The Post-Secondary Learning Act of Alberta gives General Faculties Council (GFC) responsibility, subject to the authority of the Board of Governors, over "academic affairs" (section 26(1)) and over "standards and policies respecting the admission of persons to the university as students" (section 26(1)(n)). Further, the Post-Secondary Learning Act gives the Board of Governors authority over "admission requirements" (sections 60(1)(c) and (d)). The Board has delegated its authority over admission requirements to GFC. The Post-Secondary Learning Act of Alberta gives Faculty Councils power to “provide for the admission of students to the faculty” (29(1)(c)). The admission requirements for any Faculty is approved by GFC and published in the current edition of the University Calendar.
The responsibility for admissions decisions is vested in the Faculty Admission Committees or in the Deans of the respective Faculties, as the councils of such Faculties will determine. The responsibility for admission decisions for Open Studies remains in the Office of the Registrar and Student Awards.
The Office of the Registrar, as Chair of the original Admissions Committee, served as the first principle administrative entity responsible for admissions. As the university student body and administrative structure grew, responsibility for admissions was distributed through various faculties, the Senate, and the General Faculties Council. Until 1969, when authority was transferred to the newly created Secretariat's Office, the Registrar served as Secretary of the General Faculties Council, the principle oversight body for admissions. The Registrar remains an ex-officio member of this council and continues to supply policy advice and execute admissions policy for the University. The principal admissions activities include: liaison (high school and college), access, information distribution, orientation, application processing, document evaluation, and transfer credit.
The records in this series reflect the distributed authority of the admissions functions. Predominantly textual, the records consists of committee meeting minutes, interdepartmental correspondence, correspondence with student applicants, deliberation on policy formulation including research, consultation with other schools, and advice to councilors and high schools concerning matriculation and admission requirements.
Office of the Registrar and Student Awards