St. Francis Xavier University

Recognized the world over, the X-Ring is cherished by St. Francis Xavier University students and alumni. Like any great symbol, its power lies in what the ring represents.

The Antigonish, Nova Scotia university notes that the ring is a “symbol of kinship bonding the Xaverian Family.” These bonds are strong.

“StFX has a sense of unity that no other university around quite understands,” says Jeremy de Koe, a member of the class of 2010, who studied Bachelor of Business Administration with Honours in Finance. “This is an inner sense that can only be described as the feeling that when you’re here, you are amongst friends.”
 
De Koe, from Fall River, Nova Scotia,notes that his involvement with the university and surrounding community has included playing varsity soccer, performing in a musical and conducting research while on exchange in Poland.
 
“My professors pushed and supported me in taking on more and new endeavours. They constantly challenged my limits and capabilities, further deepening and expanding my education and experiences at StFX,” he says. “I have accomplished more in my four years at StFX than I ever thought possible. If I have been successful throughout my time here and experience success in future endeavours, then I owe much of this to the wealth of knowledge and support of my professors and the greater StFX community.”
 
De Koe’s satisfaction with his student experience is echoed by others. In the Globe and Mail’s 2010 Canadian University Report, students awarded A’s to StFX in a number of categories, including most satisfied students, quality of education, student-faculty interaction, campus technology and campus atmosphere. StFX has five times ranked number one in Maclean’s rankings for primarily undergraduate universities.
 
“StFX is currently in a period of tremendous momentum,” says president Sean Riley. “The caliber of entering students has reached new heights, and research and other forms of scholarship have grown exponentially.”
 
Founded in 1853, StFX today has 4,200 full-time and 600 part-time students. Full-time faculty number more than 257 andare accompanied by 64 part-time faculty members. StFX has no teaching assistants because all students are taught by PhD professors. StFX faculty lead courses and programs in 40 departments in the Faculties of Arts, Sciences, Business, Education and the School of Nursing. The university is dedicated to advancing education, knowledge and leadership through the development of tomorrow’s global citizens.
 
“An exceptional university education includes being aware and engaged with life beyond our halls,” Dr. Riley says. “That is why StFX brings the world to campus, and the campus to the world. It’s a place where research opportunities abound and fostering leadership among our students is a main priority.” 
 
The university website points to the Coady International Institute as “perhaps the most powerful expression of StFX’s deep commitment to social justice.” Since 1959, the institute has been “changing the world for the better through leadership education, global knowledge building and international youth programs.” In 2009 the Coady Institute marked its 50th anniversary and celebrated the opening of its new $17 million facility. Other infrastructure developments include the new Gerald Schwartz School of Business and Information Systems, which will open in the fall of 2010.
 
Leadership is a recurring theme in comments by Kwame Osei, StFX Class of 2010. “A friend of mine once told me some people are natural leaders, and some people become leaders,” says Osei, who studied Human Kinetics with a minor in Sociology and is from Toronto, Ontario. “StFX has given me the tools to become a leader and positively influence those around me. I do not believe I would have become the person I am now if I did not come here.”
 
Devanne O’Brien, class of 2010, also values the StFX experience. “StFX opens up so many doors for students. While doing my four-year degree here, I was able to travel to Cuba and study sustainable agriculture through the Service Learning program. Then, in my third year, I spent a semester studying abroad in Europe. Even in Antigonish, there are so many opportunities for students to get involved. StFX truly provides a pathway for students’ success by encouraging us to experience university life beyond the academics,” says O’Brien, who studied Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Political Science with Subsidiary Development Studies and is from Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
 
It is through this comprehensive approach that leadership is fostered and lifelong bonds are established. “The size, location and culture of StFX all contribute to an environment that is conducive not only to delivering a great education, but also to the development of the individual as a whole,” says alumnus Guy Savard, Chairman, Merrill Lynch Canada Inc. “StFX is a true laboratory for leadership.”