joint programs: the best of both worlds · 2017. 1. 13. · centennial college and university of...

Joint programs: The best of both worlds

Students get theory and practice when they study in programs offered jointly by universities andcolleges

MICHAEL RYVAL

Nov. 29, 2010 02:14 PM EDT

When passersby noticed an unusual-looking large cube that appeared for four days on a wall of the Sears building inOttawa's busy Rideau Centre earlier this month, they were invited to respond, by sending a message via Twitter.

Anthony Scavarelli, who is in an information technology and multimedia program run jointly by Algonquin Collegeand Carleton University, at his art installation project in Ottawa. Photo: Dave Chan for The Globe and Mail

More Report on Colleges - Fall 2010 Reports

Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go globalPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeOlds College looks to partnerships for future successHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseTeach comedy? That's a good oneColleges focus on hot areas in IT

globecampus.ca ~ GlobeCampus Report - Joint programs: The best of bot... http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/globecampusreport/joint-progra...

1 of 4 1/20/2011 3:43 PM

Native programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population

"We were trying to have some fun and make people aware of the possibility of combining art and technology," saysAnthony Scavarelli, 28, a fourth-year student in Algonquin College's bachelor of information technology, interactivemultimedia and design program, that is run jointly with Carleton University.

While the cube seemed like fun and games, it's part of the curriculum that has attracted scores of students like Mr.Scavarelli. "I've always been interested in art and mathematics and computers, as well. I wondered, how can you bringthem together?" says Mr. Scavarelli, who was earlier enrolled in a math-physics program but was disappointed by thelack of creativity.

The cube asked questions, such as: What is love? What is justice? More than 200 people answered. In turn, the cubetook random words from various tweets and posted them on the wall.

"It's a bit like refrigerator poetry," says Mr. Scavarelli, with a chuckle. "Doesn't make sense grammatically, but peoplecan get their own meaning."

Made possible by Algonquin College and Artengine, an Ottawa-based centre that promotes electronic art, the cubelooked real but relied on so-called projection mapping to create a three-dimensional object.

"Not only are they teaching us programming and theory at Carleton. But when we go to Algonquin, we get a lot ofhands-on stuff," says Mr. Scavarelli, adding that he is learning about the programming behind 3-D animation andcreating interactive projects that use 3-D.

In another Algonquin College course, called design studio, Mr. Scavarelli works within a group that tests a variety oftechnologies and hardware to create interactive installations. "It would be difficult to do in another program. Usually,you have to concentrate on one area. In this course, we do pretty much everything."

Now in its seventh year, more than 200 students are enrolled in the joint degree program. "We have more applicantsthan we can accept. There is quite a demand for the program," says James Acres, co-ordinator, noting that the creativearts industry is seeking graduates familiar with multimedia and technology.

Algonquin's and Carleton's students are exposed to a wide variety of skills, from video-game design to understandingprogramming languages, such as C++, and web design. "Our graduates are masters of the current technologies andwill be shaping the technologies of tomorrow," says Mr. Acres.

One noted graduate from the class of 2008 is Ben Case. He is working at Digital Domain, a Vancouver- and LosAngeles-based special effects company that contributed to Hollywood movies such as Transformers and 2012.

Joint-degree programs are gaining popularity, says Terry Anne Boyles, vice-president, public affairs for theOttawa-based Association of Canadian Community Colleges. "Institutions are looking for where they have commonareas of expertise. They value the excellence and quality that each partner brings to the program and the opportunitiesthey bring to students," says Ms. Boyles, adding that there are about 90 joint-degree programs across Canada.

For example, Nunavut Arctic College has partnered with Halifax's Dalhousie University to teach nursing to peopleliving in the Arctic. "It's the meshing together of knowledge and experience that these partners bring to the program."

For his part, Mr. Scavarelli is graduating next spring and says there are opportunities in the advertising world.Recently, he'd seen a 'virtual fish tank' in an American city that invited Twittered responses.

"It was advertising a cruise line," he says. "Twitter is huge, because you can reach a lot of people with a viral marketingcampaign. Even if your installation is in one city, in Canada or the U.S., by using Twitter or Facebook, a lot of peoplewill find out about it."

Special to The Globe and Mail

A selective list of joint degree programs across Canada

Seneca College and York University, in Toronto, offer a broadcasting-television program. Students learn skills inon-air presentation, script writing, and audio-video production necessary to create effective television. Graduates earna Seneca diploma in broadcasting-television, and a Bachelor of Arts from York University.


2 of 4 1/20/2011 3:43 PM

Centennial College and University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, offer five joint degree programs, includingthe Joint Paramedicine Bachelor of Science.

Seneca College, King campus, and York University, offer a four-year Bachelor of Nursing degree program.Students gain a foundation in human anatomy and physiology, and 1,700 hours of clinical experience.

Holland College and University of Prince Edward Island offer a four-year Bachelor of Applied Arts in printjournalism. Students acquire technical training and practical experience.

Holland College and University of Prince Edward Island offer joint Bachelor in Education Degree in humanresource development as well as Certificate in Education. The programs are designed for adult educators.

Conestoga College and Wilfrid Laurier University, both in Waterloo, Ont., offer a joint computer scienceprogram. Graduates earn Conestoga's software engineering technology diploma and Laurier's Honours BSc incomputer science.

Humber College offers a one-year certificate in International Project Management for York University students whohave attended the three-year Bachelor of Environmental Studies program.

Fleming College, based in Peterborough, Ont., offers a one-year joint program in Ecosystem Management to YorkUniversity students obtaining the Bachelor of Environmental Studies degree. Besides earning an Honours Bachelor ofEnvironmental Studies, students earn an Ecosystem Management Technologist diploma.

New Brunswick Community College, in Fredericton, NB, has partnerships in business programs with AthabascaUniversity, Crandall University, Cape Breton University and University of New Brunswick. NBCC graduates who earnthe two- year Business Administration Program have the opportunity to transfer 60 credits over towards a BComm atthe above universities.

Red River College and University of Winnipeg offer a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a CreativeCommunications diploma. Generally, students begin at University of Winnipeg, before proceeding to Red RiverCollege for its two-year program.

Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) and University of Regina, offer a jointprogram in Integrated Resource Management which focuses on skill development in the natural resource sector.Graduates receive a diploma in Integrated Resource Management and a BSc degree in environmental biology from theUniversity of Regina.

