1. ORGANIZATION AND PROGRAM INFORMATION
Name of the College:
Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology
URL for the College:
www.senecac.on.ca
Proposed Degree Nomenclature:
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
Location where Program is to be Delivered:
Newnham Campus – 1750 Finch Avenue East, Toronto, ON, M2J 2X5
Contact Information:
Person Responsible for this Submission:
Name/Title: Dr. Henry Decock, Associate Vice President, Academic
Mailing Address: Seneca College
1750 Finch Avenue East
Toronto, ON M2J 2X5
Telephone: 416-491-5050, ext. 2594
FAX:
416-491-7745
E-Mail: Henry.Decock@senecac.on.ca
Site Visit Coordinator:
Name/Title: Ronan Wilson, Academic Planning Analyst
Telephone: 416-491-5050, ext. 6803
FAX: 416-491-7745
E-Mail: Ronan.Wilson@senecac.on.ca
i
2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1. College and Program Information
i
2. Table of Contents
ii
3. Executive Summary
v
4. Program Abstract
vii
1. DEGREE LEVEL
1
2. ADMISSIONS, PROMOTION AND GRADUATION
A. Introduction
1
B. Admission Requirements for Direct Entry
2
C. Admission Policies and Procedures for Mature Students
3
D. Promotion and Graduation Requirements
4
E. Advanced Standing Policies and Requirements
5
3. PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Introduction
1
B. Program Advisory Committee
3
C. Professional Accreditation
6
D. Learning Outcomes
a. Degree Learning Outcomes
7
b. Program Learning Outcomes
15
c. Breadth Learning Outcomes
17
E. Course Descriptions
19
F. Course Schedules
46
G. Work Experience
51
H. a. Course Outlines – Core Courses
55
b. Course Outlines – Non-core Courses
i. Previously-approved course outlines
85
88
ii
ii. New course outlines
190
I. Bridging Course Descriptions
238
J. Bridging Course Outlines
239
K. Gap Analysis
250
4. DELIVERY METHOD
A. Introduction
1
B. Quality Assurance of Delivery
3
C. Student Feedback
4
D. On-Line Delivery
5
5. CAPACITY TO DELIVER
A. Introduction
1
B. Learning and Physical Resource
5
C. Resource Renewal and Upgrading
11
D. Support Services
16
E. Faculty
19
F. Curriculum Vitae Release
21
G. Curriculum Vitae of Faculty Assigned to the Degree Program
22
a. Faculty Assigned to Core and Core-Related Requirements
i. Previously submitted Curriculum Vitae
ii. New Curriculum Vitae
iii. Bridging courses Curriculum Vitae
b. Faculty Assigned to Non-Core and Breadth-Related Requirements
i. Previously submitted Curriculum Vitae
ii. New Curriculum Vitae
6. CREDENTIAL RECOGNITION
1
7. REGULATION AND ACCREDITATION
1
8. PROGRAM EVALUATION
1
9. NOMENCLATURE
1
iii
10. ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND INTEGRITY
1
11. STUDENT PROTECTION
1
12. ECONOMIC NEED
1
13. DUPLICATION
1
14. OPTIONAL MATERIAL
1
iv
3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The proposed Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree is unique in both the Ontario
college and university systems. The degree distinguishes itself from both a traditional liberal
arts degree and an applied degree by combining the vocational knowledge, skills and abilities
traditionally associated with both college diplomas and applied degree programs with the
breadth of a liberal arts education. The program’s curriculum will also emphasize the
development of students’ transferable and information fluency skills.
The BIS degree has been designed to meet different student needs and to address those needs
with the traditional intimacy and student-centered focus of the college environment. It will allow
students who have completed a college diploma program to fulfill the requirements of a degree
program in two or two and a half years. It will also appeal to high school graduates who are
looking for a program that provides a fusion of vocational knowledge and skills with the benefit
of a liberal arts education, or those seeking personal or career advancement by completing a
degree in their chosen field.
The proposed degree fits with Seneca College’s mission “To contribute to Canadian society by
being a transformational leader in providing students with career-related education and training”
and the two overarching goals of its mission: to provide a superior quality education experience
and access to success. To accomplish these goals, three of the College’s strategic priorities
are to broaden its degree offerings to 15% of the College’s activity; to play a leadership role in
student mobility; and to increase its applied research activity.
The College currently has approval to offer 11 degrees, plus the first two years of a collaborative
nursing degree. The success of this proposal would make 12, and there are two additional
proposals under development. There are over 2,000 Seneca students enrolled in degree
programs. The College is very optimistic about the number of students who will be attracted to
this program, particularly those looking for a degree completion opportunity. For that reason,
the College plans to launch Years One and Three of the program simultaneously.
The program is available to any college graduate with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher
and provides a seamless transition into a degree program with direct admission to either
Semester 4 or 5. By building on their diploma program, the degree will further strengthen
students’ vocational skills and abilities and, on graduation, will allow students access to jobs
available only to degree graduates, thus giving them a wider range of job opportunities and
v
increased advancement opportunities. Also, they will possess the well-developed research
skills needed for further academic study in their vocational field.
Through the research component of this degree, students will be afforded the opportunity to
undertake an extensive applied research project tied to their vocational field. Students will be
provided with one-on-one faculty assistance and expertise thus expanding the pool of College
professors engaged in applied research.
The proposed program builds on the College’s proven strength in the area of liberal arts
education. Seneca’s two-year Liberal Arts program has positioned itself over the last ten years
as Ontario’s premier college-university transfer program in the liberal arts. Through its
articulation program with York University, Seneca sends approximately 70 students per year
into Year Three of a York Faculty of Arts program and through the non-articulated stream over
150 students into Year Two. A newly developed similar agreement with the University of
Toronto also provides students with admission into the third year of an Arts program of their
choice. Seneca has a number of similar agreements with other universities across Canada and
the United States.
The success of Seneca’s Liberal Arts students in university programs is due to the program’s
belief that students who have the foundational skills and intellectual underpinning of a liberal
arts curriculum are well positioned for further academic success. The faculty who have
developed and delivered this curriculum will be responsible for the delivery of the core liberal
arts courses in the BIS program. In addition, the faculty in the College’s four Schools of English
and Liberal Studies will be responsible for the delivery of the communications courses and
liberal studies options, a major component of the program. Seneca has a long history and
strong reputation for the quality and diversity of its English and general education courses. With
over 200 full and part-time faculty, these Schools have the capacity and expertise to develop
and deliver the wide range of subjects in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences
that will be part of this degree.
The proposed Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies fulfills the College’s commitment to deliver
advanced education at the degree level, builds on its proven strength in the delivery of applied
degrees, pathways into a bachelor’s degrees and beyond for diploma graduates, and its long
history and success in the provision of liberal arts curriculum.
vi
As part of the research conducted in the development of this proposal, over 140 employers
completed an online survey. When asked if they believed that the combination of vocational
skills and knowledge with a liberal arts education would be beneficial, 95% indicated agreement.
Their reasons for doing so included comments such as, “[liberal arts] should be mandatory.
Without it they have no reservoir of knowledge from which to draw, to inform their ideas. The
lack hampers their ability to contribute original, brilliant, substantive ideas”; “graduates have
always needed a well-rounded post-secondary program. It makes for a broad-minded, versatile
individual”; and, “level of complexity is rising – you need to know how to think, how to learn, how
to question, how to use new and different things to spur your creativity.”1
When asked of the likelihood of hiring an Interdisciplinary Studies graduate, 89.5% said they
would be likely to do so with comments like the following: “I firmly believe we have a need for
well informed, critical thinkers with analytic skills. I believe this to be the product of a liberal arts
education, and are most competitive when combined with a specialized diploma”; “these
studies give students an edge that is apparent in the way they think and speak and it definitely
impacts employment opportunities”; and, “if you read the current research, employers are
finding prospective employees who have the knowledge and/or technical skills but often lack
skills such as problem solving, collaboration and analysis.”2
Seneca currently has agreements with 29 universities across Canada, the United States and
Australia, which have indicated that Seneca degree graduates are eligible to apply to Masters
level studies upon graduation. In some cases, the university has indicated a specific Masters
pathway.
On graduation, it is anticipated that students will find employment in their vocational field or with
employers who look for degree graduates. Research into Sir Wilfred Laurier’s Contemporary
Studies program, which bears some resemblance to the proposed BIS program, found that
graduates had found employment, for example, with the following:
community-based not-for-profit organizations
education (school boards and universities)
1
Employer Survey on Interdisciplinary Studies, Office of Institutional Research, Seneca College, pp. 6-7.
2
Ibid. pp. 11-12.
vii
government (municipal, provincial, federal)
financial services (banks, insurance companies)
conservation authorities
police forces
retail
The College plans to accept 20 students into the first year and 35 students into the third year
when the program is launched. The program will require 3.8 FTE faculty in the first year, 5.4 in
the second year, 6.3 in the third year, and 7.1 in the fourth year of delivery.
In summary, the College has the capacity, the proven strength and the support to deliver this
unique degree. It fits with the College’s mission, vision and strategic directions. It will provide
diploma graduates, or those who take a vocational stream as part of the program, with the
benefit of a liberal arts education and strong transferable skills, giving them a distinct advantage
as they seek employment and, in the longer term, for career advancement.
viii
4. PROGRAM ABSTRACT
The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree program builds on the vocational knowledge
acquired in a college diploma program, or combines vocational knowledge, skills and abilities,
with breadth. It provides an interdisciplinary broadening of the students’ awareness through
exposure to a core curriculum based on the traditional disciplines of the liberal arts – the
humanities, social and natural sciences. In addition to the program content, the intent is to
further develop students’ transferable skills and their research and information fluency skills.
Graduates may go on to further postsecondary education or will find employment in their
vocational field or with employers who look for degree graduates.
ix
Section 1: Degree Level
1. DEGREE LEVEL
Overview:
The proposed Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree program has been designed to
meet the knowledge and skill level requirements of an honours degree as outlined in the Ontario
Qualifications Framework. This degree distinguishes itself from both a traditional liberal arts
degree and an applied degree by combining the vocational knowledge, skills and abilities
traditionally associated with both college diploma and applied degree programs with the breadth
of a liberal arts education. Additionally, the development of students’ transferable and research
skills is an important component of this program.
The BIS degree has been designed to meet different student needs and to address those needs
with the traditional intimacy and student-centered focus of the college environment. It will allow
students who have completed a college diploma program to fulfill the requirements of a degree
program in two or two and a half years. It will also appeal to high school graduates who are
looking for a program that provides a fusion of vocational knowledge and skills with the benefit
of a liberal arts education, or those seeking personal or career advancement by completing a
degree in their chosen field.
Students will either transfer their vocational knowledge, skills and abilities from a college
diploma to this degree and further develop them as part of this program or acquire this
knowledge in one of the many vocational streams available through this program. Students who
register in Year One of this degree will have access to a variety of prescribed vocational
courses from existing Seneca degrees and will be able to acquire all or part of professional
designations such as Certified General Accountant (CGA), Canadian Human Resources
Professional (CHRP), or, in insurance, Fellow Life Masters Institute (FLMI). Students who
begin in the first year of this program or who complete a college diploma program and then
transfer into this program will acquire the depth and breadth of knowledge, application of
knowledge, knowledge of methodologies, communication skills, awareness of the limits of their
knowledge and professional autonomy at the degree level through both the vocational field of
study and their exposure to a variety of liberal arts disciplines.
1 Depth and Breadth of Knowledge:
Students will enter this program with or acquire as part of this program, vocational knowledge,
skills and attitudes in their chosen field at the applied degree level. Regardless of the
profession, students will have or will develop knowledge of both the theory and its practical
applications in their field. The blending of liberal arts and vocationally-specific curricula also
provides the opportunity to develop the employability skills needed for lifelong learning and in
today’s workplace. Research is a strong component of the program, particularly in its last two
years. Students will study research methodologies, statistical analysis, and undertake a major
research project with the one-on-one supervision of a faculty member.
The liberal arts component of the program will provide students with an analytical framework
against which to observe and learn about themselves, their vocational field, their society and
their culture. Students are expected to not only acquire knowledge of these disciplines but also
to use that knowledge to analyze and understand themselves and the world around them -- art,
culture, politics, science, technology, social institutions – in order to be informed and engaged
citizens.
The aim of the BIS degree is to ground students in a truly interdisciplinary approach to learning.
Through exposure to a variety of disciplines and courses branching off from four main
foundations areas, Communication, Mathematics and Science, Humanities and Social
Sciences, students will emerge from the BIS degree steeped in various disciplinary classics,
knowledgeable in both historical and modern thoughts, and with the ability to apply this
knowledge critically and analytically in a variety of contexts. The three foundational courses,
World Civilizations, Introduction to the Social Sciences, and Introduction to the Natural
Sciences, will introduce students to many of the sub-disciplines within the liberal arts. In World
Civilizations, they will explore the history, philosophy, and art history of various civilizations from
8,000 BCE to the present, contributing to the students’ understanding of how this complex
narrative has culminated in today’s global village. In Introduction to the Social Sciences,
students will be introduced to the fields of psychology, economics, political science,
anthropology and sociology as they relate to the theme of power and alienation. Students will
learn the characteristics of each discipline and what each contributes to the topic. As well, they
will learn of the ongoing discussion within each of the disciplines as to their various efficacies,
leading to various ‘schools of thought’ within each. In Introduction to the Natural Sciences,
students will study and acquire a broad understanding of the fundamentals of the traditional
2 disciplines in science. In doing so, the students will develop an appreciation for the history,
philosophy and social contributions of science, as well as being introduced to current issues and
concerns.
Underpinning the students’ educational experience through this core program in the liberal arts
will be an emphasis on developing their transferable skills, particularly those of oral and written
communication, analytical/critical thinking, and interpersonal skills. Students will be encouraged
to pursue areas of personal interest through choice of topics for research papers, through their
choice of a range and depth of liberal studies options (LSOs), and in their choice of topic for
their major applied research project in Year Four. In these ways, students will develop an
understanding and a critical awareness of specific areas of study within an interdisciplinary
context.
Students achieve the six goals associated with this outcome through specific courses:
a) A developed knowledge and critical understanding of key concepts, methodologies,
current advances, theoretical assumptions and approaches in a discipline, through the
vocational courses as well as liberal courses such as World Civilizations, Introduction to
the Social Sciences, Introduction to Natural Science and LSOs;
b) A broad understanding of some of the major fields of a discipline including, where
appropriate, from an interdisciplinary perspective and how the fields may interact with
those in related disciplines in their vocational courses as well as their humanities, social
science and natural science courses;
c) A developed ability to gather, review and interpret information; and to compare the
merits of alternative hypotheses or creative options relevant to one or more of the major
fields within a discipline, through their statistics and research courses: Introduction to
Statistics, Critical Analysis of Research, Applied Research Methods, and Applied
Research Project;
d) A developed, detailed knowledge of and experience in research in an area of the
discipline through their Applied Research Project;
e) Critical thinking and analytical thinking skills inside and outside the discipline through all
courses; and,
3 f)
The ability to apply learning from one or more areas outside the discipline through the
humanities, social science and natural science courses and liberal studies options.
