ONCAT Twitter
Home | Program | Registration | Travel Policy/Directions | Accommodation | Local Info | Previous conferences Français

Program*

Note: All ONCAT Conference sessions take place on the Second Floor of the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel.
Print this page
* Subject to change
Monday, April 28, 2014
7:30 am ‒ 5:00 pm Registration Desk Open
Check in at the desk to pick up your Conference badge, Final Program and registration package.
10:45 am – 12:10 pm Welcome and Opening Remarks
Dominic Giroux, Co-Chair, ONCAT, President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University;
Glenn Craney, Executive Director, ONCAT

Plenary Session I: Transfer and Mobility from Coast to Coast:  Learning from Other Jurisdictions
Panelists: Rob Fleming, Executive Director, BC Council on Admissions and Transfer
Ann Marie Lyseng, Senior Manager, Learner Pathways and ACAT Secretariat, Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer (ACAT);
Dave Neale, Executive Director, Campus Manitoba;
Philip Bélanger, Executive Director, NB Council on Articulation and Transfer
Moderator: Glenn Craney, Executive Director, ONCAT

This panel is comprised of leaders from provincial organizations across Canada responsible for advancing student transfer and mobility. Each panelist will begin by sharing an overview of transfer and mobility in their jurisdiction and identifying current initiatives and research underway. Panelists will then discuss possible improvements to the transfer system and students’ experience of transfer in Canada. The goal of this session is to advance conference participants’ awareness of the student mobility efforts across Canada and to encourage conversation about what opportunities exist and what barriers remain.
12:20 pm – 1:20 pm Lunch for Registered Delegates
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Breakout Sessions – Block 1 (60 minute sessions)
  1A – Ontario Pathways Projects in Business from Startup Through Implementation
Presenter: Mary Pierce, Chair, Lawrence Kinlin School of Business, Fanshawe College and Chair, Ontario Heads of Business

This session will review the evolution of the Pathways project in business from initial stages to the pilot implementation of the outcomes of the province-wide agreements in Accounting, Human Resources, Marketing and Business Administration. There will be discussion of the diploma to diploma transfer and diploma to degree transfer. The project is now part of an implementation pilot project and key aspects of the implementation pilot will be discussed.
  1B – Academic Resourcefulness and Transfer Student Success – Preliminary Findings
Presenters: Deborah Kennett, Professor, Trent University;
Karen Maki, Higher Education Consultant and Researcher;
Christopher Quinn-Nilas, Graduate Student, Trent University

Do the psychosocial profiles of college transfer students differ from direct high school entrants in a university?  Do the factors predicting academic resourcefulness and expected grades differ among these groups? To address these questions, students at Trent University were invited to complete a set of well-established questionnaires assessing general and academic resourcefulness, academic self-efficacy, explanatory style for failure, reasons for attending university, and university adjustment. Transfer students were asked an additional series of questions regarding the transfer experience, availability of information, and satisfaction with the number of transfer credits they received. In this session, we will present preliminary findings about factors associated with academic adjustment and success, and whether these factors differ for students entering university directly from high school versus those transferring from colleges or other universities. The findings will be of particular interest to faculty, advisors, and student services professionals who are developing programs and services for transfer students.
  1C – Reciprocity for Enhanced Student Success
Presenters: Rebecca Jamieson, President/CEO, Six Nations Polytechnic;
Ron (Deganadus) McLester, Director & Special Advisor, Aboriginal Initiatives, Mohawk College;
Jeff Muzzerall, Director, Indigenous, Government & Community Relations, St. Paul's University College at the University of Waterloo

Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) is a centre of excellence for indigenous education located in the heart of the most populous First Nation in Canada along the Grand River in Ontario. Given SNP’s unique mandate, SNP learners gain knowledge and skills needed to be self-sufficient, educated, and employable while learning about the continuance of Hodinohso:ni culture, languages, and traditions that predate the formation of the United States or Canada. At Six Nations Polytechnic learners of diverse backgrounds experience an inclusive learning environment.

This panel presentation will present the emerging partnerships for credit transfer between this Indigenous Institute of Higher Learning and public colleges and universities in Ontario. Insight will be gained into Six Nations’ approach to sustainability through mutually beneficial reciprocity. The background leading to these emerging partnerships will be shared, along with comparisons for similar credit transfers in other provinces. The partnerships will support two mutually beneficial strategic education objectives i.e., increasing engagement of Indigenous peoples in the cultural, social, and economic systems and structures that sustain their existence, and closing the knowledge and understanding gap that exists in society pertaining to Indigenous peoples in Canada.
  1D – ONTransfer.ca: Connecting Students to Transfer Opportunities
Presenter: Shauna Love, Marketing and Student Pathways Manager, ONCAT

Want to learn how to search for student transfer opportunities within Ontario? This session will show you how to navigate the ONTransfer.ca website and highlight some of its key features, including new methods for searching pathways and course transfers and saving those searches.
  1E – York-Seneca Partnership Model: Advancing Student Pathways
Presenters: Henry Decock, Associate Vice President, Academic Partnerships, Seneca College;
Alice Pitt, Vice-Provost Academic, York University;
Karine Lacoste, York-Seneca Partnership Manager, York University and Seneca College

