Southern Alberta post-secondary institutions sign partnership agreement

By Lethbridge Herald on April 2, 2026.

Herald photo by ALEJANDRA PULIDO-GUZMAN President and CEO of Lethbridge Polytechnic Brad Donaldson, interim president of Red Crow Community College Sinopaaki- Samantha Fox, president and CEO of Medicine Hat College Kevin Shufflebotham and President and vice-chancellor of the University of Lethbridge Digvir Jayas, sign a partnership agreement Wednesday at the University of Lethbridge.

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman

Lethbridge Herald

The University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge Polytechnic, Red Crow Community College, and Medicine Hat College have partnered to enhance higher education in southern Alberta through collaborative efforts. 

During a ceremony at the University of Lethbridge Wednesday, representatives of each institution signed a partnership agreement, that will create a shared vision for the future of higher education in the region and further solidify southern Alberta as a destination for post-secondary learners.

 The alliance’s Blackfoot name, Innakotsiiysinni (respect for others), reflects the shared goals and mutually supportive nature of the agreement.

President and CEO of Medicine Hat College, Kevin Shufflebotham said the idea for the partnership originated from the question if institutions in southern Alberta could work together to support students. 

“Long gone are the days that we can act independently. We need to work together, collaborate, and if we put the student at the centre, I think we can really support that,” said Shufflebotham. 

He said there is a lot of transferability between the various institutions, and therefore the opportunity for students to move seamlessly through them just makes sense. 

Lethbridge Polytechnic president and CEO, Brad Donaldson said from a student perspective, it’s an amazing thing, but also from a regional perspective. 

“We’re able to grow and develop talent in our region that we’re able to keep here and contribute to the social and economic growth of the region,” said Donaldson. 

He shared that Shufflebotham mentioned the idea of a partnership to him to receive some feedback, and then the conversation branched out to Red Crow Community College and the university. 

“And everybody was just like let’s go, let’s get this done, and here we are,” said Donaldson.

The partnership will focus on four specific areas of collaboration, including academic programs, research, student supports and regional stewardship.

 Academic programs will feature clear articulation pathways between institutions that encourage student mobility, with interdisciplinary programs jointly developed to meet regional needs.

 Research projects will encourage the sharing of facilities and expertise as well as joint applications for research funding.

 Student support services and facilities will be enhanced through shared resources and jointly developed initiatives promoting student well-being and success.

 Regional stewardship involves the collection and sharing of information and knowledge between institutions, while leveraging resources and building collective capacity. The goal is to determine, prioritize and then enable educational access to the full spectrum of learning opportunities available to learners.

Interim President of Red Crow Community College, Sinopaaki – Samantha Fox said this partnership reflects something truly unique, a university, college, polytechnic and Indigenous college coming together with a shared purpose in one region. 

“By working collaboratively, we are strengthening pathways for students and positioning southern Alberta as a distinct and compelling destination for post-secondary education,” said Fox.

She shared that she went back to school as an adult learner and her education journey involved two of the institutions within the partnership. 

“I started at Red Crow Community College as an adult learner, and I transitioned to the University of Lethbridge after I completed the two plus two arts and science,” said Fox. “But back then, there weren’t so many supports in place, but today we want to look forward to ensuring our students have that pathway.”

President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lethbridge, Digvir Jayas said the partnership was developed to support students and develop collaborative research that will support the economic development in southern Alberta. 

“Students can complete their total education all the way from learning the foundations and fundamentals to a PhD, and still stay in southern Alberta,” said Jayas. 

He added that on the research side, there are many capabilities that each of the institutions has for research. 

“The research project could be conceived as a group, and part of it could be done in the university, part could be done at the college, part could be done as a polytechnic, or part could be done at the Community College,” said Jayas. 

The partners plan to meet two to three times per year to discuss action items and evaluate progress.