Faculty of arts now official

By Amy Badry

As of April 1 the University of Calgary amalgamation of four faculties — Communication and Culture, Social Sciences, Humanities and Fine Arts under the banner of Faculty of Arts — is complete. The largest and most diverse faculty on campus, it boasts 20 departments and 13 interdisciplinary programs to offer its 6,500 students.

With the amalgamation, the admission process and transferring between programs will be easier for Arts students. Increased funding opportunities and research support for interdisciplinary programs, expanded number of supervisors for graduate students and improved course selection are benefits of streamlining the faculties.

Kevin McQuillan, previously the dean of Social Sciences, will be the new dean for the Faculty of Arts.

The amalgamation will not affect students graduating in 2010 or admitted in 2009 or before. Course requirements for degree programs remain unchanged. However, breadth requirements in all programs have been relaxed.

The budget for the new faculty encompasses the previous budgets from all four separate faculties, increasing the faculty’s financial flexibility.