CHAPTER FIVE: PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS
The effectiveness of the Science Program at Vanier College is examined in this chapter. Data
has been obtained from a variety of sources: the Vanier Registrar’s Office, the Vanier
Admission Reports, SRAM (Service Régional d’admission du Montréal métropolitain) and
CREPUQ ( Conférence des Recteurs et des Principaux des Universités du Québec). In general,
the time period examined is from the fall of 1995 to the fall of 2002. This provides a long
enough time period to reveal significant trends. Exceptions occur in some data due to
difficulties in obtaining the data or because the data were not available. For example, graduation
rates beyond the 2000 cohort are not yet known. Unless otherwise stated, data refer to students
in all Science Programs; that is, Health Science, Pure and Applied Science, Science Access,
Modified Science, Science Plus, Science and Music.
5.1 The Science Student Population: Recruitment, Selection and Integration
Figure 5.1.1 shows the overall number of students who applied, were accepted and registered in
the fall semester in the Science Program (all groupings, as above.) One can easily see that the
number of applicants steadily declined until the year 2000 and that there was a pronounced
increase in the number of applicants in 2002. Figure 5.2 shows the ratio of the number of
students accepted to those who applied and the ratio of those registering to those who were
accepted. The ratios have remained very steady until 2002 when there was a large increase in
the number of applicants but only a modest increase in the number accepted. The admission
standards have not changed, so the change in acceptance ratio may be due to the fact that final
grades in Math 536 were unusually low in this year. The admissions in winter semesters are not
examined in detail since they are typically less than 10 % of the total admissions and most of
them are internal program transfers.
The number of students registering as a percentage of those accepted also shows an increase in
2002. This may be the result of a new orientation event launched in 2002, wherein Science
Program teachers, including especially the English Department and The Learning Centre who
address language issues, offered hands-on workshops rather than an information session for
potential students. Attendance at this event was double the number of other orientations, and it
is suspected that this gave students a sense of the excitement of studying Science. Also
highlighted was the help given to francophone students, of whom many apply (see 5.2), to
integrate them into the Program. This increase may also be due to other factors external to the
college. Recruitment of high quality Science students has been an on-going pre-occupation, as
the college attempts to reposition itself as a competitor for students of high academic calibre.
The recruitment office has made this a major thrust of its work in the past four years. The
Faculty, as well, keeps recruitment in mind when conducting liaison workshops with high
school teachers, and making efforts to keep good communication with the feeder schools
through Science Fairs, invitations to the Howard Hughes Lecture Series, and so on.
Both the student intake numbers and student intake ratios shown in the following figures
suggest a healthy program, as applicants in A02 exceed acceptances in greater numbers than
previously, and more accepted students actually registered, as well, in that year.
100
FIGURE 5.1.1: VANIER SCIENCE STUDENT INTAKE NUMBERS
Number
Number of Students Applied, Accepted and Registered in
All Science Programs (fall semester)
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
1996
Applied
Accepted
Registered
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Year
source: Vanier admission reports
FIGURE 5.1.2: VANIER SCIENCE STUDENT INTAKE RATIOS
Accepted/Applied and Registered/Accepted Rates
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
Percent
70.0%
60.0%
Acc/App
Reg/Acc
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
1996
1997
1998
1999
Year
source: Vanier admission reports
101
2000
2001
2002
Figure 5.1.3 shows the total enrollment in all Science Programs in all semesters since the winter
of 1995. As expected, the number of students registered reflects the trend in fall admissions. It
is also apparent that the number of students enrolled each winter semester is about 10% fewer
than in the preceding fall.
FIGURE 5.1.3: SCIENCE STUDENT POPULATION: ENROLLMENT
Total Enrollment in All Science Programs (after
validation)
1100
Enrollment
1000
900
800
700
H
95
A9
5
H
96
A9
6
H
97
A9
7
H
98
A9
8
H
99
A9
9
H
00
A0
0
H
01
A0
1
H
02
A0
2
600
Semester
source: Vanier registration statistics
Figure 5.1.4 shows the enrollment in special programs. It is in these special programs that
Science does its principal integration work. The sharp increase in Science Plus enrollment in
A97 was the result of a decision to admit two classes (80 students) into Science Plus that year.
