Great Plains College offers a unique student experience
At Great Plains College, students have the opportunity to receive their post-secondary education closer to home.
Great Plains College is part of Saskatchewan’s regional college system. The institution was established in 1973 as Cypress Hills Regional College and was rebranded as Great Plains College in 2008 following a merger with Prairie West Regional College.
The college has campuses in Swift Current, Kindersley and Warman, as well as program centres in Biggar, Maple Creek and Rosetown, all of which offer students a different experience than attending university in the province’s larger centres.
“For some students, studying at a larger post-secondary campus is very daunting and that can become a barrier to them beginning their post-secondary education,” said Kristy Sletten, manager of international and admissions at Great Plains College. “I think about my own experience as a student. I came from a small-town school in Saskatchewan and when I moved to the city for university it was such a huge transition in terms of the type of lifestyle I was used to. I went from a class of 15 students to a class of 200 students.”
“With the smaller class sizes here, there’s an opportunity for relationships to develop between instructors and students, which may not always happen in a class of 250 students. Students who are struggling can be identified by instructors and supports can be put in place to ensure the student is able to be successful.”
As Sletten explained, smaller class size is only one of the ways in which student satisfaction is a top priority at the institution. She noted that Great Plains College was the first regional college in Saskatchewan to introduce a health and dental plan for its students. The college also has one of the most competitive scholarship programs in the province, offering $500 to $5,000 entrance scholarships to anyone applying to a full-time student loan-eligible program before the scholarship deadline. Since then over $2 million has been awarded to students.
Further to academics, Great Plains College also prides itself on the community and industry connections it’s able to provide to students through practicums, mentorship, volunteer experience and job connections.
“The connection to community that exists between Great Plains College campuses and the communities in which they exist is really amazing,” Sletten said. “Those connections often translate into meaningful opportunities for students.”
While student life at college campuses may look slightly different than a large university, opportunities to get involved certainly exist. Each campus has a student association that plans events on and off campus, organizes student learning opportunities and promotes student leadership.
Sletten added one of the college’s “claims to fame” is the Sundogs Athletics program at the Swift Current Campus, which is the only athletics program in Saskatchewan’s regional college system. The men’s and women’s teams compete in the Prairie Athletic Conference and are four-time provincial champions.
“The opportunity for students to maintain their involvement in a sport that they love is certainly relevant here,” Sletten said. “They have a chance to be a part of a team that enjoys some fantastic coaching and travels around the province and beyond for games.”
Sletten said that this unique student experience, combined with smaller class sizes, community connection and quality instruction makes Great Plains College a great option for anyone considering post-secondary education, university courses or adult basic education classes. The college also offers safety training, and English language training throughout its six campuses.
To learn more about the college, prospective students can visit a campus at any time, book an appointment with a student adviser, or attend an Open House event. The next Open House is scheduled at the Kindersley Campus on Friday, March 1.
To learn more about Great Plains College, its programs and courses, scholarships and financial aid, and upcoming events, check out greatplainscollege.ca, email info@
greatplainscollege.ca or call toll-free at 1 (866) 296-2472.