Renison University College
Renison University College is an affiliated university college of the University of Waterloo and located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Renison's campus is situated on the western border of Waterloo's main campus. The university college offers academic programs that count as credit toward a University of Waterloo degree. Most academic courses are offered within Waterloo's Faculty of Arts, focusing on social sciences, language, and culture.
Renison focuses its academic work in three primary areas: Social Engagement and Innovation; Global Engagement through Languages and Cultures; and Community Engagement through the offering of non-degree programs and praxis-based learning related to various degrees. Renison's social engagement and Innovation focus is developed in the work of the department of Social Development Studies and Renison's School of Social Work. The focus on global engagements finds expression in a variety of forms, most notably through the work of the department of Culture and Language Studies and the Studies in Islam program unit. Its focus on Community Engagement is gathered in the Centre for Community and Professional Education.
Renison University College maintains a residence that houses up to 214 University of Waterloo students. Residents may be in any field of undergraduate study at the University of Waterloo and are not mandated to take courses at Renison. The university college residence maintains one of the lowest don-to-student ratios of all the on-campus residences.
The institution was established on January 14, 1959, as Renison College, under the authority of the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Huron. In 2010, it officially became Renison University College as a reflection of Renison's academic focus. It was founded by members of the local Anglican community in Waterloo, Ontario, and Kitchener, Ontario, and continues to be affiliated with the Anglican Church of Canada.
History
Renison was incorporated on January 14, 1959, by provincial Letters Patent and under the authority of the Synod of the Diocese of Huron, due to the efforts of the Kitchener and Waterloo Anglican communities. The efforts of Renison Founder The Ven. Harvey Southcott, who was rector of Church of the Holy Saviour at the time, were particularly influential as he had the original vision for an Anglican college in Waterloo. Renison continues to enjoy support from the Anglican community and, in particular, from within the diocese.Originally a two-storey, seven-room house at 193 Albert Street in Waterloo that opened its doors in 1959, Renison College featured a small chapel, chaplain's office, a small library, a study and meeting space for students, and three bedrooms that accommodated seven male students. The college offered courses in religious knowledge, geography and philosophy.
On July 1, 1960, Renison struck an affiliation agreement with the University of Waterloo for the right to offer programs in Arts and the Social Sciences for credit towards a Bachelor of Arts degree from Waterloo. The university transferred five acres of land on the west side of its campus to Renison in 1961, and Renison purchased an additional acre.
Name change
Originally incorporated in 1959 as Renison College, it was felt that the addition of the word ‘university’ would strengthen Renison's reputation and identity with international partners. During her tenure as Principal, Dr. Gail Cuthbert Brandt had explored the option of gaining an individual charter for Renison. However, it wasn't until Dr. John Crossley's tenure in the mid-2000s that the process began to move forward. In 2010, following years of negotiations, supplementary Letters Patent were issued by the Government of Ontario, making the official name of the college 'Renison University College' and reflecting Renison's academic focus.Namesake
Renison University College was named after a contemporary Canadian church leader, The Most Reverend Robert John Renison. Archbishop Renison served in the Anglican Church of Canada with great distinction for nearly six decades, a significant amount of that time being spent in Northern Ontario. Before his death in 1957, he became Metropolitan of Ontario and Archbishop of Moosonee. Archbishop Renison's widow, Elisabeth, presented the college with his portrait and a painting of his personal coat of arms. The family agreed to let the new institution use his heraldic emblem and accompanying motto, Sed Coelum Solum, until the college was granted its own unique coat of arms in 1978.Campus
Renison is situated on 6 acres of land in Waterloo, Ontario and is directly adjacent to the University of Waterloo campus. Most buildings on the University of Waterloo campus are a five-minute walk from Renison. Renison's campus is bordered by the University of Waterloo, St. Jerome's University, and United College. One numbered road intersects Renison's campus: Westmount Road North.Buildings
In 1962, Renison completed its first building on the current campus, the Founders Building, which provided offices, classrooms, and two residence wings to house 40 men and 40 women. The cornerstone of this first building on Renison's campus was laid by Elizabeth Renison and LCol. J. Keiller MacKay, 19th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.Thanks to Renison and the other affiliated colleges, 1962 was the first time Waterloo students could live on campus as the first Waterloo residence would not be opened until 1965.
In 1964, Renison expanded with the construction of the Luxton Building, with classrooms, faculty offices, and a residence for 98 men, allowing the Founders Building to be used as the women's residence. This building was named for George N. Luxton, Bishop of Huron and Renison's first chancellor and, later, first Visitor. The Luxton Building would also come to include a favourite place for student relaxation at Renison, the Moose Room.
