Dwayne Matthews, Life and Education Strategist

The exponential convergence of a number of technological fields has fueled paradigmatic shifts around economies and education. The automation of work has intensified labor force transformations, yet most of our current systems and infrastructure are neither responsive to, nor prepared for this changing landscape. Dwayne Matthews will discuss some of the drivers behind this shift, and how postsecondary institutions will have massive opportunities if they meet this transition head on. Regions that get it right will earn their place as international educational hubs.

Facilitators: ONCAT Staff

Kick off your conference experience with a structured networking session designed to help you get to better know, and learn from, other delegates passionate about student mobility.

Presenters: David Yokum, Project Manager, Queen’s University; Eric Tremblay, Manager, Online Learning and Development, Queen’s University; Chris Peirone, St. Clair College/University of Windsor; Dr. Jacqueline Stagner, University of Windsor

Hear from two ONCAT-funded pathway projects in Engineering. Reflect on these initiatives’ successes, challenges, and lessons learned, and on applicability of implementation at your own campus.

Queen’s University & Northern College: utilizing modern learning objectives and a unique blended learning format, block transfer credits for the first two years of an Engineering Technology diploma is awarded towards a Bachelor of Mining Engineering Technology degree.

St. Clair College & University of Windsor: a course mapping method was developed to identify gaps in knowledge and skills as well as to comply with the CEAB’s strict criteria. The result is a bridge which allows students graduating with a college credential to complete their Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering degree in just two years.

Presenter: Charmaine Hack, University Registrar, Ryerson University, Project Steering Chair and President, ARUCC; Joanne Duklas, Project Consulting Lead, Researcher and Consultant, Duklas Cornerstone Consulting

Canada’s ARUCC Groningen & Student Mobility Initiative is a multi-year project with the
vision of advancing national and international student mobility through trusted next generation data exchange. Recently, funding from ONCAT and formal support from CRALO and OURA, has been provided to conduct an additionally Ontario focused examination. The session will review work-to-date, next steps, and project goals, including improved data exchange to:
- Facilitate students accessing and sharing achievements with others
- Maximize institutional efficiencies
- Minimize fraud by connecting Canadian institutions, application centres and data hubs directly to trusted international student data exchange providers, regulatory bodies, and others

Our partners include the Pan-Canadian Consortium on Admissions and Transfer (PCCAT), the Canadian
Post-secondary Education Standards Council (CanPESC), and the Canadian University Council of Chief Information Officers (CUCCIO). We are actively seeking endorsements for the project – join our growing list from across Canada.

Presenters: Alana Wiens, Director, Policy & Programs, ONCAT; Melissa Fritz, Data Analyst, OCAS

Tracking the mobile student, and better understanding their journey has always been seen as a challenge, leaving many decision-makers guessing at students’ needs. As transfer becomes increasingly prevalent and mainstream, the Ontario Council on Articulation & Transfer (ONCAT) and the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) collaborated to explore new and innovative ways of procuring data to better understand student mobility. The session will share recently analyzed application patterns of students, using transcript transfer requests from both OCAS and OUAC (the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre). The results are presented across three populations (all students, first generation students, and indigenous students), and examine transfer patterns along region, college and university, and area of study.

Presenters: Dr. Brian Frank, Associate Dean – Teaching & Learning, Queen's University; Roderick Turner, Coordinator of Curriculum Development – Electronics & Computer Engineering Technology, Seneca College; Mary Pierce, Chair – Lawrence Kinlin School of Business, Fanshawe College; Vijay Mago, (Assistant Professor, Lakehead University

Using primarily ONCAT-funded projects, a web application was created that uses visualization to compare the learning outcomes of courses and programs. Learn how this can help you make decisions about transfer.

Presenters: Adam Wingate, Manager, Undergraduate Admissions, UOIT;
Kimberley McCartney-Young, Curriculum and Pathways Specialist, UOIT; Kaitlin Marriott, Team Leader – Pathways and Transfer Credit, Western University; Cindy Cripps, Manager – Undergraduate Admission, Western University; Andrew Wilson, Assistant Director – Transfers & Transitions, York University; Marsha Newhook, Assessment Coordinator, York University

Hear from three large universities on how they streamlined their transfer processes to better support students. Reflect on these initiatives’ successes, challenges, and lessons learned, and on applicability of implementation at your own campus.

University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT): automating the transfer credit process and awarding preliminary transfer credit at the time of offer

Western University: creating a workflow to facilitate the dissemination of course descriptions to faculty evaluators through the Transfer Credit Management System (TCMS)

York University: managing the multi-stage admission processes, the rescind process, mature and transfer admission, external advanced standing credit assessments, and returning student reactivation.

