St . Francis Xavier University St . Francis Xavier University is a primarily undergraduate university located in Antigonish , Nova Scotia , Canada . The university brings together 5 , 100 students from across Canada and around the world in arts , science , business and information systems . It is a member of the U4 League , a group of primarily undergraduate universities in Eastern Canada . History . St . Francis Xavier College was founded as Arichat College , a Roman Catholic Diocesan educational institution at Arichat , Nova Scotia , in 1853 . Arichat College was moved to its present location in Antigonish , and established as St . Francis Xavier College in 1855 . On May 7 , 1866 , St . Francis Xavier College was given university status , becoming St . Francis Xavier University . The University awarded its first degrees in 1868 . In 1883 Mount St . Bernard Academy was founded for female education , with girls from primary grades to grade 12 taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame . Henry Frederick Busch ( architect ) designed the College building , 1888 . In 1894 , the academy affiliated with St . Francis Xavier University as Mount St . Bernard College . In 1897 , the school became the first co - educational Catholic university in North America to grant degrees to women . Four women were awarded university degrees in 1897 . A metal plaque in the St . Francis Xavier University Chapel is dedicated to the thirty - three members of the college , now St . Francis Xavier University , who were killed in service during the First World War ( 1914 – 18 ) . In February 1922 , St . Francis Xavier University ' s War Memorial Rink , with a brick exterior and wooden interior , opened . After the War Memorial Rink was officially closed on February 8 , 2002 , the building was torn down and a new science complex was built in the old rink ' s place . The StFX ’ s extension department has engaged in community development in Antigonish since 1928 while the Coady International Institute at StFX has engaged in community development globally since 1959 . A metal plaque , unveiled on 5 May 1984 , was dedicated by the university ' s Class of 1984 , in honour of those students killed in armed conflict while defending the liberty of Canadians . In 1985 the number of women students at St . Francis Xavier became equal to the number of men for the first time . In 1990 , the women ' s college existed as a residence only . In the early 20th century , professional education expanded beyond the traditional fields of theology , law and medicine . Graduate training based on the German - inspired American model of specialized course work and the completion of a research thesis was introduced . The policy of university education initiated in the 1960s responded to population pressure and the belief that higher education was a key to social justice and economic productivity for individuals and for society . The St . Francis Xavier tartan was designed as a university tartan in 1994 . In 1996 StFX implemented Canada ’ s first Service Learning program , which provided opportunities for international learning . On March 21 , 2014 , the Board of Governors announced Dr . Kent MacDonald as incoming president of StFX , to assume office on August 1 , 2014 . Academics . Profile . " Maclean ' s Magazine " has ranked St . Francis Xavier as the top " Primarily Undergraduate " university in Canada for five consecutive years ( 2002 , 2003 , 2004 , 2005 , 2006 ) . The university has also ranked first in alumni support for the period 2001 – 06 . In 2007 , " Maclean ' s " changed the criteria of the " Primarily Undergraduate " , resulting in St . Francis Xavier placing third in the category . In early 2009 , " Maclean ' s " reported that St . Francis Xavier students ranked first in choosing to return to their current institution among other categories . Between the years 2000 and 2004 , more St Francis Xavier students , on a per capita basis , have received Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council ( NSERC ) awards for post - secondary study than any other university in Canada . Faculties and Programs . St Francis Xavier University is organized into the Faculty of Arts , Faculty of Science , the Gerald Schwartz School of Business , Faculty of Education , and Coady International Institute . Each faculty has subordinate departments under its administration appropriate to each discipline , for example the Department of Philosophy is part of the Faculty of Arts . Faculties are headed by a dean elected from among the constituent professors . The Faculty of Arts encompasses the following departments and programs : Anthropology , Aquatic Resources , Fine Arts , Canadian Studies , Catholic Studies , Celtic Studies , Classical Studies , Development Studies , Economics , English , History , Humanities Colloquium , Modern Languages , Philosophy , Political Science , Psychology , Religious Studies , Social Justice Colloquium , Sociology , Women ' s and Gender Studies , Music and Jazz Studies ( The first bachelors degree in Jazz Studies in all of Canada ) . The Faculty of Science offers the following departments and programs : Aquatic Resources , Biology , Chemistry , Computer Science , Earth Sciences , Engineering , Environmental Sciences , Human Kinetics , Human Nutrition , Mathematics and Statistics , Nursing and Physics . Gerald Schwartz School of Business and Information Systems offers degrees in Business Administration and Information Systems . The Faculty of Education offers degrees in Adult Education and Education . The Music Department hosts one of North America ' s leading undergraduate jazz studies program . The current Dean of Arts is Dr . Richard Nemesvari , the Dean of Science is Dr . Robert van den Hoogen , the Dean of Business is Dr . Leo Gallant , and the Dean of Education is Dr . Jeff Orr . The university offers also graduate programs leading to Master of Science ( M . Sc . ) and Master of Education ( M . Ed . ) degrees . Scholarships & Bursaries . StFX offers over $ 2 million annually in merit - based scholarships and financial aid to its new and current undergraduates . Applicants with a Grade 12 average of at least 85 % are automatically guaranteed an entrance scholarship worth at least $ 3 , 500 ( initial installment of $ 500 , and a subsequent installment of $ 1 , 000 each following year ) , and at least $ 4 , 000 for those with Grade 12 averages above 90 % . Applicants are also automatically considered for larger merit - based scholarships ranging from $ 12 , 000 to $ 32 , 000 ( Merit , Phillip W . Oland , J . P . McArthy , Canadian , President ' s ) . Area specific scholarships also exist for applicants from certain provinces and the United States . St . Francis Xavier University also offers the James A . Martin Awards for Aboriginal , First Nations and Métis students . In order to receive each subsequent installment of a scholarship ( typically there are four installments ) , students must maintain a university course average of at least 80 % . Student life . Newspaper . " The Xaverian Weekly " is the student newspaper , run by the Xaverian Weekly Publications Society , and prints 1 , 000 copies of 15 issues over the course of the school year . The newspaper is a member of the Canadian University Press , and is editorially autonomous from the StFX Students ' Union . Originally called " Excelsior " , the newspaper began as a monthly journal of literary essays and campus news founded in 1895 by M . A . McAdam and J . W . McIsaac . The editors changed the paper ' s name to The Xaverian Weekly in 1903 . Yearbook . " The Xaverian Annual " is the student yearbook , founded in 1924 and run by the Yearbook Society . The Yearbook Society prints the publication on a student by student basis every year . Students ' Union . St . Francis Xavier students are represented by St . Francis Xavier University Students ' Union . It is a student - run organization providing services and activities ranging from administering a medical and dental plan to concerts and orientation activities . The Students ' Union Building ( Bloomfield Centre ) houses the offices of the Students ' Union Executive and various societies , the Golden X Inn , the MacKay Room ( a large space for events ) , a cafeteria , Jack ' s Lounge , the campus post office , and the university bookstore . The current President of the Students ' Union is Brandon Hamilton . Residence life . Approximately 50 % of students ( 90 % of first - year students ) at St . Francis Xavier live on - campus in the university ' s traditional residences or apartment - style housing . Usually , students in first and second years live in traditional residences , where social life is very active , while students in third and fourth years tend to live in apartment - style residences where they have the possibility of cooking for themselves . Apartment - style residences consist typically of four bedroom apartments with 2 full bathrooms and a small kitchen . Students who live in traditional residence are registered in a mandatory meal plan at the central dining facility , Morrison Hall . Alternatively , students may enroll in a block plan that provides a specified number of meals . St . Francis Xavier has an exclusive contract with Sodexo , giving that company a monopoly on food and conference services at every facility on campus . Traditional residences at St . Francis Xavier : Apartment - style housing at St . Francis Xavier : X - Ring . St . Francis Xavier University is known for its distinctive " X - Ring " . The ring is ceremonially awarded to students on December 3 ( Saint Francis Xavier ' s feast day ) of each year before their graduation . On average , more than 95 % of the graduating class opt for the ring . The X - Ring is presented to students in a ceremony during the afternoon , which only recipients may attend . Traditionally , this ceremony was held in the University Chapel ; however , since 2006 it has been hosted in Charles V . Keating Millennium Centre . There is typically a live video link of the ceremony available for family and friends to watch from across the world or from a large screen set up in the Oland Centre on campus . In addition to those awarded to students , there is one Honorary X - Ring awarded annually . The X - Ring Eligibility Policy states that this recipient must not already hold an X - Ring , and must demonstrate outstanding contribution to the Xaverian community and be exemplary of the Xaverian motto : " Quaecumque sunt vera " ( Whatsoever things are true ) . Past honorary X - Ring recipients : Campus renewal . Since Dr . Riley was named president in 1996 , the university has undergone a $ 230 million campus renewal initiative to improve educational and residential opportunities throughout campus . To date , the initiative has seen the completion of eleven large - scale projects . Athletics . St . Francis Xavier is represented in the Atlantic University Sport conference by 12 varsity athletics teams . The X - Men teams include men ' s football , basketball , cross - country , track and field , soccer , and hockey . The X - Women teams include basketball , cross country , track and field , hockey , rugby and soccer . In 1966 , the X - Men Football team won the College Bowl ( now the Vanier Cup ) as top university football team in Canada . The X - Men Basketball program has won three CIS Championships ( 1993 , 2000 , and 2001 ) and in 2004 , the X - Men Hockey team won their first CIS Championship . In 2011 , the X - Women Hockey team placed second at the CIS Championships in Ottawa . In 2006 , the X - Women Rugby team became the first female St . Francis Xavier varsity team to win a CIS Championship , as 10 - time defending AUS Rugby Champions . In 2008 , the team placed 2nd at the CIS Championships in Lethbridge , Alberta after capturing their 12th consecutive AUS Championship . In 2010 , the X - Women captured gold again in the CIS Championship held at Trent University in Peterborough , Ontario , after capturing their 14th consecutive AUS Championship . On November 4 , 2012 , the X - Women won gold again at the CIS Championship help in Antigonish , Nova Scotia . X Alumnus Eric Gillis ( 2003 CIS Cross Country Champion ) competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and placed 33rd in the 10 000m race . Post - stamp . On 4 April 2003 Canada Post issued ' St . Francis Xavier University , 1853 - 2003 ' as part of the Canadian Universities series . The stamp was based on a design by Denis L ' Allier , based on a photograph by Guy Lavigueur . The 48¢ stamps are perforated 13 . 5 and were printed by Canadian Bank Note Company , Limited .