RDC President and CEO Joel Ward delivers his final State of the College remarks on Thursday inside the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. (Red Deer College - @reddeercollege on Twitter)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

STATE OF THE COLLEGE

Grand opening of new residence marks latest milestone in Red Deer College’s university journey

May 9, 2019 | 9:33 PM

The optimism was plentiful Thursday afternoon at RDC where top officials delivered a State of the College Address reflecting on the past and looking to the future.

The event had a 10-year retrospective theme, as both President and CEO Joel Ward and Board Chair Morris Flewwelling shared their thoughts on the school’s growth.

“When it comes to serving current students, future students and community members, Red Deer College has made tremendous advances in recent years, with the past 12 months really representing the turning point in our college’s evolution,” Flewwelling said.

“This is a direct outcome of the strategic and diverse work that the college is undertaking to benefit our learners and the citizens of central Alberta.”

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Flewwelling noted the opening of the Harris Centre, Alternative Energy Lab and new residence, as well as the launching of eight new programs as highlights.

Meantime, the college (soon to be university) has forged partnerships with community agencies such as the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre, which will soon build a centre of excellence on the institution’s campus.

“As the college expands, diversifies and becomes increasingly inclusive, it will be able to seamlessly transition into the university of the future. RDC will be guided by the communities we serve, and we will continue to engage our communities as we learn and grow together,” said Ward, who also received a public farewell ahead of his retirement this summer.

“We will build on our strengths as a college as we transition to a university that offers comprehensive programming, which will ensure the success of our learners and have a direct impact on the economic, cultural and social growth of central Alberta.”

Thursday was also a big day as RDC held a grand opening for the aforementioned new residence building.

“The Students’ Association is thrilled for the grand opening of Red Deer College’s new residence, primarily because of what it will provide for students during this university transition,” said Brittany Lausen, President of the Students’ Association of Red Deer College.

(Red Deer College – @reddeercollege on Twitter)

“The new residence will be a fantastic resource for students seeking a more independent option, and short-term tenants, such as our apprenticeship students, with its reduced weekly rate.”

Lausen also noted that the SA will be hosting the annual Alberta Student Executive Council conference at Red Deer College next month.

“We are excited to share our new residence with other student leaders from across the province to showcase what an amazing facility Red Deer College has built,” she remarked.

The building, which was completed in January and was home for athletes during the 2019 Canada Winter Games, is unique in many ways.

“Our team worked collaboratively on this hefty goal of creating a beautiful building with limited resources,” said Vedran Skopac, Project & Design Lead with Manasc Isaac.

“The new student residence design is focused on social interaction of students. The building offers seven distinct gathering spaces, which represent the sacred “Seven Stages” of personal growth in the life of a Red Deer College student. This concept is an optimistic effort to support the students’ well-being on all three levels: physical, spiritual and, especially, mental health.”

The residence has 145 studio suites, including 10 which are barrier-free, each with a self-contained kitchen and bathroom complete with shower. Eleven different companies contributed to the building’s planning, design and creation.