Department Of Humanities And Languages

Previous names: Division of Humanities and Languages 

Established: 1993 

History:

The Department of Humanities and Languages consists of studies in Comparative Literature, English, French, and Spanish Language and Literature, Linguistics, and Philosophy. It also includes the study of Latin, German, Greek, and Classics and Ancient History. Several of the courses that fall under the Department of Humanities and Languages were once separate subjects and courses under UNB Fredericton's Faculty of Arts. During the first year of UNBSJ’s establishment in 1964, first-year courses in English, Latin, French, German and Spanish were offered. In the following year, first and second year courses in Classics, English, French, Latin, German, Spanish and Greek and in second year Philosophy and Italian were also added to the program. Italian was removed from the course listings in in 1966 and first year courses in Philosophy were added in 1967. The first professors in the Humanities and Languages disciplines were Joseph Doherty (French), Mary McKean (German), Georges Parent (Spanish), Sister de Pazzi (Latin), John Grube (English), and Robert Smith (Classics). All courses were taught at Beaverbrook House on Canterbury St. in Saint John until 1969 when all parts of the Arts faculty moved to Sir Douglas Hazen Hall on the Tucker Park campus just outside of the city.

During the 1970s, Humanities and Languages experienced significant development and course listings under Humanities and Languages headings became more clearly distinctive in subsequent years. However, administratively the Humanities and Languages subjects remained uncategorized within the UNB Fredericton Faculty of Arts until around 1974 when the UNBSJ Division of Humanities and Languages was created. In the same year, Russian courses were added under the Humanities and Languages Division and the interdisciplinary Arts major in Literatures of the West was created, encompassing studies in literature, history and the philosophy of modern man. In 1975, a second interdisciplinary major was offered in 20th Century Studies in the Humanities. Linguistics was also added to the Division’s course offerings on approval from the Senate. By 1978, majors were available in English, Philosophy and Classics. William Prouty, an associate professor of English, was an active chairman of the Division of Humanities and Languages during this time of growth. 

In the late 1980s, an English Honours was offered. This was one of the final developments of the Division of Humanities and Languages before a separate Department of Humanities and Languages was formed in 1993. Following the establishment of the department under the UNBSJ Faculty of Arts, Minor programs were offered under English, Philosophy and French. The chair during these first years as a Department was Dr. James E. Noble. At the end of his time as chair in 1995, four-year degree programs in French and Philosophy were also added. While Suzanne Pons-Ridler was chair of the department in 1997, a five-year Bachelor of Education degree was offered concurrently with the Bachelor of Arts, which affected students studying under the Humanities and Languages Department and wanting to further pursue their education. The latter part of the 1990s and the 2000s saw little administrative development but the Department continued to grow in its program and course offerings. Between 2004 and 2005, minors in Linguistics and Comparative Literature were offered. By 2011, there were sixty-eight courses offered in English language and literature, thirty-six in French language and literature, thirty-one in Philosophy, and anywhere from two to thirteen courses offered in Humanities, Spanish, German, Latin, Greek, and Classics and Ancient History.

Physical location: Sir Douglas Hazen Hall

Faculty: Faculty of Arts

Notes: Established date is based on the date that the separate UNBSJ department was officially stated in the calendar, and in the commencement year of the UNBSJ Faculty of Science, Applied Science and Engineering.

Sources:

• Undergraduate Calendar (UA RG 86) 1965-2014
• UNB Perspectives Vol. 1(15), Vol. 3(13)
• UNB Saint John Faculties and Departments