What is the difference between a college and a polytechnic and how long has this change been in the works? How much will this change cost and will it change the funding the institution receives from the Government of Alberta?

Other changes at Lethbridge Polytechnic will be addressed by the speaker - among them, what does it mean for applied research and will programs be modified from present teaching methods? For example, will more programs be compatible - and or transferable with the University of Lethbridge?

Lethbridge Polytechnic is about to release its new Strategic Framework – The Road Ahead – which will also be discussed

Speaker: Dr. Brad Donaldson

Dr. Brad Donaldson was named Lethbridge Polytechnic’s ninth president and chief executive officer (CEO) in August 2022. With more than 19 years of senior leadership experience in Alberta’s post-secondary system, he specializes in shaping organizational strategies, fostering learning cultures and driving innovation through systems thinking. His work is supported by ongoing research in these areas, keeping him at the forefront of educational leadership.

Donaldson’s career in post-secondary began at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) where he served as dean of the School of Manufacturing and Automation before moving to Red Deer Polytechnic, where he spent four years as vice-president – academic. He then returned to SAIT as vice-president – academic, a role he held for six years before joining Lethbridge Polytechnic. He has served on numerous academic and business committees and boards provincially, nationally and internationally. Donaldson is a current member of the Saskatchewan Higher Education Quality Assurance Board and has held positions with the Senior Academic Officers and Provosts Committee in Alberta, Alberta Association in Higher Education for Information Technology Committee, and the Chair Academy, a leadership development organization.

Prior to moving to academic leadership, Donaldson spent more than 20 years working in engineering and in senior leadership roles in the global manufacturing sector, enabling organizational transformation and responsiveness. His focus was on meeting the needs of those served through effective systems and engaged and enabled workforces.

Donaldson holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Calgary, a Master of Engineering focusing on workplace design, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering, both from the University of Toronto. At Lethbridge Polytechnic, Donaldson looks to continue developing the institution’s many strengths in student success and community support, enabling the polytechnic’s ongoing contribution to future prosperity.