Bow Valley College

Bow Valley College
Bow Valley College
Former name
Alberta Vocational Centre
TypePublic College (Canada)
Established1965
PresidentDr. Misheck Mwaba[1]
Chair, Board of GovernorsShannon Bowen-Smed
Administrative staff
1,400 [2]
Students9,625 (2023-24 fulltime equivalent) [3]
Address
345 6th Avenue SE
,
Calgary
,
Alberta
,
Canada
CampusUrban
Colours  Blue
AffiliationsCICan, Alberta Association of Colleges & Technical Institutes, CBIE
Websitebowvalleycollege.ca

Bow Valley College is a comprehensive community college based primarily in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.[4] The institution also operates regional campuses in Airdrie, Cochrane, and Okotoks as of 2025.[5] As of 2024, the college serves a total enrolment of 9,550 full-load equivalents,[6] and employs almost 1,400 full-, part-time, and casual employees.[7]

Programs

Bow Valley College offers one-year certificates and two-year diplomas for disciplines including business, health, community studies, creative technologies, academic upgrading, and English-language learning.[8][9] Programs are provided in-class, online, or via blended delivery.[9] The college also offers professional support and development services to newcomers to Canada.[10]

Since September 2024, Bow Valley College has offered programs in game development, virtual reality, and animation.[11][12] The college opened a digital entertainment production hub in May 2025, expanding its offerings in filmmaking.[13]

Schools

As of 2025, Bow Valley College maintains specialized schools in the areas of business, community studies, health and wellness, technology, entertainment arts, foundational learning, and global access.[14]

History

Alberta Vocational Centre and campus: 1963-1997

The institution that would become Bow Valley College, the Alberta Vocational Centre–Calgary, opened in 1965 after the Government of Alberta received federal funding to introduce adult continuing education and job readiness programs.[15] Informal courses that provided the basis for the Centre's offerings had begun in the basement of SAIT a few years earlier, in 1963.[16]

In its earliest years, the Centre operated out of temporary quarters, beginning with a vacant car dealership showroom.[17] In 1972, the Centre received a permanent location in Downtown Calgary, on 3rd Street and 6th Avenue Southeast (today known as its North Campus).[18][19][20] By 1990, the Centre served 6,500 full-time students and 15,000 part-time students.[16]

Becoming a college and expansion: 1997-2018

The Centre became a college in 1997, transitioning from a government-administered body to an autonomous public post-secondary governed by a board.[15][17] Sharon Carry was appointed to serve as president and chief executive officer, succeeding Nancy Lynch.[21][22][23] A year later, the institution adopted the name Bow Valley College to reflect the region (the Bow Valley) it serves.[16][24]

In 2010, construction began on a second campus for the college, which had been considering expansion since 2002.[24] Bow Valley's South Campus, located opposite Calgary's City Hall, opened in May 2013.[25] Later that year, the college launched its Iniikokaan Aboriginal Centre (a Blackfoot term meaning "buffalo lodge"), offering programs targeted at Indigenous students.[26] Shawn Atleo attended its opening.[26]

After two decades of service, Carry retired at the end of 2016.[21] She was replaced by Laura Jo Gunter, a former administrator at George Brown College.[27] Bow Valley established a School of Creative Technologies in 2017,[28] and a regional campus in Cochrane in 2018.[29]

Current operations: 2019-present

The Government of Alberta announced funding cuts to public post-secondaries in 2019.[30] Bow Valley College was reportedly the "hardest hit," alongside MacEwan University.[30] The next year, Bow Valley College closed its Canmore satellite campus, citing a decrease in both enrolments and provincial funding.[31]

In April 2020, Bow Valley College's health sciences students were among the Alberta-based learners whose graduations were fast-tracked in order to improve the province's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[32] This followed a media push by students requesting to help.[33] The next month, Gunter left her post to become the new president and CEO of NAIT.[34] She was replaced by Dr. Misheck Mwaba.[35]

Bow Valley College underwent a rebrand in 2021 to its current crest, described as an "abstract landscape" that represents the five values its employees deemed the most important: respect, creativity, inclusion, resilience, and teamwork.[36] In 2023, the college was redesignated as a comprehensive community college by the Ministry of Advanced Education.[24] In November that year, the college received $5.5 million in funding from Calgary's municipal government for a new digital production hub, which would ultimately open in 2025.[37]

In January 2024, Bow Valley College was named one of Alberta's Top 75 Employers.[7] Its South Campus became the host of Calgary's first esports arena in September, to expand its programming in game development and related technologies.[38] The college established a varsity esports team named the Bow Valley College Bears.[39]

