3C – Enhancement and Creation of New Diploma to Degree Pathways Between Conestoga College and Wilfrid Laurier University
Presenter:
Lauren Eisler, Inter-Faculty Associate Dean: Academic Development, Wilfrid Laurier University
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Lauren Eisler has been with Wilfrid Laurier University since 2004 as an original member of the Department of Criminology at the Brantford Campus. She spent two terms as the Chair of the Department before becoming the Assistant Dean of Program Development for the Brantford Campus. In July of 2013, she was appointed the Inter-Faculty Associate Dean, Academic Development in the newly formed Central Academic Unit with a mandate to oversee the development of new programming for the Brantford Campus.
Co-Presenters:
Elaine Francombe, Coordinator, Academic Development and Assessment, Wilfrid Laurier University
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Elaine Francombe is the Coordinator, Academic Development and Assessment and works closely with Lauren Eisler in the development of proposals for new programs. She began at Wilfrid Laurier as an Academic Program Assistant before moving to the Dean's Office where she worked for several years as a Student Advisor. She brings her expertise and knowledge of curriculum, scheduling, and student issues to her current position.
Kelly Bishop, Administrative Assistant and Research Assistant, Wilfrid Laurier University
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Kelly Bishop holds an Early Childhood Education Diploma (St. Lawrence College), a Social Service Worker Diploma (Fanshawe College), an Honours Degree in Human and Social Services (Athabasca University), and a Bachelor of Education Degree (Brock University). After obtaining her B.Ed. she completed a number of additional qualifications courses, including Special Education Part 1, Reading Part 1, Math Part 1 and Kindergarten Part I.
Kelly spent two years working at a local childcare centre after completing her E.C.E. diploma, and then the next 10 years working as a legal secretary at a law office while completing her second college diploma, her undergraduate degree and her teaching degree. Shortly after obtaining her B.Ed. she was hired by Wilfred Laurier University and currently works in the Central Academic Unit as an administrative assistant and researcher.
This presentation focuses on a project undertaken in 2014 to enhance existing, and create new, academic pathways for students located at the Brantford campuses of Wilfrid Laurier University (“Laurier”) and Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (“Conestoga”). All pathways were developed in collaboration with Conestoga to achieve the learning outcomes for each program. Programs were designed to give students theoretical and practical experiences that are fundamentally rooted in achieving the program learning outcomes and Laurier’s Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations. The goal for this project was to create a transferable model that could be used with other institutions and in other communities.
The two main components of this project were to:
1) Identify fully the opportunities for joint academic and shared administrative services/infrastructure in Brantford; and
2) Create tools and models that can expedite/facilitate new partnerships and joint programming across Ontario’s post-secondary education system.
To identify opportunities for shared administrative services and infrastructure on the Brantford campuses, executive bodies from Laurier and Conestoga worked to draft collaboration agreements to append to the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in 2013.
While exploring opportunities for academic partnerships, tools and models were drafted and developed to help expedite and facilitate joint programming. The main focus was to use the joint and integrated programs being implemented as “trial runs” to create transferable models for programs that are hoped to be launched in the future. This presentation discusses the challenges and successes experienced through this process. In addition, roadblocks to collaboration will be addressed and best practices identified in the implementation of the initial joint and integrated programs.
3D – A Collaborative Approach: Admissions and Transfer Credit Policy Development
Presenter:
Samantha Murray, Assistant Registrar, Faculties of Arts & Environment, University of Waterloo
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Samantha Murray is the Assistant Registrar, Faculties of Arts & Environment at the University of Waterloo and is responsible for undergraduate student admissions and records administration as these relate to the two Faculties. Samantha’s previous positions include: Manager, Admissions at the University of Waterloo and Manager International Education, Conestoga College.
Co-Presenters:
Eric Breugst, Manager – Academic Advising, University of Waterloo
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Eric Breugst is the Manager, Academic Advising, Faculty of Arts at the University of Waterloo. Eric oversees a team of four Arts Advisors who provide one-stop academic support to all Arts students at Waterloo. Eric’s pervious positions include: Director, Secondary School Liaison, Academic Advisor, and Secondary School Liaison Officer.
Eric Jardin, Admissions Officer, Faculties of Arts & Environment, University of Waterloo
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Eric Jardin is an Admissions Officer for the Faculties of Arts & Environment at the University of Waterloo and is responsible for admissions related to non-Ontario secondary school (Non-OSS) students. Eric is the co-Chair of the Arts Admissions Guideline Subcommittee. Eric’s previous positions include Interim Manager, College and University Partnerships.
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. Presenters hope that through this session you will gain insight on how to realize change at your institution.
3E – Incoming Students’ Credit Transfer and PLAR Expectation-Reality Gaps
Presenter:
Christine Arnold, a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education - University of Toronto/OISE
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Christine Arnold is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at OISE in the University of Toronto. Her research interests include the student experience in higher education, with a focus on student mobility and credit transfer systems. Christine has published and presented on a range of topics including: transformative education, work-integrated learning (WIL), student affairs/services, credit transfer/articulation, degree granting, quality assurance, and higher education within the knowledge economy.
