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Board of Governors |
| Minutes - Meeting 389 |
DRAFT BOARD OF GOVERNORS MINUTES OF MEETING NUMBER THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY-NINE OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF ALGONQUIN COLLEGE, WHICH WAS HELD ON MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2003 AT 5:00 P.M. IN THE ROSSER BOARD ROOM, "C" BUILDING, WOODROFFE CAMPUS Present: Mr. Mike Keller, Chair
Regrets: Mr. Ric Cameron
Vice Presidents seated at the table:
Resource Personnel and Observers:
Brenda McCutcheon The Chair called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. and welcomed all in attendance. 03-22 CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATION None declared. 03-23 PRESENTATION: DOUBLE COHORT AND APPRENTICESHIP ENHANCEMENT FUND (AEF) PROJECTS The Chair extended the Board's congratulations to the President for his efforts which culminated in the announcement of $6,997,000 in capital funding awarded to the College earlier today. Mr. Gillett thanked Governors, adding that it was a total team effort. The President asked Mr. Mike Rushton, Director, Physical Resources to outline for the Board how this money will be spent over the next three years. Mr. Rushton explained that the College had received two funding grants: today's SuperBuild announcement of approximately $7 million and a further $1.5 million from the Apprenticeship Enhancement Fund received a month ago. From now until the last week of August, the College will work to reconfigure labs and classrooms to maximize the utilization of existing space. The Design/Build Team has been working on plans for over a month in anticipation of receiving a positive announcement. Construction will start May 15th. One of the challenges facing the College is the lack of a sufficient number of large classrooms plus various sizes of specialized labs to accommodate the Double Cohort. Based on past history and enrolment projections for Fall 03, existing classrooms and labs are being reconfigured and renovated to handle the activity expected at the end of August. The bulk of the new construction will take place for Fall 04 which includes the relocation of the Automotive portion of the Trades area from A Building to a new module and the subsequent reconfiguration of vacated space in A and/or infill in C Building. As well, with the expansion of Navaho Drive on the northern edge of the College, efforts will be made to improve the aesthetics of buildings facing in that direction. Algonquin will continue to pursue additional capital funding for Fall 05 in hopes of being able to construct a second Trades module as well as complete renovations to A Building and the infill of C Building. It is hoped that funding will also be available to address some of the renovations required by the Pembroke and Perth Campuses. With the use of maps, Mr. Rushton showed Governors where the new construction and renovations would take place for Fall 04 and 05.
The Chair thanked Mr. Rushton for a most informative report. 03-24 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS The Chair noted that the minutes from the meeting of April 7, 2003 were on the table, while the minutes from the meeting held on February 10, 2003 were contained in members' dossiers. RESOLUTION MOVED AND SECONDED - Mawani and Kirkpatrick that the minutes of the meeting held on February 10, 2003 be adopted as circulated. CARRIED Governor Holzman observed that she had suggested having a discussion on whether there was a role for an active Executive Committee or a Finance Committee rather than bringing everything to the Board for discussion. The Chair replied that he had not been successful in organizing a meeting of the Executive Committee given members' busy schedules. However, there is a meeting planned for May 5th at which time the issue will be discussed. RESOLUTION MOVED AND SECONDED - Stapley and Westeinde that the minutes of the meeting of April 7, 2003 be adopted as circulated. CARRIED 03-25 BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES Governor Kennedy asked if the Board could be provided with a report on how the construction of the ATC was actually funded as compared to the initial plan presented to the Board for its construction. He was not aware that the College had used operating funds to make up for the lack of the sale of the Rideau Campus when completing this facility. The President replied in the affirmative. Governor Holzman asked if the results of the Fujitsu study would be presented to the Board in June as planned. The President replied that he hoped to bring a report to the May Board meeting if the study were completed in time. In the event that the study is not finalized in time, it will be presented at the June Board meeting. Members had on the table a comparison of approved complement positions budget to budget, 2002/03 and 2003/04, indicating that the number of Administrative positions had increased by 10; Support Staff by 3; and, Academic Staff by 5 in 2003/04. Mr. Kennedy asked if the Board had approved any new positions in 2002/03? The President replied that the Board approves new positions in every budget depending on revenue growth. 