A complaint has been filed with Elections Alberta over the article. (CBC)

A complaint has been filed with Elections Alberta after Mount Royal University’s alumni magazine ran a cover story about PC leader Alison Redford.

Some say the university, which gets taxpayer funding, is picking favourites. It's a weighty charge as the magazine, Reflections, was issued amidst a spring election.

The favourable article calls Redford — a former student at the school — "confident, decisive and articulate," among other compliments.

Kelly Ernst filed the complaint. He says the cover feature on Redford is inappropriate since there is an election.

His complaint to Elections Alberta claims that Mount Royal is using public assets to support a political candidate.

"When you have a public institution, appearing to support a particulate candidate and campaign during an election period, the act is very clear, they don't care who that person is, it is simply wrong.”

Doreen Barrie, a University of Calgary political scientist, says the timing is suspicious.

"It does sound like buttering up the premier. So, that's inappropriate because it's a public institution."

Redford was an arts student at Mount Royal in the early 80s.

According to Mount Royal, it is not political favouritism to celebrate the accomplishments of a former student.

Elections Alberta is looking into the matter.

The watchdog is already investigating dozens of cases, where public groups, like school boards and municipalities, violated regulations by donating money to the PC Party.