Grant MacEwan University is a vibrant, innovative educational institution focused on student learning. MacEwan fosters student success and student contributions within local, national and international communities. Teaching and learning are central to the academic endeavour, which is informed and enriched by research and scholarly pursuits of highly engaged faculty and staff. MacEwan strives to exemplify the values of respect, integrity, citizenship and environmental stewardship through teaching, learning, scholarship, research and service.
Approved by the Grant MacEwan College Board of Governors, June 12, 2008 (Motion 03-6-12-2007/08)
Name Changed by Order-in-Council #481/1009, A. R. 254/2009 September 24, 2009
Approved by Board of Governors’ Motion #01-10-8-2009/10
By 2020, MacEwan will be a distinctive comprehensive university with a curriculum designed to maximize quality, flexibility and accessibility. The University’s ongoing commitment to teaching excellence will be complemented and supported by the engagement of both faculty and students in research, scholarly activity and artistic creation. Drawing on the inspiration of its namesake, MacEwan will be a leader in sustainability.
The following features will distinguish Grant MacEwan University in 2020:
- Focus on Students - Supportive interaction between students and University faculty and staff dedicated to fostering student success will continue to be a hallmark of MacEwan. The University aspires to be the first choice for students, faculty and staff with a passion for inquiry, creativity and contributing to our global community.
- Learning Culture - Student learning will be enhanced by both a research orientation and a strong practical component, built on the University’s linkages with academic, business, professional and service organizations and communities, both domestic and international. Integration of the University community in a single sustainable campus will support the learning culture by enhancing interdisciplinary opportunities for students, program development, student support services and campus life.
- Accessibility and Diversity – Diversity of faculty and students will further enrich the educational experience at MacEwan and will be reflected in its curriculum and services. By serving a wide range of students, the University will foster appreciation and respect for diversity and a global and inter-cultural perspective in teaching, learning and research.
- Unique Legacy – Reflecting the legacy of its namesake, Dr. J.W. Grant MacEwan, in the areas of scholarship, lifelong learning, social responsibility and environmental stewardship, MacEwan will equip its students, faculty and staff well to leave their communities and the world better than they found them.
Approved by the Grant MacEwan University Board of Governors on February 10, 2011 (Motion #02-02-10-2010/11).
Grant MacEwan University is a public, board-governed Baccalaureate and Applied Studies Institution within Alberta’s post-secondary system, operating under the authority of the public colleges section of the Post-Secondary Learning Act. The University was officially renamed Grant MacEwan University by Order in Council on September 24, 2009.
Grant MacEwan University focuses on four primary types of programming:
- Baccalaureate degrees that prepare learners for employment and for graduate studies.
- Certificate, diploma and applied degree programs that prepare learners for entry to careers and employment, and for continued study in other credential areas.
- University transfer programs that prepare learners for degree completion at other degree-granting institutions.
- Preparatory programming that prepares learners for success in further post-secondary studies.
Grant MacEwan University serves a diversity of learners in the following major areas of study: liberal arts, business/commerce, communications, education, engineering, health and human services, performing and visual arts, physical education and science. The University’s innovative approaches to program delivery are designed to maximize graduates’ opportunities to advance their careers and further their education.
Grant MacEwan University emphasizes a learner-centred approach to the provision of its programs and services. The University fosters student success through a focus on teaching excellence, interaction among faculty and students, flexible learning delivery and high quality student support. From prospective learners to alumni, students are provided with a wide range of services and support systems, residence and campus life activities, and intercollegiate and intramural sports programs. The University’s inclusive governance structure provides many opportunities for leadership development that enable learners to develop skills to enhance their careers and future post-secondary endeavours.
Grant MacEwan University supports a culture of research, scholarship and creative activity to inform pedagogy, support economic and community development, enhance learning, create opportunities for innovation, and foster the application and creation of new knowledge. By incorporating a global focus in its research and teaching, serving a diverse range of Canadian and international faculty and students, and providing opportunities for knowledge dissemination and study abroad, the University aims to provide all researchers and learners with opportunities to develop the skills and attitudes to function successfully in an interconnected world economy and society.
Grant MacEwan University serves primarily the greater Edmonton region and northern Alberta by responding to the learning needs of business, industry, government and communities. Through distance delivery and eCampusAlberta, the University extends educational access across Canada and internationally. As a strong partner in Campus Alberta, Grant MacEwan University collaborates with stakeholders and partners to advance student mobility, conduct applied research, develop shared services and deliver continuing professional education and customized training.