The experiment was not a success and was not repeated since many of the students were not
prepared for an enriched experience. The drop in number of Science Access students in A97
was likewise the consequence of a decision to restrict this Program to one class of students in
recognition of the limited ability of the College to provide the extra resources required by
students who are ill prepared. The sharp increase in the number of Modified Science students in
A02 was caused by unusually low grades in high school Mathematics in that year. The
consequences of admitting so many students in this special category are being examined.
Science Access and Modified Science students are monitored individually, and are integrated
via the Study Skills Course for Access Science and the tutorial for Modified Science. See
Chapter Two, 2.4 for further information on integration.
102
FIGURE 5.1.4: SCIENCE STUDENT POPULATION: SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Enrollment in Special Programs (after validation)
120
100
Enrollment
80
60
40
20
0
A95
A96
A97
A98
A99
A00
A01
A02
Semester
Science Plus and Music
Science Access
Modified Science
source: Vanier registration statistics
5.2 Vanier Science Students: Student Characteristics
Figure 5.2.1 shows data on the characteristics of students who registered in the Science
Program. It can be seen that the number of women students remained steady at just under 50 %
until 2001 when it increased to just over 50 %. It is not clear yet whether this is a trend or just a
random statistical fluctuation. The division of students between the Health Science profile and
the Pure and Applied Science profile is strongly dependent on gender. This reflects the fact that
careers in Engineering, Mathematics and Physics continue to be less attractive to women in
society in general. The age data in Fig. 5.2.1(b) shows that the proportion of students 17 years
old or less has increased steadily since 1998. This is probably a consequence of the increase in
numbers of applicants directly from high school in recent years.
Fig. 5.2.1 (c) shows the language background of students in science. Only about 30% claim
English as their mother tongue. About 10 to 15% of students are francophone; this group has
shown an increase in the last few years. The majority of students in the Program, about 60%,
come from homes with native languages other than English or French and speak English as a
second, third, fourth or even fifth language. Furthermore, many of these students have taken
their secondary education in French (see Fig. 5.2.2). This creates the need for a great deal of
language support for students at Vanier that is provided through The Learning Center and
special English courses. In addition, teachers of all subjects become language teachers to some
extent in all their courses.
103
FIGURE 5.2.1:CHARACTERISTICS OF SCIENCE STUDENTS: FALL ADMISSIONS
(a) Gender
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
% Females
70.0%
60.0%
Total
50.0%
Health
Pure & Applied
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Year
(b) Age
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
% of Total
70.0%
≤ 17 years
60.0%
18 years
50.0%
19 years
40.0%
≥ 20 years
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Year
(c) Mother Tongue
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
% of Total
70.0%
60.0%
English
50.0%
French
Other
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Year
source: Vanier admissions reports
104
2001
2002
Language of High School Instruction
FIGURE 5.2.2:
HIGH
SCHOOL
LANGUAGE
Percentage of Science Students
60.0
50.0
40.0
English
30.0
French
Other
20.0
10.0
0.0
A95
A96
A97
A98
A99
A00
A01
A02
Semester
source: Vanier registration statistics
To meet the need for remedial language instruction, the English Department offers four
different levels at which students can take their first English course. Students are assigned to
their first English course based on an English Placement exam. The Department routinely
examines the success of students entering at various levels in their subsequent English courses.
As an example, the results for the 1998 - 99 cohort of science students are shown in Table 5.2.1.
TABLE
5.2.1:
SUCCESS
IN
ENGLISH
First English Number of
course
Students
Pass Rate
Pass Rate in
Exit Exam
in First
Subsequent
Pass Rate
English Course English Courses
Health and Pure and Applied Science
prep or
double credit
13
92%
97%
67%
101/32
73
93%
97%
80%
101/31
78
90%
99%
89%
101/30
91
97%
98%
97%
Modified and Science Access
prep or
double credit
5
100%
100%
60%
101/32
20
75%
91%
92%
101/31
27
78%
93%
86%
101/30
32
75%
100%
100%
105
It can be seen that pass rates for Modified and Science Access students is a little lower in their
first English course than students in the regular programs. This is probably due to the fact that
these students are assigned to these Programs because of their low level of skills including
language. It can also be seen that students entering at the prep level (mostly foreign students
with very poor English skills) have more trouble with the English Exit Exam. Generally the
pass rate in subsequent English courses and the Exit Exam is very high and suggests that
Science students are well served by the flexible entry level offered in English.
