OTTERBURNE, MB – Providence is getting ready for our fall semester. It starts off with Welcome Week, which begins on Sunday, September 4th, with the arrival of returning students on the Otterburne campus.
A Glimpse at Welcome Week
The week will include a variety of activities such as residence move-ins, campus tours, chapels, orientation, Prov Cup, home opener soccer games, fireside worship nights, and a welcome banquet. Everything will cumulate on Saturday with a community barbeque at 5:00 pm and an evening worship concert led by alum Savannah Driedger. You can view the full schedule for Welcome Week HERE.
Our classes will be starting on Wednesday, September 7th and students will begin a new term. As is always the case, there are new happenings on the academic side of things.
“We have a lot to be excited about for the 2022-2023 school year,” shared Provost and Vice President Academic Nicholas Greco in a recent presentation at our employee orientation. He spoke about what the Providence community can expect for the coming year including the latest Seminary projects and programs, growth/expansion in our University College and the launch of some new initiatives.
Programming in the Theological Seminary
Our Seminary, which is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), is serving students nationally and internationally with a comprehensive distance education program. Dr. Jeff Anderson has stepped into the role of Interim Dean of the Seminary and continues to provide leadership to the Doctor of Ministry program. He shepherds our most advanced students through the doctoral process, to help them realize their callings (vocations) as they serve the church.
The Master’s level program in Chaplaincy/Spiritual Care is one of the most recent additions to the Seminary’s offerings. Providence recognizes the growing need for well-trained chaplains who provide spiritual care to people right where they are. So, we’ve designed a ministry degree to help students know how to compassionately support people dealing with health issues, addictions, aging, grief, loss and trauma in settings such as long-term care, hospitals, prisons, and military posts.
Our first course offerings are:
Chaplaincy/Spiritual Care Foundations | Taught by Dr. Hank Dixon (Fall Term)
Chaplaincy/Spiritual Care Vision and Leadership | Taught by Dr. Gloria Woodland (Winter Term)
Science and Faith
Watch for news from Dr. Robert Dean and Dr. Rebecca Dielschneider, who organized last year’s Science and Faith Symposium, as they will be working together on a new endeavour as part of Science for Seminaries, a project of the Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) program at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS).
New Developments in our University College
This past Spring (2022), the University College extended its reach to international students with our new Providence Downtown start-up program, offering a 20-month Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration in Winnipeg. Providence has also partnered with the Assiniboine Community College to bring a Practical Nursing program to Southern Manitoba on our Otterburne campus.
In addition, we welcomed Dr. Bruce Friesen Pankratz, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, and Dr. Paata Brekashvili, Associate Professor of Business Administration, to the University College as early-stage plans unfold to grow our Science and Business departments.
A Couple of Things ‘in the Making’ at Prov
As we continue to steward the mission to grow our students “in knowledge and character for leadership and service,” we are struck (this year) by the possibilities that can be achieved through collaborations and partnerships with others.
For instance, we have an opportunity, together with Harv’s Air, to expand our Aviation program to help fill the shortage of pilots worldwide. Currently, we are in conversations with industry leaders and working out details on how to become a feeder school for regional airline pilot programs.
And lastly, Providence is nearly ready to launch our Centre for On-Demand Education (CODE) with a Certificate in Transformational Leadership. As part of CODE, we have already begun partnerships that include the Diocese of the Arctic who are working on a ‘Certificate in Pastoral Development,’ and Teach Beyond who are creating a ‘Certificate in Trauma Informed Care’ for their teachers working in war-torn countries.