Co-Presenter:
Sean Woodhead, Manager, Pathways & Academic Partnerships, Centennial College
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Sean Woodhead is the Manager, Pathways & Academic Partnerships at Centennial College, and is responsible for the academic quality of postsecondary access and transferability initiatives. Sean is co-founder and co-chair of the Ontario College PLAR Network and the Ontario representative for the Colleges and Institutes Canada Recognition of Learning Strategic Network. His research interests include effective leadership, organizational decision-making and institutional autonomy-accountability.
In recent years, Ontario’s credit transfer framework has improved postsecondary pathways and resources to help students receive recognition for their prior learning by expanding non-traditional pathways, notably college–college and university–college. As a result, Ontario colleges have experienced an increase in the number of incoming transfer students who wish to change their field of study, upgrade skills, earn additional qualifications, and/or geographically relocate. The credit transfer population represents a growing share of Ontario college students.
With an emergent emphasis on life-long learning and the freedom to move among postsecondary institutions, assistance in navigating the postsecondary education system has become increasingly important. It is necessary that students comprehend the academic regulations and requirements they will encounter so as to form reasonable expectations about recognition of prior learning processes. Credit transfer research has largely examined students’ admission rates, performance, retention, and time to graduation. Limited research has focused on student expectations and potential expectation–reality gaps.
The purpose of this session is to highlight findings from a Centennial College mixed methods research study that explored incoming students’ expectations and realities regarding credit transfer and PLAR policies and procedures. Pre-surveys, post-surveys, and focus groups/interviews were conducted with students who applied/tested for credit in order to measure: 1) incoming student expectations against subsequent received credit; and 2) perceptions regarding transferability adjusted between the initial point of contact and the end of the first term.
Participants attending this session will:
1) Learn about credit transfer and PLAR student expectation formation, updating, and experienced realities;
2) Identify the importance of student expectation management, clear and thorough access to information, and robust transferability support services; and,
3) Engage in discussion regarding institution-level policy and procedural improvements to effectively communicate prior learning rights and responsibilities.
3F – College and University are Different: Examining the Differences Between Colleges and Universities that Create Challenges and Opportunities for Credit Transfer
Presenter:
Tim Brunet, College University Pathway Specialist for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, University of Windsor; Vice Chair of the Pan-Canadian Consortium on Admissions & Transfer (PCCAT)
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Tim Brunet is the College University Pathway Specialist for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Windsor and is the current Vice Chair of the Pan-Canadian Consortium on Admissions & Transfer (PCCAT). Mr. Brunet is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s Master of Art in Communications & Technology where he focused on the diffusion of innovations and organizational design in higher education.
Co-Presenters:
Wendy Asher, Dean, Community Services & Liberal Studies and Educational Pathways, Lambton College
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Wendy Asher, Dean of Lambton College's School of Community Services and Liberal Studies, is well known for her involvement in social justice initiatives and her role as lead for the Centre for Educational Pathways since 2011. She started at Lambton College in 2007 and brings 25 years of academic leadership to the school community. She is committed to developing flexible internal and provincial pathways’ projects that will aid our students in credit transfer mobility.
Nadine Cervi, Pathways Research Consultant, Lambton College
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Nadine Cervi is the Pathways Research Consultant for the Centre for Educational Pathways at Lambton College. Nadine is also an Associate Faculty member in the English department. Nadine assists in reviewing articulation agreements and partnerships, populating and updating the Pathways’ database, and facilitating all Pathway related visits/meetings that are held at Lambton College.
Pathway developers must understand organizational differences between the colleges and universities within Ontario to build better agreements. In this provocative session presenters will dissect the points of differentiation that cause opportunities and challenges for credit transfer and student mobility. The presenters will challenge their audience to share their own points of differentiation in round table discussions. Some talking points include:
• Course/program development, learning outcomes and credentials;
• Admissions;
• Intellectual property;
• Organizational design (Senate; Board of Governors; Promotion, Tenure, Renewal);
• Research and industry connections; and
• Student finance, employee compensation, and tuition.
4A – Improving Postsecondary Mobility in Ontario: Student Priorities for Credit Transfer
Presenters:
Matt Caron, Director of Advocacy, College Student Alliance
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Matt Caron is the Director of Advocacy for the College Student Alliance. Matt attended St. Clair College, receiving diplomas in Law & Security and Police Foundations, and a certificate in Office Administration. During his studies, Matt served as a Board Member, External Vice-President, and President of the St. Clair Student Representative Council. He also acted as Student Governor on St. Clair College’s Board of Governors. Most recently, Matt served as the MPP Liaison in the Office of the Minister of Children and Youth Services and the Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues. Matt became the Director of Advocacy in July 2014.
Sean Madden, Executive Director, Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance
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Sean Madden is the Executive Director of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. An eventual graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, Sean's long journey through postsecondary has given him a chance to see it all: college to university, and university to university. This experience, and his participation on the ONCAT Student Advisory Group, has given him an appreciation of credit transfer opportunities and hurdles. The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) represents the interests of over 140,000 professional and undergraduate, full-time and part-time university students at eight student associations across Ontario.
Recognizing the trend towards increased student mobility provincially, and the barriers faced by Ontario’s students in navigating an inconsistent system with often unclear 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 provide an overview of College Student Alliance and Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance and will include the student perspective on credit transfer, how students are involved with the credit transfer system, and provide recommendations for next steps in achieving a robust and transparent credit transfer system for the students of Ontario.
