RMC the University

 

Introduction

The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) is a national university for educating and developing leaders committed to serving Canada. To achieve this goal, the demands of an RMC education go beyond academic achievement.

For officer and naval cadets of the Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP), otherwise referred to as Cadets, or the University Training Plan - Non-Commissioned Members (UTPNCM), the RMC degree consists of four interlocking pillars: Academics, Military, Physical Fitness and Bilingualism, each of which is incorporated throughout the formal and informal elements of the RMC programme.

For members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) who undertake their undergraduate studies at RMC through correspondence, on site, at a distance, or at the RMC campus, the RMC degree provides them with the same fundamental philosophical foundation as the officer cadets who complete their studies through one of the subsidized education programmes.

 Effective 7 September 2021, any CAF member taking a degree that is open to the Cadets will also be required to pass the mandatory athletics and language courses unless they have been granted legacy rightsFootnote1 by Senate.

Long-standing co-operative ventures with Queen's have now been extended to undergraduate courses. Cadets at RMC and students at Queen's may now, subject to departmental approval, take undergraduate courses at the other institution and count these courses as credits towards their degrees. Normally, the choice of courses will be limited to third and fourth year course.

For non-military students, an RMC education provides them with fundamental Canadian values and international values cherished by nations of the free world.

 As of 7 September 2021, non-military students will not be allowed to take any degree open to the Cadets unless they have been granted legacy rightsFootnote1 by Senate. Any member of the CAF admitted to a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science (Honours), Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Engineering degree who does not have legacy rights and subsequently releases from the CAF before completing their degree will not be allowed to remain in any of these degrees. If they are MOSID qualified before releasing from the CAF then they will be permitted to transfer into one of the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts (General), Bachelor of Science (General), Bachelor of Military Arts and Science, or Bachelor of Military Arts and Science (Honours).

Mission

As a military university, the Royal Military College of Canada educates, develops, and inspires bilingual, fit, and ethical leaders who serve the Canadian Armed Forces and Canada.

Objectives

The objectives of the Royal Military College of Canada are:

  1. To prepare and motivate Canadians for effective service as commissioned officers in the Canadian Armed Forces by:
    1. providing a university education in both official languages in appropriate disciplines designed on a broad base to meet the unique needs of the Forces,
    2. developing qualities of leadership,
    3. developing a high standard of personal physical fitness,
    4. developing bilingual competencies, and
    5. stimulating an awareness of the ethic of the military profession;
  2. To improve in appropriate fields the educational background of students who will be commissioned officers in the Canadian Armed Forces by providing undergraduate and graduate courses in both official languages; and
  3. To foster and encourage faculty participation in research in order to sustain academic excellence. Research with a defence focus is encouraged.

The Four Pillars of an RMC Education

Post Nominal: Only students in ROTP who successfully complete the four interlocking pillars, which includes one of the following acceptable degrees: Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science (Honours), Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Engineering, merit the "rmc" - post nominal. Senate remains the approving authority for determining successful completion of the four pillars, and hence the awarding of the post nominal.

Academic Pillar

The academics pillar fosters the critical intellectual skills required to understand the complexities of living in the 21st century. The academic programme emphasizes the practical applications of what has been learned to military settings and daily operational demands. All degree programmes offered at RMC are designed to provide a sound, balanced, liberal, scientific and military education. Cadets, while sponsored under ROTP are restricted to the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science (Honours), Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Engineering. Cadets are not admissible into the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts (General), Bachelor of Science (General), Bachelor of Military Arts and Science, or Bachelor of Military Arts and Science (Honours).

Military Pillar

 Any member of the CAF admitted to a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science (Honours), Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Engineering degree who does not have legacy rights and subsequently releases from the CAF before completing their degree will not be allowed to remain in any of these degrees. If they are MOSID qualified before releasing from the CAF then they will be permitted to transfer into one of the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts (General), Bachelor of Science (General), Bachelor of Military Arts and Science (Honours), or Bachelor of Military Arts and Science.

The demands of an officer in today's complex rapidly changing security environment are significant. Thus, the military pillar develops those personal skills and abilities that lead to success in most of life's endeavours. Leadership training provided by the RMC experience will help students, as they begin their studies at RMC and along with other experiences, prepare them to make difficult decisions under stressful conditions through deeper understanding of the factors affecting their role as a leader. The nature of military leadership and military operations necessitates an in-depth understanding of human behaviour. Therefore, studies in military psychology and leadership are part of the required academic curriculum. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of personal integrity, ethical behaviour, and professional responsibility.

