Augustana's Forum opens door to community

Picture a light-filled space alive with the energy and dynamism of dialogue and thought. See students mingling with professors and members of the community, engaged in conversation and debate on the major questions of the day. Welcome to the new Forum and Library of the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus.

When the U of A and Augustana College merged in 2004, the aim was to ensure that students choosing to learn in a rural environment would have access to all of the benefits of a large, flagship institution while not sacrificing the distinctiveness of a small campus. The opening of the Forum and Library—the first building to be added to the campus in 20 years—sends a strong signal that exceptional university education is thriving in rural Alberta.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, Augustana has long distinguished itself as a forum for liberal-arts learning and debate. Students, faculty, staff and members of the public meet to examine and debate the central questions of religion, philosophy, art and science, and to create projects, taking that research and learning back into the community.

The result is that students gain the skills and the sharp focus needed to build strong rural communities of the future.