The College of the Rockies (COTR) welcomed its eighth president and chief executive officer (CEO) to its faculty.
The College says Michael Crowe, who most recently served as Vice President Academic at Bow Valley College, has a long career working in post-secondary education and will step into the role.
“I’ve worked in higher education for over 22 years and have served on executive teams at other institutions for 10 years, so I bring quite a bit of experience working in higher education and helping to lead post-secondary institutions,” said Crowe.
“A lot of that work involves setting strategic directions and helping the organization reach its goals.”
Crowe holds a Master of Science in Ecology and has a broad range of experience in academics, including as a teaching assistant at the University of Lethbridge and later serving as a faculty member at Lethbridge Polytechnic (formerly Lethbridge College) and Lakeland College.
“I bring a lot of experience building relationships with community, focusing on economic development, workforce development and building talent pipelines into businesses and industry,” said Crowe.
“These are important roles colleges play, and I think there’s an opportunity to bring some of that experience to the College of the Rockies.”
Crowe feels the college should look at building connections outside of its campus.
“I think the direction that we take as we look ahead is really focused on external relationships and how we engage with communities and economic development offices, and how we can attract investment, build talent pools and pipelines that will attract new investments to the region,” said Crowe.
“I think it’s an important direction at an important time for the College of the Rockies. We’re facing a lot of pressure with tariffs, shifting labour market needs, and emerging technologies. I think it’s a great time for the college to step up and support the economic well-being of our region.”
The College welcomed Crowe into his new position on May 1, 2025.
“It is an honour to join College of the Rockies and to help shape its next chapter,” Crowe said.
“This institution is deeply connected to the communities we serve and fully committed to providing an exceptional experience for our students, and I’m excited to work alongside students, faculty, and staff to build on this strong foundation and create new opportunities for growth and innovation.”
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