Saint John Henry Newman Award for Academic Excellence
Established in 2019 by the Academic Senate in honour of the college’s fiftieth anniversary and also in recognition of of our patron, Saint John Henry Newman. Conferral is noted on the recipient’s permanent academic record.
The Saint John Henry Newman Award for Academic Excellence is presented annually at the Convocation Ceremony to a student graduating from either the Master of Theological Studies or Master of Divinity Program.
The criteria for selecting the recipient is as follows: the individual has been identified as the person achieving the highest graduating GPA of the graduating class. Where more than one graduand of these eligible programs jointly holds the highest graduating GPA for any given year, the award shall be granted to the one holding the highest overall percentage of A + grades for their program. If this is a tie then the award can be granted to more than one recipient.
Emmaus Award
This award was originally established in 2006 as a Religious Education departmental award. In 2019 it was elevated to being an award of the Academic Senate. Conferral is noted on the recipient’s permanent academic record.
The Emmaus Award is presented annually at the Convocation Ceremony to a student graduating from the Master of Religious Education Program. The award reflects the experience of the disciples on the Road to Emmaus: the hope that when religious education students attend Newman, they join other colleagues on the journey and through their studies and dialogue with the content, come to recognize Jesus more clearly.
The criteria for selecting the recipient include the following: the individual has been identified as a person who has fostered community in their learning environment, the individual has interacted with their faculty and has provided evidence of the importance of their personal journey of faith; the individual has grown in faith knowledge and experience; the individual has actively engaged with the academic content of their courses, and the individual has maintained a sound academic record throughout their Program of Studies.
(Note: Recipients of the Friar’s Joseph. N. MacNeil Outstanding Achievement Award may not also be awarded the Emmaus Award in any given year.)
The Father Don H. MacDonald Outstanding Achievement Award
This award was established by the Academic Senate of Newman Theological College in 2022 to honour the commitment of Fr. Don H. MacDonald ofm to NTC and St. Joseph Seminary. His contributions to the college have spanned more than fifty years, serving as Professor of Theology, Academic Dean, and an unprecedented three times as President from 1973-75, 1976-78 and 1991-1993. He currently holds the rank of Professor Emeritus. In many ways the heart of the college, and through it the Church in Western Canada, has been formed by the spirit of St. Francis. For decades the teaching and leadership that Fr. Don gave to the college have been instrumental in shaping this identity, and we are deeply grateful for this gift.
It is awarded annually at Convocation to a student graduating from NTC in a graduate course of theological studies (Master’s level or greater) who has demonstrated academic excellence, outstanding contribution to the NTC community and commitment to their faith and Christian values. Whilst academic achievement is to be considered, all other qualities of the candidates and their contribution to NTC and their wider community shall be given equal consideration. The name of the recipient is engraved on a plaque which is displayed at the college and the award is noted on the academic transcript of the recipient.