Approved by Grant MacEwan University Board of Governors
June 18, 2010 Board Motion: 02-06-18-2009/10
Approved by the Minister of Advanced Education & Technology, August 19, 2010
Preamble: This statement of University values articulates the institution’s ideals as a complement to our other foundation documents. The values were reviewed and updated in 1999-2000 after extensive deliberation by the University’s Academic Council. They represent principles that are deeply held, ongoing, and provide a framework for accountability. These values are stated as follows:
Learner-Centred: Inside and outside the classroom, through its programs and services, the University serves the needs of its learners. The University is dedicated to improving the learners’ critical and creative thinking, ability to integrate knowledge and action, physical and emotional well-being, and motivation for life-long learning.
Excellence: The University supports the students' educational right to be served by competent instructional, service, and administrative staff. Our classroom and other learning environments are dynamic, supportive, compassionate and collaborative. Special staff and student activities contribute to the continuous development of effective and progressive methods of education.
Community: We value effective communication and collegiality within and among all sectors of the University. We encourage a sense of co-ownership of the institution by all staff and students and recognize a collective responsibility to achieve our goals.
Collaboration: The University actively pursues partnerships with diverse communities on the regional, provincial, national and international levels. We believe that collaboration strengthens our educational offerings; fosters innovation through the exposure to new ideas; creates opportunities; and makes the best possible use of the resources available to us.
Diversity and Individuality: From the institutional to the international level, we are devoted to promoting acceptance of individual and cultural differences. We recognize that all students and staff, full and part-time, make a contribution to the University community, and that the value of a university education is enhanced by a broader cultural perspective. The University is dedicated to creating an institutional culture of mutual respect among all individuals and groups.
Participation in Decision-Making: University policies affirm the right of all groups and individuals to voice their views before decisions affecting them are made. Students and staff are regularly provided with opportunities to influence matters of importance to them. At all levels of University governance, we value freedom of participation and open communication.
Innovation and Leadership: The University adapts to changing circumstances and takes a leadership role in creating programs and activities to meet the future needs of the students and communities it serves. The University endorses the democratic rights of University staff and students to take leadership roles by making individual statements on public issues.
Stewardship of Resources: The University, as an educational institution, a responsible employer, and as a good corporate citizen, must actively contribute to the recognition and resolution of the challenges impacting the Earth's environment and University resources.
Global University: Grant MacEwan University is committed to fostering the development of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to live and work effectively in an interconnected world. Faculty, staff, and students integrate an international dimension into the teaching, learning, and service functions of the University.
Approved by the Grant MacEwan College Academic Council, April 11, 2000 (Motion #00-02-08-03)
Name Changed by Order-in-Council #481/1009, A. R. 254/2009 September 24, 2009
Approved by Board of Governors’ Motion #01-10-8-2009/10
Grant MacEwan University is committed to promoting intellectual curiosity and excitement for learning.
MacEwan encourages student success by creating learning environments that are stimulating and challenging and respond to a diversity of student needs and learning styles. Our programs provide innovative curriculum that is current, challenging, and responsive to community needs.
Through effective faculty-student interaction, students will gain appreciation for diversity, ethical practice, academic integrity, and personal and professional responsibility.
MacEwan students will develop self-awareness and the ability for reflection that will pave the way for a life-long pursuit of learning. They will develop an appreciation for scholarship and research as integral to the pursuit and application of knowledge.
MacEwan students will be prepared for employment, opportunities for advanced and further study, and active citizenship. They will have discipline and field-specific knowledge; creative and critical thinking skills; and the abilities required to be leaders in their local, national and global communities.
Approved by Academic Governance Council, November 17, 2009, (Motion AGC 10-11-17-2009)
Approved by Board of Governors, December 10, 2009 (Motion 01-12-10-2009)
Name Changed by Order-in-Council #481/1009, A. R. 254/2009 September 24, 2009
Approved by Board of Governors’ Motion #01-10-8-2009/10
At Grant MacEwan University, teaching and learning are our priorities. We value the legacy of Dr. Grant MacEwan and strive to emulate his example of service, stewardship, and life-long learning in our student-centred environment.
We believe that learning occurs through exploration and questioning in an environment of mutual respect and collaboration. Learning is enriched by interactions among instructors and students whose diverse life experiences, cultures, ethnicities, religions, and abilities are acknowledged and respected.
We are committed to scholarship and the maintenance of high academic standards. We believe that learners benefit from their association with educators and staff who demonstrate integrity and purpose, leadership in their fields, and passion for their work.
We endeavour to enhance our students’ capacity to live well-balanced, productive lives as citizens of our interconnected world. Our links with communities beyond the University—academic and professional, local and international—ensure the relevance of learning activities and enable students to move confidently into the workforce or on to further educational opportunities.
Approved by Academic Council, May 11, 2004, (Motion # 04-05-11-03)
Approved by Board of Governors, June 10, 2004 (Motion #01-6-17-2003/04)
Name Changed by Order-in-Council #481/1009, A. R. 254/2009 September 24, 2009
Approved by Board of Governors’ Motion #01-10-8-2009/10