Finally, fig. 5.2.3 shows the general high school average of students admitted to the Science
Program in the fall semester from 1995 to 2001. The data for Vanier is compared to the
average for all other colleges in the system and the average for all other anglophone colleges in
the system. In both cases, it is clear that Vanier is accommodating students with, on average,
weaker high school backgrounds than most other colleges. It is also clear that the high school
averages of students admitted to Science has increased slowly but steadily since 1995. This is
probably due to changes in the high school program and does not reflect, in the opinion of most
college Science teachers, an increase in the ability of students to handle the college Science
curriculum. It is interesting to note that in 1998, the high school averages of students admitted
were lower by a few percent than in previous or subsequent years. It is well known (see fig.
5.2.4) that there is a very strong correlation between a student’s high school marks and success
at college. Due to the steep slope of the curves, especially around the entrance threshold at
70%, any change in the entrance level will have a strong impact on graduation rates. The 1998
“dip” is reflected in many of the statistics on student success in subsequent sections.
Source:
SRAM
Calibre of Vanier Students
90.0
General High School Average
FIGURE
5.2.3:
AVERAGE
OF HIGH
SCHOOL
AVERAGES
(FALL ADMISSIONS,
SCIENCE)
85.0
Vanier
All Colleges
Anglo Colleges
80.0
75.0
1995
1996 1997
1998
1999 2000
Cohort Year
106
2001
FIGURE 5.2.4: GRADUATION RATE AS A FUNCTION OF HIGH SCHOOL
AVERAGE
source: SRAM
107
5.3 Science Student Graduation and Persistence Rates
Figure 5.3.1 shows the graduation rates for Vanier science students. Each year represents the
cohort of students entering the college in the fall. The four lines give the percentage of these
students who have graduated in the Science Program after two or three years and those who
have graduated in any program from the college after two or three years. Typically, after two
years only 50 % of the students have graduated from the Science Program. After another year,
another 10 % graduate from the Science Program and nearly 80 % have graduated from some
program in the college. Two or three percent more will eventually graduate from Vanier and
about 3% will graduate from another college. Of the remaining approximately15%, some have
transferred to a university out of province. Since the SRAM statistics do not follow students
who transfer out of province, it is not possible to know how many students drop out altogether,
but it is clearly less than 15 %. One interesting feature that stands out is the low graduation rate
for the 1998 cohort. It is probable that this is a direct consequence of the lower “calibre” of
students in that cohort (see fig. 5.2.3).
FIGURE 5.3.1: OVERALL SCIENCE GRADUATION RATES
Vanier Graduation Rates
100.0
90.0
% Graduated
80.0
70.0
Same Prog. After 2 Years
60.0
Any Prog. After 2 Years
50.0
Same Prog. After 3 Years
40.0
Any Prog. After 3 Years
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Figure 5.3.1: SCIENCE GRADUATION RATES
Year
source: SRAM
108
Figures 5.3.2.A and 5.3.2.B show the graduation rates in the remedial Programs Science Access
and Modified Science. These Programs were designed to give students who do not meet the
requirements for admission into the Science Program the opportunity to improve their skills in
order to gain admission into Science or, failing that, to reconsider their career options. In both
Programs, about 40 to 50 % of students have graduated with a DEC in Science after four years.
(Numbers are lower in A95 for the Modified Science Program since the Program had just
started and there were very few students.) Of the students who do not graduate in Science, most
transfer to another program in the college and after four years, 65 to 75 % of all students have
obtained a DEC in some program. (Note that these figures do not include students who transfer
to another college.) These graduation rates, which are only a little lower than for the regular
Science Program, are quite satisfactory since these are students who started college with a
disadvantage and would not otherwise have had a chance to study Science.
FIGURE 5.3.2.A:
ACCESS
SUCCESS
RATES
Science Access Graduation Rates
90
80
percent of cohort
70
2 years
3 years
4 years
2 years
3 years
4 years
60
50
40
30
(science prog.)
(science prog.)
(science prog.)
(any prog.)
(any prog.)
(any prog.)
