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North America’s Largest
Scottish Studies Program
Did you know that the
University of Guelph has the oldest program in Scottish Studies in North
America? Created because of the strong Scottish influence that helped
develop south-western Ontario this program draws students from around the
world through on-campus graduate degrees and distance education courses (www.uoguelph.ca/history/scotstudy).
Drawing on academic
influences from History, English, Music, Philosophy, Art History, Land
Resource Science and Geography teaching in the program focuses on Scottish
history from the 14th to the early 20th century, Scottish migrations and
settlement in Canada, and Scottish and Scottish-Canadian literature.
Faculty researchers are investigating medieval and early modern history,
Scottish-Canadian and migrant literature, literature of Renaissance
Scotland, political and social history of the 18th to the early 20th
century, women in medieval and modern Scotland, patterns of settlement in
Canada, particularly Ontario, and nationalism and literature.
The greatest treasure of
the program is the Scottish Studies library collection, the largest one
outside of Scotland. Regarded by the Canadian Government as a collection
of national importance, it is particularly strong in local history and
immigrant letters and diaries. With over 30,000 volumes of monographs,
serials, music, maps and archives, the collection is housed on the ground
and third floor of the university’s Maclaughlin Library Considered to have
North America’s premiere genealogical materials, the collection attracts
scholars from around the world.
The program benefits from
collaborative teaching and research agreements with the Scottish
Universities of Glasgow; Strathclyde, Aberdeen; Edinburgh and St. Andrews.
This Scottish university link is also enhanced through collaborative
efforts with the Scottish Record Office, the National Library of Scotland,
the School of Scottish Studies and the National Museums of Scotland.
Guelph’s Scottish Studies
Program has also benefited from a strong relationship with the Toronto
based Scottish Studies Foundation (www.scottishstudies.ca).
The foundation was created in 1985 by a group of first and second
generation Canadian Scots to commemorate the contribution of Scots in
Canada and to preserve Scottish heritage through education. Based in
Toronto, the foundation runs select events, supports a colloquium and a
journal and runs an annual Tartan Day dinner.
The Scottish Studies
program and Scottish Studies Foundation are collaborating on a campaign to
raise $2 million to establish the first North American academic chair in
Scottish Studies at the University of Guelph. Income from the endowment
will support the teaching, research and outreach of an outstanding
scholar. The chair will have minimal teaching responsibilities so as to
focus on community outreach teaching and lectures across North America.
For more information about
the Scottish Studies program or the Scottish Studies Foundation please
contact Kevin James at the University of Guelph at (519) 824-4120 ext.
52122 or at kjames@uoguelph.ca |
