Grande Prairie Regional College
Coordinates: 55°10′35.37″N 118°48′4.67″W / 55.1764917°N 118.8012972°W
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| Type | Public University |
|---|---|
| Established | 1966 |
| President | Don Gnatiuk |
| Students | 2,000+ |
| Address | 102-10632 102 Avenue Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6J8, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada |
| Campus | Urban |
| Sports teams | GPRC Wolves |
| Colours | black White & Red |
| Nickname | GPRC |
| Affiliations | AUCC, Canadian Colleges Athletic Association, CIS, UArctic, ACU, Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference, Alberta Association of Colleges & Technical Institutes, |
| Website | gprc.ab.ca |
Grande Prairie Regional College, often abbreviated GPRC, is a comprehensive community college with two campuses Grande Prairie and Fairview, Alberta. Over 2,000 students in credit programs, and over 6,000 in workforce training and recreational programs, attend GPRC and Fairview College Campus annually. The college offers a number of apprenticeship and academic programs including certificates and diplomas, university studies, academic upgrading, and workforce development courses in various subjects. GPRC is also a member of the Alberta Rural Development Network.
History
Grande Prairie Regional College was opened as the Grande Prairie Junior College in 1966. In 1970, the college was renamed to its current version.
In 1974, classes were first started in a new facility designed by Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal. In 1991, phase II of the college, designed by architects Field, Field, and Field, was officially opened. In continuation to support the Aboriginal roots of the college, there are many monuments and displays which reflect this rich history from the surrounding communities.
From 1995 to 2005, GPRC offered its own Bachelor of Applied Forest Resource Management degree.
Academic programs
Collaborative programs with other institutions such as The University of Alberta allow for students to complete some bachelor degrees at GPRC including the Bachelor of Science - Agriculture or Food Business Management and the Bachelor of Science - Agriculture. Other degree programs require transferring to another institution to complete their degree after studying at the college. Some arrangements also allow for a student to start studies at another facility and complete their degree program at the college. In total, over 20 different routes for University Studies are offered, and 9 degrees can be completed at the college.[1]
Starting in the fall of 2012 GPRC started to offer a Secondary Education program on campus in collaboration with the University of Alberta. This is a great step for education in the north as High School teachers can finally be trained locally. It is also interesting that they have a unique minor of General Science for Rural Communities.
The college offers 13 certificate and diploma programs. Certificate programs usually require students to complete two semesters of courses, while diploma programs usually require four.
Academic upgrading is also offered, which allows individuals to pursue other learning opportunities such as grade 12 equivalency and general studies.
GPRC has an International Education Centre which offers students courses in English as a Second Language (ESL). Foreign students can also take credit-based college and university courses offered to Canadian residents.
GPRC's Workforce Development offers courses to the general public in a number of areas. Courses primarily focus on personal and professional development, and range from one-day courses to full credit programs.
GPRC's Fairview Campus offers the only authorized training centre in Canada for Harley-Davidson® motorcycles.
Athletics Program
GPRC's sports teams are collectively known as the "GPRC Wolves" and compete in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. The college's sports programs has men's and women's teams that compete in basketball, curling, cross-country running, soccer, and volleyball. The Wolves also field a mixed team in curling. In the 2011/12 season, the GPRC Wolves women's curling team won gold at the ACAC championships and then won silver at the 2012 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Invitational Curling Championships in Peterborough, Ontario, which ran from March 21 to 24, 2012.[2] The Wolves Men's Volleyball team carries a strong tradition of winning in the ACAC and has received 2 silver and one bronze medal at CCAA Nationals.
Scholarships & Bursaries
The Government of Canada sponsors an Aboriginal Bursaries Search Tool that lists over 680 scholarships, bursaries, and other incentives offered by governments, universities, and industry to support Aboriginal post-secondary participation. GPRC scholarships for Aboriginal, First Nations and Métis students include: TransCanada Award for Aboriginal Student; BP Canada Energy Company Scholarship For An Aboriginal Student; ATCO Electric Bursary for an Aboriginal Student; Grande Prairie Regional College Financial Aid; TransAlta Aboriginal Educational Awards [3]
Campus Facilities
In 1974, classes were first started in a new facility designed by Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal. In 1991, phase II of the college, designed by architects Field, Field, & Field, was officially opened. In continuation to support the Aboriginal roots of the college, there are many monuments and displays which reflect this rich history from the surrounding communities.
GPRC's Grande Prairie campus includes a 500-seat theatre and double gymnasium. Both are often used to host some of the community events in Grande Prairie. The campus' student lounge, Howlers, also hosts weekend and evening entertainment often arranged by GPRC's student association. Bernie's coffee bar offers snacks and meals on campus. The student association runs a radio-style podcast called "The Tap," which replaced the student newspaper formerly known as The Tapestry.
The campus also includes a bookstore, climbing centre, and library with over 60,000 holdings.
GPRC's grounds have a view of the reservoir, and open onto Muskoseepi Park walking trails.
GPRC's Fairview Campus includes a theatre and gymnasium, both of which are frequent hosts to events organised by the college as well as community. There is a pool on campus that is jointly operated by the town and the college and is open to the public.
Residence
GPRC has on-campus student residences in Fairview and Grande Prairie. Student Village in Grande Prairie currently has space for 72 students, while Fairview's residence houses approximately 300.
See also
- List of agricultural universities and colleges
- Education in Alberta
- List of universities and colleges in Alberta
- Canadian Colleges Athletic Association
References
All facts, unless otherwise stated, are from Grande Prairie Regional College's web site
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grande Prairie Regional College. |
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