20
10
0
A95
A96
A97
A98
A99
semester of registration
FIGURE 5.3.2.B:
MODIFIED
SUCCESS
RATES
Modified Science Graduation Rates
90
80
percent of cohort
70
Source: Vanier
registration
statistics
2 years
3 years
4 years
2 years
3 years
4 years
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
A95
A96
A97
A98
semester of registration
109
A99
(science prog.)
(science prog.)
(science prog.)
(any prog.)
(any prog.)
(any prog.)
Figure 5.3.3 shows Vanier’s graduation rates in comparison with other colleges. Only the
“same program, same college” data are shown; however, the others show a very similar
comparison. Except for the 1998 cohort, Vanier’s graduation rate is nearly the same as the
other anglophone colleges and significantly above the average for the province.
FIGURE 5.3.3: VANIER GRADUATION RATES COMPARED TO THE RESEAU
Comparison of Graduation Rates
(Same Program after Three Years)
80.0
% graduated
70.0
Vanier
60.0
All Other Colleges
Anglo Colleges
50.0
40.0
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Cohort Year
source: SRAM
Figures 5.3.4 and 5.3.5 show re-registration rates for Vanier in comparison with other colleges.
They show the same trends as the graduation rates. Except for the 1998 cohort, most of the
Vanier data are similar to or slightly below the other anglophone colleges and above the average
for the province.
110
FIGURE 5.3.4:
REREGISTRATION
Vanier Re-Registration Rates
% Re-Registered
100.0
90.0
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Cohort Year
source: SRAM
FIGURE 5.3.5:
4TH SEMESTER
REGISTRATION
2nd Semester, Same Prog.
2nd Semester, All Progs.
3rd Semester, Same Prog.
3rd Semester, All Progs.
4th Semester, Same Prog.
4th Semester, All Progs.
Comparison of 4th Semester Re-Registration Rates
% Re-Registered
100.0
90.0
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Cohort Year
source: SRAM
Vanier, Same Prog.
Vanier, All Progs.
All Colleges, Same Prog.
All Colleges, All Progs.
Anglo Colleges, Same Prog.
Anglo Colleges, All Progs.
111
2000
Figure 5.3.6 shows success rates (% of courses passed) averaged over all courses taken by
students in the program. Again, except for the 1998 cohort, Vanier’s data compare favourably
with the other anglophone colleges and is above the provincial average.
Figure 5.3.7 shows the percentage of diplomas obtained with no failed courses for Vanier
students in comparison with other colleges. At first glance, this data appears to contradict the
previous chart since Vanier’s statistics are consistently 5 to 10 % below the others. However,
this may be explained by the fact that Vanier students, on average, enter college with lower
grades than in other colleges and, as a consequence, have trouble with some of their courses. In
addition, only about 30% of them are studying in their native language and many second
language students may fail some courses due to language problems. The good news is that at
Vanier, most of these students persist and eventually obtain a diploma either in Science or in
some other program. It may take an extra semester or two but they finally succeed. In other
colleges, since pass rates are lower but fewer students graduate with failed courses, it must be
that students in difficulty drop out before graduating and therefore they show up in the data
shown in fig. 5.3.6 but not in the data shown in fig. 5.3.7.
FIGURE 5.3.6: COMPARISON AVERAGE COURSE SUCCESS RATES
Average Course Success Rates
(% of courses passed)
Average Success Rate
100.0
95.0
Vanier
90.0
All Colleges
Anglo Colleges
85.0
80.0
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Cohort Year
source: SRAM
112
2000
2001
FIGURE 5.3.7: DIPLOMAS OBTAINED WITH NO FAILED COURSES
Diplomas Obtained with No Failed Courses
Percent of Diplomas
100.0
80.0
60.0
Vanier
All Colleges
Anglo Colleges
40.0
20.0
0.0
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Cohort Year
source: SRAM
Figure 5.3.8 shows a subject by subject comparison of Vanier students’ success rates with all
other colleges. Vanier’s success rates in General Studies are a couple of percentage points
below the average for other colleges. This may be another consequence of the lower high
school averages of Vanier students and the fact that many of them are studying in a second,
third or fourth language. In the Science subjects, Biology and Chemistry are within a percent of
the others while Math is 4% higher and Physics 5% lower. Figure 5.3.9 shows the rates for
Math and Physics over a five year period. The differences remain fairly steady over this time
period except that there is some indication that Vanier’s Physics success rates have improved a
little in the last two years.
