University of Lethbridge’s Edmonton campus is closing

WATCH: The University of Lethbridge board of governors has voted to close the Edmonton campus. Amara Johnson reports.

EDMONTON – The doors for the University of Lethbridge’s Edmonton campus will be closing.

Students received an email on Friday informing them of the closure. An exact end date hasn’t been announced, but students admitted in January 2015 will be the final group enrolled at the campus.

The university’s Edmonton campus opened in 1996.

Officials say closing the school was a tough decision, but that there has been a steady decline in enrolment since 2004.

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“The number of degree opportunities in Edmonton changed dramatically,” explained Andrew Hakin, the provost of the University of Lethbridge.

“2008 and 2009, MacEwan, NAIT also had credentials at the baccalaureate level approved, which provided all the options for the sort of students we were attracting.”

“The niche that was occupied by the University of Lethbridge in Edmonton closed because a lot of the other post-secondary institutions in Edmonton filled that need,” Hakin added.

The closure will have no effect on the main University of Lethbridge campus.

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