began its operation under the new name on September 1, 2008. On September 5, 2017, the university moved from its home on Granville Island to a new campus at 520 East 1st Avenue, near Great Northern Way between Main and Clark streets. The purpose-built building was a former industrial site of Finning International, and is in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of East Vancouver. In 2019 the University's library became a fine-free institution in order to improve patron behaviour and the experience of students. Campus The university's campus is located within a four-storey building completed in Strathcona, Vancouver. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and completed by EllisDon in 2017, the building houses informal gather spaces, exhibition spaces and studios; and three lecture theatres, including one 400-seat venue. The exterior facade of the building has white metal panels and glass reminiscent of a blank canvas, as well as a back-painted glass spandrel panels to evoke a sequence of colour and transition of an artistic colour palette. The colour palette was selected by Emily Carr faculty member Landon Mackenzie and another colleague. The colours were selected in honour of the painter Emily Carr. Several First Nations design elements were also incorporated into the building's design. The building forms a part of the larger Great Northern Way Campus, a property that is equally shared with four other postsecondary institutions through the Great Northern Way Trust. Emily Carr University, along with the British Columbia Institute of Technology, Simon Fraser University, and the University of British Columbia, are all equal shareholders in the trust. Great Northern Way Campus also houses facilities used by the other three postsecondary institutions. The Centre for Digital Media is an institution located on the Great Northern Way Campus that is managed by the four partner universities. Academics Emily Carr specializes in sustainable design, photography, new media, visual arts, media, interactive media, animation, industrial design, product design, ceramics, sculpture, communication design, illustration and fine arts. Degree programs include: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cultural and Critical Practices, Illustration, Photography, or Visual Arts. Visual arts majors can choose to specialize in painting, ceramics, drawing, print media, or sculpture and extended practices. Bachelor of Design in Communication Design, Interaction Design or Industrial Design. Bachelor of Media Arts in Animation, Film and Screen Arts, or New Media and Sound Arts. Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts. Master of Design with Interdisciplinary and User Experience