President’s Message

Tyler Bendfeld, a carpentry apprentice, won a silver medal at the Skills Canada National Competition.

Our 104th academic year was a year to remember.

A year that saw us:

• win competitions and claim championships • adapt to changing health guidelines • serve almost 6,000 credit and non-credit students, supporting them in and beyond the classroom

• and continue to offer an award-winning education that ensures our students are job ready when they graduate. Hands-on learning has always been our focus. Despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19, we were able to successfully continue to offer programs on campus and in person, as safely as possible. This year 79 per cent of our programs offered work-integrated learning within their curriculum.

So, whether our students came to Lakeland this year to build a business, run a farm, put out fires, or work in environmental sustainability, they learned by doing. We continued to offer more than 50 programs to meet the needs of industry as well as our region and provincial economy. And we launched several new programs, including the bachelor of agriculture technology, the first of its kind in Canada. More than 40 agricultural organizations were consulted to create this program.

We also launched:

• an agricultural sustainability diploma • a post-bachelor certificate in commercial agriculture production • and sustainable energy micro-credentials.

Our programs are vetted through our industry partners and advisory committees. And with their support, we continued to develop new programs that will be available in 2022-23, including:

• business administration marketing major • barber certificate

• pre-employment automotive services certificate • and a re-imagined agribusiness diploma featuring five streams. It includes value-added features to accommodate the changing needs of the food industry. With the support of the Government of Alberta, we also have the opportunity to expand enrolment in our animal health technology and health care aide programs. COVID-19 played a significant factor in full load equivalents (FLEs) dropping to 1,901 in 2020-21. This year, FLEs increased to 1,970. We continued to invest in the spaces and places needed for our students to excel. The Agriculture Technology Centre opened in September 2021. Located at the Vermilion campus, it is home to the bachelor of agriculture technology program and ag tech applied research activities. It’s a space that cultivates learning, exploring and understanding, and is where our students and researchers are at the forefront of the high-tech advancements in agriculture. The modernized and expanded WHT Mead Building will open in September 2022. We appreciate the support we’ve received from government, donors and funding partners for these and other initiatives.

Our students and employees demonstrated exceptional leadership and excellence throughout the year:

• Tyler Bendfeld, a carpentry apprentice, won a silver medal at the Skills Canada National Competition in Vancouver • Khyler Yockey, a clinical esthetician student, also reached the national podium, winning bronze • Dr. Brenda Ralston, a livestock research scientist, received the 2022 Alberta Farm Animal Care Award of Distinction • Our external relations team won a 2022 Circle of Excellence Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. They were recognized with a bronze medal for their production of Excel, the college’s alumni magazine. Our Rustlers experienced excellence on and off the field. Our teams won multiple Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) medals and our women’s basketball team won a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association bronze. We’re proud that we had six Academic All Canadians, who excelled in their sport and in academics. The Rodeo Team continued its dominance, winning five championship buckles at the Canadian College Finals Rodeo. We cheered on alumni Scott Guenthner and Kolby Wanchuk as they competed in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December. And Rustlers Nation expanded with the addition of a women’s hockey team. We welcomed new members to our board of governors, including Dr. Sean Lessard and Dean Fahselt. We said thanks and farewell to outgoing board chair Scott Webb, whose last official duty as chair was speaking at the opening of the Agriculture Technology Centre. Adam Waterman became the board chair Sept. 29, 2021. Members of our Indigenous Student Committee created a new land acknowledgment for our campus community. Development is underway for a Belongingness Ecological System meeting human needs including diversity, inclusion and belonging. We developed new partnerships with other post-secondary institutions, including a new degree transfer pathway with the University of Alberta.

Our research team grew with a new director, researchers, and staff - all who offer real solutions to real challenges and new opportunities to help producers and industry. Exciting research projects continued at Lakeland, thanks to Results Driven Agriculture Research; Alberta Innovates; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s Applied Research and Technology Partnership grant; Alberta's Research Capacity Program; Canada Foundation for Innovation; and our other partners. There were 36 active projects and 56 products, processes, and services developed or enhanced in 2021-22.

Our work supports the Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs strategy. We strengthen the economy and support rural sustainability in numerous ways, including:

• providing quality programming, from foundational learning to apprenticeship training and micro-credentials to degrees. • ensuring that students in our region can access post-secondary education close to home, as well as attracting students from across Canada and internationally. • sharing our facilities and services with our community and region. • providing skilled graduates for the workforce, ready to contribute. And most do. In our 2022 graduate outcome survey, 91 per cent of respondents were employed. • employing a large local workforce. For the sixth consecutive year, we were named one of Alberta’s Top 75 Employers. • and adding more than $130 million to the regional economy through our operations, student spending and alumni impact. Lakeland College is many things to many people. It is a place of learning and collaboration and a place that fosters creativity and innovation with its world-class academics and industry-changing research. By remaining focused on our mission, vision and values, we have ensured that Lakeland continues to be a safe, dynamic and world-class place for our students to gain the hands-on learning they need to succeed. As we remain focused on our values of integrity, respect, excellence, community, innovation and learner success, there’s much we can accomplish together.

[Original signed by Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart]

President and CEO Lakeland College