Dean's Office

Message from the Dean of Arts

Saint Mary’s University is in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

Welcome to the Faculty of Arts!

A photo of Dr. Mary Ingraham, Dean of Arts. She is wearing a blue suit and she's standing in front of an abstract artwork on the third level of the Atrium Building.
Dr. Mary I. Ingraham, Dean of Arts

I would like to welcome and introduce you to the largest and most diverse academic Faculty at Saint Mary’s University. More than 100 faculty members are engaged in research and teaching across 11 departments and nine other program areas within the Faculty of Arts, contributing to a stimulating and flexible learning and research environment. We work together for disciplinary and interdisciplinary excellence, offering numerous experiential learning opportunities, respectful collaborations with our Indigenous communities, and a broad reach to communities and individuals in Atlantic Canada and beyond.

Arts education—in humanities and social sciences—aims to provide learners with the knowledge and skills to be critical thinkers and imaginative, entrepreneurial and engaged citizens with strong intercultural awareness and competence. Our students learn from scholars who are leaders in research and teaching in their disciplines—scholars who help them to better understand the foundations of human and environmental sustainability, and prepare them for the contemporary world of global citizenship.

Within the Faculty of Arts, you'll examine how the human experience is understood and expressed at this moment in time and throughout history, and you’ll envision what the future could be. Our courses examine some of life's most fundamental questions, expanding your horizons and fueling your imagination by approaching issues from a variety of perspectives.

The Dean is responsible for the general academic and administrative health of the Faculty. This includes promoting excellence in teaching, learning and research across more than 40 areas of study, while supporting the university’s values, vision, mission and strategic priorities. As Dean of Arts and as a Professor in the Department of History, I take pride in working with a dedicated team of associate deans, faculty, staff and students to move our Faculty forward.

Our collective goal is to enhance academic programming, student experiences, excellence in research and creative activity, internal and external community engagement, and recruitment and fund development opportunities. Our work is grounded in our commitments to the responsibilities of truth, reconciliation, anti-racism, equity, diversity, inclusivity and accessibility.

I encourage you to explore our website to learn more about our undergraduate and graduate programs, student supports, research activities, public events, community outreach initiatives and much more.

Join us at the edge of the world without limits—Arts programming at Saint Mary’s has everything you need to thrive and survive!

Dr. Mary I. Ingraham
Dean of Arts

Contact the Office of the Dean

Mary I. Ingraham
Dean, Faculty of Arts

Shyloe Beals
Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Arts

Phone: 902-420-5437
Fax: 902-491-8634
dean.arts@smu.ca

Mailing address:
Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts
c/o Saint Mary’s University
923 Robie St.
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3C3

Street address:
McNally Building, Room MM 218
923 Robie St., Halifax

Associate Deans/Director: