Medicine Hat College's new vice-president academic and provost Dr. Vicky Roy (Photo courtesy of Medicine Hat College)

By Scott Roblin

MHC Vice-President

New vice-president Roy joining MHC during uncertain period

Apr 23, 2020 | 10:52 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It might not have begun the way she envisioned, but Dr. Vicky Roy is settling into her new role with Medicine Hat College.

Roy officially began her tenure as MHC’s new vice-president academic and provost this week after a handful of weeks assisting the college online.

Originally from Quebec, Roy joined MHC after serving as associate dean of the marketing management programs at the British Columbia Institute of Technology after a stint at SAIT in Calgary.

Roy’s family remained in Alberta while she ventured westward and said she’s glad to be returning to a province she calls home.

“I feel I’m a part of Alberta,” said Roy. “Sometimes when you go away to the bigger city, you realize that you’re missing Alberta. We have great people here and that’s why I’ve made the transition to come back.”

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Over the last few weeks, Roy has been working double duty at both MHC and BCIT to try and assist in the transition between roles amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has moved classes completely online.

“I was trying to make sure that I don’t leave them in a bad situation with COVID-19 at BCIT, but also helping those folks here at Medicine Hat College with all of the different challenges they have,” said Roy.

It’s an uncertain time for MHC and the post-secondary education system with Roy and the college’s executive staff trying to plan for how fall classes will be held due to the pandemic and shrinking funding from the province.

While Roy is confident that local students will have access to post-secondary education in the coming months, how that will be rolled out is the real question.

“Are we going back face-to-face?” said Roy. “Are we moving our classes and programming online? Are we going to have a blended approach? We need to consider all three of those options and make the right decision.”

According to Roy, a decision on that framework could be made as early as this Friday or sometime next week.

She admits that it’s strange to enter a new position at a school that currently has no students in its halls, but said her top project will be making sure that local education is properly delivered.

“The first big priority that we have is to tell our students we are there for you,” said Roy. “We are going to be there for you and you’re going to learn in September, and that we’re still open.”t