Aurora College and University of Regina offer a joint social work program. Graduates earn a two-year Diplomain Social Work and then apply their credits to the Bachelor of Social Work degree at University of Regina.

Lethbridge College in partnership with University of Lethbridge offers a four-year degree in NursingEducation in Southwestern Alberta. The first two years are at the college, followed by two years at the university.

Yukon College, based in Whitehorse, in conjunction with University of Alaska Southeast, offers a Masters of PublicAdministration program. It is delivered over the Internet and via satellite.

Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go globalPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeOlds College looks to partnerships for future successHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseTeach comedy? That's a good oneColleges focus on hot areas in ITNative programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population

GlobeCampus is The Globe and Mail’s site dedicated to undergraduate education in Canada. Through its innovative search, compare andrank tool called campus navigator, Canadian and visiting students can quickly find the school that would fit them best. The Globe and Mail’sannual Canadian University Report (formerly University Report Card) collects the opinion of over 40,000 students across the country. Thissite will guide parents in evaluating universities and colleges and help students make the right pick from the rich array of qualifiers andindicators available from each of the school’s profile.


3 of 4 1/20/2011 3:43 PM

Colleges focus on hot areas in IT

Students get the opportunity to do real work in their fields

GRANT BUCKLER

Nov. 29, 2010 02:10 PM EDT

When Lukas Blakk arrived at Seneca College as a student in 2005, she knew little about open source software. She hadenrolled at the Toronto-based college expecting to get a programming job in a bank or perhaps start her own business.But Seneca's School of Computer Studies has close ties to the open source software community. Once introduced tothe field, Ms. Blakk says, "I immediately steered in that direction and never looked back."

Evan Weaver, chair of the School of Computer Studies at Seneca College. Photo: Sarah Dea for The Globe and Mail


Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go globalPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeOlds College looks to partnerships for future successHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseTeach comedy? That's a good oneJoint programs: The best of both worldsNative programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population

globecampus.ca ~ GlobeCampus Report - Colleges focus on hot areas in IT http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/globecampusreport/colleges-foc...

1 of 3 1/20/2011 3:43 PM

When she graduated from Seneca in 2009, that choice took her to California, where she now works full-time for theMozilla Foundation, the open-source initiative behind the Firefox web browser and Thunderbird e-mail software.

Ms. Blakk says she got that job thanks to experience and exposure gained while at Seneca. Students are involved inreal-world open-source development projects, working on software code for real-world products. "There's Senecastudents' code in Firefox that's shipping right now," says Evan Weaver, chair of the School of Computer Studies, "andthere's a lot more that's going to be in Firefox 4, that comes out in a few months."

Their instructors, some of whom have close connections to prominent open-source organizations like Mozilla and RedHat Software, help students connect with others working in open source. This is one college's way of trying to ensurethat its students graduate with skills — and connections — that will serve them well as they enter the informationtechnology job market.

"Basically, we got to act like we were really software developers already while we were still in school," says Ms. Blakk.

Students in the digital media program at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton get similaropportunities, says Steve Chattargoon, NAIT's chair of digital media and IT. With consulting contracts and jobsproducing music and training videos while still in school, he says, "those students are busy like you wouldn't believe."

Dean Vitisin, Katrina Lee and Igor Teterski were students in NAIT's Bachelor of Technology in TechnologyManagement program when, as a classroom assignment, they developed a way for construction company PCLConstructors Inc. to track expensive equipment using radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags and the GlobalPositioning System. They turned that experience into a consulting company, Triple-i Technologies Inc.

Triple-i is currently housed in a business incubator run by NAIT's applied research and technology transfer unit,NovaNAIT. Mr. Vitisin, now Triple-i's president, says the incubator provides facilities support services and valuableadvice. Stuart Cullum, executive director of NovaNAIT, says NAIT students started two of the 12 companies nowhoused there.

According to Paul Swinwood, president of the Information and Communications Technology Council, a non-profitbody concerned with labour market issues, colleges are doing a good job of that, and the practical skills that collegediplomas provide are exactly what IT job-seekers need most in Canada today. In fact, he says, while university degreesare essential for many jobs, "we're seeing an awful lot of university-educated people going back to college" to updatetheir skills.

Job-readiness is even more of a concern for colleges than for universities, says Lane Trotter, senior vice-president,academic at Fanshawe College in London, Ont. "One of the things which differentiates colleges it that our programsare created specifically to get students into employment directly," he says.

Kevin Cudihee, program head of part-time studies at the British Columbia Institute of Technology's School ofComputing in Burnaby, B.C., says some of his part-time students are university computer-science graduates upgradingtheir practical skills.

Fanshawe's Mr. Trotter says one of the biggest opportunities today is in programming computer games, and thecollege recently launched a program in advanced game development to take advantage of that. The college wants tocreate a centre of excellence in game programming, he says, and there is strong demand for those skills in the Londonarea, home to companies such as Digital Extremes, maker of games such as Unreal Tournament, Dark Sector andBioShock 2.

Game programming is also a focus for Humber College in Toronto, which started a game programming program threeyears ago. Demand for these skills will grow in the Toronto area, says Gary Lima, associate dean of Humber's Schoolof Media Studies and Information Technology — he anticipates that large French game developer Ubisoft, will alonebe hiring 800 people.

Over all, the demand for IT skills is not what it was in the boom times of the late 1990s, but much better than in thebust that ensued in 2002-2003. "Things were really bleak for a few years there," Mr. Weaver says, "but we seem to bein a recovery."


globecampus.ca ~ GlobeCampus Report - Colleges focus on hot areas in IT http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/globecampusreport/colleges-foc...

2 of 3 1/20/2011 3:43 PM

Post-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at college

Those university years were grand. But students sometimes find that, when it comes to jobs, it's time togo to college

TERRENCE BELFORD

Nov. 29, 2010 01:44 PM EDT

In 2005 when Jon Grosz graduated from Toronto's Northern Collegiate he knew exactly where he wanted to go touniversity: the University of King's College in Halifax. And it wasn't for the academics.

Stage carpentry is Jon Grosz's aim as he does a post-university stint at Sheridan College in Toronto. Photo: MoeDoiron/The Globe and Mail


Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go globalOlds College looks to partnerships for future successHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseTeach comedy? That's a good oneColleges focus on hot areas in ITJoint programs: The best of both worldsNative programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population

globecampus.ca ~ GlobeCampus Report - Post-university, it's down to the ... http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/globecampusreport/post-universi...