Depth of knowledge is achieved through both the level and complexity of individual course
learning outcomes and in evaluation requirements. Learning outcomes have been developed
using Bloom’s Taxonomy to ensure higher order learning requirements. Application of
knowledge at this level requires critical thinking, evaluation, analysis and synthesis, and it is
through demonstration of these skills that students will be assessed. Thus, the program and
course learning outcomes and evaluation methodologies establish this program at the degree
level.
In the lower level courses, students will be expected to communicate information, arguments
and results of analyses and begin to apply concepts outside the context in which they were
learned. In the upper level courses, students will be expected to evaluate information critically
and provide support for conclusions and recommendations. In the Applied Research Project,
students will be required to, for example, design and implement a research study; plan and
manage a research project, and prepare a major research report.
As a required component of this program, students will complete a 14-week co-operative
education work placement which will enable them to apply the knowledge and skills they have
developed to real life situations.
Conceptual and Methodological Awareness/Research and Scholarship:
Students at the degree level are required to demonstrate an ability to evaluate the
“appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems”, to “devise and sustain arguments
to solve these problems”, and to “describe and comment upon particular aspects of current
research”. The BIS program meets this standard as described in Program Learning Outcomes
8, 9 and 10. All courses contribute to these outcomes in the sense that each, to varying
degrees, requires students to undertake research, and generate essays, projects and
presentations that reflect appropriate techniques of inquiry and analysis with an even greater
ability and sophistication required in their fourth year research project. Students are taught
4 various techniques of inquiry and analysis in both Writing Strategies I and II, and of research
methodologies in Introduction to Statistics and Applied Research Methods.
Through these and other courses, students will learn to research, evaluate and implement
solutions as part of a team or individually.
Students will learn to apply analytical skills through courses that introduce theories, provide
knowledge and demonstrate comparative analysis, such as World Civilizations, Introduction to
the Social Sciences and Introduction to Natural Science. Students will learn to create and to
test new solutions. All courses will assist students in the development and use of critical and
analytical thinking skills against the context of the vocational or liberal arts content.
Students will learn to be engaged in the collection and analysis of information. The emphasis
will be on comprehension, not simply the accumulation of knowledge, and all evaluations will
call on students to demonstrate critical thinking and assessment of information. Courses such
as Introduction to Statistics will promote the ability to statistically describe and analyze
phenomena and to present results. Assignments will be designed to provide students with
opportunities to research issues and problems, evaluate findings, prepare arguments, and draw
conclusions and recommendations in the preparation of papers or presentations.
Communication Skills:
Strong communication skills are essential for success in any profession as well as in academic
studies. As demonstrated in Learning Outcomes 11 and 12, graduates of this program will
communicate, both orally and in writing, in a clear and coherent manner that is suitable to both
purpose and audience. Students will also acquire effective interpersonal skills through course
work and group projects. These objectives will be sustained through all courses in this program,
but specifically addressed in Writing Strategies I and II and Presentation Skills.
Application of Knowledge:
The program as a whole proposes to use its interdisciplinary approach to enable students to
develop the ability to systematically correlate different branches of learning, develop ideas,
present them clearly and persuasively and apply them in both a historical and modern context.
Relating to Learning Outcomes 8, 9, and 10, students solve complex problems by employing
5 various tools and techniques; access, analyze, and synthesize qualitative and quantitative
information; and, critically analyze the forces that shape values, ideas, and societal
circumstances. These skills are reinforced in all courses, but taught particularly in the
humanities, social sciences, natural science, liberal studies options (LSOs), and research
courses. In applying their knowledge to progressively more complex situations, students will be
challenged to produce interdisciplinary analyses and well-supported conclusions and
recommendations.
As stated in Learning Outcome 4, students will demonstrate an understanding of and ability to
analyze information from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students learn to evaluate and reason
from a variety of perspectives as well as at different levels. Also, because the program has a
vocational component, students will apply these skills and knowledge to their choice of field in
both classroom and workplace settings.
Learning Outcomes 1, 2 and 3 call on students to enter the workforce with a broad range of
knowledge of the professional standards and the applied knowledge and skills required within
their field. Required vocational courses will provide students with knowledge of the principles
and theories of their field. The application of the theory and principles to, for example, complex
case studies, will require students to analyze and synthesize knowledge to formulate solutions.
Professional Capacity/Autonomy:
In all courses offered throughout this program, students will develop the transferable skills
necessary for further study, employment, community involvement and other activities, as well as
develop their capacity for independent learning and the ability to work with others. The courses
in this program will address the generic employability skills and specific professional skills
necessary for their academic, employment and personal success. In all courses, students will
learn, practise and/or demonstrate the levels of communication, analytical and critical thinking,
computer literacy, numeracy and life skills such as teamwork, ethics and social responsibility
called for in Learning Outcomes 11, 12, 13 and 14.
Communication skills will be taught in Writing Strategies I and II and reinforced throughout the
program in a wide variety of written and oral assignments.
Student’s basic numeracy skills and then competence in numerical and statistical information
will be developed through courses such as Introduction to Mathematics and Introduction to
Statistics. The skills of analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating increasingly complex data will be
6 emphasized and then further developed in Critical Analysis of Research, Applied Research
Methods, and Applied Research Project.
In courses such as Presentation Skills, interpersonal skills will be taught and reinforced and
evaluated in a variety of group assignments and through classroom interaction.
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills will be addressed in Writing Strategies I and II, in the
humanities, social sciences and natural science foundational courses and in vocational courses,
and practised in evaluations such as essays and case studies.
Students will bring to the program or acquire computer literacy through courses such as
Introduction to Computers and Applications, and in their professional courses through the use of
industry-specific software.
Life skills such as negotiation, ethics and social responsibility will be addressed in readings,
classroom discussion and course assignments.
Evaluation methods promote these outcomes through, for example, essays, projects, group and
individual presentations, and case studies. In addition, through an emphasis on addressing all
learning styles, being accessible to all and particularly non-traditional learners, and providing
exposure to an array of interdisciplinary thinking, the program meets the requirement to provide
graduates with the ability to manage their own learning and to undertake further study, either in
their chosen profession or in academic studies.
Awareness of Limits of Knowledge:
This standard requires the graduates to understand “the limits to their own knowledge and
abilities” and to develop “an appreciation of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits to knowledge
and how this might influence analysis and interpretations.”
Every profession has a scope of practice that defines its abilities and knowledge base and
practices against other professions. Graduates of this program should understand, in their
vocational field, to what extent their knowledge, skills and abilities allow them to advise, interact,
or in any way carry out the responsibilities of their position. Similarly in the area of
interdisciplinary studies, as described in Learning Outcomes 8, 9, and 10, graduates will
understand that there is no right answer or solution to discipline-specific questions. In exposing
students to the various schools of thought within each sub-discipline, they will learn that there is
7 no agreement even as to what constitutes the true nature of the discipline. The aim of the
program is to widen the students’ world view and enable them to examine issues from differing
perspectives, to understand that they hold “opinions” and those opinions influence how they
think, act and react to others and that they are subject to change, for, as described in Learning
Outcome 14, graduates are intended to become lifelong learners and thus to understand that
the pursuit of knowledge, skills and understanding is never-ending.
8 Section 2: Admissions, Promotion
and Graduation
2. ADMISSION, PROMOTION AND GRADUATION
A. Introduction
The proposed program’s admission requirements align with College and Ministry policy. Mature
students will be considered for admission to the program if they are able to demonstrate
academic preparedness and possess credits in or equivalent to Grade 12 U English and
Mathematics and meet other requirements as outlined in the College’s Admission Policies and
Procedures for Mature Students.
The College’s Credit Transfer/Recognition Policies outline the granting of advanced standing
and credit transfer and meet the requirements as detailed in the PEQAB Handbook.
Students applying to this program who hold an Ontario Advanced Diploma (three-year program)
from any Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology will be granted advanced standing for
a maximum of sixty credits. Forty-five credits will be applied against the degree’s vocational
component. Up to fifteen credits will be assessed on an individual basis, depending on the
program from which the student graduated.
Graduates of two-year college diploma programs (Ontario Diploma) will be granted advanced
standing for up to forty-five credits. Thirty credits will be applied against the degree’s vocational
component. Up to fifteen credits will be assessed on an individual basis and depend on the
program from which the student graduated.
A Gap Analysis is provided in Section 3. J. No bridging courses will be required. However, all
graduates of two-year diploma programs will be required to take a common five-course
vocational stream as described in Sections 3.H. and 3.I.
The College’s Prior Learning Assessment Policy is applicable to this program. It is anticipated
that graduates of diploma programs who are currently working full-time will apply to this program
and may seek PLA for the mandatory fourteen-week cooperative work term. Those applicants
with a minimum of two years’ full-time work experience in a position relevant to the program
from which they graduated may be granted credit in accordance with the college’s co-op PLA
policy. Supporting documentation from a supervisor indicating the nature of the applicant’s work
and satisfactory performance will be required. If accepted, the student will also be granted
credit for CPP 600, Co-op Professional Practice, and CPP700, Co-op Integration and Career
Planning.
The College’s Promotion and Graduation Policy as well as the grading scheme used are
available in Seneca College Academic Policy 2010/11 and included with this submission.
Students must maintain a Grade Point Average of 2.0 to remain in the program, with some
provisions for extenuating circumstances and probation. Students who do not meet this
standard will be withdrawn from the program.
1
B. Admission Requirements for Direct Entry
Program Eligibility:

Ontario Secondary School Diploma with a majority of senior credits at the University
Preparation (U) or University/College Preparation (M) level or Mature Student Status
(age 19 or older)

Six Grade 12 (U) or (M) courses with a minimum of 65% average including:
° Grade 12 English: ENG4 (U)
°Grade 12 Mathematics: any (U) level Mathematics

Mature students (age 19 or older) must submit proof of credits in the above subjects or
their equivalent and meet other requirements as outlined in the College’s Admission
Policies and Procedures for Mature Students
2
C. Admission Policies and Procedures for Mature Students
See “Policies” file for the College’s policies and procedures for admission of mature students.
3
D. Promotion and Graduation Requirements
See the “Policies” file for the College’s policies on promotion of students in degree programs.
See also the College’s policies regarding students who do not meet the minimum achievement
requirements.
4
E. Advanced Standing Policies and Requirements
See the “Policies” file for the College’s policies and procedures pertaining to the following:
1) credit transfer;
2) entrance examinations and advanced placement based on prior learning assessment.
Students who have graduated from any college diploma program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
will be admitted to the program. Graduates of two-year diploma programs will receive block
credit equivalent of up to 45 of the 120 required credits. Thirty of these will be vocational
credits. The remaining fifteen credits will be assessed on an individual basis and depend on the
diploma program completed. All graduates of two-year diploma programs will be required to
take the five-course (15 credits) senior level vocational stream described in the Bridging Course
section of this proposal (3.I).
Graduates of three-year diploma programs will receive block credit equivalent of up to 60 of the
program’s 120 credits. Forty-five of these will be vocational credits. The remaining fifteen
credits will be assessed on an individual basis and depend on the program completed.
5
Section 3: Program Content
3. PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Introduction
The curriculum in the proposed program provides a blend of theory and practice. The liberal
arts core courses and liberal studies options will be theoretical for the most part. The vocational
courses will provide the theoretical framework of the field of study and give students
opportunities to put the theory into practice using hands-on applications and assessments. As
well, the 14-week co-op work term will allow students to put the knowledge and skills they have
learned into practice.
A program advisory committee (PAC) was created by choosing representatives from existing
Seneca PACs, in particular from those programs from which a significant number of students go
on to degree studies or from a field of practice where a degree is preferred. Individuals with a
background in the profit and non-profit sectors were also included on the committee. The
committee reviewed, discussed and endorsed the curriculum.
As this degree is unique in the Ontario college system, most of the program’s learning outcomes
were developed specifically for it and to ensure students would meet the goals of the program.
Those learning outcomes dealing with transferable skills are similar to ones developed for
Seneca degree proposals that have been previously approved.
As evident from the curriculum, the content has been developed and expectations have been
set so that students will deal with increasingly complex material as they progress through the
program. For example, within the two foundation courses (humanities and social sciences),
content and assessments have been developed to ensure that students demonstrate more
sophisticated, analytical approaches to the material by the end of the course. In the upper level
courses, students will be dealing with more complex theory, and assignments will have higher
expectations, particularly in terms of the students’ writing and critical/analytical thinking skills. In
the capstone course, Applied Research Project, students will be expected to produce an
extended piece of writing synthesizing the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout
the program. In all assessments, students will receive appropriate feedback from the instructor.
If taken as a full-time time four-year program, students will study five courses per semester over
eight semesters with a co-op work term in the summer between Years Three and Four. All
courses in the program have been designated at either the lower or upper level (see charts
3.E.a. and 3.E.b.). At the same time, the BIS degree will enable those who cannot commit to
full-time studies the opportunity to complete their degree while maintaining employment. No
more than 72 of the 120 credits (60% of the program) may be taken at the lower level.
The non-core courses consist of the eight liberal studies options (LSOs). All non-core courses
are designed to develop students’ transferable skills in literacy, numeracy and critical/analytical
thinking. The LSOs will provide both breadth and depth. All LSOs will be designated as either
lower or upper level and of the eight required courses, at least five must be taken at the upper
1
level. In order to be designated as an upper level LSO, courses must meet the following
criteria:
•
•
•
•
Include higher order learning outcomes
Build on previous knowledge
Assign more sophisticated assessments with higher expectations
Use primary sources
LSO courses are designed to fall into the major categories of the communications, humanities,
social sciences and natural sciences. Some are organized around a genre or sub-discipline
while others are thematic-based around issues such as modern society, historic influences on
society and culture, popular culture, exploration of self and civic engagement.
All curriculum, core and non-core, is designed to reflect current, up-to-date knowledge. 80% of
the program is assigned to core courses, with 20% to non-core. The eight LSOs are free
electives.
The 14-week co-op work term will provide the students with an opportunity to practice the
knowledge and skills they have acquired, in a position relevant to their field of study. Students’
on-the-job performance will be evaluated by both the co-op coordinator and their work
supervisor. The learning outcomes for the work term are articulated in Section 3.G.
2
C. Professional Accreditation
Not applicable to this program.