Presenters: Pauline Lavoie, Professor, Psychology, Université de Hearst; Mehdi Idrissi , Professor, Business Administration, Collège La Cité; Corey Pyne, Coordinator and Professor, Math/Physics, St. Clair College; Naomi Kestenbaum, Coordinator, Honours Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Professor, School of Arts & Science, Seneca College; Nancy Luckai, Deputy Provost, Lakehead University
In 2017-2018 ONCAT launched a Faculty Fellows program to directly engage faculty in areas of student mobility and transfer. The five pilot institutions are Collège La Cité, Université de Hearst, Lakehead University, Seneca College, and St. Clair College. The panelists will describe the Faculty Fellows project activities at their institution such as Lunch and Learns, faculty focus groups and surveys and reviews of transfer student data and transfer agreements. They will also share lessons learned and recommendations moving forward. This presentation is an excellent opportunity to learn about a new ONCAT initiative for faculty at all institutions.

Presenters: Prof. Sylvie A. Lamoureux, Vice-Dean, Programs – Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa; Jean-Luc Daoust, Gestionnaire, recherche – évaluation et rendement, University of Ottawa; Simone Davis, Coordinator – Academic Support Unit, University of Ottawa; Klehr D’souza, Coordinator – Academic Support Unit, University of Ottawa

The session begins with a brief comparative analysis of data on transfer student success, before and after the implementation of college-transfer specific support services at the University of Ottawa (uOttawa). Join in an exploratory discussion on how a shift from "silo type" services to more universal and dynamic programming in all faculties is possible, and how this might support the college-transfer pathway to evolve from "non-traditional", to an expected and valued point of entry into different stages of the university academic journey.

Stephen J. Handel, Executive Director, Higher Education Assessment Use, The College Board

For over 100 years students in community colleges seeking a baccalaureate degree—as well as access to the best postgraduate and lucrative career opportunities—have had to traverse a kind of academic purgatory in search of an appropriate institution that might offer them safe-haven and the opportunity to excel educationally. Advocates at two- and four-year institutions have devoted themselves for decades toward the creation of pathways that are as rich academically as they are efficient institutionally. As the need for an educated populace becomes ever more important, the transfer pathway is receiving extraordinary attention as a cost-effective way to increase educational attainment in ways that respect the changing landscape of learners. As advocates for our students and the transfer pathway, what are the strategies and, most centrally, the values we will offer to advance this important trend?

Inspired by the plenary session by Stephen Handel and want more? Join in an open discussion with Dr. Handel and fellow delegates to delve deeper into the challenges of advancing educational access and equity for all students. Learn more about Dr. Handel’s work, as the University of California’s first Director of Community College Transfer Enrolment Planning, where he initiated strategic enrolment policies focusing on the needs of community college transfer students.

Presenters: Jodi Jaffray, Academic Manager, Algonquin College; Laura Cohen, Academic Chair, Algonquin College; Dr. Bettina Brockerhoff-Macdonald, Director, Centre of Academic Excellence, Laurentian University; Dr. Joël Dickinson, Associate Professor – Chair, Laurentian University

Two new pathways developed between degrees and Ontario College Graduate Certificates will be shared. One is a more traditional post-degree pathway to the graduate certificate between Algonquin College’s Bachelor of Public Safety and their fully online Emergency Management graduate certificate. The other is a joint degree and graduate certificate between Laurentian University’s Bachelor of Psychology and Algonquin College’s Autism and Behavioural Science graduate certificate. Discuss how degrees and graduate certificates can ladder into one another to promote maximum employability for our graduates.

Presenters: Dr.  Mary Catherine Lennon, Sr Policy Adviser, PEQAB and Visiting Scholar, OISE; Joan Condie, Dean – Teaching and Learning, Sheridan College;  Adrianna Militano, Research Policy Analyst, PEQAB

The session will report on the initial findings of a joint research initiative of 9 Ontario Colleges and the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB) that examines where College Degree Graduates (CDGs) go to graduate school and how they fare. Preliminary findings from semi structured interviews with hundreds of college alumni and the college registrars are unpacked to understand the largely unknown academic trajectory of CDG’s. Other project objectives including identifying trends in applications, promising practice in policies, and relationships between college programs and university graduate school programs will also be explored.