1 of 3 1/20/2011 3:40 PM

No, it was for the long-established (since 1928) and critically acclaimed student drama society. Through hishigh-school years Mr. Grosz, 24, had plunged himself into amateur theatricals at Northern. Come graduation, he andsix classmates chose King's College.

He pursued a BA in French and modern studies and, while his time at university was exhilarating, graduation burstthat high-flying balloon.

He took a job for a year doing customer service for an auto maker and hated it.

"I got tired of people yelling at me all day," he says.

His solution for the workaday blues? A roundabout return to the theatre.

This fall Mr. Grosz signed on for a three-year diploma course in technical production for theatre and live events atSheridan College Institute of Applied Technology and Advanced Learning in Oakville. His goal: To earn his living as astage carpenter.

"This is something I really love doing," he says. "It is a unionized trade, so now I think the top rate is $40 an hour. So,the pay is good and since live theatre, film and television production and shooting commercials seem to be doing well,I think there will be lots of work on graduation."

While Mr. Grosz's choice of career might seem off the beaten track, the steps he is taking to achieve it are becomingmainstream. Increasingly, young people with undergraduate degrees are signing up for practical skills-rich diplomacourses at community colleges across Canada.

Sheridan, for example, numbers 450 post-graduate students among the estimated 15,000 taking one-, two- andthree-year diploma courses, says Ian Marley, vice-president of students affairs and enrolment management.

"It is all about finding jobs," he says. "They graduate from university and find their degree does not deliver the skillsemployers want, so, increasingly, they are coming to colleges like Sheridan.

"Our surveys show our graduates have a 90-per-cent job placement rate six months after getting their diploma."

Post-graduate skills courses at community colleges are indeed on the rise across Canada, adds Gordon Nixon,vice-president academic at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary.

He says 13 per cent of its students now have a bachelor's or master's degree, up from just 10 per cent midway throughthe decade. About 47 per cent already have some form of post-secondary education.

One of SAIT's most popular areas of study are one-year certificate courses, where students pay about $9,500 in tuitionto master the intricacies of subjects like energy asset management and drafting.

"In past, they were available though night-school courses, but then industry came to us and asked if we could addthem to the regular range of offerings," Dr. Nixon says.

"Now, we are in the process of adding more certificate courses and expanding those we already have. The certificatecourses draw students right from high school through people in their early 50s.

"It is all about jobs, jobs, jobs," he says. "Colleges like this make students job-ready; universities often do not."

Laura Houghton would go along with those thoughts. The 22-year-old graduated with a three-year general studies BAfrom Calgary's St. Mary's University College in 2009.

"When I graduated, I couldn't find anything I really wanted to do," she says. "So I kept on working at the café where Ihad worked part-time while at school."

That café job gave her an idea. Why not start her own café/restaurant? Her father, an oil-and-gas industry executive,said he would help provide the start-up financing and her mother said she would pitch in by coming to work for herdaughter.

All she needed was to acquire the practical business skills of creating a café and then managing it successfully. Thisfall she enrolled in SAIT's two-year diploma course in hospitality management.


2 of 3 1/20/2011 3:40 PM

One of the aspects of the course she thinks will be especially useful will be an internship. Granted, most students haveto find their own placements, but she already has something in mind.

"I want to go to Vernon, B.C., and work in a café, hotel or the big golf course," she says. "My family has a cottage inVernon and I can live there. Besides, when it comes time to start my own place, I was thinking of either locating it inCalgary or Vernon."

In the meantime, she is keen on learning the nitty-gritty of successful management through courses in topics such asyield management, accounting and the staging of special events.

"I was really disappointed with university," she says. "None of the courses offered much in the way of practicalknowledge. That is why I am going to SAIT.

"Here I am learning stuff I can really use."


Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go globalOlds College looks to partnerships for future successHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseTeach comedy? That's a good oneColleges focus on hot areas in ITJoint programs: The best of both worldsNative programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population


Privacy PolicyTerms & ConditionsDisclaimer

© 2011 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved.

444 Front Street W., Toronto, ON Canada M5V 2S9

Phillip Crawley, Publisher


3 of 3 1/20/2011 3:40 PM

Colleges' applied research gets results

Colleges are partnering with industry and government to thrust Canada onto the world stage

MARLENE HABIB

Nov. 29, 2010 01:22 PM EDT

From natural disaster victims to patients battling terrible diseases, people as well as business are benefitting from theresults of applied research projects on college campuses.

Algonquin College students and professors went to Haiti to help create temporary shelter systems. Photo courtesy ofAlgonquin College


Foreign students help colleges go globalPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeOlds College looks to partnerships for future successHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseTeach comedy? That's a good oneColleges focus on hot areas in ITJoint programs: The best of both worldsNative programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population

globecampus.ca ~ GlobeCampus Report - Colleges' applied research gets ... http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/globecampusreport/colleges-app...

1 of 4 1/20/2011 3:38 PM

And that research comes as a direct result of industry and government tapping the talent at Canadian colleges andpolytechnics.

These partnerships are the reason many residents of earthquake-ravaged Haiti, for instance, quickly received housingafter civil engineering students at Algonquin College worked with the Ottawa firm HousAll Systems Corp., maker oftechnologically advanced temporary shelters.

In Canada, among the instiutions making their mark in innovation is the British Columbia Institute of Technology,whose biomedical engineering students helped develop a device that allows people with ALS (amyotrophic lateralsclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease) to communicate through text messages or by using pre-recorded voice messages.

Applied research alliances not only produce job-ready graduates in a range of sectors, but are important players inhelping boost Canada's profile in innovation on the world stage.

"We have more and more evidence that the very companies that have the work done [by colleges and polytechnics]also hire them, and these companies are getting highly qualified, job-ready, innovation-literate employees," saysNobina Robinson, chief executive officer of Polytechnics Canada, representing nine colleges and institutes oftechnology that grant degrees and focus on research for industry.

Federal funding only began making its ways to colleges and polytechnics in recent years, and grew from $15-million in1997 to about $30-million in the March federal budget, signalling that "colleges are increasingly being recognized asimportant actors in the innovation chain," says Mrs. Robinson, member of a new expert panel that will evaluatefederal support for business innovation in Canada.

"They [students, teachers and other staff] are motivated by taking an idea and seeing if you can turn it into cash forindustry," notably small- and medium-sized businesses that lack the in-house research and development budgets oflarge companies, she said from her office in Ottawa.

