Lakeland College Strategic Plan 2022-23

2022-23 STRATEGIC PLAN

MISSION: To inspire lifelong learning and leadership through experience, excellence, and innovation. VISION: Transforming the future through innovative learning. VALUES: Learner Success, Integrity, Respect, Community, Excellence, Innovation.

LEARNERSUCCESS RELEVANTPROGRAMMING&

Vision 2030

Vision 2030 provides a holistic approach that ensures the long range development of Lakeland’s goals is met. The four Board-created goals focus on learner success, relevant programming and research, connectivity and sustainability. These goals provide the contextual backdrop for planning.

Vision 2030 was developed to probe further into the future, define each goal and identify components that expand and complement each goal. This attentiveness will move Lakeland into the future, supporting our mission to inspire lifelong learning and leadership through experience, excellence and innovation, and as well, execute our vision of transforming the future through innovative learning.

Focus, Priority Initiatives, and Expected Outcomes 2022-2023

Board Ends Focus Priority Initiatives (College 2030 Vision)

Expected Outcomes (Milestones 2025)

LEARNER SUCCESS

Performance Measures

Campus Culture Lakeland fosters lifelong learning, leadership Strategic alumni investment program Graduate employment rate exceeds 95%

Student mentorship program on both campuses

Identify a baseline for retention and completion rates

Supports for Learners Every learner has access to a full range of supports and the college is a partner in academic success

Student Experience Lakeland has a culture of belongingness, engagement, and innovation

Embracing Diversity

Lakeland is a leader in providing a safe and welcoming learning environment for every student

Review the student supports model Identify the baseline for number of student supports available

Proactive healthy lifestyle programming

Expand the student-led experience to College operations

Identify a baseline for the number of wellness student supports available

Work-Integrated Learning will be incorporated into 80% of programs by 2022-2023

Identify a baseline for the total number of students enrolled

Identify a baseline for program retention rates

Align policies and procedures with equity, diversity and inclusion best practices

Students engaged in crisis management efforts for a safe campus

Conduct gap analysis of Lakeland’s equity, diversity, and inclusion practices and programs

Keep student usage of the Lakeland Safe App at 30% or higher. Have students participate in all emergency response drills

Program Quality Every student learns experientially through student-led initiatives

RELEVANT PROGRAMMING & RESEARCH

Labour Market Alignment Graduates have employable skills and programs are launching pads into successful careers

Expected Outcomes

Program curriculum is refreshed and equipment is modernized

Expand student-managed learning in all programs

Lakeland College programs align with industry needs.

Performance Measures

Completion of all annual program reviews and selected Program Evaluations

Work-Integrated Learning will be incorporated into 80% of programs by 2022-2023

Work-Integrated Learning will be incorporated into 80% of programs by 2022-2023

Identify a baseline for the number of industry training offerings

Flexible and StudentCentered

Lakeland College fills a regional corporate training niche

Number of learners receiving Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) in retraining and upskilling programs

Students learn when, where, and how they prefer and have access to learning pathways

Growing flexible options for students Identify a baseline for the number of transfer agreements

Maintain number of Career and Technology Studies (CTS) offerings

Maintain number of transition/foundational learning programs

Maintain number of dual credit offerings

Identify a baseline for microcredential offerings

Innovative Research Lakeland is nationally recognized as a leader in agricultural research and innovation

Industry Partnerships

Industry partners are fully engaged as advocates for students and programs

Fundraising A reliable stream of funds are available to support ongoing capital priorities and to support learners through scholarships and awards

Alumni Alumni are fully engaged as advocates for students, programs, and supports of the College

Collaboration Lakeland is a leader in maximizing system efficiencies and ensuring student success by coordinating with community and postsecondary partners

Explore new research streams within the commercial agriculture focus

Sustain or exceed the recent three-year average in research funding (Target of $1.5M for 22/23)

Industry partnerships that support programming

Sustainable resources and supported student success through fundraising and external partnerships

Research or evaluate at least 1 new technology or process per year

Identify a baseline for the number of sponsored smart ag research projects per year

Baseline for industry partnerships that support programming

Identify a baseline for the number of fundraising partnerships

Alumni engagement to support student mentorship, student outreach, and school outreach with alumni partners in industry

Lakeland College identified as an applied research hub for regional industry

Identify a baseline for the number of engaged alumni

Identify a baseline for the number of formal research partnerships and the number of opportunities for knowledge translation and transfer

Conduct client survey to assess satisfaction and impact of research on business innovation

SUSTAINABILITY

Financial Sustainability

Lakeland’s fiscal position is strong and resources are available for strategic investment

Empower Staff to Excel Lakeland College has a culture of living our values and empowering our staff to achieve our mission and vision

Expected Outcomes (Milestones 2025)

Budget framework continues to align with college needs

Values are integrated into all decisions

Performance Measures

Adherence to board approved plans

Risk Management Lakeland is responsive to internal and external threats

Sustainable Campus Students are learning in world-class environments and have to access to modern equipment and technology

Business continuity and risk frameworks are implemented to ensure the stability, safety, and services for staff and students at the College

Completion of a campus revitalization strategy

Improve preventable maintenance cycle

Digital strategies that supports academic and administrative efforts at Lakeland College

Conduct engagement and wellness surveys biannually and utilize results to implement improvements to employee life at Lakeland

Set up employee systems that promote fairness, inclusion, equity and allow our Lakeland employees to feel that they belong

Implement employee development practices to improve internal succession planning and maintain less than 5% voluntary turnover

Adhere to and update the Enterprise Risk Management Report annually

Adhere to and update the Long-term Strategic Capital Plan annually

Adhere to and update the Capital Maintenance and Renewal Plan annually

Completion of Information Technology Roadmap to 2030:

- Develop a classroom technology plan

- Develop a cyber security plan

Develop a non-teaching departments digital plan

Completion of Sustainability Framework that integrates the United Nations 17 Sustainability Development Goals into our Framework

Develop baseline measurements to support framework

Investment Management Agreement

2022-2025

PURPOSE

This three-year Investment Management Agreement (IMA) with The Board of Governors of Lakeland College (“Institution”) describes the investment framework related to the Base Operating Grant (BOG). The purpose of the investment framework is to identify, and incentivize, measurable progress towards the vision and goals contained in Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs.

This IMA also contains the Institution’s Mandate as required under section 78 of the Post-Secondary Learning Act.

TERM

This IMA is effective from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025 (“Term”).

CONDITIONS

The total at risk funding for this 2022-25 IMA is as follows:

Total Three Year At Risk Funding

Listed in the section PERFORMANCE METRICS below are the weighting, targets and tolerance bands for all Funding Metrics. If an actual result for a specific funding metric does not meet the identified target, and is outside of the respective tolerance threshold, an adjustment will be applied to BOG funding. The calculated percentage reduction to the BOG that will be applied is subject to the final discretion of the Minister, but will not exceed the percentages listed above. The adjustment will be contingent on the following factors:

• The weighting applied to a funding metric; and

• The extent to which the actual result is outside the tolerance threshold.

The adjustment will be applied, as determined by the Minister, when all funding metric data for the respective fiscal year has been finalized.

The Transparency Metrics listed below do not have any at risk funding implications associated with them. Actual results for these metrics are for accountability purposes only.

All of the metric data, and their associated weightings, targets and thresholds, in the section PERFORMANCE METRICS below is subject to an annual review by the Minister and the Institution. The Minister may remove or add PERFORMANCE METRICS during the annual review, and the Parties will amend this IMA to reflect amendments resulting from the annual review.

PERFORMANCE METRICS

Methodology details for all funding and transparency metrics found in the respective metric worksheets that have been provided to the Institution.

