U of L celebrates its Calgary presence at Bow Valley College

trevor.kenney — Thu, 09 May 2013 22:28:01 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is celebrating the new location of its Calgary Campus with its post-secondary, community, alumni and government partners, as Bow Valley College officially opens its South Campus today.

In addition to the introduction of a beautiful building that will be utilized by four of Alberta's post-secondary institutions, a new partnership between Bow Valley College, Olds College, Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is being celebrated in front of dignitaries that include Premier Alison Redford, Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

Since 1996, the U of L has served a critical role in Calgary by offering university degree level programming through its Faculty of Management in the evenings and on weekends.

"By meeting the needs of busy, working adult learners, U of L students can earn a degree in a manner that accommodates their busy lifestyles," says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President, Dr. Mike Mahon. "This niche, combined with our Campus Alberta partnership with Bow Valley College, Olds College and Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will create new, important laddering opportunities for Alberta's students."

The U of L's original Calgary Campus was located at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Significant student growth occurred from 1997 to 2001, primarily due to the post-diploma program offered in Calgary. Today, the U of L's Calgary Campus is home to approximately 700 students in Calgary.

"The success of the programming we offer in Calgary can be attributed to the quality of a U of L degree, but also to the efforts the U of L has made in making a university degree accessible to adult learners," says Dean of the Faculty of Management, Dr. Bob Ellis.

When combined with the many students from Calgary who choose to attend the U of L's Lethbridge campus, Calgary and its surrounding areas become the U of L's most significant source of students. Calgary students make up 38 per cent of the U of L's total student body.

Since its inception, more than 1,460 students have graduated from the Calgary Campus. Overall, Calgary and area is home to more than 7,000 U of L alumni.

"The U of L is very proud of the role it plays in creating access for Alberta students, whether they attend our Lethbridge, Calgary or Edmonton campuses. Further, we are extremely proud of the role our alumni are playing in building communities across Alberta, Canada and internationally," says Mahon.

Calgary a key U of L market

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:08:17 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge plays a unique and significant role in providing thousands of Calgarians access to a personal, high-quality, comprehensive educational experience. Additionally, faculty at the U of L conduct research that is both relevant to the Calgary economy and to the quality of life for Calgarians.

With that in mind, Calgary MLAs listened with great interest to a recent presentation made by U of L vice presidents Dr. Andrew Hakin and Nancy Walker.

Hakin highlighted the U of L's evolution as a comprehensive ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, while also detailing the institution's emphasis on providing access to post-secondary education. The Calgary numbers are compelling.

In Fall 2009, the U of L was the choice of 2,680 Calgarians, which accounts for one-third of our total student body. The number of students at the Calgary campus hit an all-time high with 524 students enrolled. Last year, 278 students from SAIT, Mount Royal, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and Bow Valley College transferred to the U of L.

Hakin detailed the U of L's strategic plan and how its key elements focus on a continuing commitment to all students.

Questions from members of the Calgary caucus suggested that many of them were already engaged in the issues of the post-secondary sector, while some comments showed a direct understanding of the U of L's strengths and advantages.

Justice Minister Alison Redford commended the U of L on the work it is doing in neuroscience, highlighting discoveries that are being made at the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience and the influence they have on government policy.

MLA Manmeet Bhullar, a former Parliamentary Assistant for Advanced Education and Technology asked how changing demographics might affect enrolment at the U of L.

While the number of 18 to 24 year-olds living in southern Alberta will decrease over the next decade, Hakin sees the city of Calgary as a real opportunity of growth for the U of L.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Len Webber was interested in the state of student housing on campus, learning that the U of L is working towards increasing the number of beds on campus and that success in creating more spaces will enhance the student experience.

The U of L recognizes Calgary as a key demographic and that building and maintaining links to the city are vital as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ moves forward.

Richard Westlund is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's director of government relations

UNews - Alison Redford

U of L celebrates its Calgary presence at Bow Valley College

Related Topics

Calgary a key U of L market

Related Topics