Lakeland students will have the opportunity to excel with the highest quality educational experience this fall with a blend of in-person, hands-on learning that'll be augmented by online programming.
With guidance from Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Ministry of Advanced Education, Lakeland will start the 2020-21 academic year offering this blended model of learning to ensure students continue to benefit from essential work-integrated opportunities while continuing to observe necessary public health measures to keep our community safe. As a bi-provincial college, Lakeland is also monitoring the Saskatchewan government's guidelines.
“Our 2020-21 academic year will be a year like no other, however, our Lakeland team is prepared to support our students in achieving their goals while delivering industry-driven programs,” says Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO of Lakeland College.
“Our guiding principle is the health and well-being of our students, staff and faculty. We will continue to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and maximize the strength of our hands-on, skill-based activities that ensure our graduates are job ready. Together, we are adapting to this new reality and together we will excel.”
Critical hands-on learning activities, including labs, field work, student-managed farm experiences and more will be offered in-person with physical distancing protocols in effect as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) as required. All lectures will be available to students virtually, either via live streaming or a recording on the college's learning management system. Some lectures may also be offered in-person depending on the class size and AHS guidelines.
Timetables and class schedules will be revised to avoid large numbers of students in hallways at any one time. Different program cohorts will be on campus on different days to limit the number of students physically on campus for in-person labs at any one time. While almost all programs will still require students to be on campus weekly, Lakeland is prepared to support those students who opt to complete their studies solely online.
Most programs will begin on Aug. 31 with an online Orientation Day. The pre-employment programs start Sept. 21 and the first apprenticeship intake will starts Oct. 13.
“We encourage all of our students to attend campus in person for the upcoming year,”
says Michael Crowe, vice president, academic and research.
“All of our students will continue to have access to our academic and non-academic supports either in-person or virtually. All of our students will continue to benefit from our award-winning, career-focused programs and all of us at Lakeland are ready to help our students take the lead this fall.”
Four foundational learning programs will be offered at the Lloydminster campus with
limited class sizes.
Get your questions answered during Live with Lakeland
A series of webinars will be available to those interested in the following areas of study:
- Human services on June 23 at 4 pm
- Health and wellness on June 24 at 7 pm
- Business on June 25 at 1 pm
- Interior design technology on June 29 at 1 pm
- Energy on June 30 at 1 pm
- Environmental sciences on July 7 at 7 pm
- Agricultural sciences on July 9 at 7 pm
These live and interactive webinars are open to new and returning students, as well as anyone interested in future enrolment. Hosted by the deans, chairs and/or academic advisors, participants will learn more about program delivery this fall. A university transfer webinar was held on June 4.
On July 8, the Lakeland recruitment and enrolment team will host a webinar at 10:30
am for people to learn more about support services available to them, financial aid
and how Lakeland's learner success strategist can help them.
Health and safety protocols
The health and safety of Lakeland students, staff and faculty is paramount.
As Lakeland plans to re-open its campus to new and returning students, specific measures will be introduced to protect the campus community, including:
- daily survey-based screening for symptoms
- physical distancing of two metres at all times
- no more than 50 people in a room with appropriate physical distancing, barrier or partition installation where needed
- PPE worn where required
- additional hand sanitizing stations
- adherence to established cleaning protocols.
Resources and support
To optimize student success, College Prep 101 is available to both new and returning students, as well as anyone interested in post-secondary studies. This online self-paced course is available free of charge and covers 12 chapters, including developing critical thinking skills, avoiding procrastination and more.
Returning students can access College Prep 101 through the Discover tab on D2L. New Lakeland students who don't have access to D2L can access it on Aug. 10.
Since Lakeland moved to online learning to complete the semester in mid-March, the
college has invested in many platforms and delivery resources to support the online
learning model for both students and instructors. Lakeland's IT team has provided
the ability for live streaming to faculty, expanded the use of Microsoft Teams, Microsoft
Stream, D2L's virtual classroom and other products to bring the learning from our
campus to students' homes.
Residence
Lakeland Residences will be open to students at the Vermilion and Lloydminster campuses.
Residence will be limited to single occupancy bedrooms and double occupancy bathrooms.
Bacterial sanitizer will be available in each kitchen and laundry area, as well as
hand sanitizer in each Residence. Additional protocols will be in place to protect
the health and well-being of residents.
Summer 2020
Lakeland will proceed with firefighting training at the end of July and the onsite practical training for the blended firefighter class, as well as truck driver training. All will be completed with the necessary PPE and physical distancing protocols, as per AHS guidelines.
Future updates and additional information and resources, including FAQs, on our COVID 19 information page.