Wider Horizons

College receives $2.1 million in applied research fundingNathaniel deWilde

Lethbridge College will receive $2.1 million over five years to support its applied research program in Integrated Fish and Plant Systems (IFPS) thanks to a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Only eight institutions in Canada received College and Community Innovation – Innovation Enhancement (CCI-IE) funding over $2 million in this year’s grant competition, with Lethbridge College being the only institution west of Ontario to receive CCI-IE funding on this scale. Staff and students at Lethbridge College have spent more than 12 years building and improving integrated fish and plant systems research in the college’s Aquaculture Centre of Excellence. The college became eligible to apply for national NSERC funding in 2011 and received its first grant in 2013, a two-year Innovation Enhancement Grant of $200,000 that has been used to optimize and expand commercial aquaponics systems. Students and staff from a variety of programs and backgrounds, including Aquaponics, Aquaculture, Agriculture Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Business Administration and Culinary, will be engaged.

 

Agriculture Business Risk Management program receives funding boost

Lethbridge College’s new Agriculture Business Risk Management program is set to receive $215,570 from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), the two organizations announced in June. The funding follows an announcement in January from the college and the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association (ACFA), which are collaborating to develop the program as the first initiative under the Cor Van Raay Southern Alberta Agribusiness Program. The program curriculum is being designed for those working and studying in the livestock, grain and oilseed industry who would benefit from increased skills and knowledge in the area of business risk management. The program will be exceptionally flexible, with students able to customize their courses in a modular learning experience format. Specifically, students will be able to take modules or parts of courses that they need for their work or interests, and they will also be able to bundle them into courses that could be used for future college credit. The program will be offered online in the fall of 2015. In the future, students will have options of enrolling in face-to-face, online or blended delivery courses for credit.

 

Avonlea and Stranville donate $193,000 in proceeds from The College Home to college

Avonlea Homes Master Builder and Stranville Living Ltd., along with their building teams, announced a $193,000 donation to Lethbridge College as part of The College Home partnership in June. The donation is the second of its kind generated from the unique partnership between the Canadian Home Builders’ Association Lethbridge Region (CHBA) and the college. In 2013, CHBA and Lethbridge College announced a unique partnership, The College Home. This partnership involves two CHBA builders each year who work with their suppliers and tradespeople and commit to building two homes per year over a five-year period; each builder then makes a donation from the proceeds of the sales toward the new trades and technologies facility at Lethbridge College. More than 44 different suppliers and tradespeople were involved in the building of these two homes. Both homes were unveiled at the Parade of Homes last fall and have since been sold to local families. The first year of The College Home exceeded the original goal for year one of the partnership with more than $233,000 raised by the sale of the first two homes built by Ashcroft Master Builder and Galko Master Builder. The second year of The College Home has also exceeded the original year two goal, and builders for the third year of the project have been working on their homes all summer.

 

College student is ‘best of the best’ in Heavy Equipment Service

Nathaniel deWilde, a student in Lethbridge College’s Heavy Equipment Technician apprenticeship program, won a gold medal in June in the Skills Canada National Competition in Saskatoon, Sask., in the category of Heavy Equipment Service. DeWilde, who is from the Monarch area and is in the process of completing his four-year apprenticeship at Lethbridge College, has competed in Skills Canada competitions for five years. He won gold medals at regional and provincial competitions throughout the years, including a bronze medal at last year’s provincial competition in the heavy equipment service category, and the gold medal and safety award at this year’s provincial competition in May.

 

Teaching Excellence Award winners announced

Congratulations go out to Brad Wolcott, General Studies; Chris DeLisle, Wind Turbine; and Cheryl Meheden, Business Administration, who received the college’s Teaching Excellence Awards this year. These instructors were selected based on criteria which reflected teaching excellence, professional responsibilities and interpersonal skills and ethics. Congratulations also go out to Simon Schawrz, General Studies, the Rookie of the Year award recipient. Simon’s selection was based on guidelines that included instructional strategies and enthusiasm for teaching, among other attributes.

