If this student is looking at Dalhousie and is interested in English Literature, they may instead want to look at the University of King’s College - it has a Foundation Year Program where the first year is dedicated to a Great Books curriculum, with program-wide lectures and small-group seminars. Foundation Year Program | University of King's College This is likely of particular interest to a student interested in an English degree and interested in a UK-style degree. Your degree requirements are then completed in years 2 through 4.
King’s and Dalhousie share a combined Faculty of Arts and Social Science (and the degree in English is delivered by Dalhousie), so OP would be able to benefit from a small LAC seminar-style education through the Foundation Year Program, while still enjoying the benefits (social, academic, and otherwise) of a larger research institution (there are about 16000 undergrads at Dal and about 1000 undergrads at King’s).