The Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

The Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) is a public university based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is a French-language university and is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec system.

UQAM was founded on April 9, 1969 by the government of Quebec, through the merger of the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, a fine arts school; the Collège Sainte-Marie, a classical college; and a number of smaller schools. Although part of the UQ network, UQAM possesses a relative independence which allows it to print its own diplomas and choose its rector.

In 2015, UQAM had a student population of 43,314 in six faculties (Arts, Education, Communication, Political Science and Law, Science and Social science) and one school (Management). It offers Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoraldegrees. It is one of Montreal's two Francophone universities, along with the Université de Montréal, and only 1% of its student population is of Anglophone origin.

History

UQAM was created on April 9, 1969 by the Government of Quebec, following the merger of the École des beaux-arts de Montréal, the collège Sainte-Marie and three colleges.

In mid 1970, construction on UQAM's campus began in the Saint-Jacques neighbourhood. The old St. Jacques Cathedral was condemned and the worshipers were moved to the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes. The architect of the university, Dimitri Dimakopoulos, chose to respect the plans of John Ostell and Victor Bourgeau by deciding to graft the new construction around the wall of the nave of the church overlooking Saint Catherine Street and highlighting the bell tower and its gateway. These remains are classified as historic monuments by the Quebec government. The new campus of UQAM was inaugurated in September 1979.

In November 2006, UQAM underwent a major financial crisis. It was revealed that the former president, Roch Denis, was partially responsible for the financial mismanagement of the Science Complex and the Ilot Voyageur real estate projects. A recovery plan, required by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Leisure, is still in progress, raising significant challenges from groups of employees, students, lecturers and professors.

With the addition of the Télé-université in June 2005, UQAM, with a student population of close to 60,000, was the largest French-speaking university in the world. On 13 January 2012, it was announced that the TELUQ would again become a separate university from UQAM, but would remain in the Université du Québec system.

Campus

UQAM's campus was designed by Dimitri Dimakopoulos and is located in downtown Montreal, with most of its buildings in the Quartier Latin neighbourhood near the Berri-UQAM Metro stationand the newer Complexe des sciences Pierre-Dansereau near Place des Arts. The University is also involved in the troubled Îlot Voyageur project, a 13-storey student residence and intercity bus terminal, but has had to scale back its involvement due to financial problems. In September 2013, the university announced that it had acquired the National Film Board of Canada's former CineRobotheque facility for its communications faculty.

The University provides training on its campus in Montreal and its four regional centers: UQAM Lanaudière, UQAM Laval, UQAM Montérégie and UQAM Ouest-de-l'île.

A three part virtual exhibition was made to showcase the university's history.

Academics

Faculties

• Faculté des arts (Faculty of Arts)
• Faculté des sciences de l'éducation (Faculty of Education)
• Faculté de communication (Faculty of Communication)
• Faculté de science politique et de droit (Faculty of Political Science and law)
• Faculté des sciences (Faculty of Sciences)
• École des sciences de la gestion (School of Management Sciences)
• Faculté des sciences humaines (Faculty of Social Sciences)

Schools and institutes

• École supérieure de mode de Montréal (Montreal Graduate School of Fashion Design)
• Institut de recherches et d'études féministes (Institute of Feminist Studies)
• Institut des sciences cognitives (Institute of Cognitive Sciences)
• Institut des sciences de l'environnement (Institute of Environmental Sciences)
• Institut d'études internationales de Montréal (Montreal Institute of International Studies)
• Institut Santé et société (Health and Society Institute)
• École supérieure de théâtre (Graduate School of Theatre)
• École des langues (Language School)
• École de travail social (School of Social Work)
• École des arts visuels et médiatiques (School of Visual Arts and Media)
• Institut du patrimoine (Heritage Institute)
• International Research Group on Animal Law

The University is represented in Canadian Interuniversity Sport by the UQAM Citadins.

Distance and online learning

UQAM has a distance learning component called Télé-université (Teluq) offering courses and degrees in computer science, education, communication, environmental science, and management. University of Québec has improved geographical accessibility through multiple campuses spread throughout the province and by offering distance education by Télé-Université.

