PCCAT 2012 Conference
The State of Student Transfer and Mobility in Canada:
Learning from Each Other
_____________________
CPCAT Congrès 2012
État actuel des transferts et de la mobilité des étudiants
au Canada: apprendre les uns des autres
June 28-29, 2012 / du 28 au 29 juin 2012
Ottawa Marriott Hotel
Sponsored in part by
Thursday, June 28, 2012
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Victoria Ballroom Foyer
(2nd Floor)
PCCAT Registration Desk Open
Please check in at the Registration Desk to pick up your PCCAT Conference materials. If
you are also an ARUCC Conference attendee, you should still check in for your PCCAT
Conference badge and materials.
7:30 am – 8:45 am
Victoria Ballroom
(2nd Floor)
8:55 am
Victoria Ballroom
(2nd Floor)
Full Breakfast Buffet
All registered ARUCC and PCCAT delegates are invited to attend.
Welcome to PCCAT Delegates
Ron Woodward, Chair, Pan-Canadian Consortium on Admissions and Transfer (PCCAT)
ARUCC Conference Closing Remarks
Hans Rouleau, ARUCC President 2012-2014, Registrar, Bishop’s University
9:05am – 10:10 am
Victoria Ballroom
Keynote Address: Rethinking Institutional Action Towards Student Success
Presenter: Dr. Vincent Tinto, Distinguished University Professor, School of Education,
Syracuse University
Moderator: Hans Rouleau, ARUCC President 2012-2014, Registrar, Bishop’s University
Dr. Vincent Tinto, North America’s pre-eminent scholar on student success theory, will
explore issues related to student success and provide a framework to guide administrative
and academic leadership in this closing keynote for the ARUCC Conference and opening
keynote for the PCCAT Conference. Compelling questions challenge strategic enrolment
leadership and the answers are not exclusively achieved by any one association or student
success champion. What can postsecondary institutions in the new economy do to ensure
student success and improve retention rates? What framework might be proposed? What
areas deserve particular attention? Strategic leaders in postsecondary education must turn
their attention to every aspect of recruitment and retention when weighing in on the matter
of student success.
Dr. Tinto will share reflections and research in keeping with his newest publication release:
Completing College: Rethinking Institutional Action. Recognizing the value and variability of
student success programming beyond the lecture hall, Tinto points to the classroom as the
centre of student education and life, and therefore the primary target for institutional action.
Join us for this engaging and insightful presentation. For those interested in continuing the
discussion, see Session H7 for details on a learning conversation session supported by a
panel of experts that will follow the keynote.
Professor Tinto received his Ph.D. in education and sociology from The University of
Chicago. He is currently Distinguished University Professor at Syracuse University. He has
carried out research and has written extensively on higher education, particularly on student
retention and the impact of learning communities on student growth and attainment. He has
consulted widely with Federal and State agencies, with independent research firms,
foundations, and with two and four-year institutions of higher education on a broad range of
higher educational issues, not the least of which concern the retention and education of
students in higher education. He serves on the editorial boards of several journals and with
various organizations and professional associations concerned with higher education. He
chaired the national panel responsible for awarding $5 million to establish the first national
center for research on teaching and learning in higher education and served as Associate
Director of the $6 million National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and
Assessment funded by the U.S. Office of Education.
.
Professor Tinto is involved in a number of national initiatives to improve college completion
including Completion by Design funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the
Roadmap Project of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, the Institute of
Higher Education’s Pathways to College Network project funded by the Lumina Foundation
for Education, the American Council on Education Commission on Higher Education, and
the American Association of Community Colleges’ Community Colleges: 21st Century
Initiative. He also serves as a Senior Scholar for the Pell Institute for the Study of
Opportunity in Education and the Council for Opportunity in Education.
His new book from The University of Chicago Press, entitled Completing College:
Rethinking Institutional Action, lays out a framework for institutional action and shows how it
can be applied to enhance the success of students in both two and four-year institutions.
