Welcome to the Dean of Arts Office

The University of Regina is situated on Treaty 4 lands with a presence in Treaty 6. These are the territories of the nêhiyawak, Anihšināpēk, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakoda, and the homeland of the Métis/Michif Nation. Today, these lands continue to be the shared Territory of many diverse peoples from near and far.

In the Faculty of Arts, we are very much aware of what it means to be treaty people. To put it simply, it means being responsible for the relations we have with each other, within and across communities and with the land, in the spirit of kahkiyaw kiwâhkômâkaninawak, “all our relations.”

The Faculty of Arts stewards its relationships across thirteen departments, some twenty undergraduate programs, a range of graduate programs, and fourteen research centres, institutes, and labs. It is one of the University of Regina's largest faculties in terms of student enrollment, and the largest in terms of credit hours and number of tenure-stream faculty, and it is far and away the most disciplinarily diverse.

Our students, instructors and researchers engage in scholarship across the humanities and social sciences, as well as in innovative applied and interdisciplinary areas. We pursue both broad curiosity-driven research and cutting edge work on matters of urgent global concern. Moreover, the Faculty of Arts is the home of the Community Engagement and Research Centre, which supports Community-Based Research and Community Service Learning for the entire University and the broader community. We also sponsor multiple speaker series and events throughout the year to foster community and engage the public in the important work that Arts scholars do.

In a recent survey, Canadian chief executives listed as the most desirable attributes of new employees collaboration, communication, problem-solving, analytic capacity and resilience – exactly the kind of skills our students acquire and hone during the pursuit of an Arts degree. Those skills serve Arts alumni well in whatever path they choose to pursue next, and make them flexible and adaptable in an ever-changing work environment. (If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that our working lives can turn on a dime!) Just as crucially, an Arts education prepares students to be critical, well-rounded thinkers and global citizens.

Our conviction in the ongoing value of the Arts is matched by our deep commitment to accessible education. We work to provide multiple, flexible, supportive pathways for students from a range of backgrounds. I myself came to university as a first-generation mature student and can attest that an Arts education opens a world of possibilities. In short, whatever your background or starting point, whatever your own relationship with the Faculty – whether you are a student, a future student, an employee, a community member or an alum – the Faculty of Arts is proud and grateful to number you among our relations.

Shannon Dea
Dean, Faculty of Arts