OLDS - Olds College officials continue to formulate what programs will be offered in the fall, with an announcement on the latest program addition coming just days after one announcing intake to some programs were being suspended.
The college announced on Feb. 27 that due to lower international student enrolment and smaller funding grants from the provincial government in recent years, it was pausing intake on the Hospitality and Tourism Management, Craft Beverage and Brewery Operations and Agriculture Technology Integration programs.
Intake into the Business Management diploma three-day cohort on campus and the Business Management diploma program at Concordia University College in Edmonton were also suspended.
Less than a week later on March 5, the college announced it was adding a new program, an updated revision of the Land & Water Resources diploma program which the college has offered for more than 35 years.
The program is now called Environmental Science & Technology. It is a diploma program which will be offered this fall.
“After extensive consultation with alumni, current students, subject-matter experts and other stakeholders, the program has been updated with a new name and a revised curriculum designed to better meet the evolving needs of the field,” an Olds College news release says.
The program features a core of 20 courses that are said to give students a strong foundation in soils, vegetation, water, wildlife and agriculture through theoretical classroom instruction as well as hands-on lab and field learning.
After completing the program, graduates are eligible for membership in the Alberta Institute of Agrologists and Alberta Society of Professional Biologists where they can pursue designations.
“We are always looking for ways to enhance the student experience and ensure our programs provide the best possible learning opportunities,” Jay Steeves, dean of Olds College’s Werklund School of Agriculture Technology said in a prepared statement.
Meanwhile, during an interview with the Albertan, Al Kemmere, chair of the Olds College board of governors, was asked if he believes intake on more courses will have to be paused if enrolment remains lower, due to fewer international students.
“It’s a course-by-course analysis, so I’m not going to predict one way or the other,” he said.
“There’s been a lot of time put in to this analysis and administration’s job is to do these on a regular basis, to do these analysis, so I’m not going to say one way or the other at this time.”
Kemmere stressed the college’s decision to pause intake on courses was a tough one.
“None of those decisions are made lightly. There is a lot of process, a lot of analysis that goes into making those decisions,” he said.
“They do a lot of tracking of the historical participation in those courses and then the predicted participation.
“They look at those courses and try and make a rational decision and I believe that’s the process that has been undertaken.
“The process of taking in new registrations is a responsible thing to analyze and you’ve got to make sure that your students also are going to have the courses there when they do apply.”
