Ward: Twelve months of transformation, RDC unveils new name
Remember to breathe! We in central Alberta should heed this slogan for Travel Alberta. The pace of change over the past 12 months has been breathtaking. Consider all that has happened: the 2019 Canada Winter Games, the opening of the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, the new iconic Residence clad in solar panels, RDC’s Alternative Energy Initiative, which enabled the installation of almost 4,200 solar panels on our main campus, the Highway 2 project, news about the hospital and the court house, just to name a few.
But I would argue that March 1, 2018, was, perhaps, the single-most important day in our history. With 600 people packing our Arts Centre and many more watching through livestream, Premier Rachel Notley shared the long-awaited news that Red Deer College will become a recognized university. We are so appreciative of the community support, which was instrumental in achieving this goal.
It was on March 2 that we began our work in earnest to complete the transition. Remember, we needed to keep in mind that we would continue to offer the great Trades programs, certificates and diplomas, as well as our own degrees. “All we do now plus our own degrees” is the phrase we use to articulate our new regional teaching university.
From that announcement came the inevitable questions, but the one I heard most often was regarding the new name of our institution. We need a new name rooted in our community and aligned to our new university vision.