HousAll, for instance, first approached Algonquin College nearly three years ago for help in designing and testing itsnew temporary shelter system.

The company, contacted by Save the Children and other relief organizations, worked closely with engineeringstudents, who helped develop a prototype completed in April last year. Ten months later, six students and twoprofessors accompanied HousAll officials to Haiti to help with reconstruction efforts and documentary productionstudents Suma Suresh and Christian Roblin captured the experience on video. To date, HousAll has sold nearly 300shelters to Haiti.

"Our students also helped teach Haitians to build platforms and put units together," said Mark Hoddenbagh,Algonquin's director of applied research and innovation, noting that two students were ultimately hired by HousAll.

Mr. Hoddenbagh says the number of Algonquin students doing applied research has grown from 28 to 230 in threeyears, and now, with a $1.4-million budget, are in demand by industries such as health care, in the field of fibre-opticsand lasers, and in culinary arts and marketing.

At BCIT, where biomedical engineering students helped develop the VersaCom Communication system to help peoplewith ALS, virtually every program has built into it real-world applications, to "temper the textbook learning withpractical experience," president Don Wright says from Vancouver.

About 200 of the 16,000 full-time students are engaged in projects for industry, with about $5-million spent annuallyon such work. Another notable project involves BCIT's Centre for Applied Research and Innovation and its work withPower Measurement Ltd. on a smart-grid electricity system that could allow buildings to reduce electricityconsumption by 10 to 25 per cent.

"We will sit with a company and say, 'What is your big issue right now?' The other thing they get out of it, and it worksto our benefit as well, is quite often [the research partnership] leads to employment for our students afterward.Companies get a chance to test out the students and, in turn, the students get a chance to see what this particularemployer is all about," adds Dr. Wright.

The growing applied research work of colleges appears to be paying off for industry, suggests a recently released reportby the Conference Board of Canada.

The report, "Innovation Catalysts and Accelerators: The Impact of Ontario Colleges' Applied Research," reviewed 29


2 of 4 1/20/2011 3:38 PM

business-college collaborations, and found nearly all led to a new or improved product, service or process.

Businesses reported that working with the colleges reduced delays in their projects, lowered costs, increased quality,and provided ideas and opportunities for additional collaborations. The students, meanwhile, were given industry-relevant experience, and improved their technical and entrepreneurship skills, and employability. In the end, theconference board report says, more than a dozen students were hired by the companies after work on their projectsended.

Jim Knight, executive director of the Association of Community Colleges of Canada, says the importance the privatesector places on its college partnerships is reflected in everything from the curriculum (courses are developed withprivate-sector employers in mind) to the sophisticated equipment used by the students that is commonly donated bycompanies.

Algonquin, for one, was given a digital switchboard by Nortel that is "large enough to serve New York City," says Mr.Knight. At NAIT in Edmonton, virtually every facility and wing bears the name of the company that contributedresources to build them, he adds.

He says the college-industry relationship is growing tighter by the year. In the current fiscal period, for instance, theprivate sector contributes $45-million to support a total of 3,795 college-private sector partnerships. That's a hugejump from the 515 partnerships on $4-million contributed in 2005-2006.


APPLIED RESEARCH PROJECTS

Canadian colleges and polytechnics are involved in more than 3,700 applied research partnerships with a range ofindustry interests.

Here are just a few:

Nova Scotia Community

College, Halifax

Students in the electronic engineering technology diploma program worked with Clearwater Seafoods to help developa flexible, accurate and user-friendly device that could measure the heart rate and temperature of lobsters, animportant issue when shipping them around the world.

SAIT Polytechnic, Calgary

School of Manufacturing and Automation students and instructors, recruited by Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS),designed an affordable, high-performance sled for Canadian world competitors. To date, 22 sleds have been fabricated.SAIT has also helped develop a Dryland Treadmill Training Accessory that simulates the push-start on a track duringcompetition.

George Brown College, Toronto

Culinary students worked with Mill Pond Cannery and Preserves to help develop a line of original fruit butters usingorganic Ontario produce. Graphic design students helped develop branding and labels for each fruit butter's identity.

Niagara College, Ont.

Chocolatier students are working with Karma Candy Inc. of Hamilton to make fillings with Canadian flavours for aninternational market.

Yukon College

The Yukon Cold Climate Innovation Centre is working in conjunction with the National Research council, YukonHousing Corporation and the Energy Solutions Centre, as well as Panasonic Canada, to test the effectiveness ofvacuum-insulated panels as a way to conserve energy in northern environments.


3 of 4 1/20/2011 3:38 PM

Foreign students help colleges go global

Foreign-student rejection rates are shrinking

CHRIS ATCHISON

Nov. 29, 2010 01:33 PM EDT

When Robert Oliver plans a lesson on international dining or lodging trends for his students at VancouverCommunity College, he need only look across the classroom to his growing contingent of foreign-born pupils for aninternational perspective.

From left, Vancouver Community College international students Mutiara Santoso and Parvinder Kaur, with VCC'shead of Hospitality Management, Robert Oliver. Laura Leyshon for The Globe and Mail


Colleges' applied research gets resultsPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeOlds College looks to partnerships for future successHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseTeach comedy? That's a good oneColleges focus on hot areas in IT

globecampus.ca ~ GlobeCampus Report - Foreign students help colleges g... http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/globecampusreport/foreign-stude...

1 of 3 1/20/2011 3:40 PM

Joint programs: The best of both worldsNative programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population

Mr. Oliver, the college's department head of Hospitality Management, has seen a dramatic increase in the number offoreign students attending his classes.

"In the last decade, our program might have had 7-to-9 per-cent international students, but that number has doubledin the last two years," he explains.

Colleges across Canada are welcoming more foreign students to programs such as Mr. Oliver's every year, but thisrecent surge in acceptance rates has nothing to do with more open policies at the college level.

According to statistics provided by the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), the rejection rate forinternational students hoping to attend college in Canada stood at a whopping 68 per cent in late 2008, compared toabout 20 per cent for foreign students applying to Canadian universities. Then in just one year, the colleges' foreign-student rejection rate shrank to just 22 per cent, with India, China and Korea serving as the top three sourcecountries.

How? According to Paul Brennan, the ACCC's vice-president of international partnerships, organizations such as hisand a coalition of colleges from across the country banded together to lobby the federal government to re-examine itspostsecondary study permit approval policies — which they claimed were unfairly biased against college applicants —and worked hard to develop program alliances with foreign colleges.