Funding Metrics

Funding Metric 1: Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) by School Year Weighting: 8%

approved programs that offer WIL opportunities to students.

Funding Metric 2: Total Domestic Enrolment (excludes apprentices) by School Year Weighting: 2%

apprentice enrolment count as reported in the Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupation Management System

*As of February 15 2022

Funding Metric 3: Graduate Outcomes by Survey Year* Weighting: 2%

of recent graduates in employment two years after graduation whose current main job is very or somewhat related to the general skills and abilities acquired during their program

*The Graduate Outcome Survey is completed every two years.

Transparency Metric

Transparency Metric 1: Graduate Employment Rate by Survey Year

Weighting: 2%

Proportion of graduates of credential programs who are in the labour force and employed, two years after graduation

*The Graduate Outcome Survey is repeated every two years.

The Board of Governors of Lakeland College Mandate and Roles Document

This Mandate and Roles Document for the Board of Governors of Lakeland College (“The College”) has been developed collaboratively between the Minister of Advanced Education (“Minister”) and the College. This document is in furtherance of the parties’ legal obligations under the Alberta Public Agencies Governance Act (APAGA) to reflect a common understanding of respective roles and responsibilities in governance of the College.

1. Mandate

The College’s mandate is set out in the Investment Management Agreement entered into by the College and the Minister.

1. Type of Institution, Sector, and Governance

Lakeland College is a board-governed public post-secondary institution operating in Alberta as a comprehensive community college under the authority of the Post-secondary Learning Act (PSLA).

2. Outcomes

Lakeland College is committed to preparing Albertans for success by helping its learners achieve their academic and career goals. Lakeland provides access to high-quality academic programs and is a leader in student-managed learning experiences and innovation. Providing work-integrated learning opportunities prepares students to excel as leaders in industry and their communities. Lakeland programs are responsive to the needs of industry and produce job-ready graduates prepared to contribute to Alberta’s economy. Lakeland works closely with employers and industry organizations to ensure curriculum

and training are aligned with the labour market and that students can interact directly with industry while in their programs. Through practicums, work placements, co-ops, and on campus student-managed enterprises, students develop hands-on skills and gain valuable experience directly related to their sector. These experiences help students develop a passion for their field, and to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, communicators, and contributing members of innovative teams.

Lakeland instructors come from industry and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience into the classroom to enhance the learning experience.

This focus is making a difference. In a recent national survey of over 40,000 college and university students and recent graduates, Lakeland ranked as the #1 College Most Recommended by Students, #2 in Best Overall Value, #2 in the Most Skills-Focused Curriculum, and #3 in Best for Getting a Job. Employment outcomes also indicate the significance and quality of Lakeland programming. 89% of Lakeland graduates are employed, 92% are satisfied with their jobs, and 94% would recommend Lakeland to other students. Feedback from employers is perhaps more impressive with 96% of employers indicating that they would recommend a Lakeland graduate to other employers and 98.9% of employers indicating that they would hire another Lakeland graduate. Much of this success can be attributed to the emphasis placed on academic excellence, hands-on learning, and the opportunity students have to participate in work-integrated learning experiences.

3. Clients/Students

Lakeland’s inclusive academic environment ensures a commitment to underrepresented learners. Located in the heart of Treaty 6 Territory, Lakeland is an active participant in reconciliation, providing programming, services and campus planning to support our Indigenous learners to succeed in academics and beyond. Our 2020/2021 stats indicate over 7.5 % of our student base identified as Indigenous. However, we know the actual number of Indigenous students exceed this percentage. Lakeland continues to serve the needs of the community which includes interacting with over 200 students who have identified needs and providing learner accommodations yearly. Within Lakeland’s Human Services academic school, 72 students take their programming in French.

Lakeland serves learners of all ages and stages of life from those entering the post-secondary world to mature learners who are seeking reskilling or upskilling. Lakeland transitional experiences, foundational learning, career exploration, certificates, diplomas, apprenticeship, and niche undergraduate study support students and meet the regional labour market needs.

4. Geographic Service Area and Type of Delivery

Established in 1913, Lakeland is a key driver in rural sustainability, economic recovery, development and expansion by providing learning opportunities to rural learners. Because these opportunities strongly align with the labour market, employers in this economically important region of Alberta have access to a skilled and well-trained work force that is crucial to economic growth. To maximize learner access to programs and courses, a variety of instructional delivery methods are used including face-to-face, blended, and online learning. Lakeland’s digital use continues to evolve to support programming, regional collaboration, and industry need. Lakeland’s stewardship model includes working with community-based adult learning program and creating learner pathways that support dual credit programming and career and technology studies.

Consulting with a range of partners such as K-12 school divisions, industry associations, agricultural societies, Rotary clubs, Chamber of Commerce, professional associations, Friendship Centres, Métis associations, First Nations, Alberta Innovates, the Regional Business Accelerator, economic development organizations, and the Regional Innovation Network, Lakeland seeks to promote individual growth, informed community members, and educated citizens through facilitation, information sharing, and collective capacity building. Program delivery at Lakeland includes opportunities for students to engage with student-managed learning enterprises. These work-integrated learning experiences are a significant part of Lakeland’s delivery model. Students, with mentorship from faculty, run several on-campus enterprises, including a play program, a concession at Rustler athletic events, a tax clinic, a power plant, a hair salon and esthetician spa, an environmental consulting office, and commercial crop and livestock business units.

5. Program Mandates and Credentials Offering

Lakeland awards certificates, diplomas, and bachelor’s degrees in niche programming areas, as well as post-diploma certificates and post-baccalaureate certificates. Lakeland College also offers apprenticeship programming that prepares people to become certified journeypersons.

Collaboration with a range of post-secondary partners helps Lakeland meet the various needs within its regional stewardship area including collaboration with degree-granting institutions to offer baccalaureate degree programs when it is efficient to do so. As a member of Campus Alberta, Lakeland has partnerships and transfer agreements to expand its programming and service capacity while improving efficiencies for Alberta.

6. Special Program Areas/Areas of Specialization

Lakeland offers agricultural sciences, pre-employment, apprenticeship, agriculture technologies, foundational learning, energy, environmental sciences, fire and emergency services, health and wellness, human services, business, and university transfer programming. Lakeland also designs and delivers programs to meet specific learner, community, and industry needs through continuing education and corporate training models.

Lakeland’s programming combination complements the economic strengths of Alberta and its stewardship region. Aligning programming with the regional labour market of agriculture and oil and gas activity, Lakeland is the only post-secondary institution in Alberta with academic schools in all the following sectors: agricultural sciences, energy, and trades and technology. Lakeland’s Student-Managed Farm - Powered by New Holland (SMF) is renowned throughout Canada and is a key reason why the college is a national leader in commercial agricultural production programming. The SMF is a fully integrated, multi-enterprise, commercial farm that enables students to run a $6M commercial agricultural business, a commercial-scale crop operation, and multiple commercial, research, and purebred livestock herds, including Lakeland’s 80-head beef research herd of crossbred Angus cattle, 280-head dairy herd, and new 200-head bison operation. Lakeland is the only institution in Alberta with diploma programs that specialize in commercial crop and forage as well as commercial beef production.

Lakeland’s new Bachelor of Agriculture Technology program, the first degree of its kind in Canada, prepares students for the rapid evolution of technology in agriculture and for careers that bridge the gaps between emerging technologies such as dataenabled precision data systems, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and agriculture production and management.

Lakeland excels at embedding student-managed enterprises within program curriculum providing opportunities for students to enhance their learning and leadership skills. These enterprises are a strategic approach to work-integrated learning and provide authentic learning environments right on campus where students apply what they’ve learned and develop job-ready skills. This teaching and learning model help develop curiosity, critical thinking, a passion for the sector, professionalism, and technological literacy.