Since their inception in the 1960s, York University and Seneca College have been leaders in college-university partnership, promoting access to postsecondary education through a diverse range of program offerings that support college to university pathways, student mobility, and lifelong learning. Together, York University and Seneca College serve more than 80,000 full-time students annually. Combined, the efforts of both institutions represent a significant share of Ontario’s students, with York accepting approximately 1000 college transfer students annually and more than 400 Seneca graduates pursuing a baccalaureate degree each year. The institutions are committed to helping students achieve their education and career goals by offering pathways and programs which expand student choice and mobility and advance college-university transfer more broadly throughout the system. The partnership builds on the strengths of each partner, offering integrated and holistic joint programs to provide students with breadth and depth in critical inquiry as well as the specific knowledge and focused skills needed to succeed and contribute to innovation in the knowledge economy. Both institutions have agreed to share the costs of a dedicated, full-time Partnership Manager who supports the working groups to explore priority academic programming. A Governance Committee has also been established comprised of the respective Vice Presidents Academic and other senior academic administrators from each institution.

This presentation will discuss how the relationship has evolved to its present, more formal partnership framework and collaborative educational model; and, how the pathways and programs could serve as models for regional cooperation between sectors.
  1F – Learning Outcomes and Credit Transfer
Presenter: John FitzGibbon, Associate Director, Transfer and Articulation, BC Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT)
 
This session will discuss what the literature says about using learning outcomes as the basis for credit transfer. Current trends in Europe, the US, and Australia will be contrasted with models in Ontario and BC. Some of the key issues related to using a learning outcomes model for credit transfer will be discussed as well as opportunities for the future.
2:30 pm – 2:50 pm
 Refreshment Break
Enjoy refreshments before the start of the next block of sessions.
2:50 pm – 3:50 pm Breakout Sessions – Block 2 (60 minute sessions)
  2A – Experience with Pathways from Skilled Trades to Engineering Technology
Presenter: James Galloway, Professor, Conestoga College

Is welding a ‘trade’ or a ‘technology’ (or are there aspects of both within the field)? This has been an active debate in the welding and metal fabrication field for many years; however, a person selecting one track or the other has created many ‘dead-end’ careers with few opportunities for educational and career advancement. Conestoga College has been working towards establishing more seamless pathways for students in the skilled metal fabrication and welding field specifically interested in transferring into the high demand field of Welding Engineering Technology, Inspection, Welding Robotics & Automation. In our experience some of our most successful students and graduates from our 3-yr engineering technology programs in this area have started in the field at the skilled trades level. Most recently we have fully integrated our 1-yr certificate program in welding skills development with the first year of our 2-yr Welding & Fabrication Technician program and our two 3-yr engineering technology programs (Welding & Robotics and Welding Inspection). With this newly established pathway, students initially only interested in hands-on welding are exposed to the engineering and technology aspects of this industry, and are given the opportunity to move on to this career path. In this field of technology and many others, we are noticing the trend of a ‘blurring of the lines’ between what has traditionally been considered a trade verses engineering technology. In many ways this trend is being driven by industrial automation. We believe that the college system can respond with better pathways between these traditionally separate career tracks. 
  2B – Re-Thinking the Purpose and Design of Pathways
Presenter: Leesa Wheelahan, Associate Professor, OISE, University of Toronto

This presentation will report on a three-year Australian project that researched how to improve student pathways between colleges and universities; within the labour market; and between tertiary education and the labour market. The key findings are that 

  • Most students change their field of education when they undertake a second tertiary education qualification, but this varies by field of education; and
  • The structure of pathways that students actually follow (which differs from the pathways we design) is related to the structure of the labour market and the kinds of jobs they want and are available.  
 
The research developed a new model of pathways that reflect these different purposes and outcomes. Four types of pathways exist: 

  • Most students work in jobs linked to their qualification, and there are strong occupational pathways, so many students study a subsequent qualification in their field (e.g., nursing).
  • Most students work in jobs linked to their qualification, but there isn’t a strong occupational pathway, and not many students study a second qualification in their field (e.g., engineering). 
  • Few students work in jobs linked to their qualification, but many students study a subsequent qualification in their field because they need a degree to get a good job (e.g., business).
  • Few students work in jobs linked to their qualification, and not many students study a subsequent qualification in their field (e.g., pure disciplines). 
The presentation will discuss the implications for the design of qualifications and pathways and for policy. 
  2C – Using Learning Outcomes in Understanding a Science and Math Foundation for Undergraduate Degrees and Diplomas
Presenter: Jill Johnson, Program Counsellor, University of Guelph

To read a “learning outcome” or “program standard” in isolation, one might think that the words translate to one in the same for an individual student’s learning, but this may lead to faulty expectations of depth of understanding. Using the understanding of science and math as cases or examples, this session will discuss the issue, and will move towards resolutions (breaking down the issue into its parts) and suggestions for moving forward. In particular, how do we address the understanding of math and science as foundations in technology diploma programs as it compares to the understanding of math and science in undergraduate degrees? We need to move from just understanding to exploring opportunities and determining how to approach the gaps. A collection of issues and ideas will be collated as an outcome of this session.
  2D – A Decentralized Model of Educational Pathways
Presenters: Wendy Asher, Dean, School of Community Services and Liberal Studies, Lambton College;
Kathleen Geelen-Cervi, Advisor, Program Development and Educational Pathways, Lambton College;
Karolina Kulinska, Educational Pathways Advisor, Lambton College;
Nadine Cervi, Pathways Research Consultant, Lambton College

