St. Francis Xavier University facts for kids

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St. Francis Xavier University
Coat of arms of the university
Former names	Arichat College (1853–1855) St. Francis Xavier College/ Seminary (1855–1866)
Motto	Quaecumque Sunt Vera (Phil 4,8) (Latin)
Motto in English	What so ever things are true
Type	Public liberal arts university
Established	1853; 172 years ago (1853)
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic
Academic affiliations	Maple League of Universities, AUCC, IAU, CUSID, CBIE, CUP.
Endowment	$140 million
Chancellor	Mila Mulroney
President	Andrew Hakin
Academic staff	265
Undergraduates	3,884
Postgraduates	101
Location	Antigonish , Nova Scotia , Canada 45°37′05″N 61°59′40″W / 45.61806°N 61.99444°W / 45.61806; -61.99444
Campus	Rural
Language	English
Colours	Blue, Marigold and White
Nickname	X-Men and X-Women
Sporting affiliations	U Sports AUS

St. Francis Xavier University is a public university in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. It focuses on liberal arts, which means students learn about many different subjects. It is part of the Maple League, a group of universities in Eastern Canada.

History of St. Francis Xavier University
Academics and Learning
- University Rankings
- Study Areas
Scholarships and Financial Help
The X-Ring
Campus Improvements
Athletics and Sports
Postage Stamp
Notable People from StFX
- Noted Faculty
- Noted Alumni
Images for kids
See also

History of St. Francis Xavier University

St. Francis Xavier University started as Arichat College in 1853. It was a Catholic school in Arichat, Nova Scotia. In 1855, the college moved to Antigonish and was renamed St. Francis Xavier College.

On May 7, 1866, it officially became St. Francis Xavier University. The first students earned their degrees in 1868.

In 1883, a school for girls called Mount St. Bernard Academy was founded. It taught girls from elementary grades to high school. In 1894, this academy joined with St. Francis Xavier University. By 1897, it became the first Catholic university in North America to give degrees to women. Four women received their university degrees that year.

A special plaque in the university chapel honors 33 members of the college who died serving in the First World War (1914–1918).

In 1922, the university opened its War Memorial Rink. This building was used until 2002, when it was replaced by a new science complex.

Since 1928, StFX has helped local communities through its extension department. The Coady International Institute, started in 1959, helps communities around the world.

In 1985, for the first time, the number of women students at St. Francis Xavier was equal to the number of men.

The university's own tartan (a special patterned fabric) was designed in 1994.

In 1996, StFX started Canada's first Service Learning program. This program gives students chances to learn by helping others, sometimes in other countries.

Dr. Andy Hakin became the university's 19th president on July 1, 2020.

Academics and Learning

University Rankings

University rankings
Global rankings
Canadian rankings
Maclean's Undergrad	10
Maclean's Reputation	33

Maclean's magazine ranked St. Francis Xavier seventh among undergraduate universities in 2022. It also placed 34th in Maclean's survey of Canadian universities' reputations that same year.

Between 2000 and 2004, St. Francis Xavier students received more awards for post-secondary study from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) than students from any other Canadian university.

Study Areas

St. Francis Xavier University has several main areas of study. These include the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Science, the Gerald Schwartz School of Business, Faculty of Education, the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, and the Coady Institute. Each area is led by a dean.

Scholarships and Financial Help

St. Francis Xavier offers over $2 million each year in scholarships and financial aid. These are given to new and current students based on their academic achievements.

If you have a Grade 12 average of at least 85%, you are guaranteed an entrance scholarship of at least $5,000. This scholarship gives $1,250 each year for four years. If your Grade 12 average is above 90%, you get at least $7,000, which is $1,750 each year for four years.

Students can also be considered for larger scholarships ranging from $12,000 to $32,000. To keep these scholarships, students need to maintain a university average of at least 80%.

StFX also has scholarships for students of Indigenous and African Nova Scotia backgrounds. These are supported by the Jeannine Deveau Educational Equity Endowment. This fund helps remove money barriers for students from minority groups in Nova Scotia who want to go to university.

The X-Ring

St. Francis Xavier University Class Ring of 1945

St. Francis Xavier University has a special tradition called the X-Ring. This unique ring is given to students on December 3rd each year, which is Saint Francis Xavier's feast day, before they graduate. Most students (over 95%) choose to get this ring.

Campus Improvements

Since 1996, the university has worked on a big project to improve its campus. This project, costing $230 million, has added new buildings and improved living and learning spaces. So far, eleven major projects have been completed.

Mulroney Hall: This building opened in October 2016. It houses the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government and many classrooms. It is named after former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who attended the university.
Riley Hall (2014) and O'Regan Hall (2013): These are new residence buildings. Each can house over 150 students in single or apartment-style rooms. They are designed to be very energy efficient, using geothermal wells for heating and cooling.
Frank McKenna Centre for Leadership: This center opened in 2011. Former US President Bill Clinton attended the opening. The center helps students develop leadership skills and supports programs in public policy, business, and health.
Gerald Schwartz School of Business: Construction for this building started in 2009 and it opened in 2011. It was named after businessman Gerald Schwartz because of his generous donations. The building has classrooms, an auditorium, and spaces for students and faculty.
Coady International Centre: In 2008, work began to restore historic campus buildings to expand the Coady International Institute.