03-26 REPORT OF THE CHAIR Governors Kirkpatrick, McIntyre and Wallace attended the 2003 ACAATO Conference held in Toronto in February. Ms Kirkpatrick reported that at the end of this, her second ACAATO Conference, she had come away recognizing the role Algonquin plays within the larger college community as well as the respect and admiration the system has for this College. The Conference provided strong reinforcement that Algonquin is on track with other colleges to be responsive to the needs of the local community. There was a working session on advocacy where everyone shared ideas on the board's role in promoting a college's interest. Governor Kirkpatrick suggested that how to utilize a board for advocacy purposes might be an excellent idea for a retreat or planning session. Governor Wallace indicated that this was his first ACAATO Conference and he had found it to be informative. He spent some time in the Governors' Orientation session focussing on governance. All colleges are facing the same challenges with the new Charter legislation. There is a strong movement to taking risk management beyond just the financials as there is more to running a college than just numbers. Governors need to be more proactive in understanding what is going on at a college without getting into the kitchen. The opening day's keynote speaker, Ray Ivany, President, Nova Scotia Community College, gave the most interesting address of the Conference: "Learn your living versus earn your living". The regional sessions on the second day were not as well attended. Governor Wallace concluded that he would forward to the Board Office the information on risk management and liability that he was given at the Conference to be shared with the Board. Governor McIntyre seconded Governor Wallace's comments around the usefulness of the Conference to a first time governor. All thanked the Board for the opportunity to attend the Conference. Governors Bhindi and Wallace will attend the 2003 ACCC Conference to be held in Vancouver May 25- 27th. Invitations were on the table to the Ottawa Area Convocation Ceremonies which will be held at the National Arts Centre over two days this year. The first set of Ceremonies will be held on Sunday, June 8th at 1:00 p.m. (School of Academic Advancement and Languages and School of Advanced Technology); and, 5:00 p.m. (School of Business and School of Hospitality and Tourism). The second set of Ceremonies will be held on Monday, June 9th at 10:00 a.m. (School of Health and Community Studies and School of Transportation and Building Trades); and, 2:00 p.m. (School of Media and Design and Police and Public Safety Institute). Governors interested in attending any one of these Ceremonies and bringing greetings from the Board were requested to advise the Board Office as soon as possible. Also on the table was a letter from Beverley Townsend, Chair, ACAATO Executive Committee, to the Minister outlining several matters of substantive concern raised at the last General Assembly meeting. These include clarification of the corporate status of colleges; application of the Financial Administration Act; and, clarification of the scope of powers and board authority. ACAATO is working on suggested language to deal with its recommendations on these issues. The following information items were on the table:
03-27 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT The President reported on the following:
Comments/concerns included:
03-28 DECISION ITEMS AND REPORTS BOARD APPOINTMENTS/REAPPOINTMENTS The terms of Governors Holzman, Keller, Nicklin and Stapley will expire in August 2003. All are eligible for reappointment. Governors Holzman, Keller and Nicklin have indicated their willingness to serve a second three year term and all three have made a valuable contribution to the deliberations of the Board. RESOLUTION MOVED AND SECONDED - Kreling and Chadwick that the Board of Governors recommend to the College Compensation and Appointments Council that Governors Holzman, Keller and Nicklin be reappointed for another three year term beginning September 1, 2003. CARRIED Governor Stapley has indicated that he does not wish to renew his term and a successor from Lanark County will be sought since it is a policy of the Board that there be at least one representative from each of the outlying counties on the Board. The College Compensation and Appointments Council has a policy whereby the external members of the Board should represent men and women equally or be no worse than 7:5 either way. Under the new Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act 2002, a new Appointments Protocol was developed which emphasizes the following principles: merit - the skills and experiences that the candidate brings to the Board; diversity - of members' background, skills and experience; strategic direction - capacity to assist the College achieve its strategic direction; and, probity - the candidates commitment to the values and principles of public service. The Executive Committee will bring a recommendation to the Board in May. Members were asked to forward the names of potential Governors from Lanark County to the Board Office. Elections will be held on April 16th for an Academic Governor and a Student Governor to succeed Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Madore. PROGRAM APPROVALS AND MODIFICATIONS Geographic Information Systems (Post Basic): Mrs. Hanson advised that this new 3 semester GIS program will replace the current 3 year program which will be phased out. The new program is designed for university graduates with a specialization in geography. Fleming College offers a similar program which has been well received. The Advisory Committee has given its support to the new program. There is little risk to the College since the equipment and professors are already in place. RESOLUTION MOVED AND SECONDED - Kirkpatrick and Holzman that the Board of Governors seek approval from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to offer the Geographic Information Systems Post-Diploma program, effective Fall 2004. CARRIED Registered Practical Nurse - Refresher: Mrs. Hanson noted that as a result of changes in program standards, the length of