Spring 2016
WINNING BUSINESS CASE Lakeland’s business case team – O’Neill, Don Shaw, Tony Gray, Tessa Lay and Michael Wirachowsky – were tasked with assessing the case for Lost Creek Angling Co.
Lakeland students take podium at Case Competition Five Lakeland College students are each $500 richer after competing in the Alberta Deans of Business college case competition. But it’s not the money that matters as much as it is the experience, according to Erin O’Neill. “It was the highlight of my diploma program. This is such a great opportunity for students, it gives you so much practical experience,” says O’Neill, captain of Lakeland’s team that placed second out of 13 post-secondary institutes in the competition. The competition sees each team enter a “war room” with a real-world business problem. In 10 hours, each team must come up with an analysis, solution and presentation, which they then submit to the judges. The following morning, each team must share a 12-minute presentation, then participate in a five-minute question and answer period with industry specialists.
“The competition and presentation you create with your team is as real-world as you can get,” says O’Neill. “This is such a great opportunity for students, it gives you so much practical experience. It makes me so proud to go to Lakeland. It shows the quality of the education we are receiving here and how passionate our instructors are. We are validating the hard work that they are doing too.” The 11th annual Deans of Business college case competition was hosted at SAIT in Calgary. This is the fourth time Lakeland’s team reached the podium. Lakeland College’s business administration diploma program features majors in accounting, general business, marketing, real estate appraisal and assessment, and small business and entrepreneurship.
1 800 661 6490 • lakelandcollege.ca Vermilion Campus • 5707 College Drive
Alberta, Canada
Lloydminster Campus • 2602 59 Avenue
CUSTOM RIDE It might not look like much yet, but when Tyler Sparrow is finished, this 1940 Fargo pick-up truck will be restored to mint condition. He’s learning to customize this vehicle thanks to Lakeland’s street rod technologies (SRT) program. This eight-month program covers automotive principles, applied restoration skills, a specialized lab and expert instructors. After graduation, SRT students are ready to challenge the autobody prepper apprenticeship exam, and can continue as an apprentice in this sector. Learn more at lakelandcollege.ca/srt.
Leading. LEARNING.
once-through steam generator (OTSG) for heavy oil training, Lakeland is offering more student-managed learning opportunities to students like Meagher. “You take what you learn in class and apply it in the lab at the Energy Centre,” says the 19-year-old. “There are five boilers in here and usually in every lab we run a different one. We do a different thing every time we are in here.” Before HOPE students are able to take the lead in the Energy Centre and produce up to 350 kilowatts of power for the campus grid, students first use the manual systems in Lakeland’s Husky Energy Power Engineering Lab. In their second year, students use the automated systems in the Energy Centre where the turbine is connected to the college and creates energy for the campus.
HOPE STUDENTS TAKE THE LEAD His day started at 7 am and for the duration of his four-hour lab shift in Lakeland College’s Energy Centre, Morgan Meagher and his team put pressure safety valves (PSVs) on boilers, among other tasks. “Every day in the Energy Centre you get to do something that you have never done before, so that’s pretty cool,” says Meagher, a second-year heavy oil power engineering (HOPE) student. The Energy Centre officially opened for learning at the Lloydminster campus in August 2015. As the only post-secondary institution in Western Canada to create an integrated power plant featuring a
The Energy Centre also includes a two-storey distillation tower which is used specifically for the oil portion of the lectures and labs HOPE students complete. While working in the Energy Centre, students take turns as the shift supervisor or engineer. Mirroring a real job site, this student-led opportunity enables them to not only put theory into action, but also build essential communication and team-based skills. In total, HOPE students must complete 200 hours of “firing time” in the lab, followed by a three-month practicum to gain industry experience to complete the last qualification for their 3rd class power engineering, before writing four government exams. “It’s a team environment, just like a job would be,” says Meagher. HOPE is a two-year diploma program that prepares students to challenge the provincial 4th and 3rd class power engineering exam for certification through the Alberta Boiler Safety Association (ABSA).
Campus NEWS
GROWING DONOR SUPPORT HELPS STUDENTS EXCEL Increasing donor support of Lakeland College’s student awards program is enabling more students to take the lead.