7. System Collaboration and Partnerships

Lakeland works with a variety of agencies, institutions, advisory committees, learning councils, business, industry, and research organizations to meet the diverse need of its region, and ensure alignment with government priorities and college strategic goals.

To highlight a few collaborative activities, Lakeland continues its work with Community Adult Learning Programs (CALPs) to understand the diverse needs. Programs and pathways such as Employment Skills Enhancement, and Digital Literacy for Employment become positive transitions to post-secondary experiences. Lakeland’s longstanding collaboration with Northern Lakes College supports foundational learning, while collaborations with Alberta and Saskatchewan school authorities makes dual credit opportunities available to high school students throughout the two provinces.

Partnerships with industries such as: Masterfeeds, TrustBIX, MNP, Alberta Pulse Growers, SeCan, AgX, Canadian Angus Association and ALUS and other post-secondary institutions including University of Alberta, University of Calgary and Olds College help to advance agriculture research.

Lakeland collaborates with University of Alberta to deliver its Aboriginal Teacher Education Program at the Lloydminster campus.

To strengthen local economic development, Lakeland works with community partners such as Alberta Milk, New Holland, Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Cenvous, Peterbilt, Points West, Canadian Land Reclamation Association, Snap-on Tools, 4-H Foundation of Alberta, Top Grade Ag, Mosaic, BASF, OneCup Al, and Libby Young.

8. Research and Scholarly Activities

Applied research at Lakeland involves collaboration with industry and other end users for the purpose of benefiting the social, economic, and environmental aspects of its region. Applied research projects must complement teaching and learning and advance innovationbased rural economic development. Initiatives are geared towards supporting Alberta’s future economy by helping partners capitalize on new opportunities and find solutions to current challenges.

Lakeland is a founding member of Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CMIN) which is focused on accelerating the automation and digitization of Canada’s agricultural sector.

With Lakeland’s applied research focus on agricultural sciences, research teams are specialized to enhance agricultural technology for improved productivity, efficiency, and sustainability in commercial crop and livestock production. A newly renovated 743 square metre Agriculture Technology Centre (ATC) will serve as the central hub for ag tech data collection , and home to the new Bachelor of Agriculture Technology program plus ag tech applied research activities. A data lab, large

equipment lab and a makerspace area within the ATC will support innovation and entrepreneurship. Research in the ATC will focus on the development, implementation, validation, knowledge translation and commercialization of ag technology solutions that will enhance regional productivity and sustainability.

With the transfer of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry research teams in commercial beef production and pulse, Lakeland’s applied research footprint in commercial agriculture production has grown significantly over the past year. Lakeland now has three research scientists focused on commercial livestock production, as well as scientists focused on each of cereal production, pulse production, and canola production. These strategic research priorities of these teams are informed by two producer committees, one for crop research and another for livestock research. These research committees ensure Lakeland’s research priorities in commercial agriculture will benefit producers and support economic growth in the agriculture sector.

9. System Mandate

Lakeland plays a leading role in rural sustainability, economic recovery and development contributing to its broader social, economic, and environmental footprint. Lakeland is committed to providing training opportunities targeted at the labour market needs to ensure workforce preparedness and strengthen local economies. Lakeland offers international projects, practicum experiences, and study abroad opportunities to prepare its students to participate in an interconnected world. Lakeland College welcomes international students and embraces the opportunity to provide an environment that supports global connectedness. To enhance each student’s college experience, Lakeland offers a full range of personal and academic services including academic advising, athletics, cafeterias, clubs, financial aid, health, Indigenous support services, learning strategies and support, recreation, residence, student centres, and career and wellness services. Lakeland strives to create an inclusive and welcoming culture for all. To enhance learner success, Lakeland provides a learning and teaching commons that creates personalized learning pathways and supports instructional excellence. Students develop competencies in different learning methods and technologies, so they are prepared for lifelong learning.

2. Roles and Responsibilities

The College’s mandate is set out in the Investment Management Agreement entered into by the College and the Minister.

The Board

The Board manages and operates the institution in accordance with its mandate and carries out the other duties and responsibilities legislated by the PSLA.

The Board sets strategic direction and monitors implementation.

The Board participates with the Minister in setting its long-term objectives and short-term targets, if any.

Board Members

All board members, regardless of the manner of their appointment, have the fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the institution.

Board Chair

The Chair is the interface between the College and the Minister and provides leadership to the Board.

President

The President has general supervision over the direction of the operation of the institution and has other powers, duties, and functions that are assigned to the President by the Board.

Minister of Advanced Education

The Minister is responsible for the performance of all public agencies under Advanced Education, including the College. The Minister’s responsibilities as legislated by the PSLA and APAGA include:

• appointing, or recommending the appointment of, the Board members and the Chair;

• monitoring whether the institution is acting within its mandate and achieving its long-term objectives and short-term targets;

• advising the institution respecting any government policies applicable to the institution or its activities or operations; and

• reviewing the mandate and operations of the institution at least every seven years.

Department of Advanced Education

The Department supports the Minister and College in meeting their legislated responsibilities.

Subsidiaries

The College does not have any subsidiaries to report.

3. Accountability Relationships of the Public Agency

The flow of accountability relationships at the agency is as follows:

• The President is accountable to the Board.

• The Board is accountable to the Minister through the Chair.

• The Chair is accountable to the Minister for the mandate and conduct of the public agency.

4. Process for Administering the Code of Conduct

The College’s Code of Conduct is reviewed and approved by the Ethics Commissioner, and the Board ratifies and makes public the Code of Conduct. Updates to the Code of Conduct are submitted to the Ethics Commissioner for review. The Chair administers the Code of Conduct for board members. The Executive Director of Human Resources administers the Code of Conduct for the Chair.

5. Mutual Expectations – Communication, Collaboration, and Consultation

The relationship between the College and the provincial government is an important one. Boards are accountable to the

Minister, who has primary responsibility for the PSLA.

The Minister oversees strategic planning and direction setting for Alberta’s advanced learning system, policy development, funding for general operations and specific purposes, and the promotion of transparency and accountability. The Minister is responsible for providing clear mandate direction to boards, establishing clear expectations for oversight and accountability, and for participating in an ongoing dialogue with boards on important issues.

The board has a governance oversight role in relation to the institution it governs. Because the chair serves as the voice of the board, and is directly accountable to the Minister, the relationship between the Minister and the chair is critical.

Other officials, such as the Deputy Minister who oversees the operations of Advanced Education, will typically be in closer contact with institution presidents and vice-presidents. Similarly, department staff may be in regular contact with staff of the institutions on areas of mutual interests.

6. Committee Structure

Committees of the Board include:

• Academic Effectiveness – Provides general oversight regarding academic direction, quality of the curriculum, and student services.

• Audit, Risk, and Sustainability – Assists the Board in its oversight responsibilities on matters relating to Lakeland College’s financial, environmental, and social conditions.

• Board Effectiveness – To ensure the Board’s policies are being carried out.

• Connectivity – Provides oversight regarding the College’s engagement with its internal and external stakeholders.

• Executive Committee – Oversees Board operations.

7. Financial, Staffing, and Administrative Arrangements

The College receives funding from the Government of Alberta via its Operating and Program Support Grant. The Auditor General is the auditor of the College.

The College is subject to sections 1, 2(5), 5, 6, 7, 13(3), 57.1, 80, and 81 of the Financial Administration Act.

While the Post-secondary Learning Act gives the Board of Governors broad authority to appoint employees, the President is the only employee that reports to and is directly accountable to the Board.