4B – How Did the Transfer Student Cross the Road? 8 Simple Rules for Guiding Transitional Programming
Presenter:
Ashley McKnight, Orientation Coordinator, University of Waterloo
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Ashley McKnight currently works in the Student Success Office, and has been working in student support services at the University of Waterloo for over three years. Ashley works with a variety of campus partners to develop effective transitional programming and communications for graduate, transfer, and international student populations.
Co-Presenter:
Mat Brown, Admissions and Recruitment Officer, Transfer Students, University of Waterloo
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Mat Brown has been a member of the College Pathways team for three years where he travels across Ontario recruiting transfer students to the University of Waterloo. When Mat isn't traveling, he provides admissions counseling to Ontario transfer students and works closely with the Student Success Office on transition events for this population.
When a transfer student transitions to a new institution their needs are often different than traditional direct-entry students. Despite their differences, it is often difficult to provide targeted and intentional transition programming for these students for a number of reasons such as limited resources, space, timing and external factors. As this was the experience at the University of Waterloo, the institution developed a program that reaches beyond transfer student Orientation and seeks to support transfer students from the moment they accept their offer until their first term of classes. For other institutions experiencing similar challenges, this session seeks to provide professionals with eight feasible and straightforward guidelines they can follow to establish effective transitional programming for transfer students.
To begin, this session will highlight the growth and development of the transfer student transition program at the University of Waterloo. The presenters will share significant insights into how they created a specialized and inclusive program for this diverse student population. During this portion of the session they will describe how they solicited research, gathered feedback from program participants and applied these findings to better understand this population’s needs. The key findings and best practices of UWaterloo’s transitional programming will also be shared. Next, they will recommend eight steps for creating a comprehensive and successful transfer student transition strategy. These eight steps range from collecting and applying research to develop and implement targeted programming to effectively receive feedback and evaluation. Finally, they will provide tangible examples of how these eight guidelines are applied at UWaterloo and how they may be applied to your institution.
This session is a joint initiative at the University of Waterloo between the Registrar’s Office, Marketing & Undergraduate Recruitment and the Student Success Office.
4C – Roundtable on the Development of a Centralized and Consistent Articulation Agreement Process
Presenter:
Harpreet Singh, Academic Manager, Curriculum Services, Algonquin College
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Harpreet Singh Sonu brings fifteen years of experience in providing training and development, as well as strategic management services to private and public sectors in Canada, the United Kingdom and India. Harpreet specializes in area and sector based strategy development, business planning, and performance measurement.
Co-Presenter:
Renay Dixon, Transfer Student Coordinator, Algonquin College
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Renay Dixon blends her background in psychology with a passion for student engagement to further enhance our understanding of credit mobility at Algonquin College. She has been the Transfer Student Coordinator at Algonquin since June 2013.
As Ontarians continue to seek higher education, articulation agreements will play an important role in the facilitation of student mobility within the province and across the country. With this in mind, colleges will continuously need to redesign their articulation strategies to reflect the changing needs of the demographic. At Algonquin College, the institution has started to rethink their articulations strategy by asking questions such as:
• How can we strengthen our articulation agreements?
• What are the criteria for a strong agreement?
• How to strengthen internal pathways?
• How to make information about agreements available to students, faculty and other stakeholders?
• How will these changes impact current articulation agreement offerings?
In this engaging and interactive session, participants should be prepared to engage in discussions with their peers on how to build an integrated articulation strategy, share best practices, and make optimum use of the ONCAT network, website and other centralized resources. The presenters will share how they are beginning to streamline their articulation agreement process, the crucial role of faculty, and student data in the development of articulation agreements.
In this session, participants will discuss:
• How to focus agreement creation efforts.
• How to develop a streamlined agreement process centered on consistency.
• How to engage various stakeholders in the creation of meaningful agreements.
4D – Pathways for Aboriginal Learners: Collaborating Across Aboriginal Institutes, Colleges and Universities
Presenter:
Joyce Helmer, Consultant, First Nations Technical Institute
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Dr. Joyce Helmer is an Associate Professor in the Clinical Science Division at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM). Along with membership on the Aboriginal Reference Group she Chairs the Aboriginal Admissions committee, serves as an elected representative on the Academic Council and on the Board Nominations and Community Engagement committee. As well, Dr. Helmer currently serves as the Curriculum Lead for First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) located on the Mohawk Territory. She is a Knowledge Keeper for the Centre for Policy and Aboriginal Learning (CPAL) unit at Confederation College in Thunder Bay.
Co-Presenters:
Janice Battiston, Project Advisor, Centre for Policy in Aboriginal Learning, Confederation College
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Janice Battiston, of an Ojibwe-Dutch heritage and a member of the Mishkeegogamang First Nation, is the Project Advisor at the Centre for Policy in Aboriginal Learning (CPAL) at Confederation College. Prior to joining CPAL, Janice worked as the Aboriginal Student Counsellor at Confederation College providing personal, academic, and career counselling to First Nations, Metis and Inuit students from remote, rural, and local communities.
Dan Longboat, Director, Indigenous Environmental Studies Program, Trent University
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Dan Longboat is Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River. He is Director of the Indigenous Environmental Studies Program at Trent University. Dan is known for his Traditional Haudenosaunee knowledge and has taught Mohawk culture at Trent in addition to his work in Indigenous Environmental Studies. He was the first Director of Studies of the Ph.D. program. Dan completed his Ph.D. in Environmental Studies at York University.
The Centre for Policy in Aboriginal Learning (CPAL) at Confederation College in partnership with First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) and Trent University has undertaken a project to create distinct pathways, rooted in Indigenous Knowledge, for Aboriginal learners as they transfer between institutions. Articulation Agreements, academic bridging and comprehensive “wrap around” supports will be key components in the Pathways model. This research project, funded by the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer, marks the first Indigenous-centered transition Pathways model for Aboriginal transfer students in Ontario.
Through collaboration and consultation with students, faculty, Aboriginal Support Services, academic administration, staff and Aboriginal Education Authorities, this project will improve student outcomes in Aboriginal learning.
Project Benefits and Outcomes:
• Development of seamless pathways for Aboriginal transfer students;
• Create baseline data to support Indigenous-based approaches to post-secondary education;
• Improve student outcomes in Aboriginal learning; and,
• Formation of an Indigenous-centered approach to articulation agreements and transfer credit policies for colleges, universities and Aboriginal Institutes
4E – Pathways in Ontario and Canada: Where Do Students Go and What Do They Do? A Preliminary Analysis
Presenter:
Leesa Wheelahan, William G. Davis Chair of Community College Leadership, OISE/University of Toronto
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Leesa Wheelahan commenced as the William G. Davis Chair of Community College Leadership at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto in early 2014. Prior to this she was as an Associate Professor in adult and vocational education at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her research interests include articulation, credit transfer, and student pathways within and between colleges and universities; higher education policy, and relations between colleges and universities.
Co-Presenters:
Gavin Moodie, Adjunct Professor, OISE/University of Toronto
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Gavin Moodie is an Adjunct Professor in the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. His doctorate and much of his research has been on relations between colleges and universities in Australia, the USA, and the UK. He is currently working on a project on progression within postsecondary education and between postsecondary education and work in Ontario compared to the rest of Canada.
Eric Lavigne, Graduate Student, OISE/University of Toronto
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Eric Lavigne started his career as a college faculty in Montreal, before taking on administrative responsibilities as Associate Dean. Holding degrees in Physics Engineering, Education, and Management, he is now pursuing a PhD at OISE in Higher Education. His research interests orbit around the themes of academic leadership, teaching and learning, policy and program evaluation, and career pathways.
Amanda Brijmohan, Graduate Student, OISE/University of Toronto
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Amanda Brijmohan completed her Honours.Bachelor of Science double majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology from the University of Toronto. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Arts in Higher Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Her research interests include educational psychology, student engagement, co-operative education, and educational policy, and the way they intersect with student academic and career pathways within higher education.
This presentation reports on an Ontario government funded project on educational pathways. It explores whether graduates stay within the same field of study when they undertake a second postsecondary education qualification. It examines educational pathways within fields of study between educational institutions (college to college; college to university; university to college; and university to university) and by qualification level (diploma to degree, degree to diploma, degree to post-graduate qualification etc). It compares the outcomes in Ontario with Canada overall (excluding Quebec). Preliminary findings show that:
• The percentage of students who move from college to university is lower in Ontario than it is for Canada;
• Within Ontario and Canada, the most common pathway consists of students who undertake a first and second qualification in university;
• The extent to which students stay within the same field of study when they undertake a second PSE qualification varies. Overall, the links between qualifications within fields of study is weak. In most fields, students change their field of study when they undertake a second PSE qualification. There are a small number of fields of study where a majority stay within that field when they undertake a second PSE qualification; and
• The link between qualifications and fields of study differs between colleges and universities in some fields, reflecting the different ways students use qualifications in each sector and field.
The presentation will highlight the strongest and weakest pathways and consider the implications of this analysis for policy at the level of programs, institutions, and PSE policy.
4F – Engaging Internal and External Stakeholders and the Importance of Consistent Messaging
Presenter:
Victoria Baker, Manager, Degree and Credit Transfer, Seneca College
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Victoria Baker has coordinated and managed Seneca’s Degree and Credit Transfer Office for the past four years, and has worked at the College for over seven years. Her role involves working with internal academic departments to establish and develop partnerships with universities and colleges both locally and abroad. Victoria not only negotiates articulation agreements, but also updates existing agreements to reflect curriculum changes and improvements. Her centralized office provides dedicated degree transfer advisement services to students on new and existent diploma to diploma, diploma to degree, and degree to Master’s program pathways, and connects students with resources and information to support their academic goals. Victoria has expanded the capacity of service the DCTO provides to not only students, but also faculty, and brings significant expertise on student pathways, and specifically on the scope and depth of student advisement required in this area.
Co-presenter:
Jennifer Kloosterman, Degree and Credit Transfer Coordinator, Seneca College
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Jennifer Kloosterman is the Degree and Credit Transfer Coordinator at Seneca College and has worked for the college for over 11 years, most recently within Career Services and Degree and Credit Transfer. Jennifer coordinates a variety of large scale and specialized on camps events in the areas of Pathways and Degree Transfer. She works closely with both students, faculty and representatives from partner institutions to ensure the pathway process is clear and seamless. In addition, Jennifer’s role as Coordinator also involves providing in depth degree transfer advisement services to prospective, current students and alumni for all programs across the college, to ensure they are not only informed as to what their options are and understand academically how to achieve their transfer goals but are also supported throughout their transition both into and out of Seneca.
