MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTORDear SURP alumni, donors, supporters and students, It is my utmost pleasure, for the seventh year in a row, to report on the state of the School of Urban and Regional Planning. Like other programs, our School and its programming were affected by the pandemic. Most of us at the University of Alberta returned to teaching in person as of March 1, 2022. The first few months of the academic year were largely spent preparing for accreditation of our BA/BSc Planning programs. The site visit was conducted virtually — probably the first one ever done in this manner for a planning program in Canada. Despite its limitations (and some benefits), we did very well and passed with flying colours, securing accreditation for the next five years. The accreditation team’s positive comments validated and cemented our resolve to keep going in the direction we have chosen. One such comment was:
The team highlighted the hallmarks of the program by stressing the fact that the School “enjoys strong support from the planning profession in the public and private sectors of Alberta, emphasizes real-life planning projects brought into the coursework, and has a strong employment record for graduating students entering the profession.” These remarks are testament to how we are preparing the next generation of planners, who will be ready to tackle the existing and future challenges within the planning practice. The strong employability of our students, who commonly receive multiple job offers, shows that the industry has not only rebounded, but also concurs with the quality of our graduates and our approach to education. None of this would have been possible without the commitment of the faculty, cooperation from our students, strong backing from the senior administration at the University of Alberta, and strong relationships and continued support from the industry and our supporters. Thank you all for making our School such a success, and for enabling the success of the next generation of planners. We are also very excited this year for the return of the Celebration of Planning Gala on November 17. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities can be found online. We look forward to seeing many of you there! Warm greetings, SANDEEP AGRAWAL ![]() ![]() Trevor
|