College-University Partnership Successes
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College-University Partnership Successes Increasingly students want the benefits afforded by program's dual focus: a diploma in Art and Art History study at both a college and a university. Although from Sheridan College, and a Bachelor of Arts degree many individuals have been and still are accepted as from the University of Toronto. transfer students, often too little credit is given by the “receiving institution” for courses taken at the “sending To respond to evolving student demands, the Art and institution”. There are exceptions. A significant Art History program has grown and diversified. number of successful student-centred partnerships Beginning with four students in 1971 as a three-year between colleges and universities in Ontario have been “Art Education” program focused on preparing established over the years, but there are still too few. secondary-school art teachers, it has evolved into a To further improve the overall situation a Council of professional fine art program, offering both four-year Ontario Universities (COU) - Colleges Ontario (CO) Major and Specialist programs to over 450 students in Joint Task Force on Student Mobility has recently been 2007. established. Art and Art History graduates still enter the teaching There are a number of common elements that have profession at the primary, secondary, and post- made partnerships successful. These include secondary levels but the current program also prepares • student satisfaction and need them for a rich range of post-graduation options. • program affinity between the college and the Graduates work as professional artists and art university historians, commercial photographers, illustrators, • a shared vision of university executive heads gallery directors, curators of contemporary and and college presidents historical art, graphic designers, and in a host of other • mutual respect between the professoriate at related professions. Many go on to further education in both institutions other college programs as well as university graduate • geographic proximity programs. • clearly defined articulation agreements. What is perhaps the most important aspect of this Some examples of successful partnerships are profiled unique partnership is the sense of community among below. the students and the faculty. Students tell us that they love this program because the Sheridan studio Partnership between Sheridan College and the component gives them a cohesive home base where they feel connected, productive and cared for – not University of Toronto Mississauga always an easy atmosphere to sustain in today’s complex postsecondary world. Partnership between Seneca College and York University Since 1971, the Art and Art History Program has offered its fine arts students concurrent academic experiences through studio training at Sheridan College In 1997, Seneca College’s General Arts and Science and art history studies at the University of Toronto program and York University’s Faculty of Arts Mississauga (UTM). Graduates of this program hold collaborated to establish a ground breaking and unique two prestigious and practical credentials, reflecting the articulation agreement that facilitated a seamless transition into a baccalaureate degree for aspiring Bachelor of Business Administration. This remarkable college students. The model continues to be cited as an growth has provided unprecedented access to Ontario excellent example of joint college-university students while saving the government, and provincial programming and forms the basis for the development tax payers, tens of millions of dollars through the use of future transfer agreements between programs and of existing infrastructure and facilities shared by their respective institutions. college and university students. The integrated liberal arts based program includes four Overall, there are presently approximately 1,700 York approved courses for which graduates receive students enrolled in university studies at the UPC. As a one-for-one credit in addition to block credit for the result of the significant and sustained growth over the remaining components of the program. In the second past four years, the partners remain firmly committed year of the GAS program, students are enrolled to the UPC’s continued advancement and success. fulltime at Seneca while completing a 9.0 credit course Discussions with other potential university partners are at York University. An additional 6.0 credit course in at an advanced level. the summer following graduation from Seneca enables the student to enter the equivalent of third year towards Students who have attended university studies through completion of their baccalaureate degree. The liberal the UPC rave about having the best of both worlds. arts curriculum enables students to complete degrees in They can earn a degree while attending classes on any discipline offered through York University’s small and quiet campuses close to home, without the Faculty of Arts. considerable hassle and cost of travelling or moving to larger cities. The professors know the students by name The partnership’s unique combination of university and take a personal interest in helping them to succeed. approved courses, liberal arts programming, university preparation focus and York University courses ensures Partnership between the University of Guelph that participants are prepared to succeed in their chosen and Humber College area of study. Hugely successful and increasingly popular, the program has grown from an intake of 250 students in the academic year 1997/98 to 625 students in 2007/08. The program has the highest percentage of graduates in the province attending university. Graduates have gone on to complete teaching degrees and Master’s degrees, with some currently enrolled in doctoral programs. Georgian College University Partnership Centre The University of Guelph-Humber is a joint initiative between the University of Guelph and Humber College. Based on the Humber campus in Toronto, University of Guelph-Humber admitted its first students in 2002, 200 in total, in Business and Media Studies programs. Today, University of Guelph- Humber has nearly 2,500 students in 8 programs which include, Justice Studies, Early Childhood Education, Family and Community Social Studies, Kinesiology, Computing and Telecommunications, and Psychology. Four Ontario universities currently have formal Enrolment is expected to reach 3,000 by 2009. agreements with Georgian College to deliver degree studies through Georgian College University Originally designed to meet the demand for university Partnership Centre (UPC) at the Barrie and Orillia places generated by the ‘double cohort’ of High School campuses. They are Laurentian University, Nipissing graduates created by the phasing out of Grade 13 in University, York University, and the University of Ontario, University of Guelph-Humber now helps meet Windsor. the expanding GTA demand for accessible and affordable university undergraduate education. In this The largest program is with Laurentian University. regard, University of Guelph-Humber benefits from Beginning in 2001 with a modest cohort of 53 students having one of the most diverse student populations of studying one of three majors at either the Barrie or any post secondary institution in Ontario. Orillia campus, there are now close to 1,000 students enrolled in three degrees, including the Bachelor of Arts with eight majors, Bachelor of Social Work, and 2 The most distinctive feature of University of Guelph- Television. Upon completion the students receive an Humber programs is the integrated nature of the honours B.A. from UTSC and an Ontario College curriculum. What this means is that students graduate Diploma in journalism. in four years with both the advanced theoretical education embedded in a university honours degree and The students in the Paramedicine program take science with the applied knowledge and professional training courses at UTSC in their first year. In their second and of a college diploma. This is reflected in the award of third years the students complete the college paramedic both a University honours degree and a College training at Centennial College with additional diploma, which if done in the traditional sequential university courses. The final year is at UTSC. The manner would take at least five years. With an University provides students with a science education integrated curriculum it is not surprising that that is the foundation for their work in the University of Guelph-Humber programs have also been paramedicine profession the college diploma offers the successful in attracting transfer students from high students the focused, applied, theoretical and hands-on affinity diploma programs as they graduate from both learning for job preparedness. The graduates receive Humber and other colleges. an Ontario College Paramedic diploma and an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from UTSC. In addition, University of Guelph-Humber offers a small class learning environment and employs faculty Both of these programs have grown over the years. In from both the University of Guelph and Humber total they have each attracted about 130 students, with College. All programs involve experiential workplace approximate annual intake into each program of 30 based learning. students. Retention of students has been high. Approximately 90% of admitted students continue their study beyond Partnership between York University and year one and over 80% of students complete their Sheridan College