the Practical Nurse - Refresher program has been extended from one year to two. This program is designed for individuals who are already nurses but have been absent from the workforce for a period of time and wish to return to it. RESOLUTION MOVED AND SECONDED - Kennedy and Holzman that the Board of Governors seek approval from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to offer the modified Registered Practical Nurse - Refresher program, effective Fall 2003. CARRIED Electronics Engineering Technician and Electronics Engineering Technology: Mrs. Hanson noted that the Advisory Committee had recommended that rather than focussing on telecommunications, these two programs become more generic in nature to better meet the needs of the Industry. As well, a common first year will be implemented to permit students to move from one program to another as well as allow individuals to move from the workplace back into semi-full time studies at the College. RESOLUTION MOVED AND SECONDED - Kirkpatrick and Bhindi that the Board of Governors seek approval from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to modify the program title to Electronics Engineering Technician program, effective September 2003. CARRIED RESOLUTION MOVED AND SECONDED - Westeinde and Chadwick that the Board of Governors seek approval from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to modify the program title to Electronics Engineering Technology program, effective September 2003. CARRIED ANALYSIS OF APPLICATIONS BY PROGRAM The President reminded members that he had been asked to provide information on the application pattern for Fall 03; this information was included in the dossiers. Mr. Gillett noted that even with the increased number of applications associated with Double Cohort, the pattern continues of 50% of applications being for the top 20 programs; 93% of total applications are for the top 70 of 123 programs. 80% of the College's marketing effort goes into the bottom 20 programs. The Academic Strategic Plan examines annually programs in the bottom third and eliminates those with low demand and/or low financial contribution. Students who received first round acceptance offers have until May 15th to respond. At that time, the College will have a better idea of enrolment patterns for Fall 03. Questions/concerns included;
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE Mr. Stapley, Chair, Audit Committee, reported that the Audit Committee, which met immediately prior to the Board meeting, examined three areas: 1) The Benchmarking Study, headed by Mr. Brian Burns, compares some of the key processes at the College with those at Humber, Seneca and George Brown. The Committee received the preliminary report and discussed what the information means as well as what conclusions can be drawn from it. Mr. Burns will review the information provided and provide a high level overview together with recommended actions to improve College processes. This report will be brought to the Board at a future date. 2) A report on sick leave liability was provided which indicated that it is not an exposure for the College. Money is set aside from the college system operating grant and distributed by the College Compensation and Appointments Council on an annual basis. Algonquin has 177 individuals out of a population of over 1,000 who are eligible for a sick leave buy out . 3) The Committee reviewed and approved the KPMG Audit Plan for the 2002-2003 fiscal year which will provide a comprehensive review of all processes at the College. The fees for these audits are similar to those of previous years. REGULATIONS 33/03 AND 34/03 AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE BOARD The President advised that as a result of the new Regulations emanating from the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act, a number of new Board by-laws are required. The Administration is reviewing these requirements with legal counsel and will take them first to the Executive Committee for consideration. It is hoped to have the revised by-laws to the Board for approval in June. Members had in their dossiers, copies of the new regulations, an overview of new Board responsibilities and the new Conflict of Interest directive. 03-29 MANAGEMENT SUMMARY REPORT Governors expressed their regret at the retirement of Mrs. Bassett, Director, International Education. The complete written Management Summary Report is attached as Appendix "A" to these minutes. 03-30 INFORMATION ITEMS The following items have been received and are available from the Board Office upon request: March 7, 2003 Minutes of Board of Trustees CAAT Pension Plan meetings: June 18, 2002, September 10, 2002, November 12, 2002 Minutes of Sponsors' Committee CAAT Pension Plan meetings: June 19, 2002, September 11, 2002, November 13, 2002 Directives February 19, 2003 New Funding Parameters - Practical Nursing Program March 19, 2003 Approval to offer the Veterinary Technician program, 2 years, 4 semesters, effective September 2003 March 27, 2003 Approval to offer the Building Construction Technician program, 2 years, 4 semesters, effective August 2003 March 27, 2003 Announcement that MTCU has removed the quotas on a permanent basis from all Dental Hygiene programs effective September 1, 2003 April 3, 2003 Ministry Decisions on College Program Proposals for February 2003. The following from Algonquin: The 2 and 3 semester Paramedic and Ambulance and Emergency Care programs have been cancelled effective May 1, 2003 and will be replaced by the 2 year, 4 semester Paramedic program. 03-31 OTHER BUSINESS There being no other items of business, adjournment was moved by Mr. Bhindi and seconded by Mrs. Mawani at 6:07 p.m.