 

PBA Dawgs win fifth consecutive title

The Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs beat the Vancouver Island Baseball Institute Mariners at Spitz Stadium in May, wrapping up another Canadian College Baseball Conference championship and finishing the tournament undefeated. Players must attend either Lethbridge College or the University of Lethbridge and then move on after two years. Three cheers go out to the PBA Dawgs Lethbridge College students.

 

Wider Horizons wins gold award for second year running in international competition

Lethbridge College’s magazine, Wider Horizons, has been named the best community college magazine in North America for the second year in a row in the CASE Circle of Excellence award competition. The magazine received the gold award for the winter, spring and fall 2014 issues. The judges’ report noted that “great use of photography, seamless design and cohesive editorial make this magazine the top overall publication in this year’s competition.” Named in the award are executive editor Carmen Toth and editor Lisa Kozleski, both of the college’s Marketing and Communications office, and designer Dana Woodward of Three Legged Dog Graphic Design of Lethbridge. The magazine’s highly-praised photography was provided by three members of the marketing and communications team - Rod Leland, Jonathan Ruzek and Gregory Thiessen - and freelance photographer Rob Olson. This is the second time the college has received an award in the international CASE competition.

 

New cadet training opportunity through partnership with Medicine Hat Police Service

A group of police cadets received their training this summer as a result of a new collaborative partnership between Medicine Hat Police Service and Lethbridge College which was announced by the two organizations in May. The 17-week training program started in May and involved cadets recruited by the Medicine Hat Police Service and the CP Police Service. The cadets acquired knowledge through competency-based teaching and assessment to ensure they can demonstrate their knowledge and skills before they are guaranteed a policing position. While the classroom still played an important role, much of the learning and assessment took place in real-life settings throughout the community.

 

New Bachelor of Applied Science in Ecosystem Management applied degree

Students who are interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science degree have a new option for their studies at Lethbridge College. The new Bachelor of Applied Science in Ecosystem Management degree was approved by the Ministry of Innovation and Advanced Education in the spring and will welcome the first students in the program this fall. The new degree is delivered in partnership with Athabasca University (AU) and prepares students to work in the areas of environmental management and restoration, and fish and wildlife management. Students will take one online course with AU per semester and will receive a Lethbridge College degree. The applied degree was designed with ongoing input from environmental industry partners and will integrate applied field and lab skills with theoretical studies. The new degree in Ecosystem Management is the first applied degree from an Alberta Comprehensive Community Institution to be vetted by the Campus Alberta Quality Council and is unique because it’s the first Bachelor of Applied Science degree to be granted with an applied focus that doesn’t have a directed field study.

 

College will offer new Plumbing Apprenticeship in January 2016

For the first time in its 58 year history, Lethbridge College will offer a Plumbing Apprenticeship program within its School of Construction Trades beginning in 2016. Registration for the first intake began in June. A Plumbing Apprenticeship is four years long including a minimum of 1,500 on-the-job training hours and eight weeks of technical training each year. Lethbridge College will offer the first eight-week period of technical training starting in January 2016 and will then alternate successive training periods over the next three years to ultimately provide local apprentices an opportunity for completing all four years of required technical training at the college.

 

Two Open Houses scheduled in 2015-16

Prospective students, their families and the community are invited to experience all that Lethbridge College has to offer during two of the college’s Open Houses this upcoming academic year. The first one will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium; the second one is set for Saturday, Feb. 6. The campus will be filled with staff members who can provide information on financial aid, residence, academic programs and services, and tours of campus. In addition, those who attend will have a chance to win a $1,500 tuition credit. Stop by to experience the hands-on environment that gives students the leading edge in industry. More details to come at lethbridgecollege.ca/openhouse.

 

Students honoured at 58th annual Convocation

Lethbridge College hosted the 58th annual Convocation on April 24 at the Enmax Centre. Of the more than 1,600 eligible graduates from the 2014-15 academic year, nearly 800 participated in the ceremony. This was the largest Convocation in the college’s history and the first time in more than 20 years that the ceremony was held off campus. Convocation was a great success thanks to the many hard-working staff members and volunteers.

