NorQuest College - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

NorQuest College is a publicly-funded community college

Community college

A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...

in Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The student body numbers over 10,000, with 3,000 full-time and 7,000 part-time students. More than 2,000 students graduate each year.

History

NorQuest College was established in 1965 by the Government of Alberta as Alberta Vocational Centre(AVC), and started with four classrooms serving 60 students. The student body grew to 550 in 1966, then to 2,300 in 1972. AVC became NorQuest College in 1998. Around 10,000 students are enrolled in programs (on campus, at learning sites, online or through worksites) each year. The college serves approximately 1.3 million Albertans across its region.

Governance

The institution is governed by a board composed of 14 members, of which 10 are public members appointed by Alberta's Lieutenant Governor; three are elected by the college (including one student, one staff and one faculty) and appointed by the Minister of Advanced Education & Technology; and the President and CEO is automatically appointed.

Campus

The college has four campuses, two in Edmonton (downtown

Downtown Edmonton

Downtown Edmonton is bounded by 109 Street to the west, 105 Avenue to the north, 97 Street to the east, 97 Avenue, 100 Avenue, and Rossdale Road to the south and Jasper Avenue to the southeast , though many people consider part or all of the surrounding neighborhoods to be part of downtown...

and Westmount), one in Stony Plain

Stony Plain, Alberta

Stony Plain is a large town in rural Alberta, Canada, just west of Edmonton.Stony Plain is a rapidly growing town with strong historical roots. It is located west of Spruce Grove and surrounded by Parkland County. The town is governed by one mayor and six councillors. The region is dominated by...

and one in Wetaskiwin

Wetaskiwin, Alberta

Wetaskiwin is a small city in the province of Alberta, Canada. The city is located south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word wītaskīwin-ispatinaw , meaning "the hills where peace was made"....

.Additionally, community learning sites are located in Camrose

Camrose, Alberta

Camrose is a city in central Alberta, Canada, amid some of the richest farmland in the prairies. It is a relatively small city which originally grew up along a railroad and now grows along Highway 13. Camrose is a scenic community with many parks, leading to its moniker "The Rose City"...

, Drayton Valley, Edson

Edson, Alberta

Edson is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada. It is located in Yellowhead County, west of Edmonton along the Yellowhead Highway and east of the intersection with Highway 47.- History :left|thumb|200px|Welcome Sign...

, Hinton

Hinton, Alberta

Hinton is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada.It is located in Yellowhead County, northeast of Jasper and about west of Alberta's capital city, Edmonton, at the intersection of Yellowhead and Bighorn Highway, in the Athabasca River valley.-History:...

, Jasper

Jasper, Alberta

Jasper is a specialized municipality in western Alberta, Canada. It is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies in the Athabasca River valley....

, Westlock

Westlock, Alberta

Westlock is a town in central Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1913, the town is primarily an agricultural, business, and government administration centre serving communities and rural areas within surrounding Westlock County.- Geography :...

, and Whitecourt

Whitecourt, Alberta

Whitecourt is a town in Alberta, Canada within Woodlands County. It is located northwest of Edmonton and southeast of Grande Prairie at the junction of Highway 43 and Highway 32 and has an elevation of ....

.

Through its distance learning network, the college reaches over 200 communities in Canada, from British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

to Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

Programs

In addition to health care, allied health, human services, business and industry career programs, NorQuest offers expertise in adult literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL), intercultural education, Aboriginal education, academic upgrading, and learner supports for students with disabilities.

The college offers career diplomas and certificates as well as preparatory programs. Programs are offered full-time, part-time, online, and hybrid of online and in-person.

NorQuest is the largest provider of practical nurse training and health care aide training in Canada; and has the largest number of ESL and academic upgrading students in Northern Alberta.

NorQuest supports Centres of Excellence in Print Media, Learning Supports and Intercultural Education, while Aboriginal Learning and Continuing Care Education are currently under development.

Future

Part-time learning opportunities through Continuing Education and Open Studies are a major area of focus for expansion in the college. Many classes may already be taken part-time in the evenings, and this is expected to increase.

External links