10:10 am – 10:30 am
Victoria Ballroom Foyer
10:30 am – 11:45 am
Refreshment Break
Cartier III
(Lower Level)
H1 – Integrating Services at McGill: A Case Study Focused on Change Management,
Leveraging Technology and Evaluation
Presenters: Jocelyne Younan, Associate Registrar (Services) and Chief Invigilator,
Romesh Vadivel, Associate Director, McGill University
Kathleen Massey, University Registrar and Executive Director, Enrolment Services, McGill
University
BLOCK H Concurrent Sessions
Moderator: Deirdre Brown, Communications Change Manager, University of British
Columbia
Learn how the McGill team transformed its collective mindset from ‘this isn’t possible, it’s far
too complex’ to ‘this makes sense, what else can we change?’ through its project to
integrate front line services for students. Plan to engage in a frank and challenging
discussion about how to negotiate and collaborate with colleagues across the institution,
how to measure success, and what it means to foster a learning organization. Details about
the McGill service model will be provided.
Rideau Salon
(3rd Floor)
H2 – Implementing a Phone Contact Centre: Why, How and What it Has Done
Presenters: Patrick Lougheed, Director, Business and Policy Analysis, Simon Fraser
University,
Alan Wiseman, Registrar, University of the Fraser Valley
Moderator: Stella Holly, Program Coordinator, Undergraduate Program Services, University
of Guelph
In 2011, in an effort to improve customer service over the phone, Simon Fraser University
implemented a hosted contact centre technology product. The system has allowed greater
monitoring and control over calls, provided new features to callers, improved reporting, and
provided feedback that can be used to further improve our processes and service. The
session will review the situation before implementation and the rationale, the product
selection process, the project itself, and look at what the outcomes are 8 months later.
Cartier I
(Lower Level)
H3 – Scheduling and That Damn Registrar: A Strategic Approach to a Cultural Shift
Presenter: David Johnston, Associate Vice-Provost (Enrolment) and Registrar, University of
Calgary
Moderator: Ray Darling, University Registrar, Wilfrid Laurier University
A new building and a large renovation project led the University of Calgary to a
comprehensive review of its scheduling and timetabling process. Using extensive data
produced as part of a strategic scheduling check-up we engaged a process improvement
expert to map our antiquated timetabling practices. Partnering with campus stakeholders
and our software provider we have now created a contemporary scheduling policy and are
building a new timetable optimizing the limited instructional space available and creating a
student centric schedule of classes. This presentation will review the process undertaken,
reveal results, and discuss lessons learned and future directions.
Cartier II
(Lower Level)
H5 – Post-Secondary Student Mobility Across Canada and Within Ontario: Report on
PCCAT’s National Research Project
Presenters: PCCAT Research Subcommittee Members
Moderator: Clay MacDougall, Deputy Registrar, Student Implementation Team Lead,
Humber College
The Pan-Canadian Consortium on Admissions and Transfer (PCCAT) recently completed a
survey of all universities in Canada to determine the extent of inter-jurisdictional mobility and
transfer of post-secondary students. The presenter will summarize the findings from this
study, including the numbers of students moving across provincial/territorial borders, the
provinces and institutions students move from and to, whether mobile students receive
transfer credit, their gender and age, and the programs that they enroll in at the receiving
institution. The presenters will provide information from another survey on the movement of
post-secondary students among Ontario post-secondary institutions.
York Salon
(Lower Level)
H6 – A Vendor’s Perspective – Are PESC Standards an Achievable Goal?
Presenters: Leslie Kaufman, CEO, Decision Academic
Dave Mathews, Director, Canadian Solution Centre, Ellucian
Moderator: Doug Holmes, Programmer/Analyst III, Ontario Universities’ Application Centre
Many post-secondary institutions are using packaged SIS systems. How are vendors seeing
the drive to standards and how are they adjusting their packages to support stronger
interchanges between various institutions? Is co-opetition really a feasible option? How are
vendors involved in and using the PESC standards? These issues and more will be
discussed.
Wellington Salon
(3rd Floor)
H7 – Reflections on the Keynote and Student Success
Panelists: Dr. Vincent Tinto, Distinguished University Professor, School of Education,
Syracuse University,
Susan Gottheil, Vice-Provost (Students), University of Manitoba
Robert Fleming, Executive Director and Co-Chair, BC Council on Admissions and Transfer
Moderator: Joanne Duklas, Assistant Vice President, Enrolment Management & University
Registrar, York University
Come join a panel of experts including Keynote speaker Dr. Vincent Tinto, and
representatives from ARUCC and PCCAT for a learning conversation focused on student
success. Reflective questions to ponder include the following: What type of strategic
opportunities might be considered to affect improvements on our campuses? How might we
use the framework provided by Dr. Tinto and / or other experts to affect change in our
schools and associations? What might our experts or you suggest we should be doing to
promote change in and near the classroom? What are some of the challenging outcomes
related to student success? What new strategies or evidence might we consider to leverage
opportunities and mitigate challenges?
