The Grande Prairie Regional College will be part of a “historic” announcement set to be made by the province on Tuesday. While no specific details have been made public, the announcement comes in the shadow of Red Deer College being granted polytechnic institute status on May 4th, something the GPRC has been looking to become for several years.
That designation means that local students could finish their degree closer to home, something current Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides called a “top priority” during a visit to the school in 2019.
In February 2018, the former NDP government announced that the college would be given degree-granting status, putting it on track to becoming a polytechnic university. At that time, the college said it could take two to three years before students would be able to enroll in a degree program.
In January 2021, former Grande Prairie Regional College President and CEO Dr. Robert Murray said one of the college’s key plans for the next 10 years is becoming a university.
The announcement will take place on Tuesday Afternoon and will involve Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, Chair of the GPRC Board of Governors Bridget Hennigar, and acting GPRC President and CEO Dr. Glenn Feltham.