Justice Studies instructor and students head to Croatia
A Lethbridge College instructor served as part of the faculty for one of the world’s leading post-graduate criminal justice courses this past summer. Aaron Eyjolfson, an instructor in the School of Justice Studies, presented at the 34th annual Postgraduate Course of Victimology, Victim Assistance and Criminal Justice in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in May. Eyjolfson arranged for five students from the college’s Justice Studies – Bachelor of Applied Arts degree program to attend the course. The course resulted from a partnership between the Inter-University Centre and the World Society of Victimology. It brought together approximately 50 internationally renowned experts who offered insight into the plight of victims around the world. The five students – Jordayne Andrew, Angelica Lai, Desiree Trost, Megan Turner- Christianson and Jay Wingrove – are all completing the four-year Justice Studies – Bachelor of Applied Arts program at the college. The course ran from May 7 to 19 and included cultural and sightseeing trips in addition to the formal learning opportunities.
High school students immersed in college experience
Experiential Learning Week returned to Lethbridge College for a third year, bigger than ever. The week of May 7 to 11 saw nearly 200 high school students from nine area high schools taking part in college-level programs in an area of individual interest. Students chose from one of 13 educational tracks, encompassing nearly every Lethbridge College program — from trades to agriculture, health and wellness to justice, business to environmental science. Students received high school credits for their participation.
Remembering Lethbridge College’s early faculty
Lethbridge College lost two of its long-time and early faculty members in recent months. Ken Riley was the first faculty member hired by Lethbridge College to create its Law Enforcement program in 1969. A former RCMP member, he served as founding chair of the Law Enforcement program. He retired in 1987. Riley passed away May 8 in Lethbridge at age 91. Former colleagues Ann Parks and Roland Barber remembered Riley as a bighearted, highly intelligent and fair person. One of Riley’s contemporaries from the automotives program, Helmut (Hal) Hoffman, passed away May 6 in Calgary. He was 83. He taught at Lethbridge College from 1964 to 1991 and was a former president of the Faculty Association.
Police cadets graduate from collaborative program
The graduation ceremonies of the 2018 Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) and Blood Tribe Police Service (BTPS) Cadet Training program took place in Medicine Hat May 25. Eleven cadets took part in the 20-week training program, including eight MHPS cadets and three BTPS recruits, who met or exceeded provincial standards in the areas of police recruit training. The cadets also received academic accreditation through Lethbridge College for the knowledge and skills they have acquired through this competency-based educational program. The program is the result of a collaborative partnership between the MHPS, BTPS, Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) and Lethbridge College. Although a traditional classroom environment played an important role, much of the learning and assessment took place in real-life settings throughout the community, which makes the program unique.
Health Care Aide program expands to meet demand
To meet industry demand, Lethbridge College is expanding available seats in one of health care’s fastest-growing professions. The Health Care Aide certificate program will increase the number of available seats from 24 to 30 and will also add a new part-time online cohort for 16 students. Two factors led to the decision to add the new seats: the popularity of the Health Care Aide program among prospective students and a strong demand from employers. The online offering will provide the same benefits as the traditional program, while giving rural learners and those unable to attend full-time classroom lectures a chance to continue their studies.
Students survey pioneer village as part of new partnership
A new partnership between Lethbridge College and the Prairie Tractor and Engine Museum Society gave Geomatics Engineering Technology students a true taste of surveying challenging terrain in winter conditions. Bill Smienk, chair of the School of Engineering Technologies, says the college’s agreement with the society, signed earlier this year, saw students survey the Coyote Flats Pioneer Village property near Picture Butte. Aside from giving students practical and purposeful work for an actual client, the partnership has potential for future student efforts, including applied research. Pieter van Ewijk, general manager of the pioneer village, says the students’ efforts were important to the society, which operates entirely on grants and donations. Instructor Andrew Bowen and technologist Jim Pinches accompanied about 20 second-year students to the property twice in the weeks before and after Easter, where they experienced challenges that included unseasonable cold and snow. The museum opened for the season May 19.
Pride celebrated at college
A rainbow took flight at Lethbridge College in June as members of the college community gathered for the annual raising of the Pride flag. This is the third year the college has flown the colours of inclusion to show its support for LGBTQ+. “We are proud to show our continued dedication to promoting equality and diversity on campus,” says Dr. Paula Burns, Lethbridge College President and CEO. “By hoisting the flag, we are not only saying we support our LGBTQ+ students and partners, but that we embrace all people in this community.”
