It may be called the University of Regina, but the institution's impact and influence goes far beyond the capital city and is felt across west-central Saskatchewan.
The community-based Master of Education Program is designed to provide graduate education to educators in off-campus locations in order to more effectively link theory to local educational issues and practices. The program is offered through the North West Regional College in Meadow Lake and North Battleford.
Additional U of R classes are offered at the North West Regional College in North Battleford and Meadow Lake. Course offerings include education, English, film, psychology, sociology and social work.
The University of Regina will offer, through Cumberland College, a four-year program leading to a Bachelor of Education degree in 2013.
"Bringing education programs to communities in a variety of ways ensures that we are truly a provincial university, providing greater accessibility and diverse experiences to a wider number of students at the undergraduate and graduate levels," said James McNinch, dean of the faculty of education. "Providing these educational opportunities with partners like Cumberland College is consistent with the strategic plan of our Faculty and of the University of Regina."
Cumberland College also partners with the University of Regina to deliver the Bachelor of Social Work degree.
Many students finish high school and then head to the University of Regina to earn degrees. Of the 13,119 students at the U of R, about 1,411 are from the west-central area, including Krista Yonz of North Battleford, who is studying Social Work and sits on the board of directors for UR Pride.
U of R graduates from west-central Saskatchewan have made an impact on the world.
Bernadette Kollman, who grew up in Major, earned a Bachelor of Administration degree in 1986, and now is president of IBM's Public Sector Division in Alberta.
Jadon Frank of Eatonia completed his Bachelor of Kinesiology in 2007, and then earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alberta in 2011 and now is program manager at the Alberta Triathlon Association.
Some students from the University of Regina's School of Journalism complete their internships in the west-central. As well, journalism students travel to communities across the province to dig up stories, and then create local tabloids showcasing their work for the communities.
The U of R also carries out research in the west-central area. For example, work is nearing completion on impacts of droughts on rural communities, including Kindersley and Maidstone. Similar assessments have been conducted in the Outlook area.
One project completed last year, called Community Voices: Building a Foundation for the Future, involved collaboration between Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit researchers and the Rosetown Regional Family and Community Support Services. The study had two main objectives: to identify strengths and challenges of community supports and services in Rosetown, and to identify local solutions and prioritize future directions to support the continued growth of Rosetown. The project involved an environmental scan, interviews, focus groups, and a community dialogue night. The community dialogue night was held to share study findings with the public, encourage collective discussion of community strengths and challenges, and prioritize future directions for Rosetown. The findings highlighted four groups as having priority needs: young families, teenagers, seniors, and people who were new to the community.
So although the word "Regina" is part of the title of the university that has its main campus in Saskatchewan's capital city, it truly is a provincial university with classes, students, graduates and business collaborations right here in west-central Saskatchewan.