Student transfer is not a new concept; however, in recent years in Ontario there has been a heightened awareness among institutional leaders that we need to do more to support our students’ educational journeys in order for Ontario to remain globally competitive. Emphasizing this need at the instructional level can be challenging when others hear about student transfer initiatives and say ‘we already do that.’ They are right—we have done student transfer for years, but what we are being called upon to do now is develop innovative approaches to increase opportunities. As a small rural college, our experience has been that this can best be done by instituting a decentralized approach that builds on the skills of those with expertise to move the educational pathways agenda forward. The creation of Lambton College’s Centre for Educational Pathways (CEP) was based on the premises that the centre would lead and support educational pathways, but not duplicate existing roles and services. What has emerged is a team that brings many years of strengths and perspectives to the table. Come find out about the educational pathways mobilization that has occurred on one campus. Participants in this session will learn about the opportunities, successes, and the on-going challenges associated with a decentralized model at a small rural college.  
  2E – Improving Postsecondary Mobility in Ontario: Student Priorities for Credit Transfer
Presenters: Sean Madden, Executive Director, Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance;
Tyler Epp, Director of Advocacy, College Student Alliance

Recognizing the trend towards increased student mobility provincially, and the barriers faced by Ontario’s students in navigating an inconsistent system with often opaque institutional credential recognition policies, both the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance and the College Student Alliance have made improving Ontario’s credit transfer system a cornerstone of their provincial advocacy efforts.

This presentation will outline the common student priorities for transferability that the College Student Alliance and Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance have advocated for historically, explore the current credit transfer environment from a student perspective, and share recommendations for next steps in achieving a robust and transparent credit transfer system for the students of Ontario.
  2F – Ryerson-York Exchange: A Co-Registration Initiative
Presenters: Alice Pitt, Vice-Provost Academic, York University;
Chris Evans, Vice-Provost Academic, Ryerson University;
Charmaine Hack, Executive Director of Admissions and Recruitment and University Registrar, Ryerson University;
Julie Parna, Director, Strategic Academic Initiatives, York University

In July 2011, Ryerson University and York University signed the Inter-University Joint Teaching and Learning Initiative Memorandum of Understanding (“Ryerson-York Initiative”), a historic landmark agreement, establishing a foundation for inter-institutional collaboration in teaching and learning. The Ryerson-York Initiative builds upon both universities’ shared commitment to teaching excellence, positive student experience, institutional collaboration, and access to postsecondary education. In particular the agreement aims to promote student mobility and enhance student experience by 

  • Facilitating improved access by students of each institution to existing courses/programs offered at the other institution; 
  • Allowing students at each institution to customize their learning experience through increased choice and accessibility. 
The presentation will address the following areas: 

  • Overview of Ryerson-York partnership; 
  • Overview of Ryerson-York Exchange and co-registration initiative; 
  • Negotiating the framework for the co-registration initiative:  # of credits; fiscal reciprocity; evening vs. daytime; communications/web site;  
  • York steps to lay the groundwork (legislation; system implementation; business process; faculty consultation); 
  • Ryerson steps to lay the groundwork (system implementation; business process; faculty consultation, the Chang School dimension);
  • Points of discussion: enrolment cycles; grade conversion; academic integrity; petitions; 
  • Grey areas: transfer credit—one time decision or applicable to all; two courses at one institution equal one at the other—how to apply; what to do with courses outside the co-registration process; 
  • Student response; 
  • Scaling the project—can we do it? 
  • Applicability for future—Ontario Online?  
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
 Plenary II: Seamless System or Pied Beauty: Articulation and Transfer in a National Context
Dr. Patrick Deane, President and Vice-Chancellor, McMaster University

Weighing the goal of unimpeded student mobility against the realities of postsecondary education in Canada, Patrick Deane will discuss the prospects for a national protocol on articulation and transfer.  As a member of the joint ACCC-AUCC task force on credit transfer, he will provide an overview on the work of the task force to date.
5:00 pm – 6:15 pm Networking Reception
Join your fellow delegates for an end-of-day reception before heading out to enjoy the city.
6:15 pm onward Take Part in the Dine Around (optional) or Enjoy a Free Evening in the City
We’ve made blocks of reservations at three local restaurants for dinner tonight. Sign up at the registration desk by 4:30pm today to join some of your fellow delegates for dinner. Space is limited. Reservations are for 6:30pm and associated costs are the individual participants’ responsibility.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
7:15 am – 3:30 pm Registration Desk Open
7:30 am – 8:30 am Breakfast
Enjoy a hot breakfast buffet before the start of the Annual General Meeting.
8:30 am – 9:30 am ONCAT Annual General Meeting
All delegates are welcome to attend; each institution is requested to ensure the voting ONCAT Council member is in attendance.
ONCAT Remarks – Glenn Craney, Executive Director
9:30 am – 10:30 am Plenary III: Credit Transfer and Postsecondary Education Transformation in Ontario
Presenter: Marie-Lison Fougère,  Assistant Deputy Minister – Strategic Policy and Programs Division, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
 
