Stuart Cullum, President, RDP (Supplied)

By Ian Gustafson

Look back at 2025

Year-in-Review: RDP President Stuart Cullum confident in future, despite challenging time

Dec 29, 2025 | 12:13 PM

Red Deer Polytechnic President Stuart Cullum said 2025 was a “really great” year for the institution, despite being a challenging time for polytechnics across Canada.

He said polytechnics, including RDP, have had to settle into a new fiscal reality. There’s been a significant reduction in revenues as a result of changes made in late 2024 by the federal government, by putting a cap on how many international student study permit applications are accepted each year.

According to a release in November 2025 from the Government of Canada, the number of study permit holders dropped from over one million in January 2024 to about 725,000 by September 2025.

At RDP, they saw a 21 per cent decrease in international students, according to Cullum.

He explained they are managing through those changes.

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“I’d say our institution has faired quite well and will need to continue to manage through it in the next year or so,” Cullum said. “We are sort of in the middle of that reset as international student numbers continue to decline, but they will level off and will reset as a sector across the country and at RDP.”

Despite that, he feels the institution has performed well, as it has seen a 13 per cent increase in domestic enrolment, significant growth in applied research, and new partnerships.

“We have a strategic plan that really focuses on growth and impact for our institution, and I think that we are seeing that in the results. I expect we’ll continue to see that even through some of the challenges we’re facing,” Cullum said.

“RDP is on a really solid footing. Our fundamentals, I would say, are very strong in terms of the programs that we are delivering, and that’s demonstrated in the domestic enrolment growth.”

Among some of the other top accomplishments for Red Deer Polytechnic in 2025 are when they broke ground on the expansion of its Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing – Technology Access Centre. This will expand the facility from 15,000 to 25,000 square feet.

RDP also unveiled its new lab in September for the diagnostic medical sonography diploma program. The diagnostic medical sonography diploma program was brought to RDP because they heard from industry and the community that there was a need for more sonographers in the field.

Cullum said they expect the institution’s health programming will expand substantially in the future, including 1,000 more health students in the next five to seven years.

In addition, RDP signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Covenant in November, marking a commitment to work together over the next five years to enhance and expand the delivery of health services, training and applied research in support of Alberta’s healthcare sector. The agreement also solidified the development of the Rural and Remote Health and Wellness Centre of Excellence.

Cullum said it demonstrates how RDP is supporting not only the health sector but the rural communities in central Alberta.

Looking ahead to 2026, Cullum said their goal is to continue to see further growth and impact at RDP. He hopes to see more programs introduced to support industries as well as the development of current programs.

An initiative he’s particularly proud of is the central Alberta trade strategy led by Vice President Academic & Student Experience, Lindsay Engel. It’s an initiative that will look at how trade programs are supporting industries across central Alberta and how more programs can be created in the future.

“I think it’s going to be another year for growth at RDP, and we are not out of the woods yet on some of those challenges I’ve mentioned,” Cullum said. “With a strong strategic plan, a strong direction, and strong programming, I expect this institution will continue to demonstrate value for not only central Alberta but for the province.”