Professional accreditation affiliated with the vocational streams available through this program
can be found in the Degree Submissions for previously approved Seneca baccalaureate
degrees.
Seneca Degree Program
Approval Year
Bachelor of Applied Business – Financial Services Management
2002
Bachelor of Applied Technology – Environmental Site Remediation
2002
Bachelor of Technology – Software Development
2003
Bachelor of Applied Technology – Flight
2003
Bachelor of Applied Business – International Accounting and
Finance
2005
Bachelor of Applied Business – Human Resources Strategy and
technology
2005
Bachelor of Technology – Informatics and Security
2005
Bachelor of Applied Technology – Control Systems Technology
2006
Bachelor of Applied Business – Municipal and Corporate
Administration
2006
Bachelor of Child Development
2008
Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation
2009
6
D. Learning Outcomes
a. Degree Outcomes:
On successful completion of this program, graduates will be able to:
Degree Outcomes
1. Depth and breadth of knowledge
a) A developed knowledge and critical
understanding of the key concepts,
methodologies, current advances,
theoretical approaches and
assumptions in a discipline overall,
as well as in a specialized area of
the discipline
a) World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
Vocational Courses
Liberal Studies Options
b) A developed understanding of many
of the major fields in a discipline,
including, where appropriate, from
an interdisciplinary perspective, and
how the fields by intersect with fields
in related disciplines
b) World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
Vocational Courses
Liberal Studies Options
c) A developed ability to i) gather,
review, evaluate and interpret
information; and ii) compare the
merits of alternate hypothesis or
creative options relevant to one or
more of the major fields in a
discipline
c) Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Introduction to Mathematics
Introduction to Statistics
Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
d) A developed, detailed knowledge of
an experience in research in an
area of the discipline
d) Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
e) Developed critical thinking and
analytical skills inside and outside
the discipline
e) All courses, but specifically,
Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Course, Course Segments or Workplace
Requirements that contribute to this outcome
7
Applied Research Project
Co-op Professional practice
Co-op Integration and Career Planning
Co-op Work Term
f)
The ability to apply learning from
one or more areas outside the
discipline
f) World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
Liberal Studies Options
2. Knowledge of Methodologies
An understanding of methods of enquiry or
creative activity, or both, in their primary
area of study that enables the student to:
a) Evaluate the appropriateness of
different approaches to solving
problems using well established
ideas and techniques
a) All courses, but specifically,
Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
b) Devise and sustain arguments or
solve problems using these
methods
b) World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
Vocational Courses
c) Describe and comment upon
particular aspects of current
research or equivalent advanced
scholarship
c) Introduction to Statistics
Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
Specific Vocational Courses
3. Application of Knowledge
a)
The ability to review, present and
critically evaluate qualitative and
quantitative information to:
i. Develop lines of argument
ii. Make sound judgements in
accordance with the major
theories, concepts and
methods of the subject(s) of
study
a)World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
Vocational Courses
8
iii. Apply underlying concepts,
principles, and techniques of
analysis, both written and
outside the discipline
iv. Where appropriate, use this
knowledge in the creative
process
b) The ability to use a range of
established techniques to:
i. Initiate and undertake critical
evaluation of arguments,
assumptions, abstract
concepts and information
ii. Propose solutions
iii. Frame appropriate questions
for the purpose of solving a
problem
iv. Solve a problem or create
new work
c) The ability to make critical use of
scholarly reviews and primary
sources
4. Communication Sills
The ability to communicate information,
arguments, and analysis accurately and
reliably, orally and in writing, to a range of
audiences.
5. Awareness of limits of knowledge
An understanding of the limits to their own
knowledge and ability, and an appreciation
of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of
knowledge and how this might influence
analyses and interpretations.
6. Professional capacity/autonomy
a) Qualities and transferable skills
necessary for further study,
employment and community
involvement and other activities
requiring:
• The exercise of initiative, personal
responsibility and accountability in
Co-op Work term
b) Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
Introduction to Mathematics
Introduction to Statistics
c) Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Paper
Upper Level Liberal Studies Options
Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Presentation Skills
Vocational Courses
World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
Liberal Studies Options
a) All course, but specifically,
Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Presentation Skills
Introduction to Mathematics
Introduction to Statistics
World Civilizations
9
•
•
both personal and group contexts
Working efficiently with others
Decision –making in complex
contexts
b) The ability to manage their own
learning in changing circumstances,
both within and outside the
discipline, and to select an
appropriate program of further
study.
b) All courses, but specifically,
Vocational Courses
World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
c) Behaviour consistent with academic
integrity and social responsibility.
c) All Courses
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
10
7. Depth and breadth of
knowledge
a) A developed knowledge and
critical understanding of the key
concepts, methodologies, current
advances, theoretical approaches
and assumptions in a discipline
overall, as well as in a specialized
area of the discipline
a) World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
Vocational Courses
Liberal Studies Options
b) A developed understanding of
many of the major fields in a
discipline, including, where
appropriate, from an
interdisciplinary perspective, and
how the fields by intersect with
fields in related disciplines
b) World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
Vocational Courses
Liberal Studies Options
c) A developed ability to i) gather,
review, evaluate and interpret
information; and ii) compare the
merits of alternate hypothesis or
creative options relevant to one
or more of the major fields in a
discipline
c) Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Introduction to Mathematics
Introduction to Statistics
Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
d) A developed, detailed knowledge
of an experience in research in
an area of the discipline
e) Developed critical thinking and
analytical skills inside and outside
the discipline
f)
The ability to apply learning from
one or more areas outside the
discipline
d) Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
e) All courses, but specifically,
Writing Strategies I
Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
Co-op Professional Practice
Co-op Integration and Career Planning
Co-op Work Term
f) World Civilizations
Introduction to Social Science
Introduction to Natural Science
Liberal Studies Options
11
8. Knowledge of Methodologies
An understanding of methods of enquiry
or creative activity, or both, in their
primary area of study that enables the
student to:
a) Evaluate the appropriateness of
different approaches to solving
problems using well established
ideas and techniques
a) All courses, but specifically,
Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
b) Devise and sustain arguments or
solve problems using these methods
b) World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
Vocational Courses
c) Describe and comment upon
particular aspects of current research
or equivalent advanced scholarship
c) Introduction to Statistics
Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
Specific Vocational Courses
12
9. Application of Knowledge
a) The ability to review, present and
critically evaluate qualitative and
quantitative information to:
i.
Develop lines of argument
ii. Make sound judgements
in accordance with the
major theories, concepts
and methods of the
subject(s) of study
iii. Apply underlying
concepts, principles, and
techniques of analysis,
both written and outside
the discipline
a)World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
Vocational Courses
Co-op Work term
iv. Where appropriate, use
this knowledge in the
creative process
b) The ability to use a range of
established techniques to:
v. Initiate and undertake
critical evaluation of
arguments, assumptions,
abstract concepts and
information
b) Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
vi. Propose solutions
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
vii. Frame appropriate
questions for the purpose
of solving a problem
Introduction to Mathematics
Introduction to Statistics
viii. Solve a problem or create
new work
c) The ability to make critical use of
scholarly reviews and primary sources
c) Critical Analysis of Research
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
Upper Level Liberal Studies Options
13
10. Communication Sills
The ability to communicate information,
arguments, and analysis accurately and
reliably, orally and in writing, to a range
of audiences.
Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Presentation Skills
11. Awareness of limits of
knowledge
An understanding of the limits to their
own knowledge and ability, and an
appreciation of the uncertainty, ambiguity
and limits of knowledge and how this
might influence analyses and
interpretations.
Vocational Courses
World Civilizations
Introduction to Social Science
Introduction to Natural Science
Liberal Studies Options
14
b. Program Outcomes
On successful completion of this program, graduates will be able to:
Program Learning Outcomes
•
Demonstrate an understanding of
and ability to work in a specific
vocational field related to a program
offered by a College.
•
Demonstrate an understanding of
and ability to apply this knowledge in
theoretical situations.
All vocational courses
•
Demonstrate an ability to apply this
knowledge in real situations.
All vocational courses
•
Demonstrate an understanding and
ability to analyze information from
an interdisciplinary perspective.
World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
•
Demonstrate effective critical
thinking and problem-solving skills in
academic and workplace settings.
•
Select and apply current workplace
technology as appropriate to a
situation or problem.
•
Demonstrate depth and breadth of
knowledge regarding those
disciplines traditionally regarded as
fundamental to a liberal arts
education.
All courses, but particularly,
Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
Co-op Professional Practice
Co-op Integration and Career Planning
Co-op Work Term
Introduction to Computers and
Applications
Introduction to Mathematics
Introduction to Statistics
Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Select vocational courses
World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
All Liberal Studies Options
•
Solve complex problems by
employing various disciplinary and
interdisciplinary ideas, tools and
techniques in innovative and
integrative ways.
Course, Course Segments or Workplace
Requirements that contribute to this outcome
All vocational courses
World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
All Liberal Studies Options
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
15
•
•
Access, analyze and synthesize
information, both quantitative and
qualitative, from primary and
secondary sources.
Critically analyze the forces that
shape values, ideas and societal
circumstances, and present them in
an academically structured,
sustained and well-supported
argument.
•
Communicate ideas by selecting the
most suitable medium for the
message, audience, and purpose,
speaking or writing clearly,
concisely, cohesively and correctly.
•
Work effectively and cooperatively
as a team member, using
appropriate strategies and taking
initiative.
•
Demonstrate an ability to evaluate a
situation and make ethical and
socially responsible decisions.
•
Demonstrate an understanding of
the importance of lifelong learning
available through, for example, selfdirected learning, team learning,
web-based learning and career
planning.
Introduction to Mathematics
Introduction to Statistics
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
All Liberal Studies Options
Applied Research Project
Writing Strategies I
Writing Strategies II
Presentation Skills
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
Co-op Professional Practice
All Liberal Studies Options
All courses, but particularly,
Presentation Skills
Co-op Professional Practice
Co-op Work Term
All courses, but particularly.
World Civilizations
Introduction to the Social Sciences
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
Co-op Work Term
Liberal Studies Options
All courses, but particularly,
Applied Research Methods
Applied Research Project
Co-op Professional Practice
Co-op Integration and Career Planning
Co-op Work Term
16
c. Breadth Outcomes:
On successful completion of this program, graduates will be able to:
Program Learning Outcomes
Course, Course Segments or Workplace Requirements
that contribute to this outcome
5. Demonstrate effective critical
thinking and problem-solving skills
in academic and workplace
settings.
Co-op Professional Practice
Co-op Integration and Career Planning
Co-op Work Term
7. Demonstrate depth and breadth
of knowledge regarding those
disciplines traditionally regarded
as fundamental to a liberal arts
education.
All Liberal Studies Options
8. Solve complex problems by
employing various disciplinary and
interdisciplinary ideas, tools and
techniques in innovative and
integrative ways.
All Liberal Studies Options
10. Critically analyze the forces
that shape values, ideas, and
societal circumstances, and
present them in an academically
structured, sustained and wellsupported argument.
All Liberal Studies Options
11. Communicate ideas by
selecting the most suitable
medium for the message,
audience, and purpose, speaking
or writing clearly, concisely,
cohesive and correctly.
Co-op Professional Practice
All Liberal Studies Options
12. Work effectively and
cooperatively as a team member,
using appropriate strategies and
taking initiative.
Co-op Professional Practice
Co-op Work Term
13. Demonstrate an ability to
evaluate a situation and make
ethical and socially responsible
decisions.
14. Demonstrate an understanding
of the importance of lifelong
Co-op Work Term
All Liberal Studies Options
Co-op Professional Practice
Co-op Integration and Career Planning
17
learning available through, for
example, self-directed learning,
team learning, web-based learning
and career planning.
Co-op Work Term
18
E. Course Descriptions
a. Core Courses:
The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies is a four-year 120 credit degree program. The
curriculum in this program combines required courses (51credits) with Liberal Studies Options
(24 credits) and a Vocational Stream (45 credits). The required courses are described below
and are in the following categories:
Communications –12 credits: 9 required credits plus 3 optional
Mathematics/Science –12 credits: 9 required credits plus 3 optional
Humanities – 12 credits: 9 required credits plus 3 optional
Social Sciences – 12 credits: 9 required credits plus 3 optional
Research – 15 required credits
Students who begin the program in Year One will choose vocational courses from an existing
Seneca degree. Examples of three streams are provided below.
All students will complete a mandatory co-op work term. Students will also take two mandatory
courses associated with this requirement.
Students who begin the program in Year One must complete ICA001, Introduction to Computers
and Applications, a self-directed course, by the end of their second year.
Students may enrol in courses in accordance with individual learning plans, course availability.
19
Course Code
Level
Communications
ENG 106
Lower 3
Writing Strategies I
ENG 206
Lower 3
Writing Strategies
II
LSP 400
Upper 3
# of
Course Title
Credits
Presentation Skills
Calendar Course Description
This course focuses on
critical thinking and the
rhetorical elements of both
persuasive and evaluative
forms of writing. Students will
learn to differentiate between
shades of fact and opinion,
objectivity and bias, and
apply the techniques of
sound argument for a variety
of purposes. The main
elements of effective
communication, listening and
research techniques are also
examined. Techniques
explored and skills developed
in this course are applied
throughout the program.
This course is a continuation
of Writing Strategies I,
teaching students further
techniques of expository
writing, and introducing
elements of business writing.
Prerequisite: ENG 106
The ability to prepare and
deliver a variety of
presentations with credibility
and confidence is a critical
skill. This course
emphasizes the importance
of developing effective
presentations skills for use in
the workplace. Topics
include how to understand
the roles of presenters and
listeners, preparing and
organizing content for a
presentation, analyzing an
audience, using persuasion
strategies, and strategies for
overcoming communication
apprehension, using voice
20
and body to enhance the
message.
By the end of this course,
students will be able to
prepare and conduct a
variety of presentations with
confidence that the message
is being shared effectively.
Pre-requisite: ENG206
Humanities
BIH 100
Lower 9
World Civilizations
This course will enable
students to develop a broad
understanding of the various
civilizations that have
contributed to our global
sense of world history. By
examining global processes
and the interactions of a
variety of societies over time
and through a range of
disciplinary approaches (i.e.
history, sociology, art history,
etc.), the ultimate objective
will be to lead students to
discovering how this complex
tapestry of narratives has
culminated in our modern
understanding of the world as
a “global village.”
Social Sciences
BIS 100
Lower 9
Introduction to the
Social Sciences
Psychology, economics,
political science,
anthropology, and sociology
are among a group of subdisciplines, which collectively
fall under the umbrella of
social sciences. Building a
course around a study of
power and alienation,
students will learn the
determining characteristics of
these sub-disciplines, and
what each brings to the study
of a topic or subject.
