Home–grown post secondary education in the Drumheller area is quickly becoming a reality, now that Hope College has been approved by the Alberta Government to offer two programs come this September.
    The college announced on Thursday, January 10, it has the approval to offer two diploma programs in business administration and tourism.  They are already accepting applications.
    “We are thrilled to announce the approval of these programs for Hope College.  It has been a long journey and we are very thankful for the patient support of the people who live in this region.  The first two programs will help lay a solid foundation for the development of future programs, particularly as we look to add specializations in rural and preventative healthcare,” said Dr. Jon Ohlhauser, president, Hope College.
    He explains the courses are  “made in Drumheller” and unique to the needs of the area.
    “We have developed this in house, and it is being taught by local instructors, so this is our program,” said Ohlhauser.
    “In the business administration, you will receive marketing courses, accounting courses, business law courses. There are 20 courses and 30 credits, and we are looking at making  them transferable to the University of Calgary or the University of Lethbridge for a full degree,” said Ohlhauser.
    “Out of the 25 courses, 15 are shared. There are five unique courses related to tourism and rural tourism. That is what differentiates the two programs,” he said.

Dr. Jon Olhauser, president of Hope College, announcing the new clases now being offered by the school.

    He adds, Hope College has also submitted a proposal for a Justice Studies diploma program and is waiting for its approval.
    “It is for people who are interested in an entry level education to get into positions at the Penitentiary or in law enforcement,” said Ohlhauser.
    If approved, it will also commence in September 2013.
    These courses come on the heels of the Hope Health Initiative’s first major step in hiring a naturopathic practitioner to begin at the Hope Health Clinic.  While the initial vision for the Hope Health Initiative was for the college to provide   a health-based post secondary education, it is still its end goal. This does pose some challenges.
 “So many of the programs in health carry a professional designation at the end, you get a license to work in the system. They are requesting us to do that in partnership at the beginning, and the systems aren’t in place to make that easy,” he said
    He explains this mean working with another institution such as Bow Valley College or Campus Alberta. This model may be more cumbersome and expensive.
    “We know that our business model directs us toward being a healthcare college in order to achieve long-term sustainability.  This is where we are committed to going for immediate and future program development.  We desire to establish mutually beneficial relationships with existing programs at other Alberta Colleges/Universities but the structures that currently exist with the Provincial Government makes that a unique challenge.  These first 2 – and hopefully 3 – non-health programs help us get going on a solid foundation but the new programs we will be bringing on will have a definite healthcare orientation,” he said

    On behalf of Chinook Credit Union’s board of directors, I’d like to congratulate our team in Drumheller on the grand opening of their beautiful new facility.
    The new building is evidence that Chinook is a strong and thriving organization in a passionate and engaged community.  The community of Drumheller has supported us in such a positive manner that we are consistently able to give back.  Our new branch demonstrates our dedication to Drumheller in the past and long into the future.
    Our entire Chinook team, as well as our members and the community of Drumheller, has made the dream of a new branch a reality.  This new facility is truly something special for both Chinook and the surrounding area.
    Thousands of hours of hard work was put into this building by the board, Chinook’s building committee, Chinook staff, our architect, builders, contractors and planners.  Patience was asked of our branch staff, which they gave so willingly and stepped up to assist at every given opportunity.   Thank you to each and every person who had a hand in this project – the amount of time and effort put into this building goes to show the dedication each of us has to Chinook Credit Union and to Drumheller.
    Our new branch in Drumheller is further evidence of Chinook’s commitment to our members, our staff, our communities and the financial strength of our credit union.  On behalf of the board of directors and Chinook Credit Union, thank you for joining us in celebrating this milestone in Drumheller, and thank you for your continued support of our organization and our community.

Andrew Eberl