For Alberta’s public post-secondary institutions, positions that are defined as “designated executives” by the Reform of Agencies, Boards and Commissions (Post-secondary Institutions) Compensation Regulation are subject to the compensation framework and limits on total remuneration established thereunder.

8. Planning and Reporting Requirements

The Board is required to enter into an Investment Management Agreement with the Minister that includes

• the mandate of the institution,

• performance metrics for the institution, and

• anything else determined by the Minister.

Annually, the College provides the Department with a Capital Plan and a Budget Plan.

Each year the Board must prepare and submit to the Minister a report that includes the audited financial statements for the preceding year.

The Board is also required under the PSLA to submit to the Minister any reports or other information required by the Minister.

9. Administration

Three Year Renewal or Revision

The Mandate and Roles Document must be reviewed and renewed, amended or replaced within three years after the day on which the document or the most recent amendment to the document was signed.

Transparency

Copies of the Mandate and Roles Document will be filed with the Minister and the Public Agency Secretariat. This document will also be made publicly available on the Board’s website and the Government of Alberta’s website.

Capital Plan 2022-2023

Statement of Expected Revenues and Expenses

Consolidated Budget and Two Year Projection

Statement of Expected Revenues and Expenses: By Object and Fund

Overview

In a competitive post-secondary environment, it is vital for Lakeland College to maintain and develop facilities to meet student expectations for a modern, technologically advanced learning environment.

Priority Projects

1. Vermilion Campus Revitalization (Phase 3-5- Bentley Building, Student Commons, Alumni Hall)

Revitalization has been a key success factor for how Lakeland can create modern, sustainable learning environments for students. This plan is the culmination of effort to create a sustainable way to address student needs, modernize our environment and address deferred maintenance needs resulting in facilities that will last our institution another 30 years.

Labs, classrooms, technology, and service spaces are out-of-date and enrolment growth has created cramped learning spaces. To create high quality, environmentally friendly learning environments that increase student access to our programs and provide additional meeting spaces for internal and external purposes, Lakeland College needs to revitalize the Vermilion campus. This multi-phase project will modernize the Bentley Building, Academic Link, Alumni Hall, and Mead Building and create attractive, student-centred and energy efficient spaces that will serve students and the region for years.

This project revitalizes the existing central campus buildings that create the core student and faculty experience to realize a vision supporting current and future requirements for the college. Immediate next steps for this project include:

• Bentley Building

• Student Commons and Library Space

• Alumni Hall

2. Student-Managed Farm Revitalization

The Student-Managed Farm is the core element of Lakeland’s approach to student-managed learning. This award-winning concept is showing the signs of 30 years of active learning and needs infrastructure and technological updates and sustainable management systems to set the tone for the future. Specifically, this phased revitalization approach will address:

• Technology relating to all farm operations and teaching needs for current and future programming including the Agriculture Technology Centre

• Bio-security measures that demonstrate best-practices for today’s agriculture industry partners and producers.

• Animal and people safety standards

• Student preparedness for industry

This largely external approach will allow for investment in sustainable systems that will extend the useful life of all buildings and infrastructure on the Student-Managed Farm site.

Widely used by both the College and community, the current Equine Centre needs updating and renovating to support increased enrolment in equine studies, create more flexible usage options, and to better support the high demand in the region for arena space. Renovations would include upgrading of siding and roofing, new seating, a new kitchen and washrooms, and a warm-up area, ensuring an up-to-date safe environment for hands-on learning and spectators.

The Student-Managed Farm, including land acquisition and Equine Centre are core hands-on lab elements to the teaching methodology and key parts of student life at Lakeland College. The revitalized facilities will support College goals of enrolment growth and preparing students for industry.

3. Residence Redevelopment Project (self-funded)

Lakeland has a long history of providing a residence experience to increase access to quality post-secondary offerings and to augment learning while on campus. The provision of appropriate residence facilities for students at Lakeland is a key element to ensuring academic success for our students. Residence life programs provide a value-added benefit that is linked to satisfaction, success in the classroom, leadership development, and preparedness for the workforce. Further, the residence experience is pivotal in creating a culture of belongingness which is linked to the strong retention and student success rates that Lakeland achieves.

The last increase in student accommodation occurred on the Vermilion campus in 2003 through a 100-bed expansion. This was to meet the anticipated growth projection of the Vermilion campus. Those beds have sustained 98% occupancy for over 12 years until the 2016/17 academic year where occupancy declined moderately to 80%. The decline in occupancy rates is believed to be linked to the downturn in the economy which increased off-campus housing options. However, recent student surveys showed that significant numbers were choosing to rent rooms or houses in town due to dissatisfaction with the state of repair of the residence facilities. Many years of wear and tear has resulted in the need for a full-scale renovation to extend the lifespan of these facilities and to attract students back to campus housing options. In past years of high occupancy, enrolment at Vermilion campus was greatly affected by available campus residences due to Vermilion’s relatively small size and limited rental options. In order to meet sustainable enrolment targets and provide appropriate access to post-secondary programs, more beds are needed at the Vermilion campus.

The Lloydminster campus is typically running at 75 – 80% occupancy. There seems to be sufficient beds for students, but they are in disrepair. The most recent student exit survey saw renovations topping the list of concerns for those living in residence. This disrepair is also a leading reason for students to choose off-campus housing. They are choosing newer, fresher accommodations even when the price-point is similar. Thirty years of wear and tear has resulted in the need for a full-scale renovation to extend the lifespan of these facilities for an additional 30 years.

Major renovations on both campuses and the moderate expansion of residence spaces on the Vermilion campus would increase Lakeland’s ability to serve student needs, significantly enhance the student experience, and enable the College to ensure appropriate access to education at both locations.

4. WHT Mead Building - project underway

As the third oldest post-secondary institution in Alberta, aging infrastructure is a problem at Lakeland’s Vermilion campus where the college began operations in 1913. Labs, classrooms, technology, and service spaces are out-of-date and enrolment growth has created cramped learning spaces. To create high quality, environmentally friendly learning environments that increase student access to our programs and provide additional meeting spaces for internal and external purposes, Lakeland needs to revitalize the Vermilion campus.

Renovations to the WHT Mead Building is essential to continue this phased approach to revitalization. This building, built in 1964, has significant challenges to the core of the building as well as providing appropriate and sufficient teaching spaces to meet current and projected enrolment growth. The majority of the classes in the building are for the School of Agricultural Sciences programs. The school has seen a 100% increase in enrolment in the last nine years and desperately needs additional classroom space to meet student demand. Further building renovations would address air quality concerns, update the HVAC system, and allow for exterior retrofits and asbestos mitigation. Modernization would also create an opportunity to equip the space with appropriate energy-efficient lighting, equipment, and ventilation to reduce the College’s carbon footprint. A modernized learning environment is critical to College goals relating to enrolment growth and efficiencies in operational costs. This project is expected to extend the life of the building by 30 years.

Revitalization of the Vermilion campus is important to students as well as other stakeholders in the community and province. Lakeland creates value in many ways including influencing the lives of students, providing employment for hundreds of people, supplying businesses with skilled workers, contributing to innovation through applied research, and sharing its facilities with the community.

Project Title Brief Description

Vermilion Campus Revitalization –(Phase 3 – 5)

-Student Commons

-Bentley Building

-Alumni Hall

Project Scope and Strategic Context

Project Scope Strategic Context

Expected Outcomes

Lakeland College continues an extensive modernization plan for the Vermilion Campus. This phased project has already gained excellent momentum in its effort to accommodate increased student numbers, create a modern learning environment and address aging infrastructure to continue our progress for the 2030 campus.

• This project is phased over several years to maximize ability to self-fund where appropriate.

