Partnership Roundup

Partnerships can be found in every part of Lethbridge College – with the community, with industry, with other educational institutions, with government, with volunteer organizations and beyond.

The stories and photos in this issue of Wider Horizons highlight just a few of the college’s ongoing partnerships, and we hope you’ve enjoyed reading about them. The list below contains a few more examples of great partnerships at the college – but it is by no means exhaustive. Future issues of Wider Horizons are sure to share new partnership stories, so if you’d like to pass along details about a Lethbridge College partnership you are proud of, just email us at [email protected]. In the meantime, here is a glimpse at some other Lethbridge College relationships that are thriving.

• Students graduating from Lethbridge College can transfer and receive credit or advanced standing at these partner institutions: Griffith University in Australia (Institutional); Robert Gordon University in Scotland (Business Administration); Montana State University (Engineering); and Minot State University in North Dakota. In addition, specialized training and education partnerships are available with the School Foundation of Nippon Institute of Technology and Kansai Gaidai University.


• General Studies partnered with the Peigan Board of Education to offer four General Studies courses last fall in Brocket. This partnership began in the fall 2010 semester, and the college is eager to congratulate the first General Studies grads from the Peigan Board of Education Academy this year.


• Lethbridge College has many partnerships with institutions across the world giving students and staff access to many international opportunities. College students can attend a partner institution for one or two semesters over the duration of their program at Kajaani Polytechnic in Finland (Business Administration); University of Burgundy in France (Business Administration); Tourismusschulen Semmering in Austria (Culinary Careers) or Konkuk University in South Korea.


• The college has partnered with the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Branch for more than a dozen years. This is a provincial law enforcement agency appointed under the office of the Solicitor General. The college’s role is to deliver their recruit training every summer. It goes beyond simply delivering training; the CVEB recognizes and acknowledges the college’s contribution to its training efforts and is very genuine in its appreciation for the work the college does. In turn, CVEB has always hired many of its officers from the college’s Criminal Justice program and has also provided practicum and summer job placements for students in the program. A final, unique aspect of the program is that the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement certificate program (recognized by the college and AEAE) is the first law enforcement recruit training program in North America to be recognized as a post-secondary credential.


• The college’s Educational Enhancement Team partners in countless ways with Lethbridge College staff, helping to make technological tools accessible and effective in the workplace, and especially in the classroom. The team works with staff to develop curriculum, make the most of educational technology, integrate instructional technology, help assess prior learning experiences of students, offer professional development, deliver instructor certification programs, provide audio-visual support, and support instructors involved in flexible (online) learning classes. Some of the courses provided this semester for instructors include instructional skills workshops, introduction to teaching classes, course design workshops, an orientation to facilitating online learning, and an analysis of teaching and learning.


• Instructors in the college’s FASD Education program have created a community of urban and rural partners, caregivers, research institutions and service providers who live and work with those with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The online community gives those in the field the opportunity to network and receive support from others facing the same challenges around the world.


• The college has a 17-year-old partnership with the NIT Foundation in Japan. This involves students coming from Japan to Lethbridge to complete a year of English training in Blairmore, and then coming to the main campus to complete their General Studies diploma.


• The Early Childhood Education program is part of a community-wide initiative where Lethbridge College students go out into rural communities around Lethbridge and offer parent education and child activities. This is a three-way partnership with the college, local family and child service agencies, and the Parent Preschool Program board; it has been the source of high quality preschool education in rural communities in southwestern Alberta for years. The Parent Preschool Program operates with college ECE students and staff working in seven rural locations – Coaldale, Taber, Coalhurst, Magrath, Picture Butte, Nobleford and Fort Macleod. Relationships made with those providing community services, as well as connections made through practicum experience, benefit students during and beyond their time at the college.