A decision making tool and guidelines for optimizing Ontario's credit transfer system

Authors
The Governing Council of the University of Toronto
L. Wheelahan
M. Lennon
G. Moodie
A. Brijmohan
E. Lavigne
Reference Number
2015-05
Date
Status
Abstract

The Ontario government has prioritised student pathways within education and between education and the labour market. The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities 2015-­‐16 strategic plan states that “the system will blend academic with applied learning and ensure that transitions are seamless whether it is from high school, between postsecondary education institutions, or between school and work” (Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, 2015, p. 3). The government has spent years investing in research and strategy to achieve these ends. In 2011, the Ontario government set out three goals for a province wide credit transfer system to: “expand and improve pathways to respond to student demand; improve transparency and access to information about pathways and credit transfer; [and,] support student success” (Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, 2011). At the same time, the Government established the Ontario Council for Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT), a government agency designed to support credit transfer and mobility of Ontario students. With a five-­‐year mandate to improve student mobility in Ontario’s public institutions (ONCAT, 2013) the agency has supported research, partnerships and projects to further the systematic capacity for student choice and opportunity...