Year of evolution for Lethbridge Polytechnic

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on January 4, 2025.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Lethbridge Polytechnic president Brad Donaldson says the institution closes 2024 with a new designation, new name, new logo and it is looking forward to 2025 to implement their new strategic framework.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge Polytechnic says goodbye to 2024 with a new designation, new name, new logo and a fresh look at the incoming 2025. 

President Brad Donaldson says 2024 was a great year for Lethbridge Polytechnic, as the school began the year as Lethbridge College, received the designation of polytechnic in June. The new title became official in September.

“It was a journey to get recognition to what this institution is, a polytechnic,” says Donaldson. “One that provides programming and learning for graduates to go into the workforce and either start or continue their careers. The polytechnic designation identifies what we are, not what we want to become.”

He adds that applied research is a major component of polytechnic, and they are able to announce now that they are the tenth-highest funded college or polytechnic in the country.

“And as we changed into Lethbridge Polytechnic, we looked at our logo and our branding and launched a new logo in October, and it represents our past, present and our future,” says Donaldson.

He explains that the colours green and blue remained as part of the school’s logo, representing the transition of not only the geography of the plains to the sky with the mountains in the background, which is a new description, but also the change created by learning, which applies to both students and employees.

“The circle represents inclusion,” says Donaldson. “We are very focused and believe in an all-inclusive institution for those who choose to come here. And off course also recognizing our strong relationship on Blackfoot territory with the motif that surrounds the circle.”

Another highlight of 2024 was the school’s strategic framework, which was created this year and will launch at the beginning of January to provide direction going forward.

“Our vision is in it and it’s ‘preparing learners and shaping communities,’ the areas we need to focus on, which include the student experience, dynamic programming, exemplary employee culture to support that, and great community connections,” says Donaldson.

The strategic framework is a re-affirmation of why Lethbridge Polytechnic exists.

“It was important to clearly define those four areas, which are imperative because we must do them; they are not a suggestion nor a goal.” 

He says the strategic framework was a great learning opportunity, as it brought together people from throughout the organization and connected them with the community in terms of their input.

“It established a strong foundation and direction for us, and it will provide the guidance as we move for the next years,” says Donaldson.

Changing designation and names officially brought the chapter on Lethbridge College to a close, and the fall ceremony had its last graduates walking the stage to receive the very last diplomas displaying the Lethbridge College name.

“Graduation ceremonies are always wonderful, but our fall graduation was different,” sys Donaldson. “It also represented the evolution of us back in the days as Lethbridge Junior College, to Lethbridge Community College, to Lethbridge College and now Lethbridge Polytechnic.”

He adds that it reflects and represents the evolution of the institution in support of the communities and learners that they serve.

The school’s key challenge, along with all post-secondary institutions across the country, has to do with the changes implemented by the federal government in terms of international students.

“Starting in January, (government) felt the need to limit the number of international students that were coming into the country,” says Donaldson, “so there was a significant reduction in the number of study permits that would be issued.”

Government also limited the number of programs in colleges and polytechnics that would allow students to work beyond their graduation, which makes it challenging to understand what their student numbers are going to look like for the next year, starting September 2025.

“The reduction of students coming here, whether they be international or domestic, will have a financial impact on tuition and other fees and money that they would spend here at the Lethbridge Polytechnic,” says Donaldson. “So we are working through that right now to understand what that means, and it is still early in that analysis.”

One of the changes that took place within the programming at Lethbridge Polytechnic this year was the removal of the Surveying and Geospatial Engineering Technology, formerly known as Geomatics Engineering Technology, after suspending intake for Fall 2023 and allowing a couple of students to graduate as they had embarked on the three-year program option.

Donaldson says closing the program was a reflection of the responsibility to offer programs that have students who want to take them as well as an industry that is able to hire them.

“What we are seeing with advancing technology is that, that program no longer fits the need of the community that was serving.”

He says the responsible thing to do was to close that program and not make false promises to students who are looking for careers in that field.

“That will continue to happen,” says Donaldson. “programs will shift over time. The programs we taught 30 years ago are not the same we have today, and five years or 10 years down the road they will be different again in response to the need of the hiring community.”