This session will discuss the various ways Seneca College’s Degree and Credit Transfer Office effectively communicates consistent information from the partner to the student and everyone in between! This session will look at how Seneca’s centralized office acts as a hub for pathways information and advocates for not only the student, but the academic area and our partners at large when it comes to the dissemination of transfer information. Learn about how Seneca is staying current with social media trends and utilizing their network to find new ways to inform, update and enhance the breadth of transfer knowledge throughout the College.
Learning Outcomes:
• Understand the importance of consistent messaging;
• Become familiar with the pros and cons to a centralized service delivery model; and
• Broadened sense of the varying ways one can communicate with stakeholders
Séance plénière 4 – Créer une discussion universitaire sur la réussite des étudiants ayant effectué un transfert : Le Symposium sur le transfert
Présentatrice:
Jane Rex, Rex, Directrice, Bureau des services de transfert, Appalachian State
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Jane Rex est une vétérane de 23 ans du système des collèges communautaires de la Caroline du Nord, qui a occupé plusieurs fonctions dans le domaine des services aux étudiants. Elle est actuellement la directrice du bureau des services de transfert à l’université Appalachian State qui fut établie en 2010 pour répondre aux besoins des étudiants effectuant un transfert, particulièrement en ce qui concerne le transfert de crédits sans heurt. Sous sa direction, le bureau a augmenté son personnel, ses ressources et ses services pour assister pleinement les étudiants ayant effectué un transfert, du processus d’admission jusqu’à l’obtention de leur diplôme. Elle a joué un rôle déterminant dans la création d’un bon nombre d’initiatives de transfert, telles que le programme de mentorat étudiant/étudiant ayant effectué un transfert, les ententes d’articulation, la restructuration de l’orientation des transferts. Elle a également collaboré avec d’autres services de l’université pour créer des politiques, des procédures et une programmation visant à soutenir un transfert sans souci et la réussite des étudiants.
À l’échelle de l’État, elle a été présidente du conseil consultatif de ACT, et membre de l’Articulation Agreement implementation leadership team (« équipe de direction sur l’implantation de l’entente d’articulation »). Jane est actuellement membre du conseil de direction de la North Carolina College Transfer Program Association (« association du programme collégial de la Caroline du Nord »), membre consultatif du State Reverse Transfer program (« programme de transfert inverse de l’état ») et a été sélectionnée pour travailler dans un groupe de travail de l’État sur les crédits de l’armée afin de développer un plan pour s’assurer que les crédits universitaires sont accordés uniformément aux étudiants ayant une formation militaire. Jane fait régulièrement des présentations à des conférences d’État, ainsi qu’à des conférences régionales et nationales.
Jane a reçu le prix 2013-2014 Bonita C. Jacobs Transfer Champion Award, présenté à la conférence du National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) à Atlanta, en Géorgie. Le prix Bonita C. Jacobs est remis en reconnaissance d’une ou de plusieurs personnes qui ont fait preuve d’une capacité de mobilisation et de leadership exceptionnels dans le développement et l’implantation d’activités axées sur le transfert (ex. : programmes, politiques, recherche), qui représentent une contribution significative à l’amélioration de l’accès, la persistance et la réussite des étudiants ayant effectué un transfert.
Les inscriptions des étudiants ayant effectué un transfert étant en croissance dans nos universités, la création d’une vision des établissements universitaires prend toute son importante pour garantir le succès des étudiants ayant effectué un transfert. L’Appalachian State University a organisé un Symposium sur le transfert en septembre 2013 pour plus de 200 enseignants et employés pour en savoir davantage sur la situation de nos étudiants effectuant un transfert, comprendre pourquoi les étudiants effectuant un transfert étaient importants et apprendre comment nous pouvons servir au mieux ces étudiants-là, tant à l’intérieur qu’à l’extérieur des salles de cours. Les participants au Symposium ont développé de nouveaux programmes et de nouveaux cours qui ont déjà été implantés dans notre établissement. La réussite de cet évènement a conduit au Symposium 2014, qui a continué la discussion, en mettant prioritairement l’accent sur des groupes particuliers de population. Les participants apprendront comment nous avons gagné le soutien de notre établissement pour les Symposiums, comment encourager la participation et comment donner vie aux idées dans votre université.
Résultats de l’apprentissage
1. Créer une situation pour les initiatives de transferts à l’échelle des établissements.
2. Comprendre comment planifier un symposium universitaire sur le transfert ou un évènement similaire à l’échelle des universités.
3. Apprendre des idées uniques pour encourager la participation.
Séances simultanées – Bloc 5
5A – Learning Outcomes: Building Better Pathways or Building Pathways Better?
Presenter:
Mary Wilson, Director, Centre for Academic Excellence, Niagara College
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Mary Wilson is Director of the Centre for Academic Excellence at Niagara College. Her diverse experience in leading educational innovation at Ontario College of Art and Design University and in managing the Supported Learner Group Program at the University of Guelph is complemented by her engagement in curriculum development, continuing studies, as well as hybrid and distance learning.
