Looking Forward: Aurora College Transition to Polytechnic University Town of Fort Smith October 2018 1 LookingForward:AuroraCollegeTransitiontoPolytechnicUniversity Contents EXECUTIVESUMMARY 1.0 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................1 2.0 TOWNOFFORTSMITH.....................................................................................................................2 3.0 AURORACOLLEGE............................................................................................................................4 3.1 CredentialandCourseDelivery...................................................................................................5 3.2 ProgramOfferings........................................................................................................................6 3.3 StudentExperienceinFortSmith................................................................................................9 4.0 POSTSECONDARYEDUCATIONTRENDS.......................................................................................11 4.1 AdvancementsinTechnology....................................................................................................11 4.2 ChangingStudentBody..............................................................................................................11 4.3 ShiftinLearningStyles...............................................................................................................12 5.0 POSTSECONDARYREADINESS/SUCCESS.......................................................................................12 5.1 PostSecondaryReadiness.........................................................................................................13 5.2 PostSecondaryEnvironment....................................................................................................15 5.3 UniqueNeedsofIndigenousStudents......................................................................................16 6.0 ECONOMICIMPACTOFPOSTSECONDARYEDUCATION..............................................................18 6.1 DirectBenefits............................................................................................................................18 6.2 IndirectBenefits.........................................................................................................................19 6.3 HumanCapital............................................................................................................................20 7.0 NWTLABOURMARKETOVERVIEW...............................................................................................20 7.1 MarketForecasts........................................................................................................................21 7.2 LinkingEmploymentOpportunitieswithPostSecondaryEducation......................................22 7.3 PotentialNewAuroraCollegeCourseOfferings.......................................................................25 8.0 TRANSITIONINGTOAPOLYTECHNICUNIVERSITY........................................................................25 8.1 YukonCollege(YukonUniversity)..............................................................................................26 8.2 RedDeerCollege(CentralAlbertaPolytechnicUniversity)......................................................28 9.0 RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................................................................31 LookingForward:AuroraCollegeTransitiontoPolytechnicUniversity EXECUTIVESUMMARY ThisreportsupportstheenhancementofpostsecondaryeducationintheNorthwest TerritoriesthroughthedevelopmentofapolytechnicuniversitythatmeetstheneedsofNWT studentsandhasitsmaincampusandheadquarterslocatedinFortSmith. Thisapproach: isintrinsicallystudentcentredandfocusedforemostontheactualneedsofnorthern students meetstheneedsofnortherncommunitiesandfamilies improvesaccesstopostsecondaryeducationfornortherners followscurrenttrendsinpostsecondaryeducation minimisessocioeconomicimpactsonstudentsandcommunities willbelessexpensiveforstudentsandtheGNWT meetsthestatedprincipleofdecentralization allowsformoreresourcestobecommittedtoK12 ensurescosteffectivenessbyexpandingexistingprograms,servicesandfacilities maintainstheTownofFortSmithastheeducationcapitaloftheNWT ThecurrentDepartmentofEducation,CultureandEmployment(ECE)approachtopost secondaryeducationhasledtoconfusionanduncertaintywhichisalreadyimpactingpost secondarystudentsandstaffinexistingprogramsaswelltheTownofFortSmith.TheAurora CollegeFoundationalReviewwhichwascommissionedbyECEisdeeplyflawedandcontains recommendationsthatarenotevidencebasedorrelatedtocurrenttrendsinpostsecondary