This session will highlight the importance of credit transfer to the government’s postsecondary education agenda. An update on transformation initiatives and the relevance of credit transfer to each one of them will be discussed. Milestones and next steps for the Ontario Credit Transfer Initiative will also be outlined.
10:30 am – 10:50 am Refreshment Break
Enjoy refreshments before the start of the next block of sessions.
10:50 am – 11:20 am Concurrent Sessions – Block 3 (30 minute sessions)
  3A – Lessons Learned in Developing the Brock University/Niagara College GAME Program: A Collaborative Approach
Presenters: Jeff Post, Manager, Academic Quality, Niagara College;
Greg Unrau, Chair, Media Studies, Niagara College;
Jean Bridge, Professor, Brock University;
David Hughes, Professor, Brock University

Collaborative programs that blend College and University curricula aim to leverage applied and theoretical learning in a variety of ways. The creation of a collaborative and fundamentally integrated program in Game Design, Development and Programming at Niagara College and Brock University has challenged the partners to examine and redefine many aspects of what is understood in Ontario to be a collaborative program. Lessons learned can be applied to other disciplines and hold promise for evolution and innovation in collaborative programs. 

This presentation identifies opportunities and barriers to collaborative programs that reflect differences in quality assurance protocols for Colleges and Universities; the need to define optimal learning sequences that dovetail theoretical and methodological frameworks with the acquisition of skills and integration of knowledge and skills; and the benefits of new approaches to establishing equivalency and transferability. Distinctions will be drawn between types of collaborative programs, differentiating between programs where students study in term blocks or concurrently at two institutions and methods for facilitating the integration of learning. The development of the Brock University/Niagara College initiative has provided valuable lessons in the design of blended College-University programs including building and designing curriculum that harmonizes with program standards and undergraduate degree level expectations; establishing shared strategies for quality assurance; defining shared program governance and implementing information sharing; creating mechanisms for delivering pedagogical innovation (common strategies for integrative project courses); and developing a consortial approach to information technology and the delivery of collaborative computing.
  3B – A Comparative Study of Business Students’ Success Factors: A Pathways Initiative at Algoma University’s Brampton Campus
Presenters: Aaron Gordon, Assistant Professor, Algoma University;
Henry Hornstein, Assistant Professor, Algoma University

The Algoma University @ Brampton initiative began in Fall of 2006 with the introduction of an accelerated second degree program in Computer Science, and later the addition of the Bachelor of Business Administration in 2010. Off-site programming was intended to address institutional needs to increase enrolment and expand awareness of the institution within Southern Ontario. Early on it was decided that the curriculum offered at Brampton would be tailored to students seeking a pathway between credentials, university transfer students, and college diploma graduates seeking an option to obtain seamless credit recognition towards a university degree. The pathway model deployed seeks to streamline the transferability of students, ensuring students generally enter with a standard number and composition of credits, which ensures ease of course scheduling and academic advising. 

With three years of data on student achievement this session will share a comparative study on student success through the Pathways Initiative at Brampton. More specifically, a comparative analysis of student achievement on College Business students equipped with a 3-year Advanced Diploma, 2-year General Diploma, and Non-Business Diplomas will be discussed.  The intentions of this study are to reflect on the Algoma University’s Pathway Initiative at Brampton and better convey the academic supports Ontario students require when transitioning via seamless pathways between Ontario’s colleges and universities.
  3C – Supporting the Success of Transfer Students
Presenter: Janice O’Farrell, Director, Admissions Services, Carleton University

This session will present the results of a benchmarking project undertaken to develop and improve support services that best address the needs of transfer students.  The project was undertaken to determine the characteristics and service needs of the transfer students attending Carleton University and identify the challenges that these students encounter upon entering their degree program. The project involved benchmarking of existing programs at other institutions, focus groups with transfer students, and an assessment of the relevance of current student services offered to transfer students. The results of the benchmarking research were used to make recommendations that, when implemented, aim to address challenges faced by transfer students in their transition to the Carleton community. Reaching out with coordinated and targeted services will have a positive impact on students’ transfer experience, help optimize their time to degree completion, and help ensure their academic success.
  3D – Heeding the Ethos of the Internet for Admissions and Student Mobility
Presenter: Timothy Brunet, Student Recruitment Officer, University of Windsor and Executive Member, Pan-Canadian Consortium on Admissions & Transfer (PCCAT)

Amateur publication and the Internet continue to add new complexities to higher education.  Policy makers and pathway developers will have the opportunity to contemplate how the ethos of the Internet continues to evolve higher education policy on admission and transfer. This non-technical session will give the audience the opportunity to consider new strategies for data collection, knowledge management, and the dissemination of knowledge within higher education. Participants will be able to relay their thoughts (on paper or through mobile devices) throughout the presentation. This session is an opportunity to collect qualitative information on policy among colleagues.  Whether you are an “Innovator,” “Fast Follower,” or a “Laggard” (or if you don’t know what you are) this session will help you better understand amateur publication, crowd sourcing, MOOCs, and how it all relates to the future of policy admission and transfer.
  3E – Developing Transfer Pathways for General Arts and Science   
Presenters: Alice den Otter, Assistant Dean, Orillia Campus, Lakehead University Orillia;
Gillian Siddall, Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities, Lakehead University
 
This presentation will report on the development of multilateral transfer pathways from Ontario College General Arts and Science or Liberal Arts 2-year diploma programs into several Lakehead University programs: the General Bachelor of Arts 3-year degree, the Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science Interdisciplinary Studies 4-year degree, and the Bachelor of Arts and Science Interdisciplinary Studies 3-year degree. Although our initial goal was to use only learning outcomes to create block transfers that would give close to two years of credit, we have had to incorporate some course-by-course assessments as well, in order to accommodate college program variability, to satisfy university demands for academic rigour, and to assist with admission of transfer students. 

