Tansi (Welcome)

It is an honour to be writing this message as the new President of the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. On September 15th, under the watchful eye of Métis Elder Don Beauchesne, I was inaugurated as NVIT’s 6th President, and officially took office on October 1st. Having been with NVIT since 1995, I am deeply committed to Aboriginal education and look forward to NVIT’s continued role in serving our students as they pursue their post secondary education.

On behalf of the NVIT Board of Governors, and all of our faculty, support staff, and administrators, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology – British Columbia’s Aboriginal public post secondary institute.

The decision on which post secondary institution to attend is an important one, and I encourage you to consider NVIT. NVIT prides itself on being BC’s only public Aboriginal post secondary institution. With small class sizes, qualified faculty, a commitment to student success, a proven track record of delivering quality Aboriginal education, and two beautiful campuses in Merritt and Burnaby, NVIT is the right choice for post secondary studies.

NVIT continues to welcome a record number of students to NVIT. Now serving approximately 1500 students, and representing students from 2/3 of BC’s First Nations communities, we continue to experience growth in both programming and student population. NVIT’s on-campus enrolment continues to grow as we continue to refine our programming offerings. We have expanded our health programming with a new Bridging to Health program that will prepare students to enter into our Health Care Assistant program. Other programs that continue to have increased demand are the Early Childhood Education Program, the Law Enforcement Preparation Program, the Chemical Addictions Program, and the Criminology program. We are also pleased to announce that our Natural Resources Technology program has undertaken a program review and will once again be offered in September 2011.

Distributed Learning is an alternative education model whereby NVIT delivers programming in First Nations communities throughout British Columbia and across Canada. This type of programming delivery provides students with an opportunity to learn in their own community and is often utilized by students who do not wish to move away from their community, or are currently employed. Programming options range from Adult Basic education and college readiness through to completion of two year diplomas. Whether you choose online, on campus, or in community, NVIT is committed to delivering quality education to Aboriginal learners.

In the Fall of 2010, NVIT held a Grand Opening ceremony of our new daycare and lecture theatre at our Merritt campus. The new state of the art lecture theatre accommodates 144 seats and will be used not only by the employees and students of NVIT, but also by the community of Merritt and as a venue for hosting conferences. The new daycare commenced operations in September 2010 and provides childcare for 28 children. NVIT students have priority so register early. Our student housing on the Merritt campus, with a capacity for 80 students, continues to be a popular choice for students who are coming to NVIT from outside the Nicola Valley.

The Burnaby campus continues to attract a record number of students in the urban Vancouver area. With so many other post secondary choices available, Aboriginal students continue to experience what makes NVIT unique and different by attending our small satellite campus. Nestled amongst the trees, NVIT’s Burnaby campus is able to offer the same quality education with an Aboriginal mandate and a commitment to student success.

There are many reasons why learners believe NVIT is the number one choice for Aboriginal Post Secondary Education. With a mandate to deliver Aboriginal Education, please feel free to contact us for a guided tour of one of our campuses, or contact one of our academic planners to help you get started at BC’s Aboriginal post secondary institute. For more information visit www.nvit.ca

I look forward to seeing you!


Ken Tourand

President