Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, swears in Stuart Cullum as President of Red Deer Polytechnic on Thursday. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

By Alessia Proietti

Building Polytechnic's identity

Red Deer Polytechnic installs Stuart Cullum as 12th President

Nov 4, 2022 | 11:36 AM

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) formally welcomed Stuart Cullum as the 12^th President of the institution on Thursday with an installation ceremony.

The ceremony at the Arts Centre began with an honor song by the Little Buffalo Drum Group and words of congratulations by multiple distinguished guests including Minister of Education Adriana LaGrange, Student Association President Savannah Snow, Red Deer City Mayor Ken Johnston, Red Deer County Mayor Jim Wood, Chief Leonard Standingontheroad of Montana Frist Nation, and more.

The Honourable Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, officially installed Cullum as President after he took the Oath of Office and accepted the responsibilities of the Office of the President.

“As a Board, we are very grateful to have Stuart as the President of Red Deer Polytechnic to lead the institution into the future,” said Guy Pelletier, Chair of RDP’s Board of Governors. “His experience, skillset, and vision for polytechnic education will serve learners, communities and the province extremely well for many years to come.”

Cullum said he felt honored and privileged during the ceremony, and is eager to help build the Polytechnic’s identity among Alberta’s education system.

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“We are a diverse polytechnic education institution that can serve the social, economic and cultural needs of Alberta by building from the strengths of central Alberta and ultimately serving our students and our region in that way,” he said.

He says the institution’s strengths include arts and culture, social sciences, world-class trades, health, and engineering and technology.

“All of these programs, because they’re strong and because we have them here, we’re actually unique as a polytechnic in Canada. There’s no polytechnic west of Ontario that has that kind of mix of programs,” he said.

Prior to joining the Polytechnic, Cullum served as President of Olds College of Agriculture & Technology for five years. With his leadership, RDP officials say the College experienced unprecedented growth in several key areas, including the increase of student enrolment by 12 per cent, more than $23 million in applied research funding, and the establishment of the College’s Smart Farm, which secured international partners and more than $40 million in investment.

Newly installed President of Red Deer Polytechnic Stuart Cullum accepts gift from Ian Cook, RDP Visual Art Instructor for over 50 years, in collaboration with other professors. The art sculpture represents central Alberta’s landscape and aspects were created in the CIM-TAC. (RDP)

Since Cullum began his role as President on August 2, 2022, RDP officials say the institution has continued to advance, receiving approval to offer five new micro-credentials: Complex Care and Patient Navigator; Classroom Support Aide; Statistical Consultant; Photovoltaic Systems: Design and Install; and Substance and Addictions Support Worker.

They also state RDP’s Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing (CIM-TAC) was awarded $570,000 in federal funding to purchase health care device manufacturing equipment. The funding was provided through PrairiesCan’s Regional Innovation Ecosystem program which provides investment to not-for-profit organizations that support businesses to grow, innovate and compete around the world.

READ: Federal funding for Red Deer Polytechnic’s CIM-TAC supports growth of health care device manufacturing in central Alberta

On October 31, officials note Cullum signed the United Nations SDG Accord in conjunction with Snow to demonstrate RDP’s commitment to inspire and advance the important role that education has in achieving sustainable development goals.

READ: Red Deer Polytechnic signs United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Accord

Over the past three months, RDP say they have engaged with a variety of communities, demonstrating their commitment to collaborating and creating inclusive campuses. The Polytechnic welcomed thousands of learners, including Indigenous and International students, to begin the 2022/2023 academic year and a variety of initiatives have also been held on campus, including during Truth and Reconciliation Week, to showcase the institution’s commitment toward indigenization and reconciliation.

“Red Deer Polytechnic is positioned to be a venue and catalyst for innovation and development around the economic and social priorities of the region and province,” said Cullum. “This defines our institution as a polytechnic and provides enhanced experiential learning opportunities for our students, applied research opportunities for our faculty and partnering opportunities for industry and community organizations.”