DRAFT

MINUTES OF MEETING NUMBER THREE HUNDRED NINETY-THREE OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF ALGONQUIN COLLEGE, WHICH WAS HELD ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2003 AT 5:00 P.M. IN THE ROSSER BOARD ROOM, "C" BUILDING, WOODROFFE CAMPUS

Present: Mr. Mike Keller, Chair

Mr. Bryce Bell
Mr. Vini Bhindi
Mr. Ric Cameron
Mr. James Chadwick
Mr. Steve Georgopoulos
Mr. Robert Gillett
Ms Jacquelin Holzman
Ms Cathy Kirkpatrick
Mrs. Nurjehan Mawani
Mr. Wayne McIntyre
Ms Wendy Nicklin
Mr. Mubasher Saifi
Mr. David Wallace
Mrs. Shirley Westeinde
Mr. Wayne Wilson

Regrets: Mr. Herb Kreling

Vice Presidents seated at the table:

Mr. John Hamilton, Finance and Administration
Mrs. Raymonde Hanson, Academic
Mr. Christopher Warburton, Student Life & Human Resources

Resource Personnel and Observers:

Mrs. Dawn Dubé
Mr. Kent MacDonald
Mr. Russell Mills
Mrs. Pam Wilson

Brenda McCutcheon
Recording Secretary

The Chair called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. and welcomed all in attendance.

03-63 CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATION

None declared.

03-64 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

RESOLUTION

MOVED AND SECONDED - Kirkpatrick and Georgopoulos

that the minutes of the meeting held on October 14, 2003 be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

03-65 BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

At the October Board meeting there appeared to be a consensus that should the Executive Committee have to act on behalf of the Board due to lack of quorum, this meeting would be held in an Open Session for items which would normally be discussed by the Board in an Open Session and the minutes of the meeting would be published the same way as the Board minutes.

The Terms of Reference for the Executive Committee were revised to reflect this decision.

RESOLUTION

MOVED AND SECONDED - Holzman and Bell

that the Board approve the revised Terms of Reference for the Executive Committee as presented.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

In response to a question as to whether Governors would be advised as to how often the Executive Committee had to act on behalf of the Board, the Chair explained that whenever the Executive Committee meets, a report is brought to the next Board meeting. Mr. Keller continued that he hoped that it would not be necessary for the Executive to have to act on behalf of the Board due to lack of quorum.

(Secretary's note: The revised Terms of Reference are attached as Appendix "A" to these minutes.)

03-66 REPORT OF THE CHAIR

The Chair thanked Governor Bhindi for bringing greetings from the Board to the 2003 Algonquin College graduates at the Fall Convocation ceremony.

The Board's annual Christmas Dinner will be held in the Restaurant International on December 8^th following the December Board meeting. Spouses/guests and former Governors will be invited as usual.

Governor Kirkpatrick's firm, Mediaplus Advertising, was the winner of the 2003 OTCA Member of the Year Award. This Award by the Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority recognizes a member who has been supportive of OTCA activities, through committee involvement, promotional support and special events.

Governor Georgopoulos was the winner of the OTCA Volunteer of the Year Award. This Award recognizes an individual who, as a volunteer, has demonstrated an outstanding personal effort in serving the tourism industry over the past year.

These announcements were greeted with a round of applause.

03-67 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

The President reported on the following:

• The College is at the half way point of this year's Strategic Plan goals and objectives and is on target to meet the key performance outcomes outlined in the 2003-04 Business Plan.
• Discussions are ongoing with the construction industry and mechanical engineers to see how they can help the College attract more students to the trades.
• The College's United Way goal was $80,000. As of today, the campaign has raised $85,000 and money is still coming in. Touchdown will be on Friday of this week.
• The major topics of discussion at October's General Assembly meeting were pensions and collective bargaining. The decision was made to recommend to the CAAT Pension Board of Trustees that both the employee and employer contributions increase by 1.5% effective January 1, 2004. This is the minimum amount to ensure that the Plan remains solvent.
• The new Minister, Mary Anne Chambers, attended the meeting and dialogued with the Presidents for half an hour on the needs of colleges.
• The College Funding Advocacy Committee is recommending that the base funding unit increase to $6,300 by the 2007 fiscal year. Currently, universities receive $6,600 per student and school boards $6,800. Both the Minister and the Deputy recognize that consistent underfunding has caused problems for colleges in being competitive.
• While Ontario is the only province without a labour agreement with the federal government, the new Premier has indicated that he wants to sign one as soon as possible.
• Governors will receive, by the end of the month, a report on the ROI that colleges provide to the province of Ontario. This report is similar to the one provided to the government of Alberta.
• Agreement has been reached on the Credential Validation Service which will come into effect April 1, 2004.
• A College to College Transferability protocol has been reached.
• OCAS predicts that college system enrolment will be stable for the next few years. The Double Cohort has proved to be mainly a university problem.
• Updates on collective bargaining were distributed. The Academic Union has scheduled a strike vote for February 17, 2004; the Support Staff Union has scheduled a strike vote for December 10, 2003.
• Algonquin has recommended a change to the tuition fee policy whereby disabled students will not have to continue to pay tuition fees after the length of time that normal students pay to complete their program of study.
• The Ministry has agreed in principle that the Enrolment Target Agreement pilot project will continue for another year before financial penalties are assessed.
• A meeting will be held in Pembroke with the Mayor and health administrators to discuss the future of the Bachelor of Science Nursing program being offered in Pembroke. While the College would like to offer the program in Pembroke, there were only 7 registrants for Fall 03 and this is not a sufficient number to make the program financially viable.
• Algonquin is leading the college system in applied research especially in the fields of photonics and haptics.