Co-Presenters:
Christine Arnold, Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, OISE/University of Toronto
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Christine Helen Arnold is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at the University of Toronto/OISE. Her research interest lies in the examination of students of two-year College of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs) and Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning (ITALs) programs in Ontario who identify intentions to transfer to university. She hopes that her research will enable Ontario institutions to offer more directed support, holistic teaching, information, and preparation for transfer students.
Paola Borin, Curriculum Development Consultant, Ryerson University
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Paola Borin is a curriculum development consultant at Ryerson University. With more than 20 years of experience in public and private education and training, Paola works with departments and programs to develop, analyze and refine degree programs. She has experience in software design and usability and has developed tools to facilitate curriculum work.
Jean Bridge, Professor, Centre for Digital Humanities, Brock University
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Jean Bridge is an innovator in game and interactive media education at Brock University where she has led the College University Pathways for Games Project in developing and prototyping an outcomes-based tool that enables comparison of game and related programs for the purpose of advancing credit transfer. She has also led the development of new dual credential and concurrent Brock University/Niagara College Game Design BA (Honours) and Game Programming BSc (Honours) programs.
Brian Frank, Director of Program Development in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Queen’s University
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Brian Frank is an Associate Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Queen's University, where he has taught courses in electronics and wireless systems. He is the DuPont Canada Chair in Engineering Education Research and Development, and the Director of Program Development in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science where he works on engineering curriculum development, program assessment, and using educational technology.
Jovan Groen, Acting Director, Centre for University Teaching, University of Ottawa
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Jovan Groen is Acting Director of the University of Ottawa's Centre for University Teaching where he works closely with various faculties and departments in different processes of curriculum assessment, development and review. He has collaborated on the development of online curriculum mapping and course outline tools to improve data collection and analysis of the underlying logic of curriculum design.
Mary Catharine Lennon, PhD candidate in Higher Education, University of Toronto
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Mary Catharine Lennon has been involved in learning outcomes development, assessment and research for the past 5 years through provincial, national and international projects and collaborations. The majority of her research deals with international and comparative policy issues of system design, accountability and quality assurance. Currently completing her PhD candidate at the University of Toronto in Higher Education, her recent work focuses on the impact of learning outcomes activities.
Judith Spring, Dean of Business, IT and Management, Durham College
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Judith Spring is the Dean of Business, IT and Management at Durham College. Judith’s post-graduate work has focused on critical success factors in post-secondary pathways and she has extensive experience in negotiating articulation agreements and forging multi-institutional block credit transfer agreements that open up possibilities for Ontario students.
Leesa Wheelahan, William G. Davis Chair of Community College Leadership, OISE/University of Toronto
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Leesa Wheelahan is the William G. Davis Chair in Community College Leadership at OISE. She has led many national projects and published widely on issues pertaining to community colleges; tertiary education policy; student equity, student pathways, qualifications frameworks and credit transfer in tertiary education; the role of theoretical knowledge in curriculum; community college teacher development; and, the relationship between education and the labour market.
This roundtable discussion provides an opportunity to share a diverse array of perspectives on the possibilities, options and problems in outcomes-based strategies for the creation of student pathways in higher education. The panel will explore how concepts and practices that depend on learning outcomes - such as education tuning, curriculum design and data collection - can be developed, evaluated and sustained.
Speakers will discuss curriculum frameworks, taxonomies, rubrics, mapping, software tools and databases and how such approaches can lead to the adoption of practices and creation of institutional infrastructure to support systematic transparency and clarity expected from learning in higher education.
5B – Pathways of Secondary and Continuing Education Students in the Toronto District School Board: Ongoing Research
Presenter:
Robert S. Brown, Research Coordinator, Toronto District School Board; Adjunct Professor of Education, York University
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Robert S. Brown is Research Coordinator at the Toronto District School Board and Adjunct Professor of Education at York University. Among his areas of research are time structures of schools; cohort analysis; special education; and demographic data.
Co-Presenters:
Karen Robson, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, York University
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Karen Robson is Associate Professor of Sociology at York University, teaching and doing research in the areas of quantitative methods and the sociology of education.
Gillian Parekh, Post-doctoral Fellow, OISE/University of Toronto
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Gillian Parekh is a Post-doctoral Fellow at OISE/University of Toronto. Her doctorate from Critical Disability Studies at York University examined the sense of belonging in secondary students in the Toronto District School Board.
Chris Conley, Data Analyst and Executive MISA Lead, Durham District School Board
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Chris Conley is Research Analyst in the Durham District School Board and Executive Lead, Barrie Region MISA Professional Network Centre. He has presented extensively on the use of Data Visualization techniques in educational research.
Lisa Newton, Data Analyst, Toronto District School Board
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Lisa Newton is Research Analyst at the Toronto District School Board and has done research on Continuing and Adult Education, and the transition from secondary to post-secondary.
Unlike earlier generations, postsecondary is now the default destination for most Ontario high school students. This has created the need to re-envision current policy and practice around transitions from elementary to high school, and from high school to university and college.
This panel focuses on research studies employing data and policy analyses that investigate and deconstruct the complex patterns of the transition from secondary to postsecondary. Integral aspects of the research presented include:
• postsecondary trends of TDSB regular day school students over the past decade;
• a comparison of intersectionality of postsecondary characteristics of TDSB students compared with students in Chicago public schools (a joint York University/TDSB/University of Chicago research study);
• examination of the role of “belonging” in TDSB schools and in transitions to post-secondary study; and,
• examination of a cohort of TDSB students starting in Ontario community colleges and their progress in college over four years (this joint TDSB-OCAS project includes current adolescent and continuing education/Adult students, as well as older Adult students formerly in the TDSB).
