This mandate has been developed by Northwestern Polytechnic in consultation with Alberta’s Ministry of Advanced Education pursuant to Section 78 of the Post-secondary Learning Act (PSLA).

1. Type of Institution, Sector, and Governance
   Northwestern Polytechnic (NWP) is a board-governed public post-secondary institution operating in Alberta as a polytechnic institution under the authority of the PSLA.
2. Outcomes
   • As a polytechnic, Northwestern Polytechnic would have outcomes related to these elements outlined in the PSLA: 102.6
     1. An institution assigned to the Polytechnic Institutions sector shall
        1. provide apprenticeship technical training,
        2. provide diploma and certificate programs, and
        3. collaborate with other post-secondary institutions to support regional access to polytechnic education.
     2. An institution assigned to the Polytechnic Institutions sector shall not confer graduate level programs.
     3. An institution assigned to the Polytechnic Institutions sector may
        1. provide approved foundational learning or undergraduate degree programs,
        2. undertake research and scholarly activities
           1. that align with the credentials offered, or
           2. that are focused on strengthening economic development in the Province, and
        3. collaborate with other post-secondary institutions to support regional access to diploma, certificate, or undergraduate degree programs.
   • As a Polytechnic institution, NWP is committed to being the most entrepreneurial educational experience for all students.
   • NWP offers regional learners' instruction and support services that are learner-centred and responsive to the lifelong educational needs of full-time and part-time students of diverse, multicultural and Indigenous backgrounds.
3. Clients/Students
   • As a Polytechnic institution, NWP targets a comprehensive audience of students from around the world.
4. Geographic Service Area and Type of Delivery
   • NWP has two campuses. One located in the city of Grande Prairie, and one located in the town of Fairview. Both campuses serve the communities of Northwest Alberta and beyond.
   • NWP serves regional learners' needs through collaboration with other adult learning providers, program delivery and stewardship of community-based adult learning in our geographic service area.
   • Educational delivery at NWP includes face-to-face synchronous, online asynchronous, remote synchronous, independent studies and mixed or blended deliveries.
   • Work integrated learning and practice experiences are offered.
5. Program Mandates and Credentials Offering
   • The Polytechnic offers university transfer, diploma, and certificate programs; apprenticeship and pre-employment training; and adult high school completion. Credit programs are offered in the areas of applied science and technology, business, health and education and skilled trades.
   • The Polytechnic also offers baccalaureate degrees on their own and in collaboration with other PSI's.
   • Program coordination exists between programs within NWP and with other post-secondary institutions through program structure, laddering of credentials, transfer agreements, and prior learning assessment and recognition practices.
6. Special Program Areas/Areas of Specialization
   • NWP School of Skilled Trades is the largest Trades training school in Northern Alberta and the fourth-largest training school in Alberta. NWP has delivered Canada's only Harley Davidson training Certificate for the past 30 years, attracting students from all over the world.
   • Our successful partnership with Finning Canada for the ThinkBig Finning Caterpillar diploma continues to be the only one of its kind in Canada, bringing students who are accepted to the program from all over the world.
   • Once approved, NWP will offer in demand degrees including business and computing science.
7. System Collaboration and Partnerships
   • NWP has formal collaboration agreements within the system to ensure regional learner needs as well as industry sector needs are met. Through collaboration with the University of Alberta, learners can complete a Bachelor of Education degree as well as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at NWP. Starting in Fall 2021, through collaboration with the Campus Saint Jean, University of Alberta, students can complete the first two years of Bachelor of Education in French. Through collaboration with SAIT, learners can complete a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with either an accounting or a management major. NWP does not provide graduate level programs, but it does host other institutions to deliver such programs on their campus.
   • NWP leverages partnerships with local businesses and organizations to create an educational network throughout our communities. For instance, our Animal Health Technology program readily partners with our local humane organizations to support and care for animals.