•Revitalization and modernization to meet essential needs for student teaching, technology and growth

• Sustainable systems that will extend the useful life of these spaces.

• .Space modernization to meet current technology and program needs for the future.

This project is in line with Lakeland’s goals of promoting enrolment growth, creating an appropriate environment to accommodate teaching and learning objectives and ensuring students are job ready for industry.

StudentManaged Farm Revitalization

The Student-Managed Farm is the core element of Lakeland’s approach to student-managed learning. This award-winning concept is showing the signs of 30 years of active learning and requires infrastructure and technological updating and sustainable management systems to set the tone for the future.

Residence Redevelopment Project

Lakeland College is planning to modernize and update its aging residences to increase the lifespan of the building

• this project is phased over several years to maximize ability to self-fund where appropriate.

• Revitalization and modernization to meet essential needs for student teaching, technology, bio-security, and animal safety.

• Sustainable systems that will extend the useful life of all buildings and infrastructure on the Student-Managed Farm.

• Phased project, over 3-5 years to complete all deferred maintenance needs.

• Revitalization and modernization to meet essential needs for student success

• Sustainable systems that will extend the useful life of all residence buildings.

This project is in line with Lakeland’s goals of promoting enrolment growth, creating an appropriate environment to accommodate teaching and learning objectives, and ensuring students are job ready for industry.

• Improved teaching and learning space to accommodate growth in enrolment.

• Capital improvements to space that will address deferred maintenance concerns and establish these buildings as new.

Phase 2

Construction is underway to modernize and moderately increase the footprint to its Agriculture Sciences Building to accommodate the significant increase in student numbers and programs experienced in the last 10 years as well as meet enrolment growth.

• This project will be phased to accommodate current student usage of this building.

• Revitalization and modernization to meet essential needs for student teaching and growth.

• Space modernization to meet current technology and program needs for the future.

Majot renovations on both campuses and the moderate expansion of residence spaces on the Vermilion campus would increase Lakeland’s ability to serve student needs, significantly enhance the student experience, and enable the college to ensure appropriate access to education at both locations

This project is in line with Lakeland’s goals of promoting enrolment growth, creating an appropriate environment to accommodate teaching and learning objectives and ensuring students are job ready for industry.

• A teaching space that contributes to demonstrate leading technology and practices for producers and industry.

• Provide a student experiernce that ensures job-ready skills.

• Sustainable systems that provide means to imrove operational efficencies.

• Provide well-maintained residences that are competitive in local markets.

• Sustainable building practices to address deferred maintenance concerns and oncrease life of buildings by 30+ years.

• Improved teaching and learning space to accommodate growth in enrolment.

• Capital improvements to space that will address deferred maintenance concerns and establish this building as new.

Vermilion Campus Revitalization -

WHT Mead Building – project underway

Budget and Projections

Statement of Expected Revenues and Expenses

Budget Narrative, Assumptions and Risks

Lakeland College is committed to using its resources responsibly and effectively to support the achievement of its mandate. Achieving excellence in instruction and work integrated learning, service delivery, promoting accessibility, affordability, and ensuring sustainability in the post-secondary educational sector are at the core of Lakeland’s financial and strategic planning processes.

The primary operational driver for Lakeland is student enrolment. Tuition and related fees (25%) and revenue from sales of services and products to students (15%) will normally increase directly with student numbers, and related instructional expenses will normally increase in the same direction (although not always at the same rate).

Until the COVID-19 pandemic, the College had been experiencing moderate enrolment increases. For the 2018-19 fiscal the College had 2,146 FLE students. However, this declined in 2019-20 to 2,032 and then to 1,901 in 2020-21, all due to the response to the pandemic. We anticipate a further decrease in 2021-22 to about 1,817 FLE students. In total, the College has had a 15% decline in enrolment since 2018-19, when the pandemic began. For 2022-23 we expect to hold the line, and perhaps have a small increase to 1,850 FLEs. We anticipate to be fully recovered by 2024-25. The current budget plan assumes a full reopening in the Fall of 2022 and a gradual return to ‘normal’ enrolments. A full recovery in international student enrolments is not expected until 2024. Tuition fees (rate) have been increased by an average of 4.9% for the 2022-23 fiscal year with projected increases of 3% each year thereafter.

Residence occupancy rates declined significantly over the last two years but we expect a modest recovery for 2022-23.

There have been no Alberta Government operating grant cuts for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 fiscal years. Lakeland did, however, receive approval for targeted enrolment grants for its Animal Health Technology and Health Care Aide programs. This expansion will be reflected in the next three years. Other than these, we project no operating grant increases or decreases for the subsequent years.

Donation revenue is most often restricted and only recognized as revenue when the related expense is incurred. Lakeland’s annual surplus will not usually vary with donation revenue. This is also true for major capital, renovations, and maintenance projects that are funded with government grants; the revenue is offset by a matching expense, and there is typically no effect on the annual surplus.

Investment income may fluctuate from year to year, but the operating investment fund is expected to generate a long-range average annual rate of return of approximately 3%. Year to year fluctuations are unpredictable. However, in the next few years, the College will begin drawing on its investments to fund campus revitalization, and therefore, investment income is expected to decline as projected in 2023-2024 and 2024-25.

The College will continue to seek education-related, revenue-generating opportunities to support a sustainable and stable operating environment.

To maintain a modest surplus budget, Lakeland will focus on improved cost effectiveness, process improvements, holding the line and/or reduction of discretionary spending, and a hiring restraint.

Given the current economic environment, fiscal restraint is prudent. Lakeland has held the line on growth in operating expenses and will continue to do so. In fact, the College reduced budgeted expenses by $12 million for its 2020-21 fiscal year. Despite this necessary fiscal restraint, certain increases to expenses are anticipated. An increase of $350 K for utilities expenses has been included in the 2022-23 budget to reflect anticipated increases in the federal carbon tax and increased gas and power rates. Negotiated bargaining association settlements in 2021-22 and anticipated settlements in 2022-23 are expected to increase salaries and benefits expense by about $1.5 million (full annualized impact in 2024-25). Lakeland also invested in new positions in 2022-23 to manage work-integrated learning, address workload issues, new programing, and other key strategic initiatives. Projections for materials and supplies expenses also include an increase in each year of 2% to account for anticipated inflation.

Merit increases automatically increase salaries and benefits for the College by about $50 K each year. Due to uncertainty regarding bargaining outcomes, projections include a 3% increase for salaries and benefits in each of two subsequent years. Cost of living and merit increases to administration, management and executive staff salaries are not permitted (frozen by Alberta Government in 2016), but his freeze may be lifted this year.

The restraint on operating expenses has resulted in anticipated surpluses of $3.5 million for 2021-22, and $665 thousand in 202223, and $114 thousand in 2023-24. These surpluses are needed to deal with the College’s aging infrastructure. The College received $6 million from the province for repairs to the Trades roof in 2017/2018, $1.2 million for revitalization of labs in the Academic Link in 2018/19, and $17.3 million to renovate its W.H.T MEAD Building in July 2020. These significant contributions were greatly appreciated and needed, but the College’s long-term capital plan indicates a total need of about $150 million over the next 20 years. The likelihood of receiving the bulk of this from the Government is low, so the College needs to generate sufficient surpluses to fund this high-priority initiative. Accordingly, all of Lakeland’s available surplus (including any in excess of the budget) was (and will be) placed in the Strategic Investment Fund to support the long-term revitalization of the College’s infrastructure.

The College’s leadership team has been closely involved in identifying sustainable expense reductions. Building a collaborative approach to strong financial management is core to Lakeland’s ability to deliver a fiscally responsible budget. Schools and departments have built and reviewed their budgets with the support of the financial services department. In addition, a cautious but realistic approach, based on past performance, has been used in projections of enrolment and revenue increases.