MANAGEMENT SUMMARY REPORT TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS April 2003 VICE PRESIDENT ACADEMIC PROGRAM UPDATE We are in the process of developing contingency plans to address the clinical experience lost as a result of these closures. All students have expressed concerns about the extent to which this situation may impact their studies and their graduation. Students close to finishing their rotation and in good academic standing, will be deemed to have met their course requirements. Lab work has been substituted where appropriate. Nursing students in their last semester have completed only half of their consolidation experience and in most cases must complete their rotation. As this problem is province wide, we are consulting with other colleges to devise strategies to assist students to meet the clinical requirements to write their licensing exams. The length of time health care agencies are closed to our students will ultimately determine how we compensate for the time lost. CONTRACT
ACTIVITY A contract totaling $184,000 has been awarded the College to offer the Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) program in 2003-2004. School of Health and Community
Studies School of Media and Design STUDENT ACTIVITY Students in the General Arts and Science Aboriginal Studies program attended a meeting of the Assembly of First Nations' Special Chiefs Confederacy in Ottawa. The field trip was particularly appropriate for the Aboriginal Law and Government course since the conference dealt with the proposed suite of legislation intended to replace aspects of the Indian Act. ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT The Horticulture program organized another successful annual Spring Garden Show. Six high school principals and their students received invitations to attend the show. The faculty and staff of the program are to be commended for the time and effort put towards setting up the display and hosting the public to promote the program and the College. Recruitment / Retention Initiatives The Police Foundations and Security Management programs held a one day fair on March 19 where non-traditional police services employers displayed different career possibilities. Approximately 300 students visited the displays and had a chance to learn about such career opportunities as customs officer, military police, and CSIS. Employers and students were very enthusiastic about the event. The School of Transportation and Building Trades staff accompanied Algonquin's recruiters to South Carleton High School for this year's first EduFest event, a multi-media promotional event developed by the college's marketing staff. Algonquin College Heritage Institute is in the process of planning its Spring Open House to be held on Saturday, April 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Once again, the Office Administration - Executive students take on the organization of this activity. COMMUNITY ACTIVITY Janet Crupi, Coordinator, Correctional Worker program, organized and ran a one-day conference on the Youth Criminal Justice Act on March 21 at the Chimo Inn. The conference was attended by well over 200 participants. Automotive professor Roger Davey recently gave a professional development seminar to local high school automotive teachers outlining effective teaching strategies and course content. DONATIONS The Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program of Citizenship and Immigration Canada has donated 20 Pentium II computers and 2 printers to the Language Institute of the School of Academic Advancement and Languages. A $3,000 donation has been received by the Technical Writer Program from the Institute of Technical Editors to cover various program expenses, such as costs for guest lecturers, materials, and site licenses. The Cutter's Edge, an American company, has given the Firefighter program a free rescue saw worth US $750. George Risk Industries have given the Security and Alarms program approximately $30,000 worth of electrical contacts for student training. These are made up of an assortment of switches, temperature sensors, and security supplies which are used extensively by the students as part of their lab work. VICE-PRESIDENT, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION COLLEGE ANCILLARY SERVICES The annual Book Fair is scheduled for April 9, 2003. Food and Beverage Operations General Manager, Mike Dash, was one of four nominees for the city-wide "Restauranteur of the Year Award" presented at a banquet held by the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association. FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE
SERVICES Operational Accounting/Payroll PHYSICAL RESOURCES E Building, Woodroffe Campus Residence, Phase III The structural concrete is 100% complete. Planning for the convenience store is now under way. Suite and project finishes as well as interior materials and colours are under review. The Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) has been established. Safety and Security Services REGISTRAR'S OFFICE The OCAS statistics also report that he number of distinct applicants applying to Ontario Colleges for 2003 Fall, as of March 31, is up 9.5% over same time last year. System-wide, distinct applicants from Non-Secondary Schools are up 12.2% and from Secondary Schools are up only 7.3%. The latter is considerably lower than the "double-cohort increase" originally predicted - and might also mean that we may experience a "second wave" of new applicants after the University confirmation date in mid-June. As of March 27, at Algonquin College, we have 10,372 First-Choice applications, as compared to 8,771 at th same time last year - an increase of 18.3%. Registration Statistics, 2003
