2025 is a big year for CMU (Canadian Mennonite University), marked by many events and celebrations – and YOU are invited!
Sandy Koop Harder is Vice President, External at CMU. She explains that the university was born out of a Bible college tradition and Mennonite church context.
“That legacy of Bible colleges came together in the year 2000 as Canadian Mennonite University, and we’ve been grounded in the Anabaptist Mennonite faith tradition ever since.”
Those familiar with CMU’s origin story tend to be very aware of the university’s biblical and theological studies, music, peace and community development programs – which continue to be central to CMU’s work as a university today.
“However, people might not know we offer six different bachelor’s degrees. We have a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Therapy, Bachelor of Science, and a new Bachelor of Social Work that’s getting a lot of attention,” shares Koop Harder.
She says CMU also offers many different programs and over 20 different majors in everything from environmental studies to peace and conflict studies, to psychology, and beyond.
A lot has changed at CMU since the year 2000, growing from a small Bible school tradition, into a full liberal arts and sciences university, says Koop Harder.
“Our students enjoy an incredibly rigorous academic experience – and there are a lot of supports in place for students to meet these high expectations.”
She says that alongside academic rigor, CMU students also benefit from being part of an involved and engaged student body.
“Our students tell us they’re initially drawn to CMU’s academic excellence, and they stay at CMU because of the relationships they’ve built here.”
25 Events in 2025
There’s a lot going on at CMU in terms of academics, and Koop Harder says they’re excited to be celebrating all of that this year, putting on 25 events to celebrate 25 years in 2025.
“Some events have already happened, and there are many more coming up over this next year, culminating with a formal celebration on September 19th during our Fall at CMU festival weekend. You can find information out about these events on our website at cmu.ca/25.”
Face2Face February 27
This year also marks 500 years of the Anabaptist movement, so at CMU’s upcoming Face2Face public engagement evening, faculty from CMU’s Biblical and Theological Studies department will talk about the centrality of scripture to the Anabaptist movement – both from a historical perspective and how that continues to be true for Anabaptist communities today.
“That evening is also going to be the launch of the Anabaptist Community Bible,” says Koop Harder. “This has been a huge project undertaken by Mennonite churches over the last few years. The person championing that project will be there, speaking to that process.”
The event is called Anabaptism at 500: Commitment to Scripture, hosted at CMU’s Marpeck Commons on February 27th at 7:00pm. Details here.
CMU Open House February 20
Director of Admissions at CMU, Michelle Nguyen, shares important advice for those searching for a post-secondary institution.
“You really want to make sure the post-secondary institution you choose is the right one for you, so visit every campus you’re interested in. It’s the best way to envision yourself in those spaces, meet the people you’d be interacting with, and just get a general idea of overall fit.”
CMU is hosting their annual Open House for prospective students and their families on February 20th from 6:00pm-8:00pm.
“This is a free, drop-in event,” notes Nguyen. “So, students, their families, their friends, whoever wants to come by, can drop in anytime between 6 and 8pm to browse our information booths, chat with faculty, meet our student life team, our residence team, and our financial aid team.
“There will even be opportunities to fill out an application with the admissions team if you have questions about the process. You can take a campus tour, a residence tour, and get a glimpse of what we have to offer here.”
CMU Discover Day February 28
CMU also offers several Discover Days throughout the year, with the final one happening on February 28th. Nguyen says this is more like a “be a student for a day” kind of experience, with full or half day options, depending on availability.
“Students take in a sample lecture, go for a campus tour, meet with professors, and sit in on a professor panel, so they get an in-depth experience of what it’s like to actually be a student here on a regular day.
“We hear time and again how enjoyable our Discover Days are, but also how great they are for choosing a post-secondary institution. They really help students gather all the information they need to make the decision that’s right for them.”
Discover Day is free, but pre-registration is required. Learn more, here.
Experience CMU
“There’s something very unique about this place and the way that we engage each other and learn together,” reflects Nguyen. “So, whether you attend a prospective student event or one of our public facing events, you can catch glimpses of what that looks like and what your involvement at CMU could look like.”
“These events are also opportunities to host conversations and engage with community about things that are important. It’s one way for us to live out our commitments in the community and to forward our Mennonite Anabaptist tradition,” adds Koop Harder. “It’s really core to who CMU is – to foster radical dialogue and be an invitational community.”
Learn more at cmu.ca, or follow cmuwpg and cmu_admissions on Instagram.