Bow Valley College held a grand opening ceremony at its expanded Okotoks campus on Sept. 22.
At 6,000 square feet, the new campus offers four times the space of the college’s previous Okotoks location and builds on its 20-plus years of offering post-secondary education in the community.
Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn, who is away at a conference, said by video that it’s wonderful to see the expanded space as part of the Okotoks Arts and Learning Campus.
It will benefit people throughout the Foothills region, she said.
The college currently offers six programs, and the new campus allows for increased capacity and future growth.
Carol Boone, an Okotoks resident and student in the administrative professional program, said campus location was her number one factor when she decided to return to school to make a career change.
“I would not be attending if it wasn't local,” Boone said, “I would not be driving to the city every day.”
Boone said she has the option to take classes online or in person. She appreciates the flexibility, but prefers to go into the classroom.
“If I have to stay home I can. But I can also come in, which keeps me focused,” she said.
"It's comfortable," she said of the new campus. "I don't have any distractions here."
Michael Crowe, vice president academic at Bow Valley College, touted the flexibility of the new campus.
“This campus will serve learners that are here physically, that join classes online, and that will even split time between here and our main campus, where a lot of our lab activities take place,” Crowe said.
He said the campus uses the latest technology to combine the online and in-person classroom for a flexible education.
“It’s the right fit, at the right time, for the right purpose,” Crowe said.