Because Ontario College programs in General Arts and Science are quite variable, our approach has been to concentrate on the elements these programs have in common, such as a breadth of knowledge and skills and minimal depth beyond a few mandatory or elective courses per college program. Given various degree restrictions at Lakehead University (such as the number of introductory level courses permitted, inclusion of both arts and science, sufficient first year courses for a specialization, and specific courses devoted to critical thinking and research), the pathways we developed involve a base transfer amount of eight full course equivalents (FCEs) —provided specific conditions are met—with up to two additional FCEs possible, depending on further conditions. This presentation will discuss challenges encountered as well as potential best practices regarding block transfers for general programs. 
  3F – Facilitating Student Mobility within Canada: ARUCC/PCCAT Transcript and Transfer Credit Nomenclature Project
Presenters: Joanne Duklas, Project Lead & Researcher, ARUCC/ PCCAT Transcript and Transfer Credit Nomenclature Project;
Karen Maki, Senior Research Associate & Research Consultant, ARUCC/ PCCAT Transcript and Transfer Credit Nomenclature Project

The Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC) and the Pan-Canadian Consortium on Admissions and Transfer (PCCAT) have launched a research project to examine the transcript and transfer credit nomenclature practices in use across the country. This is a Canada-wide project that will incorporate findings from existing studies such as the BC Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) Credentialing Practices for Joint Programs released in December 2013. It will also include administration of a national survey to ARUCC and PCCAT members.

The session will share latest findings from the BCCAT study and early indicators from the national project. Promising jurisdictional findings will also be shared with session participants. The eventual goal of the overall project is to create a national standards guide for transcripts and transfer credit nomenclature. The anticipated results include ensuring greater consistency in communicating information on credit transfer, grading scales, and data across institutions and jurisdictions.
11:20 am – 11:35 am Please move to your next session which begins promptly at 11:35 am.
11:35 am – 12:05 pm Concurrent Sessions – Block 4 (30 minute sessions)
  4A – Media and Communications Converging
Presenters: Brian Brown, Assistant Professor, University of Windsor;
Valerie Scatamburlo-D’Annibale, Department Head, University of Windsor;
Veronique Mandal, Coordinator, St. Clair College

This presentation will detail the process through which the Department of Communication, Media and Film at the University of Windsor and the Media Convergence Program at St. Clair College have begun to generate a transfer credit agreement between these two institutions located in Windsor, Ontario. The Department of Communication, Media and Film offers two ‘tracks’; one that is primarily concerned with the theoretical dimensions of Critical Communication Studies and the other, a more ‘production’ focused track that teaches students the practical knowledge and skills involved in creating various forms of media in the digital age. St. Clair College’s program “provides students with the multi-skilled tools they require to compete in the ever challenging field of journalism and communications.” While cognate, both programs are unique and offer students a unique skill-set exclusive to each institution. The process of negotiating a transfer agreement between the two institutions, then, has been both challenging and invigorating at the same time. This presentation will, therefore, detail our experience of attempting to draft a bilateral Credit Transfer agreement in the hopes of expanding the scope of this agreement into a multi-lateral agreement in the future.
  4B – Better Understanding the College Transfer Pathway at a Bilingual University
Presenters: Johanne Bourdages, Associate Vice-President, Academic, University of Ottawa;
Sylvie Lamoureux, Associate Professor, University of Ottawa’s Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute;
Julie Beauchamp, Vice-Dean, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa;
Alain Malette, Associate Registrar, University of Ottawa;
Jean-Luc Daoust, Manager, Student Academic Success Service

The University of Ottawa is the largest bilingual postsecondary institution in North America. It draws its undergraduate students from a broad range of academic pathways, from all areas of the country, and in fact from across the world. These students are registered in the University’s French, English, and French immersion programs, creating an academically and culturally diverse campus. The province of Ontario has announced in recent years its desire to increase the postsecondary attainment of its citizens from 63% to 70% by 2020. However, to reach such an ambitious goal, postsecondary institutions must enhance opportunities in support of non-traditional pathways such as college and university transfers. In keeping with this objective, the University has recently developed a multi-faceted project to better understand the experience of college transfers once on our campus. The project includes both quantitative analyses of institutional data (i.e., student provenance; programs registered; credit transferred; performance at university as compared to peers from different pathways) and a qualitative component, focus groups and interviews with students to get a better understanding of how they experience the transition and integration to the University of Ottawa.    

This presentation will highlight key preliminary findings of the data analyses from both components, identifying how they are shaping our future actions. We will also present a new initiative launched by our Telfer School of Management, which aims to enhance the experience of college transfer students, and maximize their chances of success. 
  4C – The Transfer Student Experience – An Algonquin College Case Study
Presenters: Jo-Ann Aubut, Dean, Academic Development, Algonquin College;
Jeremy McQuigge, Professor, Algonquin College

According to Colleges Ontario in 2011, 26% of graduates chose to continue their education. Enrolment of university graduates at Algonquin College has increased by 40% over the last 5 years. Furthermore, 60% of the student population at Algonquin is comprised of students with prior postsecondary experience. The Transfer Student Experience (TSE) initiative at Algonquin aims to support external transfer students as they begin their first semester. From Winter 2013 to Winter 2014 the TSE has studied the transfer student population, twice per term, using Indicator and Assessment surveys. During this time the TSE has surveyed approximately 240 students with varying levels of postsecondary experience. The surveys aim to determine how transfer students’ behaviours compare from their previous institution, and assess behavior changes over the course of a term at Algonquin.

