(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)

VANCOUVER - A man is in custody accused of stabbing a fellow student after a feud boiled over in a classroom at a Vancouver university, police said.

Vancouver police Sgt. Randy Fincham said he expects charges to be laid against a 24-year-old student at Emily Carr University of Art and Design who called 911 to turn himself in Thursday morning.

Another student was stabbed in the face inside a classroom at the fine-art schools' Granville Island campus around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, said Fincham.

The bustling university holds day and evening classes and sits amid a busy tourist and entertainment hub on Granville Island.

"This was a regular night of classes where other students were at the school as well," said Fincham.

He was unable to comment on the nature of the dispute between the two students or the attacker's alleged motive.

"What was said or what happened leading up to last night's stabbing certainly will play a role in the investigation," Fincham added.

The 26-year-old victim was taken to hospital and treated for "minor injuries," Fincham said, noting "no facial injury or stabbing to the face is that minor of an injury."

The university cancelled classes on Thursday while police searched for the suspect who had left campus immediately after the attack.

University spokesman Broek Bosma said cancelling classes would "allow faculty, staff and students to gather and discuss and begin the healing process."

There have been no incidents of violence on campus in recent history, the university said in an earlier news release.

"We don't have anything on record (and) we've been around for 90 years," said Bosma.

The university was unaware of any complaints about the students involved in Wednesday's incident, he said, adding it was too early to say what disciplinary action could be taken against the man who allegedly stabbed his fellow student.

"We will wait until any proceedings with the (Vancouver Police Department) take course," said Bosma.

"Of course, it's very early so I wouldn't want to speculate on what actions could or might be taken."

The university said in a release that it was enlisting additional counselling services to offer support to students and other community members.

"Emily Carr University is committed to safety for our students, faculty and staff," read the statement. "Student safety is of the utmost importance."

Classes and exams are scheduled to resume Friday.

The university website indicates 2,002 full-time, undergraduate and graduate students were enrolled at the school in the 2014-15 academic year, while 1,273 full- and part-time students were enrolled in certificate and continuing studies programs.

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News from © The Canadian Press, 2015