Students urge RDC to lift theatre majors from chopping block

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“The whole thing about low enrolment seems just not true, especially for such a competitive major,” she feels. “Acting schools are intimate. It’s not like a lecture class. For them to put a cap at 20 was high in the first place and they were denying 30 or 40 people. I don’t know why they didn’t up the cap. They wanted to accept best of the best, which I get, but for a brand new program, it was weird to see them turn away so many people.”

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Fakhreddine says many of her fellow students are looking at the University of Lethbridge to continue their studies, but notes credits from RDC’s program are not transferrable because of the program being so unique.

“The timing is even worse due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, with most of the students being left without employment opportunities,” says Kaitlyn Kowalchuk, who launched the petition along with Fakhreddine. “All application deadlines for other schools are closed, and most of the students can’t afford to move out of province.”

Kowalchuk is an animation student. That major is not affected by the program cuts.

“It leaves many parents, professors and even other students in similar programs with a sense of instability. No one knows if their program will be cut or not, and they don’t know who to trust,” she laments.

Dr. Peter Nunoda, RDC President, says he supports the students’ right to voice their opinion, but says the majors won’t be reinstated as a result of the petition.

“While we recognize that the students who are impacted are feeling a deep sense of personal loss and frustration, the decision to suspend the two majors in this program has been made to support the long-term, sustainable operations of the college,” he says.

Nunoda says that the future of the RDC Arts Centre, which will no longer be home to the suspended majors, remains important to the college.

“RDC will continue to use it for our programming, and a space where students continue to learn. The Arts Centre will also continue to be utilized for a diverse range of community performances, events and activities. Within the facility, there is space for other RDC programs to grow and evolve, utilizing it in new ways, and the community will continue to have access through RDC’s Ancillary Services.”

Nunoda added, “There are many arts opportunities for students, including the Visual Arts Diploma and Bachelor of Fine Arts transfer program, the Bachelor of Applied Arts in Animation and Visual Effects, and the Film major in the Bachelor of Applied Arts program. In addition, RDC offers a variety of music and dance programming provided by the School of Continuing Education. We also have a number of successful summer camps in the arts, and will continue presenting visual art exhibitions and film and animation screenings to the community.”