All Posts Tagged With: "Colleges"

Classes will continue. But students are confused.

Workers picketing outside George Brown College

Ontario Colleges say that classes will resume next week and students will be able to move into residences, despite the fact that 8,000 support workers went on strike at 12:01 last night.

Cleaners, food service workers, classroom schedulers, IT support workers and maintenance workers are among the Ontario Public Services Employees Union members who walked.

“It’s gonna look like hell here in two, three days,” Warren “Smokey” Thomas, President of OPSEU, told a crowd of dozens of picketers outside of George Brown College’s Chef School in Toronto around 8:30 a.m.

He said that workers are striking to protect full-time jobs because the colleges want to add more part-time employees. “I tell parents and students that we’re fighting for their futures,” he said. “How many people do you know with university degrees who are working retail?” he asked the crowd.

They have also asked for wage increases. Under the expiring collective agreement, employees who have worked full-time for more than one year are paid between $18.27 and $44.91 per hour.

The College Employer Council’s last offer on August 31st included a 4.8 per cent raise over three years, which would put the average salary at just over $59,000. The offer also included adding a one-year probation period for new employees and offering four-day work weeks for some.

Thomas said that colleges are flush with cash, as evidenced by raises given to college presidents. He said that if “Daddy Dalton,” referring to Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty, wants improve education, “he better put his money where his mouth is.”

“I have to pay my own way through college,” Brianne Dubeau, a second-year student at Fleming College in Peterborough, Ont., said over the phone from her workplace in Barrie after learning about the impending strike on Thursday. “It would have been nice to know what’s going on. If classes are going to be cancelled, I could stay here and work more shifts.”

As of Thursday, Dubeau hadn’t received any information from her school.

Is your school on the list?

Want to know how colleges are doing? Just look at the “Key Performance Data” that the Ontario government makes colleges and universities publish each year. The information is based, in part, on surveys that students complete six months after graduation.

The new 2010 figures suggest colleges are better than they were in 2005. The graduation rate is up from 60 per cent 64 per cent. Employer satisfaction — always high — nudged up from 92 per cent to 93 per cent. Graduate satisfaction also inched its way from from 78 per cent to 79 per cent. The only notable decline was in the employment rate six months after graduation, which slipped from 89 per cent to 83 per cent.

The numbers also show a big range in student satisfaction, so we thought we’d share some details. Of the 24 Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario, these 10 had the most graduates who answered that they were “very satisfied” with their college experience when asked six months after graduation in 2010.

1. St. Lawrence – 85 per cent

2. Sault – 85 per cent

3. Northern – 84 per cent

4. St. Clair – 84 per cent

5. Georgian – 83 per cent

6. Confederation – 82 per cent

7. Collège Boréal – 82 per cent

8. Cambrian – 82 per cent

9. La Cité collégiale – 82 per cent

10. Conestoga – 81 per cent

The push to make grads more job-ready may be killing the liberal arts tradition

Ian Collins was almost a cliché. He finished a degree in visual arts at the University of Western Ontario and then spent four years waiting tables. “I was going in for job interviews, but I wouldn’t get the job,” explains the Toronto resident. The deal breaker? “It was always because someone else had real-world experience.” So Collins decided to enrol in a one-year diploma in sport and event marketing at George Brown College because, he says, it had a built-in internship. That led to a job after graduation, and now he’s an account executive at the marketing firm Zoom Media. At 31, Collins has his career on track. “College helped me by getting my foot in the door,” he says.

It’s no wonder students like Collins are looking to college for a different path. Despite the fact that Canada has the second-highest rate of education spending in proportion to our GDP, we’re nearly the worst of the 32 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries when it comes to placing grads in jobs they are qualified for. That’s especially hard to swallow considering the price of education today. With student debt load reaching a record high—nearly $27,000 for university students last year and about half that for college grads—more Canadians than ever before are considering college as a less expensive, more job-oriented alternative to the ivory towers.

Following the trend at universities, college presidents across the country are reporting increased enrolment since the recession. While Statistics Canada does not have recent numbers for the colleges, the Association of Canadian Community Colleges expects enrolment levels to be at an all-time high this year.

Converts like Collins are not the only ones praising the college alternative these days. Bill Green, chairman and CEO of the $21.6-billion consulting firm Accenture, is an outspoken advocate of community colleges. The greatest proof of his commitment: he convinced his 21-year-old son David to go to Dean, a community college in Massachusetts, instead of one of America’s elite private universities. “I believe many people who attend universities might be better served attending a community college to get started,” says Green, also a Dean graduate. “Colleges have been overlooked, undervalued and underappreciated for far too long.”

In the U.S., community colleges are seen as a panacea for the country’s economic woes: President Barack Obama and second lady Jill Biden held the first-ever White House summit on community colleges in October. International foundations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, also pledged millions of dollars to community colleges.

Even those on the inside of the ivory towers advise students to consider their options. Laura Penny, a professor at Mount Saint Vincent in Halifax and author of More Money Than Brains, an acerbic tome about higher education today, says university is too often seen as the default after high school. “People who want a broad experience or who are going to qualify for medicine, law or graduate degrees should go to university.”

Everyone else, she says, should look elsewhere. “I think a lot of people who go to university would be much happier in community college, and less indebted. Especially if what they are looking for is the credential for a job. A university degree does not guarantee a job.”

Ashley Pelletier took the college route after high school. Now, at 24, she has already landed a job as an associate at a big accounting firm in Toronto. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I was in high school, and going to college didn’t require all the specific courses that are required for university.” She applied to a variety of programs at Seneca College and settled on accounting.

There, she found small class sizes, helpful teachers and lots of guidance for her career. “You get to know your profs and all of them had relevant industry experience,” she explains. “University is totally theoretical, whereas the professors at college are more practical.” While in college, she worked at RBC Dexia, and then translated her accounting and finance diploma into an accounting degree at York University. She sees her three years at Seneca as a bridge to her career. “It was a long haul but I don’t think I would have done as well at university if I didn’t start at college.”

Pelletier’s experience—capping a college diploma with a university degree—is also indicative of the increasingly porous border between colleges and universities. Seneca College president David Agnew says colleges and universities used to have distinct purposes, but “now, that’s completely changed.”

In two major surveys, students get the chance to grade their own universities.

There are many ways by which a university can measure its performance, including asking those on the receiving end of an education—the students—what they think. In recent years, a growing number of universities have been doing exactly that. The following pages contain results from two major student surveys: the National Survey of Student Engagement and the Canadian University Survey Consortium—NSSE and CUSC for short. Between them, these surveys examine how involved students are in various academic and extracurricular activities, how satisfied they are with their university and its faculty, and how connected they feel to their school.

Want to know what universities are doing to improve the student experience? Click here.

The findings show that while students are generally happy with their university education, there are key areas of discontent. In particular, a significant number of students feel they don’t fit in at their university, more often in the larger schools than the smaller ones.

Commissioned by the universities, the surveys ask more than 150 questions about the undergraduate experience—inside the classroom and beyond. The answers help each university assess the quality of its programs and services, which in turn can aid in the design and implementation of strategies to improve areas as indicated.

Recognizing that this data can also be useful for prospective students trying to decide which university is right for them, Maclean’s has been publishing CUSC and NSSE results each year since 2006. They provide direct feedback from students on the quality of their education and their general level of satisfaction.

The U.S.-based NSSE began in 1999 and is distributed to first- and senior-year students. Administered by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, NSSE is not primarily a student satisfaction survey. Rather, it is a study of best educational practices and an assessment of the degree to which each university follows those practices. The survey pinpoints what students are doing while they are in school and on campus.

Research has shown that various forms of engagement are likely to lead to more learning and greater student success. And this link exists not only in the more obvious areas of academic endeavour, such as the number of books read and papers written, but also in curricular extras such as conducting research with a faculty member, community service, internships and studying abroad, as well as in extracurricular involvement with other students.

Ontario college faculty to hold strike vote in January

Negotiations between Ontario colleges and faculty have broken off, and a strike vote is planned for January 13, it was announced today.

Related: College students fear another York

Talks initially broke down in early November when the College Compensation and Appointments Council imposed a contract on faculty. The Appointments Council represents all 24 community colleges in Ontario and negotiates on their behalf as a block. Provincial legislation permits college management to unilaterally draw up an agreement when negotiations stall. This power does not necessarily preclude renewing negotiations.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), representing 9,000 faculty at the 24 community colleges, wants greater commitments on workloads and educational quality. The union also wants academic freedom to be protected in colleges the way it is in universities. While OPSEU insists wages are not the issue, management says OPSEU’s initial offer was unaffordable. The union wants wage increases of 2.5 per cent a year for the life of the contract, which is three years.

Negotiations had previously resumed on November 30, but did not continue. Discussions resumed again this past Monday.

In a media release, the colleges say that the union’s demands would cost an additional $218 million and would “significantly impact on the delivery of academic programs and college governance.” Rachael Donovan, chair of the colleges’ bargaining team, says “We had hoped the union would bring its positions in line with the current economic environment and the four recommendations of the Joint Workload Taskforce Report. This did not happen.”

The Joint Task Force made recommendations regarding flexibility in workload, evaluation of faculty, out of class assistance for students, and professionals standards and relationships. The recommendations were made jointly by the colleges and the union after an 18 day strike in 2006.

Ted Montgomery, chair of OPSEU’s bargaining team, says management has distorted the financial costs of their demands. “We have tabled an offer that is affordable and which should have been acceptable,” Montgomery said.

If college faculty vote to strike, the earliest they could walk off the job is January 18. Some 500, 000 students could have their school year interrupted.

Editor’s note: This post has been updated to correct for the number of college students. It was previously stated that there were 200,000 college students in Ontario. The correct number is 500,000  comprising of 350,000 full time students and 150,000 part time students.

College and university students are at a greater risk of infection

Ontario has launched a $650,000 “Join the Resistance” ad campaign to encourage college and university students to roll up their sleeves for the H1N1 flu shot. It has also given the go-ahead for companies to vaccinate employees in the workplace. Some workplace clinics could begin as early as next week at some locations in the province, officials said.

Related: Why students should get the H1N1 vaccine

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health said Friday that almost half of those hospitalized in Ontario for swine flu are people under 20. Thirteen per cent of deaths in Ontario related to H1N1 have been in people under age 25.

However, historically only about 25 per cent of people aged 17 to 24 get a seasonal flu shot compared to about 45 to 50 per cent of the general population, Dr. Arlene King told a briefing. Yet college and university students are at a greater risk of transmitting the infection because they live and study in close proximity to each other in dormitory rooms and study halls, she said.

King cited statistics that 25,000 or more of every 100,000 people who are not immunized will get sick with the flu. Of those, 25 to 100 will need hospitalization, 20 to 50 will end up in intensive care with most of them needing ventilators, and six will die.

“People cannot afford to let their guard down,” said King. “Everyone, including healthy young people, need to protect themselves against this new flu virus and the best way to do that is to get their flu shot,” she said.

The Ontario government sent an “email blast” this week to 53 student associations targeting 400,000 students. It also sent posters aimed at students to public health units and is posting advertising on websites to drive students to clinic listings. Next month, ads will be put in bars and restaurants. An animated “Join the Resistance” ad will run in cinemas throughout Ontario during the holidays.

The campaign to convince students to get immunized comes as several health units have decided to close their mass vaccination clinics next month after seeing a drop in H1N1 activity and public demand for the swine flu shot. Fifty-three flu assessment centres have also closed, leaving just six open.

Health units will “clearly be looking over the next couple of weeks” to decide if they still need mass vaccination clinics, King said. But the vaccine is available at more than 4,500 doctors’ offices, family health teams, hospitals and community health clinics across the province, said King. Students have also been receiving the shots at some universities including the University of Ottawa and Brock University.

Small schools excel, Canada lags behind the U.S. and the undergrad revolution

Below you will find the results from two major student surveys: the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Canadian University Survey Consortium (CUSC).

THE SURVEYS: WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW THEY WERE DONE

The NSSE and CUSC surveys, which were commissioned by the universities themselves, ask more than 150 questions about the undergraduate experience—inside the classroom and beyond. The answers help each university assess the quality of its programs and services. The surveys can also be used by the public to do the same.

The U.S.-based NSSE began in 1999 and is distributed to first- and senior-year students. NSSE is not primarily a student satisfaction survey, but is rather a study of best-educational practices—known as correlates of learning—and an assessment of the degree to which each university follows those best practices.

In 2004, 11 Canadian universities participated for the first time in NSSE, with more than 14,000 students completing the survey. Participation has grown considerably since then: more than 700 American universities took part in the 2008 NSSE; they were joined by 47 Canadian institutions, where 78,288 undergrads filled out the survey.

The NSSE results are headlined by the Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice, created by NSSE to compare performance across all universities—American and Canadian—in five key areas: Level of Academic Challenge, Student-Faculty Interaction, Active and Collaborative Learning, Enriching Educational Experience, and Supportive Campus Environment. Each school’s benchmark result was calculated by NSSE, based on student responses to a variety of questions. NSSE also asked two important student satisfaction questions; school-by-school results appear on the following pages.

