1963/64

Vocational Preparatory classes held at Calgary, Edmonton, Drumheller, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat for 442 students

1965/66

School named the Alberta Vocational Centre (AVC) in 1965 and planning begins for a permanent facility

AVC offers Academic Upgrading and Business Education to 535 students

Most classes held at 300 – 5th Avenue S.W.

1966/67

710 students enrolled at AVC

Evening shift instituted to meet demand for Business Education and Academic Upgrading

Academic Upgrading program operates at capacity

1968/69

Double shifts imposed to expand programming and meet demand

AVC introduced ESL program for Czechoslovakian refugees

Planning begins for new building

1972

New building occupied at 332 – 6th Avenue S.E. in April

Serving 1,400 students

Nursing Aide Training School relocated to AVC from SAIT

1973

On-site daycare facility developed for children of students

1974/75

Enrolment rises 21 per cent in one year

AVC refines modular approach to curriculum that gives students flexibility to enter programs at times suitable to them

1975/76

Working with Drumheller Correctional Institute on an educational pilot project for inmates

1980/81

Computers in Education project launches

1981/82

Offers General Education Development (GED) exams for adults

Conducts follow-up surveys of students to determine program effectiveness

Develops competency-based, individualized and open-entry curricula

1984/85

Hospital Unit Clerk program launched.

1986/87

New programs: Certified Care Attendant for the Physically Disabled, then revised to Personal Care Attendant, and in 2002 to Health Care Aide (HCA); ESL Bridge Project

Expansion of teaching on First Nations reserves of southern Alberta

1987/88

Development of in-service training programs for corporations such as British Petroleum and Sony Corporation, and for hospitals and school boards

1990/91

Name changes to Alberta Vocational College to reflect new emphasis on academic programs

Plant Care Specialist program discontinued

New program: Dental Business Assistant

1992/93

Generates more than $3 million in additional revenue by offering cost recovery programs

New program: Medical Office Assistant

1994/95

Strong emphasis on collaborative programs with organizations such as Langara College, AVC-Edmonton and AVC-Slave Lake, Calgary Immigrant Aid Society, Calgary Public Library, Alberta Tourism Education Council, SAIT, Siksika Nation, and Alberta College of Art & Design

New programs: Level I Day Care Orientation program; Artstream

First Premier’s Fund Raiser for student support and scholarships in October 1994

1995/96

In response to a request from the City of Calgary, the Out-of-School Care for School Age Children was developed in collaboration with two BC colleges, Douglas and Langara Colleges

1996/97

Transition to board governance begins

1997/98

Signs first agreement with The Alberta Union of Public Employees, Chapter 011, Local 071

Name officially changed from Alberta Vocational College to Bow Valley College on April 1, 1998

Brokerage agreement with Red Deer College for delivery of the Practical Nurse program

1998/99

Creates first Strategic Plan, focused on Growth Through Partnerships

Reorganizes into four departments: Academic Foundations, English as a Second Language, Business & Industry Training, and Health & Community Care

New program: Corporate Readiness Training Program (CRTP)

International Recruitment and Marketing Officer appointed to pursue growth opportunities

1999/2000

Harnesses new technology to create a virtual student lounge with e-learning resources

New program: Life Skills Coach

Brokerage agreement with Lethbridge Community College for delivery of the Practical Nurse program

Partners with China, Zimbabwe, Guyana, and Hawaii for ESL instruction.

2000/01

Generates 34 per cent of revenues through entrepreneurial activities

Crowding in existing facilities sparks study of space requirements; determines that major expansion would be required in 3-5 years

2001/02

Enrolment rises 15.5 per cent with 46% enrolment increase in Health and Community Care programs

Streamlines structure into three divisions: Academic, External Relations, and Corporate Services

Launched Centre for Career Advancement and the opening of Career Connections

New programs – Accounting and Financial Management; Aboriginal Practical Nurse

2002/03

Enrolment increases another 14.7% for a total of 4,138 FLEs and continued enrolment increases in Health and Community Care programs

New programs: Teacher Assistant (brokered from Red Deer College); Interior Decorating and Merchandizing; Events Management

Socio-Economics Benefits Study completed

2003/04

Enrolment decline of 7% due to loss of grant-funded seats in academic upgrading and ESL, and enrolment declines in International Education due to world and local events

Delivery of the first diploma program – Legal Assistant (brokered from Red Deer College)

New program: Health Care Interpreter

Brokerage agreements with Lethbridge Community College for delivery of the ESL full-time program and with Medicine Hat College for delivery of the Practical Nurse program

Acquired sole ownership of Test of Workplace Essential Skills (TOWES) and established distributorship through 34 colleges across Canada

Opening of the Directions for Immigrants in Trades and Professional Careers Centre

2004/05

New programs launched: Education Assistant (BVC curriculum); Business Administration Diploma and Correctional Studies Diploma programs (brokered from Lethbridge Community College); Life Skills and Career Development Coach Diploma; Computer Aided Drafting & Design (brokered from Medicine Hat College); Disability & Community Support (brokered from Grand Prairie Regional College); Immigration Practitioner Certificate (brokered from Seneca College

