Editing Cape Breton University (section)

==History==

In 1951, the '''St. Francis Xavier University Sydney Campus''' was opened as a satellite campus of [[St. Francis Xavier University]] in the Sydney Lyceum, situated in the central business district of [[Sydney, Nova Scotia]]. It was also referred to as "St. Francis Xavier Junior College" or "Xavier Junior College" (XJC), and colloquially as "Little X." The building was reduced to three stories due to a fire, which caused the fourth story to collapse.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=7593|title = HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca}}</ref> The college underwent an expansion in 1960, which included a new arts building along with classrooms in [[Holy Angels High School]] and Navy League buildings.<ref name="capebretonpost.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.capebretonpost.com/news/local/cape-breton-university-a-timeline-242154/|title = Cape Breton University: A timeline &#124; Saltwire}}</ref> In 1963 the institution was renamed Xavier College.

In 1955, Mother St. Margaret of Scotland (Sister Margaret Beaton) came to [[Cape Breton Island|Cape Breton]] to become the first full librarian of Xavier Junior College.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://museum.novascotia.ca/collections-research/vanguard/gallery/objects/sister-margaret-beaton-1893-1975|title = Sister Margaret Beaton, 1893 — 1975|date = 27 June 2017}}</ref> During her time at the college, she recognized that documents of historical significance to Cape Breton Island were being lost. In response, she began to grow the collection of the college library by collecting books and archival material specific to the culture and history of Cape Breton Island and the various cultural groups (e.g. Mi’kmaq, Italian, Polish, Lebanese, Gaelic) which inhabited it. In 1957 she named this collection Cape Bretoniana.<ref name="capebretonpost.com"/> In 1966 she began overseeing the collection on a full-time basis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://historicnovascotia.ca/items/show/238?tour=10&index=0|title=The Beaton Institute Archives, Cape Breton University}}</ref> In 1975, Cape Bretoniana was expanded and branched into two main divisions: an Archive and institute Library and the Centre for Ethnic Studies, Folklore and the Social and Cultural History of Cape Breton Island. Sister Beaton died in a car accident that same year. The collection and additional institutions built around it were renamed the '''Beaton Institute''' in her honor.

In the early 1960s, Harry Boadmore emigrated from England to Canada, where he met and later married Elizabeth 'Liz' Boardmore (née MacDonald). Both later joined Xavier Junior College as English teachers in 1966.<ref name="beatoninstitute.com">{{Cite web|url=https://beatoninstitute.com/boardmore-theatre-collection|title = Boardmore Theatre Collection - Beaton Institute Digital Archives}}</ref> Within that year, they collaborated with the college and community to produce a stage version of ''[[The Crucible]]'' by [[Arthur Miller]], which was presented at the Vogue Theatre in Sydney, and a version of ''[[The Collection (play)|The Collection]]'' by [[Harold Pinter]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=List of plays |url=https://beaton.cbu.ca/ATOM/MGs/MG21.23.pdf}}</ref> The Boardmores went on the Xavier College Drama Society and host drama festivals on the top floor of the Sydney Lyceum, where Xavier Junior College was hosted at the time. This would later become the Xavier College Theatre.<ref name="beatoninstitute.com"/>

In 1968, the Nova Scotia Eastern Institute of Technology (NSEIT) opened on Grand Lake Road several kilometres east of the [[Sydney, Nova Scotia|Sydney]] city limits. The institution focused on business technology and trades. It was created with the help of provincial and federal funding in response to serious challenges faced by the coal and steel industries in [[Industrial Cape Breton]].<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://studyco.com/article/5418-Cape_Breton_University|title = Cape Breton University|year = 2021|access-date = 2020-12-21|archive-date = 2013-11-03|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131103104111/http://www.studyco.com/Article/5418-Cape_Breton_University|url-status = dead}}</ref> In 1974, NSEIT and Xavier College were officially amalgamated into the '''College of Cape Breton (CCB)'''.<ref name="capebretonpost.com"/> The college was consolidated at the location of the former NSEIT and began expanding.

