Annual Report 2010/11

Academic Programmingand DeliveryDegree programmingContinued progress in the implementation ofdegree programming was achieved during2010/11, with the addition of an accountingmajor in the Bachelor of Commerce program,and the completion of plans for two new degreeprograms—the Bachelor of Music and the Bachelorof Communication Studies—both of which beganaccepting students in fall 2011. Two additionalmajors in the commerce degree (human resourcesmanagement and marketing) are being planned forfall 2012 implementation. Two new minors in arts(French and Spanish) are being planned for the fallof 2013.The university achieved 105 per cent of itsenrolment target for baccalaureate programs in2010/11, which reinforces the success of degreeprogramming at the university. As previouslydiscussed, the next phase of program developmentincludes commencement of classes in the Artsand Cultural Management diploma in fall 2011, andimplementation of the new degree in psychiatricnursing.MacEwan University remains concerned with theimpact of provincial budget decisions for 2011/12and beyond. While some additional funding hasbeen received to support the Bachelor of Scienceprogram, this degree is still not fully funded,and the university continues to utilize reservesto support this program. The Bachelor of Musicprogram is currently operating with no provincialoperating funding, and university reserves arealso being drawn upon to implement this uniquesignature program. In addition, enrolment in thenursing degree continues to be reduced in order tooperate within funding constraints.Transfer arrangementsAs part of a Campus Alberta objective,additional steps were taken to expand transferarrangements for students from across Albertato access MacEwan University programs, and forMacEwan University students to pursue furtherstudies at other institutions. As discussed inpreceeding sections, an agreement was reachedwith Olds College to offer the first year of theuniversity’s Bachelor of Science degree at thecollege beginning in fall 2011, and the universitycontinues to develop transfer arrangements for itsdiploma graduates to pursue degree completionopportunities at Thompson Rivers University.The university would also like to accommodate arequest to expand its science degree to a northerncollege, but the fact this program remains onlypartially funded limits the university’s capacity toundertake such collaborative initiatives.Distributed technologiesThe university continued to expand its onlinecourse offerings through eCampusAlberta,achieving a 55 per cent increase in enrolment inthis area in 2010/11. Plans are being developedto offer the Bachelor of Commerce degree andthe Arts and Cultural Management diplomaonline. To ensure the quality of its online offerings,the university adopted the eCampusAlbertaEssential Quality Standards (EQS), which includesexternal peer review as part of its developmentmethodology.MacEwan University is a founder and active partnerof the eCampusAlberta Consortium. Developmentof new credentials and the re-development oflegacy curriculum are essential to the continuedsuccess of eCampus courses. Reduction andwithdrawal of curriculum development support forthe eCampus consortium presents a challenge forall members in sustaining this effort on behalf ofCampus Alberta.In all three cases, adequate levels of provincialfunding will be required to ensure the viability andsustainability of these programs.28 grant Macewan university