Allard Hall is one of the many building on the MacEwan University campus. I'm not reviewing Allard…read moreHall in terms of academics (I went to MacEwan but that was before Allard Hall was built). Instead I'm reviewing this in terms of theatre space from the many shows I've seen there. I've gotten season tickets for MacEwan Theatre for the past few years. Their theatre program does four shows from November to March. These are usually musicals, but there's often a play for one of the four shows. The productions I've seen have been excellent. These are students studying and performing theatre to do this professionally, so the quality is great. Tickets are around $70 for the season (or around $30 if you get single tickets for a show). It's a great value in terms of live theatre here in Edmonton. MacEwan Theatre performs shows in one of two theatres inside Allard Hall. The Triffo Theatre is your standard theatre where there are rows of seats with the stage in front. There are also two side balconies at the Triffo. The stage is large and I believe this theatre hold 450 people. The shows done here are usually larger productions with larger cast members. The other is the Tim Ryan Theater Lab. This is a smaller theatre of about 150 seats on the floor or risers, and is a black box theatre. The way the seats are arranged can change depending on the production. Some shows I've seen have the seats in an L shape, but when I saw "Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812" (a musical based on an excerpt from Tolstoy's "War and Peace") they had seats and opposite ends of the space. Plus they had tables and chairs in the middle on either side of a catwalk stage; it was I believe, supposed to resemble a Russian supper club and was a creative use for the space. The Triffo Theatre is great and of course there's lots of creativity done on stage (both for the performances itself and the set design), but you can't move the seats, so I understand why the Tim Ryan Theatre Lab is used for some of the shows. It's usually the theatre chosen for shows with smaller casts as well. However; the seats in the theatre lab are foldout chairs, and not as comfortable. They're also really packed together very tightly. Since this is a school there will be other students around, but if you're seeing something on a weekend (MacEwan shows usually run Thursday to Sunday) that's less likely. There is sometimes beverages available, but not alcoholic so if you like to enjoy a glass of wine during intermission that won't be possible. Parking is available at the back of the building and it is paid. There's construction downtown so if you drive then give yourself time. The MacEwan LRT stop is a few blocks away.

So, as a recent graduate of the Practical Nurse Program, here are my honest thoughts…read more The school itself is very unorganized, and the student advisors are terrible. I graduated a year later than expected due to the student advisors, so be very mindful of what they tell you and always ask for a second opinion. After failing one course, I was told I couldn't attend an upcoming clinical. I later found out that other people who failed that very same course were able to attend said clinical. I then requested to take two other courses while taking my second clinical of the program, to which the student advisor told me was not an option and that I had to pick between clinical and the two other courses, because I could not take all three at the same time. I ended up choosing to take the clinical course instead of the two theory courses, only to find out during said clinical that all the other students were not only enrolled in the same clinical as I was, but they were also enrolled in both of the theory courses that I originally requested to be enrolled in but was told I couldn't. Because of two student advisors in particular, my completion of the course was pushed back by a year, and I was unable to graduate with my original cohort. Once I finally completed the program, I experienced multiple issues trying to get NorQuest to send my official transcripts to the CLHA. I had multiple job opportunities that were delayed; some opportunities were even lost due to NorQuest not processing my transcript request. I was originally told to send the official transcript request form to enrollment, but then I was later told, after weeks of not hearing back, that I was supposed to send the transcript to a different NorQuest email for processing. I was also told to sign a form that did not require a signature and was led to believe that was why my transcripts hadn't been processed, but then later received confirmation that the form did not have to be signed. Once again, a huge delay. This especially frustrated me because, as a student who lost her job during the program due to back-to-back clinicals lasting a total of 3 months, preventing me from being able to pick up shifts, I was trying to get my temporary license as soon as possible so I could start working, since I was also unable to work during preceptorship, but experienced such a long delay that, as stated earlier, I missed out on employment opportunities. I ended up requesting my official transcripts to be sent to MyCreds so I could send them myself to the CLHA, as I no longer trusted NorQuest to do it for me. Once I took matters into my own hands, I ended up receiving my provisional permit a day later. The school and the staff are terrible. I wish that weren't the case, but unfortunately, that has been my experience.

Is a scam school...all they need is your deposit and will never refund. Don't make that mistake.read more

I went here in the late 90s for my diploma and now I am finding more reasons to attend. I went to…read moresee The Crucible here. We were in a theater upstairs. I found the space unusual because it was all around, which I think would make it harder to coordinate a play because there is no front or back. They seemed to make it work. The acting was decent and I love seeing the passion of the students. Definitely will be here again for events. And for the student, smaller class sizes, more one on one attention, close to downtown and LRT and an easy to maneuver campus make it worth the extra cost.