Presenters: Ursula McCloy, Director, Centre for Research in Student Mobility, Seneca College; Kathleen Williams Research Analyst – Centre for Research in Student Mobility, Seneca College

Students with disabilities access PSE, particularly university, at lower rates than those without disabilities. The session will use the MAESD Ontario College Graduate Outcomes Survey to compare transfer rates to university for recent college graduates who report a disability versus those who do not and explore the question of whether enhancing such transfer pathways may increase university participation rates for students with disabilities. A comparison of program and institution choice, and the transfer experience by reported disability status will also be shared.

Join your ONCAT colleagues in the CATfé lounge at this networking reception to end the first day of the Conference.

Presenters: Abdullah Mushtaq, Director of Advocacy, CSA; Olivia Dagbo, Research & Policy Analyst, CSA; Martyna Siekanowicz, Research & Policy Analyst, OUSA; Nour Alideeb, Chairperson, CFS-Ontario; Ted Hodge CEO & Founder, CCI Research Inc.

Given the trend towards increased student mobility provincially, and the existing barriers faced by Ontario’s students in navigating an often-inconsistent system, student organizations recognize the need for strong provincial advocacy toward an improved credit transfer system. The session will provide an overview of the College Student Alliance (CSA), Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), and Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (CFS-ON), and will include the student perspective on credit transfer and the recommended next steps forward in achieving a robust and transparent credit transfer system for the students of Ontario. Also get a first glimpse into the preliminary results from the Transfer Student Experience survey, launched by ONCAT in partnership with CSA, OUSA, and CFS-ON, administered through CCI Research Inc.!

Presenters: Andrew Heppner, Project Coordinator, Lakehead University; Dr. Nancy Luckai, Deputy Provost, Lakehead University; Jerri-Lynn Orr, Program Coordinator – Native Access Program, Lakehead University

Learn about the key factors in the transfer student transition experience, informed by qualitative and quantitative evaluation data and ‘lessons learned’ in the piloting of two bridging seminar course sections at Lakehead University, and developed based on best practices from previous ONCAT-funded pathway and research projects (2015-01; 2015-10).

Presenters: Dr. Christine Arnold, Assistant Professor – Faculty of Education, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Dr. Mary Wilson, Director – Centre for Academic Excellence, Niagara College; Jean Bridge, Adjunct Research Professor – Centre for Digital Humanities, Brock University; Dr. Mary Catherine Lennon, Senior Policy Advisor, Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board

“The Learning Outcomes for Transfer – Publication Project” aims to assess critically the theoretical and conceptual foundations, assumptions, and implications of using learning outcomes for the purposes of credit transfer and student mobility. A large-scale assessment of outcomes-based approaches has been conducted. International scholars from the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and South Africa have written papers identifying critical themes and learning opportunities in their environments, from which preliminary implications and recommendations for the Ontario context have been composed. Join in providing feedback on the preliminary recommendations and engage in a discussion on how they might actualize in your daily work.

Presenters: Kristie Pratt, Director – Information Management & Strategy, MAESD;
Matthew W. Clarke, Manager – Data Strategy & Coordination Unit, Workforce Policy & Innovation Division, MAESD; Martin Hicks, Executive Director – Data & Statistics, HEQCO; Amy Kaufman, Director – Special Projects, HEQCO

With the recent development of the Open SIMS (Student Information Management System) proof of concept tool by the Ministry of Advanced Education & Skills Development (MAESD), an exciting new wealth of data about Ontario postsecondary students is becoming available. Using student level enrolment data, including the OEN, Open SIMS contains preliminary analytical tools which allow users to better monitor student mobility throughout the province. The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) has worked closely with the Open SIMS team at MAESD to produce an initial publication using the postsecondary mobility data, on “Differentiation within the Ontario College System: Options and Opportunities”. Learn about the next steps for this project, and how this tool can be applied to build sector resources for improved student mobility.

S. Brenda Small, VP, Centre for Policy in Research in Indigenous Learning; Joyce Helmer, Research Associate, Centre for Policy and Research in Indigenous Learning; Don McCaskill, Professor, Indigenous Studies, Trent University; Dave Marasco, University Registrar, Algoma University; Jeannette Miron, Registrar & Director, Strategic & Enrolment Services, Canadore College; Emily Willson, Project Manager, Centre for Policy & Research in Indigenous Learning;
Dan Longboat, Moderator; Director, Indigenous Environmental Program, Trent University

The panel will present the work of Confederation College, First Nations Technical Institute and Trent University on a research and framework-development project for the creation of pathways in Indigenous education. Panelists will provide an overview of the research conducted with key informants in the field of Indigenous education, and the Framework developed out of this research, titled “Shifting the Landscape”. The metaphor of “shifting the landscape” indicates a need not only to promote innovative approaches to pathways creation but to also transform the surrounding context so that these pathways are concrete, sustainable, and informed by the TRC’s Calls to Action. Finally, panelists will share examples of their work towards “shifting the landscape” through two case study projects on creating “Pathways for Indigenous Learners across Ontario’s Postsecondary”, and on “Pathways Emerging from Community-based Delivery of Programs”.