 

Students perform well at Business Case Competition in Calgary

Congratulations go out to Lethbridge College’s team of business students who competed well at the 10th annual Alberta Deans of Business Case Competition at Bow Valley College this past spring, as well as their instructors who helped them prepare for the event. The team was comprised of students Georgiana Ellis, Ryan Kurtz, Rylan Greeno, Sarah Ferrari and Michael Doughty and faculty advisors David Orr and Rita Halma. While the students did not place this year, they gained valuable experience and great memories. Lethbridge College has sent a team to the competition each of the last 10 years. Thirteen teams participated from colleges across Alberta and worked on a case involving an actual Calgary company – PEL Recycling. The winning teams this year were NAIT, Bow Valley and Olds. The event is organized each year by the deans of the business programs in all Alberta colleges and supported by the primary sponsor CPA – Chartered Professional Accountants as well as the additional sponsors, BMO, RBC and Talisman Energy. Congratulations to the business students and their instructors on their excellent work this year.

 

Two new members appointed to Board of Governors

Brenda Brindle and Richard Stamp have been appointed to Lethbridge College’s Board of Governors. They will serve through Feb. 25, 2018. With an extensive background in agriculture, Brindle has recently retired from working as an Executive Director with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Previously, she held the position of General Manager of the Alberta Grain Commission. Stamp is a first-generation, award-winning farmer (Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer ’98) who owns and operates Stamp Farms and Stamp Seeds which he established with his wife, Marian, in 1978. Lethbridge College also extends a tremendous thank you to outgoing board members Vice Chair John Jacobson and Dawna Coslovi for their service during their six-year terms on the board.

 

Collide-O-Scope fundraiser a success

Lethbridge College’s Media and Design students hosted the Collide- O-Scope fundraiser on April 11 in the Garden Court Dining Room at Lethbridge College. This year’s theme was “Connectivity” and attendees enjoyed the work of communications, fashion, interior design and multimedia students. All proceeds from Collide-O-Scope support student awards for Media and Design students at Lethbridge College.

 

First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Honour Night

FNMI Honour Night followed the Convocation ceremony on April 24 and allowed Lethbridge College FNMI convocates the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments with fellow FNMI classmates. As students embark on their pursuit of further academic and career goals, this evening also gave an opportunity to express thanks to their families as well as to the services and agencies that have assisted in their educational journey.

 

Culinary students and staff return from Austria exchange

Lethbridge College’s Culinary students and staff returned from their third exchange trip to Semmering, Austria, in June. The college began its relationship with Tourismusschulen Semmering in 2011 and travelled to Austria to study and learn with their colleagues in 2011, 2013 and 2015 while hosting them here in Lethbridge in 2012 and 2014. Seven students and three instructors spent almost two weeks travelling and learning about the culinary industry in Austria. The students and staff prepared a 120-plate Canadian meal for the tourism school in Semmering which was very well received.

 

Now is the time to give

With the support of local and regional industry partners, alumni, staff and friends of the institution, Lethbridge College has almost achieved its goal of raising $25 million to support the construction of this new building and other projects. The college is grateful for these gifts that support the value of the work of post-secondary education, and is now looking to the community for one last push to achieve its goal.

Giving to Lethbridge College can make a real difference in the lives of real students. This year’s LCSA President Emmerson Reyes says, “Lethbridge College is a great institution where students can learn everything they need in preparation for their future careers. Students here learn not just from books but significantly from the hands-on experience and guidance of great instructors that this institution offers.”

It’s easy to give. Go online to lethbridgecollege.ca/give; mail a gift to Lethbridge College Development Office, 3000 College Drive S., Lethbridge, AB, T1K 1L6; or stop by campus and come to the Development Office in CE2323. Every donation will be used to foster innovation and collaboration in the new trades and technologies facility. This 165,000-square-foot, environmentally-friendly building will allow students and staff to engage in applied research, becoming a driving force in Alberta’s knowledge economy. The programs offered within its walls will match quality with quantity, giving Alberta the builders and technicians whose skills will lead the province forward.

Wider Horizons
Lethbridge College
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