Bow Valley College

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Bow Valley College
Bow-Valley-College-Szmurlo.jpg
Bow Valley College
Former name
Alberta Vocational Centre
TypePublic College (Canada)
Established1965
President Dr. Misheck Mwaba [1]
Chair, Board of GovernorsShannon Bowen-Smed
Administrative staff
500 [ citation needed ]
Students8,869 (2023-24 fulltime equivalent) [2]
Location
345 6th Avenue SE
Calgary
,
Alberta
,
Canada
Campus Urban
Colours   Blue
Affiliations CICan, Alberta Association of Colleges & Technical Institutes, CBIE
Website bowvalleycollege.ca
Bow Valley College.svg

Bow Valley College is a Canadian public, board-governed college located in Calgary, Alberta, operating as a comprehensive community institution [3] under the Post-Secondary Learning Act of Alberta. [4] The branch campuses are: Airdrie, Banff, Cochrane, Okotoks, and Strathmore. Bow Valley College is a member of the Alberta Rural Development Network and Colleges and Institutes Canada.

Contents

Bow Valley College had 8869 full-load equivalents in 2024. [5]

Programs

The college offers academic programs in a variety of areas including career training, university transfer courses, adult upgrading, and English language learning. The college is divided into specialized schools:

History

It was founded as the Alberta Vocational Centre in 1965. Since 1972, it has been located on 3rd Street and 6th Avenue Southeast in Calgary and continues to expand its footprint between downtown Calgary and the city's East Village.

In 1998, the college transitioned from a government-administered model to an autonomous, board-governed public college and adopted the name Bow Valley College to reflect the region (the Bow Valley) which the college serves.

In 2009, the college's Director of International Education was fired after allegedly diverting nearly $200,000 in alleged fraud. [7] From 2013-24 to 2023-24 the college increased their international student headcount from 532 to 3048. [8]

In 2013, Bow Valley College opened the Iniikokaan (Buffalo Lodge) Centre. It offers Elder advising for students, consultations, and spirituality resources, ceremonial smudge, culturally relevant speakers and information sessions. It is also a gathering place to study.

In 2013, the Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner found the college had failed to protect personal information following the leak of 189,300 students and 3,500 employee's information. [9]

In 2022, the Bow Valley College Centre for Entertainment Arts celebrated its grand opening. It offers diploma programs in Advanced Visual Effects (VFX), Advanced Film Production, Advanced 3D Animation and 3D Modelling, and Advanced Game Development.

In 2024, Bow Valley College's esports arena opened to students. [10]

Facilities

In May 2013, the college unveiled its new South Campus building on 6th Avenue Southeast. For almost a decade, the South Campus building hosted the Calgary operations of Athabasca University, Olds College Fashion Institute, and the University of Lethbridge. [11]

Beyond downtown Calgary, the college operates smaller campuses in the communities of Airdrie, Cochrane, and Okotoks, and offers academic and career education on a number of the region's Indigenous nations.

Scholarships

There are more than 300 awards and bursaries available for students through Bow Valley College. [12] Bow Valley College is committed to ensuring that all students are able to access the life-changing possibilities of an education free from financial stress and pressures. Many generous donors make an impact on the lives of students and help them reach their goals.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Collyer, Dave. "Bow Valley College's new President and CEO". Bow Valley College. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "FLE Enrolment by Institution and Sector for 2018-19 Forward" (PDF). Alberta Government.
  3. ↑ Government of Alberta. "Types of publicly-funded institutions". Alberta.ca. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  4. ↑ Post-Secondary Learning Act
  5. ↑ "FLE Enrolment by Institution and Sector for 2018-19 Forward" (PDF). Alberta Government.
  6. ↑ "CEA - Landing Page". cea.bowvalleycollege.ca. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  7. ↑ "College lost $189,000 in alleged fraud, auditor general reports". CBC News. 20 April 2009.
  8. ↑ "International headcount enrolment within the Alberta post-secondary education system". Alberta Government.
  9. ↑ "Failure to properly wipe or destroy computer servers results in unauthorized disclosure of personal information". Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  10. ↑ "Calgary's First Esports Arena Opens at Bow Valley College". Yahoo! Finance. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  11. ↑ "New South Campus Grand Opening". Archived from the original on 29 June 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  12. ↑ Bow Valley College Scholarships and Bursaries page

43°00′29.84″N81°16′18.82″W / 43.0082889°N 81.2718944°W / 43.0082889; -81.2718944

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