Students will also learn that
within each of these subdisciplines, there is an
21
ongoing debate among
practitioners as to what
constitutes the discipline’s
true nature, which has
resulted in various “schools
of thought” each with its own
methodology or model.
Mathematics/Natural
Science
BIN 100
Lower 3
Introduction to
Mathematics
BIN 200
Lower 3
Introduction to
Statistics
BIN 150
Lower 3
Introduction to the
Natural Sciences
Research
LSP 601
Upper 3
Critical Analysis of
Research
This course is designed to
introduce students to
traditional and non-traditional
topics in mathematics. The
focus is to engage students
in meaningful mathematics
through discovery, problem
solving and discussion.
This course provides an
introduction to basic
statistical concepts and
techniques that are common
to all disciplines in the Social
Sciences. The principal
topics include data collection
and description, the
characteristics and features
of the normal probability
distribution, the formulation
and testing of hypotheses
and linear correlation and
regression analysis.
Prerequisite: BIS 100
This survey course is
intended to give students a
broad understanding of those
sub-disciplines that comprise
the natural sciences and to
provide students with an
understanding of the history,
philosophy and social
contributions of science. It
will introduce students to
current issues of particular
concern to both science and
society.
This course will explore the
major theoretical and
philosophical underpinnings
22
LSP 701
Upper 3
Applied Research
Methods
of research and examine the
ways in which research
designs relate to the
development of supportable
conclusions and the validity
and reliability of research
findings. The ways in which
the choice of paradigm,
conceptual framework,
approach, design and data
collection and analysis
influences the outcomes of a
research study will be
examined, as well as the
ethical considerations for
social research. The holistic
approach chosen for this
course differs from the more
traditional introductory
methods courses, which
often focus solely on
technical procedures.
Through the analysis and
evaluation of published
research articles and reports
students will develop the
skills for critically evaluating
the choice of a variety of
research methods and the
reliability and validity of
research studies.
This research methods
course will examine the
various components of the
research process including
the formulation of research
questions or a research
hypothesis; the review of the
literature; qualitative,
quantitative and mixed
method research designs;
research ethics; data
collection; and analysis of
data. The students will learn
how to effectively search
online databases to find the
literature relevant to their
23
research topic and chose or
design valid and reliable
instruments when conducting
research. In addition to
examining ethical protocol in
conducting research, the
course will explore various
ways to collect data, the
interpretation of results, the
writing up of findings and
effective communication of
research conclusions. After
learning about various
research designs, students
will develop a detailed
research plan, based on a
problem relevant to their
professional practice. This
plan will be based on a
related literature review, and
include a description of the
methodology appropriate to
conduct the study and the
proposed data analysis.
Prerequisite: LSP 601
LSP 801
Upper 9
Applied Research
Project
Building on the detailed
research plan developed in
the Applied Research
Methods course, students will
develop a research proposal,
submit an Ethics Review
Board application, and
conduct, report on and
present a small scale
research project. This course
provides the students with an
opportunity to become
familiar with the independent
research experience; to
collect and critically evaluate
data and make sound
conclusions on the basis of
the analysis of the research
findings. In addition the
24
students will present their
research report in both oral
and written formats, defend
their research conclusions,
discuss implications for
further research and critique
the research of their peers.
Prerequisite: LSP 701
REQUIRED
ICA 001
Noncredit
Introduction to
Computers and
Applications
In this subject students are
introduced to a
microcomputer operating
system (MS Windows Vista),
and the following business
applications: MS Word 2007
for word processing, MS
PowerPoint 2007 for
business presentations, and
MS Excel 2007 for
spreadsheets. Students will
use Windows Vista to
effectively operate a
microcomputer, access
various Seneca computer
systems, and use Office 2007
to prepare word documents,
create business
presentations, and develop
spreadsheets.
25
Vocational Streams:
1. Accounting:
Students wishing to pursue an accounting designation (CGA, CA or CMA) will take the following
15 courses selected from the Bachelor of Applied Business – International Accounting and
Finance degree:
BAB 140 – Introduction to Financial Accounting
LSP 240 – Microeconomics – Theory and Practice
LSP 240 – Macroeconomics – Theory and Practice
ENG 205 – Applied Communication for Business and Industry
BAB 230 – Introduction to Business Law
BAB240 - Management Accounting
IAF 530 – Management Accounting - Intermediate
IAF 550 – Quantitative methods for Decision-making
IAF 310 – Intermediate Financial Accounting I
IAF 410 – Intermediate Financial Accounting II
IAF 640 – Business Cases
BAB 110 – Financial Mathematics
IAF 330 – Finance
BAB 210 – Business Statistics
IAF 340 – Business Information Systems
Students wishing to pursue a Human Resources credentials (Canadian Human Resource
Professional, CHRP) would take the following courses:
BAB 140 – Introduction to Financial Accounting
BAB 240 – Management Accounting
HST 300 – Introduction to Human Resources
HST 430 – Organizational Behaviour
HST 530 – Organizational Staffing
HST 540 – Compensation
26
HST 640 – Training & Development
HST 710 – Industrial Relations – Contract Administration
HST 720 – Occupational Health & Safety
HST 820 – Industrial Relations – Collective Bargaining
HST 850 – Human Resource Planning
HST 310 – Business Ethics
HST 830 – Performance Management
HST 610 – Pensions & Benefits
HST 520 – Employment Law
Students wishing to pursue designations in insurance (Fellow Life Masters Institute, FLMI) and
banking (Associate, Institute of Canadian Bankers, AICB) would take the following courses:
BAB 140 – Introduction to Financial Accounting
FSM 200 – Financial Services Products
FSM 305 – Insurance Operations
LSP 300 – Organizational Behaviour
FSM 330 – Insurance Law in Canada
FSM 400 – Accounting and Financial Reporting for Insurance
FSM 410 – Personal Financial Planning: Investment & Taxation
FSM 510 – Personal Financial Planning: Investment Funds in Canada
FSM 540 – Business Finance
FSM 430 – Economics in the Insurance & Banking Environment
FSM 600 – Marketing Insurance
FSM 611 – Personal Financial Planning: Insurance, Retirements & Estates
FSM 700 – Management Principles & Practices
FSM 705 – Insurance Administration
FSM 800 – Managing for Solvency & Profitability
27
b. Non-Core Courses
Lower Level Liberal Studies Options
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Approaches to Canadian
Literature
This course will examine Canadian literature from sea to sea.
Working from the Maritimes to the West Coast, the course will
explore a range of major writers who have charted and
shaped the literary landscape of a country as vast as it is
varied. Students will discover how regional landscapes have
had a shaping influence on the Canadian imagination. Prose
will comprise the core of course readings, although selections
of poetry and drama will also be considered in defining the
technical and thematic colours of Canadian writing.
Conversational Spanish
This course is intended for the student who has little or no
knowledge of Spanish and who would like to acquire a basic
functional knowledge of the language and culture. This course
is not open to native speakers of Spanish or those who have
previously taken more than one course in Spanish.
Canadian Political
Economy
This course introduces the basic principles of macroeconomic
theory and its relevance in economic decision-making in a
market economy with a large public sector. Special emphasis is
placed on the role of government in the economy and on the
application of economic theory in policy development within the
framework of the Canadian federation. Topical content focuses
on some of the major problems and issues in Canadian society
today and their roots in our colonial heritage, resource-based
economy, and interdependence of economic, political, social and
cultural spheres.
28
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Canadian Politics and
Government
This course is designed to introduce students to the
complexities, variations and history of the Canadian political
system. A significant premise anchoring the content is the
historical perspective of the political and economic aspects of
government. Students will learn the difference between federal
and provincial powers as established in and delineated by the
British North America Act. The executive, legislative and
judiciary triangle of authority will be reviewed, in addition to the
current reliance on Parliamentary and Senate committees in
public policy-making. Students will also examine significant
features and impacts of Canadian federalism, regionalism,
Quebec’s “distinct society”, immigration, multiculturalism and
social policy.
Canadian Short Story
The Canadian short story is arguably the pre-eminent genre of
Canadian literature, its legacy reaching back to the comic
sketches of the Nineteenth century and ranging over the
numerous experiments of story telling in the Twentieth century
and beyond. Alongside the enchantment of entering—in a single
sitting—the same narrative room peopled by novels, the
Canadian short story also exposes briefly but intensely the
contours of our country’s regions, our history, and our
increasingly complex culture. We will consider a variety of stories
from a variety of periods and contexts, and where possible,
supplement our readings with film adaptations of the stories
Canadians and Americans
This course analyzes Canadian and American culture and
society in their historical contexts, examining differences and
similarities, in an effort to better understand current issues in
Canada and the United States and the interrelationships and
tensions which exist between these two countries.
Cities and Civilizations
This course is a multidisciplinary introduction to the study of
cities. Key themes and theoretical debates in urban studies will
be examines by studying the stories of several great cities. We
will discuss the relationship between the physical spaces of cities
and their cultural-philosophical aspects. Students will develop a
critical understanding of the role of urbanization in civilizations,
urban processes and cultures, and then explore methods of
applying these ideas to current social/political/aesthetic debates.
29
Course Title
Creative Writing
Critical Thinking I
Critical Thinking II
Calendar Course Description
This intensive writing course uses a workshop format to allow
students to hone their skills in creative writing through frequent
critiques and in-class analysis and feedback from their peers as
well as their professor. Its focus on nurturing the creative
process and helping students learn to express themselves
clearly and persuasively in their writing.
This subject will introduce the student to the basic elements of
critical thinking. Topics covered in the first semester of the
subject include: structure and types of argument, deduction and
induction, degrees of certainty in reasoning, formal and informal
of validity fallacies, and proofs
In this course we will critically examine systems of reasoning
developed by selected thinkers in their attempts to explain our
understandings of the natural world and of our places in society.
Drawing from such diverse areas as philosophy, religion,
psychology, political theory, and science, the course material will
require students to consider many of the epistemological
frameworks within which social analysts have pursued their
understanding of people in society. Reflecting a conceptual and
historical orientation, this course will also emphasize the social
determinants of the systems of thought and analysis that we
examine.
Current Issues in Canada
Everyone is affected by economic, environmental and social
circumstances: health care, education, housing, job
opportunities, social services and social values, and the
condition of the environment. The purpose of this course is to
increase your understanding of current social and economic
issues and your ability to analyze information about those issues,
and to provide a basis for your participation in Canadian society.
Digital Dilemmas
Cyber-anonymity often allows us to feel we can do almost
anything with the technology. However, just because we can do
it, should we? This course aims to explore the moral
implications involved in the design and use of various services,
entertainment, and communities on the Internet. Exploring
issues such as cyber-identities, cyber-communities, race and
gender, public and private spaces, gaming and violence, and
artificial intelligence will allow students to build moral
competence as they reflect critically on their future work in Web
site design, games programming, Internet development, and
network security.
30
Course Title
Food For Thought
Introduction to Political
Science
Calendar Course Description
This course examines the many roles of food in our lives.
Through a variety of media, students will explore the
physiological, psychological and sociological importance of food.
The course examines such topics as holidays and rituals, food
and the life cycle, food fads and myths, traditions, food etiquette,
food and health, and international foods.
Political science is the study of power. How we share power and
how power shapes society are central themes of this Introduction
to Political Science course. Discover the value of being a “good
citizen”. Find out why consumer advocate Ralph Nader said that
you should turn on to politics before politics turn on you. Find
out why Sir Winston Churchill felt that democracies were the
worst form of government except for all the others.
In today’s complex world, politic scientists play a crucial role in
understanding all levels of human interaction. Political science
seeks to understand how the state, the structures of government
and the political process impacts individuals. This course will
examine the basic concepts and approaches of political science.
A basic goal will be to enhance students’ research ability, critical
thinking skills and communication skills.
Introductory to Psychology
The discipline of psychology is the study of human behaviour. It
is concerned with the observable behaviour of an individual and
its relationship to unseen mental and physical processes, as well
as to external events. Introduction to Psychology will provide a
framework within which the student can begin to explore the
human personality.
Introduction to Sociology
Sociology is the scientific study of society. This course is a
general introduction to the concepts, theories, and major
perspectives of sociology. An examination f research studies
drawn from the Canadian society and beyond our borders will
highlight the significance of utilizing a sociological perspective or
sociological imagination.
31
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Introduction to World
Literature
Through an examination of a selection of major authors, trends,
genres and styles, this course offers a panorama of the
landmarks in Western Literature. The learner begins the
exploration of Western Literature with Antiquity, continues
through the Middle Ages and ends with the Renaissance.
Through an examination of seminal works created in these
periods, the course explores both the changes and the continuity
in Western literary tradition throughout the ages, leading up to
the present.
Introduction to World
Literature II
This course continues the study of the Western literary tradition
developed in Introduction to World Literature I. The learners
continue the exploration of major authors, trends, genres and
styles of western Literature beginning with the Age of
Neoclassicism in the eighteenth century, through Romanticism,
Realism, and Naturalism in the nineteenth century, and ending
with the poetry, prose and drama of the first half of the twentieth
century.
This course is designed for students who have little or no
knowledge of the French language. Through the use of listening
activities, structured exercises and role-playing, students will
learn the basic vocabulary and grammar structures of the French
language, which will enable them to express themselves in class
and encourage them to communicate in real situations outside
the classroom. E-learning is incorporated into the learning
process to assist learners in practicing key concepts outside the
classroom.
Introductory French I
Introductory French II
This course continues the basic, comprehensive training in both
oral and written French begun in Introductory French I. This
courses stresses language acquisition through student
involvement in listening activities, structured exercises and roleplaying. While previously learned content is reinforced, more
complex structures and more involved situations are introduced
thereby encouraging students to express themselves more freely
on a wider range of subjects. E-learning is incorporated into the
learning process to assist learners in practicing key concepts
outside the classroom.
32
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Introductory Spanish I Spanish as a Second
Language
This course is designed for learners with little or no knowledge of
the Spanish language. Through the use of listening activities,
structured exercises and role-playing, students will learn the
basic vocabulary and grammar structures of the French
language, which will enable them to express themselves in class
and encourage them to communicate in real situations outside
the classroom. E-learning is incorporated into the learning
process to assist learners in practicing key concepts outside the
classroom.
Introductory Spanish II Spanish as a Second
Language
This course is designed for students who have some knowledge
of the Spanish language but have not completed Grade 11
Spanish. It continues the basic, comprehensive training in both
written and oral Spanish begun in Introductory Spanish I. As in
SPA100, this course stresses language acquisition through
student involvement in listening activities, structured exercises
and role-playing. While previously learned content is reinforce,
more complex structures an more involved situations are
introduced thereby encouraging students to express themselves
more freely on a wider range of subjects. . E-learning is
incorporated into the learning process to assist learners in
practicing key concepts outside the classroom.
