Parkland College’s university programs continue to grow as more students seek to take advantage of the benefits of learning close to home.
More than 230 students are taking university classes this fall at the College’s campuses in Yorkton and Fort Qu’Appelle. Over 80 per cent of those students are full-time. And for the second straight year, the College has had to cap the number of students in a course due to classroom availability.
“Our university enrolments are strong thanks in part to our full bachelor’s degrees in Nursing, Education, and Social Work,” said University Coordinator Dr. Gwen Machnee. “But even with the increased enrolment, student success remains our first priority. We have more face-to-face classes than ever before. And our largest class sizes are still only a fraction of the size of the same classes in Saskatoon and Regina.”
The College’s smaller class sizes and easier access to instructors often help students get better grades than they would on campus at university. Many students also find it easier to make the transition from high school to full-fledged university student if they take a year at Parkland College. First-year students take classes in a wide range of subject areas to get a broader understanding of learning at the university level.
“University students study the exact same material at Parkland College as their counterparts do at the U of S or U of R,” Machnee added. “But our unique learning environment can help them better adapt to university life and the expectations that come with the pursuit of a degree.”
Thanks to partnerships with the University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina, students are able to take the first year of almost any undergraduate degree from the two institutions at Parkland College. Currently students can earn full four-year bachelor’s degrees at Parkland College in Nursing (U of S), Social Work (U of R), and Indigenous Education (First Nations University of Canada).
About Parkland College:
Since its inception in 1973, Parkland College has worked to expand the philosophy of life-long learning in East Central Saskatchewan. Among the seven basic principles upon which the community college system was founded is the idea that programs are to be developed in response to the needs of the community. Today, Parkland College offers a broad spectrum of educational services from trades training and high school upgrading to the province’s most diverse off-campus university offerings.