Winter Continuing Education Registrations: As if March 28, registrations stood at 17,120 as compared to 17,262 at the same time last year. This year's registrations to March 28 represent 101.2% of the projection. Registration continues throughout the term. VICE PRESIDENT STUDENT LIFE AND HUMAN RESOURCES FINANCIAL AID On February 27th, employees of the Financial Aid Office attended a workshop organized by the People Services area of the Employment and Financial Assistance Branch of the City of Ottawa. The workshop provided an overview of their services plus details on any changes to their programs since the last workshop. On March 4th & 5th, Financial Aid Staff attended the local 2003 OSAP Training Session held by MTCU at La Cité Collegiale. On March 19th, Lira Bushman, a representative of the Ontario Ombudsman's office did a presentation for Algonquin's Financial Aid staff on their services. Algonquin's Financial Aid representatives have started their annual series of presentations on the OSAP program to high school students who are graduating in June 2003. On March 26th, Mark Guindon, the Eastern Regional Representative for the National Student Loan Service Centre did two Information sessions at Algonquin. The topic of both sessions focused on 'Repaying Your Student Loan'.
The annual Black History Month celebrations took place in the cafeteria on February 12th, 2003. The event included a fashion show, modeled by Algonquin students, and a variety of musical entertainment. Student Services took part in the March Madness activities hosted by the College Marketing Group. Representatives from all areas of Student Services were on hand to speak to high school students and their parents. Algonquin College's fifth annual Celebration of Cultures was held on March 12th, 2003. There were over thirty booths, with representatives from embassies, high commissions, vendors and other related organizations. Performers (many of whom were Algonquin students) from different cultures delighted the crowd. Students from the Culinary Management Program prepared and served food to students, staff and guests. The event was well attended throughout the day and enthusiastically received by the College community. COUNSELLING SERVICES Jane Hunt conducted three separate interviews with Police Foundations and Security Management students re: TERT (Tragic Event Response Team). The goal of this meeting was to help them inform their fellow students of TERT's emergency response services. Jane Hunt gave a presentation to Paramedic students who were about to head off on their clinical placement re: the services provided by TERT. Counselling Services facilitated a student forum regarding the war in Iraq. CENTRE FOR STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES Karen Coffey attended a meeting of community agencies in Ottawa which were looking at services for individuals who have FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome). Carleton University and Algonquin have continued to make joint presentations to the Special Education Committee of the OCDSB and students and staff at Merivale High School. The main focus of these presentations is the SAIL summer transition program for learning disabled students but also includes services for students with disabilities at Carleton and Algonquin. Information about this program is now on the CSD website. The re-application for funding for two permanent Enhanced Services positions was approved by the provinces's Learning Opportunity Task Force (LOTF). A joint presentation with Carleton University on the SAIL (Summer Transition Program for Learning Disabled Students) was given for parents of students in the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board. Penny Kawasaki gave a similar presentation to the Learning Disabilities Association of Ottawa-Carleton. Toni Connolly attended a presentation of Canines with a Cause (a demonstration of a working dog for the physically disabled) and arranged a further demonstration at the Algonquin Residence. EMPLOYMENT SERVICES Employment Services Officers made presentations to the Alumni Board of Directors and to the Business Administration-Information Systems Advisory Committee regarding Employment Services' role within the College and with the labour market. Joanne McDonald, Employer Relations Officer, met with Dean Morris Uremovich and the academic managers from his area on Tuesday, February 11, 2003. Joanne suggested a number of ways that the technology area and Employment Services could partner to assist the students and graduates with their employment prospects. February 19th, 2003 marked Algonquin College's 5th Annual Career Networking Fair co-hosted by Employment Services and the Alumni Association. Over 20 volunteers, 56 employers, 1,600 visitors, two fashion shows emceed by Angie Poirier, Entertainment Specialist, from the New RO, a live cooking