UNews - Concordia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College

Community budget update set for Apr. 23

trevor.kenney — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:01:36 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Mike Mahon invites students, staff and faculty members at all three U of L campuses to a second Community Update where details will be provided on the U of L's budget planning process and Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education's Letters of Expectation initiative.

After a brief presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions.

Date: April 23, 2013

Time: 10-11 a.m.

Lethbridge: Students' Union Ballrooms, 3^rd Floor, Students' Union Building

Calgary: Bow Valley College, S6050

Edmonton: Concordia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College, Alumni House

This forum will be live streamed for the benefit of our northern campuses and for those unable to attend the event in person. The link to the live stream can be found at http://new.livestream.com/uleth/2013budgetupdate2

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge budget website can be found at http://www.uleth.ca/budget-finance

Board Chair message, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ budget and letter of expectation

trevor.kenney — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:06:24 +0000

On Mar. 7, the Government of Alberta introduced the 2013-14 provincial budget. By now, many in our community will have read or heard of the financial impact this budget will have on the two post-secondary institutions in our city – Lethbridge College and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. At the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ alone, this financial impact is a reduction of $11.9 million for this coming year and for every year that follows.

Having served as Chair of the Board of Governors for Lethbridge College and now as Chair of the Board of Governors of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, and as a graduate of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, I've been afforded the opportunity to witness the quality teaching and research conducted at these institutions. I have seen and experienced the dedication and commitment of the faculty and staff to students in all programs and their devotion to their respective fields of teaching, research and creative exploration. I, like many thousands in our community, enjoy the fine arts productions, and the continuing education offerings. I cheer for the Kodiak and Pronghorn athletic programs, I use the facilities regularly, I attend the lectures and am grateful for the unique benefits afforded to Lethbridge by having two outstanding post-secondary institutions in our hometown – a rarity in Canada for any city of our size. I am also concerned of the impact these reductions and proposed changes to the post-secondary education system in our province will have on our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and College.

The financial constraints being imposed on both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and College are significant and given the role both institutions play in our city, they will be felt well beyond the walls of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and College. As significant are the concerns raised by the Letters of Expectation presented to each of the 26 post-secondary institutions in Alberta. The Letters are still in draft form and I remain hopeful that they will accomplish what both the Premier and Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education have suggested - that our Universities and Colleges will comprise a world class post-secondary system renowned for its contributions to all elements of our society and a system that prepares students to be the citizens and leaders of tomorrow. While there is always room for improvement and greater efficiency, I would argue that we are already well on our way to accomplishing this vision for our system.

There is much public speculation about the responsiveness of Alberta institutions to the needs of students and the needs of employers. Both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and College are leaders in the province when it comes to collaboration and accessibility. It was the vision of successive Lethbridge MLA's John Gogo and Clint Dunford that created the concept of Campus Alberta. In turn, it was the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College that created the standard for easy and seamless transfer for students in programs like Nursing and now in Management. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ shares a campus with Concordia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College in Edmonton and early next month will celebrate a partnership with Bow Valley College, Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and Olds College in downtown Calgary that truly is expressive of what the Campus Alberta concept can and should be.

As for responsiveness to the needs of employers, I can speak from personal experience that my ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ education prepared me well for my career and it prepared me well to be an active and engaged contributor to my community. Personal passion and curiosity are hallmarks of the most successful people in our society. As such, the education a student receives during their post-secondary experience at times will be targeted specifically to a particular job but should also be reflective and preparatory of the long and varied career the individual has before them. Given this, there is a significant role for both the College and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in the creation of the workforce for our province and there is a significant role for all of the academic programs offered as it is these programs that enable individuals to pursue their personal passions and curiosity.

The Board of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is incredibly diligent and committed to the fiduciary responsibilities assigned to it and the members take seriously the stewardship role that is imparted to them when they accept the volunteer role of Board member. I know from experience that the College Board has the same level of commitment. Any suggestion that there is wastefulness or "fat" at either school is false. I know the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ operates very cost-effectively because our Board demands it of the administration. The resources of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ are specifically targeted to the areas that are of greatest importance – the students and the programs. National recognition bestowed on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ speaks to this. Maclean's consistently ranks the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge very high and most recently placed the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ 3rd nationally. Research Infosource recognized the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as Canada's Research ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of the Year – Undergraduate Category this year. These are significant accomplishments and illustrate clearly the quality of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ we have in our community. They also display a momentum that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has created and it is this momentum that I am hopeful will not be lost as a result of our current challenge. This is a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ we should be proud of not only for its accomplishments but because it is our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ - born of our community and fought for diligently by our civic, business and community leaders in the 1960's.