I began a Certificate program by taking a few online courses. The BlackBoard online learning…read moreplatform was fairly easy to log into and use to submit and view assignments, have online discussions, and access resources. I decided to complete all my courses online and it was great so I didn't have to go into MacEwan except to write exams or do a presentation. The exams were after work hours so it was convenient for me working and taking courses. The buildings were easy to find classrooms and I only ever bought food from the Tim Hortons and it could be a long line. Most of the instructors were fairly good to reply back promptly when I had questions or concerns. There was one instructor that wasn't very good and when I shared my concerns with the Department, they were very open to hearing my feedback. The only issue I had was with the admissions department who act like they don't care about providing decent service and walk around with the ho hum attitude.

I've taken three classes at NAIT and my biggest piece of advice would be to research the heck out…read moreof your professor. Because they are night or weekend classes, they are often taught by students or non-NAIT staff. (2 star) Christmas Dinner Class: Some of the recipes in this class were great, and I still use them. But when thinking back the thing I mainly remember was that most of the ingredients in the recipes were missing (Chestnuts in the chestnut stuffing) or mouldy (herbs in the salmon wellington recipe) and that the recipes were off (the spice was really inadequate in the pumpkin pie as was the liquid needed in the stuffing). The class was taught by a very newly graduated chef and she seemed so in over her head with very little planning having been done for the class. if you are a super new beginner and you are really scared to make Christmas dinner, maybe consider this class, but if you are looking for more advanced technique, look elsewhere. (4.5 stars) Artisanal bread class: An awesome, awesome class which was taught by the head of the baking program. Alain was a great teacher and I often think about his advice about baking and about bread. My only critique of the course was that we didn't get to finish many breads start to finish. We mainly worked on techniques of bread making rather than making a bread start to finish. I contacted the prof. after that class to ask for clarification and he answered promptly and kindly though it had been a couple years since I took the class. Be warned, once you've eaten your 15 loaves of bread that you'll leave with in the class, all other bread will suck. 5 stars- chocolate class. Was taught by a NAIT professor who was seriously awesome. I was really confident after taking the class and made my own lovely chocolate several times. I'm still shocked I managed to make a whole chocolate heart box. Was really fun! (0 stars) Cake decorating class: This class was terrible. So bad I left after the 1st class and demanded a refund. The "chef" is neither a trained chef nor a NAIT prof. He taught "buttercream" that was made with palm oil - though he acknowledged it was a life threatening ingredient. He taught custard made with custard powder. Half the class outline was how to bake a cake (why would I take cake decorating if I didn't know how to bake a bloody cake!) This prof didn't seem to understand his audience or the need for quality. Why on earth would I take a class in advanced culinary technique only to be taught Safeway style cakes? This class really soured me on NAIT culinary courses. It was so bad I've never taken a class again and never will unless it is taught by an established NAIT prof.

please do not take any courses at this school I've never met a place that's open 8 hours and has…read moretheir lunch break for 1 hour and 15 min takes 3-4 days to get ahold of someone

St. Joe's is one of the older buildings on campus, and it really shows. However, it's definitely…read morenot as old as some of the dent/pharm buildings, and the classrooms have a lot of natural light. Most of the profs that I've had here have been friendly and helpful when needed.

The best course that I took during my entire BSc degree at the U of A was a course through St…read more Joseph's College. We traveled to Guatemala during reading week and the experience was very transformative. I learned more from that 10 day experience than I did in the rest of my degree!

Im glad I choose Reeves College to take my Addictions and Community Service Worker course. My…read moreinstructor Donna Rayner was the best teacher I have had and she taught me a lot. Also Judy was so helpful with my practicum placement. Thank you Donna and Judy. I highly recommend this college for your learning experience.

Don't download this spyware onto your personal laptops. See change.org/respondus…read more According to Evan Greer, Deputy Director of Fight for the Future, a digital rights non-profit, "This software is essentially malware or academic stalkerware. It's deeply invasive and allows school administrators to violate students' privacy rights." Other experts have shared a similar perspective; some have sought to conduct further research. Many are even concerned of possible student data breaches, lawsuits and more. There have been a series of data breaches among other test proctoring companies that have increased concern related to the security of these testing arrangements. It is an issue that must be known and addressed by educators who consider the use of lockdown browsers. Despite these disturbing discoveries, student perspectives reveal the real downsides to lockdown browsers go beyond digital privacy and security concerns. For many students, the most concerning aspect of this type of proctoring is the unnecessary anxiety it causes, making them fearful their testing will be disrupted by factors out of their control. A University of Maryland, Baltimore County sophomore, Anna Choi, discusses an experience of using lockdown browsers, "I'm taking classes from home this semester and got locked out of an exam when my mother walked into the background during testing." The situation, clearly misunderstood by the software, left Anna upset and confused. Technological errors such as these prove to be a frequent stressor in her academic life. Another UMBC sophomore, Nathan Huang, shares his experiences, "Balancing lockdown browsers in addition to my ADHD condition has made online testing much more difficult." For Nathan, navigating online testing alongside a preexisting condition has proven to be a frustrating obstacle. He was entirely unable to look away from the computer screen and collect his thoughts during the exam without being accused of cheating. Research and student feedback on the use of lockdown browsers begs the question, how can we continue to condone the use of a program that has raised understandable concerns of privacy and contributed significantly towards academic anxiety in students? Furthermore, shouldn't universities be focused on developing a strong culture of academic honesty on their campus, rather than pounding a fake one into students with the use of constant monitoring? One alternate online-proctoring software may be a possible solution. The program, Respondus Monitor, disables screen captures and external web use. Jeremy Bond, Interim Director of eLearning at Central Michigan University has reported that, "the video and data aren't in real time," a structure which allows students to relax a bit more during testing while still being proctored. Another alternative that could provide a more comfortable testing environment is the use of time-sensitive exam windows. Implementing a time-limit for online testing instead could allow students to focus on the exam without granting them extra time to cheat. Although academic pressure is sure to rise in any virtual testing environment, finding alternatives to lockdown browsers could help eliminate unnecessary anxiety and invasions of student privacy until university learning is able to return back to normal. For too long, universities have relied on the control of students in classrooms, now virtual classrooms, to promote academic integrity. It is an approach that ignores student mental health and fails to instill long-term academically honest habits. Lockdown browsers are a clear example of this deeper issue.