Comments/questions included:

• Recently, there have been a number of positive articles in the press about the College and this is good to see.
• Are none of the students with disabilities able to complete their program of study in the required time? It is not a significant number who are unable to complete their program on time, perhaps 15-20 out of 1,000 students with disabilities. While the College can change the rules around tuition fees for non-Ministry funded programs, it will require Ministry approval to defer tuition fees for Ministry-funded programs. A province-wide solution is required. The issue arose because one student at Algonquin threatened to take her case to the Human Rights Commission as she claimed it was discriminatory to charge disabled students more money because they could not complete the program in the normal period of time. Algonquin would prefer to resolve the issue on its own without going down that road.
• Are accreditation and transferability linked? No. The Credential Validation Service applies to new programs while Transferability refers to one college recognizing another college's program as equal to its own program. As colleges were pushing hard to reach transfer agreements with universities, it was pointed out that it was not easy to transfer from one college to another without some kind of penalty so that students were unable to complete their program of study within the prescribed time. This Transferability Protocol will ensure that colleges grant full recognition of prior credits earned for those programs for which provincial standards exist. With regard to the Credential Validation Service, under the new Charter, boards were given the authority to approve new programs of study. The Credential Validation Service will oversee consistency of program titles, program content etc.

Governor Mawani commended the College for its position on limiting tuition fees for disabled students without having the students going to court or to the Human Rights Commission to resolve the matter.

03-68 ACTION ITEMS AND REPORTS

PROGRAM APPROVALS AND CANCELLATIONS

Mrs. Hanson requested that the Board approve in principle modifications to two existing programs. It would appear that the computer exercised some creativity and changed some numbers in the financial picture for these programs. The corrected, revised budgets will be forwarded to Governors.

Animation: The request is to add a third year to the two year program which began in 1989. Over the years, the program has evolved and students need more time to perfect their skills. Algonquin is one of the last colleges to offer a two year program in Animation. The Animation Advisory Committee is supportive of extending the length of the program as well as changing the name from Animation - Television to Animation. Mrs. Hanson introduced Mr. Russell Mills, Dean, School of Media and Design and Mrs. Pamela Wilson, Acting Chair, School of Media and Design; both of whom were present to answer members' questions.

• Has the program always included some form of computer animation? Yes, the focus has always been on computer design; that is how the program was approved in 1989 to differentiate it from the Sheridan program. Now, students need to perfect their 3D Digital skills which is what the focus of the third year will be.
• When you said that the financial picture was wrong, were you referring to the numbers on page 5? Yes, the problem occurred in the grant line. The grant would not decline over the years.
• Do other colleges have three year Animation programs? Yes, St. Clair has a three year program and Sheridan, a four year program.
• Are students supportive of adding a third year? Yes, both students and employers recognize the need for a third year to make our graduates more competitive. Sheridan is the premier college for Animation and our program has to be within a year of theirs.

RESOLUTION

MOVED AND SECONDED - Kirkpatrick and Nicklin

that the Board of Governors approve in principle the extension of the two year Animation program to three years, the change in name from Animation-Television to Animation and authorize the Administration to seek approval from the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities to offer the three year program effective September 2004.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

Theatre Arts: This program began as a one year program, was extended to two years and the request is now to extend it to three years. The Theatre Arts program is in high demand and graduates do very well because of the conservatory-style training in all areas of the theatre. Governors who attended the Awards Gala would have seen some of their work. There are not too many places which teach acting and production if a student does not want to go to university. Under risk assessment is the requirement for a large space for a rehearsal hall; this space will be required whether or not the program is extended to three years.

• Are there other colleges which offer a Theatre Arts program? Yes. Sheridan has a three year program and Humber has an articulation agreement with York University. This is a situation similar to the Animation program where graduates need more time to acquire the skills to make them competitive. The Algonquin program takes a broad based approach by teaching both performance and the technical aspects of the theatre.
• The risk assessment states "assumes the deregulation of fees for year 1"; what does this mean? Normally tuition fees are approximately $1,000 per semester. The College is examining the feasibility of increasing the tuition fee by deregulating the program. The Ministry sets the fees for programs which it approves. Colleges are able to deregulate up to 15% of their programs and charge a higher tuition fee where there is high demand for the program together with good employment prospects following graduation. One of the problems with this recommendation is that as part of its election campaign, the new provincial government proposed a freeze of tuition fees. Part of the issue is deregulated programs; some universities have tripled the tuition fees in their deregulated programs. As yet, we do not know what this government intends to do with regard to tuition fees, but we have to go through the approval process based on the current rules. Regular Ministry approved three year programs do have higher funding weights which does help with general funding.
• What are the implications of more costly programs in less than employable areas? Does the College keep an eye on student indebtedness? Students have told us that they are prepared to pay for the program if it provides them with the experience they want.

