COMING SOON – we’re making your postsecondary path one click quicker! An "Apply Now" button will soon appear next to certain www.ontransfer.ca searches, taking interested students directly to the OCAS website for the respective pathway. This is a pilot project, testing first with college degree pathways, with the goal of expanding the feature to include all pathways housed on the site – supporting a more seamless transfer experience for students. If you are a transfer advisor or administrator and would like more information, contact rchan@oncat.ca. For all other inquires, contact schwalek@oncat.ca.
ONCAT Conference Session Presentations
ONCAT's 6th annual Student Pathways in Higher Education Conference took place on May 1-2, 2017 at the Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel. We extend our thanks to the keynote speakers for their insights, the many presenters for sharing their work and research, and the over 300 delegates for their participation.
The Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) is pleased to support its 45 member public Ontario colleges and universities through new funding for a range of student mobility projects and research initiatives.
In November 2016 ONCAT issued Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for projects on Pathway Development, Innovative Curriculum Delivery, and Research. After a record number of submissions and careful evaluation, funding was granted to 40 new projects, all of which are based on collaboration among postsecondary institutions. We are pleased to highlight that of those approved, 40% are geared towards marginalized learners (Francophone, adult/mature, Indigenous, and those with accessibility needs), and 20% are directed towards supporting mobility in the North.
Additionally, 60+ new final reports for completed research and pathway development projects were posted to the ONCAT website, along with Final Report Guidelines and Handbooks; these are significant learning resources to the sector, serving to bring together examples, tools, and experiences on credit transfer and articulation.
The momentous Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2014 among provincial councils responsible for facilitating credit transfer activities in Alberta, BC, New Brunswick, and Ontario is being expanded to include new members, Campus Manitoba, SaskCAT, and Nova Scotia CAT. The change will help to further enhance student mobility across respective jurisdictions, and on a pan-Canadian basis.
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the first issue of the 2017-18 ONCAT newsletter. While the last few months have been incredibly busy for ONCAT with the conclusion of the past fiscal year, that has not stopped us from hitting the ground running.
We just wrapped up our 6th annual Student Pathways in Higher Education conference. More than 300 education professionals converged in Toronto to learn about emerging directions in student mobility, explore new partnerships, and share expertise on credit transfer and student support. I would like to once again thank our guest speakers, presenters, and facilitators, the many participating partners, and the ONCAT team responsible for organizing the event. For those of you who are interested, see the links in the email for the posted conference presentation slides and photo, and our feedback survey, which helps us to improve the event for future years. We also released our 2016-17 Annual Report outlining all our highlights from the year. It's available online if you're interested in learning more about our accomplishments.
The conference followed a similarly successful ONTransfer.ca Day event held in March. ONTransfer.ca Day serves as a platform for discussing the technical aspects of credit transfer and sharing tools and resources. Sessions covered the topics of data, communication, mobility culture, and more broad operational challenges and opportunities.
Around the same time, the collection and posting of 40 new final project and research reports was completed, concurrently with the selection of the 2016-17 Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for new projects on postsecondary Innovative Curriculum Delivery, Pathway Development, and Research on credit transfer in the province of Ontario. We’re thrilled to see a growing interest in expanding the credit transfer infrastructure through this important work, evidenced by the record number and quality of applications. After careful evaluation by our peer review panels, 40 new projects have been approved for funding, with which ONCAT is very excited to move forward.
Lastly, as the summer season approaches, so does a transition on both our governance and operational fronts. ONCAT Board Co-Chairs, Tim McTiernan, President and Vice-Chancellor of UOIT, and Glenn Vollebregt, President and CEO of St. Lawrence College, will be wrapping up their tenures, alongside the departure of 2 directors. We thank them for their leadership and commitment to putting students first in the efforts to move the credit transfer agenda forward.
ONCAT will also be undergoing office renovations in the coming months to support a growing mandate and team, resulting in a locational closure anticipated from July 29 - Sept 16, 2017. We will, however, continue to work offsite during this time, and should you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to our Operations Director, Alana Wiens, who is leading the project.
On behalf of the ONCAT team, I would like to extend our deep appreciation to everyone who has contributed to our ongoing success. For our members and stakeholders, we hope the summer term is restful and productive.
Sincerely,
Lia Quickert
Interim Executive Director Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Director
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