"It was about building a partnership that allowed us to get to know Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)requirements."

Mr. Brennan adds CIC requirements include "the risk factors, the history and the data they have with respect tocertain regions or agents."

It was also a matter of educating CIC officials as to the many different types of programs offered by Canadian colleges.

As Mr. Brennan discovered during negotiations with CIC officials, immigration officers look for certain red flags whenconsidering foreign study permit applications.

For example, a person with a Bachelor of Arts degree from a foreign university hoping to study at a Canadian collegefor one year would typically be flagged by immigration officials as a potential problem — once in the country, officials(who were unaware of college program structures) surmised, there was a stronger chance the person would remain inCanada illegally.

What Mr. Brennan and other educators explained was that Canadian colleges offer a wide range of degree and diplomaprograms, including one-year post-graduate certificates, not to mention a wide range of English-as-a-second-languageprograms.

That would account for the large number of applicants who couldn't pass the government's strict English languagetests — people were trying to come here to learn the language — and saw their study permit applications rejected.

"We have a disjointed system in Canada where education marketing is in federal hands and the institutions are inprovincial hands," Mr. Brennan says. "So, we have different players there that might have different priorities and wetried to bring them together."

Mr. Brennan adds that this policy review not only made good sense for Canadian colleges, but the country as a whole.

According to a recent study commissioned by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, total expenditures bylong-term international students amounted to $5.5-billion in 2008, or about seven per cent of the GDP contributed tothe economy by the education services sector.

For individual schools, says Michael Cooke, vice-president, academic at Toronto's George Brown College — which sawits international student enrolment grow from 1,364 students in 2007 to 1,794 this year — there are numerousbenefits to welcoming more international students.

He points to the diverse cultural experiences that foreign students bring to the classroom, the global perspectives theyoffer domestic students aiming to compete in a global marketplace, as well as the opportunities they offer to fillprogram seats that might otherwise sit empty, particularly at smaller colleges outside of major urban centres.


2 of 3 1/20/2011 3:40 PM

And to those critics who think colleges are courting international students because they provide a revenue windfall, heencourages them to think again. While a foreign student might pay $10,000 per year in college tuition compared to$2,500 for a domestic student, he says the latter carries a subsidy from the province that makes the difference inoverall revenue to the college almost negligible. Add in the cost of overseas marketing to attract foreign students andthe differential is even less.

"It's really important that the public understands that (revenue is) not the driver, because people tend to pit domesticversus international students," he explains.

To improve the acceptance rate for college applicants from India, the ACCC and Citizenship and Immigration Canadajoined forces last year to launch the Student Partners Program. The initiative — which offers a fast-track for qualifyingstudents — now boasts participation from 39 Canadian colleges and has since been expanded to include China.

According to Sik On Hon, international projects and recruitment manager at Vancouver Community College, theprogram has resulted in a roughly 35-per-cent spike in the number of Indian students attending his school.

Other institutions such as Toronto's Humber College — also a Student Partners participant — have formed directstudent and instructor exchange alliances with institutions such as China's Ningbo University, allowing students tolearn about business practices in both countries as part of their curriculum.

For Mr. Hon, initiatives such as these are a positive sign for Canadian colleges looking to strengthen theirinternational position.

"I think governments have listened to the stakeholders in international education," Mr. Hon says. "They have takenthe initiative to recognize that the international education industry is bringing big benefits to the economy of Canada."


Colleges' applied research gets resultsPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeOlds College looks to partnerships for future successHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseTeach comedy? That's a good oneColleges focus on hot areas in ITJoint programs: The best of both worldsNative programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population







3 of 3 1/20/2011 3:40 PM

Native programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population

If aboriginal communities won't go to colleges, then the colleges will go to them

JOAN RAMSAY

Nov. 29, 2010 02:21 PM EDT

Native communities, a chronically under-educated segment of Canada's population, are prime targets for communitycolleges. But how do you reach them? One college's solution is to deliver higher education to their doorstep — viatrucks that expand into a 1,000-square-foot classroom.

A member of the Lake Manitoba First Nation, Bernadette McLean studied at Red River College, which then led her tothe University of Winnipeg. Photo: John Woods for The Globe and Mail


Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go globalPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeOlds College looks to partnerships for future successHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseTeach comedy? That's a good one

globecampus.ca ~ GlobeCampus Report - Native programs at colleges rea... http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/globecampusreport/native-prog...

1 of 4 1/20/2011 3:44 PM

Colleges focus on hot areas in ITJoint programs: The best of both worlds

The road to educational success is pitted with potholes for aboriginal populations, but colleges across the country aresmoothing the way with unique programs that are making a difference, according to a new report by the Association ofCanadian Community Colleges (ACCC).

The 2010 survey of member colleges showed that "a new trend has emerged," with the 150 mainstream collegesincreasingly "structuring themselves to meet the needs of aboriginal learners," says the report, released last week.

The colleges are using targeted recruitment programs, adult education courses, partnerships with native communities,aboriginal-specific courses, financial assistance, elders on campus, mentorships and student support centres to drawmore native learners into the post-secondary world, according to the ACCC report.

"The colleges are doing a whole lot and the numbers indicate that we are the leaders in post-secondary education inthis area," said James Knight, president and CEO of the ACCC. He pointed out that the 2006 Aboriginal PeoplesSurvey showed that 42 per cent of First Nation, Métis and Inuit post-secondary students attend colleges and 20 percent technical institutes and trade schools, compared with 16 per cent attending universities.

"We would be happy if our partner institutions did as well ... [because] getting more aboriginal learners into universityis an important need."

That's because the aboriginal population in Canada is growing faster and is younger than the non-aboriginalpopulation. According to the 2006 census, the aboriginal population increased 45 per cent between 1996 and 2006, to1,172,790, compared with 8 per cent for the non-aboriginal population to 30 million. Furthermore, the median age was26.5 years for the aboriginal population in 2006 and 39.5 years for non-aboriginals.

As a result, Mr. Knight noted, "our aboriginal friends and neighbours are going to play an increasingly large part in oureconomic future."

The problem is that 34 per cent of aboriginal adults aged 25 to 64 in 2006 had less than a high-school education, morethan double the non-aboriginal rate of 15 per cent, while 21 per cent had high-school diplomas only (24 per cent fornon-aboriginals). On the post-secondary front, only 11 per cent had university courses or degrees, compared with 28per cent of non-aboriginals, while 33 per cent held college diplomas or trade certificates in 2006, compared with 32per cent of non-aboriginals.

