Type | Public |
---|---|
Established | 1968 |
President | Paul Dangerfield |
Undergraduates | 11,000 |
Location | North Vancouver, Squamish, Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, Canada |
Campus | Suburb |
Colours |
Blue White |
Athletics |
PACWEST, CCAA 6 varsity teams |
Nickname | Capilano Blues |
Mascot | Blues |
Affiliations | ACCC, NWCCU, CBIE, CUP |
Website | capilanou.ca |
Capilano University is a teaching-focused university based in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with programming serving the Sunshine Coast and the Sea-to-Sky corridor. Capilano University is enabled by the University Act, enrolling its first students in 1968. The school was established by local school boards and residents of the North Shore and Howe Sound on the need for a public institution serving the local communities. Initial enrollment was 784 students in 1968, and as of 2016, has grown to enroll approximately 11,000 students per year. In 2008, under the direction of its president, Greg Lee, Capilano University was re-designated from a community college to a university. Capilano University's academic offerings include liberal arts, professional and career programs, leading to certificates, diplomas and degrees at the primarily undergraduate level.
Capilano University's sports teams are nicknamed "The Blues," and periwinkle blue is the official school colour. The Blues have won numerous national titles in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association, and even more provincial titles in the British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association.
The school boards of North and West Vancouver, Howe Sound and Sechelt formed a committee to determine the need for a community college to serve the North Shore. The proposal to build a college on the North Shore passed by a plebiscite in North and West Vancouver and the Howe Sound in 1968. However, the motion was defeated in Sechelt. The provincial government granted approval and Capilano College got its name selected from submissions made by North Shore residents. Capilano opened on September 10, 1968 with 784 students attending classes after hours at West Vancouver Secondary. The Capilano College Foundation was created in 1970 to provide scholarships and bursaries for students.
In 1970, construction began on the North Vancouver campus in the Lynnmour area. Three years later, the permanent North Vancouver campus opened with 1,965 students in attendance. The first vocational programs were offered in portable buildings brought from West Vancouver Secondary. The first permanent structure at the North Vancouver campus, the original library building, also opened. In 1976, the Arbutus building at the North Vancouver campus opened, and the Fir building at the North Vancouver campus opened in 1982. In 1991, the Cedar building, the Sportsplex, and Horticulture building were completed. Two years later, a new library replaced the former at the North Vancouver campus, tripling the size of existing library space. In 1996, The Birch building at the North Vancouver campus is completed, housing a performance theatre, classrooms, student services, and providing teaching space. The Child Care Centre also opened in the same year.