Saint Dunstan's University Board of Governors

The history of Saint Dunstan’s University (SDU) originates with the founding of St. Dunstan’s College on the northern outskirts of Charlottetown, PEI, in 1855. By the mid-20th century, the college had expanded into a small liberal arts university, and a post-Second World War enrolment boom mandated an expansion of residences and teaching buildings on the campus. SDU received a provincial degree-granting charter in 1917 but its first bachelor’s degrees weren’t awarded until the spring of 1941. Prior to this, SDU had been affiliated with Université Laval, through which they had been awarding joint degrees since the 1890s.

Similar to its sister institution, Prince of Wales College (PWC), SDU also operated a high school, offering senior matriculation to those students wishing to continue into academic or professional studies. By the 1960s, the provincial government began a critical study of its post-secondary education institutions (PWC and SDU), concluding that a merger to form a provincial university was the desired funding and service model for future students. In May of 1969, the last classes graduated from PWC and SDU, the institutions were merged, and the University of Prince Edward Island opened in September 1969 on the former SDU campus. At the same time, the former PWC campus became the new home of Prince Edward Island’s community college, Holland College.