Notable people

• Daniel Langlois, Founder of Softimage, Ex-Centris
• Francis Beaulac, computer engineering
• Louise Beaudoin, former Quebec minister of international relations
• Pierre Bourgault, former leader of the RIN party and Quebec independence activist
• Pierre Dansereau, pioneer of ecology
• Anne Fortin, Professor of Accounting
• Pierre Fortin, Economist
• Alexandre Gauthier, Software Engineer, co founder of Crusader Technologies and DecisionPoint Software
• Stevan Harnad, Open Access activist
• Bernard Landry, former Quebec Prime Minister
• Léo-Paul Lauzon, left-wing activist and former NDP candidate
• Gérald Larose, union leader
• André Éric Létourneau, artist
• Gilbert Paquette, former Quebec minister of science and technology
• Régine Robin, well-known novelist
• Yves Séguin, former Quebec minister of finance
• Léa Pool, filmmaker
• Jean-Marc Vallée, filmmaker
• Jovette Marchessault, writer
• Marc Parent, Director of the Montreal Police Department (2010-)
• Denis Villeneuve, filmmaker
• Joseph Facal, politician, academic and journalist in the province of Quebec
• Viviane Namaste, scholar, author, researcher and professor
• Martin Villeneuve, screenwriter, producer, actor, art director and TED speaker
• Taraneh Javanbakht, scientist, philosopher, artist, writer, translator and human rights activist
• Louis Hamelin, journalist and fiction writer
• Arthur Lamothe, film director, screenwriter and film producer
• Claude Sabourin, politician, educator, author and leader of the Green Party of Quebec
• Scott McKay, politician, former leader of the Green Party of Quebec and a former Montreal council member
• Steven Blaney, businessman, politician, minister of public safety, minister of Veterans Affairs and minister of State

Reputation

• Charles-Rousseau competition in international law. Third victory in a row (2007)
• NMUN Outstanding Delegation Award: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010; Distinguished Delegation Award 2015 
• International NATO Simulation 2014: Distinguished Delegate Award NPG, Distinguished Delegate Award DG, Superior Delegation Award 
• International NATO Simulation 2015: Committee Leadership Award 
• School of business is ranked 6th in Canada by EFMD-EQUIS

Finances

A commissioned report by PricewaterhouseCoopers has called for cost-cutting measures at UQAM to help the university out of a financial crisis, brought on by $100 million in construction cost overruns for its sciences centre and costs for Îlot Voyageur, which soared from $226 million to more than $400 million when the Quebec government pulled out of the project, citing unauthorized design changes. The Quebec government has said that unless UQÀM cuts costs, the university's total project-related debt could be $500 million by 2012. The Îlot Voyageur has been bought back by the government of Quebec in November 2010, thus solving a painful financial problem for UQAM.

The Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) is a public university based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is a French-language university and is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec system.

UQAM was founded on April 9, 1969 by the government of Quebec, through the merger of the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, a fine arts school; the Collège Sainte-Marie, a classical college; and a number of smaller schools. Although part of the UQ network, UQAM possesses a relative independence which allows it to print its own diplomas and choose its rector.

In 2015, UQAM had a student population of 43,314 in six faculties (Arts, Education, Communication, Political Science and Law, Science and Social science) and one school (Management). It offers Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoraldegrees. It is one of Montreal's two Francophone universities, along with the Université de Montréal, and only 1% of its student population is of Anglophone origin.

History

UQAM was created on April 9, 1969 by the Government of Quebec, following the merger of the École des beaux-arts de Montréal, the collège Sainte-Marie and three colleges.

In mid 1970, construction on UQAM's campus began in the Saint-Jacques neighbourhood. The old St. Jacques Cathedral was condemned and the worshipers were moved to the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes. The architect of the university, Dimitri Dimakopoulos, chose to respect the plans of John Ostell and Victor Bourgeau by deciding to graft the new construction around the wall of the nave of the church overlooking Saint Catherine Street and highlighting the bell tower and its gateway. These remains are classified as historic monuments by the Quebec government. The new campus of UQAM was inaugurated in September 1979.

In November 2006, UQAM underwent a major financial crisis. It was revealed that the former president, Roch Denis, was partially responsible for the financial mismanagement of the Science Complex and the Ilot Voyageur real estate projects. A recovery plan, required by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Leisure, is still in progress, raising significant challenges from groups of employees, students, lecturers and professors.

With the addition of the Télé-université in June 2005, UQAM, with a student population of close to 60,000, was the largest French-speaking university in the world. On 13 January 2012, it was announced that the TELUQ would again become a separate university from UQAM, but would remain in the Université du Québec system.

Campus

UQAM's campus was designed by Dimitri Dimakopoulos and is located in downtown Montreal, with most of its buildings in the Quartier Latin neighbourhood near the Berri-UQAM Metro stationand the newer Complexe des sciences Pierre-Dansereau near Place des Arts. The University is also involved in the troubled Îlot Voyageur project, a 13-storey student residence and intercity bus terminal, but has had to scale back its involvement due to financial problems. In September 2013, the university announced that it had acquired the National Film Board of Canada's former CineRobotheque facility for its communications faculty.

