Grebel Welcomes New Students

This September, 288 students travelled from across Canada and the USA, as well as from Indonesia, Sudan, Vietnam, and Singapore, to reach their destination of Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. These students, 124 of whom are new to Grebel, brought with them an eagerness to learn, connect, and create. Along with this eagerness, upper-year students, who make up more than half of Grebel students, maintain the tradition of support and belonging for which the Grebel community is so well known.

Students involved in the Grebel residence program come from a wide variety of backgrounds. In a slight increase from last year, 34% of Grebel residents come from Mennonite traditions, while others represent over 30 other Christian denominations and several other religions. The vast array of religions, places of origin, years of study, and programs of study creates the colourful collective that students and alumni treasure. “The unique backgrounds and interests of each student at Grebel allow them to learn from and grow with each other through conversation and collaboration,” explained Mary Brubaker-Zehr, Director of Student Services.

As Grebel’s residence program thrives, Grebel’s academic programs continue to do so as well. Grebel is home to the University of Waterloo’s undergraduate Music, Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), and Mennonite Studies programs, as well as the Master of Theological Studies (MTS) and Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) programs. Grebel faculty also teach courses in history, religious studies, church worship and music, and sociology. Grebel faculty and instructors are teaching a total of 50 courses this term, and undergraduate course enrolment numbers remain strong at approximately 1500 enrolments – on par with last year. PACS currently has 110 declared majors and 55 minors, while 36 students are majoring in Music and 24 minoring in it.

With a student body of 74, numbers remained almost the same in Grebel’s graduate programs this year. The MTS program admitted 14 new students, raising the total number of students in the program to 35. 19 new MPACS students are enrolled, with a total of 39 students in the program. “As the College trains future generations of pastors, professors, and peace practitioners, it is gratifying for professors and students to engage with course material at a deeper level, both inside and outside the classroom,” noted Dean Troy Osborne.

Adding to the excitement of the new school year, Grebel is in the midst of a construction project to build a new kitchen and renovate the dining room. The Fill the Table campaign has raised $3.8m so far in this endeavour and the College aims to have the new facilities finished by the end of 2020. This project is vital to make space for the Grebel community as it continues to grow.