Then, in 1992, the college expanded further with the addition of the Chapel of St. Bede, the Great Hall cafeteria, two additional residence floors, and an enlarged library. This would be followed in 2005 with the addition of the Academic Centre. This building included six large classrooms, office space to accommodate Renison's growing faculty and staff, the Keiko and Charles Belair Centre for East Asian Studies, a substantially larger library with meeting rooms and the Ministry Centre.
2013 saw the completion of the East Side Extension, which is home to new classroom space, student lounges, and Renison's School of Social Work. Ontario's 28th Lieutenant Governor, David C. Onley, was in attendance at the grand opening to declare the building officially open.
Renison completed its newest building in 2015 and was opened by David Johnston, Governor General of Canada and former president of the University of Waterloo. This building is home to Renison's English Language Institute and English Language Studies. With 17 new classrooms, the complex also features student lounges, meeting rooms, a glass atrium capable of hosting small events, and office space for staff and faculty members.
Lusi Wong Library
Renison houses the Lusi Wong Library, whose collection focuses on the subjects taught at Renison. Renison students have access to over 7 million items within the library's resources through the Tri-University Group of Libraries system. TUG is part of a partnership involving the libraries of the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and the University of Guelph. Students have access to library resources totaling 7.5 million items through the automated library system. Renison students are able to borrow books and other resources from any of the three libraries and have them delivered to the Lusi Wong Library for pick-up. Likewise, any books borrowed from these three universities’ libraries can be returned at Renison. Study rooms are available for students to book for group work or small meetings. In a poll conducted by the University of Waterloo's student newspaper, The Imprint, Renison's Lusi Wong Library was voted the best place to study on campus.The Luscott Ministry Centre
Renison is home to the Luscott Ministry Centre, where all students, staff, and faculty have the opportunity to relax on couches, enjoy free coffee, tea, and cookies, and make use of a variety of stress relief activities. The Ministry Centre contains the offices of the Assistant Director, Student Experience and Housing, and Renison's Chaplain, with whom many students, staff, and faculty discuss questions, concerns, and joys. The Ministry Centre is a meeting place where community forms, faith is a welcome part of conversation, and transformation is championed.Link Inclusion Lounge
In September 2024, a new space was unveiled at the college called the Link Inclusion Lounge. The space celebrates itself as a welcoming and inclusive space for students from equity-deserving communities to connect together and strengthen their feelings of belonging on campus. The space, located in the “Link” wing of Renison in the previous Registrar's Office space, includes office space for two Inclusion Coordinators as well as a one-on-one meeting space. Events to bring students from equity-deserving communities together are facilitated in this space.Chapel of St. Bede
The Chapel of St. Bede is the Anglican chapel at Renison University College, and is part of the Diocese of Huron. Monday evening worship is held here, along with midweek prayers, and is officiated by the college's chaplain, The Rev. Scott McLeod. The chapel is also available for anyone to use for prayer or meditation.Administration
The college operates under a unicameral system consisting of a board of governors. The board of governors has responsibility for the university's properties, affairs and income and determines approval for tenure and sabbatical for professors of the college.The board of governors consists of nine ex officio members including the college's chancellor, president, the president of the University of Waterloo, the Bishop of the Diocese of Huron, one representative for the faculty and one for the staff, and the presidents of both the residence and academic student leadership committees of Renison. The other nine members of the board are elected members. One of these members must be a representative of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara and at least one member of the board must be an alumnus/alumna of Renison.
The president, appointed by the board of governors, acts as the chief executive officer of the college and is responsible for administering the affairs of the college. The president acts on behalf of the board with respect to the operational management and control of the college. The president is the chair of Academic Council as well as Student Affairs and Community Education Council, and is a member of the board. The president is appointed for a term of five years with the possibility of renewal. The president also holds the position of vice-chancellor of the college, assuming the duties of the chancellor during his/her absence or temporary vacancy in the office. The current president and vice-chancellor is The Rev. Dr. Marc Jerry who began his term as the twelfth president of the college in July, 2024.
The chancellor, who serves as the titular head of the college, is elected by the members of the board for a term of four years with the possibility of renewal. The primary duty of the chancellor is to preside at all Renison convocations, and grant honours to candidates on behalf of the college at Founders Day. The office of the Chancellor is currently vacant.
The visitor to the college is the bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Huron, currently The Rt. Rev. R. Todd Townshend, Th.D. The visitor is a member of the corporation of Renison University College and maintains the right to inspect the state of the college from time to time. The Visitor maintains a seat on the board but may appoint a representative to fulfill this position. The visitor may also make comment on the state of the college to the board of governors and/or the president.