The University of Alberta is over one hundred years old. Have you ever wondered how our campus changed during the world wars? When we welcomed our first international students? What secret histories our departments, buildings, and clubs hold?
Luckily, we have an archive to answer all these questions and more. The University Histories Archive collects documents from all walks of campus life, from books written by our first official historian (did you know we had one?) to amateur essays by students reminiscing about their time on campus.
The archive offers a rich repository of material for prospective research projects related to history, the humanities, and social sciences. The main areas of interest within the archives include the development of departments, space, diversity in student identity, and student-led initiatives. Many topics are available to study as they relate to francophone culture as well, since the archive contains information on Campus Saint-Jean and the recognition of francophone students in Alberta.
Potential Research Topics
If your interest hasn’t been piqued yet, or you are unsure of where to start, here’s a list of potential research topics you can explore with this collection:
- See how institutional policies and students changed along international and national events, both from official academic documents and personal student memoirs.
- Look at the gendered lines along which certain departments were divided, and do a deep dive into the role of gender in academic structure over time.
- Study the concept of place, space, and community by looking at the history of university buildings in terms of both why they were built and how they were built.
- Take an in-depth look at the role of amateur publications in society by researching the student projects and documentation on student-led initiatives within the archive, particularly as they relate to politics and social justice issues
- Examine the history of international outreach, international students, and exchange programs as a result of the university’s increasing global presence
- Analyze the effect of war and economic crises on campus life and student health, and learn about some of the first mental health initiatives on campus
Connecting Research to Local History and our Campus Community
No matter what you are interested in, the archive offers materials that can connect your research to local history and our modern campus community. Whether you want to study the voices of students on campus or the history behind your department, this collection offers a wonderful opportunity to learn more about your institution. These materials can be accessed physically at the University of Alberta Archives or digitally on the library’s Internet Archive collection. Check out this small sampling of titles below!
Written by Michaela Morrow, Student Digitization Assistant
This content is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Creative Commons licence.