Getting young natives to stay in school or attracting older ones back to the classroom is a priority, Mr. Knight said. Todo that, colleges use recruitment programs that include partnerships with high schools and aboriginal communities,career days, websites and specialized orientation sessions for aboriginal students.

Once on campus, Mr. Knight said, the most successful programs are the ones that reflect aboriginal cultural realitiesin the college experience, ensure aboriginal representation in both faculty and governing structures and have eldersavailable to students and staff.

The ACCC holds a symposium every year where its 150 member colleges share best practices in aboriginal education,Mr. Knight noted. "With these kinds of support systems that we've been building, and that we've been learning about,and that we've been sharing across the country, things are improving."

Winnipeg's Red River College has been at the forefront of developing effective programs for more than 15 years and,through its School of Indigenous Education, is one of the leaders in aboriginal programming at colleges across thecountry.

"If you look at the history of education for aboriginal people, it has not always been positive," said school dean MartiFord. "I think that in order to make up for the past wrongs, there needs to be extra support in place to help change theface of education for aboriginal people."

Red River's programs focus on creating a "home away from home" for students, Ms. Ford said, through a supportcentre that offers personal and academic counsellors, tutors, mentors and cultural programs.

As important, she added, are the three elders in residence. "Having the elders on campus to talk to students aboutthings that they're feeling guilty about or students ... having problems at home or having problems at school, it givesthem that added support."


2 of 4 1/20/2011 3:44 PM

One of the school's preparatory programs, Biindigen College, provides both high-school equivalency and collegeprerequisite courses, but does it while incorporating cultural and social components of First Nation, Métis, and Inuitcommunities.

Bernadette McLean attended Biindigen College in 2005 and hasn't looked back. For the 41-year-old mother of fourand member of the Lake Manitoba First Nation, Red River was "where I found my identity."

"I felt very close to the instructors. They were not only there during the day but they made themselves available anytime, too. And I think that's what a lot of us need," Ms. McLean said, adding: "I don't think I could have succeededwithout my elders at the same time. Most of the time it was them who restored me."

With much of Canada's native populations in remote areas, the colleges also needed to find a way to reach learners intheir communities.

Distance education is one option that has been working, with almost one quarter of colleges providing programsthrough online and video-conferencing technology, the ACCC report says.

Community-based programs are another alternative to taking students away from home. Many colleges are closer toisolated aboriginal communities, so with partnerships with the bands, they provide programs on-site.

"We have two mobile training labs here at the college," Ms. Ford said. " ... They look like a transport truck but througha hydraulic system expand into a 1,000-square-foot trades classroom. Now these mobile training labs can be takeninto any community, as long as you can drive into them, and set up a classroom where students can learn trades."


ABORIGINAL PROGRAMS ON CAMPUS

Some of the major initiatives mainstream colleges use to support aboriginal learners on campus:

Adult basic education or upgrading programs

At mainstream colleges, these programs are primarily adult upgrading programs offered for all students. However,some also offer aboriginal-specific adult upgrading programs on campus and through community-based delivery.

College preparatory programs

Currently about half of colleges (48 per cent) provide aboriginal-specific preparatory programs.

Aboriginal-specific certificate/diploma programs

Three quarters of mainstream colleges offer aboriginal-specific post-secondary certificate and diploma programs insuch areas as arts, language and culture; business administration; education, health services; policing and correctionsservices; natural resources; environment; social services, and technology.

University links

One quarter of colleges provide aboriginal-specific university preparation and transfer options. These programs enableaboriginal learners to gain the prerequisites to enter degree programs or provide them with the opportunity tocomplete two- and three-year diploma programs at colleges with university transfer agreements.

Student services

Eighty-four mainstream colleges offer targeted aboriginal student support services, including academic counselling,learning centres and/or tutoring; personal and financial support and counselling, and mentorship. But two of themajor services are:

Dedicated aboriginal student centre

This service is key to providing a welcoming learning environment and allows students to have a common meetingplace to interact.

Elders on campus


3 of 4 1/20/2011 3:44 PM

The support of elders is considered central to offering a more welcoming environment. Sixty-eight per cent of collegesprovide access to elders, while 49 per cent provide resident elder services.

Where to study

Two aboriginal institutes have provincial mandates and funding to offer post-secondary certificates and diplomas,Nicola Valley Institute of Technology in British Columbia and the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies.

About 23 aboriginal-controlled institutes offer college programming in partnership with mainstream institutions:eight in Ontario, six in B.C., six in Alberta, two in Saskatchewan and one in Manitoba.

Source: Colleges Serving Aboriginal Learners and Communities, report by Association of Canadian CommunityColleges

Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go globalPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeOlds College looks to partnerships for future successHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseTeach comedy? That's a good oneColleges focus on hot areas in ITJoint programs: The best of both worlds







4 of 4 1/20/2011 3:44 PM

Health-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurse

From mental health services to clinical research, there are many health-care options outside thenurse/doctor box

CATHRYN ATKINSON

Nov. 29, 2010 02:00 PM EDT

It's not often that the journey to a career in health care begins in the kickboxing ring, but this is what happened tostudent Alexandra Acupan.

From left, students Candice Bennett and Alexandra Acupan, with instructor Carmen Kimoto at VCC's occupational andphysical therapy assitant program. Photo: Laura Leyshon for The Globe and Mail


Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go globalPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeOlds College looks to partnerships for future successTeach comedy? That's a good oneColleges focus on hot areas in IT

globecampus.ca ~ GlobeCampus Report - Health-care options at college, i... http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/globecampusreport/health-care-o...

1 of 3 1/20/2011 3:42 PM

Joint programs: The best of both worldsNative programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population

The 21-year-old is in her first year in the Occupational Physical Therapist Assistant course at Vancouver CommunityCollege after deciding she wanted to help people just as she had been helped herself during the seven years shecompeted in the rough-and-tumble sport.

"Throughout those years I'd been injured a lot," she said. "I tore my ACL [anterior cruciate ligament, located in theknee], dislocated one of my back disks … so I had been going to physiotherapy and I watched the staff at the clinics.This made me think, 'This looks like a fun job to do, helping people go back to those things that they love.' "

Community colleges can nurture that desire to help, providing students the opportunity to train for careers inmedicine that are outside traditional doctoring and nursing. The Occupational Physical Therapist Assistant course atVCC takes two years and accepts 20 students each year.