Lakeland College is actively engaged with other post-secondary institutions in collaborative forums such as Udigit, and APAS. The College is also collaborating with other Post-Secondary Institutions and continues to engage in shared services opportunities as they arise, including a shared CFO with Portage College, working with Portage College and the U of A Internal Audit to document our internal control frameworks and develop a monitoring plan, and shared IT support services with NAIT. Lakeland College will continue to seek opportunities to share best practices and resources to realize efficiencies in the post-secondary sector.

Lakeland College 2022-2023 Environmental Scan

STRENGTH: Dedicated People

Lakeland staff show a great commitment to all members of the College community. Without its engaged group of instructors, support, and administration employees, much of what differentiates the Lakeland experience would not exist. Lakeland staff are passionately committed to quality as noted in the College’s unique student-managed enterprises, excellence in athletics, and annual student, program, and staff national awards of excellence. Holistically, Lakeland people are the College’s greatest differentiator, and Lakeland is committed to them.

Students and employees describe the College as a family. This is evident in the staff’s interactions with students. Students have noted their sense of belonging and feeling welcomed by staff who take the time to know them by name. Students note the faculty’s commitment as they teach and support new learning experiences. Many learners provide stories of how a faculty member has gone the extra mile to support them in a crisis. Staff also support students in their extracurricular activities by providing mentorship opportunities and support clubs. The staff knows that Lakeland learners come here for a hands-on experience that will get them closer to a job. Helping students in their learning is Lakeland’s business.

Lakeland’s many long-serving staff members reinforce the College’s commitment to staff. In 2021-22, Lakeland celebrated many employees, six employees with 30 to 40 years at the College and 13 retirees. Lakeland College continues to enhance the work environment and ultimately support institutional sustainability by prioritizing employee health and safety, psychological wellness, and employee engagement. Lakeland has been recognized as one of Alberta’s Top 75 Employers for the past five years. In the annual employee engagement survey, many College employees continue to indicate sustainable success over what has been a challenging period.

STRENGTH: Cultural Belongingness

The Lakeland family strives to be inclusive and create a sense of belonging for all staff and students. Lakeland’s Belongingness Eco System is set up to recognize and enhance diversity, inclusion, equity, sustainability, and truth and reconciliation:

• When we discover how Lakeland contributes to good health and well-being, we consider our words and how they are communicated to each other.

• We are sensitive to how we interact with one another, attempting to understand and respect each other while regarding the items others bring to the table.

• We understand that our physical environment contributes to the overall atmosphere, so we do our best to ensure it is inclusive, warm, and welcoming.

• Every life at Lakeland is worthy of feelings and having their well-being considered. Therefore, crossfunctional teams are the means to provide a “voice” for all that will be affected by decisions at Lakeland.

• All members of the Lakeland family can help and give meaning to the cause or work activity.

The Lakeland community includes individuals from diverse backgrounds who work together for the institution’s success. This is done by understanding and respecting the different ideas and perspectives expressed. The continuous improvement becomes a way of life to ensure evaluative processes are effective through the lenses of integrity, learner success, and excellence. Lakeland seeks to grow and develop, meaning its people, structure, procedures, and systems evolve and change to ensure learning and innovation continue.

Lakeland has embraced the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (#57, # 62, #63, #64, and #65) to ensure that the Lakeland family understands and is provided educational opportunities to learn the history of Aboriginal peoples. Lakeland has also embraced the 17 Sustainable Development Goals to support graduates as they become better global citizens.

VALUES

Lakeland’s values are more than words on a poster; they guide the way the College conducts business and treats students, colleagues, and clients.

1. Learner Success

We empower learners to ignite and pursue their passion to reach their potential:

• Model lifelong learning

• Work with industry to create excellent employment networking opportunities

• Develop and implement leading-edge student programming

• Encourage and support learners towards achievement

2. Integrity

We hold ourselves and each other to a high moral and ethical standard with a commitment to uphold our Lakeland values:

• Exhibit honesty, responsibility, and accountability

• Work to understand and honour other people’s differences

• Celebrate success and learn from our mistakes

• Walk the talk

3. Respect

We honour others by demonstrating care and concern for their perspective and ideas:

• Lead by example

• Debate ideas – not people

• Actively engage

• Cultivate an environment of belongingness

• Promote a healthy work-life balance

We participate in our communities and foster mutually respectful relationships for the common good:

• Promote volunteerism

• Take care of one another

• Exemplify a positive attitude

• Develop the best in ourselves and others

• Provide first-class customer service

• Don’t accept the status quo

• Strategically collaborate

We encourage novel ideas, processes, and theories in support of sustainable outcomes:

• Find and support solutions to challenges

• Foster and promote creativity and future thinking

• Take calculated risks

4. Community

5. Innovation

STRENGTH: Beyond the Classroom

STUDENT-MANAGED LEARNING

Lakeland College’s continued work on being the most hands-on College in Canada remains a focal point of the student immersive learning experience. Lakeland’s academic departments continue to support some form of workintegrated learning into their curricula. This takes various forms, including work placements, practicum opportunities, internships, and Lakeland’s award-winning “student-managed” learning model. Student-managed learning is based on the premise that students learn best by applying their newly learned skills and competencies in authentic learning environments.

Lakeland’s best-known example of student-managed learning is its Student-Managed Farm - Powered by New Holland (SMF). This innovative teaching model puts students in the lead as they work under the guidance of faculty and industry mentors to manage all aspects of a multi-million-dollar commercial agricultural business. The farm consists of various agriculture enterprises, including a fully operational commercial-scale cropping enterprise, a commercial beef herd, a dairy unit, and a purebred Black Angus beef herd. Students are responsible for all farm operations and business decisions related to budgeting, marketing, and commodity buying/selling. It has been a remarkable success over the years and continues to provide an unmatched learning experience for agricultural students in Alberta and beyond.

Not only does the SMF allow students a real-life opportunity to apply all the technical and business skills they learn in the classroom, but it also shows that this teaching and learning model provides students with a perfect environment for developing some of the essential skills that are so highly sought after by employers such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

FOCUS ON THE INDIVIDUAL

Lakeland recognizes that every learner brings diversity in experience, interests, strengths, abilities, and learning styles, and the College fosters and supports learning environments where every student can succeed. To personalize instruction, Lakeland uses a variety of teaching styles, assessment tools, and technology tools, as well as piloting competency-based progression models. Additionally, small class sizes ensure that instructors know each student by name, what motivates them, and how to best support their educational goals. The learning culture at Lakeland College is personal.

COMMUNITY

Lakeland College has the advantage of two campuses – one in Vermilion, a small, rural community, and the other in Lloydminster, a growing city. Both communities are experiencing economic growth with the recent upturn in the economy, and new retail and industry developments are directly impacting the College’s programming.

Both campuses are poised to support this new economic growth. With its small-town atmosphere, the Vermilion campus is slated to double its veterinary assistant offerings and focus on value-added opportunities within Agribusiness Sales and Customer Relation programs. The work on this is in response to a call from the Alberta government for apprenticeship-style program submissions and was timely in that industry members had approached us for training as this is a serious labour market challenge. This program is intended to be nimble in addressing the needs of employers and students. Lloydminster is gearing up for new programming in energy, Barber certification, and marketing to support entrepreneurial activities with immersive learning experiences that add to the workintegrated learning opportunities offered at the College.

As the economy stabilizes, Lakeland College will continue to embrace program growth, renewal, and restructuring to keep pace with the labour market and support community growth. Adaptable by nature as a small rural community, Lakeland can embrace developmental needs as it expands to address regional, provincial, and global opportunities. Collaborative by nature and necessity, the College sees the partnership as the way of the future to provide more holistic experiences in programming, research, and system effectiveness. Poised to be responsive, Lakeland selects partnerships that create opportunities for student engagement, career bridging, and new learning experiences.