demo with Orazio La Manna and a live fitness demo with Rhonda Giguere, made this event the success it was. Canada Customs and Revenue Agency accepted 100 applications for their new 18 month internship program for graduates in accounting and finance. Three representatives from Chateau Montebello visited the College's Hospitality area to recruit students for their summer employment program. On February 27th Employment Services met with two representatives from The Bay and College representatives, Wayne McIntyre and Phil Jones, to discuss the creation of a student internship program for students registered with the 2 year and 3 year Marketing programs, and the Small and Medium Enterprise Management program. Employment Services presented information for the high school students who visited the campus during the March Madness event co-hosted by Recruitment, and Student Affairs and Orientation. Representatives from Employment Services hosted information kiosks at the following job fairs: Hospitality Job Fair - March 13 On March 11th, 4 Nursing Recruiters visited the 3rd year nursing students to provide career and employment information for hospitals in the Ottawa and surrounding areas. Employment Services and Alumni Association co-hosted a speakers panel called "Let's Talk Technology Jobs". One hundred students from the technology area were able to listen to 3 speakers, Sandy Beveridge, Vice-President of Operations at i-STAT Canada; Mike Jones, Director Business Systems at Nokia Internet Communications; and Ken Anderson, President of WaxWorks Inc., talked about how to job search in a changed economy and the importance of thinking "outside the box" when looking for employment in today's economy. A presentation was made to Claude Brulé and his program coordinators regarding Employment Services' role in the College and ways in which the two areas could partner more closely to assist the students and graduates with their quest for employment. Joanne McDonald was asked to write an article for SkillsNet.ca regarding how IT graduates can best search for employment opportunities outside of the traditional "Hi-Tech Sector". AstenJohnson was on campus March 25, interviewing students from the Library and Information Technician program for summer jobs. Linen and Things, a new bed and bath retailer, visited the College to recruit students for summer, part-time and full-time job opportunities. Employment Services will be exploring a partnership with Carleton University, Ottawa University and La Cité Collegiale to present a job fair focusing on government departments. HEALTH SERVICES Dr. Rowland represented Algonquin College and was also a presenter at the ACCC Conference dealing with mental health disabilities. A vaccine clinic was held in Pembroke for the Health Sciences students. HUMAN RESOURCES Staffing Full-time: 4 Support Staff and 1
Administrative In March the following positions were posted: Full-Time: 1 Support Staff and 1
Academic On March 27, 2003, the HR Department signed a one-year contract with Workstream Inc. This contract will enhance the current E-Cruiter recruitment capabilities allowing for increased flexibility of the system, better report generation and electronic transferal of materials to hiring managers. There are 12 applications for Sabbaticals for 2003/2004 awaiting approval. Sick Leave Buyout - 150 eligible Faculty members were notified February 25th. CAAT /TPPB (Teacher's Pension Plan Board) Pension February There are 77 Part-Time employees eligible to enroll for pension. Met with Finance/ITS regarding the data transfer from HRIS to the Data Collection Tool (DCT) for 2002 reporting. Calculated the TPPB (3 remaining) Pension member's PA's for 2002. Continue to meet with ITS regarding the Pension Project and preparing for the 2002 DCT reporting to CAAT. March The DCT for 2002 CAAT Pension reporting is being completed. Balancing to be completed this week. Calculated and reported the TPPB (3 remaining) Pension members for 2002 to the Teacher's Pension Plan Board. EAPlus Labour Relations During the month of March, the College received one Academic Grievance and one Support Staff Grievance. The College had two more days of Arbitration on an Academic issue that was before an Arbitrator in February. Reports The annual Educational Staff survey for Statistics Canada was received. Data compilation is taking place and the survey will be completed and returned to Statistics Canada within the required timelines. Standard Workload Forms (SWF's) February - The Audit for 2003 Winter semester is currently underway. The verification of the data will be completed and submitted to the President of the Academic Local Union by the required timeframes. March - The verification of 2003 Winter semester was completed within the required timeframes Workshops February J. Drummond & L. Cameron received Budget Utility System (BUS) training. March STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CENTRE South Africans Deon Halls from Athlone Technical College, and Anthonie Leouw from Cape Technical College were at Algonquin for a two week training program conducted by Learning Services and ITS. Professors Linda Cooke and Ann Coll delivered the penultimate curriculum development workshops in Cape Town in late February. They were accompanied by two students Colleen