Stories
From Small Beginnings to Great Success: How Concordia’s Affiliation with the U of A Helped Us Grow
by Meagan Holton
In celebration of CUE’s one hundredth birthday, it is important to acknowledge the momentous events that transformed Concordia into the fantastic institution we know today. In May of 1967, Concordia College, as it was then known, was officially granted affiliation with the University of Alberta. This was a huge step forward for Concordia to officially escape the “educational wilderness” and enter the big world. Concordia could now formally offer first-year level courses for students in Arts, Science and Education degrees before furthering their education at U of A. Moreover, this partnership grew as CUE administered second-year courses in 1975, leading eventually to degree-granting status in 1987 for three-year bachelor of Arts and Sciences programs. When Concordia first offered first-year courses to students, 126 registered and nearly 100% achieved great success before moving on to U of A. A survey showed that Concordia’s small, personal atmosphere was a large motivating factor for students begin their educational journey here. As a student of Concordia, I was originally intrigued by its smaller, more personable atmosphere; however, it is CUE’s special qualities that made me love my chosen university. It is thanks to this affiliation that Concordia’s maturity was recognized. Concordia not only showed qualities that gained the attention of larger, more acknowledged universities, but also offered its own unique characteristics that in turn made it into the individual university it is today. I find this small piece of CUE’s history to be an inspiration for my own academic journey. I can relate to Concordia feeling small as it entered the big world; that is how I remember feeling when I first started university. However, it is thanks to the positive relationships I found that I was motivated to strive for greater success. Similar to CUE, I do not feel small anymore, and I should never be ashamed of starting out small and seeking the help of others. Sometimes, starting out small is best because you have so much room to grow.
About Meagan
My name is Meagan Holton. I started my journey at CUE in fall of 2016 in the 4-year Bachelor of Arts program majoring in Psychology. I am now in my final year, registered in the applied emphasis program, and working towards applying for master’s programs and finding my perfect career in psychology. I have gained valuable experience thanks to Concordia, and I am excited to see where Concordia will be in the years to come.
CUE Students and Alum to Make Their Own History
Concordia’s CUE 100 committee is very excited to feature the written work of several students and alumni as part of its centenary celebrations. As these celebrations continue, you can look forward to reading short articles by these writers on interesting aspects of Concordia’s history over the past century. Writers were given access to archival documents on particular topics which they were asked to summarize and personally respond to. You’ll be able to discover much about Concordia’s history and how it still resonates among us today. We hope you find these articles both informative and entertaining. Happy 100, Concordians!