Physical Fitness Pillar

 Any member of the CAF admitted to a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science (Honours), Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Engineering degree will be required to take part in the same mandatory athletics courses as the Cadets, which includes the requirement to pass the RMC Physical Performance Test (PPT), unless they are granted legacy rightsFootnote1 by Senate.

Under the physical fitness pillar, RMC teaches students the importance of fitness and developing a healthy lifestyle as a lifelong endeavour. Striving for a higher level of physical fitness can inspire those around them and has been shown to improve one's quality of life and learning. All Cadets are required to take part in the physical education programme designed to achieve and maintain a high level of fitness and to learn the basic fundamentals in a wide variety of team and individual sports.

Bilingualism Pillar

 Any member of the CAF admitted to a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science (Honours), Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Engineering degree will be required to take part in the same mandatory, second language courses as the Cadets, unless they are exempt by virtue of their linguistic profile or they are granted legacy rightsFootnote1 by Senate.

The bilingualism pillar reflects Canada's cultural heritage. As representatives of this heritage, officers are expected to be fluent in both of Canada's official languages - English and French. The responsibilities of an officer in the CAF require them to lead young Canadians that are primarily Anglophone or Francophone. RMC has been training officers to communicate effectively in both French and English for well over 30 years. RMC helps make this learning process an interesting one with class time as well as integration into daily life at RMC.

Officers of Administration

Chancellor and President
Minister of National Defence, The Honourable Bill Blair, MP
Commandant and Vice Chancellor
Brigadier-General Pascal Godbout, CD
Principal
Dr. Jill Scott, PhD

The Board of Governors

The Board of Governors was established in 1997. Its role is to review and approve the strategic direction of the college, and to provide advice to the Minister of National Defence on all matters relating to the college as required.

Senate

The Senate was created when the Royal Military College of Canada Degrees Act, 1959 was enacted. It is composed of the President (Minister of National Defence), the Commandant, the Principal, the Vice-Principal Academic, the Vice-Principal Research, the Associate Vice-Principal of Indigenous Knowledges and Learning, the Dean of Graduate Studies, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, the Dean of the Faculty of Science, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, the Director of Cadets as the Dean of Students, the Director of Athletics, the Director of the Language Centre, a Faculty Association representative, a Faculty representative, the Academic Director of Royal Military College St-Jean, Director of Academics of Canadian Forces College Toronto, and the Registrar of the Royal Military College of Canada, who also acts as Secretary.

Its function is to grant degrees and honorary degrees. To ensure that the quality of RMC degrees being granted meet the highest standards the Senate of the College has empowered a number of Standing Committees, as part of Academic governance.

Note: The Senate possesses the authority to create by-laws, create sub-committees, add new members and is the final authority for all academic matters. Footnote2

Deans’ Council

Deans’ Council (DC) is a Standing Committee of Senate. It is composed of the Principal as Chair, the Registrar, who is also the Secretary, the Vice-Principals, the Deans of the Faculties, the Academic Director at RMC Saint-Jean, the Associate Vice-Principal Academic, the Director of Academics at the Canadian Forces College (CFC), the Special Assistant to the Principal, Director AMS, and the Director of Cadets (only for appeals related to matters of academic integrity). DC is a decision-making body within the Academic Wing on all academic matters that are not matters of Senate or Faculty Council. DC is a forum for discussions and deliberation on decisions that affect the leadership and management of the Academic Wing or for matters destined for Senate or Faculty Council. DC is the final authority for academic appeals related to academic integrity violations, except when an appeal is made which involves a sanction of expulsion.

Faculty Council

The Faculty Council (FC) is a Standing Committee of Senate. It is composed of the Principal as Chair, the Registrar, who is also the Secretary, the Vice-Principals, the Deans of the Faculties, the Heads or Acting Heads of the various departments, the Director of Cadets, and other members of the senior staff designated by the Chair.

Its function is to:

  • act as the decision-making body on all academic matters that are not matters of Senate (matters of the Senate are contained in the Senate By-laws);
  • review and take action as deemed necessary on all Faculty Board recommendations;
  • be responsible for the compilation and recommendation to Senate of the graduands’ lists for all convocations; and
  • recommend to Senate the granting of Emeritus status for deserving faculty; and
  • provide academic advice to the Commandant in the form of recommendations concerning any matter of an academic nature.

Faculty Board

The Faculty Board (FB) is a Standing Committee of Senate. It is composed of the Principal as Chair, the Registrar, who is also the Secretary, the Professors, the Associate Professors, the Assistant Professors, the Lecturers, the Chief Librarian, the Director of Administration, the Director of Cadets, the Officers of the Military Wing, all other members of the senior staff designated by the Chair, and students representing the student body invited by the Chair to attend.