Moore, Journalism and Dari Faber, Interactive Multi Media who were chosen to do their work placements on the CODEC (Community Outreach through Technical Education) Project. Other ventures related to international training are being developed by the School of Academic Advancement with the Province of Hebi, China for TESL teachers. Empirico Consulting Group has also presented a proposal for the delivery of off shore language training leading to direct entry into our post-secondary programs. Under the Erasmus Program, institutions in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain are submitting a proposal for the EC/ Canada Co-operation Program in which Algonquin, Douglas and Vancouver Community Colleges would be involved. Areas of co-operation will be in Hospitality, Information Technology and e-learning. Mike Adamyk was in Mexico attending the Canadian Education Fairs which were held in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterey. Susan Olszynko attended the Hong Kong Recruitment Fairs and agent presentations. Because of the current global situation, we will not be undertaking planned missions to the Middle East, Russia, China, India and Turkey. They will be replaced by further missions to India and China. The College has won a four year $400,000 international development project under the Canadian College Partnership Program. This will involve a partnership with the Sichuan Ganzi College for Nationalities ( SGCN ), a technical vocational school for predominantly Tibetan minorities. The project will involve strategic planning, market and occupational analyses, updated skills based curricula, and linkages with employers. Mike Adamyk will manage the project aided by personnel from CMTC ( Chengdu Management Training Centre ) with whom Algonquin has been involved in earlier projects. SGCN is located in Kangding City in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Western Sichuan, on the border with Tibet, a remote mountainous region. The Director has been heavily engaged in ACISI (Advisory Committee on International Students and Immigration) in an attempt to raise issues and suggest solutions that have arisen from the new bill that was passed in June and is encountering logistical challenges in implementation practices. The security issues are causing considerable delays in student permit renewals. Many initiatives to make Canada a more attractive destination for international students have been stalled and Canada's competitors will be the beneficiaries. The pilot projects, aimed at targeting IS for immigration to Canada, to encourage international students to go to destinations other than MTV ( Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver) on the premise that they will stay in those areas as immigrants, is arousing considerable debate amongst institutions. On February 13th and 14th the Director attended the National Education Marketing Roundtable at Foreign Affairs representing the College Sector in discussions about the promotion of Canadian Education overseas. Ministerial representatives from most provinces and Federal Government Departments, including the embryonic Canadian Learning Institute, participated in information exchange about recent developments and country focus discussions on India, Brazil, the Middle East and Central Asia. Statistics Canada estimated that the International Education Sector was contributing about 4.8 billion annually to the Canadian Economy. Competitor countries have the advantage of being able to present a more coherent picture of their educational system under the aegis of a national Minister of Education. In Canada, some provinces recognize the importance of International Education more than others. Ontario has demonstrated little interest in promoting the growth of this sector, despite the fact that it has a significant market share of the revenue. The consensus of the stakeholders is that there is a lack of focus and co-ordination in Canada and there is too little regard for the impact of one government department's policies and actions on one another e.g. HRDC 's reaction to fraudulent S.I.N. numbers impacted on a long standing right for IS to work on campus. Michelle Cameron, International Client Liaison Officer, persisted in discussions with the department until she came up with a tool acceptable to HRDC, which will benefit all international students in Canada who wish to avail themselves of this opportunity. OCIC (Ontario Colleges International Committee) held their Annual Meeting at George Brown College in Toronto: Mike Adamyk and Sandra Bassett attended the meeting. Sue Hodgins attended the CSLP ( Council of Second Languages Programs) Annual Meeting in Montreal. Both these events are information gathering opportunities which allow us to size up the competition and outline strategies for removing impediments to growth. Refund policy requirements enshrined in the new Charter for Colleges were seen as a significant impediment to ensuring that students receiving permits were bona fide and would indeed study in Canada rather than working or engaging in illegal activities. There were 181 registrations for the last intake ESL for this fiscal year consolidating the considerable growth over projections for each of six intakes. This brings the total number of registrations to 931 ( 800 projected ). The May intake could be affected by the SARS pandemic. On March 12th, many international students participated in the very successful Celebration of Cultures organized by Ann Kalil from Student Services. It is with regret that Sandra Bassett, the Director of the IEC, will be leaving Algonquin in the summer to accompany her husband to Washington where he will be assuming the post of Executive Director of the IDB (Inter American Development Bank). INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
