POST-SECONDARY PATHWAYS IN SASKATCHEWAN Pathways to Education and Work Centre for the Study of Canadian and International Higher Education Qualifications: The Link Between Educational and Occupational Pathways and Labour Market Outcomes is a project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The four-year project investigates the nature of pathways within postsecondary education, and between postsecondary education and the labour market. As part of this project, the Provincial Pathways profile series lays the groundwork for further inquiry contrasting and comparing educational and occupational pathways in Canadian provinces and territories. Saskatchewan: Overview Coordination of higher education in Saskatchewan is less centralized than in some other provinces. However, there are many agreements and arrangements in place that support student access and mobility between individual postsecondary institutions (CICIC, 2013). As such, students tend to be evaluated for transfer credit on a course-by-course basis. There are numerous coordinated transfer and articulation arrangements, particularly in the subject areas of nursing, business, integrated resource management, chemical technology, computer science, and administration (CICIC, 2013). Post-Secondary System Description Higher education in Saskatchewan falls under the jurisdiction of its Ministry of Advanced Education. The Ministry’s most recent planning document (2015/2016) includes goals of enhancing the educational attainment of the province’s large Indigenous population, and attracting and retaining skilled workers in the province, which has been subject in recent years to a volatile, resource-based economy (Saskatchewan Ministry of Advanced Education, 2015). Institutions in the Saskatchewan post-secondary system include: Two universities located in the two largest urban centers, Saskatchewan and Regina Saskatchewan Polytechnic, which grants applied degrees and has several campuses across the province Four federated colleges. Academically, these colleges are integrated with one of the province’s two academic universities and offer arts degrees and science degrees. The colleges are religious institutions, with the exception of The First Nations University of Canada. Six affiliated colleges. These are private religious institutions that offer some transferability on a course-by-course basis. Eight regional (community) colleges (Government of Saskatchewan, n.d.) Saskatchewan also has a well-established network of Indigenous institutions. First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) is academically federated with the University of Regina, and operates under the jurisdiction of the province’s Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations [FSIN] (CICIC, 2016). The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) and the Gabriel Dumont Institute partner with multiple institutions to offer training, adult education, and vocational education to Metis and Indigenous learners. History The University of Saskatchewan opened in 1907. Numerous religious institutions, including Regina College (1911) were established over the next four decades (Muir, 1997).1 In 1944, Regina College was merged with the University of Saskatchewan to become a second campus of the latter (Muir, 1997). The Regina campus became a separate university in 1974, at which time a Universities Commission was established to coordinate the two institutions. An interesting aspect of the history of Saskatchewan’s system is the comparatively disproportionate role of technical institutes relative to community colleges. Dennison and Gallagher (1986) cite a basic division between rurally situated community colleges with thriving community programming in the 1970s. Their urban counterparts, along with four technical institutes, were more focused on adult basic education and vocationally oriented programming. The four technical institutes were established throughout the province between 1962 and 1986 (Muir, 1997). These were combined as the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) by the Institute Act and Regional Colleges Act in 1988 (CICIC, 2016). This Act placed the technical institutes, along with some urban colleges, under the direction of a provincially-appointed Board of Governors (Muir, 1997). In 2012, SIAST was given degree-granting authority via the Degree Authorization Act. The Act established the Saskatchewan Higher Education Quality Assurance Board, which makes recommendations to the Ministry about new degree offerings.2 The Saskatchewan Polytechnic 1 Muir (1997) describes the early University of Saskatchewan as highly territorial: "Any other educational institution that showed signs of competing with the provincial university for government funding were ruthlessly suppressed or cannibalized. If institutions such as Regina College...wanted to move into higher education, they were allowed only to teach first and second year University of Saskatchewan arts and science courses as affiliated ‘junior colleges’" (p. 95). 2 The province’s two universities are exempt from this process. Act (2014) 2014 extended the capacities of the province's technical institutes to conduct research and offer degrees (Government of Saskatchewan, 2014).3 At this time, SIAST was renamed Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Whereas urban colleges and technical institutes were focused on basic adult education and training, community colleges in non-urban areas served as hubs for community development, focused on informal learning. Following the Community Colleges Act proclamation in 1973, colleges were established across the province (Community and regional colleges, n.d.) Muir (1997) states that these community colleges were unique in that they were accorded strong local control. Sixteen of these institutions existed by 1987 (Muir, 1997). The community colleges were consolidated into nine institutions alongside changes to technical institutions in 1988. Renamed “Regional Colleges,” these institutions shifted focus to more formal offerings, including access to courses for credit (CMEC, 2003; Community and regional colleges, n.d.). 4 Pathways in the Province Historically, credit transfer in Saskatchewan has been determined by institutions on a case-by- case basis. In 2003, provincial representatives reported that policies and procedures for transferring credit varied across the province, with individual institutions providing transfer credit information (CMEC, 2003). However, in the same report, it was noted that the province was actively promoting access to education- both in terms of the range of offerings and also reaching rural and northern areas (CMEC, 2003). This commitment was behind the founding of the Saskatchewan Council for Admissions and Transfer [SaskCAT] in fall 2004 (CMEC, 2006). SaskCAT was tasked with creating an online Transfer Credit Guide, and developing articulation committees and other infrastructures to enhance transfers and articulations (CMEC, 2009). SaskCAT was dissolved in 2010, (ACCC, 2011), although the Ministry and institutions in Saskatchewan have continued to work toward greater mobility for students with an expanding array of transfer agreements. Supporting credit transfer was listed as a strategy for providing “non-financial supports” for students within the Ministry of Advanced Education’s Plan for 2015-16 (p. 4). The report also indicated that further cooperation between universities, regional colleges and technical institutes was a strategy for “meeting the challenges of growth” and that a sub-strategy included promoting efficiency within post-secondary education (Saskatchewan Ministry of Advanced Education, 2015, p. 5). In 2016, partners from across the province formed the Saskatchewan Transfer Credit and Learner Pathway Council. To date, members include the Ministry of Advanced Education; Saskatchewan Polytechnic; University of Regina; University of Saskatchewan; Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology; and Briercrest College and Seminary. The Council is voluntary and is not funded by government. The Ministry of Advanced Education is a partner, however. 3 The institution now offers two nursing-bachelor degree programs and collaborates with the University of Regina to offer a Nurse Practitioner graduate degree program (Saskatchewan Polytechnic, n.d.). 4 Regional Colleges Act. Chapter R-8.1 of the Statutes of Saskatchewan, 1986-87-88 (effective January 1, 1988). Retrieved January 16, 2017 from http://www.qp.gov.sk.ca/documents/English/Statutes/Statutes/R8-1.pdf The goals of the Council are similar to those undertaken by Articulation and Transfer Committees in other provinces, including: Monitoring transfers and pathways of students, and looking for barriers and success factors Liaising with other transfer and articulation organizations in other provinces Public awareness and promotion of pathways to public Develop and support the work of articulation committees5 Trades Apprenticeship and Trade Certification is managed by the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) on behalf of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Economy. There are 47 designated trades in Saskatchewan (CICIC, 2016). Trades are offered on the various campuses of Sask Polytech, the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, and numerous community colleges and private vocational schools (CICIC, 2016). In addition to general apprenticeship programs, the SATCC administers specialized apprenticeship programs for youth, and Indigenous people. Potential students