History

The University of Guelph is a leading comprehensive university. Research-intensive and learner-centred, we are known for excellence in the arts and sciences and for our commitment to developing exceptional thinkers and engaged citizens.

Nearly 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled at campuses in Guelph, Ridgetown and Toronto, with more than 1,700 international students from more than 130 countries. We have more than 185,000 alumni living in 160 countries.

The University of Guelph was established in 1964 when its founding colleges - the Ontario Agricultural College, the Ontario Veterinary College and Macdonald Institute - joined with a new college of arts and science. But our reputation for innovation, creativity and discovery dates back more than 150 years.

Our rich history distinguishes us in atmosphere, approach and attitude. Today, the University of Guelph comprises seven colleges - College of Arts, College of Biological Science, Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, the Ontario Agricultural College and the Ontario Veterinary College. In addition, the University has a regional campus in Ridgetown and is a partner in the University of Guelph-Humber.

We’re equipping our students, faculty and staff with the knowledge and skills to make a difference in tomorrow’s complex world.

With more than $156 million in annual research funding, the University of Guelph is one of the country's top research institutions. Our faculty scholars and researchers provide students with groundbreaking research opportunities are in laboratories, art studios and libraries and in the field.

Students may pursue more than 85 undergraduate and more than 100 graduate degree programs spanning a range of disciplines -- physical and life sciences, arts and humanities, social sciences, business, agricultural and veterinary sciences. The University offers more than 200 distance degree credit courses to more than 33,000 course enrolments.

Our living and learning environments encourage exploration and the interdisciplinary sharing of new ideas. Known for its beautiful, safe campuses and welcoming, supportive culture, U of G blends historical and modern architecture with cutting-edge technology. We are a highly residential community, with about 4,700 students living in campus residences plus two family housing locations.

Academic Organization

• College of Arts
• College of Biological Science
• College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
• College of Social and Applied Human Sciences
• Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics
• Ontario Agricultural College (including the Ridgetown Campus)
• Ontario Veterinary College
• University of Guelph-Humber

For a listing of centres and institutes associated with the University of Guelph, see https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/discover-our-research/centres-institutes-groups/

University of Guelph-Humber

The University of Guelph-Humber is a joint venture developed by Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning and the University of Guelph. Located in Toronto on Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning's North Campus, it offers a range of academic programs leading to a university honours degree and a college diploma in four years.

For more information about the University of Guelph-Humber, see the website at http://www.guelphhumber.ca.

Mission Statement

The University of Guelph is a research-intensive, learner-centred university. Its core value is the pursuit of truth. Its aim is to serve society and to enhance the quality of life through scholarship. Both in its research and in its teaching programs, the University is committed to a global perspective.

The University offers a wide range of excellent programs -- theoretical and applied, disciplinary and interdisciplinary, undergraduate and graduate -- in the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and professional fields. Among these, it recognizes agriculture and veterinary medicine as areas of special responsibility.

The University attracts students, faculty and staff of the highest quality. It is animated by a spirit of free and open inquiry, collaboration and mutual respect. It asserts the fundamental equality of all human beings and is committed to creating for all members of its community an environment that is hospitable, safe, supportive, equitable, pleasurable and, above all, intellectually challenging.

The University of Guelph is determined to put the learner at the centre of all it does, recognizing that research and teaching are intimately linked and that learning is a life long commitment. The University eagerly promotes collaboration among undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as with our local and international community, other educational institutions, government and business.

The University of Guelph is committed to the highest standards of pedagogy, to the education and well-being of the whole person, to meeting the needs of all learners in a purposefully diverse community, to the pursuit of its stated learning objectives, and to rigorous self-assessment, critical inquiry and active learning. The University of Guelph educates students for life and work in a rapidly changing world.

The University of Guelph invites public scrutiny of the fulfillment of its mission, especially by the people of Ontario, to whom it is accountable.

University Governance

In accordance with the University of Guelph Act (1964), the University operates under a bicameral system of governance comprising the Senate and the Board of Governors. The Senate is responsible for the academic policy of the University, which includes responsibility for determining the courses of study, standards of admission and qualifications for graduation. The Board of Governors is responsible for all other aspects of the governance of the University not specifically assigned to the Senate. This includes oversight of the management and control of the University and its property, revenues, expenditures, business and related affairs. The Board of Governors is also responsible for the operation of the Board of Trustees of the University of Guelph Heritage Fund.

The University Secretariat carries the responsibility for coordinating and facilitating the activities of the Board of Governors and of the Senate, as well as their respective committees, subcommittees, task forces, working groups, boards, and student judicial hearing and appeal committees to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the University’s bicameral system of governance.

In addition to supporting the governance of the University, the Secretariat has the responsibility for the University's access to information, privacy and records management programs, including institutional compliance with Ontario's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

For information on the Board of Governors and the Senate, visit the University Secretariat website at https://www.uoguelph.ca/secretariat/.