113
FIGURE 5.3.8:
SUCCESS AT
VANIER
COMPARED TO
OTHER
COLLEGES
Comparison of Success Rates
(Average from A97 to A01)
100%
Percent of Courses Passed
95%
90%
Vanier
85%
Other Colleges
80%
75%
70%
y
og
ol
i
B
source: SRAM
M
h
at
C
FIGURE 5.3.9:
SUCCESS IN
MATH AND
PHYSICS
m
he
try
is
h
h
es
cs
is
nc
i ti
si
gl
e
n
y
r
n
a
F
E
Ph
um
H
Success Rates in Math and Physics
100%
Percent of Courses Passed
95%
90%
85%
80%
75%
70%
65%
60%
A97
A98
A99
A00
A01
Semester
source: SRAM
Math: Vanier
Math: Others
114
Physics: Vanier
Physics: Others
5.4 Admission Rates to Universities
Finally, the success of graduates in obtaining admission to university is presented. In all cases,
the number of students who applied, the number who were admitted and/or the percentage of
those admitted of those who applied are shown. The actual numbers registering in university
may be different since many students apply to more than one. The number who are accepted for
admission is the best indicator of success.
The first chart, Table 5.4.1, shows the number of students admitted to four Montreal institutions
into a variety of programs in the fall of 2002. (Admissions to U.Q.A.M. are omitted because the
numbers are too small.) The graph in Fig. 5.4.1 shows how the admission rate to all programs
has varied over the past eight years. The rates for Université de Montréal and École
Polytechnique fluctuate a lot since the numbers are low, but the rates for McGill and Concordia
are steady and show a slight increase with time. All data refers only to Science students.
TABLE 5.4.1 :
source: CREPUQ
Admission to Universities by Programme
Vanier Students, A02
University
All fields
Pure Science
Engineering
Applied Science
Health Science
Applied
Admitted
% admitted
Applied
Admitted
% admitted
Applied
Admitted
% admitted
Applied
Admitted
% admitted
Applied
Admitted
% admitted
All
278
258
92.8%
117
109
93.2%
124
107
86.3%
38
24
63.2%
63
38
60.3%
Concordia
215
198
92.1%
75
71
94.7%
107
95
88.8%
25
18
72.0%
McGill
186
126
67.7%
57
37
64.9%
69
42
60.9%
11
6
54.5%
38
21
55.3%
Montréal Polytechnique
60
14
55
9
91.7%
64.3%
33
29
87.9%
14
9
64.3%
8
3
37.5%
47
20
42.6%
Admission of Vanier Science Students
to Universities
FIGURE 5.4.1 :
source: CREPUQ
Percent Admitted
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
All Universities
70.0%
Concordia
McGill
Montréal
Polytechnique
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
A95
A96
A97
A98
A99
Semester
115
A00
A01
A02
Table 5.4.2 shows the A02 admission (acceptance) rate to all programs at different universities
in comparison with all colleges in the province and with the other anglophone colleges. Clearly,
the percentage of college students admitted to McGill is much lower than to other universities.
For this reason, the acceptance rates to McGill over an eight year period for all the anglophone
colleges are shown in figure 5.4.2. Except for A02, the rates for Vanier are similar to those for
Dawson but lag behind John Abbott and Marianopolis. There may be many explanations for this
lag. Vanier students may primarily target highly competitive programs such as Medicine,
Pharmacy or Computer Engineering rather than the specific university. The lower percentages
may also reflect the fact that Vanier students have, on average, lower high school marks than
those in the other colleges. The drop in A02 may be explained by the use of the R-score for
admission, and the way in which this impacts on Vanier students. (Implications regarding the Rscore are discussed in Chapter One, Chapter Two and on the following page.) However,
though it has been given much study in this evaluation process, this pattern of admission to one
particular university remains to be fully explained.
