MERRITT – Northern Lights College (NLC) and the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote cooperative ventures between the two post-secondary institutions.
The three-year agreement will allow NLC and NVIT to work together in a more structured framework, based on their common interests in numerous academic and educational fields. The agreement was signed on June 19 in Merritt.
In academic and research activities, collaborative efforts will be undertaken in the following areas:
· Transfer of students between the institutions, and articulation of courses and programs to encourage transfers;
· Development of programs or projects of mutual interest and benefit, particularly those intended to strengthen services and support for Aboriginal students;
· Exchange of information and expertise to strengthen and expand cultural resources and events; and
· Discussion of potential joint pilot programs and research partnerships.
“Northern Lights College welcomes this opportunity to collaborate with our colleagues at NVIT. We believe that our individual strengths can be used collectively to deliver better post-secondary education for Aboriginal communities and students in northeastern British Columbia,” said Dr. Peter Nunoda, Vice President Academic and Research at NLC.
A key aspect of NLC’s strategic plan is providing access and services to Aboriginal students. In 2011, NLC opened Aboriginal Gathering Spaces at its Chetwynd, Dawson Creek and Fort St. John campuses, to go along with a Gathering Space opened in 2009 at the Fort Nelson Campus. The geographic area of NLC includes eight distinct Aboriginal cultures: Tlingit, Tahltan, Slavey, Cree, Saulteau, Dunneza, Dene and Métis.
NLC is B.C.’s Energy College, serving the northern third of British Columbia from campuses in Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, Fort St. John and Tumbler Ridge, and access centres in Atlin, Dease Lake and Hudson’s Hope.
“Many NVIT students originate from the interior and northern regions of B.C. This partnership enhances the student experience by providing further opportunities for learners to transfer and transition seamlessly between specified programs. This collaboration is about supporting higher learning by constructing relevant services, pathways and opportunities for students originating from or wishing to study/work in these regions,” said Dr. Verna Billy-Minnabarriet, Vice President Academic and Strategic Partnership, NVIT. “NVIT is excited about this new relationship with its northern partner, NLC, and looks forward to working together to meet the needs of B.C.’s post-secondary students studying at either of the campuses.”
NVIT is the home of Aboriginal public post-secondary education in B.C., with a student body that represents more than 70 per cent of the Aboriginal communities across the province. NVIT invites students from around the country to further themselves with over 300 courses and programs ranging from trades training to Bachelor of Social Work. With campuses in Merritt and Vancouver, online courses and community-based deliveries throughout Canada, NVIT serves approximately 1,400 students annually.
For more information on programs available at NVIT, visit www.nvit.ca or call toll-free 1-877-682-3300. For more information on programs available at NLC, go to nlc.bc.ca, or call toll-free 1-866-463-6652 (1-866-INFO-NLC).
NLC president Laurie Rancourt and NVIT
president Ken Tourand signing the
memorandum of understanding.