Tansi (Welcome) On behalf of the NVIT Board of Governors, and all of our faculty, support staff and administrators, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology - British Columbia's Indigenous Public Post-Secondary Institute. There are many things that make NVIT one of the most unique post-secondary institutions in the country. Whether it is the NVIT Elders' Council, our Indigenous mandate, the large percentage of Indigenous students, the highly qualified faculty, or our extremely helpful support staff, NVIT offers learners a post-secondary experience that will provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their chosen education or career path. Representing approximately 60% of BC's First Nation's communities, NVIT continues to welcome a record number of students to NVIT. Now serving close to 1400 learners, we continue to experience growth in both programming and student population. As we enter into the 2017/18 Academic year, NVIT is embarking on another year of exciting initiatives. This includes our summer institute on Indigenous Leadership and Governance being offered at our Vancouver campus in July, the introduction of the Executive Assistant diploma, the creation of our Elders memorial garden, and the construction of our 9-million-dollar Centre of Excellence in Sustainability capital project. NVIT strives to offer programming that meets the needs of Indigenous students and communities. This includes programs in Environmental Resources, Business, Early Childhood, Chemical Addictions, Law Enforcement, Health, Criminology, Trades and Social Work.We also have two mobile trades trailers that allows us to bring our Bridging to Trades program into Indigenous communities across BC. Contact us today to get your community on the list! I recently heard a story of a parent of one of our students. She was talking to other high school parents and was mentioning that she had a daughter that was living in the NVIT student residences and taking classes at our Merritt campus. The message she was communicating to these parents was that if you want to send your child to a post-secondary institution that cares about their students, NVIT is the place. Hearing a story like that reinforces NVIT's commitment to being student centered. At NVIT we take great pride in creating a learning community where students are comfortable and can thrive and succeed. Start at NVIT and go anywhere is what we tell our students. All of NVIT's programs are transferable and accredited with colleges and universities in British Columbia and across Canada. Embarking on your educational journey at NVIT will save you a significant amount of money, and like many students, you may find out you just don't want to leave! NVIT's mandate is to serve Indigenous students and communities. Whether you choose to join us at our Merritt or Vancouver campuses, or pursue your education through NVIT in your home community, we are committed to providing you with the best instruction in a learner-centred environment dedicated to student success. Please feel free to contact us for a guided tour of one of our campuses, or contact an academic planner to help you get started at BC's Aboriginal Public Post-Secondary Institute. For more news, information, and updates on NVIT, I invite you to visit our website at www.nvit.ca and follow us on twitter @NVIT83. I look forward to welcoming you to the NVIT family and seeing you on campus!