I am hopeful that the outcome of the current provincial dialogue will not diminish the quality or reputations of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and College. We owe that to those who helped create these institutions and more importantly, we owe that to those who have yet to experience these great institutions.

Sincerely,

Gord Jong
Chair, Board of Governors
The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

U of L officially opens new Edmonton campus

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:59:10 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge officially opens its new Edmonton campus location today at Concordia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College of Alberta.

"By listening to our students and closely following the direction provided by our strategic and academic plans, we believe this move presents great opportunities for both the U of L and Concordia to work together to meet the needs of Edmonton students in new and innovative ways," says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Mike Mahon. "This helps to ensure that more students will have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful."

Dr. Gerald Krispin, Concordia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College President and Vice-Chancellor, echoes Mahon's comments in that the partnership, though only in the beginning stages, has great potential to benefit both institutions.

"We are very pleased the U of L has chosen to join us here at Concordia, rather than in another, less accessible and less student-friendly location," says Krispin. "We both expect to gain from this experience, and we look forward to working with our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge colleagues now and in the future."

Almost 20 years ago, the U of L began offering Management courses in Edmonton in an attempt to meet the unique needs of working students in the area. As student needs have changed over the years, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has enhanced its programming to reflect changing trends. The facility-sharing arrangement with Concordia is the next phase of the U of L's growth in Edmonton.

As a result of the agreement with Concordia, the U of L's Edmonton team has moved from a downtown office to its own leased administrative space on the Concordia campus. In addition, U of L students will have the use of several classrooms, videoconference facilities and student computer labs, as well as access to the Concordia library, recreation and fitness facilities, bookstore and cafeteria, which helps the U of L deliver a well-rounded campus experience for students in Edmonton.

"This collaboration increases opportunities for students and helps ensure we continue doing what we do well – foster a vibrant and engaging learning environment," says Mahon.

It was through student feedback that the need to deliver a campus environment, in addition to programming and flexibility, was deemed essential. The new Concordia location also enhances parking and transit access.

"By partnering together to serve students, we are better able to address the post-secondary needs of Edmontonians," adds Mahon.

The facility-sharing arrangement is similar to that of the U of L Calgary campus, which has a lease partnership with Bow Valley College in downtown Calgary. Between the two campuses in Calgary and Edmonton, approximately 1,000 students are members of the U of L family.

U of L's Edmonton campus on the move

trevor.kenney — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:28:08 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will relocate its Edmonton campus to Concordia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College effective July 1, 2012.

The move keeps the U of L close to downtown Edmonton and its primary student population, while providing more of a campus experience.

"We've operated a campus in Edmonton for almost 20 years, and our students have told us, loud and clear, that while they value our programming and flexibility, they were missing out on a campus environment," says Dr. Andy Hakin, the U of L's Vice-President (Academic) and Provost.

"By listening to our students and closely following the direction provided by our strategic and academic plans, the move to Concordia's campus will greatly enhance the U of L student experience in Edmonton."

The agreement with Concordia will see the U of L's Edmonton team move from a downtown office to its own leased administrative space on the Concordia campus, while providing classrooms and other services for U of L students.

The arrangement is similar to that of the U of L Calgary campus, which has a lease partnership with Bow Valley College in downtown Calgary.

Approximately 500 students attend U of L classes in Edmonton each year, primarily in evenings and on weekends. The U of L's presence will subsequently not conflict with regular Concordia classes.

The U of L will have the use of several classrooms, videoconference facilities and student computer labs. As well, U of L students will have access to the Concordia library, recreation and fitness facilities, bookstore and cafeteria. The campus location also offers convenient parking and transit access, something that was lacking at the previous location.

"This move presents a great opportunity for both our institutions to work together to serve our students in new and innovative ways," says Hakin.

UNews - Concordia ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ College

Community budget update set for Apr. 23

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U of L officially opens new Edmonton campus

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