The surveys consider factors of academic involvement, social involvement, and goal commitment. Interesting findings indicate that transfer students' 

  • Level of academic involvement is high, as seen through the achievement of higher grade averages and greater time commitment to studies; and, 
  • Commitment to the goal of college completion is high with 95% of respondents indicating that they intend to graduate from Algonquin College, and they are unlikely to withdraw when facing adverse external factors.   
This session offers an opportunity to discover and share best practices for engaging and supporting transfer students. 
  4D – E-Learning Passports and Digital Badging – Time for a New Paradigm for Articulation and Transfer
Presenter: Kevin Baker, Dean, School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Employment Services, Durham College

There is a lack of meaningful progress regarding recognition of prior post-secondary learning and an urgent need to develop transparent, cost effective, and student-centred vehicles for recognition and transfer. Use of existing decades-old paradigms and articulation agreement development that is reliant on personal relationships between partners has led to unpredictable results. This means moving away from highly discretionary and unpredictable course-by-course assessments and evaluations or databases. The time has come for a new, more predictable and cost-effective paradigm for the recognition of prior post-secondary learning. The presenter will advocate for the system-wide adoption of digital badging technology and e-learning passports and provide concrete examples of how those technologies could be used to transform articulation and transfer, and indeed higher education, in Ontario and elsewhere.
  4E – A Collaborative Approach: Admissions and Transfer Credit Policy Development
Presenters: Samantha Murray, Manager, Admissions, University of Waterloo;
Eric Breugst, Manager, Academic Advising, Faculty of Arts, University of Waterloo

In 2013 the Faculty of Arts and the Registrar’s Office at the University of Waterloo created a committee for the purpose of reviewing current admissions practices. Particular attention was given to college transfer student admissions and transfer credit policies. This session will outline the steps taken to create this specialized, collaborative, and authoritative committee. Participants will have the opportunity to share experiences and challenges enabling them to create or adapt their own committee. We hope through this session you gain insight on how to realize change at your institution.
  4F – An Institutional Framework for Defining Pathway Development
Presenter: Victoria Baker, Degree and Credit Transfer Coordinator, Seneca College

One of Seneca’s overarching goals within our 2012–2017 Academic Plan is that “Clearly defined and efficient pathways will be part of every Seneca program. To this end we will continue to strengthen our institutional and academic collaborations, resulting in transfer agreements with universities and colleges known for excellence.”  For this reason, Seneca has made it a priority to implement a Task Group which is dedicated to ensuring that these goals are attained. This presentation will focus on the ways in which Seneca College is using the experience and data it has compiled to provide a framework for future pathway expansion. Discussion will surround policy and process development, and the role which the Degree and Credit Transfer office plays not only in providing services to students but as a support to our Academic areas throughout the articulation process.  Taking advantage of the years of statistical data which has been collected, we will not only showcase how this information has demonstrated where prospective pathways could be developed, but also evaluate where existent pathways may need to be revisited.
12:05 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Concurrent Sessions – Block 5 (60 minute sessions)
  5A – Paddling Down the River from Diploma to Degree: Notes from the Voyage
Presenters: Shelagh Towson, Community & Social Services Pathways Coordinator, Department of Psychology, University of Windsor;
Betty Barrett, Undergraduate Programs Coordinator, School of Social Work, University of Windsor;
Debra Jozefowicz, Disability Studies Program Coordinator, School of Social Work, University of Windsor;
Joy Kemble, Child and Youth Worker (Accelerated) Program Coordinator, St. Clair College;
Jennifer Williston, MSW student, CYW, Disability Studies Graduate, School of Social Work, University of Windsor

Presenters in this session will share with participants our various perspectives on our journey from early course-based Child and Youth Worker diploma-degree agreements to block transfer and degree completion pathways leading to both high affinity (Disability Studies, Psychology, and Social Work) and other BA degrees. On the way, we will discuss the ways in which we paddled or portaged around and through the rocks, rapids, falls, and whirlpools we encountered on the way. We hope that audience participants will be able to apply the lessons we have learned on our voyage (e.g., pros and cons of focused or more general agreements, predicting points of friction between academic and administrative viewpoints, evaluating diploma program variants) on their own journeys toward increased student mobility.
  5B – Good Research = Good Trust: How Research on Transfer Student Success Informs BC’s Transfer System
Presenter: Rob Fleming, Executive Director and Co-Chair, BC Council on Admissions and Transfer

“ . . . the most striking result is that transfer students and direct entrants have remarkably similar average grades at completion, demonstrating that the transfer system works: it provides access for students who will ultimately achieve success."  —Ashley Lambert-Maberly, “Profile of BC College Transfer Students Admitted to the University of BC 2003/04 to 2007/08,” 2009   