RESOLUTION

MOVED AND SECONDED - Bhindi and Mawani

that the Board of Governors approve in principle the extension of the two Theatre Arts program to a three year program and authorize the Administration to seek approval from the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities to offer the three year program effective September 2004.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

Program Cancellations: Mrs. Hanson explained that the Ministry requires Board approval to cancel programs that it had previously approved for suspension. On cleaning up the Student Information System, it was discovered that a number of programs were still listed as suspended but since the College no longer offers them, they should be cancelled.

• The Women Into Trades and Technology program was suspended in 1996 due to insufficient enrolment. Is any testing done to see if it is feasible to relaunch a program? If there is a demand, the College will relaunch a program with a new curriculum. The WITT program was sponsored by HRDC; if HRDC were to approach the College about offering a similar course, Algonquin would comply.
• Is the WITT program still listed in the College calendar? No. The originator of the program was HRDC. HRDC approached the College and Algonquin went through the Ministry approval process for the program which HRDC sponsored.
• The Pharmacy Assistant program was suspended and replaced by the Pharmacy Technician program.
• How can students have some exposure to what is available in the trades area? The College does offer some of these trades introductory programs through contracts with the City of Ottawa.
• Advisory Committees are a source of good advice to the College. They will often suggest new program offerings in emerging areas.
• There may be more interest in a generic trades program than in a gender based trades program such as WITT. The College is talking to school boards about how to promote trades training since many of them are phasing out their trades programs. Perhaps summer camps would be a way to expose high school students to the trades.
• Why was the Nursing (RPN) program cancelled? The College of Nurses has ruled that all nurses must have a baccalaureate; that is why this program was suspended and must now be cancelled.

RESOLUTION

MOVED AND SECONDED - Wallace and Westeinde

that the Board of Governors seek approval from the Ministry for the cancellation of the programs listed which have been suspended for two or more years.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORTS

Members had in their dossiers a brief summary of the activity of 69 Advisory Committees composed of industry representatives and recent graduates. Advisory Committees are most active when there is something specific for them to do such as a major curriculum review, the launch of a new program or the spin off of activities already underway. The respective Advisory Committees were very supportive of the College's applied degrees both in the development of the curriculum and finding co-op placements for students. Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of Advisory Committees who have chosen to consult electronically rather than meet face to face. Three Advisory Committees had difficulty in meeting and staff are working closely with them to see if a conference call would be one way of getting together. The recommendations made by the Advisory Committees have been actioned at the departmental level as most related to modifications to curriculum.

• Is there a list of the 69 Advisory Committees? Yes. The list is arranged by School. This list will be shared with Board members.
• Is there any possibility of grouping Advisory Committees more closely? Ministry regulations stipulate that there be one Advisory Committee per program or cluster of programs.
• Do these 69 Advisory Committees cover the 100 plus post secondary programs offered by the College? Yes. Where the College has an apprenticeship program and a post secondary program dealing with the same orientation, the Local Apprenticeship Committee is used to advise the College on the post secondary program.
• Governor Kirkpatrick observed that she had been a member of the College's Advertising Advisory Committee for ten years and the difference in the program of study over that period of time is amazing. The Advisory Committee has been able to tell the College where the industry has changed and what skill sets are needed for the future.
• What is meant by the last sentence of the paragraph entitled Background? Prior to Fall 2000, all recommendations from Advisory Committees were brought to the Board. Recommendations relating to the program of studies were first brought to the Board and then referred to the department for implementation. There was often a delay between when an Advisory Committee identified something that was needed and when it occurred. The Board of the time felt it was better for the Administration to action these recommendations as most were operational in nature. Advisory Committees can always make a presentation to the Board if there is some issue on which they feel the Board should take action.
• Advisory Committees represent a large range of people volunteering their time on behalf of the College. The Board has never done much to acknowledge them. Should we not send back some kind of message of appreciation for the work that they do on behalf of the College?

• Is there a mailing list for all Advisory Committee members so that they could be invited to College events? Yes, there is a mailing list and Advisory Committee members are invited to events specific to the School wherein their programs reside. The College does talk to Advisory Committee Chairs from time to time; it costs upwards of $300 every time a mailout goes to all Advisory Committee members. Advisory Committee members are sent a letter of appreciation upon the expiration of their term. Is there any way Advisory Committee members can be recognized for the contribution they make to the College? Could the student newspaper not do an article on them? It was agreed to take the question under advisement.
  

MID-YEAR REVIEW

Mr. Hamilton led members through the Q2 results distributed with the dossiers. When the Board approved the 2003-04 Budget in April of this year, the Budget was balanced with $1.5 million set aside in a special contingency fund. At the end of Q1, the College incurred a net loss of $274,000 without encroaching on the $1.5 million. Q2 is the most active quarter in terms of change as the College reconciles enrolment, receives confirmation of grants etc. Mr. Hamilton explained the net change of -$120,000 at the end of Q2 by the following:

• Operating and KPI grants were $1 million less than anticipated: $600,000 less in operating and $400,000 in KPI grants. These grants are calculated on a slip year basis. While the College did well this year with enrolment growth and KPI results, in the previous three years on which the grant is based, the College did not grow at the system average and its KPI scores were not as satisfactory.
• Algonquin received $4.3 million from the Quality Assurance Fund which has been reflected in the Q2 totals. QAF expenditures of $3.1 million have been incorporated into the Budget. The balance of the fund will be used to support activities inherent in the Budget approved in April.
• Apprenticeship grants have declined by $700,000 while apprenticeship fees are up by $530,000; this reflects the different way the College is now being paid for apprentices which was not in place at the beginning of the fiscal year as well as the cancellation of two programs.
• Full time and part time tuition fees are down $400,000 while International tuition fees are up $250,000. The College accepted more International students than anticipated, taking the place of full time fee paying students.
• Academic cost reductions saved $500,000.
• Pension adjustments of $250,000 were provided for Q4; this will amount to an increase of $1 million for next year's Budget.
• Miscellaneous transactions netted out at -$125,000.
• The net change is negative $120,000 leaving an accumulated balance of negative $394,000 with the contingency fund of $1.5 million intact. The net bottom line is $1.1 million going into Q3.