Media and the Information
Age
The average person spends 2,600 hours per year watching TV
or listening to the radio. That’s 325 eight-hour days, a full-time
job! We spend another 900 hours with other media, including
newspapers, books, magazines, music, film, home video, video
games, and the Internet. That’s about 3,500 hours of media use,
more time than we spend on anything else, including working or
sleeping. This consumption of information sustains our economy
and most of the economic activity in North America now involves
producing, processing or distributing information including the
output of the mass media, Internet, telecommunications and
computer industries. The goal of this course is to prepare
students to thrive in this newly integrated communications and
information environment.
33
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Media as Art Form
This course introduces students to the language and structure of
visual media products. To “see” and “read” a film, television
production or music video with critical awareness requires
knowledge of the components of production, awareness of the
history of film, and learning how meaning is relayed through a
composition of image, sound and light. This subject offers a
structured approach to the appreciation of visual media through
study of elements of of production, modes of visual reality,
perception and product, genre, formation of meaning, auteurs
and creative signatures, narrative modes, and art and marketing.
Middle Eastern Societies
This course is designed to introduce learners to the Middle
Eastern Culture. The Middle Eastern culture is explore through
its peoples, cultural heritage, and its current international and
regional problems. Historically, this region is considered the
“cradle of civilization,” an ancient heartland of great empires,
famous cities, and the birthplace of the three major monotheistic
religions: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. E-learning is
incorporated throughout the content of this course.
Municipal Issues
Canada’s municipalities are in the midst of a revolution. Federal,
provincial and municipal governments are actively engaged in an
interactive series of dynamic negotiations over the role that
municipalities will play in the design and delivery of a wide range
of services to the public in the 21st century. It’s an exciting time to
be part of that process. This subject will introduce students to the
central themes that are at the core of these negotiations and
expose them to the potential for exciting and rewarding careers
at the municipal level.
Physical Geography
This subject will familiarize the student with those physicalenvironmental processes that influence the habitability and
landscapes of our planet. Special emphasis will be placed on
studying and analyzing aspects of biosphere, atmosphere,
hydrosphere and lithosphere (geosphere) from a systems
perspective.
34
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Popular Literature
Popular Literature is the study of fiction read for pleasure and
written for profit. In this course the learners read selections from
the five genres of popular fiction: horror, romance, science
fiction, crime and adventure. As well, the course will explore the
history and theory of popular fiction. E-learning is integrated in
the course for virtual discussion of assigned material.
Principles of Psychology
As we move through the world and interact with those around us,
we all play the role of “psychologist”, trying to understand why
we and others do what we do, feel what we feel, think what we
think. This course is designed to introduce you to the scientific
study of human behaviour and mental processes. By
understanding how psychological research is conducted, by
examining the evidence that has been accumulated in the field,
and by using critical thinking and analysis, it is hoped that the
assumptions and intuition you have gained through your own
experience with the world will be re-examined and re-evaluated
in a new and interesting light. A variety of areas within this broad
and fascinating field will be examined. These may include
learning, memory, social psychology, developmental psychology,
stress and health, personality, and abnormal psychology.
Science Fiction
As a literary mode, science fiction (sf) possesses its own history
and conventions and is a fundamental means of exploring such
philosophical/social/historical concepts as: humanity’s place in
the universe; godly power and immorality; mechanization and
dehumanization; defining/factoring humanity; gender
construction; the psychological impact of time; and,
post/humanism. This course is a survey of sf’s key literatures,
authors, and theories and is structured in a chronological
manner, starting with H.G. Wells as a representative “father” of
sf’s early origins and continuing through the Golden Age, the
New Wave, feminism, and cyberpunk/post-cyberpunk writings.
The Biology of Aging
Reflecting current demographic trends and issues in society, as
well as personal aging, this subject examines the basic operating
systems in the human body and age related physical and
functional changes and dysfunctions. E-learning is incorporated
into the learning process, allowing for key concepts to presented
through an interactive process.
35
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Themes in Canadian
History
This course introduces students to the complexities, variations
and background of selected issues in Canadian history. Using
the methodology of social history, learners will analyze and
discuss the historical and contemporary significance of issues
including: Canadian Government and Politics, Aboriginal
Peoples, Industrialization and Urbanization, Religious Life and
Culture, Gender and Immigration and Ethnicity.
Urban Studies
This course is a survey introduction to the interdisciplinary field
of urban studies. Students will examine both theoretical and
practical approaches in the study of cities taking into
consideration the roles of history, politics, culture, ecology and
economics in the development of urban settings. We will
consider fundamental issues such as the history of urbanization
and the evolution of city form, planning theory and practice,
community, municipal policy-making, delivery of services and
infrastructure. A major focus of the course will be on Canadian
urbanization in a global context.
Work in Canada
This course examines the nature of the society learners are
socialized into and the place of men and women in this society.
A major theme of the course is the nature of work with particular
emphasis on the Canadian society. Since there is a relationship
between job opportunities and general social and technological
change, this aspect of work will also be examined along with the
conflicts which often surface under these circumstances.
Modern Social and Political
Thought
This course introduces students to the seminal ideas of major
western thinkers of the modern period through a consideration of
a select number of the representative primary texts. While not
exhaustive, these texts illustrate the interactive nature of the
disciplines, the vital flow of influence between science,
philosophy and the arts. As a result, this course will facilitate the
development of the students’ capacity to think both critically and
historically about their own time, as well as about the past.
36
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
The Short Story
The short story is one of the most popular and accessible literary
forms today. This course examines the development and range
of short fiction in several contexts, specifically literary, historical
and international. Through close readings of slected stories,
students will cross many cultures and times, explore a variety of
fictional styles and techniques and, in the process, discover the
unique qualities of this genre. The course will begin with those
writers who have had a shaping influence on the tradition and
move on to those who have enriched it by taking it in strikingly
new directions.
Asian/North American
Literature
This course focuses on authors of Asian background who write
about their experiences with their adopted culture and examine
how they have been affected by immigration or by being born
into a non-Asian culture. Themes of isolation and identification
are joined with themes of growth, adaptation and self-discovery.
Readings will come from authors of South Asian, Chinese,
Korean and Japanese background.
Understanding Science
and Technology
This course explores the history, philosophy and social
contributions of science and technology. Designed for those with
no background in the sciences, it will introduce learners to
important topics including modern medical ethics, the use of
modern communications technology and the application of the
scientific method to contemporary environmental questions. Elearning is incorporated through the course, assisting learners in
developing skills a variety of communication methods.
37
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Global Politics
This introductory course on international relations aims to help
students interpret international and global events, and to make
practical use of this knowledge in their daily lives. Recently, the
increasing flow of trade, capital, people and ideas around the
world has caused an unprecedented level of political, social and
economic integration. Events in one part of the globe cause
significant changes in another. For example, the fall of the Berlin
Wall in 1989, the terrorist attacks on American soil of September
11, 2001, and the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, have
worldwide social, economic and political implications. Students of
global politics will draw on other disciplines such as geography,
philosophy, economics, psychology, law, ecology, history and
sociology, to analyze and make sense of these events. They will
also examine issues such as globalization, human rights,
terrorism, global warming, nuclear proliferation, immigration, and
organized crime.
The History of the United
States
This course is intended to introduce students to the history of the
United States and provide a foundation for both further studies in
U.S. history and subsequent humanities and social science
courses. The course covers selected topics in the social,
political, and economic history of the United States including but
not limited to the American Revolution; constitutional
development; social reform movements such as Jacksonianism,
Progressivism, and Civil Rights; the development of corporate
capitalism and the welfare state; and the role of the United
States in world affairs during the 20th Century. The course will
use both a textbook and primary reader to develop students’
ability to read historical documents critically and analytically.
38
Course Title
How Things Work
This course explores the relevance of physical science to our
life. It uses everyday objects and familiar phenomena to
introduce basic physics ideas and concepts. The students taking
the course will gain a deeper understanding of the laws of nature
and the way scientists and engineers apply them for further
advancements in technology. Developments in power
generation, communication, medical imaging, are only some of
the many examples of practical applications of fundamental
discoveries in physical sciences. As a result of the course, the
students will develop a better understanding of science and its
relevance to our everyday life.
Introduction to Astronomy
This course introduces the students to the science of astronomy.
They will study the planets, stars, galaxies, the structure of the
observable universe and our place in it. Students will understand
the Earth’s motions, the reason for seasons, tides, and eclipses.
They will learn about the current views on the Solar System, on
the nature of stars and their evolution. Students will gain
understanding of galaxies and the history of the observable
universe. As a result, they will develop a better appreciation of
the beauty of the Cosmos and the scientific quest to understand
it.
Introduction to Geometry
This course serves as an introduction to Euclidean and nonEuclidean geometries using both deductive and analytic
techniques. Students will broaden their mathematical knowledge
and abstract reasoning skills by exploring and solving problems
in geometry, including axiomatic systems, Euclidean geometry
and analytic geometry of planes and space, as well as nonEuclidean and projective geometries. Students will also further
develop their understanding of mathematical proofs.
Calendar Course Description
39
Upper Level Liberal Studies Options
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Canada: The Rise of the
Modern Nation
This course undertakes a critical examination of seminal ideas,
events, forces and people influencing the course of Canadian
history. The organizing principle will be thematic: four themes of
twentieth century Canadian history. The course will also consider
the absence or marginalization of a wide range of voices
describing histories from differing perspectives.
Canadian Autobiography
Why do people write their stories? What can we learn from
reading auto-biographies? What would we choose to write about
ourselves? These are the main questions considered in this
course. We will read two auto-biographies by "new" Canadians;
two men who arrived to the safe shores of Canada after
experiencing the horrors of war and without English. As adults,
these authors retell their childhood stories. Their adult
perspectives influence what and how they tell their stories. Can
we discern it? Does it matter? What have they revealed about
themselves, their families, their countries of origin? We will
explore these questions through online discussions and
individual autobiographical writing.
Canadian Popular Music
Sarah McLachlan, Bruce Cockburn, Ashley MacIsaac: these are
just a few contemporary musicians on the current pop music
scene who form part of a distinguished tradition in Canadian folkrock culture that can be traced back to the popular music
explosion of the 1960s. This mid-twentieth century renaissance
witnessed the beginning of such international folk legends as
Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and James Taylor. But what remains
largely unknown is the contribution of Canadian musicians to this
movement. This course traces the Canadian legacy from its
1960s roots to its various present incarnations and hybrids,
focusing particularly on song lyrics and historical contexts within
which the songs and musicians enjoy(ed) popularity.
40
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Cultural Trash: Waste,
Excess and Repression
North America is populated by people who have rejected their
origins in efforts to create new lives in America. This
revolutionary mindset creates novelty, yet attempts to dispose of
much that festers underground. In looking at the production and
nature of waste in America, we will read literature as a tool to
reconsider ecological systems. This course focuses on our
culture’s propensity for trash: producing waste upon the earth,
and treating people as waste. In addition to reading literary
representations of environmental mistreatment, we will look at
archaeological studies of landfills to see how our waste defines
us. Recent writers re-envision the human race by paying
attention to indigenous and ecological connections.
Globalization in the 20th
Century and Beyond
The 20th century has experienced great social upheaval and
transformation. We fought two world wars, saw the rise and fall
of the Soviet communist regime, experienced dramatic
technological advances and witnessed the ascendancy of
capitalism as the primary global economic model.
This course will survey the historical context of the battle
between state controlled economics and market driven
globalization. We will look to the future and examine how these
forces of globalization are creating political, economic, and social
rifts in the global population. The course will also emphasize
research and analysis to allow students to gain a critical
perspective of today’s international community.
41
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Movies and Meaning
This subject offers students opportunities to learn how the
elements of film structure create meaning. Film is a complex
collaborative art form with its own structural and syntactical
patterns whose presence and operation often elude moviegoers. Audiences' subliminal and conscious absorption of
meaning, however, depends on elements of film structure. This
subject will provide an introduction to how a technological art
form functions and how movies work. It will present movies and
film clips to help students grasp each production element and get
a sense of film's one-hundred-year history. Students will follow a
structured approach to understanding how meaning is relayed
through light, sound, and motion. LSO 478 introduces students
to the language and structure of visual media products. To 'see'
and ‘read’ a film, television production, website, or music video
with critical awareness requires learning how film technology
creates and shapes meaning. LSO 478 offers a structured
approach to learning how visual media forms work, including •
elements of production • formation of meaning • modes of visual
reality • auteurs & creative signatures • perception and product •
narrative modes in visual media • genre • art and marketing.
The Culture of Image
We live in an image age. As a result, we are constantly
bombarded by images that not only tell us what to buy but, more
often than not, who we are and what to think. In this course
students will examine the position of power that the producers
and distributors of these images hold in our society. By
examining such issues and the identity, agenda, political
ideology and financial importance of these sellers of ‘culture’
students will develop a critical position from which to examine
and understand these images as expressions of culture and
popular culture.
42
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Art,
Science,
and Although art and science seem like an unlikely pair, several key
Technology: Intersections
elements unite these two disparate fields. This course explores
the role of science as a subject of artistic endeavors, the
contribution artists have made to scientific theory, and the effect
of technological advances on artistic practices. While it will
require a greater historical backdrop of both the artistic and
scientific periods, this course does not require one to have an
extensive background in science or art as it will provide students
with basic terminology, historical context, and tools needed to
analyze the works of art with this perspective in mind.
Contemporary Issues in This is a course in psychopathology, or the scientific study of
Abnormal Psychology
mental disorders. Building on students’ understanding of
psychology as a scientific discipline, the course provides a broad
survey of abnormal behavior, with emphasis on a scientific
approach to understanding its origins, maintenance and
treatment. Students will examine contemporary issues in
psychological disturbance and treatment, review research
evidence, and become acquainted with the variety of approaches
to how abnormality and psychopathology is currently
conceptualized, classified, and managed. The course will not
simply present a list of "facts" about different forms of abnormal
behavior; rather, students will develop critical thinking skills as
applied to theories and treatments relevant for each disorder.
Narrative, Drama and the Narrative and drama, though certainly the subject of theatre and
Visual Arts
literature, have also greatly impacted the visual arts, including
painting, sculpture, printmaking and even architecture.
Accordingly, this course investigates the impact that drama and
narrative have on the visual arts, and how these two forces are
conveyed through images. Since both narrative and drama have
formal elements, these will be analyzed and mapped onto the
formal and stylistic elements of visual arts that are employed to
convey content. Students will discover the joy of art criticism and
interpretation as it relates to the drama of fictional and real
narratives that represent human experience.
