Video Call with the Dean of RDC leaves more questions than answers

Yesterday morning my fellow FTLE students and I conducted a video call with the Dean of creative arts and science, Jane Macniel. Although we went into the call hoping to get an explanation for the unexpected suspension of the Acting and Live Entertainment Major, we ended up with more questions than answers.

I expressed my concerns as an Animation and Visual Effects Major, of not feeling safe in my program at the college. This affects more than just the student’s involved in the current suspension. What are they willing to do in order to make us feel secure, and not worry about our programs being pulled out from under us with no warning or clear explanation? Her answers were along the lines of “I understand the feelings you’re having, and if I was in your position I would be asking the same questions” and then would move on to another topic. All of us feel even more confused than before, and we aren’t sure what to make of the information we received, if any at all. But apart from me, how can anyone really feel safe attending the college when we know now that the faculty will do things like this. How can anyone know that their program will be safe, even after being told  “Not to worry about it” just weeks before the announcement of the suspension. I understand the concerns of many parents and future students RDC students signing this petition.

The Dean also stated that low enrolment was the reason for the suspension. How can you turn down between 30 and 40 students who applied the first year because of the small class size (it is expected that acting classes have between 10 and 15 students), then use the term “low enrolment” as an argument.

The students deserve their program back, or at least be allowed to finish the last 3 years they dedicated their lives to. Those who moved from all over the province and some even beyond it, are not financially able to transfer schools, and pay off the debt that they received from this program. This is incredibly unfair to the students involved. Especially being told last minute after the application deadline has passed for other universities, and the credits from the program at Red Deer College are non-transferable because of how unique the program is to the province. Not to mention the teachers that were also not informed, and have now been laid off with no warning.

Please continue to share our story and petition. Thank you SO much to everyone who has signed so far. We will not be silenced.