U of G Earns Top Marks on National Report Card
October 23, 2012 - News Release
The University of Guelph is one of the top universities in Canada, according to the 11th annual Canadian University Report published today by the Globe and Mail. U of G received top marks in several categories, including overall satisfaction, quality of teaching and learning, campus atmosphere, food services and skills development.
“At Guelph, students are the centre of everything we do, and our marks reflect this,” said president Alastair Summerlee.
“We take great care to focus on the whole student experience, from what is taught in the classroom to our residence halls to our libraries and extracurricular offerings. It takes an enormous amount of effort from faculty and staff to ensure quality at every level. It also takes commitment from peers, and one of the remarkable features of Guelph is the number of students who return to support incoming students.”
The Globe and Mail survey is based on the opinions of 31,000 undergraduate students across Canada. Universities are awarded letter grades in 72 categories. The survey groups universities based on enrolment (large, medium, small and very small). Guelph ranks in the medium category.
Among the highlights of U of G’s report card:
- "A" for overall teaching and learning quality — one of only two A's awarded in both the medium and large divisions;
- No. 1 ranking in Canada for overall satisfaction with food, residence meal plans and healthy choices;
- A+ for both overall atmosphere and sense of personal safety;
- Top marks among comprehensive universities for campus atmosphere and academic support;
- A's for commitment to environmental sustainability, lab and research equipment, and sense of community; and
- A-minuses for overall satisfaction with the city, information technology services and student residences.
U of G also earned top marks in numerous academic categories, including faculty reputation, knowledge and skills acquisition, career preparation and satisfaction with class sizes.
Maureen Mancuso, provost and vice-president (academic), said top U of G marks reflect careful academic planning. “We’ve dedicated years to transforming the teaching and learning experience at Guelph, most recently through the 21st Century Curriculum Committee and the Integrated Plan, and it's great to see the results of our efforts,” she said.
“It demonstrates the dedication and commitment of our faculty both to engaging students in learning and to balancing teaching and research.”
In all, Guelph earned two A+s, 14 A’s and 31 A-minuses on its report card. Details of the survey and the full University Report Card are available online.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, 519-824-4120, Ext. 53338, or lhunt@uoguelph.ca, or Shiona Mackenzie, Ext. 56982, or shiona@uoguelph.ca.