The function of the Faculty Board is to:

  • make recommendations to the Faculty Council concerning any matter; and in particular, those of an academic nature; and
  • elect a Faculty Board Representative to Senate, who will also be RMC’s Colleague to the Council of Ontario Universities. An election will be held approximately every three years or earlier, if the incumbent is unable to fulfill their term; and
  • provide academic advice to the Commandant in the form of recommendations concerning any matter of an academic nature; however, normally these recommendations will pass through Faculty Council first.

Academic Integrity Council

The Academic Integrity Council (AIC) is a Standing Committee of Senate. It is composed of the Vice-Principal Academic as Chair, the Registrar, who is also the Secretary, the Associate Deans of the Faculties or a Faculty Representative, and the Deputy Director of Cadets. The AIC promotes and develops measures to encourage Academic Integrity. The AIC will advise Faculty Council, Deans’ Council and Senate on all aspects of Academic Integrity. The AIC is also responsible to review all investigative files and related documentation for cases involving an Academic Integrity violation, and to determine whether an Academic Integrity violation has occurred, and if so, to decide on the appropriate Academic Sanction to be imposed. Commanding Officers for CAF personnel will be notified of any findings and the sanction imposed by the AIC by the Registrar.

Office of the Registrar

Registrar
Karl Michaud
Assistant Registrar Calendars and Governance
Peter Bennett
Associate Registrar Undergraduate Studies
Naomi Greer-Ballance
Associate Registrar Student Services
Naomi Greer-Ballance
Associate Registrar Graduate Studies
Julia Tapscott
Associate Registrar Admissions
Serena Lavender-Hedrich
Director Prior Learning and Recognition (PLAR)
Shelagh Corbett
Liaison Manager (i.e. Attractions)
Mark Merizzi
Accommodations Coordinator
Nobert Lepage
Prizes and Awards Coordinator
Carol-Ann Bergeron

Contact the Office of the Registrar

Explanation of Course Codes

Each course is identified by a six-character code.

Note: Credit for one-half of a full-year course may be granted and in such cases, a seventh character will augment the course identification code. Addition of the digit "(1)" represents completion of the fall term portion of the course while the addition of the digit "(2)" denotes completion of the winter term portion for all two-term courses. Similarly, for four term courses, the addition of the digit (1) represents the first Fall and first Winter terms combined, while the addition of the digit (2) denotes the second Fall and second Winter terms combined. Students taking ATE101 or students who have transferred from RMC Saint-Jean will receive an In Progress (IP) on their transcript for ATE101(1) until such time that they have successfully completed the entire course. Students taking ATE301 will receive an In Progress (IP) on their transcript for ATE301(1) until such time that they have successfully completed the entire course.
Code Explanation
EEE The first two letters indicate the Department or subject of the course; in this example, it is Electrical Engineering. The third letter indicates the language in which the course is given, either E for English, as in the above example, or F for Français (French).
331 The three-digit course numbering indicates exactly which course in a subject area is referred to. The first digit indicates the year in which the course is normally offered. The second and third digits indicate the departmental course number.

Credit and Contact Hours (as used in conjunction with course descriptions)

Code Explanation
Credit The number of credits students will receive upon finishing the course; these credits can be either academic or military. Normally 1 credit is given for a "one term" course and 2 credits for a "full year" course.
Contact Hours
(3 - 2 - 5)
The estimated number of hours per week, the course requires. The first number indicates the hours in the classroom. The second number indicates the hours of laboratory or practical work. The third number indicates the estimated hours of at-home study.

Identification of Course Codes

Code Subject Department responsible
AEE Aeronautical Engineering Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
ATE Athletics Course Athletic Department
ATH Physical Fitness Pillar Athletic Department
BAE Business Administration Management and Economics
CEE Civil Engineering Civil Engineering
CCE Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
CSE Computer Science Mathematics and Computer Science
ECE Economics Management and Economics
EEE Electrical Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering
ENE English Footnote3 English
FRF French, Literature, and Culture Footnote3 French, Literature, and Culture
GEE General Engineering Faculty of Engineering
GOE Geography Political Science
HIE History History
LCE Language Course Language Centre
MAE Mathematics Mathematics and Computer Science
MEE Mechanical Engineering Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
MSE Military and Strategic Studies Military and Strategic Studies
PHE Physics Physics and Space Science
PMT Professional Military Training Training Wing
POE Political Science Political Science
PSE Psychology Military Psychology and Leadership
SCE General Science Faculty of Science
SLE Second Language Footnote3 Language Centre
SOE Sociology Military Psychology and Leadership
SPE Spanish Footnote3 French, Literature, and Culture
SSE General Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
WCE General Writing Centre Writing Centre
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