Today@Dal

From Saturday's Chronicle Herald:

The welcome signs are hanging on the residences ready to greet new and returning students to university in Bible Hill.

But one sign that hasn’t been there in the past, the Dalhousie University sign, represents the end of one era and the be­ginning of another. This month marks the beginning of the merger between Dalhousie University and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, with the latter becoming Dal’s Agricultural Campus.

Beyond the name change and some differences behind the scenes, officials say little will change for students. For many years Dalhousie has been the institution granting degrees in Bible Hill.

Alexandre Loureiro, a first-year envi­ronmental science student from Brazil, said he welcomed the merger.

“We’re going to have a bigger name," he said. “I think it’s a good thing."

Loureiro, who started at the school in January, said it was a little early to know if students would see any noticeable dif­ference.

For Mitchell Roberts, a first-year com­puter science student from just outside Bible Hill, staying close to home for school was something he was thinking about and the merger helped sell him on the idea.

“I don’t know if I want to stay here the whole time and it’s hard to transfer some courses when they’re not from a big school," he said.

Read the rest of the article at the Chronicle Herald website.