CARE GRADS HELP ECOSYSTEMS SURVIVE AND THRIVE By Mother Nature’s design, ecosystems are resilient. But with the increase in ecosystem disturbances caused by human activities such as mining, road construction, urban sprawl, oil and gas development, and agriculture, it’s crucial that there are people with specialized skills to help protect and restore ecosystems. Ecosystems are the focus of Lakeland College’s conservation and restoration ecology (CARE) major based at the Vermilion campus. “We focus on how ecosystems function. Students learn about the various elements of an ecosystem such as plants, animals, water, and soils,” says Robin Lagroix-McLean, program head of CARE. Students graduate with the skills to help organizations and businesses minimize and manage ecosystem disturbance. Graduates also understand the process of renewing and restoring an ecosystem after it’s been degraded, damaged or destroyed. “You can’t restore a habitat if you don’t know who uses it – who lives, eats, and sleeps there,” says Lagroix-McLean. One of the more specialized courses in the CARE major is riparian and wetland management. It’s a course that Lagroix-McLean believes is more important than ever due to the implementation of the new Alberta Wetland Policy which focuses on protecting, managing and restoring Alberta’s wetlands. “Our focus on wetlands is one of the strengths of the CARE major,” says Lagroix-McLean. CARE is one of four environmental sciences diploma majors offered at Lakeland College’s Vermilion campus.
A total of 896 recipients were recognized with awards, bursaries and scholarships valued at $1,013,658 in March during Lakeland’s donor award celebrations. Fifteen new awards were presented for the first time. In addition to the students recognized with awards, scholarships and bursaries at the celebrations, 486 Lakeland students benefited from the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship program, which distributed $242,366 in scholarships to eligible Saskatchewan high school grads. And there are still more awards to be presented to students before the 2015-16 academic year is done. In total, more than $1.3 million in awards, scholarships and bursaries is expected to be distributed among 1,440 Lakeland students this academic year, thanks to the generosity of longstanding donors and that of first-time donors.
2016 PRESIDENT’S GALA A SUCCESS FOR STUDENTS Friends of Lakeland College united in celebration of student success and helped to raise more than $30,000 for awards, scholarships and bursaries at the 2016 President’s Gala. Though the final numbers are still being tallied from the event, organizers are grateful for the incredible support garnered at the fourth annual President’s Gala on April 8. In the months leading up to the President’s Gala, students exercised their skills by providing live and silent auction items. Stephanie Wakefield, a university transfer pre-veterinary medicine student, and Lucas Tetreault, a heavy oil power engineering student, emceed the program. Students also welcomed guests, served the meal and assisted with the overall program. “This event is a tremendous opportunity for our college friends to find out what we mean when we say our students are in the lead,” says Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president of Lakeland College.
Program NEWS
ASL AND DEAF CULTURE STUDIES ADDING ONLINE OPTION Starting this fall Lakeland’s American Sign Language and Deaf Culture Studies program is adding an online option. Students can opt to take the certificate program face-to-face at the Alberta School for the Deaf in Edmonton or enrol in online courses. To learn more about Lakeland’s sign language programming, visit lakelandcollege.ca/human.
INTERIOR DESIGN TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM REACCREDITED BY NKBA Lakeland College’s interior design technology program once again met the stringent standards for National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) reaccreditation. Interior design instructors were notified in January that the program’s kitchen and bath curriculum met the educational standards established by the NKBA. It is currently the only NKBA accredited program in Canada and one of only 55 accredited programs in North America.
MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM APPROVED FOR CREDENTIAL
ACCEPTING HOOT APPLICATIONS
Lakeland College’s newly named community mental health certificate program has been officially approved by Alberta Advanced Education.
Lakeland will offer the heavy oil operations technician (HOOT) program again in the 2016-17 academic year.
Effective July 1, 2016, students will receive credit for completing this online certificate program – formerly named mental health practitioner. The program was first introduced as a non-credit program in 2014 to educate helping professionals and increase their knowledge, skill and ability to support those experiencing mental health challenges. Available only online, the community mental health certificate program has generated interest from students across Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. To be eligible for admission, candidates must have a post-secondary credential.
During the one-year certificate program, students learn in state-ofthe-art facilities, including the Husky Energy Power Engineering Lab, and prepare for provincial 4th class power engineering exams.
OPEN HOUSE
SAVE THE DATE!
OPEN HOUSE 2016: OCTOBER 21 & 22 BOTH DAYS, BOTH CAMPUSES! Pick a day to attend Open House and find out how Lakeland will put you in the lead! Take the first step towards a great future at Lakeland. Book a school tour!
lakelandcollege.ca/openhouse
BEGIN A DEGREE WITH LAKELAND Take your first step to achieving your career of choice by building your degree program at Lakeland. Our university transfer program features university-level courses taught by experienced faculty in classes averaging 25 students – the perfect equation for a more connected learning experience. Plus, we help you understand your transfer options and reach your career goals with one-on-one academic advising. You can complete your education at universities across the Prairies. Take charge of your future with our many degree pathways: