Algonquin College is on a mission to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success...but how do we do that?

AC Way

AC Way is a way of working that sees all College employees, partners, and stakeholders working with a continuous improvement mindset so that we can continue to what we do, only better!

We start by thinking about the customer (our students!) in everything we do. We look at ways to make their experience better. Some Algonquin College employees are very close to our students, interacting with them many times daily, while others are in support roles and sometimes find it difficult to see how the work they do impacts students. The AC Way should help us all to be more in touch with the needs of our students, and help to put them first. If we can do this, our students and stakeholders will be happier, more engaged, and perform betters, which will help them achieve their dreams, and helps us to accomplish the College’s mission!

What AC Way IS:

AC Way IS a people-first way of thinking. We improve to make the work we do better for people, so that we can all be happier, and more engaged employees.
AC Way IS a mindset that focuses on improving what we do.
AC Way IS a framework for applying continuous improvement practices into our day-to-day work.
AC Way IS the Algonquin College Way – it’s ours, to shape, to implement, and to live every day.

What AC Way is NOT:

AC Way is NOT an office, or a group of people. It is greater than either, or their sum. We are ALL responsible for living the AC Way.

AC Way is NOT focused on saving money. Cost savings might be a by-product of implementing an improvement, but the focus is on enhancing value for the customer.

AC Way is NOT concentrated on creating efficiency at the expense of people. Instead, it focuses on people-first solutions that enhance value for our customer by reducing bottlenecks, and eliminating waste. Ultimately by reducing waste – we seek to create more time for valued-added activities, and reduce the painful or repetitive parts of the work.

AC Way is NOT exactly the College’s implementation of Lean. Although Lean informs our methodology, we use many different quality improvement tools and best practices to create the right solution at the right time.

How We Help

The AC Way helps foster and develop a continuous improvement mindset in our people by:

    1. Facilitating Continuous Improvement Projects
    2. Data Visualization & Reporting
    3. Providing Tools & Resources
    4. Assisting with Change Management Initiatives