In addition to the raising of the flag, the college proudly displayed an interactive art piece commissioned by the Lethbridge Pride Fest committee on campus from June 12-15. The piece combined the word PRIDE with an additional heart to represent the six flag colours. Each character was created by a local artist and expressed what it means to be an LGBTQ+ individual. The art piece was featured in Centre Core for people to view, explore and snap photos with.
The college also took its support of Pride off-campus as volunteers banded together and marched in the Lethbridge Pride Parade for the first time. Members of the leadership team, faculty, staff and students – and their pets – faced the rain to walk together as a symbol of solidarity and support, wearing newly designed college pride T-shirts. And at the conclusion of the week, Tara Ludman and Zachary Wigand, president and vice president of the LCSA’s LGBTQ+ Club, received a Lethbridge Pride Award in the Youth Leadership category for their work in the college community. This award recognizes those aged 18 to 25 whose leadership demonstrates a commitment or significant contribution to the region’s LGBTQ+ community.
Innovative Police Cadet Training program earns national gold award
Lethbridge College received a gold Program Excellence award in April at the Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) annual conference in Victoria. The award was for the competency- based Police Cadet Training program. The innovative and collaborative program meets the specific needs of southern Alberta police services and is the only police training program of its kind at a public college in Canada. The Police Cadet Training program was designed to meet industry demand for officers who had mastered both hard skills, such as firearms use, and soft skills, such as interpersonal communication, ethical accountability and teamwork. The program launched in March 2017, following consultations that began with the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS). An initial intake of 10 LPS cadets took a 17-week program at LPS headquarters. By graduation, eight members of the class successfully demonstrated their competence to take on the role expected of them as front-line officers.
Fashion in focus at “I’ll Show You Mine” event
There was plenty of glitz and glamour in April as Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge presented the second annual “I’ll Show You Mine… Deconstructing Costume, Constructing Fashion” event. The one-of-a-kind show combined the college’s annual fashion show with a collaborative art exhibition and was presented by the college’s Fashion Design and Sustainable Production program and the U of L’s Dramatic Arts program. It featured student-created fashion designs and art exhibits created by students, instructors and alumni.
In its 50th year, LEO Club raises nearly $8,000
During its 50th year, the Criminal Justice - Policing students in Lethbridge College’s LEO Club wanted to give back even more than usual to their community. They did just that, taking part in more than 40 volunteer events, providing more than 1,000 hours of volunteer time and raising nearly $8,000 to support a dozen different community and global organizations. The LEO Club at Lethbridge College was founded in 1967 by Ken Riley as part of the Lions Clubs International. The word “LEO” stands for Leadership, Experience, Opportunity and links precisely to the goals and priorities of many students in the Criminal Justice – Policing program. The local organizations that received support from the LEOS this past academic year include the Lethbridge College Students’ Association Food Bank, YWCA Lethbridge and District, Lethbridge Boys and Girls Club, Lethbridge Ability Resource Centre, Lethbridge Schizophrenia Society, Lethbridge Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Lethbridge Family Services and Lethbridge Police Victim Services.
First winners of Ashcroft Design Challenge announced
Two Interior Design Technology (IDT) students have been named the inaugural winners of the Ashcroft Design Challenge. First-year designer Lina Wiebe and second-year animator and virtual reality creator Jada Kot were selected as the winners by a panel of judges from Ashcroft Master Builder. Students were tasked with designing a home that combines modern elements with real-life considerations such as construction costs and marketability. Wiebe and Kot’s winning design, The Emberly, will now be built by Ashcroft, with the two students earning the opportunity to work on the project as interns. The proceeds from the sale of the home will be donated back to the college. The Ashcroft Design Challenge was launched as a one-of-a-kind opportunity for Lethbridge College students. Each first-year student created a home design and was then paired with a second-year student who brought the design to life. Representatives from Ashcroft chose the three finalists and selected the winners. The Ashcroft Design Challenge is another example of the industry partnerships that are vital to Lethbridge College’s success. By working closely with a company that frequently hires graduates, students gain exposure to a potential employer, while receiving industry-specific training.
Building language skills at LC
Two groups of about 75 people from Quebec immersed themselves in the English language and experienced southern Alberta culture from a home base at Lethbridge College this summer. The participants lived and learned in Lethbridge for five weeks as part of the Explore bursary program that encourages them to build language skills and discover another part of Canada. Lethbridge College English Language Centre manager Michelle Derbich says the Quebec students were among nearly 300 students participating in the English program on campus this summer. Other short-term learners are attending from Japan and longer-term students include newcomers to Canada, Canadian citizens and international students who are learning English as a second language.