The BC Transfer System has been in existence for over 50 years, and the BC Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) has operated as a formal body for 25 years. By any measure, the system is mature—retaining the capacity for flexibility and innovation as the system has expanded in scope and complexity. The reason is simple: the system is based on trust. Institutions willingly collaborate to provide access for a diverse array of students and to accommodate structured and unstructured educational pathways necessary to realize their goals. Of course, a culture of trust among diverse institutions—each with diverse groups of educators and practices—is dependent on more than a statement of principle. In BC, high levels of trust are based on high levels of understanding borne by regular, open dialogue between educators and high levels of empirical evidence borne by ongoing research on transfer student mobility patterns and educational success. This session will examine key areas of ongoing research on transfer student experiences and success that BCCAT carries out or facilitates in support of evidence-based discussion across the BC System. The presentation will focus on transfer student performance reports, surveys of transfer students, and system-wide analyses of student retention and credential completion. 
  5C – The Pathways Have Been Created – Now What? (Facilitated Roundtable Discussion)
Facilitators: Nadine Cervi, Pathways Research Consultant for the Centre for Educational Pathways, Lambton College;
Lynn Charron, Academic Advisor, Transfer Student Support, University of Windsor;
Karolina Kulinska, Counsellor and Pathways Advisor, Lambton College;

Constructing pathways is clearly an important element of a successful transfer experience for students, but it is also essential that the needs of those students as they transition in and out of an institution are not forgotten.  As individuals working directly in developing and facilitating programs and services for transfer students we ask that you come prepared to discuss specific examples of strategies, tools, resources, programs, etc. that you are using to assists students in transferring both in and out of your institution.

This presentation will be a facilitated roundtable discussion to allow all participants to share their best practices, but we will begin by sharing how our Community of Practice has allowed us to form stronger connections with colleagues at partner institutions as well as some specific strategies we use to help support our students. We hope all participants will walk away from this presentation having accomplished the following: 

  • Gain an awareness of resources that other institutions are using to help with orientation, preparation, and on-going support for students throughout their transition; 
  • Develop an understanding of what both college and universities are doing so we can adapt our practices to complement each other’s best practices; 
  • Leave with some new ideas regarding ways to support transfer from both a college and university perspective; 
  • Share the good, the bad, the successful, and unsuccessful tools we have used to support our transfer students
  5D – Transfer Literacy: Assessing Informational Symmetries and Asymmetries
Presenter: Christine Arnold, Ph.D. Candidate, OISE, University of Toronto

While the foundational structure of the Ontario credit transfer system (partnerships, models, and innovative programming) has received primary attention from government, agencies and administrators, the development of the transfer information system has been limited. Information processing and transmission, selection, organization, reduction, and conceptualization are important if there is to be a common understanding or ‘transfer literacy’ among stakeholders. This multi-institutional study examines the extent to which the college-to-university transfer information system is performing efficiently and identifies  symmetries in stakeholders’ understanding of this process. Research findings indicate that misperceptions largely stem from variations in administrative policies and procedures. For example, administrator and student acquisition of academic records and the deciphering of credit value/hours, generic/unassigned/unspecified credits, exclusions/exemptions, and GPA calculations were cited as sources of tension. Similarly, degree and program requirements, reach backs, and the timing of program major and minor declarations require increased student awareness.   

Recommendations include:

  1. A searchable centralized database for ascertaining previous student registrations and the electronic archiving of course outlines;
  2. Public posting of policies regarding the evaluation of applied degree credits;
  3. Recognized system-wide academic regulations;
  4. Amplified promotion of high school guidance counsellors as conduits for information dissemination;
  5. Standard credit transfer terminology; and
  6. Provision of information about the application of awarded credits pre-university enrolment.    
Participants attending this session will familiarize themselves with college-to-university credit transfer policies and procedures across Ontario institutions; discuss information dissemination strategies and breadth during admission and enrolment; consider administrator engagement with students, departments, and institutions; and reflect on micro and macro policy modifications to improve the credit transfer student experience.
  5E – NB Council on Articulations and Transfer Update – A Provincial Model Recognizing Learning for Current and Future New Brunswickers
Presenter: Philip Bélanger, Executive Director, New Brunswick Council on Articulations and Transfer (NBCAT)

This session will share the progress to date in New Brunswick on the government’s action plan to enhance student mobility via credit transfer and prior learning recognition. With the establishment of NBCAT and the New Brunswick Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition Action Group (NBPLAR) in 2010, New Brunswick’s post-secondary institutions and other stakeholders have joined forces to facilitate student mobility. Exchanges between postsecondary institutions have also led to the creation of the New Brunswick Credit Transfer Portal, designed to simplify the process of searching for recognition of previous training. The Portal was first targeted towards credit transfer information within and between NB institutions and has now been expanded to include those from outside the province and eventually the country.