TABLE 5.4.2
Comparison of Admissions to Universities (A02 semester)
source: CREPUQ
All Colleges
Applied
Admitted
% admitted
Vanier
Applied
Admitted
% admitted
Dawson
Applied
Admitted
% admitted
John Abbot
Applied
Admitted
% admitted
Marianopolis
Applied
Admitted
% admitted
University
McGill
2030
1519
74.8%
186
126
67.7%
238
188
79.0%
222
173
77.9%
326
275
84.4%
Concordia
1249
1171
93.8%
215
198
92.1%
236
219
92.8%
203
195
96.1%
204
201
98.5%
Montréal
2885
2582
89.5%
60
55
91.7%
61
49
80.3%
33
24
72.7%
85
72
84.7%
Polytechnique
878
734
83.6%
14
9
64.3%
5
4
80.0%
11
9
81.8%
15
13
86.7%
Comparison of Admissions to McGill
FIGURE 5.4.2 :
90.0%
Percent Admitted
source: CREPUQ
All
7030
6836
97.2%
278
258
92.8%
323
301
93.2%
292
281
96.2%
351
340
96.9%
80.0%
All Colleges
70.0%
Vanier
Dawson
60.0%
John Abbot
Marianopolis
50.0%
40.0%
A94
A95
A96
A97
A98
A99
Semester
116
A00
A01
A02
The use of the R-score as primary criterion for acceptance to university programs will certainly
not be to the advantage of Vanier College students. Exclusive use of the R-score disadvantages
students in enriched college classes where class averages are high and standard deviations are
low. This impacts directly upon the Science Plus Program where many of Vanier’s best Science
students cluster. Furthermore, the fact that Vanier Science students, overall, have lower high
school averages directly affects the average R-score. This average score of a group of students
is 25 + 5xISG where the ISG factor is based exclusively on the high school grades of the
students in the group. This is true in all courses; hence the overall average of the R-scores of
students at a particular college is completely independent of their college marks. This means
that while the success of individual students will depend on how well they do at college, the
average success in acceptance to university of all students in a program has nothing to do with
how well their college has prepared them. In other words, no matter how much a college
supports student success and improves student academic skills, this will not be reflected in the
acceptance, on average, of their students to university. This flaw in the university admissions
process could act as a disincentive to excellence at the college level. It is for these reasons that
Vanier College is studying ways of dealing with R-score issues, not only in the way that class
groupings are defined, but also in lobbying for recognition of special programs. See Appendix
B.6 for current Vanier Science measures for dealing with the R-score.
5.5 Attainment of Established Standards by Graduates
Ideally, the best way to judge whether or not Vanier’s graduates have attained an appropriate
would be to examine their success at the university level. Unfortunately, such information is not
available. As an alternative measure, the satisfaction of graduates, current students and faculty
with the standards maintained are presented here. This section of the report draws on the
Graduate Survey, Class of 2001, the student questionnaire given to presently registered
students, and the faculty questionnaire.
5.5.1. What the Graduates Report
The Vanier Graduate Survey was mailed to all students who graduated in the winter, summer
and fall semesters of 2001. There were 372 responses, about 30% of the total graduating class.
Of these, 80 had been in the Science Program at Vanier and would be finishing their first year at
university. Since the survey relied on voluntary response, the sample is not completely random;
however, given the high level of response, the results can be considered fairly representative of
the opinions of the whole class.
Of the Science respondents, 98% were enrolled as full-time students at a university or college
and 87% were in their first choice of program. They were distributed amongst the universities
as follows:
Concordia:
46%
McGill:
36%
Université de Montréal:
12%
other
7%
Several questions on the survey addressed the general effectiveness of the Science Program.
The responses to those questions are as follows:
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Question 7: How well did your program at Vanier prepare you for your current studies at
University?
well or very well: 55%
moderately well: 39%
mean response (6 choices): 2.34  0.10
poorly or very poorly: 7%
- about the same as other programs at Vanier.
Question 20: Would you recommend your program of study to a friend of family member?
recommend or strongly recommend: 86%
mean response(5 choices): 1.79  0.08
might recommend: 12%
not rec.: 3%
- the highest for pre-university programs at Vanier.
Question 21: Would you recommend Vanier College to a friend or family member?
recommend or strongly recommend: 82%
mean response (5 choices): 1.76  0.08
might recommend: 18%
not rec.: 0
- about the same as for other programs at Vanier.
By far the majority of these students would recommend the Vanier Science Program to a friend
or relative. Fewer of them feel that they were well prepared for university although very few
say that the preparation was poor.