WEAKNESS: Red Tape

Lakeland College, and other post-secondary institutions, are concerned with the constantly increasing reporting and ‘accountability’ requirements that impose additional administrative burden – sometimes with very little or no added value. This is sometimes perceived as ‘red tape,’ mainly when it results in duplication or when it creates extra layers of bureaucratic review and approval that delay critical time-sensitive decisions, interfere with Board governance, and or unnecessarily increase administrative burden – especially in the current political environment where there is a focus on improving administrative efficiency. Some examples are:

• Lakeland College has a robust internal accountability and reporting process that provides the financial and student information needed to manage the operations of the College effectively. This includes a board approved budget, audited financial statements, monthly departmental financial reports (including year-todate and annual budget comparisons to actual), quarterly budget variance and forecast reports, quarterly investment performance reports, regular and timely enrolment reports, and quarterly tuition fee revenue reports. All other reporting requirements to the Ministry can be considered ‘red tape.’ All it really needs is the College’s board approved budget, audited financial statements, and quarterly financial and enrolment variance reports.

• Lakeland College is consolidated into the financial statements of the Ministry of Advanced Education. This requires the College to complete a complex consolidation template for the Ministry in mid-October and then update this in February with significant transactions to March 31. The Ministry also requires the College to use pro-forma financial statements that are basically identical in presentation to other institutions. So, in effect, the College has to ‘re-do’ its financial statements for the Ministry. A further complication is that the year ends of the College and the Ministry are different (June 30 for the College versus March 31 for the Ministry). The result of the asynchronous fiscal year-end creates an unnecessary administrative burden on all parties. From Lakeland College’s perspective, this results in a duplication of many year-end tasks, once for the consolidated entity and once for the College’s year-end. And, although materiality is higher for the Ministry, the College is audited twice – once as part of the Ministry in the spring and again as an independent entity in the summer. Furthermore, the auditors require confirmation of contingent liabilities for the Ministry and the College.

• Lakeland College is required to provide monthly forecast reports to the Ministry that include a comparison of year-to-date actuals to the budget with a forecast to year-end. However, this information is not used by the Ministry for consolidation (see above). Furthermore, the College conducts detailed and thorough budget and forecast reviews each quarter, and it is this forecast that is provided to the College’s Board. The College includes these forecasts in the monthly reports to the Ministry.

• The College also has other financial reporting requirements to the Ministry, including FIRS, D-cars, and program costing, which must be completed by mid-November of each year. It is not certain if this additional information, which takes considerable training and time to prepare, provides any cost-beneficial added value to the Ministry. It could simply be a matter of history or curiosity, or it could be another tool to ask about operational variances that do not affect strategic outcomes. Relevant summary strategic financial information is provided via the College’s financial statements. Although program costing allocations are quite arbitrary, the College uses this information for its program reviews (but with a specific focus on direct costs already available through its regular internal financial reporting).

• With the advent of Institutional Management Agreements and a tie to operating grant funding, a significant amount of time and energy is spent negotiating and establishing appropriate benchmarks. Additional reporting requirements have been added, resulting in a considerable increase in the administrative burden of post-secondary institutions.

• In recent times, post-secondary institutions have been subjected to generic, sector-wide recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General. Although these recommendations can be viewed as ‘value added’ in the main, their implementation has been time consuming and costly. The major recommendations included adopting an Enterprise Risk Management Framework, a Legislative Compliance Framework, and, more recently, the Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting Framework. These initiatives have required a significant investment in administrative resources, creating a problem, mainly when the Ministry focuses on reducing administrative costs in the sector.

• Cyber security is a significant issue for all of us, and the cost to address the ever-increasing risk posed by cyber threats is quickly becoming unaffordable. Much of the cost falls upon the administrative side of the institution. Supplier setup now requires direct confirmation by Finance with a senior person with the Supplier – this sometimes adds days to the setup process and adds pressure to already fully utilized staff. Cyber insurance is increasing exponentially, and the requirements of those willing to provide such insurance are increasing, which adds to the College’s administrative burden. Furthermore, the Office of the Auditor General is focusing much of its attention on this area, which could result in significant duplication. For instance, the College engaged a third party to review its general information technology control environment and provide recommendations for improvement – another review by the OAG would be unnecessary.

• Much of the ‘red tape’ was recently created by the Reform of Agencies, Boards, and Commissions Compensations Act (RABCCA). Extensive reporting and negotiating are required to comply with the Act. Alberta’s post-secondary institutions believe that compensation constraints, as outlined in RABCCA, and other salary constraint regulations are stifling their ability to attract and retain leaders, thereby impacting their ability to drive economic growth and long-term prosperity in Alberta.

With the Ministry’s constantly increasing reporting and accountability requirements, some may consider the most important and significant duplication to be the governance of post-secondary institutions. Who has oversight responsibility for a post-secondary institution? The Ministry or its Board of Governors? Has the Ministry’s increasing involvement in operations and strategic decision-making made our Board of Governors redundant?

Ministry Reporting plays a critical role in Lakeland’s business; however, the demand for further reporting takes valuable time away from a student’s immersive experiences.

WEAKNESS: Infrastructure and Maintenance

Innovation in teaching and learning is a priority for Lakeland. To continue this work, modern learning environments of an appropriate size for a growing student base are essential. Renovation, maintenance, and capital expansion funding lag behind the College’s infrastructure needs.

After coming through the pandemic, the price of doing business is increasing, and construction costs have escalated by 30% with no clear end in sight. In addition, supply chain issues compound this with profound effects on schedule. Continuing with Lakeland’s plan to update learning spaces will increase opportunities for students to explore innovative ideas, test different systems, and collaborate with classmates and instructors to bring their education to life. In addition, the College’s high-touch “living” labs require specialized attention to continue providing exceptional learning and building on Lakeland’s award-winning approach to experiential learning.

Systematic approaches to regular maintenance, project management, and project execution ensure operational efficiencies that will support long-term plans and goals. Lakeland College continues to design long-term strategies for all routine maintenance and capital requirements for buildings and infrastructure. By understanding Lakeland’s needs today and developing practical predictions for the future, the College can approach its responsibilities systematically and with responsible spending plans.

OPPORTUNITY: International Students

Lakeland is integral in supporting community growth, which is critical in economic recovery. Lakeland supports rural sustainability and provides educational opportunities for local and regional training. While Lakeland’s educational programming offers necessary immersive learning experiences, the needs of sector communities and industry provide the framework to ensure graduates are job ready. The College supports local economic development and innovation by responding to regional markets. With a solution-based focus, Lakeland supports industry and seeks community, provincial, national, and global partnerships to enhance innovation.

As Lakeland connects with partners and seeks to support gaps in new skills, reskilling, and upskilling, there is a need for new employees in Alberta and Canada. Lakeland needs to continue offering international students learning opportunities on its campuses.

Lakeland has supported economic growth in rural Alberta for over 108 years. Most of Lakeland’s learners come from rural communities and return to rural communities after completing the program with the skills required to succeed in the rural labour market. The College works closely with rural municipalities, regional economic development organizations, and business and industry leaders who are recruiting skilled employees to rural areas and supporting economic growth in rural communities. Lakeland’s programming pillars in agricultural sciences, energy, trades and technology, business, and environmental sciences all support industries that are the backbone of rural Alberta.

Lakeland is conscious of its communities’ needs and will work with the region to bring in international students to support and help communities grow. Pre-pandemic, Lakeland planned to increase its international student numbers to 300 full-time students. 2022-23 will be a transitional year to ensure growth opportunities, new programming plans, and community support to encourage further international student growth.