Since the creation of NBPLAR there has been significant progress, including an increase in awareness, a better understanding and common use of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) best practices and common tools in New Brunswick. Opportunities for collaboration in assessment and delivery of client services have led to the development of a provincial coordinated approach for the assessment and recognition of prior learning (both formal and informal) in the academic, employment, and regulatory sectors, resulting in savings of time and money for individual clients, organizations, and practitioners. Employers will better value the aptitudes of present and new workers, including aboriginal people, people with disabilities, and newcomers, in order to rank them in true worth of their skills.
2:00 pm – 2:15 pm Refreshment Break
Enjoy refreshments before the start of the next block of sessions.
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm Concurrent Sessions – Block 6 (60 minute sessions)
  6A – Transfer Credit Policy in a Multi-Campus Environment: A Roundtable Discussion
Facilitator: Jonathon Penny, Transfer Credit Coordinator, Wilfrid Laurier University

This roundtable will bring together representatives from Laurier, York, Toronto, and other interested institutions to discuss approaches to transfer credit policy and practice in multi-campus environments, especially where those campuses have distinctive programs, emphases, or cultures. Among the questions we’ll consider are these:   

  • What particular challenges do multi-campus environments present in establishing and maintaining cogent institutional policy? 
  • How can multi-campus institutions capitalize in addressing government initiatives, directives, and mandates with respect to multi-lateral equivalencies and college to university pathways? 
  • How do these institutions involve programs, faculties, and campus leaders in shaping transfer credit policies and practices commensurate with both institutional needs and objectives?   
Participants will also discuss issues pertinent to transfer credit policy generally: the necessity and desirability of articulation agreements, the role of post-secondary institutions in informing provincial policy, provincial and institutional initiatives as a response to market pressures, and the potential impact of more liberal and broader-ranging transfer credit options on institutional health and student opportunity. It is expected that participants and attendees alike will benefit from the exchange by increasing mutual comprehension and exploring opportunities for meaningful, constructive cooperation.  
  6C – C2U Engineering Success Project – Lessons Learned
Presenter: Alan Murray, Executive Director, McMaster-Mohawk Bachelor of Technology Partnership

On October 23, 2013, over 100 representatives from 15 colleges and 12 universities across Ontario gathered at McMaster for the first ever College to University (C2U) Success Conference, hosted by the McMaster-Mohawk Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) Partnership. The conference was an integral part of a success study, focused on the partnership’s flagship degree completion program for college graduates and was funded by a MTCU Credit Transfer Institutional Grant. Executive Director Alan Murray describes how B.Tech. has transitioned from individual articulation agreements to multi-lateral block transfer credit for graduates of Published College Standard Programs.  With over 125 published pathways, available via ONTransfer.ca, B.Tech. is one of the largest programs of its kind in Ontario. Looking at over 800 students during the period of 2006 to 2012, the C2U Success project considered student pathways into the program (i.e., C2U, U2C2U, etc.), the correlation of external factors such as time gaps in between college and university, as well as pace of learning (full-time vs. part-time). Session attendees will gain insight into the various pathways being taken by students prior to and after the B.Tech. degree completion program.

Topics will include the evolution of the B.Tech. program, an analysis of success by college feeder program, and video segments of a student and alumni panel that took place at the C2U Success Conference. In addition, the presentation will cover the various challenges related to accessing, organizing, and analyzing data for a program that does not follow a traditional university program model.
  6D – The Development and Offering of a Bachelor of Computing College to University Pathways Program at the University of Guelph
Presenters: Gerarda Darlington, Associate Dean (Academic), University of Guelph;
Greg Klotz, Undergraduate Program Counsellor, University of Guelph;
Deborah Stacey, Assistant Dean Research & Graduate Studies, University of Guelph;
Donna Reimer, Admissions Counsellor, University of Guelph

In the session, the presenters describe the creation of a new Bachelor of Computing college to university Pathways program at the University of Guelph, starting with initial consultations and concluding with the graduation of the first students in the program. The initial consultations focused on curriculum development and student knowledge gap analysis. We worked to create new “bridging” courses to ensure college students were prepared to take upper level university courses, while ensuring they received maximum university credits for their college degree. Some of the challenges that we overcame included: comparing college and university courses and methods of instruction, creating new courses to cover gaps in theoretical computer science, the timing of offering these courses for the students making the change from college to university, ensuring students met admission standards that apply to all applicants, advertising the program to potential students, and ensuring students made a smooth transition when they arrived. Now that the first students through the program are about to graduate, we bring perspectives from college and university deans, professors, admission staff, academic advising staff, and students who have completed our Pathways program. The examples focus on a Fanshawe College and University of Guelph pilot project, but will be described in terms that make the talk applicable for any institution planning to create a new Pathways initiative.
  6E – Post-Schooling Outcomes of University Graduates: A Data Linkage Approach
Presenter: Ross Finnie, Professor, University of Ottawa/Education Policy Research Initiative

This presentation will discuss the findings of a recent project that exploited a unique dataset linking university administrative data held on students with tax record data, allowing the researchers to follow individuals from their post-secondary education (PSE) experiences into their post-graduation labour market outcomes. This linked dataset has allowed us to see how students with different schooling backgrounds do in the labour market, and to do so on a year-by-year basis following graduation for a continuous range of cohorts of graduates dating as far back as 1997 and as recently as 2010.

The presentation will address the following research questions: 

  • What are the employment rates and earnings levels of university graduates on a year-by-year basis?   
  • How do these profiles differ by area of study? 
  • How have these relationships changed over time, including through the 2008 crisis? 
  • How do outcomes compare for men and women?  
What is the distribution of outcomes—that is, what do these patterns look like for those who do best in the labour market, for those in the middle, and for those who do least well? 
3:25 pm – 3:40 pm
 Closing Remarks
Don Lovisa, Co-Chair, ONCAT, President, Durham College
Glenn Craney, Executive Director, ONCAT
Copyright © 2014 ONCAT. All Rights Reserved.

ONCAT is funded by the Government of Ontario