Mr. Hamilton concluded that while most of the issues were unpredictable, the Administration is confident that the College will end the year with a balanced Budget. At mid-year last year, the College reduced the Budget by $1 million to provide a more satisfactory cushion. A similar action is not called for this time. Results from other colleges show that half are forecasting year end deficits.

Page 2 shows a breakdown by major cost centres and page 3 reflects the variances in the Schools.

• With the anticipated pension shortfall of $1 million, will the College have to use the contingency fund to address it? This year the pension increase will cost the College $250,000 in Q4. As part of the 2004-05 Budget, the College will have to find another million.
• The Administration believes that year end will be what was approved by the Board in April and there will still be $1.5 million to go into next year.
• What do academic cost reductions entail? These occurred in a number of areas. As a result of fewer part time students, revenues were reduced as were costs to offset some or all of the loss of revenues. The shortfall in apprenticeship resulted in a reduction in costs relating to those programs. This is part of the normal review each quarter.
• What is the status of the Lees Avenue building? The College has provided for carrying the operating costs to the end of the fiscal year. It is anticipated that the property will be sold by then.
• What about the article in the Times on the Residence shortfall? The Residence did experience a shortfall of 100 students in the fall as some students chose not to live in a building still under construction. The College will operate these rooms as hotel units for visiting teams and delegations to recoup $100,000 of the $250,000 shortfall. Other parts of Ancillary Operations have been more successful than anticipated this fall and will cover the remainder of the shortfall.

REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

The Chair reported that the Audit Committee met prior to the Board meeting. The Committee reviewed the Administration's response to the recommendations contained in the KPMG Management Letter and expressed themselves as satisfied with the actions taken. An update was provided on the Benchmarking Study which was begun three years ago. This has proved to be more of a management tool rather than something to be monitored by the Board. There were no issues that the Committee felt had to be addressed in detail by the Board.

03-69 MANAGEMENT SUMMARY REPORT

Governor Bhindi congratulated the professors in the Dental programs for the 100% pass rate in the Dental Assistant exam.

Governor Bell remarked that he was impressed with the work that Algonquin is doing around the world and wondered if this work is competitive in nature or a coordinated approach taken by the colleges. The President replied that when a contract requires multiple partners, colleges do cooperate; however, recruitment is an individual college activity. International students add diversity to the College atmosphere.

There are 139 embassies in Ottawa and Algonquin has relationships with many of them. The ultimate goal is to bring students from other countries to the College as opposed to offering on-line courses. On-line comes into play when a country wants to have education delivered at home. The on-line solution can work if students have the ability to work in English. Governor Bell asked if there was any attempt to involve International students with the local community from that country. The President replied yes, where there is sufficient population here. The College is beginning to advertise in local Chinese and Arabic papers and to open dialogues with those community leaders. To date, Algonquin has undertaken projects in 72 different countries.

Governor Wilson wondered if the College was doing anything to sponsor Canadian students to go and study in other countries. Mrs. Hanson replied that the College had examined the possibility on a number of occasions. The difficulty is how to work foreign travel into a regular program of study. One of the new programs in Business Administration will include an option of studying in a foreign country. University exchange programs are easier to conduct as universities offer similar kinds of programs; community colleges do not have equally parallel programs around the world. Moving into applied degrees may open more doors for curriculum accreditation with other countries.

Governor Georgopoulos commended the College for showcasing its entertainment, food services and floral arrangements at two recent events: Stars in the City and the Algonquin Awards Gala

The complete Management Summary is attached as Appendix "B" to these minutes.

03-70 INFORMATION ITEMS

The following items have been received and are available from the Board Office upon request:

Directives

October 20, 2003 MTCU decision to remove quotas from all programs in Respiratory Therapy (MCU code 61615) at colleges of applied arts and technology effective October 1, 2003

October 23, 2003 MTCU decision to change to the system-wide title for Dental Hygiene (Direct Entry) programs (MTCU code 51628) to Dental Hygiene.

03-71 OTHER BUSINESS

There being no other items of business, adjournment was moved by Mr. Chadwick and seconded by Mr. Bhindi at 6:16 p.m.

Appendix "A"

PURPOSE The Executive Committee is a standing committee of the Board of Governors established in accordance with By-law 1.

The Executive Committee is empowered to:

- act on all matters that may properly be referred to it by the Board;

- act on behalf of the Board during the summer as well as on other occasions when a decision is required and it is not convenient to assemble the full Board such as during the Christmas break or not possible to achieve the requisite quorum of twelve Governors. When the Executive Committee acts on behalf of the Board due to lack of quorum, this meeting will be held in an Open Session for items which would normally be discussed by the Board in an Open Session and the minutes of the meeting will be published the same way as the Board minutes.