     • PACE Community Support, Sexual Assault & Trauma Centre: In partnership with the Grande Prairie Sexual Assault & Trauma Centre, Northwestern Polytechnic Continuing Education is proud to partner to offer the Crisis Response Management Certificate: training designed for community members, professionals, students, first responders and front line workers in the region.
     • Spartan Controls: In partnership with Spartan Controls, we will train our students in a new facility, on leading-edge equipment, providing a partnership that will directly benefit our students. Leading to jobs in in-demand careers.
   • NWP is committed to advancing Indigenization and Indigenous engagement regarding education. NWP hosts the on-campus Friendship Centre, the Circle of Indigenous Students and Indigenization Advisory Committee. The committee consists of Elders and Knowledge Keepers, community members, partners, stakeholders and leaders, as NWP students, alumni and staff. By bringing key individuals together and creating space for discussion, collaboration, and guidance, NWP will continue to move forward in the process of Indigenization and remain on the path towards reconciliation.
8. Research and Scholarly Activities
   • The National Bee Diagnostic Centre (NBDC), NWP's flagship genetics and microbiological laboratory continues to work closely with an extensive national network of producer associations, provincial and federal agencies, universities, and other entities as an NSERC Technology Access Centre. Additionally, the NBDC continued to provide pathogen diagnostic services directly to producers in six provinces, as well as undertaking several contracts for genetics and microbiological work for four provincial governments and one university.
   • NWP is pursuing new agreements with regional and provincewide producer associations. For applied research, the partnerships aim to move NWP into new projects in crop and forage pollination, forage production, and livestock nutrition. NWP is excited to be in a position to make its Beaverlodge laboratory and Fairview animal facilities available to address regional producer needs.
   • NWP Applied Research continues to realign activities to match regional industry needs. For example, in direct response to emerging regulatory and investment challenges posed to regional extractive industries, NWP has initiated two new projects in clean power generation for remote worksites and low-impact off-highway vehicles.
   • NWP is establishing the Evaskevich Centre for Health Research and Innovation. The Centre state-of-the-art facility, located in the Polytechnic wing of the new Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, will be dedicated to research surrounding rural, northern, and Indigenous health benefitting new and existing health care programming. The facility will develop, implement, and sustain a research program in collaboration with health services and industry partners in northwestern Alberta.
   • Established in 2020, the Centre for Teaching and Learning assists instructors in developing innovative teaching and learning opportunities by encouraging collaboration, supporting scholarship and connecting faculty with the wider academic community. The virtual centre is a faculty-led resource hub providing NWP instructors with various professional training supports and resource materials. Faculty have the opportunity to enhance instructional and curriculum development skills, create an innovative curriculum, produce new learning opportunities, and engage in the scholarship of teaching and learning.
   • Over the past year, NWP has taken steps to more fully align with the Alberta Research and Innovation Framework (ARIF) 2030 Innovation Targets. New applied research initiatives have been adopted as part of the institution's administrative plan, and several other initiatives have been reoriented to better fit ARIF priorities for economic  Page 7 of 8 Classification: Protected A diversification and job creation, environmental stewardship and climate leadership, effective resource management, and engaged individuals and communities for a healthy Alberta.
   • Since 2015, NWP has twice received funding from SSHRC — Community and Colleges Social Innovation Fund. The funding supported a project designed to evaluate the PACT program (Police and Crisis Team) in the Grande Prairie area. These funds also supported a project designed to assess Youth Connection and Belonging. Both projects involved engagement from various service providers as well as many NWP students.
9. System Mandate
   • NWP signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with regional high schools and other governmental agencies to enhance our role as a community builder. Agreements were reached with the regional school divisions to offer various Career and Technology Studies courses and credit Trades instruction for Junior and Senior High students.
   • Learner pathway initiatives such as micro-credentials, laddering between and within programs, and connecting non-credit and credit completion through a robust prior learning assessment and recognition process, are being explored and developed at NWP.
   • NWP is in the process of launching a pan-institutional mental health strategy for staff and students. This is in addition to our existing mental health services for students.