Bow Valley celebrated its 60th year in 2025.[40] In September, Mwaba was reappointed for a second term as president and CEO.[41] The college announced in November that it had received an undisclosed "transformative" donation from Calgary-based philanthropists, Esmail and Safana Bharwani.[42] To honour the gift, which will create a new endowment for student awards, Bow Valley announced its intention to rename its School of Arts and Sciences to the Bharwani School of Arts and Sciences.[42] In December, Bow Valley College was ranked 30th by Research Infosource's annual rankings of Canada's top 50 research colleges.[43]

Associated organizations

Bow Valley College is a member of the Alberta Rural Development Network and Colleges and Institutes Canada.[44][45]

Regional facilities

As of 2025, Bow Valley College operates regional campuses in Airdrie, Cochrane, and Okotoks.[5]

Student government

Students receive representation and services through the Students' Association of Bow Valley College (SABVC), a students' union.[46][47] Independent from the college, SABVC supports student clubs on campus, provides scholarships, and manages a health and dental plan for learners.[46] SABVC also hosts events to promote student wellbeing[48][49] and advocates for students on provincial matters to Alberta Advanced Education.[50] Through the Calgary Student Alliance, SABVC works in partnership with other local students' associations.[51]

In 2017, SABVC donated $1.25 million to Bow Valley College, believed to be the largest donation from a students' union to a community college in Alberta's history.[52] The college's president, Laura Jo Gunter, described it as a "tremendous act of generosity."[53] In 2023, SABVC and the college lobbied the City of Calgary to rename the light rail transit station near its downtown campus.[54] The stop was renamed City Hall / Bow Valley College in September.[54]

Controversies

Bow Valley College was allegedly defrauded by a director in 2008, who diverted $189,000 in institutional funds to businesses owned by himself or family members.[55][56]

A 2013 investigation by the Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner found that the college had failed to protect personal information, following the leak of data relating to 189,300 students and 3,500 employees.[57]