Its popularity is evident — there is a waiting list with 30 names on it. Prerequisites for acceptance include a Grade 12diploma, with biology, English and math.

Carmen Kimoto, one of Ms. Acupan's instructors, said all students must carry out 30 hours of work experience in thefield.

Students have four weeks of practical field work with an occupational or physical therapist in year one, and have twoplacements totalling 11 weeks in the second year. This is interspersed with site visits to different rehab centres andcardiac units around the Lower Mainland.

Ms. Kimoto said graduates of the program generally end up in a hospital setting.

"The last group graduated in April and by June everyone was working," she said. "They work a lot in orthopedic, withpeople who have hip replacements or knee replacements, and in neurology with clients who have brain injuries."

And, of course, the aging population needs such workers.

"It's a growing field and, as time goes on and our population ages, it will really expand. More than 95 per cent of ourgrads are working in the field as rehab assistants right now."

Here are other suggestions of health-care courses available at community colleges around Canada:

Humber College, Toronto —

Clinical Research

Clinical Research post-graduate certificate graduates at Humber College get involved in studying and managing newdrugs and therapies, designing and monitoring clinical trials on humans for pharmaceutical, biotech, or medicaldevice companies, and for research institutes, government and hospitals.

The course runs one year full-time or longer on a part-time basis, and includes a three-month work placement with acompany or agency.

Clinical research is a field with a lot of vacancies, and is very popular, with over 500 students applying this year for 60spots, said Christine Mazurkiewicz, the program's career assistant.

Humber College's attractions include having instructors that work as professionals in clinical research and who teachon a part-time basis at the college. This means the information imparted to students is current and relevant fromexperts who use it on a daily basis.

Another plus is the fact that the program is the only post-graduate course in Clinical Research in Ontario.

Nova Scotia Community College, Halifax — Mental Health Recovery and Promotion

Graduates in the two-year diploma in Mental Health Recovery and Promotion at NSCC in Halifax have careers givingservices to individuals and communities affected by mental-health issues.

The program's aim is to develop skills and knowledge about mental illness and well-being. The course has beendesigned to respond to the Mental Health Commission of Canada's plan for a new National Mental Health Strategy.


2 of 3 1/20/2011 3:42 PM

Students gain practical experience through placements in public and private clinics around Nova Scotia, with futurecareers with district health authorities, outpatients departments, transition teams, addictions services, residentialfacilities and peer support.

Debbie Nickerson, a faculty member for the program, said 18 students currently take it, which is the only program ofits kind in Nova Scotia. She described as "huge" the need for graduates in this field.

Bow Valley College, Calgary — Pharmacy Technology

Students in the Pharmacy Technology Diploma program at Bow Valley College in Calgary will learn how to prepareprescribed medication, compounding mixtures (creams, ointments, suppositories, and lozenges) and performingsterile compounding. Most work in hospitals or retail pharmacies.

Acting co-ordinator Crystal Lane said 24 students are accepted with each intake, with the diploma taken over fourfast-tracked semesters, so students can finish in 16 months. The program includes practicum placements incommunity and hospital pharmacies.

The role of a pharmacy technician is expanding to include duties traditionally held by pharmacists. Alberta is expectedto pass legislation soon that will regulate and recognize Pharmacy Technicians as health-care professionals. Otherparts of Canada are also following this trend.

This will mean that those now entering the profession will need to be graduates of a program accredited by theCanadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs, of which Bow Valley College is one.

A bridging program for those already working in the profession is also offered.


Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go globalPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeOlds College looks to partnerships for future successTeach comedy? That's a good oneColleges focus on hot areas in ITJoint programs: The best of both worldsNative programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population







3 of 3 1/20/2011 3:42 PM

Teach comedy? That's a good one

Andrew Clark is the director of the Toronto-based Humber College Comedy Program, North America'sonly diploma-granting course dedicated to the study of stand-up, sketch, improvisation and comicwriting

ANDREW CLARK

Nov. 29, 2010 02:07 PM EDT

I am the director of the Toronto-based Humber College Comedy Program. Launched in 2000, it is North America'sonly diploma-granting course dedicated to the study of stand-up, sketch, improvisation and comic writing. This makesfor interesting conversation fodder at cocktail parties. When I tell someone my occupation the typical response is:"You run a what? How can you teach that? You're either funny or you're not."

Illustration: David Anderson


Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go global

globecampus.ca ~ GlobeCampus Report - Teach comedy? That's a good one http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/globecampusreport/teach-comed...

1 of 3 1/20/2011 3:42 PM

Post-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeOlds College looks to partnerships for future successHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseColleges focus on hot areas in ITJoint programs: The best of both worldsNative programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population

Then they ask me to tell them a joke.

I don't take their skepticism too personally. Most people think comedians emerge fully formed from the womb. Welike to think folks are born funny. This is a notion reinforced, to a large degree, by comics themselves, who like thepublic to see them as genetically engineered comedy geniuses. The truth is that in comedy, like everything else,natural ability will only get you so far. You may have a beautiful singing voice but, in order to become a great singer,you must train your gift. This goes double for the humour business. It takes 10 years of work until you know whatyou're doing and another five until you truly have your own voice. Comedy is a technical, demanding career thatrequires skill, discipline and drive and — oh yeah — funny, lots of natural funny.

At Humber, each year we accept 60 students into the first semester of our two-year program. These are selected fromhundreds of applicants who are vetted through a gruelling February-to-May audition process. Some have a bit ofexperience. Others are completely raw. We get them straight out of high school or after a few years of university, andwe have enrolled ex-police officers, lawyers, reformed criminals, and pretty much every other profession you candream up. We once accepted a student who said if he didn't get into the program he was going to spend the rest of hislife working in a poultry abattoir (luckily he was funny).

When students first arrive, they are surprised to find that the work load is heavy. Those who think that they'll bespending the semester doing Chris Farley impressions are shocked. About 45 make it through to second year.

For the first week we make nice. Then we throw them off the deep end.

We believe that you learn comedy by performing in front of audiences. By day, our students study in the classroomand at night, they are in comedy clubs. Mondays, Humber has a weekly sketch show at The Comedy Bar. On Tuesdays,we have a show at Yuk Yuk's. Most of our pupils are out five or more nights a week, taking their chances on stage andthen, refreshed by a few hours sleep, showing up for class to hone their technique. It's probably the only school inwhich a professor will spend time in class philosophizing about the appropriate use of profanity. It's a crazed lifestyleand they love it.