Join your colleagues and our panel of experts to further reflect on the keynote conversation
in a more intimate session.
11:50 am - 12:50 pm
Summit (29th Floor)
Buffet Lunch for PCCAT Delegates
Luncheon Presentation: Building A Nationwide Curriculum, Articulation, and Transfer
Network
Presenter: George Tamas, Chief Executive Officer, Governet
Goerge Tamas is currently the CEO of Governet. He has more than 3 decades of
experience as a technology company executive, international consultant, innovator,
visionary, and featured speaker at national and international conferences. He has pioneered
the development of Web-based, multi-entity networks and shared databases for higher
education and government. His company’s flagship product, CurricUNET, is now used by
more than 350 colleges and universities, and includes California’s model for articulation and
transfer, called, ASSIST: Next Generation, which serves the 145 campuses of the University
of California, California State University, and California Community College System. His
company’s vision is “a worldwide curriculum network.”
Thank you to Governet for its sponsorship of the PCCAT 2012 Conference
1:00 pm– 2:00 pm
BLOCK A CONCURRENT SESSIONS
Cartier I
(Lower Level)
1A – Ontario’s Credit Transfer Model Framework: Case Studies
Presenters: Susan Golets, Manager, Program Standards and Evaluation, Ministry of
Training, Colleges and Universities
Maureen Callahan, Interim Executive Director, Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer
Karen Maki, Director, Post-Secondary Partnerships, Trent University
Moderator: Rob Fleming, Executive Director and Co-Chair, BC Council on Admissions and
Transfer
At the 2010 PCCAT Conference, Ontario presented its proposed framework for a credit
transfer system. In January, 2011, the government announced an investment of $74.7M to
implement this system. This presentation will provide an overview of the credit transfer
framework that was developed collaboratively between government and the postsecondary
sector. This framework, built on Ontario’s unique postsecondary landscape and informed by
international trends, provides the foundation upon which transfer pathways for
postsecondary students in Ontario are now being built. Three case studies will be presented
demonstrating each of the three transfer model types in the framework to highlight how
these new pathways are expanding opportunities and access for transfer students.
Cartier II
(Lower Level)
2A – Successes and Barriers to Transfer of Canadian University Students
Presenters: Natalia Ronda, Analyst, and Noel Baldwin, Coordinator, Postsecondary
Education, Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
Moderator: Tim Brunet, Student Recruitment Officer, College University Partnerships –
National Recruitment, University of Windsor
A survey of university students was conducted to investigate their transfer pathways,
including credits transferred, reasons for transfer, and barriers to transfer. A total of 1,876
students were surveyed electronically, of which 16% were transfer students, and another
20% considered transfer. The findings of the study reveal that the majority of students
transfer from universities rather than colleges, and intraprovincial transfer is more prevalent
than interprovincial transfer. Students who chose to transfer cite better quality of program or
joining a program not offered at the previous institution as primary reasons for transfer.
Students who considered transfer but decided against it cite reasons of convenience and
cost among reasons for not transferring. Approximately one third of transfer students had all
of their credits accepted. Interestingly, 38% of students who transferred into a closely related
program had to re‐take pre-requisite courses.