Inspired by the plenary panel and want more? Join in an open discussion with the panelists and fellow delegates to delve deeper into the challenges of building pathways for Indigenous learners. Use the platform to answer unaddressed questions, and brainstorm how the insights gained may be applied on your campus.

Presenters: Sandra Larwill, Academic Manager, Algonquin College; Rick Overeem, Director – Learning Innovation Centre, Continuing Education & Online Learning, and Educational Pathways Initiatives, Lambton College; Mark Lamontagne, Dean – Trades, Technology, Law & Justice, and Part-time Studies, Canadore College

In response to a Colleges Ontario provincial task force to review the apprenticeship system, processes for improvements, and to increase training opportunities for both apprentices and journeypersons, Algonquin and Canadore colleges co-led the development of a 2-year, fully online Ontario College diploma program in Business – Trades. The development of this provincially collaborative initiative was funded by eCampusOntario and involved multiple OntarioLearn college partners. This truly innovative program provides apprentices and journeypersons who possess their Certificate of Qualification with accelerated and flexible pathways to develop the skills necessary to plan and manage a business. The session will review and discuss the program’s development and novel approach to governance, quality assurance, and marketing.

Presenters: Dr. Gavin Moodie, Adjunct Professor, University of Toronto;  Norin Taj, Graduate Assistant, University of Toronto; Jennifer Hounsell, Graduate Assistant, University of Toronto

The session will review data from the National Household Survey 2011 on the numbers of workers and their qualification types in professional occupations (ex. registered nurse, engineer); intermediate occupations (ex. registered practical nurse, technician, and technologist); and potential pathway occupations (ex. personal support worker, engineering trades and operators). It will reflect on how strengthening occupational pathways may impact related educational pathways, and how this can inform future policy and research.

Presenters: Tracie Howieson, Professor and Pathways Lead, Northern College

How does an institution use values and best practices to move the institution further along the culture of mobility spectrum? The session will explore this question, through an ONCAT-funded research project that extrapolated previously identified best practices, mapped both value and behavioural drivers on a cultural spectrum, and measured the cultural effect of applying a new best practice at each participating institution.

Presenters: Victoria Baker, Manager, Degree and Credit Transfer, Seneca College;
Jennifer                Kloosterman, Degree and Credit Transfer Coordinator, Seneca College; Kayla Beamish, Degree Transfer Officer – Advisement & Resource Development, Seneca College

What is advisement and what does it mean in the context of working with students who want to know what their pathway options are? If understanding eligibility criteria, admission requirements, and the amount of credit being granted is challenging at times for us as professionals, then how can we expect students to have the ability to maneuver the system seamlessly? The session will provide participants with an understanding of Seneca’s Degree Transfer Advisement model, strategies to support your student advisement experience, and an opportunity to ‘test’ your advisement skills!

Presenters: Eric Mezin, Director, CET; O’Neil Edwards, Director, Spanning the Gap, Ryerson University; Anthony Bertin, Manager, Community Outreach, Centennial College; Nivedita Lane, Manager, Community Partnership Development, Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

The Council of Educators of Toronto (CET) acts as a growing community hub of practitioners in the PSE sector, working to enhance access for underserved youth in priority neighborhoods and other areas in Toronto where needs exist, through both traditional and non-traditional pathways. Learn about tools and resources designed to help practitioners and navigators provide “the right information at the right time”, and about the CET’s PATH project – an innovative digital platform designed to facilitate the navigation of the PSE system, promote cross-referrals among practitioners, and provide new data-mining opportunities.

Presenters: Edith Greenlee, Project Manager & Senior Analyst, Statistics Canada; Christine Hinchley, Project Manager & Senior Analyst, Statistics Canada

The Education Longitudinal Linkage Platform (ELLP), is a platform that helps facilitate richer analytical uses of the administrative data that Statistics Canada already collects. The session will highlight the progress that has been made on the ELLP over the last year on graduate outcomes, as well as some exploratory longitudinal analysis completed on students who obtain multiple credentials. Learn about the upcoming development of pan-Canadian indicators on student pathways and graduate mobility, as well as other possible uses for the data.