- advise the President on matters of urgency; and

- evaluate the performance of the President;

- negotiate and ratify all contractual arrangements for the employment of the President, and to approve, from time to time, such contracts or amendments thereto as it deems to be in the best interests of the College.

COMPOSITION In accordance with By-law 1, the Committee will comprise:

- Board Chair
- Vice-Chair
- Chair of the Audit Committee
- Past Chair of the Board or in the absence of a Past Chair, one other external Board member
- President (ex officio)

MEETINGS Meetings will be held in camera (with the exception of acting on behalf of the Board due to lack of quorum).

Minutes will be sent to Executive Committee members (with the exception noted above).

The Chair will present a report of each meeting at the subsequent Board meeting.

Approved by the
Board of Governors
November 10, 2003

Appendix "B"

VICE PRESIDENT ACADEMIC

SCHOOL/INSTITUTE UPDATES
School of Advanced Technology
The School is a member of the Ottawa and Eastern Ontario Biotech Consortium (OEOBC) which has been formed in response to the Ontario Government's Biotechnology Cluster Innovation Program (BCIP). The OEOBC is a not-for-profit initiative led by the Ottawa Life Sciences Council (OLSC). The consortium is managing programs, projects and events to develop BCIP and to leverage cluster development and regional innovation assets to develop Ottawa and Eastern Ontario as a leading North American biotechnology cluster.

The School has negotiated a software agreement with Solid Edge to allow unlimited use for academic purposes of their parametric modeling software used in computer-assisted engineering. The students benefitting from this agreement are with the Mechanical Engineering Technology and Photonics programs.

School of Business
The School's contract with the Municipality of Queretaro, Mexico to develop a training program for their middle managers and city employees in basic management skills is proceeding well. The contract involves identification of needs, teaching resources and evaluation tools.

School of Health & Community Studies
The first group of Tobacco Addiction Specialists will be graduating in November 2003. This is the first time this credential has been made available in Canada. Upon successful completion, students will be credentialed by the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselors (NAADAC).

The School has recently formed a partnership with the YMCA-YWCA. Students completing the College's Fitness & Lifestyle Management Certificate Program can now be certified as personal trainers and aerobic instructors by the YMCA-YWCA.

The National Dental Assistant Examining Board results for the Dental Assistant students who wrote in June 2003 have been received. We had a 100% pass rate: all eighteen of our graduates were successful. Forty-eight Dental Hygiene students challenged the National Dental Hygiene Certification Exam in May, 2003. Forty-seven students were successful.

Twenty-three of our Registered Massage Therapy graduates wrote the College of Massage Therapy of Ontario exams in June 2003 with a 93% pass rate. Twenty-one of the twenty-three were successful.

The Respiratory Therapy students achieved a pass rate of 79% at the College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario provincial exams. The provincial pass rate is 83%.

The College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario conducted a site visit for the certification renewal for the Restorative Dental Hygiene program. The team members agreed that the educational process and clinical experience provided by the program ensure that the graduates have the opportunity to achieve a level of competence consistent with the requirements to perform the restorative acts as specified in the regulations made under the Dental Hygiene Act, 1991, Ontario Regulation 537/99 34. (1) 2.ii.

School of Hospitality and Tourism
The Memorandum of Agreement between Algonquin College and C.V. Raman College in India has been signed by the President of C.V. Raman College and is presently being forwarded to our President for signature. It provides for an agreement for a four year program in Hospitality with year two of the program being delivered at Algonquin. In addition, Algonquin faculty will provide training at C.V. Raman on selected topics.

The School hosted the "Stars of the City," an event for the tourism industry that recognizes front line staff. It was attended by approximately 350 people. The organizing committee for the event was chaired by Board Member, Cathy Kirkpatrick.

School of Transportation and Building Trades
The School has been awarded a contract to participate in the Council for Skilled Careers project Addressing Barriers to Apprenticeship. A presentation has been made to Talentworks, a division of OCRI, which may take the lead on managing the project. Our staff will be doing the majority of the research on the various barriers.

The School hosted Hannele Kokotti, Project Director for Skills Finland this month. Mrs. Kokotti was in Canada to meet with Skills Canada officials for a planning session for the World Skills Competition to be held in Finland next year. She toured Algonquin facilities to better understand the Ontario apprenticeship process

Police and Public Safety Institute
The R.C.M.P. has approached the Institute to conduct Physical Ability Requirements Evaluation (PARE) testing on their applicants. Beginning in January 2004, the Institute will be providing this testing to between 200 and 400 applicants each year.

Algonquin College in the Ottawa Valley
Marguerite Donohue, Dean and Debra Balasevicius, Chair of Health & Community Studies, met with the CEO's of local health agencies in the Ottawa Valley regarding the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BscN) program. Those attending voiced their concern regarding the suspension of the program offering at the Pembroke Campus and announced their intent to take action through a letter addressed to the College President, inviting him to an open forum.

A new Outdoor Sports Court funded by the Students' Association officially opened on October 15, 2003.

