Grande Prairie Regional College, often abbreviated GPRC, is a comprehensive community institution in Northwestern Alberta, Canada. The College's main campus is located in Grande Prairie, with a secondary campus in Fairview. Some coursework is also offered at Regional Learning Centres in Edson, Grande Cache, Hinton, and Jasper, as well as online. The college has 4,500 students in credit/apprentice/collaborative programs, and 5,000 continuing education students that attend the Grande Prairie and Fairview campuses annually. The college offers a number of apprenticeship and academic programs including certificates and diplomas, university studies, academic upgrading, and workforce development courses in various subjects. GPRC is also a member of the Alberta Rural Development Network.
History
Grande Prairie Regional College was opened as the Grande Prairie Junior College in 1966. In 1970, the college was renamed to its current title. In 1974, classes were first started in a new facility designed by Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal. In 1991, phase two of the college, designed by architects Field, Field, and Field, was officially opened. In recognition of the Aboriginal heritage of the region, there are many monuments and displays which reflect this rich history from the surrounding communities. From 1995 to 2005, GPRC offered its own Bachelor of Applied Forest Resource Management degree.
Academic programs
Collaborative programs with other institutions such as the University of Alberta allow students to complete some bachelor's degrees at GPRC, including the Bachelor of Science – Agriculture. Other degree programs require transferring to another institution to complete their degree after studying at the college. Some arrangements also allow for a student to start studies at another facility and complete their degree program at the college. In total, over 20 different routes for university studies are offered, and some degrees can be completed at the College. The college offers over 15 certificate and diploma programs. Certificate programs usually require students to complete two semesters of courses, while diploma programs usually require four. Academic upgrading is also offered, which allows individuals to pursue other learning opportunities such as Grade 12 equivalency and general studies. GPRC has an International Education Centre which offers students courses in English as a second language. Foreign students can also take credit-based college and university courses offered to Canadian residents. GPRC's Workforce Development offers courses to the general public in a number of areas. Courses primarily focus on personal and professional development, and range from one-day courses to full credit programs. GPRC's Fairview Campus offers the only authorized training centre in Canada for Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Athletics program
GPRC's sports teams are collectively known as the "Wolves" and compete in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. The College's sports programs has men's and women's teams that compete in basketball, cross-country running, soccer, and volleyball. The Cross Country Running program is GPRC's most successful athletic program winning 3 CCAA individual gold medals and 2 individual silver medals. The women's cross country team captured the CCAA national team title in 2014 with the best team score in CCAA history - 19 points. The Wolves Men's Volleyball team carries a strong tradition of winning in the ACAC and has received 2 silver and one bronze medal at CCAA Nationals.
Scholarships and bursaries
The Government of Canada sponsors an Aboriginal Bursaries Search Tool that lists over 680 scholarships, bursaries, and other incentives offered by governments, universities, and industry to support Aboriginal post-secondary participation. GPRC scholarships for Aboriginal, First Nations and Métis students include: TransCanada Award for Aboriginal Student; BP CanadaEnergy Company Scholarship For An Aboriginal Student; ATCO Electric Bursary for an Aboriginal Student; Grande Prairie Regional College Financial Aid; TransAlta Aboriginal Educational Awards
Campus Facilities
GPRC's Grande Prairie campus includes a 500-seat theatre and double gymnasium. Both are often used to host some of the community events in Grande Prairie. The campus' student lounge, Howlers, also hosts weekend and evening entertainment often arranged by GPRC's Students' Association. The campus also includes a bookstore, climbing centre, Tim Hortons and library with over 60,000 holdings. GPRC's grounds have a view of the reservoir, and open onto Muskoseepi Park walking trails. GPRC's Fairview Campus includes a theatre and gymnasium, both of which are frequent hosts to events organised by the college as well as community. There is a pool on campus that is jointly operated by the town and the college and is open to the public.
Residence
GPRC has on-campus student residences in Fairview and Grande Prairie. Student Village in Grande Prairie currently has space for over 500 students, while Fairview's residence houses approximately 300.