Opportunities exist for training and research in emerging rural economic drivers, including the uncrewed vehicle, defense, and renewable energy sectors. Lakeland College is well-positioned geographically and strategically to support these emerging sectors. Opportunities also exist around rural social priorities, including mental health and addiction support and in human services fields that help children, youth, and seniors.

Lakeland College continues to work closely with the Community Adult Learning Councils in its region to enhance access to foundational and other life-long learning opportunities for rural learners, including new Canadians. Lakeland also uniquely prepares rural learners to transition to larger urban centres for employment or further education. Lakeland’s university transfer department is an extremely valuable starting point for learners beginning their degree programs. Students can spend up to two or more years at the College before moving on to larger universities in urban settings. Lakeland is increasingly becoming a post-secondary destination for foreign learners wanting to transition into the Alberta labour market as the number of international students studying at the College continues to grow. Many of these learners stay and work in rural communities after graduation.

OPPORTUNITY: Alumni Engagement

Lakeland has a strong, committed alumni base who are excited to support their alma mater through volunteerism, offering advice or opinion, and leveraging their connections to advance relationships for partnerships with donors, government, and industry.

Increasing alumni engagement in a post-pandemic world is an opportunity for Lakeland College to purposefully develop systems around stimulating a two-way conversation with this important group through “new methods” like social media, blog posts, or other technology solutions or through traditional activities like on-campus and offcampus events, industry event attendance, program advisory committee consultations, or community stakeholder events. Lakeland seeks to increase alumni engagement by approaching alumni with opportunities to provide advice, engage in micro-volunteer opportunities on social media, or mentor students. Leveraging new traditions like the President’s Circle of Young Alumni is key to celebrating Lakeland leaders and creating a natural group of alumni to continue conversations well into the future.

OPPORTUNITY: Innovative Technology

Technology, in the classroom, for research, and in operations, continues to be an essential component of a modern teaching environment. Lakeland College is undergoing a technology revitalization to modernize its education, research, and service delivery approach.

Implementing various virtual and remote technologies with collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams and utilizing

remote virtual software that no longer requires traditional computer labs has opened the door for more innovative approaches to teaching allowing for increased capacity and enrollment. The design and implementation of interactive digital learning assets to support course content development will support traditional and online delivery models. The exploration of the addition of virtual reality and artificial intelligence in the curriculum will continue to advance Lakeland’s world-class teaching model.

Increased infrastructure for the College’s farm and buildings has increased the opportunities for greater external research projects and for existing students to explore technological innovations in their field of study.

Moving Lakeland’s campus to a more digitized experience allows operational teams to create efficiencies in their workloads by adopting workflows, collaborative technologies, and improved user experiences with our programs and departments.

OPPORTUNITY: Student Recruitment and Engagement

Increasing student recruitment and engagement to pre-pandemic numbers will allow Lakeland College to continue offering world-class education to more learners. Lakeland will maximize recruitment efforts by utilizing digital and in-person promotional strategies to increase inquiries and applications. Ongoing creation and adjustments to workflows in Lakeland’s customer relationship management software will enhance and automate communications where appropriate. Streamlining these efforts ensures our employees have time for more conversations with our many audiences and provide the supportive services Lakeland is known for.

Continued focus on improving website performance and targeted digital advertising strategies have increased domestic inquiries and applications. Refining and analyzing the type, timeliness, and effectiveness of communication we have with prospective students throughout the recruitment process will also help grow enrolment. Lakeland is building a longer-term approach to recruitment to reach desired enrolment targets, and the plan to support that will improve Lakeland’s ability to meet student needs in the future.

OPPORTUNITY: Applied Research

Lakeland College engages in applied research to increase the competitiveness of the agriculture industry, support student learning outcomes, and enhance social, environmental, and economic outcomes in Alberta, Canada, and the world.

Lakeland is located within the Parkland region, where crop and livestock operations are a prominent part of the economy, providing unique opportunities for the College to deliver science-based knowledge and solutions that directly benefit the agriculture industry. Research initiatives support Alberta’s future economy by helping industry partners capitalize on new opportunities, advancing agriculture practices and technologies, finding solutions to current challenges, and then transferring that knowledge to agri-business farms and ranches through extension and demonstration activities.

Many projects involve strong collaborations and partnerships with government and industry partners, producer commissions, and funders and focus on addressing industry issues and barriers, developing new technologies, and supporting new product development.

Through applied research, Lakeland provides learning opportunities that increase student-led learning, maximize student engagement, and build important skills contributing to innovation, economic development, and the province’s skilled workforce. Lakeland’s unique facilities and infrastructure serve as a demonstration site for crops, livestock, forage, and ag technology research representing the best management practices in production, management, and sustainability.

As Lakeland continues to develop and strengthen its research capacity, there are significant opportunities to contribute to the sustainability, competitiveness, and profitability of the agriculture industry and climate change mitigation and regenerative agriculture. Lakeland will strengthen technology transfer and the adoption of research at the farm level with applied research, information, and tools that are adaptable, practical, and lead to best management practices. Existing areas of research strength will be enhanced through strategic research alliances and networks and strategic investments in infrastructure and expertise.

CHALLENGE: Emerging from the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting social implications impacted all levels of operations at Lakeland College. The uncertainty related to ongoing operations, appropriate protocols, and ensuring campus community safety created a considerable workload and overall impact on operating costs. Operating in a worldwide pandemic was not a scenario that was forecast. Resulting expenses related to added cleaning protocols, PPE, and other educational and office technology all impacted current and future workflow.

Lakeland and the entire post-secondary sector have demonstrated remarkable adaptability in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020. The system was notified on March 15, 2020, about canceling all in-person classes. By the next day, Lakeland’s first set of programs transitioned to online delivery, and by the end of that week, the entire College had made that transition. This effort continued throughout the summer as plans and preparations were made for the 2020-21 academic year. In 2021, Lakeland College was one of the only institutions in Alberta to welcome all students back on campus for blended program delivery emphasizing in-person training where possible. By the end of September 2021, the institution was preparing plans for the majority of the student to return to online activities, given the state of the province. For the remaining 2021 and spring of 2022, 90% of its students experienced in-person academic activities.

Lakeland is an organization that cares deeply about its people. The pandemic affected individual morale, increased feelings of loneliness, and created an additional workload for many staff as many needed to change work patterns to serve students and other departments.

Increased costs attributable to COVID-19 are projected to exceed $2 million in the 2020-2021 fiscal year. In addition, reduced revenues from tuition, residence, and direct industry training are creating uncertainty in current and future planning for Lakeland.

Enrolment at Lakeland had increased by about 12% between 2013-2014 and 2018-2019, and there is now evidence from 2019-2020 and into 2020-2021 that those enrolment gains started to reverse. Nevertheless, Lakeland forecasts that the 2022-23 year will start a transition in which enrolment numbers will continue to increase. The spring of 2022 shows signs of student numbers increasing in new Trade intakes.

POST-PANDEMIC PERCEPTIONS

Lakeland understands that COVID-19 has changed the world in many ways. In particular, students and staff members have new expectations and make new learning and work choices. Two years of online interaction may also challenge student and staff re-engagement.

Online learning has proven successful for some learners and highlighted deficiencies in other student learning experiences. Increasing student support will be needed to ensure learners are ready to progress. Study skills, test taking, and learning activities will require a change to ensure students are engaged and have the needed skills to advance their education. Students have been free to study anywhere at any time; will some choose not to return to in-person learning?

Concerns are also anticipated around the need for staff re-engagement. Will staff members have different work expectations?