STUDENT ACTIVITY
Seven students from the Hotel and Restaurant Management Program and the Culinary Management Program were recipients of over $11,000 in Scholarships provided by the Canadian Hospitality Foundation. Wing Yee Fung was the top winner from a post-secondary culinary program in Canada receiving $3,500. Other major winners were Stephanie Seguin and Assen Stefanov. Rick Reid, Dean and the three students attended the gala in Toronto where the students received their awards.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITY
Faculty and students from the Animation -Television program were involved in the Ottawa International Student Animation Festival. Faculty delivered several workshops and students assisted in volunteer roles.

Faculty and students from the Scriptwriting and Theatre Arts programs were major contributors to the Ottawa International Writers Festival held at the National Library of Canada. Don Laflamme, Professor, Theatre Arts acted as emcee for the evening and Lynn Tarzwell, Coordinator, Theatre Arts presented a workshop entitled "Structure: The Key to Screen Storytelling." As well, work done by graduates of the Scriptwriting and Theatre Arts programs was showcased at a staged reading of three plays.

DONATIONS
A representative from Oral B presented an onsite workshop for the Dental Hygiene students and donated an electronic toothbrush for each student in second year. An estimated donation of approximately $5 000.

General Motors has made a considerable tool donation to the School of Transportation & Building Trades. The tools, valued at approximately $30 000, will be used by students in the various automotive service programs.

VICE-PRESIDENT, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

COLLEGE ANCILLARY SERVICES
College Retail Stores Operation
Sales continue to be strong. As at September 30, the operation as a whole was 4% ahead of last year, year-to-date, and 1% ahead of year-to-date sales targets. Trade Book sales, giftware, and computer accessories are performing particularly well, each with sales running significantly ahead of budgeted targets.

The Bookstore Candy Fair was extremely successful, generating $4,000.00 in revenue through the sale of merchandise and raising $1,000.00 for the College's "Plant Some Roots" Campaign.

Food and Beverage Operations
Overall revenues to the end of September are running well ahead of those of last year and slightly ahead of targets. The Banquet Operation and the new 35^th Street Market Café account for the increases. The Vending Operations are down significantly (-40%) over sales in FY03.

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Financial Services
Second Quarter Budget review was the major undertaking for the month. KPMG was on site completing their work on the review of Contract Services and Applied Research contracts.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
ITS Operations
Evergreening of PC's and upgrades for Windows XP and Microsoft Office for staff is continuing.

PHYSICAL RESOURCES
Double Cohort Project (SuperBuild application)
This project has an overall budget of $11.3 million, with the design and construction of the project being scheduled in four stages between Fall 2003 and Fall 2004.

Automotive Training Facility
With a budget of $5.8 million, the building is approximately 32,000 square feet, on ground level, with a ground floor link to P Building. Construction started on October 6, 2003, with an intended completion date of April, 2004.

Residence, Phase III
The project, which includes 350 beds in 175 suites, with a budget of $18 million, had a completion date of August, 2003.

The landscaping will be completed by the end of October.

2003 Parking Program
This project has a budget of $356,000 and encompasses construction of Lot 14 (formerly E Building), expansion of Lots 7 and 10, installation of planters on Lots 9 and 12, and construction of a fence on Navaho Drive.

The contractor was directed to proceed with the construction of the sidewalk on College Avenue from Woodroffe Avenue to T Building, in accordance with the original design, except for realignment along the existing curb. Roadway lighting will be increased along College Avenue by adding two fixtures near T Building. Lighting of Lot 14 and College Avenue is complete. It is expected that these measures will enhance the overall illumination in these areas. Additional lighting of the pedestrian walks on Lot 14 and on College Avenue is complete.

Lighting Project
A committee has been established to consider enhancement of lighting on the Woodroffe Campus and to develop the lighting standards for the campus. The committee has made an evening tour to view examples of lighting in the City. A follow-up tour of the campus itself is being organized.

REGISTRAR'S OFFICE
Admissions Statistics, 2004 Winter
As of October 17, OCAS statistics indicate that our applicants (College Choices) are up 50.5% compared to the provincial college system at 11.8%, and the number of applications to Algonquin (Program Choices) is up 46.5% compared to the system at 14.2%.

Registration Statistics, 2003 Fall
The enrolment audit count date for Post-Secondary programs, on which Ministry funding is based, is November 1. We will be reporting these statistics in next month's summary report.

With regard to registration in Continuing Education, as of October 17, registrations for the 2003 Fall Term stood at 16,641 or 89.4% of projection. Actual registrations at the same time last year stood at 16,788. Registration in C.E. Fall courses continues throughout the term.

Client Awareness Days
The Registrar's Office is piloting a new event to target recognition and celebration of both our internal and external clients. "Client Awareness Days" are scheduled to take place from December 2 to December 4, 2003.

VICE-PRESIDENT STUDENT LIFE AND HUMAN RESOURCES

FINANCIAL AID
According to statistics received from the National Student Loan Service Centre (the service provider for student loans), Algonquin College's Financial Aid Office had a very busy September releasing loan certificates. During a four week period from August 25^th until September 26, the NSLSC collected 2337 loan certificates from the Financial Aid Office at Algonquin. During the same period in the Fall of 2002, the NSLSC collected a total of 1452 loan certificates. The number of loan documents collected in 2003 is an increase of 61% over 2002.

The OSAP bursary audit was scheduled for the week of October 27^th on 2001/2002 OSAP bursary funds. In total, seven programs administered by Financial Aid were put through the audit process.