Athletics and Sports

St. Francis Xavier athletics logo

St. Francis Xavier has 12 varsity sports teams that compete in the Atlantic University Sport conference. The men's teams are called the X-Men, and the women's teams are called the X-Women.

The X-Men play football, basketball, cross-country, track and field, soccer, and hockey. The X-Women play basketball, cross country, track and field, hockey, rugby, and soccer.

In 2006, the X-Women Rugby team won their first national championship. They were also 10-time champions in their conference.

Postage Stamp

On April 4, 2003, Canada Post released a special stamp called "St. Francis Xavier University, 1853–2003." This stamp was part of a series about Canadian universities.

Notable People from StFX

Many successful people have studied or taught at St. Francis Xavier University.

Noted Faculty

Louis Groarke, Professor of Philosophy
Edward Langille, Professor of Modern Languages
Lavinia Stan, Professor of Political Science
William Sweet, Professor of Philosophy

Noted Alumni

John Allan Cameron, a famous Celtic musician.
Father Moses Coady, a leader of the Antigonish Movement.
Gerry Dee, an actor and comedian.
Eric Gillis, an Olympic runner who competed in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
Danny Gallivan, a sportscaster for the Montreal Canadiens hockey team.
Charles V. Keating, a Canadian businessman.
Larry Lamb, an English actor.
Mary Jane Lamond, a Canadian folk musician.
Sara Kaljuvee, an Olympic bronze medalist in Rugby Sevens.
Ghislaine Landry, an Olympic rugby player.
Amanda Lindhout, a humanitarian, journalist, and author.
Angus L. Macdonald, a former Premier of Nova Scotia and a federal minister during World War II.
Colin MacDonald, lead singer of the Canadian rock group The Trews.
Rodney MacDonald, a former Premier of Nova Scotia.
Ronald J. MacDonald, a record-holding runner and Boston Marathon Champion in 1898.
Allan J. MacEachen, the first Deputy Prime Minister of Canada.
Linden MacIntyre, a Canadian journalist, broadcaster, and novelist.
John Keiller MacKay, a former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
Frank McKenna, a former Premier of New Brunswick and Canadian Ambassador to the United States.
Brian Mulroney, the 18th Prime Minister of Canada.
Seamus O'Regan, a broadcast journalist and Member of Parliament.
Daniel Petrie, a Canadian television and movie director.
Lisa Raitt, a former Member of Parliament and federal minister.
John Ralston, a Canadian actor.
Geoff Regan, a former Member of Parliament and Speaker of the House of Commons.
Mike Smith, a Canadian actor known as "Bubbles" from Trailer Park Boys.
P.J. Stock, a former NHL player and sports radio broadcaster.
Annette Verschuren, a Canadian businessperson.
Sam Webb, a former leader of the Communist Party USA.
Currie Dixon, a Member of the Yukon Legislative Assembly.
Several CFL players, including Henoc Muamba, Bill McIntyre, Akeem Foster, Cauchy Muamba, Eugene Belliveau, and Mike McCullough.

Images for kids

Coady International Institute
Physical Sciences Center lab
Angus L. MacDonald Library
Xavier Hall
Gerald Schwartz School of Business
Governors Hall Residence
Brian Mulroney: 18th Prime Minister of Canada (1984–1993)
Frank McKenna: Premier of New Brunswick (1987–1997); Canadian Ambassador to the United States (2005–2006)
Allan J. MacEachen: first Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (1977–1979, 1980–1984)
Seamus O'Regan, broadcast journalist, television host, MP for St. John's South—Mount Pearl.
Linden MacIntyre, journalist, broadcaster and novelist.
Amanda Lindhout, humanitarian, journalist and author.
Gerry Dee, actor and stand-up comedian.
Alistair MacLeod, novelist, short-story writer and academic.
Akeem Foster, professional Canadian football wide receiver for the Edmonton Eskimos.
Lisa Raitt, Member of Parliament (2008–present), former federal Minister of Transport.
The Honourable Rodney MacDonald, former Premier of Nova Scotia.
Colin MacDonald, lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock group The Trews.
Angus Lewis MacDonald, federal Minister of Defence for Naval Services during World War II.
Eric Gillis, Canadian Olympic runner.
John Allan Cameron, "The Godfather of Celtic Music" in Canada.
John Keiller MacKay, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, 1957–1963.
Mike Smith, Canadian actor ("Bubbles" on the Trailer Park Boys).
Ronald J. MacDonald, Olympic runner, Boston Marathon Champion in 1898.
Sam Webb, leader of the Communist Party USA, 2000–2014.
Mike McCullough, Canadian football linebacker for the Roughriders.
JRDN, Canadian R&B singer.
Tyrell Vernon, Canadian professional basketball player.