Arboriculture Technician Certificate

Program Dates: Find out when your term start and end dates are, so that you know when you are expected to be in attendance. For more information, please review the Program Dates & Fee Schedule.

Class Registration: You will be registered into your classes automatically. This will happen approximately 1 month prior to the start-date for your program. You will be notified once you have been timetabled into your courses. You will be able to see your class schedule in your My Olds College account. If you need to make any changes to your class registration, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

Technology Recommendation: It is strongly recommended that you come to Olds College with the following technology:

• A laptop is preferred

As part of your student accounts, all students have access to Office 365 for the duration of their time with Olds College. To access this you just need to follow these steps:

• Go to portal.office.com
• Enter your Olds College email address and password
• Once logged in there is a button on the right that says "Install Office Apps"

This will give you access to the full Office suite on your computer, for both Windows and Mac based platforms.

Materials & Supplies:

The following items are required to be purchased before the program starts:

• Pair of CSA approved safety-toed boots
• Adequate clothing for outdoor activities
• Pair of good quality safety glasses

Information on required textbooks and any further supplies will be provided as you attend each class. All books and supplies will be available during the first few weeks of classes in the College Campus Store.

Other Important Information:

• Safety Regulations: Wearing safety equipment and abiding by industry safety standards is mandatory within our program.

• Time Requirements: Students are typically in class or on field trips for up to 3-8 hours a day, on each weekday, with normal class hours ranging from 8 am to 12:15 pm. Occasionally, overnight and weekend trips will occur. Ample forewarning of overnight stays and field trips, their times and dates will be provided along with the necessary requirements for attending them. You will also be expected to complete numerous assignments outside of regularly scheduled classes that will vary in terms of their demands upon your time. This amount of time will vary with each course that you take, but a reasonable estimate would be 50 hours per week of effort inclusive of class time.

• Additional Skills: Basic computer skills are recommended for all and it is certainly beneficial to have some prior experience with computers before you arrive at college. A familiarity and comfort in the use of Google products, word processing, spreadsheet and e-mailing software will be a definite asset. Students have the ability to take notes directly into their devices as the class proceeds. You will be schooled in other systems once you arrive and as need dictates. For example, the learning management system ‘Moodle’ is commonly used in the School of Animal Science and Horticulture and you will be introduced to its use and application in your very first classes.

• Student Clubs: The Horticulture and Turf Clubs are examples of groups that offer an additional dimension to your Olds College experience. There are also a number of college sports teams, some of which participate at the inter-collegiate level while others are purely recreational.

Lockers: Lockers are available in the Land Sciences Building. All you need to do during your first few days at Olds is to select one without a lock and it’s yours for the duration. It is strongly recommend that you select a locker in the first week of classes because of high demand. You are required to provide your own lock and to register your locker