See also

References

  1. ^ Collyer, Dave. "Bow Valley College's new President and CEO". Bow Valley College. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Bow Valley College once again named one of Alberta's Top 75 Employers". Financial Post.
  3. ^ "FLE Enrolment by Institution and Sector for 2018-19 Forward" (PDF). Alberta Government.
  4. ^ Government of Alberta (19 December 2025). "Types of publicly funded institutions". www.alberta.ca. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  5. ^ a b Ellis, Brendan (16 May 2025). "Bow Valley College cutting 103 positions due to $15M budget shortfall". CTVNews. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  6. ^ Government of Alberta (22 December 2025). "FLE Enrolment by Institution and Sector for 2020-21 Forward" (PDF). Open Alberta. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 January 2026.
  7. ^ a b GlobeNewswire (30 January 2024). "Bow Valley College once again named one of Alberta's Top 75 Employers". Financial Post.
  8. ^ Maclean's (30 August 2024). "Bow Valley College". Macleans.ca. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  9. ^ a b "Bow Valley College: Schools in Alberta - alis". alis.alberta.ca. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  10. ^ Cleary, Shannon (7 September 2017). "Examining Calgary's Post-Secondary Schools". Avenue Calgary. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  11. ^ College, Bow Valley. "Calgary's First Esports Arena Opens at Bow Valley College". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  12. ^ "Alberta Esports Strategy". ALBERTA ESPORTS ASSOCIATION. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  13. ^ Toombs, Aryn (26 May 2025). "Equal to Hollywood: Digital entertainment production hub opens in Calgary". LiveWire Calgary. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  14. ^ Bow Valley College (2025). Viewbook 2025 (PDF) (1st ed.). Calgary: Bow Valley College.
  15. ^ a b Baker, Donald N. (2011). Catch the gleam: Mount Royal, from college to university, 1910-2009. Calgary: University of Calgary Press. pp. 135, 159, 212. ISBN 978-1-55238-532-6.
  16. ^ a b c Imbrogno, Anthony (1 October 2025). "Celebrating Calgary 150 - Booms and Busts, Part One". Calgary Heritage Initiative. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  17. ^ a b Promoting Calgary Inc (1 April 2001). Calgary: Heart of the New West (1st ed.). Calgary: Towery Pub. p. 279. ISBN 978-1881096931.
  18. ^ Ferguson, Eva (26 May 2010). "Renovated Bow Valley ready to go". Global News. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  19. ^ White, Richard (9 April 2021). "Revitalizing downtown Calgary: a 60-year history of over-promising and under-delivering". CBC News.
  20. ^ Brooks, Bill (10 December 2016). "A celebration of Sharon Carry's extraordinary leadership at Bow Valley College". Calgary Herald.
  21. ^ a b Wiart, Nikki (28 November 2016). "Canadian colleges have more women at the helm than universities". Maclean's.
  22. ^ Canadian Almanac & Directory. Copp Clark Publishing Company. 1995. pp. 3–6.
  23. ^ Parker, David (13 February 2014). "New Bow Valley College Campus Caps a Career". Calgary Herald.
  24. ^ a b c Bow Valley College. "Our History". www.bowvalleycollege.ca. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  25. ^ "Bow Valley College opens new south campus". CBC News. 10 May 2013.
  26. ^ a b "Aboriginal centre opens at Bow Valley College". CBC News. 15 November 2013.
  27. ^ BIC (1 November 2016). "Bow Valley College Announces New President and CEO". Business In Calgary. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  28. ^ Sharp, Jenn (29 March 2018). "New Bow Valley College programs developed to fill digital needs". Calgary Herald.
  29. ^ Tucker, Amy (15 November 2018). "Bow Valley College opens Cochrane campus". Cochrane Eagle.
  30. ^ a b Bellefontaine, Michelle (26 October 2019). "Colleges and universities learn the extent of cuts to government grants". CBC News.
  31. ^ Foubert, Tanya (4 June 2020). "Bow Valley College closes Canmore campus". Rocky Mountain Outlook.
  32. ^ Babych, Stephanie (21 April 2020). "Nursing and health-care aide students' graduations fast-tracked to join fight against COVID-19". Calgary Herald.
  33. ^ Edwardson, Lucie (24 March 2020). "'Let us help': Bow Valley College nursing students weeks shy of graduating seek changes to criteria". CBC News.
  34. ^ Short, Dylan (28 May 2020). "NAIT appoints Laura Jo Gunter president and CEO". Edmonton Journal.
  35. ^ Collyer, Dave (2 November 2020). "Bow Valley College announces new President and CEO". www.boyden.com. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  36. ^ College, Bow Valley (19 January 2021). "Bow Valley College enters a new era with an exciting, revitalized brand". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  37. ^ Dippel, Scott (16 November 2023). "New digital media hub at Bow Valley College gets $5.5M boost". CBC News.
  38. ^ Gilligan, Tyson Fedor, Melissa (25 September 2024). "'Game-changing' new esports arena, Calgary's first, opens at Bow Valley College". CTVNews. Retrieved 8 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ Toombs, Aryn (6 February 2025). "Bow Valley College's inaugural varsity esports team takes first ever win over SAIT". LiveWire Calgary. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  40. ^ "60 Years of Excellence: Your Memories, Our Legacy!". www.bowvalleycollege.ca. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  41. ^ BVC (18 September 2025). "Sustaining momentum to advance and evolve Calgary's college - Dr. Misheck Mwaba is reappointed as Bow Valley College President and CEO". Education News Canada. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  42. ^ a b Gonzalez, Daniel (5 November 2025). "Bow Valley College honours 'transformative gift' from Calgary philanthropists". Calgary Herald.
  43. ^ College, Bow Valley. "Bow Valley College Jumps Ahead in Ranking of Top 50 Research Colleges in Canada". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  44. ^ Kawalilak, Colleen; Groen, Janet (2014). Pathways of Adult Learning: Professional and Education Narratives. Canadian Scholars’ Press. p. 211. ISBN 978-1-55130-637-7.
  45. ^ Canada, Colleges and Institutes. "Our Members Across Canada". Colleges and Institutes Canada. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  46. ^ a b "Who We Are". SABVC. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  47. ^ "Where is the Students' Association and what services do they offer? - LibAnswers". bowvalleycollege.libanswers.com. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  48. ^ Calgary, CTV News (24 July 2024). "Calgary college recognizing international self-care day". CTVNews. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  49. ^ Gilligan, Melissa (6 December 2016). "Puppies comfort stressed students at Bow Valley College". Global News.
  50. ^ Nolais, Jeremy (12 September 2014). "Alberta post-secondary least affordable for low-income families' in Canada: Study". Metro Calgary. p. 5.
  51. ^ Phillips, Kirsten (21 August 2021). "On-campus voting comes back for Calgary municipal election". LiveWire Calgary. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  52. ^ "Bow Valley College donation believed to be largest of its kind in Alberta". Calgary Sun. 28 April 2017.
  53. ^ "Bow Valley College students association donation largest of its kind in Alberta". Calgary Herald. 27 April 2017.
  54. ^ a b Krause, Darren (19 September 2023). "Downtown LRT station officially gets new City Hall / Bow Valley College name". LiveWire Calgary. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  55. ^ Advocate (21 April 2009). "Fraud at colleges investigated". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  56. ^ "College lost $189,000 in alleged fraud, auditor general reports". CBC News. 20 April 2009.
  57. ^ Franklin, Michael (20 August 2013). "Investigators say Bow Valley College failed to protect vital info". CTVNews. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
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