Approximately 20 arts programs currently offered by the University of Alberta, including the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Technical Theatre, have undergone the first step of being cut.

Lesley Cormack, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, has circulated a memo to the Faculty of Arts Chairs regarding the immediate suspension of admissions the programs. Click here to read the memo and view which programs will suspend admissions.

The BFA in Technical Theatre has two streams – Technical Theatre and Stage Management. The programs were chosen “because they have had 10 or fewer students enrolled as majors” in each fall term, from 2005 to 2012, and is in response to funding cuts to Advanced Education announced in the provincial Budget 2013. However, it should also be noted that the BFA in Technical Theatre has a low annual student intake quota which limits the amount of students can enrol in the program.

Earlier this year, Mount Royal University (MRU) in Calgary suspended three degree programs and four certification programs in response to the  6.8% cut to Albertan universities operating budgets, including Music Performance and Theatre Arts. (Both the performance and the technical production streams of the Theatre Arts program were suspended.) In May 2012, Keyano College also eliminated some arts programs including its theatre program.

Click here to read the Edmonton Journal article on this issue.