Brokerage agreement with NorQuest College for delivery of the Dental Business Assistant and Hospital Unit Clerk programs

College develops first Academic Plan, outlining growth plans for the next five years

Career Connection opens new locations in Bowness/Montgomery and Midnapore

Centre for Quality Caregiving launched thanks to donation from the Royal Bank Foundation

College announces plans for major two-phase campus redevelopment and expansion to double its capacity

Campus Calgary, a network of Calgary’s public post-secondary education institutions, is launched to increase access to education and transferability/ articulation

2005/06

New program launched: Pharmacy Technician Diploma

College celebrates 40th anniversary; 10th anniversary of Canmore campus and 20th anniversary of Airdrie campus also celebrated

Government of Alberta announces funding for both phases of Bow Valley College’s downtown Calgary campus redevelopment and expansion

College officially launches first-ever public fundraising campaign, Improving Lives Beyond the Classroom, with $10 million goal

Bow Valley College signs MOU with Mount Royal College, aimed at improving articulation and collaborative programming

Bow Valley College signs MOU with Prairie College of Applied Arts and Technology to bring career programs to Three Hills, AB

TOWES leader Conrad Murphy recognized with ACCC Leadership award at annual conference (hosted in Calgary)

Government of Alberta gives Bow Valley College major increase to General Operations Grant to improve services for students

Bow Valley College counselor Tim Held honoured by ASSC (The Alberta Student Service Conference) with The Dean Stetson Lifetime Achievement Award; Liz O'Shea recognized for long service

College hosts fundraising breakfast and secures over $1 million in donations (including matching dollars from the Province); Bow Valley College Students’ Association pledges $208,000 to the Campaign

2006/07

College began construction of Phase 1 of downtown campus expansion project

College signed lease for space at Franklin Station (DeVry Campus) to accommodate decanted programs from main campus

Workplace Training Services unit launched to assist businesses with integration, retention and productivity of employees

Work Experience for Immigrants Program renamed Corporate Readiness Training Program

BVC formed the Vice-Presidents’ Strategic Enrolment Management Committee with the goal increasing student enrolment and improving processes and services within the College

The Federal government announced a $425,000 project at Bow Valley College to create an online, TOWES-based tool to improve the employability and earning potential of foreign-trained workers

Moira Fields and Debbie Bruckner received the Innovation in Staff Development Award from the National Council for Staff, Program and Organizational Development for the mentoring program at Bow Valley College

BVC celebrated its 13th Annual Premier’s Scholarship Luncheon – its final with Premier Ralph Klein - by raising over $250,000 (with matching grants)

Bow Valley College and the Calgary Catholic School District received the 2007 Mayor’s Excellence Award in the category of Literacy Support and Enhancement for the innovative Bridge program

2007/08

Provincial government designated Bow Valley College as a Comprehensive Community College, requiring the College to identify and meet the learning needs of Calgary and its surrounding region by expanding program offerings and collaborating with other education providers

The North Campus redevelopment project began to take shape, opening fully renovated spaces for use, including new learning facilities and expanded learner services

The College took ownership of the old provincial courthouse to prepare it for demolition, making way for the College’s new South Campus

The College opened the Franklin Campus to house Health and Community Care programming

The College established a new Enrolment and Learner Services Division, headed by a new Vice-President, to implement the new strategic enrolment management system and to assist with the development of learner recruitment and retention strategies and initiatives

A new interim Vice-President of Campus Development portfolio was created with a mandate to oversee the development of the campus redevelopment and expansion project in downtown Calgary

The College established an office of applied research and innovation to coordinate and drive the college’s research and innovation activities

New programs launched: Recreation Therapist Aide Certificate, Health Care Aide Bridge to Practical Nurse, Event Management First-Year Diploma, Interior Design First-Year Diploma

Bow Valley College and Mount Royal set in place a framework to establish a block transfer (20 courses) from the College’s Business Administration to Mount Royal’s degree

The Learn a Better Living Campaign concluded, surpassing its $10M target by raising over $13M to bolster learner awards and drive innovation in teaching and learning

Provincial government provided funding for 60 additional spaces in the Practical Nurse Program to help address employment demands in the health sector

Provincial government awarded the College major contracts to modularize Early Learning and Childcare curriculum for delivery across the province as well as to support the Parent Link Centre, which provides training to Parent Learning Centre staff to enhance interaction between the centres across the province and the communities they serve

BVC and the Provincial Government partnered to expand the Directions for Immigrants Program to include a Health Career Coaching Centre, which provides internationally educated health professionals with career coaching, credential recognition advice, and study groups to prepare for accreditation examinations

BVCWorks was launched to assist employers with connecting to students and alumni

BVC Alumni Office was launched to reconnect the college with graduates

Bow Valley College is awarded a provincial government contract to expand the Career Connection Program to include career and employment assistance services for Francophone Albertans

A CCBenefits study, Economic Contributions of Alberta’s College and Technical Institutes: Analysis of Investment Effectiveness and Economic Growth, July 2007, showed that investments in the College returns $468.6M in annual income to the local and provincial economies due to past and present activities of the College. Students enjoy a 15% annual rate of return and taxpayers see an 18% annually rate of return on their investments in Bow Valley College.