Financial Aid has started their 2003 Fall in-take of bursaries from the Holdback funds. Students have until the 10^th of November to return their completed bursary applications.

STUDENT AFFAIRS AND ORIENTATION
Director's Office
Student Services held their bi-annual Student Information Fair on October 1^st from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Rosser lobby and the second floor of C Bldg. The event included all areas of Student Services as well as the Financial Aid Office, the Residence, Students' Association and Protection Services. The event is intended to give students a chance to learn more about the nature of these services.

The same event was held the next day for the students at the Perth Campus. Several Student Services staff members were on hand to answer questions. The students and Perth staff were appreciative of these services.

Centre for Students with Disabilities
Disabled Persons Community Resources has awarded Algonquin College the Richard St. Pierre Accessibility Award for the efforts of making the building location accessible to persons with disabilities. The award will be presented at the volunteer appreciation dinner and will be received on behalf of the College by Karen Coffey and Toni Connolly.

Karen Coffey participated in a presentation on transition from adolescent services to adult services organized by the Ottawa Children's Treatment Centre.

Employment Services
In October, Employment Services hosted a variety of employers on campus wishing to hire Algonquin grads. These included The Canadian Forces, Mary Kay Cosmetics and Ispos Direct.

Health Services
Demand for Health Services remains high. Staff experienced an increase in services in September, 2003 of 27% over September, 2004 (2,400 compared to 1,954).

Influenza vaccines are now being administered. It is anticipated that up to 2,000 doses will be given this year. This will markedly reduce absenteeism of both students and staff during the flu season.

Health Promotion activities for October featured: Mental Health Awareness, Alcohol Awareness, Breast and Testicular Cancer Awareness, and "impaired goggles" to simulate alcohol impairment. There was a Health Sexuality workshop in the residence. The Lung Association put on their Breath of Hope relay. Health Services now employs three students part-time to assist with Health Promotion.

HUMAN RESOURCES
Janet Ross our manager of Employment Services has announced her retirement after more than 36 years of service with Algonquin. We wish her well in a much deserved retirement, but will miss her expert advise, her experience and corporate memory. We are currently in the process of a re-organisation of the HR services which will be presented in November.

We are planning a Lunch and Learn session for November. The topic will be "How to write a Job Description". This subject is timely and will assist managers in this important task.

Pension and Benefits
WSIB dollars received in the month of October $3024.87

WSIB Form 7 received

Pension Estimates --> 30 requested and completed.

Employees on LTD
Academic 35
Support 27
Admin 3

Staffing:
18 postings (1 administrative, 11 support and 2 academic)

Filled positions-
3 administrative
5 support
0 academic

Employee Relations Area
During the month of October there was one academic arbitration and one support staff arbitration heard.

One new academic grievance has been filed at step 1 and two support staff grievances.

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CENTRE
The International student enrolment for the October 2003 intake of ESL students is on track with 160 students registered. Our data for the fall ESL and post-secondary registrations shows that the top 5 countries in terms of student enrolment are China, Korea, India, Mexico and Japan. Our statistics as well as literature received from some of the International Education Associations we belong to point to signs of emerging markets in Indonesia, Brazil and some of the Arab countries. The centre is working on strategies to test these markets through new recruitment efforts. At the same time work is progressing to compile a list of credible recruitment agents in our main market countries. A company profile, references and statistics on recruitment for Canadian Educational institutions will be requested from all agents. The commission structure is also being examined with a view to bringing the structure into line with commissions paid by our competitors.

The Centre hosted a delegation from Brazil lead by Ms. Marcia Seroa da Motta Brandao, chief of staff for the deputy minister of education. The group visited several colleges looking for linkages in the areas of curriculum development and link the industry. A delegation from Kuwait also visited the college to discuss a possible project to deliver training on e-learning and instructional technology.

Several of the schools are involved in the pursuing international programming initiatives. Algonquin College in the Ottawa Valley is conducting discussions with representatives of the Fujian Forestry College in China to review a proposal to deliver the forestry diploma in that college. The school is also working with the ESL department to develop a summer school of ESL and outdoor activities for International students ages 14-18. The program would offer the students involvement in Canadian family life through an organized homestay program. The ESL department is also looking at working with language software developers to offer on-line distance education levels 1 & 2 ESL courses. The courses can be offered to Chinese and Arabic speaking students to bring their skill level up to the point where they can successfully continue their ESL training at Algonquin.

A Pdf proposal for CIDA funding was submitted by the Centre to ACCC. If accepted the proposal would lead to an inception mission to Goa, India to discuss with Agnel Polytechnic setting up training programs in social services. The programs would address basic human needs and gender equality, two areas of priority for CIDA investment.

Mike Adamyk has returned from a successful visit to India, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt where he promoted the college at International Education fairs. The fair in Delhi India attracted 2,300 visitors. While in the same city Mike attended the official stone-laying ceremony for the Indo-Canadian School of Advanced Technology established by our partner Institute the Manav Rachna Education Society. The ceremony was attended by the Canadian High Commissioner and by a Minister from the Indian Federal Government. It received good press coverage.

Susan Hodgins has returned from Mexico where she was recruiting ESL students and interviewing prospective agents.

Susan Olszynko is presently conducting a recruitment visit to Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. The visit will also be used to help with the recruitment of reliable agents to represent the college in these markets.