Cartier III
(Lower Level)
3A – How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Calculating the CGPA for
Admissions
Presenters: Laurens Verkade, Manager, Graduate Admissions
Mark Quinsey, Admissions Officer, Graduate and Post-Doctoral Studies Office, McGill
University
Moderator: Kathleen Massey, University Registrar and Executive Director, Enrolment
Services, McGill University
The first deliverable of the multi-year McGill Graduate Admissions Project is a semiautomated web-based CGPA Calculator, programmed in DRUPAL and supported by an
extensive database of country and school-specific grade ladders. This allows for faster,
simplified calculations (workload reduction) and faster turnaround of admissions
applications. This session will provide a history and overview of the work done to
conceptualize and build this admissions tool, ensuring that it meets the needs of admitting
units and the centralized Graduate Studies office, in order to enhance the experience of
applicants and allow us to provide a better service
2:00 pm – 2:20 pm
Foyer
REFRESHMENT BREAK
REGIONAL REPORTS
2:20 pm – 2:55 pm
Cartier I
3:55 pm – 3:30 pm
Cartier I
3:30 pm – 4:05 pm
Cartier I
4:05 pm - 4:35 pm
Cartier I
4:35 pm – 5:15 pm
Cartier I
5:15 – 6:30
Summit (29th Floor)
Regional Report – New Brunswick
Phillip Belanger, Executive Director, NBCAT
Regional Report – Ontario
Maureen Callahan, Interim Executive Director, ONCAT
Susan Golets, Manager, Program Standards and Evaluation, MTCU
Regional Report – Manitoba
Kim Browning, Manager, Strategic Initiatives, Council on Post-Secondary Education
Panel Discussion: Lessons Learned in Three Provinces
Regional Report – Other Regions
RECEPTION
Join your fellow delegates for delicious food while enjoying a spectacular view of the Ottawa
Valley from the 29th floor. Then enjoy a free evening to explore the city.
Friday, June 29, 2012
7:00 am – 12:00 noon
(Lower Level)
7:30 am – 8:15 am
Cartier I
(Lower Level)
8:15 am – 9:00 am
Cartier I
9:10 am – 10:10 am
PCCAT Registration Desk Open
Cartier II
(Lower Level)
1B – Researching Transfer Success: Preliminary Results and Implications for On-time
Completion
Presenters: Dr. Karen McDaniel, Articulation Coordinator, SAIT Polytechnic
Continental Breakfast
All registered delegates are invited to attend.
PCCAT Business Meeting
Join your fellow PCCAT members for an update on the formal business of the organization.
BLOCK B CONCURRENT SESSIONS
Moderator: Ron Woodward, Chair, Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer
Recent studies at York University (2008) and Nippissing University (2007) indicated that
transfer students with advanced standing are withdrawing at higher than expected rates and
graduating at lower than expected rates when compared to direct entry students. SAIT has
initiated a research study to follow students who ask for transfer credit as well as those who
do not but have previous post-secondary experience to determine their level of success
within three years of admission. The application of this information could have significant
impact on how we engage and support these transfer students towards program completion.
Preliminary results have indicated where transfer students are applying and whether or not
they are asking for transfer credit. This is showing direct implication for graduation success.
Cartier III
(Lower Level)
2B - University of Windsor Case Study - 2011/2012 University College Transfer
Research Projects
Presenters: Dr. Shelagh Towson, Associate Professor, College University Partnerships
Coordinator; Tim Brunet, Student Recruitment Officer - College University Partnerships,
National Recruitment; Lisa Plant, Graduate Student and Research Assistant
Alex Wilson, Graduate Student and Research Assistant, University of Windsor
Moderator: Philip Belanger, Executive Director, New Brunswick Council on Articulations and
Transfer
Panelists from the University of Windsor discuss traditional and regional challenges in
assisting transfer students. Topics include:
 Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Windsor : Enhancing the College Transfer
Student Experience
 Identifying College Student Perceptions of University
 Exploring the Lure of Cross Border College-University Transfer Agreements
Cartier I
(Lower Level)
3B – York University – A Case Study: A Strategic and Student Success Perspective on
Implementing Effective Mechanisms to Support Transfer and Mobility
Presenter: Joanne Duklas, Assistant Vice President, Enrolment Management and University
Registrar, York University
Moderator: Kathleen Massey, University Registrar and Executive Director, Enrolment
Services, McGill University
York University has played a long-standing role in establishing transfer agreements with
other post-secondary institutions. Using a case study format, this session will explore the
many mechanisms that have been put in place to support York’s strategic focus on student
mobility and success as a component of Strategic Enrolment Management.