education. ThegovernanceofAuroraCollege,andafuturepolytechnicuniversitymustrestwiththepost secondaryinstitutionitself,ratherthananAssociateDeputyMinisterwithinECE.We recommendapolytechnicuniversitytransitionteamisdevelopedandisbasedinFortSmith. Thereportprovidesrecommendationsforkeyactionsinthenext5years: 1. ConfirmFortSmithasthelocationofanenhancedAuroraPolytechnicUniversityand Headquarters 2. ReinstatecurrentlysuspendedDiplomaandDegreeProgramsatAuroraCollegeinFort Smith 3. DevelopaVisionforPostSecondaryEducationintheNWT 4. ProvideFundingforaProgramandServiceReview,aPolytechnicUniversityTransition Team,andCapitalPlanandImprovements 5. UndertakeaProgramandServicesReview LookingForward:AuroraCollegeTransitiontoPolytechnicUniversity 6. BuildaBicameralGovernanceModel 7. ExplorePartnershipswithOtherPostSecondaryUniversities 8. DraftEnablingLegislation 9. DevelopNewProgramOfferings 10. DrafttheAuroraPolytechnicUniversityStrategicPlanandAcademicPlan LookingForward:AuroraCollegeTransitiontoPolytechnicUniversity 1.0 INTRODUCTION Educationisthecornerstoneofeveryprosperoussociety.Withapresencein24 communities,AuroraCollegeiskeytoachievingtrueandlastingprosperityacrossthe NWT.NahendehMLAShaneThompson,Member’sStatement AstheeducationcentreoftheNWT,theTownofFortSmithisdeeplycommittedtosupporting postsecondaryeducationintheNorthwestTerritoriesandhasademonstratedtrackrecordof providingit.FortSmithisequallycommittedtoseeinganexpansionofpostsecondary educationattheexistingAuroraCollegecampusinFortSmith.Weseefew,ifany,advantages tosupportingabrandnewcampusinYellowknifeasanalternativetoimprovingandexpanding thevaluableassetstheCollegealreadyhasavailable. CentralizingpostsecondaryservicesinYellowknifeiscontradictorytotheGNWT’sstated supportforthedecentralizationofserviceswithintheNWT.TheexistingYellowknife infrastructureisinsufficienttoaccommodatethePolytechnicUniversityHeadquarters.We understandthattheYellowknifecampusrequiresexpansiontoaccommodatetheirexisting programming.BoththeTownofFortSmithandmanyothercommunitiesintheNWTwillbe deeplyandnegativelyimpactedbysuchamove. Theobjectivesofthisreportareasfollows: Todocumenttheeconomicandsocialbenefitsofhavingthemaincampusand headquartersofAuroraCollegeinFortSmith; Todiscusshowamoredecentralizedmodelofpostsecondaryeducationresultsin strongeroutcomesandalignswithcurrenttrendsinpostsecondaryeducation; TocompareidentifiedemploymentdemandintheNWTwithcurrentandproposed offeringsatAuroraCollege;and ToconsidertheexperiencesofotherCollegesintheirtransitiontoapolytechnic;and TodocumentnextstepsinthetransitionoftheCollegetoaPolytechnicUniversity. StrengtheningandexpandingtheroleofAuroraCollegewillbettersupportindigenouslearners intheNWT.TheGNWTisasignatorytotheIndigenousEducationProtocolandhasthereby agreedtothefollowingactions: 1. CommittomakingIndigenouseducationapriority. 2. EnsuregovernancestructuresrecognizeandrespectIndigenouspeoples. 3. ImplementintellectualandculturaltraditionsofIndigenouspeoplesthroughcurriculum andlearningapproachesrelevanttolearnersandcommunities. 4. Supportstudentsandemployeestoincreaseunderstandingandreciprocityamong IndigenousandnonIndigenouspeoples. 5. CommittoincreasingthenumberofIndigenousemployeeswithongoingappointments throughouttheinstitution,includingIndigenoussenioradministrators. October2018 1 LookingForward:AuroraCollegeTransitiontoPolytechnicUniversity 6. EstablishIndigenouscentredholisticservicesandlearningenvironmentsforlearner success. 7. BuildrelationshipsandbeaccountabletoIndigenouscommunitiesinsupportofself determinationthrougheducation,trainingandappliedresearch. Thisreportprovidesaddeddetailanddepthtotheoriginalpositionpaperpresentedbythe TownofFortSmithtotheNWTLegislaturedirectlyinresponsetotheMNPAuroraCollege FoundationalReview. 2.0 TOWNOFFORTSMITH TheTownofFortSmithisperfectlypositionedtosupporttheprovisionofpostsecondary educationtostudentsintheNorthwestTerritories. FortSmithisafriendly,welcomingcommunitywithmuchtoofferitsresidentsandvisitors alike.TheTownhasmodernfacilities,includingapool,curlingrink,andlargegymnasium; excellenthealthandsocialservices;andregularcommunityprogrammingforallagelevels. HealthandsafetyareensuredbythelocalRCMPdetachment,avolunteerfiredepartment,and theFortSmithHealthandSocialServicesCentre1. FortSmithistheeducationcapitaloftheNWT.Allgradesareavailable,fromjunior kindergartentoGrade12,aswellasFrenchimmersionandalternativeeducationprograms.The TownisalsohometothelargestofAuroraCollege’sthreecampuses. FortSmithoffersunique,worldclassopportunities.Worldclassrapids,theworld’slargest DarkSkyPreserve,aUNESCOWorldHeritageSiteandterritorialandnationalparksareall nearby.TheNorthernLifeMuseumandCulturalCentrefeaturesimpressiveculturalandnatural collectionsfromtheThebacharegion.