MARKETING
Promotion and Advertising

• Open House was held the second week of October to promote full-time programs and attracted more than 1800 people to the event.
• Forum 2003 was held on October 23. The event drew 87 area guidance councillors to a half day of presentations and interactive discussion on the College and its programs. The event was organized and implemented by Marketing and featured presentations from Raymonde Hanson, Jack Treuhaft, Student Services and the Registrar's Office.
• The department organized and held at the request of the Ministry, an event for senior administrators from school boards across eastern Ontario. The event featured presentations by the Deans of Transportation & Trades and the Advanced Technology, as well as, Jack Treuhaft who spoke on applied degrees and applied research.
• Two advertising campaigns were developed and implemented. The first was to advertise Open House. The second which began after the event is to promote full-time programs for the winter semester.
• Production was completed on the 168 oage Source CE Catalogue, winter edition, and it was sent to the printers, for delivery in November.
• A television buy was put together to promote the college during College Week. The mini-campaign will air on the New RO the week of Nov 3 and is being used as a test to determine the medium's potential as a future advertising vehicle for the College.

Recruiting

• The recruiters completed their first 6 week tour of eastern and northern Ontario high schools in October and are now organizing for the second flight of tours to schools in Quebec and other parts of Ontario.
• Two member of the recruiting group participated in a three day career fair in Toronto, as well as, attending the CRALO Annual Meeting in Sault Ste. Marie.
• The recruiting group continues to provide weekly tours of the College to prospective students and to attend local area career fairs and high school visits.

Algonquin Productions

• Work is continuing on the AST on-line project for the Ministry.
• As well as providing technical assistance for all three events, Algonquin Productions completed a new television commercial to promote the College during College Week.
• The department also completed the final design of the new web site for the College Marketing Group.
• The Director and the lead hand for Algonquin Productions met with the Dean of the Heritage Institute to begin work on a new multi-media CD to promote the campus. The work has begun and Algonquin Productions was in Perth in October to film the campus and the community for the new CD.

General

• Work has started on a new strategic marketing plan based on the College's five year strategic plan.
• The department completed a small research project to determine market share of graduating high school students. The research indicates that the College has increased its share of the high school graduate market by 50% since 2000.
• As part of the College Enrolment Management Committee, the Director developed and made a presentation on marketing and the need to re-engieer business processes to improve productivity and market efficiency. This is the first of a series of presentations which are expected to be made over the next two to three months.

PUBLIC RELATIONS and COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

Public Relations:

• Facilitated an information session for a Kuwaiti delegation on behalf of the International Education Centre.

• In cooperation with La Cité collégiale submitted a joint request to the City of Ottawa proclaiming November 3 - 7, 2003 as College Week.
• Two successful monthly "Coffee Breaks with the President" took place this month, one at the Woodroffe Campus in the Hospitality Building and the second at the Perth Campus.
• Premier's Award nominees have been submitted in the following categories: Business, Peter O'Leary, Community Services, Susan Taylor-Schmaltz, Creative Arts & Design, Ken Stewart, Health Sciences, Dr. Jason Heavens, Technology, John Scott, and Recent Graduates, Wendy Sparrow. Premier's Awards will be presented at the ACAATO Conference in February 2004.
• Meetings continue with the Dean of Health and Community Services and Ottawa Humane Society staff regarding Animal Health Care initiatives.

Community Relations:

• United Way Campaign 2003: October 17, 2003 - November 7, 2003 Algonquin's United Way Campaign 2003 was launched on Friday, October 17, 2003 with a successful Kick-Off Breakfast which was attended by approximately 500 staff, students and advisory committee chairs.

• United Way Staff Volleyball tournament took place with more than 100 staff participating which raised money for the United Way.
• As a corporate sponsor of the Ottawa 67's Adopt-A-School Program, we were invited to take part in the Sir Winston Churchill Adopt-A-School celebration.
• An orientation and training session for staff who will be participating in OttawaReads took place during the month of October. More than 20 employees will participate in this corporate volunteer initiative sponsored by OCRI.

Government Relations:

• A meeting was held with Sean Conway, retired Liberal MPP, to discuss the College's Government Relations plan.
• A meeting was held between Mr. Gillett and Mr. Jim Watson, MPP, Ottawa West - Nepean Riding, Minister of Consumer and Business Services.

Corporate Events:

• The Fifth Annual Awards Gala was held on Saturday, October 27th. More than 400 guests attended the event, 70 awards were presented and the event met its goal of showcasing student excellence at Algonquin College.

Communications:

• The October mid-month issue of Cont@ct, which has a focus on Algonquin Gives, is dedicated to Algonquin's United Way Campaign 2003. This issue of Algonquin Gives was produced in the Public Relations and Communications Department.

Media Relations

The following are the major Algonquin College news stories appearing in the media from September 29, to October 28, 2003.

• Dr. Jack Treuhaft and Algonquin's haptic research.
• Dorothy Stern re: Interior Design
• Staff contract vote results
• Student health coverage
• Career trends
• Rick Mannell and Algonquin's Ancillary Services profiled
• Mike Dash and Food Services profiled
• Carmen Hust re: "Fixing Nursing Shortage"
• Vince Giannandrea and Counselling Services
• United Way Kick-Off Breakfast
• Information evening
• Awards Gala
• Fall Convocation

The College received 24 media hits during this period and 151 media hits since April 1, 2003.