10:10 am – 10:25 am
Foyer
10:25 AM – 11:25 AM
Cartier III
REFRESHMENT BREAK
BLOCK C CONCURRENT SESSIONS
1C – Accounting: A Transfer Pathway Initiative – Win/Win/Win/Win for Ontario
Students, Colleges, Universities and CGA Ontario
Presenter: Helene Vukovich, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business, Arts and Design,
George Brown College
Moderator: Kathleen Massey, University Registrar and Executive Director, Enrolment
Services, McGill University
In 2010, the Ontario Colleges Heads of Business Operating Group (HOB) applied for and
received Ontario College Change Fund support for the development of a province-wide
transfer protocol for Accounting programs. A Steering Committee was established to
oversee the agreement and report on progress.
Facilitating the movement of Ontario college students from one of the 24 MTCU-funded
colleges to another within specific programs or program clusters and/or from a college
diploma or degree to a university degree might be seen as a relatively easy task. At first
blush, one might suggest that a simple process be adhered to: analyze the program learning
outcomes, agree upon an appropriate breakdown of outcomes by year of the program, get
all colleges (and/or universities) to align their curriculum such that students could transfer
from one year to another within each program or program cluster, and, finally, ensure that all
colleges agree on a strategy to identify how General Education and/or Liberal Arts courses
would transfer from one institution to another. Upon completion, everyone would get that
infamous button: “That Was Easy!”
In actuality, the Accounting Pathway Agreement is very complex. Going forward, it is
possible to suggest that seven sections of the agreement potentially could be common to all
others (or changed as necessary to meet unique circumstances). In this way, future
agreements potentially could be comprised of a boilerplate "Introduction", "Pathway
Description and Admission Requirements", "Marketing Statements" and "Appendices".
Cartier I
2C – Admission to University – Guaranteed: Pathways from North Island College to
University of Victoria
Presenter: Lisa Domae, Vice President, Student and Educational Services and Planning,
North Island College
Moderator: Rob Fleming, Executive Director and Co-Chair, BC Council on Admissions and
Transfer
North Island College (NIC) and the only research university on Vancouver Island, the
University of Victoria (UVic), have signed two agreements which guarantee student
admission to the University of Victoria. Dual admission allows students to simultaneously
take courses at both institutions and receive the educational support benefits of both
institutions, including scholarships and awards.
Guaranteed Admission is available to every North Island College University Studies student
who achieves at least a 2.0 GPA in at least 24 credits. Following the establishment of a
Vancouver Island wide public postsecondary network agreement, these two agreements
build on the foundation of BC’s well regarded course transfer system. The NIC-UVic dual
and guaranteed admission agreements secure the most important unknown for college
students – whether they will be admitted to their university of choice.
11:30 am – 12:15 pm
BLOCK D CONCURRENT SESSIONS
Cartier I
1D - Faculty Resources That Can Support Increased Access to Transfer Credit
Presenter: Grant MacTavish, RPL Coordinator, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science
and Technology (SIAST)
Moderator: Philip Belanger, Executive Director, New Brunswick Council on Articulations and
Transfer
Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) has developed
resources to ensure the consistency, quality and currency of articulation agreements. SIAST
has established a central cataloguing system for both sending and receiving agreements.
This system includes a publicly accessible view that highlights the details of agreements and
an internal only view that allows SIAST faculty and management to view the effective dates
of agreements as well as electronic copies of the agreements. The Recognition of Prior
Learning (RPL) Office supports faculty, programs and divisions in developing new
agreements and renewing existing agreements. Supports that will be showcased include the
“Guide to Transfer Credit @ SIAST” and support services to maintain web-based resources.
Support provided to programs by RPL Facilitators trained in transfer credit processes will
also be highlighted.
Cartier III
2D – BCCAT’s Transfer Credit Evaluation System: How Technology Can Facilitate
Articulation
Presenter: Mike Winsemann, Transfer and Technology Manager, BC Council on
Admissions and Transfer
Moderator: Kevin Shufflebotham, Senior Manager, Albert Council on Admissions and
Transfer
12:15 pm – 12:30 pm
Cartier II
12:30 pm
Participants in this session will be introduced to BCCAT’s Transfer Credit Evaluation System
(TCES), an online application used to create transfer agreements in BC. Currently used by
over 40 postsecondary institutions, the TCES enables institutions to create and maintain
thousands of transfer agreements per year. The results are published in the BC Transfer
Guide. Participants will also be given a brief overview of the BC Transfer Guide website.
Closing Remarks
Kathleen Massey, PCCAT 2012 Conference Chair
Conference Concludes
Safe journey home