5.5.2 What the Present Student Population Reports
Over 600 students enrolled in the Science Program were polled in the fall of 2002. (See
Appendices A.3 and B.15 for details.) Two questions on the survey addressed the issue of their
general satisfaction with the Science Program at Vanier. They were:
Question 149: “ Overall, I feel I am being well prepared for university.”
Question 150: “I would recommend the Science program at Vanier to a friend or relative.”
Possible responses were: 1. agree 2. somewhat agree 3. somewhat disagree 4. disagree 5. not
applicable/don’t know. The results for various groups of students are shown in Table 5.5.2.
The fifth response is ignored in the calculation of the mean response and percent in agreement.
A lower value for the mean response indicates a higher level of agreement with the statement.
Differences between the responses of two groups is considered significant if the difference in
the mean is greater than the sum of the two standard errors.
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TABLE 5.5.2: CURRENT STUDENT OVERALL SATISFACTION
Group of students
all students
3rd, 4th, 5th semester
Science Plus
Science Access
Modified Science
Health and Pure & Applied Science
High School in English
High School not in English
women
men
Question 149:
well prepared
mean std. error
2.23  .03
2.31  .06
2.14  .11
2.11  .14
2.42  .09
2.20  .04
2.25  .05
2.22  .05
2.24  .05
2.23  .05
% agree
Question 150:
recommend Vanier
mean std. error
% agree
66
62
66
74
58
69
66
66
67
65
1.83  .04
1.89  .06
1.69  .09
1.97  .18
1.87  .10
1.83  .05
1.88  .05
1.78  .05
1.76  .04
1.90  .05
81
79
86
73
78
82
78
84
85
78
The responses of all students, two thirds of whom were part way through their first semester,
were essentially the same as for students in their second year. All groups show approximately
the same level of agreement with question 149 about preparation for university. A few groups,
notably Science Plus, women and students whose high school studies were not in English,
would recommend Vanier a little more strongly than the others.
It is interesting and apparently contradictory that 81 % of students would recommend Vanier to
a friend or relative, but only 66% of them think they are getting a good preparation for
university. When this apparent contradiction was probed in the focus group discussions, it was
found that that many students interpreted this question to mean that they were getting good
advice about which programs to apply for at university. Others said that they couldn’t really
know the answer since they had yet to attend university but were somewhat apprehensive
especially in light of the major difficulties they found when they entered CEGEP. The same
pattern can be seen in the responses of graduates (see above). On reflection, it seems that
students are trying to tell us that although their college preparation may be (or was) lacking in
some way, that it wouldn’t be any better at another college and that Vanier is doing as good a
job as can be expected under the circumstances.
5.5.3. What the Faculty Report
All of the teachers in the Science departments of the Program and a representative sample of
General Studies teachers were also surveyed. (See Appendices A.4 and B.16 for details.) Three
questions addressed the general effectiveness of the Program.
Question 86: “In general, I believe that the Science Program is preparing students well for a
Science related program at university.”
Question 87: “I believe that the Science Program gives students a good grounding in the
knowledge and skills necessary for a career in Science.”
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Question 88: “In general, I believe that the Science Program is preparing students well for their
lives as citizens in the modern world.”
The possible responses to the statements are the same as for the student survey and were
analyzed in the same manner. The responses of several groups of teachers are summarized in
Table 5.5.3 below.
TABLE 5.5.3: FACULTY SATISFACTION WITH PROGRAM
Group of
Teachers
all teachers
Science
teachers
General
Studies
10 years or
less teaching
Question 86:
preparation for
program
Question 87:
preparation for
career
Question 88:
preparation for
citizenship
mean  std. err.
% agree
mean  std. err.
% agree
mean  std. err.
% agree
1.52  .09
1.59  .10
92
90
1.51  .08
1.56  .09
93
93
1.81  .10
1.89  .11
85
84
1.15  .10
100
1.15  .10
100
1.27  .14
100
1.84  .24
74
1.80  .22
80
2.33  .27
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Not surprisingly, most teachers are satisfied that they are doing a good job at achieving the main
goals of the program. Satisfaction is highest among General Studies teachers although half of
them declined to respond to questions 86 and 87. It is interesting to note that teachers with less
than 10 years experience, still a minority at Vanier, are somewhat less satisfied than their more
experienced counterparts. Perhaps these less experienced teachers are more diffident about their
effectiveness in preparing students.
