As many of our loyal readers know, a large part of the Potentiality team are products of Bishop’s University. Located in the Eastern Townships of the Nation of Quebec (you’re welcome, Monsieur Renauld), Bishop’s is the smallest university in Canada and was once used to film a B-Movie about, I think, prep-school witches starring that girl from Coyote Ugly. Needless to say, the place is legendary for myriad reasons; from the poutine of Lennoxville to its vibrant-and-adventurous-community-building to the student-first faculty to the engaging – at times, ahem, intoxitcating – social life. But, not long ago, Bishop’s University had sputtering enrolment, corrupt and incompetent leadership and was on the brink of bankruptcy. The end was near.

Bishop’s Builds Community

The thing about Bishop’s, though, is that even though up-and-coming “print magazine” the Macleans‘s university rankings placed BU dead last in leaders of tomorrow (Editor’s note: this was my frickin’ grad year, too), well, the school’s delivery of a world-class, innovative and very, very, very social student experience ensures that people really, really, really like – and liked – going there. So, when the National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE) published its results in the Macleans last winter, well, Purple Kicked Ass! Bishop’s was the only school to rank in the top six in each of the survey’s benchmarks. Sure, the library doesn’t have “books” or “computers,” but that’s what research-oriented-behemoth-money-making-student-second schools are for! BU is about classrooms.

Needless to say, the community on campus and in the town of Lennoxville rallied around its storied educational institution and thanks to key players like Principal Michael Goldbloom, My Personal Hero Michael Childs, Jamie Crooks, David McBride, and some Awesome Alumni, Canada’s coolest school has “rowed back from the brink.” And those aren’t my words. Those ones are from up-and-coming “newspaper” the Montreal Gazette – hey, if CanWest News prints something like this it must be true.

For these reasons and more, you should care about Bishop’s University.

Reasons to Attend Bishop’s University

1. Small Class Sizes means that you actually get an education from a teacher, rather than a lecture from an expert…or that expert’s PhD student…or that PhD student’s TA…or that TA’s cousin, Phil (editor’s note: I heard that this may or may not have happened once at Queen’s University).

2. The History Department is unofficially ranked as tops in Canada – mostly because of

My wife Michelle didn’t go to Bishop’s. And she hasn’t really gotten over it.

its street credit as the only place you can find a Canadian Native and Environmental Technology specialist teaching a class about American Foreign Policy. Sure, it was dealt a blow by losing perennial all-star Michael Childs to the university’s administration and it hurt when cantankerous veteran storyteller Karl Wegert retreated past the Maginot Line on the Quebec border, through the sprawling wheat fields of Eastern Ontario before settling on the Steppes of Russia Manitoba to reflect on all things socialist. And even if you’re not in the faculty, well, the History Department has, um, a history of knowing how to have fun.

3. Powerful Alumni Connections means that people from Bishop’s take care of people from Bishop’s and that any time you happen across a fellow Gaiter Grad adventure, debauchery and/or a new creative enterprize is always a possibility. Our alumni are natural connectors and we open doors for the school and its students – past, present and future. If you haven’t already, join the BU groups on Facebook and LinkedIn today!

SUPERAWESOME BONUS REASON: The Innovative B.E.S.T. Program combines experiential learning, community service and overachievement to help the best and brightest of the institution transform from good to great and begin their post-BU journey at an amazing new level. Do you have what it takes to be the B.E.S.T.? Find out here.

Congratulations on your almost-being-out-of-debt and biggest-enrolment-ever, Bishop’s University. I’m raising a toast for you right now.