Early stand-up clubs, such as The Comedy Store and The Improv, were originally seen as workshop venues whereperformers could hone their craft. In Canada, there used to be no formal training centres. A hopeful comedian triedhis luck on amateur night; if he had some success, he bought himself a used car and the feature acts hired him toopen for them. That was the tuition.

I'm often asked if I am a comedian myself. I'm not. I cut my teeth writing journalism and humour for magazines andnewspapers. My first book, Stand and Deliver, was a history of Canadian comedy. Over time, I branched intoscreenwriting and I now write the weekly Road Sage column for the Globe's Drive section. This distance is an asset,because running a comedy school is a bit like weathering a hurricane on a daily basis.

We have graduates working in every aspect of the business. Many fine comedians today went through our program,such as Debra DiGiovanni and Nikki Payne. Humber alumni have written for shows such as The Office and This HourHas 22 Minutes. Jake Labow, head of original programming for the Comedy Network, is a Humber grad. Yet theprogram does not just train comedians. The skills required for comedy — risk taking, thinking on your feet, working ina group, creatively solving problems — are skills that can be applied in any field. We have Humber Comedy grads whoare police officers, paramedics, venture capitalists, you name it.


Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go globalPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeOlds College looks to partnerships for future successHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurse

globecampus.ca ~ GlobeCampus Report - Teach comedy? That's a good one http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/globecampusreport/teach-comed...

2 of 3 1/20/2011 3:42 PM

Olds College looks to partnerships for future success

College with agricultural tradition looks to future innovation and partnerships as it closes in on 100thanniversary

TERRY INIGO-JONES

Nov. 29, 2010 01:50 PM EDT

With all due apologies to Oldsmobile, for those considering post-secondary education, this is not your father's OldsCollege.

H.J. (Tom) Thompson, president of Olds College in Alberta. Photo courtesy of Olds College


Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go globalPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseTeach comedy? That's a good oneColleges focus on hot areas in ITJoint programs: The best of both worldsNative programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population

The community college in the town of Olds, less than 100 km north of Calgary, will celebrate 100 years of educating in2013. While staying true to its roots in agricultural education, this facility of 1,500 students is determined to movewith the times.

Where silos have historically been good things in rural settings — tall, cylindrical devices used to store grain and feed— to Olds College president, Dr. H.J. (Tom) Thompson, metaphorically, they are things to be broken down. Greatercollaboration — with schools, other colleges, universities, industries and communities — is meant to improve thequality and relevance of the education offered to students, even in challenging economic times.

The recent recession has put financial pressure on colleges and universities, with many having toincrease fees or cut programs and staff.

How has Olds College dealt with these pressures?

We have come through a very challenging year and a half and it would appear we have got another two or three years

globecampus.ca ~ GlobeCampus Report - Olds College looks to partnersh... http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/globecampusreport/olds-college...

1 of 3 1/20/2011 3:41 PM

ahead of us that are going to be just as challenging. We felt … that for us to be successful … we would have toreaddress our business model. [We were] in need of reducing something in the range of about $3-million to$4-million of expenses for us to be in a much more strategic operational and nimble position.

[We wanted to] provide for a time where … the government might not be able to provide for new programdevelopment, or they might not be able to provide for various other things that they had been doing and that we wouldhave to be more self-sufficient. So, as a result, we had to tighten our belt [increase fees, cut spending] and putourselves in a position of having in reserve that asset base that could weather the storm or weather the unexpected orweather the new innovation that was needed over the next two to three years. Plus [we wanted to have] new program-development money and the opportunity to continue to grow and develop.

As the Alberta economy picks up steam again, what new pressures do you see coming?

Probably the most important consideration that a higher-education institution has, whether you are a college or auniversity, is relevancy, in terms of staying very, very close to your market.

Our market is changing faster than we could possibly believe, mainly because we live in the information age and ourcustomer is more technology-savvy today than ever before. The challenge we have today is to be more collaborative,really to build … partnerships and be willing to share content and share curriculum and make sure that we puttogether platforms between multiple institutions that will be attractive to the learner of tomorrow. They [learners]have got plenty of choice, but what governments don't have is plenty of money to continue to build bricks and mortar.

How important are partnerships — with other colleges, with high schools, with industry — to thefuture of Olds College?

One of the things that we recognized in this past decade, early on, was that so much of our public policy is built on thebasis of rewarding critical mass, rewarding size — and one of the ways that smaller, particularly rural, remote,northern … colleges and the like can improve their critical-mass size is through collaboration. It is very, very difficultin these times to continue to be attractive and have a wide assortment, deep selection of what you do if you try to do italone. I think we all have to recognize that to be attractive, to have … robust, globally fascinating platforms, we aregoing to have to collaborate and we are going to have to partner.

Your 100th anniversary is in two years. What changes do you see in the future?

Expansion … into a Canadian centre of rural entrepreneurism [and] collaborations and partnerships with both theprivate sector and the public sector to provide enhanced learning opportunities. will be things that we will see.

What are your hopes for the future?

I would hope that we are able to be part of the answer for … the huge challenges that we as Canadians are going tohave in terms of our environment, food production and distribution, food safety and security and water management.I can't think of many institutions that are as well-positioned as this one to be able to be a contributor. ... That's exactlywhy we have invested so heavily with partners in the development of the water-treatment applied research centrethat's under construction right now, that will show how to purify water using natural Western Canadian plants andvegetation.


Colleges' applied research gets resultsForeign students help colleges go globalPost-university, it's down to the nitty-gritty at collegeHealth-care options at college, if you don't want to be a nurseTeach comedy? That's a good oneColleges focus on hot areas in ITJoint programs: The best of both worldsNative programs at colleges reach out to a chronically under-educated population

GlobeCampus is The Globe and Mail’s site dedicated to undergraduate education in Canada. Through its innovative search, compare andrank tool called campus navigator, Canadian and visiting students can quickly find the school that would fit them best. The Globe and Mail’sannual Canadian University Report (formerly University Report Card) collects the opinion of over 40,000 students across the country. This

globecampus.ca ~ GlobeCampus Report - Olds College looks to partnersh... http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/globecampusreport/olds-college...

2 of 3 1/20/2011 3:41 PM

joint programs: the best of both worlds · 2017. 1. 13. · centennial college and university of...

Documents