Summary on Program Effectiveness and Recommendations for Improvement
Admission Standards
More than any other factor, the high school grades of incoming students determines their rate of
success at college. (See the data for the A98 cohort in figs 5.2,3 and 5.3.1.) Over at least the
past seven years, Vanier has accommodated students with a weaker high school record than the
average at other colleges without sacrificing the standard of achievement required to obtain a
DEC in Science. This has been accomplished by providing the support necessary for these
students through a variety of special entrance level programs such as Explorations, Science
Access and Modified Science. It is important to adhere to the policy of not admitting students
to the Science Program who do not have a strong enough background unless they can be given
the necessary extra support. Where resources are limited, it is important to limit the number of
such students admitted.
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Recommendation: The Science Program should maintain the current admission standards and
limit the number of students admitted to special programs as appropriate given the resources
available.
Language
Figures 5.2.1 and 5.2.2 show that the majority of Vanier Science students do not have English
as their first language nor have they done their high school studies in English. Vanier is proud
of its ethnic diversity and the environment it provides where such a wide mix of students can
not only get along with a minimum of friction but also succeed in their studies. This has been
accomplished through a flexible approach to the first English course (Table 5.2.1) as well as
strong support for language skills in the The Learning Center, Cléo (the French learning center)
and other services in the college. Similarly, the French Department has risen to the challenge of
having a number of students begin college with little or no background in French and has set up,
apart from summer courses for beginners, three intensive course sessions (August, winter break,
spring) that allow out of phase students to catch up or help highly motivated students to go
faster.
Recommendation: The Science Program should keep up the good work in integrating
students into studies in English and studies of French, and strengthen these efforts whenever
resources are available.
Graduation Rates
Despite the lower average high school marks of Vanier’s Science students compared to other
colleges, the graduation rates in Science are better than the provincial average and nearly as
good as the average for other anglophone colleges. About 65 to 70 % of students admitted to
the Science Program graduate from the Program at Vanier. This does not include students who
transfer into Science after being admitted to another program. Eventually, about 82% of
students admitted to Science graduate from Science or another program. This figure increases
to over 85% if students who transfer to another college are included. Of the remainder, an
unknown number have transferred to a university outside the province of Quebec. Thus nearly
all students who enter the Science Program at Vanier succeed in reaching their goal. This is
probably due to a number of factors including the flexible entry levels available, the support for
students available, the calibre of the teaching faculty and the general culture at Vanier that
encourages serious study and celebrates student success.
Recommendation: No radical changes are necessary, but efforts should be made wherever
possible to improve teaching methods, the teaching environment and student support. This will
naturally tend to improve graduation rates without sacrificing the quality of the educational
experience of every student.
Course Success Rates
On average, course success rates at Vanier are similar to other colleges. This is also true of
individual subjects except that success rates are a little lower in Physics and a little higher that
the average in Math.
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Recommendation: All Departments should examine and continue to monitor their success
rates and make recommendations for changes where appropriate.
Admission Rates to Universities
Over 90 % of Vanier Science graduates are admitted to university, most to their first choice of
program. Admission rates to McGill lag behind Marianopolis and John Abbott and are
comparable to Dawson except in A02. Though changing Vanier Science admissions standards
might improve acceptances at McGill, this action is not recommended, as it would deprive some
students of the opportunity to succeed in a career in Science. Instead, the Program should
continue to improve the education offered to students at Vanier in the knowledge that this will
improve their chances of success at university. Unfortunately, there is no information available
on this most vital test of the success of the Science Program.
Recommendation: The Program should maintain admission standards and concentrate on
improving quality of education.
Student Satisfaction
When asked if they would recommend the Vanier Science Program to a friend or relative, more
than 80 % of both graduates and current students responded that they would. On the other hand,
far fewer agreed that they had received or were receiving a good preparation for university.
This reflects, among other things, the fact that students perceive or anticipate a gap between the
end of college education and the beginning of university education as important as the one
between high school and college.
Recommendation: Better liaison with the appropriate university faculties and departments
should be set up with the objective of removing some of the mismatch without making the
college Science Program any more difficult than it already is. Equally, Vanier College must
maintain liaison with the high schools to ease the transition from high school to Cegep in the
Sciences.
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