Characteristics and topics examined include: gender, race, socio-economic factors, age, secondary program of study, as well as type of post-secondary institution/program. Data visualization techniques are incorporated and outlined as one method of exploring the complexity of transitions.
5C – Implementation of College System-Wide ONCAT Transfer Agreements in Business
Presenter:
Mary Pierce, Chair, Lawrence Kinlin School of Business, Fanshawe College
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Mary Pierce is Chair at the Lawrence Kinlin School of Business at Fanshawe College, as well as Chair at the Ontario Heads of Business, and Co-Chair HOB Transfer Agreements Steering Committee.
Co-presenters:
Helene Vukovich, Acting Dean, Centre for Business, George Brown College, Co-Chair, HOB Transfer Agreements Steering Committee
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Helene Vukovich is currently Acting Dean at the Centre for Business at George Brown College, and Co-Chair at the HOB Transfer Agreements Steering Committee.
Jeannine Cookson, Project Lead, HOB System-Wide Transfer Agreements Implementation
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Jeannine Cookson is the Project Lead for the H.O.B System Wide Transfer Agreements Implementation.
Minette Klazinga, Pathways Consultant, Lawrence Kinlin School of Business, Fanshawe College
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Minette Klazinga is a Pathways Consultant at the Lawrence Kinlin School of Business at Fanshawe College.
This session will cover:
• Brief history of the College System-Wide ONCAT Transfer Agreements in Business project;
• Discussion of full implementation phase that launched in November 2014, system-wide;
• Where the Heads of Business are at now in the implementation phase of this project;
• Lessons learned throughout the project;
• Moving forward with the implementation phase;
• What colleges can do now to move forward with the implementation phase;
• Best practices; and,
• Questions, answers, discussion
5D – Supporting Transfer Applicants in a Centralized Client Service Office
Presenter:
Jonathan Christie, UAR Client Service Manager, Ryerson University
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Jonathan Christie manages the UAR Client Service office and previously managed Ryerson’s Transfer Credit Unit. He oversaw the implementation Ryerson’s self-service Transfer Credit application and was the Ryerson lead for the implementation of the ONTransfer.ca Course Transfer Guide. Jonathan is currently working on initiatives aiming to improve RO services for prospective and current Ryerson students.
Co-presenters:
Cheryl Ramage, Client Service Transfer Specialist, Ryerson University
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Cheryl Ramage is a Client Service Transfer Specialist and through her IO duties focuses on providing in-depth advising to prospective transfer applicants. She brings several years of international student recruitment experience to the role, and also draws from her time spent at Ryerson as an undergraduate student.
Thomas Dunbar, Client Service Transfer Specialist, Ryerson University
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Thomas Dunbar is a Client Service Transfer Specialist and in the past has worked as a Client Service Representative and Liaison Officer. In addition to his IO duties, Tom is working on a number of projects aimed at improving transfer student outreach and resources. Tom also draws on his own experiences as a transfer applicant and Ryerson student.
Amy Bastoros, Admission/Information Officer, Ryerson University
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Amy Bastoros is an Admissions/Information Officer and has worked at Ryerson for over ten years. While IO is Amy’s primary role, she is also an Admissions Officer and facilitates admissions for an undergraduate program. Amy is the Client Service unit’s admission expert, and supports the team and assists with training.
The Client Services unit within Ryerson University’s Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment office provides front-line support, information and advising on undergraduate program choices, admission requirements, application procedures and the selection process. The unit supports all prospective undergraduate students, however transfer applicants represent a significant and growing portion of the clients. The Client Service Representatives (CSRs) are the front-line staff interacting with prospective students through telephone, email and social media, as well as in-person visits. CSRs handle many prospective transfer student inquiries, including providing information on pathway options, admission requirements and the transfer credit application process. Applicants requiring more in-depth advising, are triaged to one of the Information Officers (IOs), who are able to advise on their unique circumstances. IO advising is done by a variety of admission experts, many of whom play dual roles, including Admission Officers, Liaison Officers and Transfer Specialists.
This session will provide an overview of our model for client services, and describe how the Client Service unit provides a link between our transfer applicants, Admission Officers and the Transfer Credits Unit in the Registrar’s Office. Presenters will discuss how this model has evolved and expanded to meet the changing needs of their clients, and to provide more comprehensive advising for transfer applicants. They will also discuss the challenges they face using this model.
5E – The Changing Patterns of College-to-University Transfer: Examination of the Graduate Satisfaction Survey since 2006-07
Presenter:
Henry Decock, Associate Vice-President Academic Partnerships, Centre for Research in Student Mobility - Seneca College
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Henry Decock has been working at Seneca College since 1987 and is Associate Vice-President Academic Partnerships, leading the newly formed Centre for Research in Student Mobility. He received a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education from OISE/UT with his thesis, A Case Study Analysis of Ontario CAAT Graduates Who Transfer to a University. He co-authored the HEQCO report, The Transfer Experience of Ontario College Graduates Who Further Their Education and published “Calculating the College-to-University Transfer Rate in Ontario” in College Quarterly.