43
Course Title
Economics of Immigration
Calendar Course Description
This course applies economic principles to immigration with
special reference to Canadian economy. This course will
explore immigration trends, policies and programs. It will also
analyze an impact of immigration on labour supply and demand
behaviour in Canada. Census and the other published data will
be analyzed to understand the present and future impact of
immigration policy on Canadian economy. The acquired tools
will be applied to topics such as brain drain, immigration support
programs, discrimination and unemployment. This course will
conclude by conducting a comparative study of immigration
policies in Canada, United States and Europe
Women and Gender in This course will explore selected topics in the history of women
European History
in Europe from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. It will
consider how gender shaped women’s participation in the major
historical events of the period and influenced daily life.
Women and Gender in This course will explore selected topics in the history of women
European History
in Europe from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. It will
consider how gender shaped women’s participation in the major
historical events of the period and influenced daily life.
Film and Philosophy
Film and Philosophy offers students an introduction to the main
schools of Western philosophy and introduces the theoretical
discipline of film, representation theory. Capitalizing on film’s
unique property as representational medium, Film and
Philosophy examines how films undertake the task of
philosophy. This course presents a range of classic and
contemporary films as opportunities for study and speculation
based on the works of such philosophers such as Plato,
Aquinas, Descartes, Berkeley, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Kant, and
Sartre.
Heroes and Heroines in What is a hero? What is a heroine? And can an ordinary person
Western Literature
be a hero or a heroine? What qualities would distinguish them
from others? Can a hero or a heroine be threatening, yet heroic?
What if they are sarcastic and cynical, can they still be
considered heroic? This course explores the tragic, comedic,
shocking, violent sarcastic and evil aspects of heroism. Students
will closely examine heroes and heroines through the analysis of
characters, and the understanding of their achievements. This
course also analyzes the ways in which heroes go above and
beyond societal boundaries to achieve their goals.
44
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
Nutrition Through the Life Nutritional status and nutritional requirement are explored using
Span
a life span model. From a multiple determinant perspective,
nutrition is positioned as a significant factor affecting health at
each life stage. The importance of nutrition on the developing
foetus, and its impact on development of chronic disease in later
life is reviewed in the context of available literature. Emphasis is
placed on nutrient requirements, adaptation, growth and
development as well as current areas of research and
controversy at each stage of the life cycle. Areas of emphasis
include feeding and eating principles, high risk populations,
women’s health needs, and nutrition challenges presented by
our aging society. Relevant health and education policy,
program and evaluation strategies are presented.
Scientific Revolutions
This course focuses on understanding historical episodes of
dramatic scientific change. We will examine the emergence of
heliocentric astronomy, Newton’s discovery of universal
gravitation, the controversy over evolution by natural selection,
and the emergence of the theory of relativity. These historical
episodes illuminate the interplay between scientific ideals and
social realities in the development of science.
The
Global
Financial Could the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-2009 have been
prevented? How effective are the policies and regulations for
Crisis: 2008-2009
overcoming the Great Recession associated with this crisis? We
will scrutinize the events of this crisis, and investigate its causes,
effects and remedies. The analysis will be anchored in an
understanding of the fundamental elements of the financial
system, monetary and fiscal policies, and international trade.
The Television Age
This course introduces students to the technology, politics,
economics, philosophy, ideology and morality of televisions.
Students are asked to look critically behind the scenes of the
television world and discern the various patterns of industry
structure and thematic content. Students require access to a
television.
45
F. b. Undergraduate Schedule II
Category
Course Title
Total Core
Course
Semester
Hours
Communications
Writing Strategies I
42
Writing Strategies II
42
Presentation Skills
42
Liberal Studies Option –
Literature
Humanities
42
World Civilizations
126
Liberal Studies Option –
Humanities
Social Science
Natural Science
Total NonCore Course
Semester
Hours
42
Course
Prerequisites
And Co-Requisites
Highest qualification
earned and discipline of
study (or required)
Not
Applicable
Writing Strategies
I
Writing Strategies
II
Writing Strategies
I and II
PhD (Comparative Lit.)
Not Applicable
PhD (History)
126
Introduction to
Mathematics
42
Not Applicable
Introduction to Statistics
42
Introduction to
PhD (Literature)
World Civilizations
Introduction to the
Social Sciences
Liberal Studies Option –
Social Science
Not Applicable
42
PhD (Literature)
PhD (Psychology)
Introduction to the
Social Sciences
M.A., PhD (Candidate)
(Mathematics)
49
Introduction to the
Natural Sciences
Liberal Studies Option –
Natural Science
Critical Analysis of
Research
Applied Research
Methods
Applied Research
Project
42
Vocational
15 vocational courses
630
Liberal Studies
Options
4 additional courses
from any category
Research
42
42
42
PhD (Astronomy)
Introduction to the
Natural Sciences
Not Applicable
PhD (Higher Ed.)
Critical Analysis of
Research
Applied Research
Methods
126
PhD (Higher Ed.)
PhD (Higher Ed.)
As described in
previous Seneca
approved degrees
168
Subtotal Course
Hours
Total Program
Hours
Additional
Requirements
Mathematics
Not Applicable
1344
336
1680
Co-op Professional
Practice
Co-op Integration and
Career Planning
Co-op Work Term
Introduction to
Computers and
Applications
14
MEd
14
MEd
28
50
G. Work Experience
Co-Operative
Education
CPP 600
Hours
Course Title
Calendar Course Description
1
Co-op Professional
Practice
CPP 700
1
Co-op Integration and
Career Planning
Co-op education is meant to
provide learners with the
opportunity to integrate academic
learning with relevant work
experience. It also provides
students with the opportunity to
learn more about themselves and
their chosen field of study. The
purpose of this work term is to
enable the learner to make a
smooth transition from the
academic setting to a work
environment. In this course,
learners will develop strategies to
assist them in the job search
process.
The integration of classroom
activities with work term
experience is vital for the complete
and successful learning and
understanding of co-op work
placement experiences. Structured
integration and reflective learning
with peers provides the opportunity
to evaluate work experience into a
broader context. Guest speakers
from the industry will give students
further employment exposure and
an opportunity to network.
Pre-requisite: CPP600
The student is employed in an
approved and monitored co-op
work/learn position in a field
related to his/her academic
program.
CWT 100
Co- Op Work Term
51
Students who begin the program in Year One will participate in a work placement in the summer
between Years Three and Four. The nature of the work placement will depend on the
vocational stream chosen. Students will be eligible for the work placements which have been
developed for the degree program with which the vocational stream is affiliated. (See previous
Seneca submissions for evidence of support).
Students who have completed a two or three year diploma and join the program in Semester 4
or 5 will participate in a co-op work term in the summer between Years Three and Four. These
students will complete a work placement relevant to their vocational program. Students with a
minimum of two years’ full-time work experience in a position relevant to the program from
which they graduated may be granted credit for the co-op work term. Supporting documentation
from a supervisor indicating both the nature of the student’s work and satisfactory performance
will be required. If granted, the student will also be granted credit for CPP 600, Co-op
Professional Practice, and CPP700, Co-op Integration and Career Planning.
Students may find a work placement with an employer who seeks degree graduates and
provides on-the-job training. Such employment may be, for example, in the public service
sector or with a non-profit agency.
Because it is anticipated that students will join the program having completed a wide array of
diploma programs, the College intends to assign a co-op coordinator to support this program.
Students will be supported throughout the co-op work experience in the following ways:
•
Developing, with each student, appropriate work placements with attendant job
descriptions
•
Supporting the student during the application process
•
Monitoring the selection and placement confirmation process
•
Acting as liaison between the student and the work placement on an on-going basis
•
Providing individual advisement re placement issues
•
Visiting the student on site to evaluate performance
52
Work Experience Outcomes and Evaluation
Work Experience Outcomes
How Work Experience Puts
Into Practice the Program
Outcomes
Method of Evaluating Student
During Placement
Upon successful completion
of the co-op work experience,
students will be able to:
The primary goals of the coop work experience are to
provide students with an
opportunity to:
The students’ performance at
their placements will be
evaluated by both their
supervisor and the co-op
coordinator. Evaluations will
consist of an employer
questionnaire, an interview
with the employer and an
interview with the student.
1. Apply the applied skills and
theoretical knowledge relevant
to their vocational program.
•
Apply the skills and
theories they have
learned in their
vocational program in
a work environment
•
Develop critical
professional skills (e.g.
time management,
conflict resolution, etc)
2. Show effective
communication, management
and leadership skills
3. Demonstrate the ability to
interpret problems, judge
decisions and analyze
situations in the work force.
4. Use current workplace
technologies effectively.
5. Demonstrate time
management skills to meet
assigned deadlines.
6. Demonstrate effective
interpersonal and team
building skills.
7. Demonstrate a professional
and ethical attitude in their
work placement.
8. Research appropriate
employer information from a
variety of sources.
9. Apply a variety of job
search techniques to find
employment.
10. Prepare a professional
Application of Skills and
Theories
The student will have the
opportunity to put into practice
a specific set of skills and
knowledge acquired through
the vocational stream of the
program or in a previous
diploma program. Integration
of technology in the workplace
will be reinforced.
Professional Skills
Development
The co-op work term provides
the student with the
opportunity to become
involved in real-life work
experiences where critical
thinking, problem solving and
interpersonal skills are
53
resume and cover letter and
use them as marketing in their
job search.
11. Apply job interview
techniques in order to present
themselves in a confident and
professional manner.
utilized. Learners will develop
their written and oral
communication skills and time
management skills through
the on-time delivery of
projects and assignments.
Following the work term, the
student will be required to
take the Co-op Integration and
Career Planning, a course
which provides the opportunity
to assess and evaluate the
work experience.
54
K. Gap Analysis
One of the goals of the proposed Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree program is to
provide a degree completion opportunity for graduates of any two or three year college diploma
program. In addition to the vocational skills they will have developed in their diploma program,
this proposed degree program will provide them with the depth and breadth of a liberal arts
education, with more fully developed transferable skills and with well developed research and
information fluency skills.
Graduates of two-year diploma programs will receive block credit equivalent of up to 45 of the
120 required credits. Thirty of these will be vocational credits. The remaining fifteen credits will
be assessed on an individual basis and depend on the diploma program completed. All
graduates of two-year diploma programs will be required to take the five-course upper level
vocational stream (15 credits) as described in the Bridging Course section of this proposal.
Graduates of three-year diploma programs will receive block credit equivalent of up to 60 of the
program’s 120 credits. Forty-five of these will be vocational credits. The remaining fifteen
credits will be assessed on an individual basis and depend on the program completed.
Table 1 – Gap Analysis – Graduates of Two-Year Diploma Programs
BIS Program Learning
Outcome
Gap Analysis
Remediation of Gap
Demonstrate an
understanding of and ability to
work in a specific vocational
field related to a program
offered by a College.
The diploma program covers
this knowledge, but this
outcome will be further
developed to meet the degree
level standard.
Five course vocational stream
Demonstrate an
understanding of and ability to
apply this knowledge in
theoretical situations.
The diploma program covers
this knowledge, but this
outcome will be further
developed to meet the degree
level standard.
Five course vocational
stream
Demonstrate an ability to
apply this knowledge in real
situations.
The diploma program covers
this knowledge, but this
outcome will be further
developed to meet the degree
level standard.
Five course vocational stream
Demonstrate an
understanding and ability to
This outcome is not
addressed in a diploma
BIH 100 – World Civilizations
250
analyze information from an
interdisciplinary perspective.
program.
BIS 100 – Introduction to the
Social Sciences
BIN 150 – Introduction to the
Natural Sciences
Demonstrate effective critical
thinking and problem-solving
skills in academic and
workplace settings.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
All required courses, but
particularly,
LSP 601 – Critical Analysis of
Research
LSP 701 – Applied Research
Methods
LSP 801 – Applied Research
Project
CPP 600 – Co-op
Professional Practice
CPP 700 – Co-op Integration
and Career Planning
CWT 100 – Co-op Work Term
Select and apply current
workplace technology as
appropriate to a situation or
problem.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
BIN 400 – Introduction to
Statistics
Demonstrate depth and
breadth of knowledge
regarding those disciplines
traditionally regarded as
fundamental to a liberal arts
education.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
BIH 100 – World Civilizations
BIS 100 – Introduction to the
Social Sciences
BIN 150 – Introduction to the
Natural Sciences
All Liberal Studies Options
Solve complex problems by
employing various disciplinary
and interdisciplinary ideas,
tools and techniques in
innovative and integrative
ways.
Diploma students are exposed
to this outcome at an
introductory level. This
outcome will be further
developed to meet the degree
level standard.
BIH 100 – World Civilizations
BIS 100 – Introduction to the
Social Sciences
BIN 150 – Introduction to the
Natural Sciences
251
All Liberal Studies Options
LSP 601 – Critical Analysis of
Research
LSP 701 – Applied Research
Methods
LSP 801 – Applied Research
Project
Access, analyze and
synthesize information, both
quantitative and qualitative,
from primary and secondary
sources.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
BIN 400 – Introduction to
Statistics
LSP 601 – Critical Analysis of
Research
LSP 701 – Applied Research
Methods
LSP 801– Applied Research
Project
Critically analyze the forces
that shape values, ideas and
societal circumstances, and
present them in an
academically structured,
sustained and well-supported
argument.
Diploma students are exposed
to this outcome at an
introductory level. This
outcome will be further
developed to meet the degree
level standard.
BIH 100 – world Civilizations
BIS 100 – Introduction to the
Social Sciences
BIN 150 – Introduction to
Natural Science
All Liberal Studies Options
LSP 801 – Applied Research
Project
Communicate ideas by
selecting the most suitable
medium for the message,
audience and purpose,
speaking or writing clearly,
concisely, cohesive and
correctly.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
LSP 400 – Presentation Skills
LSP 601 – Critical Analysis of
Research
LSP 701 – Applied Research
Methods
LSP 801– Applied Research
Project
CPP 600 – Co-op
Professional Practice
252
All Liberal Studies Options
Work effectively and
cooperatively as a team
member, using appropriate
strategies and taking initiative.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
LSP 400 – Presentation Skills
Demonstrate an ability to
evaluate a situation and make
ethical and socially
responsible decisions.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
All courses, but particularly,
CWT 100 – Co-op Work Term
BIH 100 – World Civilizations
BIS 100 – Introduction to the
Social Sciences
BIN 150 – Introduction to the
Natural Sciences
CWT 100 – Co-op Work Term
Demonstrate an
understanding of the
importance of lifelong learning
available through, for
example, self-directed
learning, team learning, webbased learning and career
planning.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
All courses, but particularly,
CPP 600 – Co-op
Professional Practice
CPP 700 – Co-op Integration
and Career Planning
CWT 100 – Co-op Work Term
Gap Analysis – Graduates of Three-Year Diploma Programs
BIS Program Learning
Outcome
Gap Analysis
Remediation of Gap
Demonstrate an
understanding of and ability to
work in a specific vocational
field related to a program
offered by a College.