Between 1978 and 1982, several new buildings were added to the campus including a campus centre, the Sullivan Field House, an art gallery, and the current location of the Beaton Institute. In 1979, the Xavier College Drama Society moved its operations to the CCB with the construction of a new playhouse as part of college expansions. This would go on to be named the Boardmore Playhouse in honor of Liz and Harry Boardmore in 1990.<ref name="beatoninstitute.com"/>

[[File:School Sign.JPG|left|thumb|The main sign for the university, located in front of the Culture and Heritage Centre]]

In 1982, the Nova Scotia government granted CCB a charter for granting university degrees and the institution renamed itself as the '''University College of Cape Breton (UCCB)'''. UCCB was the first university college in Canada<ref name="thecanadianencyclopedia.ca">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cape-breton-university|title=Cape Breton University &#124; the Canadian Encyclopedia}}</ref> and united diverse education streams such as the [[liberal arts]] and sciences with technological and vocational diploma programs.<ref name="CanEncycl" />

A major expansion for the 1987 [[Canada Games|Canada Winter Games]] included the construction of sports facilities built at the campus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.canadagames.ca/past-games/1987-canada-winter-games|title=Canada Games Council - Past Games|access-date=2020-12-21|archive-date=2022-12-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208035455/https://www.canadagames.ca/past-games/1987-canada-winter-games|url-status=dead}}</ref> During the 1990s several campus expansions were built, including the Culture and Heritage Centre as well as academic and research facilities.<ref name="thecanadianencyclopedia.ca"/>

As a result of a 2004 study the decision was made to rename the institution to reflect its transformation over the previous two decades into primarily a university level institution. The process led to UCCB transferring its trades and technology programs to the [[Nova Scotia Community College]] (NSCC), which operated its "Marconi Campus" (the former Adult Vocational Training Centre - AVTC)<ref>{{cite book |last= Morgan |first= Robert J.|date= 2007|title= Perseverance: The Story of Cape Breton's University College |url= http://cbup.ca/books/morgan-perseverance/ |location= Cape Breton Island |publisher= Cape Breton University Press |isbn= 978-0-920336-99-1 }}</ref> which is located immediately next to the CBU Grand Lake Road campus.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1556565-consultant-chosen-to-study-marconi-campus-move |title=Consultant chosen to study Marconi campus move |first=Chris |last=Shannon|publisher=Cape Breton Post|date=March 26, 2018|archive-date=March 27, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327043153/https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/business/1556565-consultant-chosen-to-study-marconi-campus-move/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/collaborations/1541342-from-bust-to-boom |title=From bust to boom? |first=Chris |last=Shannon |publisher=Cape Breton Post |date=February 6, 2018|archive-date=June 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626192843/http://thechronicleherald.ca/collaborations/1541342-from-bust-to-boom }}</ref>

On September 23, 2004, the university's Board of Governors voted unanimously to rename the institution '''Breton University'''; however, the proposed name was opposed by a number of groups in the institution and local community over the removal of the word "Cape" from the name, and the name '''Cape Breton University''' was thus adopted instead. The name change became official through the ''University College of Cape Breton Act (amended)'' which received Royal Assent on May 19, 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/capebunv.htm|title = Cape Breton University Act}}</ref>

The university is an extreme case of replacing declining domestic enrolment with international students.<ref name=":1" /> Growing from under 2,600 students in 2017 to 9,100 in fall 2023 with 80% of those being international.<ref name=":1" /> The increase in numbers has led to a rise in reported incidents of racism <ref>{{Cite news |last=Cameron |first=Josefa |date=26 Feb 2023 |title=International students shaken up after hate speech incident on Sydney bus |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/sydney-river-cape-breton-hate-speech-international-students-police-transit-1.6758483 |work=CBC News}}</ref> and criticism from their students regarding a lack of housing and other infrastructure.<ref name=":0" /> The death of international student Rajesh Gollapudi in 2022 house fire focused attention on the issue.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cameron |first=Josefa |date=4 Jan 2023 |title=Some CBU students choose hotel over crowded housing after fatal fire in Sydney |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/fire-housing-crisis-international-students-cbu-1.6702494 |work=CBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cape Breton University to lower international enrolment amid job, housing shortages - Halifax {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/10033225/cape-breton-university-lower-international-student-enrolment/ |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}</ref>

"[[Rise Again (The Rankin Family song)|Rise Again]]" is the official [[school song]] of Cape Breton University.<ref>{{cite news |last1=MacDonald |first1=Ryan |last2=Price |first2=Melanie |title=Cape Breton University shares special rendition of ‘Rise Again’ to bring comfort to Nova Scotians |url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/cape-breton-university-shares-special-rendition-of-rise-again-to-bring-comfort-to-nova-scotians-1.4907416 |access-date=23 February 2024 |work=CTV News Atlantic |date=22 April 2020 |language=en}}</ref>