CUSC was created in 1994; it is a Canada-only survey, and unlike NSSE, it is in large part about student satisfaction. In 2008, 31 institutions took part, including two universities—UBC and the University of New Brunswick—that surveyed multiple campuses. Surveys were sent to a random sample of approximately 1,000 undergraduates at each university. Institutions with fewer than 1,000 undergrads surveyed the entire cohort. Nearly 12,000 students responded.

For the results of seven CUSC satisfaction questions, read the web-exclusive charts.

Which universities get top marks? 87,000 students have their say

Below you will find the results from two major student surveys: the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Canadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium (CUSC).

THE SURVEYS: WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW THEY WERE DONE

The NSSE and CUSC surveys, which were commissioned by the universities, ask more than 150 questions about specific aspects of the undergraduate experience—inside the classroom and beyond—designed to provide universities with data to help them assess programs and services.

The U.S.-based NSSE began in 1999 and is distributed to first- and senior-year students. NSSE is not primarily a student satisfaction survey, but is rather a study of best-educational practices, and an assessment of the degree to which each university follows those best practices.

In 2004, 11 Canadian universities participated for the first time in NSSE, with 14,267 students completing the survey. By 2006, that number had grown to approximately 60,000 students at 31 Canadian institutions. Seventeen universities or their affiliates participated in the 2007 NSSE, representing roughly 14,000 students—fewer than in 2006 because most institutions conduct the NSSE survey every two years.

For student surveys from 2007, click here. 

The NSSE results are headlined by the Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice, created by NSSE to compare performance across all universities—American and Canadian—in five key areas: Level of Academic Challenge, Student-Faculty Interaction, Active and Collaborative Learning, Enriching Educational Experience, and Supportive Campus Environment. Each school’s benchmark result was calculated by NSSE, based on student responses to a variety of questions. NSSE also asked two important student satisfaction questions; school-by-school results appear on the following pages.

CUSC was created in 1994; it is a Canada-only survey, and unlike NSSE, it is in large part a student satisfaction survey. In 2007, 32 universities took part, including two institutions—UBC and the University of New Brunswick—that surveyed multiple campuses. Surveys were sent to a random sample of approximately 1,000 first-year undergrads at each university. Institutions with fewer than 1,000 first-years surveyed the entire cohort. More than 12,700 students responded.

For the results of seven CUSC satisfaction questions, read the web-exclusive charts.

Funding to target marginalized groups, alleviate skilled labour shortage

The federal and Ontario provincial governments signed an agreement today that will see the federal government spend $1.2 billion dollars over the next six years on skills training in Ontario.

The funds will assist individuals, who are not eligible for training under Employment Insurance (EI) programs, to gain literacy and job skills necessary to compete in the labour market. The funds will specifically target groups with lower education levels, especially individuals without high school diplomas.

The agreement signed today allows for the funds to begin flowing to the provincial government on April 1, 2008.

“Through this agreement, more people in Ontario will be able to enjoy the benefits of the province’s prosperous economy, and employers will gain the skilled labour they need,” said Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.

Most of the funding will be directed to Ontario’s colleges to implement training programs. The funding means that cost-barriers will not prevent people from accessing the training. “Colleges are uniquely positioned to deliver these programs,” said Linda Franklin, president and CEO of Colleges Ontario. “At a time when Ontario is facing a serious shortage of skilled workers while youth unemployment is higher than in the rest of Canada, access to quality education and training.”

Franklin says that colleges will be working with community agencies and local school boards to deliver community based programs. She says the main goal is to reach people who face barriers upgrading their skills to assist them to move up in the workforce.

The programs offered will range from English as a second language classes to skilled trades training to address Ontario’s skilled labour shortage.

Students tell what they really think about their university, from whether they got the classes they wanted to the quality of their profs.

You will find results from the web-exclusive charts here, from the Canadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium(CUSC). The CUSC survey, which was commissioned by the universities, asks more than 100 questions about specific aspects of the undergraduate experience—inside the classroom and beyond—designed to provide universities with data to help them assess programs and services. Launched in 1994, CUSC is coordinated through the University of Manitoba’s department of housing and student life. In 2007, 32 universities took part, including two institutions—UBC and the University of New Brunswick—that surveyed multiple campuses. Surveys were sent to a random sample of approxi­mately 1,000 first-year undergrads at each university. Institutions with fewer than 1,000 first-years surveyed the entire cohort. More than 12,700 students responded.

In each chart, universities are listed in descending order. Order was determined by the percentage of students who chose the highest level of satisfaction of agreement when responding, for example, “excellent.”

Past year’s surveys are available here.
Want to read more? Full student survey results are available here.