Graduates of diploma
programs will have sufficient
exposure to this learning
outcome.
N/A
Demonstrate an
understanding of and ability to
apply this knowledge in
theoretical situations.
Graduates of diploma
programs will have sufficient
exposure to this learning
outcome.
N/A
253
Demonstrate an ability to
apply this knowledge in real
situations.
Graduates of diploma
programs will have sufficient
exposure to this learning
outcome.
N/A
Demonstrate an
understanding and ability to
analyze information from an
interdisciplinary perspective.
This outcome is not
addressed in a diploma
program.
BIH 100 – World Civilizations
BIS 100 – Introduction to the
Social Sciences
BIN 150 – Introduction to the
Natural Sciences
Demonstrate effective critical
thinking and problem-solving
skills in academic and
workplace settings.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
All required courses, but
particularly,
LSP 601 – Critical Analysis of
Research
LSP 701 – Applied Research
Methods
LSP 801 – Applied Research
Project
CPP 600 – Co-op
Professional Practice
CPP 700 – Co-op Integration
and Career Planning
CWT 100 – Co-op Work Term
Select and apply current
workplace technology as
appropriate to a situation or
problem.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
BIN 400 – Introduction to
Statistics
Demonstrate depth and
breadth of knowledge
regarding those disciplines
traditionally regarded as
fundamental to a liberal arts
education.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
BIH 100 – World Civilizations
BIS 100 – Introduction to the
Social Sciences
BIN 150 – Introduction to the
Natural Sciences
All Liberal Studies Options
Solve complex problems by
Diploma students are exposed
BIH 100 – World Civilizations
254
employing various disciplinary
and interdisciplinary ideas,
tools and techniques in
innovative and integrative
ways.
to this outcome at an
introductory level. This
outcome will be further
developed to meet the degree
level standard.
BIS 100 – Introduction to the
Social Sciences
BIN 150 – Introduction to the
Natural Sciences
All Liberal Studies Options
LSP 601 – Critical Analysis of
Research
LSP 701 – Applied Research
Methods
LSP 801 – Applied Research
Project
Access, analyze and
synthesize information, both
quantitative and qualitative,
from primary and secondary
sources.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
BIN 400 – Introduction to
Statistics
LSP 601 – Critical Analysis of
Research
LSP 701 – Applied Research
Methods
LSP 801– Applied Research
Project
Critically analyze the forces
that shape values, ideas and
societal circumstances, and
present them in an
academically structured,
sustained and well-supported
argument.
Diploma students are exposed
to this outcome at an
introductory level. This
outcome will be further
developed to meet the degree
level standard.
BIH 100 – world Civilizations
BIS 100 – Introduction to the
Social Sciences
BIN 150 – Introduction to the
Natural Sciences
All Liberal Studies Options
LSP 801 – Applied Research
Project
Communicate ideas by
selecting the most suitable
medium for the message,
audience and purpose,
speaking or writing clearly,
concisely, cohesive and
correctly.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
LSP 400 – Presentation Skills
LSP 601 – Critical Analysis of
Research
LSP 701 – Applied Research
Methods
255
LSP 801 Applied Research
Project
CPP 600 – Co-op
Professional Practice
All Liberal Studies Options
Work effectively and
cooperatively as a team
member, using appropriate
strategies and taking initiative.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
LSP 400 – Presentation Skills
Demonstrate an ability to
evaluate a situation and make
ethical and socially
responsible decisions.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
All courses, but particularly,
CWT 100 – Co-op work Term
BIH 100 – World Civilizations
BIS 100 – Introduction to the
Social Sciences
BIN 150 – Introduction to the
Natural Sciences
CWT 100 – Co-op Work Term
Demonstrate an
understanding of the
importance lifelong learning
available through, for
example, self-directed
learning, team learning, webbased learning and career
planning.
This outcome is addressed in
diploma programs but will be
further developed to meet the
degree level standard.
All courses, but particularly,
CPP 600 – Co-op
Professional Practice
CPP 700 – Co-op Integration
and Career Planning
CWT 100 – Co-op Work Term
256
Section 4: Delivery Method
4. DELIVERY METHOD
A. Introduction
The proposed Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree will be delivered in such a way as to
achieve the proposed learning outcomes at the degree level and to meet the benchmarks of this
standard.
Contained in the Policies file is the College’s policy on Quality Assurance, which describes
Seneca’s commitment to regular academic program review and the College’s capacity to
provide college-wide infrastructure and student support services such as libraries, learning
centres, computer labs, appropriately equipped classrooms, student services and student work
space.
Seneca’s Program Review Policy and Procedures mandates that program content and delivery
is examined regularly to ensure that learning outcomes are met and that adequate resources,
human and physical, are available. The key elements of program review include the following
topics: program content, program infrastructure/delivery, curriculum, teaching/learning/program
effectiveness, and recommendations. This comprehensive review is undertaken for degree
programs at the time of renewal and is used as the self-evaluation component of the degree
renewal process.
The College Policy on Student Feedback mandates that annually a minimum of three classes
per professor be assessed by students using a survey normally administered each fall term.
The policy also describes other aspects of the College’s Faculty Review process, which is made
up of three additional elements: peer review and self evaluation, which are voluntary, and
performance evaluation by the chair, which is required at least once every four years.
Academic advising is available to students through both the School’s student advisor and the
program coordinator. Non-academic support is available through Student Services including
counseling and disability services, peer mentoring, financial services and tutorial support.
Student performance is reviewed informally at mid-semester, with letters sent to poorly
performing students advising them to meet with the program coordinator. Formal discussions
take place at the end of each semester at Promotion Committee meetings held to review each
student’s transcript. Students who do not meet the 2.0 GPA requirement are normally
withdrawn from the program and advised to transfer to a high affinity diploma program. A
student may be put on probation for one semester.
Students have access to faculty through posted office hours by phone or electronically by email. Group projects are included in many courses and in addition to promoting skills in
teamwork and negotiation, help in creating communities of learners. Students are encouraged
to create their own study groups thus establishing a support system.
For on-line delivery, the creation of academic community among students and between students
and faculty is achieved through synchronous and asynchronous discussion tools which promote
enhanced discussion. BlackBoard, a Course Management System (CMS) provides tools that
allow for the sub-groupings of learners, who have their own online space for small group
1
learning activities and group project collaboration. The collaboration tools used for live “chat”
help to build community and extend learning. Synchronous conferencing provides access for a
wide range of learners to interact and build community. E-mail provides a means for enhanced
and timely feedback. Course Management Systems localize and organize course material
creating a virtual learning environment. Learners are able to share ideas through listserves,
newsgroups, e-mail and document exchange. Web quests and on-line research assignments
promote interactive, active, creative and independent learning as well as collaboration among
students.
The college’s newly revised E-Learning Policy (see Policies file) details how all elements listed
in the Handbook will be met, including safeguards to assure the student’s identity and the
integrity of the student’s work. For example, all Seneca on-line courses must include a
proctored, in-class final evaluation. Policies on Student Protection show how, for both
classroom and web-based courses, the students’ confidentiality and privacy are protected;
personal data is destroyed securely when no longer needed; and verification of students’
identification for coursework and examinations is conducted
2
B. Quality Assurance of Delivery
See “Policies” file for the College’s policies, guidelines and practices pertaining to quality
assurance of program delivery methods.
3
C. Student Feedback
See “Policies” file for the College’s policy regarding student feedback mechanisms and
processes.
4
D. Online Delivery
See the “Policies” file for the College policies pertaining to technology/computer/ and web-based
learning modes of delivery.
In the “Policies file, the College’s policies pertaining to the professional development of faculty
including the promotion of curricular and instructional innovation as well as technological skills
5
Section 5: Capacity to Deliver
5. CAPACITY TO DELIVER
A. Introduction
Seneca College’s Mission is “To contribute to Canadian society by being a transformational
leader in providing students with career-related education and training.” The College’s Mission
is accomplished through two overarching goals: 1) Superior Quality Education Experience, and
2) Access to Success. The College’s strategic direction is further defined by a series of
priorities, including the following three:
•
Broaden our proprietary degree offerings and deliver between 15% and 20% of our
program activity in degree offerings
•
Play a leadership role in student mobility within the post-secondary system
•
Focus our research activities on industry-driven applied research related to our degree
offerings.
The proposed Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree fulfills the mission and vision of
the College in a number of ways and contributes to the attainment of these strategic directions.
The proposed program will draw on the College’s proven strengths in several key areas.
The college currently has approval to offer 11 degrees. Success of this proposal now would
make 12, and there are two more degrees under development. There are over 2,000 students
registered in the existing degrees and with a 90+% placement of graduates in vocationallyrelated jobs, Seneca has proven its ability to deliver quality, career-relevant degree programs.
The proposed degree is a first-of-its-kind in the Ontario postsecondary system. With its blend of
vocational and liberal arts content and its intent to provide a degree completion opportunity for
graduates of any two or three-year college diploma program, the degree should draw a variety
of students, such as, those looking for just such a blend of the practical and theoretical; those
looking for a degree offering in the more intimate setting of the college environment; and those
who for personal or career advancement reasons are looking to attain a degree while
maximizing their previously earned college credits. This program will provide students with the
vocational knowledge and skills necessary for a successful career in their chosen field, the
depth and breadth of a liberal arts education, the preparation to be analytical/critical thinkers in
today’s global workforce, and the well-developed research skills needed for further academic
study.
1
The proposed BIS degree will deliver curriculum that will allow students to achieve their
educational and career goals. By building on their diploma program, the degree will further
strengthen their vocational skills and abilities and, on graduation, will allow them access to jobs
available only to degree graduates, thus giving them a wider range of job opportunities and
increased career advancement opportunities. The program is open to any college graduate and
provides a seamless transition into a degree program. With its focus on strengthening students’
transferable skills and providing them with well-developed research and information fluency
skills, those graduates who choose to do so will be well positioned for further vocational study.
With a plan to deliver a portion of the curriculum on-line and some courses through Continuing
Education, the BIS degree will also enable those who cannot commit to full-time studies, the
opportunity to complete their degree while maintaining employment.
Through the research component of this proposed degree, students will be provided with the
tools and the opportunity to undertake an extensive applied research project tied to their
vocational field. Students will be provided with one-on-one faculty assistance and expertise in
the development of their thesis/project thus expanding the pool of College professors engaged
in applied or advanced academic research.
The proposed “home” for this new degree will be the School of Liberal Arts in the Faculty of
Business. Seneca’s two year Liberal Arts diploma program, delivered through this School, has
positioned itself in the last ten years as Ontario’s premier college-university transfer program in
the liberal arts. By way of a successful partnership with York University, Seneca sends over 70
students a year, through its articulated program, into the third year of a York Faculty of Arts
program; and, an additional 150 students/year into second year through its regular program.
In 2008, Seneca entered into a unique agreement with the University of Toronto, where again,
through an articulated stream, students will enter the third year of an Arts program of their
choice. Seneca has similar agreements with other universities in Canada and the United
States, such as, Bishop’s University in Quebec, D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York, and
Vancouver Island University in British Columbia.
The success of Seneca’s students in university programs is due to the program’s belief that
students who have the foundational skills and intellectual underpinning of a liberal arts
curriculum are well prepared for success in further academic endeavours. The program’s
2
curriculum focuses on intense preparation in a variety of liberal arts disciplines including history,
philosophy, mathematics, literature and modern languages.
The proposed BIS program is a natural extension of the Liberal Arts program with its proven
ability to deliver a liberal arts curriculum that prepares students for success in the final two years
of a Bachelor of Arts program. The BIS degree will draw on the existing program and faculty
expertise to deliver a four-year applied degree program at Seneca. The BIS degree will draw on
this faculty and curriculum expertise to develop and deliver the BIS program’s core liberal arts
curriculum, to further develop students’ transferable skills, and to provide students with welldeveloped research and information fluency skills.
Finally, the College’s four Schools of English and Liberal Studies will be responsible for the
delivery of another major component of the proposed degree, the Liberal Studies Options
(LSOs). Seneca has a long history and strong reputation for the quality and diversity of its
general education curriculum as delivered by these Schools. With over 200 full and part-time
professors delivering required English and optional breadth courses, the Schools have the
capacity and expertise to develop and deliver the wide range of LSOs, in both breadth and
depth, that will be part of this degree.
The proposed BIS degree fulfills the College’s commitment to develop and deliver advanced
applied education, its proven strength in the delivery of applied degrees and its long history and
success in the provision of liberal arts curricula.
As evidenced in the sections to follow and the policies included as part of this submission, the
College demonstrates its capacity to deliver the program, that it has sufficient learning and
physical resources and that it is committed to maintaining such. The Library has a plan in place
to grow its collection in support of this degree. This submission will provide evidence that on-line
learning can be supported. Currently, all faculty have access to Blackboard to support
individual courses, and a number of faculty deliver either blended or fully on-line courses. As a
participant in Ontario Learn, Seneca has made a significant commitment, in both human and
physical resources, to support the many courses it delivers through this partnership.
Seneca offers a wide range of support services to students, including but not limited to, tutoring
though the Learning Centre; personal and career counseling in the Counseling and Disability
Services; the Resolution, Equity and Diversity Centre Focus whose mandate is to ensure that
3
the College provides a respectful, accessible, safe and inclusive environment; and the Student
Services Department, which offers a wide range of services from assistance with housing to
seminars on how to write a resume or study for an exam.
The Curriculum Vitae included in this section demonstrate the College’s ability to staff this
program and develop its curricula with faculty possessing the requisite credentials, that such
credentials are on file, and that there are policies in place to assure the regular review of faculty
performance. The College provides support to faculty through its Centre for Faculty and Staff
Development.
4
B. Learning and Physical Resources
a. Library Resources
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
Number of
Holdings (print)
Number of holdings
(electronic)
Number of
media holdings
(Audio/Visual)
Newnham campus Library
Resources relevant to
Degree Program Area (for
students/faculty)
Core curriculum
1
Books: 33 043
Core curriculum
electronic books:
Core curriculum:
3753
Vocational Studies
options Books:
supported by
previous
submissions.
20 195
Vocational
Studies options:
supported by
previous
submissions.
Core curriculum article
& image databases: 38
(see list below)
Vocational Studies
options: supported by
previous submissions.
Intercampus Loan with
other Seneca Libraries
Core curriculum:
Core curriculum:
2196
26 9392
Vocational
Studies options:
supported by
previous
submissions.
Vocational Studies
options: supported
by previous
submissions.
Other Library Access (e.g.
