Northern Light College Undertakes New Strategic Direction

Northern Lights College is out to change how it delivers post secondary education to the region. After failing to meet student projections over the past two years, the college is now undertaking a new strategic direction to balance it's budget and diversify it's programming. The previous way of budgeting did not allow the College to diversify it's programming, so for the 2008-09 fiscal year, President Jean Valgardson decided to use a new approach called a zero-base budgeting model to balance the budget.

Among the casualties of the new strategic direction, 19 current staff members will be laid off and the Culinary Arts Program will be closed for the 2008-09 school year at the Dawson Creek campus. However, due to it's success, it will still be offered through on-site contracts with aboriginal groups in the region. At the same time, northern lights will be adding several new programs over the next 18 months and creating 17 new staff positions to areas of growth within the college.

The College's inability to maintain a standalone campus in the small community of Hudson's Hope will be one of the changes with the biggest impact.

Hot on the heels of the relocation of the BC Hydro Transmission crews, Mayor Lenore Harwood says the closure of the campus comes as a shock and will be a significant blow to the small community.

As a result of these changes, the college will have a balanced operating budget for 2008-09, totaling $28.4 million. Valgardson acknowledges while these changes are not easy, they are necessary to allow the college to meet the demands of the public and industry.

Alicia Asquith CJDC TV News, Dawson Creek