Faculty of Fine Arts & Communications
The Faculty of Fine Arts and Communications consists of five departments, focusing on fine art and design, theatre production and performance, arts and cultural management, journalism and professional communication, and music.
Communication Arts was one of the first programs offered at Grant MacEwan Community College in 1971. It was part of the Arts Techniques Department along with Fashion Sales Technician, and Library Technician. In 1972, it became part of the Applied Arts Division, and offered three programs: Advertising and Public Relations, Audio Visual Technician, and Journalism.
The proposal for the Bachelor of Applied Communications in Professional Writing was approved by Alberta Learning on December 1, 1999, and offered September 2000. A diploma exit option in Professional Writing was offered in 2002.
The Bachelor of Applied Communications in Professional Writing, the Journalism diploma program, and the Professional Writing diploma program were suspended in favour of the Bachelor of Communication Studies. Alberta Advanced Education and Technology approved suspensions for the terms of July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2015 for the applied degree program, and July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2013 for the diploma programs. The suspension for Professional Writing was subsequently extended to June 30, 2014 to allow part-time students to complete the diploma.
The Bachelor of Communication Studies, first offered in the 2011-2012 academic year, included the majors Journalism, and Professional Communication. The Department of Communication consisted of the bachelor degree and a Public Relations diploma.
Academic Affairs first appeared on organizational charts on June 15, 1976. Possibly preceded by the Academic Division (org chart from June 29, 1971).
Within a shared governance framework, Academic Affairs is responsible for academic program development and delivery, scholarly activity, academic policies, enrolment management, educational technology, the Office of Teaching and Learning Services, and a number of supporting functions to support learner success and faculty engagement. In addition, Academic Affairs is accountable for the institutional and educational technology mandate at MacEwan as well as the requirements of Institutional Research.
Office of the Vice-President, Student Services
Named for the former Lieutenant Governor and mayor of Calgary, Grant MacEwan Community College was established in Edmonton, Alberta in 1971. In 1999 it was renamed Grant MacEwan College, and on September 24, 2009 became Grant MacEwan University.
Office of Human Rights, Diversity and Equity
The office is the outcome of an idea from 2016, when Michelle Plouffe, MacEwan’s general counsel and vice-president, governance, realized the university was missing a resource for students facing discrimination. Michelle spent over a year researching what human rights departments look like at other Canadian universities, while also hosting workshops for staff, faculty and students, and finding budget dollars. In February 2018, Irfan Chaudhry became the first director.
Golf Management offerings began in the 1992/1993 academic year as part of the Management Studies diploma with the Golf Operations Management major, and a post diploma certificate, Professional Golf Management Certificate of Achievement. In the 1994/1995 calendar, Professional Golf Management was also offered as a major in addition to the certificate of achievement.
In 1998, Alan Riley was offered the role of Program Coordinator for the Professional Golf Management Program and over the next 15 years, was directly responsible for the program curriculum and was instrumental in mentoring and teaching students. In 2006, Alan received a Distinguished Teaching Award from Grant MacEwan, acknowledging his contributions. Alan can also be credited for drafting an application for the Grant MacEwan Golf Team in 2008.
In 2011/2012, the Golf Operations Management major was not offered. In 2014/2015, the Professional Golf Management major was suspended with no planned intakes for the program.
Part of Student Affairs, the Department of Athletics has existed at MacEwan since its early days and has encompassed a variety of club sports, recreational activities and interscholastic team sports. In 1974 MacEwan joined the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC). One year later, the Board of Governors approved the adoption of the “Griffin” as the college’s mascot. In 2013 MacEwan University became the 17th member of Canada West Universities Athletics Association as a probationary member, and in 2014 began competing in Canada West in basketball, cross country running, soccer and volleyball.
Information and Privacy Office
The Information and Privacy Office (IPO) ensures compliance with applicable legislation and policy, including Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (“FOIP Act”) and the Electronic Transactions Act (Alberta) for information that is in the custody or control of the institution. The office reports to the Office of General Counsel.
The Office of Research Services (ORS) supports scholarly activity at all stages of a project—planning, development, implementation and follow-through. As well as providing information on funding opportunities, they host workshops, ensure ethical standards are met, provide print and digital resources for managing projects and answer questions about scholarships at MacEwan.