Co-presenters:
Ursula McCloy, Research Project Manager, Centre for Research in Student Mobility - Seneca College
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Ursula McCloy has been a researcher in Ontario’s higher education sector for the past ten years and is currently the Research Project Manager in the Centre for Research in Student Mobility. Previously she led two MTCU funded PIF projects, was Research Director at the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (2007-2013), and a Research Officer at Colleges Ontario (2004-2007). Ursula has a PhD in Nutritional Science from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine, and Master’s and undergraduate degrees from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Mitchell Steffler, Research Analyst, Centre for Research in Student Mobility - Seneca College
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Mitchell Steffler is a Research Analyst in the Centre for Research in Student Mobility. He was formerly a Data Analyst at the Public Economics Data Analysis Lab (PEDAL) in McMaster University where he was responsible for the transformation and analysis of data. He specializes in quantitative research, and has assisted with a number of academic and non-academic publications. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Economic Policy from McMaster University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Beginning with graduates in 2006-07, the provincial Graduate Satisfaction Survey was expanded to add numerous questions directly related to the transfer experience of college graduates who enrolled in a postsecondary institution six months after completing their program. The questions gather information on motivation to pursue further postsecondary, source of transfer information, amount of transfer credit and satisfaction along with documentation on the institution and program of destination six months after graduation. Since 2006-07, the number of transfer agreements has grown, the provincial government has invested more money into the development of pathways, and institutions have increased initiatives to foster student mobility.
This presentation will build on a 2011 baseline HEQCO report to examine the pattern of responses to these questions in the context of the evolving postsecondary environment. The intervening years have shown a decline in the percentage of graduates pursuing a degree but an increase in the total number of college graduates attending university; an increase in the amount of transfer credit granted along with closer affinity with the destination program; and, consistency in the level of overall satisfaction, but an increasing gap between those who enter the workforce and those who pursue further education.
The discussion will examine the role of international students, the growth of baccalaureate programs at colleges, the changing labour force demands in some professions, and the evolving mix of college and university programs to help understand some of these patterns.
5F – "We see you. We hear you." Using Student Voice to Inform Services, Policies and Procedures to Improve the College Transfer Experience
Presenter:
Sylvie Lamoureux, Associate Professor, University of Ottawa
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Sylvie A. Lamoureux (PhD, O.ONT.) is an associate professor in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ottawa. Her research expertise is student voice and the student experience, with a particular focus on the transition into and through the university. She has been PI on two HEQCO funded projects on access and retention, as well as two projects on the college-transfer student experience of transition to university.
Co-presenters:
Julie Beauchamp, Vice-Dean, Undergraduate and Professional Programs, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa
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Julie Beauchamp, Vice-Dean Undergraduate and Professional Programs, Telfer School of Management, oversees the development, planning and coordination of the undergraduate and graduate professional programs. Professor Beauchamp also oversees the quality of the student experience and advises the Dean on all matters affecting the undergraduate and graduate professional programs.
Andrea Secord, Coordinator and Resource Person, Student Academic Support Services, University of Ottawa
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Andrea Secord has been working for the University of Ottawa since 2011. As a member of the Student Academic Success Service’s Academic Support Unit, Andrea has been involved in numerous projects including the First Generation program, and the Mentoring Centre for mature students and transfer students. Andrea holds a BA in Education as well as a Master’s degree in Educational Counselling from the University of Ottawa.
Klehr D’Souza, Assistance to Learning Consultant, Student Academic Support Services, University of Ottawa
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Klehr D’souza is the Assistant to the Learning Consultant at the Student Academic Success Services (SASS) department at the University of Ottawa. Having acquired a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a minor in Psychology, she is currently implicated with research that focuses on the experience of college transfer students. She is also involved with the mentoring program and works closely with the student-mentors in the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Science.
Jean-Luc Daoust, Interim Associate-Registrar, Manager, Student Academic Support Services, University of Ottawa
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Jean-Luc Daoust is the Manager of the Student Academic Success Service. He holds a Master’s in Education and a Bachelor’s in Psychology. Throughout his 24 year career at the University of Ottawa, he has participated in several research initiatives to better understand students and improve access and retention, including the transition to the University of Ottawa from a variety of pathways.
In 2013-2014, the University of Ottawa conducted surveys and led a series of focus groups and interviews with several cohorts of college transfer students to gain a better understanding of i) their transfer experience and ii) the complexities of the various pathways into and through the university. This student-voice data was used to analyse their existing services, policies and procedures to identify areas of improvement and innovation, two of which were implemented in time for the fall 2014 cohort. A research-informed impact evaluation of the implementation of these two initiatives was designed for 2014-2015, with a strong focus on student voice.
This panel brings together senior administrators, student support staff and a researcher to report on the progress to date of two of these initiatives at the University of Ottawa: 1) the mentoring centre for transfer and mature students and 2) the transformation of the college transfer pathway at the Telfer School of Management. These presentations will be followed by a report of findings from the impact evaluation of the new transfer pathway, from multiple perspectives (student, faculty student support staff, and admissions staff). The presenters will then open a discussion with the session participants to discuss implications and next steps for institutions and their partners, regarding 1) how to institutionalize best practices across faculties and services to better support the college transfer students from all pathways into and through the university and 2) the importance of student voice to inform policy and procedures.
