UPDATE December 2006 - Read about the adventures of Cameron Dube, Outdoor Adventure grad who earned his Bachelor of Tourism Management degree at TRU and is guiding students on Mt. Kilimanjaro through Algonquin's Expedition Africa.

ALGONQUIN COLLEGE AND THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY STRIKE ARTICULATION AGREEMENT FOR ADVENTURE PROGRAMS

PEMBROKE, ON -- Two of the premiere post-secondary adventure tourism educators in Canada are working together to develop more opportunities for post-secondary students in one of the fastest growing segments of the Canadian tourism sector.

Algonquin College in the Ottawa Valley and Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops, British Columbia, have signed an articulation agreement that permits students in Algonquin’s Outdoor Adventure and Adventure Naturalist programs to gain advanced standing in TRU ’s 4-year Bachelor of Tourism Management degree.

Under the agreement, eligible graduates of Algonquin’s Outdoor Adventure 2-year diploma program will have direct entry into the third year of the TRU degree, which offers Majors in Adventure Tourism and Entrepreneurship.  Graduates of Algonquin’s 1 1/2 year Adventure Naturalist diploma program can enter the second year of the degree program with up to 51 credits standing.Murray Kyte, Algonquin’s Chair of Business, Technology and Outdoor Training, said: “We are thrilled to have developed this articulation agreement with TRU which has made its mark in Western Canada as a pioneer in post-secondary adventure tourism training. Our association with TRU began when we were planning the launch of our Outdoor Adventure Program in 1999, and this new arrangement strengthens our relationship and will benefit our students for many years to come.”

Dr. David Twynam, TRU Dean of the School of Tourism, says: “This agreement is a natural and logical step in providing more opportunities for students to continue their education and in meeting the needs of tourism employers across the country. TRU has been a national leader in creating ladders between college diploma and university degree programs, in direct response to the need for graduates who can bring to the workplace a stronger combination of practical experience and academic qualifications at a university level.”

TRU was founded in 1970 and was given degree-granting status in 1989 by the government of British Columbia. Today, TRU has more than 9,000 students in over 40 degree options and 50 different one- and two-year programs, including 12 program choices in the TRU School of Tourism.

Established in 1967, Algonquin College is the largest college in Eastern Ontario with more than 12,000 full-time students and 150 programs. Algonquin College in the Ottawa Valley, a satellite campus based in Pembroke, delivers 14 full-time programs, including its adventure tourism programs which are offered in partnership with Wilderness Tours. Wilderness Tours, one of the leading outdoor adventure companies in North America, provides the practical training experiences for Outdoor Adventure and Outdoor Adventure Naturalist students.

For more information on this media release, contact:
Jamie Bramburger
Manager of Community and Student Affairs
Algonquin College in the Ottawa Valley
(613) 735-4700, ext. 2756 or 2712

Josh Keller
Director, Public Relations and Recruitment
Thompson Rivers University
(250) 828-5008