Thompson Rivers University
Thompson Rivers University is a public research university located in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The university's name comes from the two rivers which converge in Kamloops, the North Thompson and South Thompson.
The university has five academic faculties, the smallest being the Faculty of Law and the largest being the Faculty of Science, as well as three schools: the Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics, the School of Nursing, and the School of Trades and Technology. The university's honours college is Canada's first such college. In addition to its primary campus in Kamloops, the university has a satellite campus in Williams Lake and a distance education division, TRU-Open Learning.
TRU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities at the associate, baccalaureate and master's degree levels. In 2023, TRU was named one of Canada's Top 50 Research Universities, and as of 2025 is one of the sixteen universities worldwide to hold a "Platinum" rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
History
Founding and early development
In 1970, the Government of British Columbia selected Kamloops as the site for one of several new two-year regional colleges intended to provide post-secondary education outside the major urban centers of Vancouver and Victoria. Cariboo College began operations in September 1970, accommodating 367 full-time and 200 part-time students in facilities at the Kamloops Indian Residential School during its inaugural year.The college offered two-year academic programs that allowed students to transfer to the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Victoria. Simultaneously, the college developed vocational training programs to address the needs of regional industries including forestry and mining. The vocational division, now known as the School of Trades and Technology, was established after the college relocated to its newly constructed campus on McGill Road in September 1971. Premier W.A.C. Bennett officially inaugurated the vocational wing in May 1972. Following provincial mandate, Cariboo merged with the Kamloops Vocational School in 1974 to provide comprehensive training for in-demand occupations in the Kamloops region.
In 1978, Cariboo College received official designation as a college with corporate status under the British Columbia Colleges and Provincial Institutes Act, gaining an independent board separate from the previously governing school boards. The same legislation created the Open Learning Institute, which would later evolve into TRU Open Learning, to deliver academic and vocational training by distance throughout the province to people unable to access traditional post-secondary education due to geographic isolation or other limitations. The following year, the Universities Act empowered OLI to grant baccalaureate degrees in arts or science under its own authority.
Throughout its first two decades, the college experienced significant growth. The faculty increased from 30 members serving 567 students in 1970 to 383 employees serving 5,252 students. To accommodate this expansion, Cariboo College constructed more than a dozen new facilities, developed an on-campus student housing complex, and renovated existing buildings. In 1971, the college established a satellite campus in Williams Lake, British Columbia, 285 kilometers north of Kamloops, offering educational programs to surrounding communities, including remote Indigenous populations. In 1985, the Williams Lake campus relocated to a 55,000 square-foot facility on Hodgeson Road, which would later close due to seismic safety concerns.
University College transition
In 1989, Cariboo College was among three colleges selected by the provincial government to transition to "university college" status, enabling the provision of degree programs in regional centers. Cariboo's initial five bachelor's degrees—Arts, Science, Education, Business Administration, and Nursing—were developed and granted under the supervision of British Columbia's established universities: UBC, SFU, and UVic.When the first cohort graduated with these degrees in June 1991, the institution was renamed the University College of the Cariboo. The College and Institute Amendment Act of January 1995 granted UCC the authority to independently confer degrees. The subsequent decade saw the introduction of several new programs, including five additional bachelor's degrees and the Adventure Guide Diploma. Construction continued throughout the 1990s, notably the 53,000 square-foot Campus Activity Centre, completed as a cost-recovery-based joint project between UCC and the student society following a 1990 legislative change that permitted the college to secure private financing for development.
UCC began offering master's degree programs in collaboration with UBC and SFU in 2002, gaining the authority to independently grant applied master's degrees in 2003.
University era
In 2004, the Government of British Columbia announced that UCC would become the province's newest university. In March 2005, Thompson Rivers University was officially incorporated under the Thompson Rivers University Act. This legislation merged the University College of the Cariboo with the BC Open University and other components of the Open Learning Agency, transforming UCC's university council into a senate and establishing a planning council for Open Learning. Dr. Roger Barnsley, UCC's president, continued in his leadership role at the new institution. As mandated by the Thompson Rivers University Act, the university's purposes include:- Offering baccalaureate and master's degree programs
- Providing post-secondary and adult basic education and training
- Undertaking and maintaining research and scholarly activities
- Providing an open learning educational credit bank for students
Campus infrastructure continued to expand with the opening of the 580-room TRU Residence and Conference Centre in 2006. In 2007, the Williams Lake campus relocated to Western Avenue, and all Open Learning operations transferred from Burnaby to the new BC Centre for Open Learning building on the Kamloops campus.
Dr. Kathleen Scherf became TRU's second president in 2008 but was dismissed by the board of governors in 2009. Roger Barnsley returned as interim president for two years during the search for Scherf's replacement. Dr. Alan Shaver was installed as TRU's third president in 2011, coinciding with the installation of the Honourable Wally Oppal as chancellor. That same year, the university gained membership to the Research Universities Council of British Columbia in 2011.
Also in 2011, the Brown Family House of Learning opened as TRU's first LEED Gold-certified building, initially housing the TRU Faculty of Law—the first new law school established in Canada in over 30 years. The Faculty of Law relocated to a 44,000-square-foot space in the renovated Old Main building in December 2013, with its first graduating class celebrating convocation in June 2014.
Brett Fairbairn, formally Provost of the University of Saskatchewan, began his tenure as TRU's fourth president on December 1, 2018, with his formal installation occurring at the June 2019 convocation ceremony. President Fairbairn's appointment was met with some concern, as he had resigned from the University of Saskatchewan in 2014 following controversy over his decision to terminate the university's Health Director and have the individual escorted from campus by security.
Controversies and challenges
In February 2021, several current and former TRU staff filed complaints alleging anti-Indigenous racism, sexual harassment, and bullying within the institution. Vice-presidents Matt Milovick and Larry Phillips were accused of creating a toxic workplace environment. A comprehensive investigation was initiated in fall 2021, with Larry Phillips subsequently departing the university while Matt Milovick remained in his position. By early 2022, faculty and staff expressed public concerns about the investigation process. The TRU Faculty Association passed a vote of non-confidence in the leadership of President Fairbairn and Board Chair Marilyn McLean.On January 17, 2023, TRU released a heavily redacted report from its investigation that substantiated ten allegations. Less than a month later, Vice-president Matt Milovick filed a defamation lawsuit against his accusers. In April 2023, former Vice-president Larry Phillips initiated legal action against President Brett Fairbairn.
In June 2023, the university announced that President Fairbairn would step down in 2025. A less-redacted version of the investigation report was provided by TRU in March 2024.
Recent developments
In April 2024, TRU and the BC Wildfire Service announced the establishment of North America's first dedicated wildfire training and education centre, designed to offer comprehensive training programs and develop academic diplomas and degrees in wildfire management and emergency response disciplines.In November 2024, TRU published its 'Strategic Internationalization Plan 2025–2035,' titled 'Nek'úsem-kt: We are One Community.' The plan establishes a framework for integrating global dimensions into the university's curriculum, research, and campus culture over the next decade. Following approval by the Senate and Board of Governors in February 2025, the plan outlines four strategic goals: enhancing global competencies through institutional learning outcomes, providing support services for international learners, expanding Indigenous engagement within internationalization efforts, and promoting global research collaborations. According to university administrators, the plan resulted from consultations with over 1,500 stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, and Indigenous partners.