Introduction
In keeping with this enduring and aspirational goal the Royal Military College (RMC) was founded in 1876 at Kingston, Ontario. It had the dual purpose of developing personnel for employment as military officers, as well as ensuring that they had the skills required of civilian professions. Despite the vicissitudes of external events, like the closure during, and for three years following the Second World War, the College has managed to withstand challenges and cope with adversity over the last 146 years. One can argue that, notwithstanding the incongruence of such seeming dichotomy, since its inception, RMC has managed to maintain a tradition of excellence in these twin roles. Today that includes producing educated and professionalized entry level bilingual officers, military personnel of all ranks and educating civilian professionals. A key part of this accomplishment was becoming, in 1959, Canada’s first degree granting university that is fully federally funded. RMC is overseen and resourced by the Department of National Defence, yet is simultaneously responsive to the educational standards set by Ontario. This Canadian province, which hosts the College, provides the legal statute underpinning the university level education supplied by RMC, through the Royal Military College Degrees Act.Footnote 1
“The Royal Military College (RMC) is a national university for educating and developing leaders committed to serving Canada.Footnote 2”
Canada, Department of National Defence, Royal Military College, “Introduction,” (2022).
Critical to its mandate, RMC offers an undergraduate education, second language instruction, physical fitness training combined with professional development and experience to military students holding the rank of Naval Cadet or Officer Cadet (N/OCdt) of the Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP), who will become commissioned officers in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). At the same time, the College serves other student populations and gives undergraduate and graduate education in arts, science and in engineering to hundreds of military and civilian students on campus and via distance learning.Footnote 3
If anything over the years RMC has illustrated the tenet of Greek philosopher Heraclitus that “the only constant is change.” The College has grown institutionally to better deliver upon its core mandate of producing Canadian leaders. At the same time RMC has come to provide undergraduate and graduate level education to a myriad of students and through its research supports the Government of Canada and National Defence. One can discern this adaptation in the evolution of the university, the changes within its programs and the College’s willingness and responsiveness to recommendations to better fulfill its mission and reflect and promote twenty-first century Canadian societal values.