# St. Stephen's University

St. Stephen's University is a graduate studies university with an emphasis on theology, peace and reconciliation located in the town of St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada that offers mostly hybrid-distance master's degrees and graduate certificates. "The Mission of St. Stephen's University is to prepare people, through academic, personal, and spiritual development, for a life of justice, beauty, and compassion, enabling a humble, creative engagement with their world."

## History

Planning for St. Stephen's University began in 1971, and it officially launched on July 15, 1975 with six students and a small group of faculty and staff. These first faculty and students met in rented spaces at Union Street Baptist Church and Todd Mansion in St. Stephen, and students lived in Elm Lodge. Then, SSU purchased the old Park Hotel in 1976 located at 8 Main Street, which became Park Hall and the centrepiece of the campus. SSU's first Board of Governors was assembled in 1978 to help stabilize the University after its first few challenging years. In the years 1987-88, SSU experienced a steep decline in enrolment from 25 to 15 students, and eventually to only 3 full-time students and 1 part-time student, but the Board of Governors permitted student recruitment for another year to rectify the issue, which eventually saved the University.
While travel-study terms have been a part of SSU's curricular delivery model from its inception, this was more intentionally integrated into the University programs in 1988 with travel-study terms in Europe and Asia offered, with travel continuing to be a unique and central component of academics at SSU, reflected in the current study abroad trip to Ireland that is part of all SSU's master's programs. In 1995, SSU launched a pilot project of the Theology and Culture program under the leadership of the first Dean of this program, Dr. Peter Fitch, thus initiating SSU's foray into graduate studies that defines the University today. Dr. Gregg Finley was appointed the Dean of Arts in 1998, the year that SSU also received a charter from the province of New Brunswick to grant bachelor's and master's degrees in liberal arts and humanities. After the retirement of SSU's first president and the interim co-presidency of Dr. Gregg Finley and Dr. Peter Fitch, the Board of Governors appointed Bob Cheatley as SSU's second president in 2003. SSU then added new majors in its undergraduate programs in psychology and international studies in 2009. In 2017, SSU launched the Institute for Religion, Peace and Justice (now named the Jim Forest Institute, after the peace activist and author, Jim Forest) under the leadership of Dr. Andrew Phillip Klager.
Dr. Bradley Jersak became the Dean of Theology & Culture in 2019, and the University added a new Master of Arts in Theology & Culture to complement its Master of Ministry program. In 2020, the Board of Governors appointed Dr. Margaret Anne Smith and Steve Robinson as co-presidents. Dr. Joe McGinn became SSU's new president in 2022, but due to declining enrolment, the Board of Governors decided to suspend all undergraduate programs on January 27, 2023 to focus on the development and delivery of its graduate studies programs. To lead SSU into this new era, the Board of Governors appointed Dr. Bradley Jersak and Dr. Andrew Phillip Klager to the Office of the President as the Principal and Provost & Vice-Chancellor of SSU respectively. In 2024, SSU released its new strategic plan for the next three years called SSU Strategic Plan 2027 | Anchored with Wings. According to the booklet of the strategic plan, it "contains five priorities that are divided into a total of twenty-two goals, all of which are waypoints on the reimagined and recharted pilgrimage route ahead of us. We invite friends and partners to consider how you can support SSU as we embark on this path."

## Academics

St. Stephen's University is chartered by the province of New Brunswick to grant both bachelor's and master's degrees. SSU offers master's degrees and graduate certificates through its three schools – SSU School of Theology & Culture, Jim Forest Institute for Religion, Peace and Justice, and the Centre for Reconciliation Studies:
* Master of Arts in Theology & Culture
* Master of Ministry in Theology & Culture
* Certificate in Theology & Culture
* Master of Arts in Peace & Justice
* Master of Peace & Justice (applied non-thesis option)
* Master of Theological Studies in Peace & Justice
* Certificate in Religion, Peace & Justice
* Certificate in Theology & Peace Studies
* Certificate in Reconciliation Studies
SSU also offers the three certificates at the undergraduate level. All graduate programs at SSU are delivered through a combination of online courses, short in-person residencies on campus at SSU, and short study abroad trips. SSU receives its accreditation to offer its academic programs through its charter by the Province of New Brunswick to grant baccalaureate and master's degrees and graduate certificates.

## Campus

St. Stephen's University has a small campus located on Main Street in the town of St. Stephen. The main building, Park Hall, dates to the time of Canadian Confederation in the 19th century and is built in the Italian Renaissance Revival style of architecture. Park Hall houses the SSU administrative offices, academic facilities, and student accommodations for short residencies. After the suspension of SSU's undergraduate programs, the University is in the process of forming a new co-housing community of mature and independent adults who value learning and personal growth who will live in Park Hall. This initiative will including learning opportunities and public lectures, spiritual and creative development, and community meals and events.

## Faith identity

According to its statement on faith identity, SSU aspires to practice its faith identity in alignment with its mission's values of justice, beauty, and compassion, rather than denominational categories or doctrinal conformity. Its faculty, staff, and students express these values with conviction and freedom, inclusion and generosity. SSU aspires to challenge colonizing and exclusionary bounds of Christendom and set an open table where all are welcome:
* SSU School of Theology & Culture is faith-based in the historic 'Jesus Way' gospel tradition of God's self-giving love;
* Jim Forest Institute for Religion, Peace & Justice is faith-engaged in our theological exploration of peace and justice, the inner transformation of a peacemaker, and multi-faith conversations and interreligious peacebuilding;
* SSU Centre for Reconciliation Studies is faith-affirming of First Nations spiritual values and traditions, gifts of the Creator, and all our relations.