The University provides training on its campus in Montreal and its four regional centers: UQAM Lanaudière, UQAM Laval, UQAM Montérégie and UQAM Ouest-de-l'île.

A three part virtual exhibition was made to showcase the university's history.

Academics

Faculties

• Faculté des arts (Faculty of Arts)
• Faculté des sciences de l'éducation (Faculty of Education)
• Faculté de communication (Faculty of Communication)
• Faculté de science politique et de droit (Faculty of Political Science and law)
• Faculté des sciences (Faculty of Sciences)
• École des sciences de la gestion (School of Management Sciences)
• Faculté des sciences humaines (Faculty of Social Sciences)

Schools and institutes

• École supérieure de mode de Montréal (Montreal Graduate School of Fashion Design)
• Institut de recherches et d'études féministes (Institute of Feminist Studies)
• Institut des sciences cognitives (Institute of Cognitive Sciences)
• Institut des sciences de l'environnement (Institute of Environmental Sciences)
• Institut d'études internationales de Montréal (Montreal Institute of International Studies)
• Institut Santé et société (Health and Society Institute)
• École supérieure de théâtre (Graduate School of Theatre)
• École des langues (Language School)
• École de travail social (School of Social Work)
• École des arts visuels et médiatiques (School of Visual Arts and Media)
• Institut du patrimoine (Heritage Institute)
• International Research Group on Animal Law

The University is represented in Canadian Interuniversity Sport by the UQAM Citadins.

Distance and online learning

UQAM has a distance learning component called Télé-université (Teluq) offering courses and degrees in computer science, education, communication, environmental science, and management. University of Québec has improved geographical accessibility through multiple campuses spread throughout the province and by offering distance education by Télé-Université.

Notable people

• Daniel Langlois, Founder of Softimage, Ex-Centris
• Francis Beaulac, computer engineering
• Louise Beaudoin, former Quebec minister of international relations
• Pierre Bourgault, former leader of the RIN party and Quebec independence activist
• Pierre Dansereau, pioneer of ecology
• Anne Fortin, Professor of Accounting
• Pierre Fortin, Economist
• Alexandre Gauthier, Software Engineer, co founder of Crusader Technologies and DecisionPoint Software
• Stevan Harnad, Open Access activist
• Bernard Landry, former Quebec Prime Minister
• Léo-Paul Lauzon, left-wing activist and former NDP candidate
• Gérald Larose, union leader
• André Éric Létourneau, artist
• Gilbert Paquette, former Quebec minister of science and technology
• Régine Robin, well-known novelist
• Yves Séguin, former Quebec minister of finance
• Léa Pool, filmmaker
• Jean-Marc Vallée, filmmaker
• Jovette Marchessault, writer
• Marc Parent, Director of the Montreal Police Department (2010-)
• Denis Villeneuve, filmmaker
• Joseph Facal, politician, academic and journalist in the province of Quebec
• Viviane Namaste, scholar, author, researcher and professor
• Martin Villeneuve, screenwriter, producer, actor, art director and TED speaker
• Taraneh Javanbakht, scientist, philosopher, artist, writer, translator and human rights activist
• Louis Hamelin, journalist and fiction writer
• Arthur Lamothe, film director, screenwriter and film producer
• Claude Sabourin, politician, educator, author and leader of the Green Party of Quebec
• Scott McKay, politician, former leader of the Green Party of Quebec and a former Montreal council member
• Steven Blaney, businessman, politician, minister of public safety, minister of Veterans Affairs and minister of State

Reputation

• Charles-Rousseau competition in international law. Third victory in a row (2007)
• NMUN Outstanding Delegation Award: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010; Distinguished Delegation Award 2015 
• International NATO Simulation 2014: Distinguished Delegate Award NPG, Distinguished Delegate Award DG, Superior Delegation Award 
• International NATO Simulation 2015: Committee Leadership Award 
• School of business is ranked 6th in Canada by EFMD-EQUIS

Finances

A commissioned report by PricewaterhouseCoopers has called for cost-cutting measures at UQAM to help the university out of a financial crisis, brought on by $100 million in construction cost overruns for its sciences centre and costs for Îlot Voyageur, which soared from $226 million to more than $400 million when the Quebec government pulled out of the project, citing unauthorized design changes. The Quebec government has said that unless UQÀM cuts costs, the university's total project-related debt could be $500 million by 2012. The Îlot Voyageur has been bought back by the government of Quebec in November 2010, thus solving a painful financial problem for UQAM.