NorQuest College is a publicly funded

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada. The student body is approximately 10,900 full-time or part-time credit students, and approximately 8,500 non-credit or continuing education students. Approximately 1,600 students graduate each year.

History

NorQuest College, formerly Alberta Vocational College (AVC), was officially established by the

Government of Alberta The government of Alberta (french: gouvernement de l'Alberta) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Alberta. As a constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor—is ...

in 1965 with the primary objective of providing untrained and under-employed Albertans with the opportunity to develop skills required in an industrialized workforce. In 1965, AVC consisted of four academic upgrading classrooms, a space housing 60 business education students, a barber shop, a beauty culture lab, and a welding and equipment maintenance shop. There were additional programs offered at separate locations in Edmonton. With government plans to construct a central downtown site for the college in 1970, these programs would all be offered under the same roof by 1971 and total student enrollment would rise to 2,300 in 1972 from 550 in 1966. New programs were developed and existing programs expanded and revised to accommodate the educational needs of an increasing student body.

Governance

NorQuest College became board governed in 1998 and operates under the authority of the Post-secondary Learning Act and is responsible to the Minister of Advanced Education. The board has 14 members.

Campus

The college has one Edmonton campus in downtown, and a regional campus in

Wetaskiwin Wetaskiwin ( ) is a 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 ''wītaskiwinihk'', meaning "the hills where peace was made". Wetaskiwin is ...

. There are also two correctional institute campuses in the Edmonton area: high school credit courses and non-credit personal development courses are provided to inmates at the

Edmonton Remand Centre The Edmonton Remand Centre (ERC) is a correctional facility in Goodridge Corners, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The facility is operated by the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General of Alberta. The original correctional facility originally opene ...

and the

Fort Saskatchewan Fort Saskatchewan is a city along the North Saskatchewan River in Alberta, Canada. It is northeast of Edmonton, the provincial capital. It is part of the Edmonton census metropolitan area and one of 24 municipalities that constitute the Edmo ...

Correctional Centre; and employment training courses are offered at the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre. Approximately 150 students are taking these courses at one time.

Programs

NorQuest College offers diplomas and certificates as well as preparatory programs. Programs are offered full-time, part-time, online, and via a hybrid of online and in-person instruction. NorQuest College offers one of the largest and highly rated practical nursing programs within Canada. In addition to health, human services and business career programs, NorQuest offers adult literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL), intercultural education, Aboriginal education, academic upgrading, and learner supports for students with disabilities.

References

External links