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.
Part of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Communications, the department is comprised of two programs: Fine Art, and Design Studies.
The Fine Art and Design programs have evolved substantially over the years, beginning as a combined diploma and eventually separating into distinct programs. The Design program was first offered in the 1974-1975 academic year as Design Arts and included the majors Advertising Artist, Interior Design Technician, and Store Display Designer. In 1976-1977, it also included fine art offerings with the addition of Painting and Sculpture. In the 1982-1984 program brochure, Design Arts offered the following majors: Fine Art, Display and Visual Presentation, Fiber Arts, and Advertising Art (including the options Environmental Design and Graphic Design). 1986-1987 saw Design and Fine Art separated for the first time when both a Visual Arts diploma and a Visual Communication diploma were offered. The Fine Art program was recognized as such in the 1991-1992 academic year, and Design Studies in 2005-2006. The Bachelor of Design was offered in Fall 2019. The Bachelor of Fine Arts was offered Fall 2022 with Arts and Cultural Management, Studio Arts, Music Theatre Performance, and Theatre Production majors.
The department was housed at the Centre for the Arts and Communications campus from 1981 until campus closure in 2017, when it moved to Allard Hall on City Centre Campus.
The Human Resources department oversees employment-related functions, including recruitment, payroll, compensation management, onboarding, performance management, and exit.
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.
The Finance department is responsible for budget and resource planning, finance administration services, financial services, and the project management office.
Centre for Teaching and Learning
The Centre for Teaching and Learning provides programming, services and resources that support the development of pedagogical practices, learning technologies integration, and design and development of eLearning courses and other technology-enhanced learning opportunities.
Facilities provides the following services to support the university’s mission: facilities planning, projects (renovations, infrastructure, new construction), grounds, maintenance and property management.
Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic
The title Provost and Vice-President, Academic has undergone a number of name changes over the years:
Vice President Academic (ca. 1988-2003)
Executive Vice-President Academic (2004-2007)
Provost and Executive Vice-President Academic (2007-2012)
Vice-President, Academic and Provost (2013-2014)
Provost and Vice-President, Academic (2014-)
The Provost and Vice-President, Academic is responsible for promoting a culture of academic excellence at MacEwan University and maintaining the University’s reputation as a student-focused institution. The position is head of Academic Affairs.
Registered as a psychologist in 1979 in Alberta, Donald was program head of the Youth Development program at Grant MacEwan Community College from 1973 to 1982. He has been an instructor in the Psychology Department at Douglas College, New Westminster, British Columbia, from 1990 to the present, as well as an adjunct professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University from 1999 to 2010.
Dr. T.C. Buchanan, pastor of McDougall Methodist Church in Edmonton, founded the province's first post-secondary institution in 1903 on Methodist Mission land set aside for missionary and education purposes by Reverend George McDougall. Although originally named McDougall College in honour of this early missionary to the Edmonton area, the founders soon abandoned this designation in favour of Alberta College. The college's first classes assembled on October 5, 1903 in the space above the Johnstone Walker Store on Jasper Avenue. Within two months, the original 67 students, along with four teaching staff, moved to the Masonic Hall to continue their studies in Arts, Commerce and Music under the direction of the school's first principal, Reverend Dr. John H. Riddell. The Northwest Territory Council granted a charter to Alberta College in October 1904, at which time the school moved into a new building on 101st Street, on the grounds of McDougall Methodist Church. The institution continued to undergo a number of changes, including new campuses, buildings, and the transfer to the United Church in 1926. Enrollment continued to expand in the 1930s to the 1980s.
In 1991, the provincial government passed amendments to the Alberta College Act to continue college operations as a private college independent of the United Church. Work also began on a two-phase construction project for a new facility. In 2000, the Board transferred college assets to the province, and on July 1, 2002 the facility and the majority of its programming was transferred to Grant MacEwan College. The Alberta College Campus offered academic upgrading, English as a Second Language (ESL), and the Royal Conservatory of Music. It continued as a MacEwan University campus until 2020, when programming moved to Allard Hall located on City Centre Campus.