History of the Department of Communication
In 1967, Dr. André Ruszkowski, then a professor in Lima, was invited by St. Paul University to establish a program in social communications.
The Institute of Social Communications at St. Paul University was founded the following year; and in 1969, an agreement between St. Paul University and the University of Ottawa provided for a joint program in communication and committed the Institute to opening both a three-year and four-year undergraduate stream leading respectively to a BA with concentration and an honours BA in communication.
In a short time, the program became very popular, attracting more than 400 students. However, this popularity created a strain on St Paul’s facilities. Moreover, the curriculum evolved beyond St. Paul’s mandate, leaving the institution no choice but to withdraw it from its offerings. As a result, in May 1978, the University of Ottawa picked up where St. Paul left off, formally incorporating the Department of Communication into the Faculty of Arts.
The Department has evolved over time, certainly, but its original focus on the study of media and on organizational communication has endured, from both the scientific and humanistic perspectives.
Directors of the Department
The following is a list of directors of the Department of Communication since it was founded in 1978.
David ELY – 1978-1981
Jacques BENJAMIN – 1981-1983
Douglas WALKER – 1983-1984
Hilary HORAN – 1984-1989
Denis BACHAND – 1989-1997
Sherry FERGUSON – 1997-2000
Patrick BRUNET – 2000-2005
Denis BACHAND – since 2005
"Un département de communication a-t-il encore une raison d'être?" Text from Paul Marcel Lemaire, pionneer of the Department, for the celebrations of the 30th anniversary. (In French)