(ITS) ITS is also heavily into planning for the large increase in on-line leaning over the next two years as well as the increase in the number of students due to the double cohort. Our analyses indicate that about 75% of the increase in IT services required will be needed to support a general increase in on-line activity; additional support to the double cohort and an increased number of on-line course equivalents is 25% of the growth. Budget preparations for the department and capital acquisitions have been completed. Based on current funding models, ITS is confident it can meet its major operational commitments in the next fiscal year. Subject to final approval, proposed capital changes to the IT systems appear to meet most of the college's major commitments, except only the essential PCs will be evergreened and a number of PCs will be entering their fifth year of service instead of being replaced. A review of PC lab utilisation is underway to determine how we can more efficiently use our PC labs. At the same time, staff are developing the department's business plan for the future in support of College's strategic plan. Two major components of the plan will be to design and deploy an improved client service capability and an even more robust, redundant IT system to ensure an even greater level of operations continuity. Now that two new Managers of five in the department are in place, many new approaches to enhancing IT services are being considered, and they are expected to result in a new and rejuvenated ITS department by Fall 2003. In summary, the ITS department continues to be challenged by the rapid and huge expansion of college IT services. While the majority of the challenges continue to be met, future IT challenges will probably occur at an accelerated pace compared to this year. The department's plans will be designed to better meet those challenges and support the college's vision to a very high level. MARKETING The Source CE Catalogue for the Spring semester was designed and produced in both hard copy and in interactive digital format on the web. - The new College web site was launched to very positive reviews. The new site features a new updated look, new navigational features, an enhanced search engine and allows direct from the home page access to more departments and programs. - Advertising campaigns for both full-time programs and CE were developed and launched through March - Two major events were held at the College.
- The Department worked with the Language Institute on the development of their new logo which was completed and unveiled in March - Preliminary work has begun on the design of the College's marketing publications for the 2003/04 season. These include: the College Viewbook, Calendar and monographs for both full-time and CE. Work has also begun on adapting the hard copy design to digital format. - The department completed its research into attrition at each major step in the process for first choice applicants. - Ongoing research is continuing in the area of geographic origination of applicants, feeder schools and the College's competition. This is part of a major process currently underway to evolve the marketing strategy for the coming year. - The recruiting group visited area high schools throughout March with a travelling event call "EduFest". This event, developed and organized by our recruiters is held at high schools over the lunch hour, features on-site disc jockey's playing music and handing out prizes. The recruiters set up College displays and hand out materials on the College's programs, as well as, conducting one-on-one consultations with prospective students. The events have been a huge success and high schools from outside the area are requesting that Algonquin College include them next year. - The recruiters are giving twice daily tours to prospective students. During March break, the tours were significant with a number of busloads coming in from areas as far away as Montreal and Kingston. - The department is engaged in analyzing provincial application trends in
anticipation of a second wave of applicants in early summer. It is the
department's belief that this wave will result from the double cohort and
the number of applicants to university who have not been accepted in June. - The departmental budget was completed and submitted for approval. The
department was asked to absorb a significant decrease, which required some
creative re-thinking of some of its marketing initiatives. The exercise was
successful, however, and the funds available will be made to work for the
coming year. PUBLIC RELATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, ALUMNI AND DEVELOPMENT Public Relations
The Public Relations Department was involved in the:
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