This would be the type of university more geared towards the mature/working student. Classes take…read moreplace in the evenings and on weekends. This structure can be a little straining as you typically take one class per evening and the class is about 3 hours long (typical class time was 6 to 9pm) I appreciated the fact that the profs were typically people who had been working in the field for years (maybe close or into their retirement years) so they had the hands on experience to go with the theoretical material. I felt that I didn't experience the same camaraderie here as I did my first 2 years at NAIT. Because the classes take place in the evenings, most people just come for the class and leave when it is over - you kind of lose the between classes chats and the working on homework together during spares that I had at NAIT. Don't get me wrong - my classmates were awesome and we did get to know each other through groups projects and stuff but there was less of an opportunity to really get to know each other outside of the academics of it all. The only other shortfall I found attending this university is, because it is an out campus, the variety of electives is very limited. Many of the classes offered at the main campus are not available in Edmonton simply due to lower enrollment and other such limitations. So I felt in a way that, although I paid the same fees as a main campus student, there were limitations on what this campus offered. All in all I thought the classes were excellent for the most part (in terms of the quality of the profs and material). The lower enrollment makes for a more personalized experience and that's a plus too. Great profs, great director, great classes! If you are working full time and want to expand your qualifications - this may be the university for you! Oh - and on a great note for them - even though the campus is in the heart of downtown I could ALWAYS find free parking. The 1 or 2 times I couldn't - you can park underground for $2/night and it is secured and heated....and there's a timmies just around the corner for when Treats is closed!

The Edmonton campus is closing next year. It has been absolutely horrible to observe the way they…read morehandle the closure. Edmonton students are the biggest victim of this chaotic closing procedure. I regret very much that I chose this University.

I would not recommend this College, horrible experience. One of the instructor for soft skills is…read morevery rude and not helpful at all. If you ask her questions for an assignment, she says to read the instructions meanwhile they are not clear. She gets angry quickly, and her marking assignments take forever. I rarely would get the assignments back. When we did get the odd one back, we noticed her marking them were not consistent. It seemed that if she liked you, your marks would be higher. When it came to exams, that was horrid we couldn't get them back to review. She would quickly show us and then take them back. I noticed some of them where right, and she marked them wrong. When I asked her about it she said she wanted the first answer in the book, not the second one. One of the test was open book I got 100 percent, but she gave me 85 because I didn't have the page numbers. A lot of students were complaining about her, but the college doesn't care. Even though I finished and received my Diploma, I have horrible memories. A paying customer should never be treated, this rudely.

This is a relatively new building on the University of Alberta campus. It includes some classrooms,…read moremeeting rooms, seminar rooms, offices, and more besides. Many health care educational offices and courses are taught here. This building is also known as the LEGO building because of the bright colours of the side facing the LRT. It is easily accessible via the Health Sciences LRT station or by foot from elsewhere on campus or the Kaye Edmonton Clinic nearby. The University Hospital is also across the street. New and reasonably well maintained, this building includes some nice art and seating areas as well as well-functioning elevators. It is occasionally easy to get lost in the maze of offices (for example on the 5th floor), but otherwise it is a pretty neat building.

This is a new building with all the bells and whistles -- including all the technology for…read more teaching students in health care professions. They can do several simulations at the same time -- where a remote operator can control the body of the patient's reaction to what's being done to him/her -- it's about as realistic as it can be with the state of the art technology. Students and residents become really "into" the simulations and it becomes an excellent learning situation. Plus, there are fantastic classrooms, really great study areas, and a multitude of locker areas. AND they have a small cafeteria which makes hot meals for you. AND they have a Starbuck's. AND it's connected by pedway to the Medical Sciences Building, is 10 feet from the Health Sciences LRT station, and is across the street from the Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre. A lovely building, with great colours. If I ever want to just go somewhere peaceful to read a book, this would be the place.