 1980. The Alexander Rutherford scholarship is to recognize and reward exceptional academic achievement at the senior high school level and to encourage students to continue their studies. To be considered for these scholarships, students must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who plan to enroll or are enrolled in a full-time post-secondary program of at least one semester in length.

The University joined Project Hero, a scholarship program cofounded by General (Ret'd) Rick Hillier, for the families of fallen Canadian Forces members. Dependents of Canadian Forces personnel killed while serving in active military missions will have the support of the University of Calgary to complete undergraduate degrees.

The office of the Chancellor and Senate offers many scholarships, awards, and bursaries to University of Calgary students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and exceptional service to the internal and external community.

Top students in the Schulich School of Engineering are recognized as Schulich Scholars and are awarded prestigious Schulich Entrance Scholarships. The first cohort of Schulich Scholars graduates in 2010-2011.

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program are eligible for the O'Brien Centre Continuing Scholarship, which supports full-time students dedicated to extra-curricular involvement and the community on top of their academics.

The University also offers student awards for academic and leadership excellence. The two biggest awards a student can receive are the President's Award for Excellence in Student Leadership and the Arch Future Alumni Award.

Aboriginal
Through the university's Native Ambassador Program Initiative, aboriginal students act as role models to younger students in their home communities. To assist with transition to a career, the university is leading an Aboriginal Lynx Career and Employment Project with other universities including University of Saskatchewan and University of Winnipeg.

Order of the University of Calgary
The Order of the University of Calgary, developed in 1994 resulting from a suggestion brought forward from the University's Senate, honours worthy recipients who have a record of exemplary and distinguished service to the University. Individuals who have been admitted into the Order have included faculty, staff, students, alumni and volunteers. Young aboriginal leaders such as Spencer Saurette have caused an increased awareness in aboriginal heritage and traditions on campus. It is available to any member of the University community, those currently or formerly attached to the University and to those representing the University in the community. Candidates nominated for membership in the Order may include, but are not limited to, current or former faculty, staff, students (graduate or undergraduate), alumni and volunteers.

The Order of the University of Calgary includes numerous personalities of note including the likes of Dr. Eldon R. Smith. As of November 2009, a total of 114 individuals had been admitted into the Order.

Notable alumni


Students and professors at the University of Calgary have been recognized as academics, scientists, businesspeople, politicians, and sportspeople. Some notable alumni include:


 * M. Elizabeth Cannon (1984, 1991), B.Sc. and Ph.D. Former Dean and first female president of the U of C.
 * Naheed Nenshi (1993), B.Comm. Mayor of Calgary, 2010-.
 * Diane Ablonczy (1971), B.Ed. and LL.B. Reform / Canadian Alliance / Conservative member of parliament.
 * Theo de Raadt (1992), B.Sc. Founder and leader of the OpenBSD and OpenSSH projects, degree in Computer Science.
 * Mitchell C. Gallivan (1989), Master of Kinesiology M.K. Sports announcer for the Canadian Football League.
 * Ray Martin (1981), MA. Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Leader of the opposition in the legislature in 1986.
 * James Gosling (1977), B.Sc. Inventor of the Java programming language, holds a Computer Science degree.
 * Douglas R. Hamilton (1991), Ph.D. NASA flight surgeon and biomedical engineer.
 * Ezra Levant (1994), B.Comm. Lawyer, conservative political activist and commentator. Founder and former publisher of the Western Standard.
 * Peter Wong (1973), BComm. General Manager of HSBC Group and an executive director of Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited.
 * Kenneth B. Storey, FRSC (1971), B.Sc. Professor of Biology and Chemistry at Carleton University. Storey has a world-wide reputation for his research on biochemical adaptation.
 * Danielle M. Smith (1993), B.A. Journalist, broadcaster, business lobbyist and property rights advocate. Alberta Director for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Holds a degree in English and Economics.
 * The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper (1991), MA, B.A. Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party, holds degrees in Economics.
 * Rob Anders (1994), B.A. Reform / Canadian Alliance / Conservative member of parliament.
 * Pierre Poilievre (2001), B.A. Conservative member of parliament and Parliamentary Secretary.
 * Harold (Hal) Kvisle (1981), MBA. President & CEO of TransCanada Corporation.
 * Robert Thirsk (1976), B.Sc. Canadian Space Agency astronaut and NASA capsule communicator for the International Space Station program. Holds a Mechanical Engineering degree.
 * Derek M. Besant (1972), B.Fa. Head of the Drawing Department at Alberta College of Art and Design. Won the Alberta Governor General Award in Art 1980, and the World Culture Prize in Research Arts & Letters from Milan Italy in 1983.
 * Christine Nesbitt (2007), BEng. Canadian Olympic gold medalist in long track speed skating.
 * D. George Wyse (1974), MD, FRCPC, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Medicine's Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Calgary, is a member of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta. His research changed the way cardiac arrhythmia is treated globally.

Histories of the university

 * V Jones, CS Lane 'A History of the Faculty of Management at the University of Calgary (1967-1981), in: Administrative Sciences Association of Canada - Annual Conference 19, no. 24 (1998), pp. 56-66
 * Geertje Boschma 'Faculty of Nursing on the Move: Thirty Years of Nursing Education, Research and Science at the University of Calgary, 1969-2000' (Calgary: University of Calgary Press, September 30, 2005)
 * Anthony Rasporitch 'Make no small plans: The University of Calgary at forty' (Calgary: The University of Calgary, 2007)
 * Historical essays and materials on the Medical Faculty in particular and the history of medicine in Southern Alberta in general are also provided through the Calgary History of Medicine and Health Care Program.