Web-based, inter-library
arrangements)
• CAAT
Interlibrary Loan
agreement with
24 Ontario
Community
Colleges
• Universities
Interlibrary Loan
Agreements
• Online course
reserves
• Ask Us Now3 live
chat reference
service
Video streamed
films via Films
on Demand
database: 4500
1
29% of the relevant core curriculum print collection at Newnham campus has been added since
2000.
2
43% of the relevant core curriculum print collection at other Seneca Libraries has been added
since 2000.
3
Ask Us Now is a virtual reference service in which students and faculty can consult via computer
5
with knowledgeable reference staff. Accessible from home or on campus, research help is a click
away with this chat style service.
CORE CURRICULUM ARTICLE & IMAGE DATABASES:
ABI/INFORM Global
Academic OneFile
Academic Search Premier
Access Science
Art Museum Image Gallery
Business Source Premier
Canadian Periodical Index
Canada in Context
Canadian Encyclopedia Online
Canadian Literary Centre
Canadian NewsStand
Canadian Points of View
Canadian Reference Centre
CBCA Business
CBCA Reference
Communication & Mass Media
Complete
Culturegrams
Current Biography
Design & Applied Arts Index
ProQuest Dissertations and
Theses Index
Europa World
Gale Virtual Reference Library
General Science eCollection
Humanities International Index
International Encyclopedia of
the Social and Behavioral
Sciences
JSTOR Arts & Sciences I, II,
III, IV, Compliment collections
Literary Reference Centre
(EBSCO)
Literature Resource Centre
(Gale)
Opposing Viewpoints in
Context
Oxford Art Online
Oxford Reference Online
Pop Culture Universe
ProQuest Science Journals
PsychARTICLES
ScienceDirect
SocioIndex with Full Text
Toronto Star Pages of the Past
World History eCollection
Seneca Libraries Collections
Seneca Libraries collect, maintain, and make accessible materials relevant to the
curriculum and recreational interests of Seneca College. In supporting programs Seneca
Libraries will provide access to information in multiple formats including print, audio
6
visual, and electronic. Seneca Libraries’ collections are intended primarily to support the
information needs of students enrolled at Seneca College, as well as to meet the
preparatory and instructional needs of faculty members. Current holdings include over
104 000 print resources, 33 000 e-books and 32 000 e-journals.
Seneca Libraries’ collection development librarians oversee the development and
maintenance of collections at each campus. Faculty participation plays a vital role in the
collection process given their unique position of subject expertise to assess curriculum
needs and evaluate specialized information. Access, currency, reliability, usability, and
relevance to the information needs of our clientele are the library’s main considerations
in selecting materials for purchase.
Seneca Libraries’ utilizes an on-going and comprehensive plan for curriculum driven
library collection development. Long term “collection profiles” are used to develop up-todate, relevant and faculty supported collections. The number of items collected or made
available is proportionate to the number of students in the program as well as the
average cost of materials and is based on known usage of the collection. The College
has committed to funding of approximately $580,000 annually in support of the
development and renewal of learning resources in all subject areas. As well, another
$480,000 is committed for the acquisition of electronic resources.
Electronic resources can be accessed on site via computing labs and wireless networks
or remotely from home. Seneca Libraries’ online collections are available 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week via the Library web site: <http://library.senecacollege.ca/>. To
support online research activities, Seneca Libraries provides research pathfinders by
subject/topic < http://seneca.libguides.com/ > and a virtual reference/research help
service called, “AskON”.
Computers-Research Access Stations for Students
Student access to Seneca Libraries’ online resources is available both on and off campus.
Specifically, the Computing Commons at the Newnham Campus has 363 student
computers supporting the research, productivity and courseware needs of students.
For students with laptops, netbooks and other portable computing devices access to
Seneca’s wireless network: SeneNET is available as well as wireless printing services:
SenePRINT.
7
b. On- and Off-Site Computer Resources and Web Access
Number
of
Computers
Available
Year
Number
of
Students
(cumulative)
to
Students
in
Proposed
Program
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
142
299
448
519
Number
of
Computers
with
Internet
Access
Available
to
Students
in
Proposed
Program
Location
of
Computers
Other
(specify)
On
Site
1553
1553
Newnham
420
420
Markham
1553
1553
Newnham
420
420
Markham
1553
1553
Newnham
420
420
Markham
1553
1553
Newnham
420
420
Markham
Student
Help
Desk
services
are
available
in
Computer
Labs,
Computing
Commons,
Library,
Student
Services
8
c. Classroom Space
Year
Number
of
students
Location
of
Classrooms
Number
of
Classrooms
On
Site
(√)
(cumulative)
2011/2012
2012/2013
20013/2014
114
Newnham
142
29
Markham
114
Newnham
299
29
Markham
114
Newnham
448
29
Markham
114
Newnham
29
Markham
Other
(specify)
2014/2015
519
9
d. Specialized Equipment, Workstations, and Laboratory Space
Not applicable to this program
10
C. Resource Renewal and Upgrading
Seneca Libraries Overview
The Seneca Libraries are vital to the success of our students. The acquisition of current print,
electronic and multimedia resources has been the focus of our collection development policies,
with the Library’s holdings now at over 102,000 print resources. A broad array of electronic
resources, including 21,000 e-books and 37,700 e-journals, Subject Guides, Quick Reference
tools and Online Course Readings are accessible on site or remotely from outside the College.
This virtual library is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at our web site:
http://library.senecacollege.ca. To further support the expanding world of online learning, the
Seneca Libraries also offer a virtual reference service called “AskOn”, which provides reference
support through online chat, email, and an online self-guided research tutorial.
In addition, the Library is committed to providing our users with the skills necessary to best
utilize our resources, through tours, instructional classes and workshops, and online tutorials.
Library Collections
Seneca Libraries’ unique approach to collection development, the “Profile” approach, comprises
a systematic plan (renewable in five-year cycles) for each program area offered at the college,
involving an intensive annual review of curriculum-based information needs and participation
from faculty with subject expertise. The end result is a relevant and up-to-date collection,
serving the research needs of all students within the college.
The College has committed to funding of approximately $580,000 annually in support of the
development and renewal of learning resources in all subject areas. As well, another $480,000
is committed for the acquisition of electronic resources.
Seneca Libraries Web Site
Available at http://library.senecacollege.ca/, the Seneca Libraries web site offers 24x7 access to
electronic books, journals and databases, as well as helpful research tools, such as our guides
to citing sources (MLA, APA, etc.), Quick Reference Tools page (categorizing, listing and
annotating key online reference resources), Subject Guides and much more. Students can
access the site while on-campus or remotely from home.
Subject Guides
The Library is committed to supporting Degree Programs by ensuring that registered students
have adequate, relevant and current resources easily available to them. We direct them to
relevant resources by providing a starting point, a “Subject Guide” page on the Seneca Libraries
web site. These resources may include databases, magazines, journals, newspapers, print
sources, audio-visual materials, RRS feeds, association information and other valued and
reviewed sites on the Internet.
11
Computing Commons
Seneca College makes available a large number of computers with access to course-related
software, college systems and services (e.g. SIRIS, My.Seneca) as well as the library’s
resources for student use. The Computing Commons also house a Student Help Desk which
provides onsite and call-in technical support for Seneca services and systems.
The Computing Commons at the various campuses offer open access computers with extended
hours.
•
•
•
•
Newnham Campus Computing Commons offers 400 computers.
Seneca@York’s Computing Commons offers 311PCs and Macs.
King Open Lab and Computing Commons offers 90 computers with an additional 35
Library computers
Markham Computing Commons offers 165 computers with an additional 26 Library
computers
Seneca College Academic IT Plan
Seneca College first introduced a College-wide Academic IT Plan in 1995. This plan was based
on the principle that all students should have access to computing and information technology
resources and the cost of these resources should not become a barrier to a Seneca College
education. As well, the College considered that a high level of technological literacy should be a
requirement of college graduates. Accordingly, Seneca's plan supports use of information
technology by students in all programs as well as supporting resource requirement in programs
requiring a high level of computing.
The current four-year Academic IT Plan covers the 2008-2012 period, with annual expenditures
of approximately $6.5 million. The Plan was developed to meet the following goals :
• Provide consistent improvements in computing hardware (with annual upgrades to follow
according to a long-term plan)
• Provide a generic hardware "platform" common to every laboratory
• Ensure full familiarity with the Windows environment; easy learning
of new applications in that environment and up-to-date operating
systems
• Provide site-licenses for industry-leading software
• Use industry-leading software, with opportunities for students to learn additional
applications beyond those used in their programs
• Provide centralized e-mail services enabling all students to communicate within Seneca
and around the world
• Provide internet access in all labs
• Use and develop Internet based learning resources
• Provide increased technical support
• Provide increased access from home
From these general goals, the College developed a set of strategies to ensure that an entire
range of support was made available. These areas include:
12
•
Operating Systems Upgrades
o Numerous operating systems are supported due to program requirements, but
the standard is currently is Windows XP and Windows 7 (with a full transition to
Windows 7 in January 2011). For Macs, the current OS is 10.6 Snow Leopard.
•
Infrastructure
o Backbone and lab upgrades
o 100mbps in all labs
•
Faculty Support
o Project development
o e Learning Support
o Centre for Faculty & Staff Development
•
Hardware Upgrades
o Academic computer refresh plan (4 year cycle)
•
Electronic Classrooms
•
Student Help Desk Services & Computing Commons
o Technical Support (in-person) at King, Newnham, Markham and Seneca@York
campuses
o Telephone, Web, E-mail support to all students
o Visit: http://StudentHelpdesk@senecac.on.ca
•
Operational Costs
o Equipment repairs and maintenance
o Internet costs
•
Library and Learning Centres
o Electronic Resources
•
Strategic Investments
o Servers and special purpose Equipment
13
Campus Expansion
Markham
York Region is the fastest-growing region in Ontario, and is set to experience continued
population growth, strong immigration and a demand for lifelong learning among those already
in the workforce. In response to this demand, Seneca plans to increase capacity at the
Markham Campus to accommodate an additional 4,000 students.
The proposed Markham Campus expansion will include:
• A new four-storey structure linked to the existing 10-storey facility
• An integrated welcome centre, expanded computer commons and library
• Four 90-seat classrooms
• Fifty-two 45-seat classrooms (including 16 computer labs
• Increased student study and student service space
Newnham
Construction is underway on our new 160,000-square-foot building at Newnham Campus. The
new Knowledge Infrastructure Project (K.I.P.) will include additional classrooms and faculty
spaces as well as a new auditorium, which will have a flexible design that can serve as a single
classroom, be divided into multiple teaching spaces or host Seneca functions. As part of the
construction, the Computer Commons is being expanded and a collaborative student study
space is planned.
The building was designed by architects at Cohos Evamy Integrated Design, which has worked
on projects such as the McMaster University Electron Microscopy Facility, the Lethbridge
College Instructional Building, the International Arrivals Hall at the Calgary International Airport
and the national headquarters of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
The construction manager for the building is Ellis Don, one of the largest building contractors in
Canada. Ellis Don has previously worked on Seneca construction projects like the TEL Building
at our Seneca@York Campus.
Seneca received $20 million from the provincial government and $3.7 million from the federal
government to create the new building. The funding is in response to an expected surge in postsecondary participation and is expected to create space for an additional 1,100 students at the
campus. The new building will be open in September 2011.
14
Figure
1.
Rendering
of
the
K.I.P.
building
exterior
Figure
2.
Rendering
of
the
K.I.P.
building
interior
15
D. Support Services
Seneca’s
size
and
diversity
means
that
students
have
an
unparalleled
selection
of
services
and
resources
to
support
them
in
their
chosen
field
of
study.
Support
Service
Academic
Advising
Career
Counselling
Personal
Counselling
Placement/Career
Services
Services
for
Students
with
Disabilities
Brief
Description
of
Service
Academic
advisement
is
routinely
provided
by
co‐ordinators
and
advisement
staff
in
each
school.
In
addition,
the
Library/Learning
Commons
provides
both
academic
and
technical
services
and
resources
at
each
of
the
campuses.
The
academic
support
includes
one‐on‐one
tutoring,
skills
development
workshops,
computer
help
desks,
and
special
needs
services.
The
information
and
technical
resources
include
microcomputer
stations,
e‐mail
access,
books,
magazines
and
periodicals,
audio‐visual
materials
and
equipment,
online
reference
service,
and
online
access
to
research
databases.
Career
Services
are
responsive
to
student
needs
by
providing
co‐operative
education
opportunities,
career
and
vocational
counseling,
and
job
placement
advice
and
resources.
Personal,
Academic
and
Vocational
counseling
is
provided
by
Counselling,
Disability
and
Health
Services.
Personal
concerns,
relationship
and
gender
issues
as
well
as
support
in
clarifying
interests,
aptitudes,
needs
and
values
as
one
makes
vocational
and
academic
decisions
are
addressed
professional
counselors.
Psycho
educational
and
Vocational
assessments
are
also
provided.
Counseling
and
special
needs
Services
available
and
how
to
access
these
is
articulated
on
page
28
of
the
2010‐11
Seneca
Full‐Time
Calendar.
Assistance
is
provided
to
students
through
classes,
workshops,
special
events,
resources
and
individual
consultation.
Student
advisement
includes
clarification
of
interests
and
skills,
job
search
strategies,
resume
and
interview
preparation.
Students
can
access
resources
in
the
Career
Centre
at
each
campus
or
online
through
the
Career
Services
website
‐
http://careerservices.senecac.on.ca/
Career
Link
‐
https://www.senecacareerlink.com/
Is
Seneca’s
exclusive
job
posting
website,
providing
students
and
recent
grads
access
to
on‐campus,
part‐time,
summer
and
full‐time
job
openings.
See
also
2010‐11
Full‐time
Calendar
p.
28.
Students
with
disabilities
are
accommodated
through
a
variety
of
services
and
resources
provided
by
the
Counselling
and
Disability
Services
Department
at
Seneca.
16
Tutoring
Other(s):
Financial
Aid
Services
Residence
Student
Government
Services
Student
Life
Services
Degree
Transfer
Office
Health
and
Safety
The
Learning
Centres
provide
tutoring
to
all
Seneca
students.
Faculty
provide
the
academic
leadership
and
direction
that
have
made
the
Learning
Centres
key
resources
that
enhance
student
success
and
retention.
The
Centres
offer
both
one‐on‐one
and
small
group
tutoring
in
Math,
English
and
specific
subject
areas.
The
Centres
also
offer
workshops
and
individual
sessions
in
Time
Management,
Study
Skills,
and
Oral
Fluency.
Although
most
tutors
are
from
Seneca,
students
from
other
post‐secondary
institutions
complement
the
academic
support
the
Centres
deliver.
The
Seneca
Learning
Centres
provide
on‐on‐one
and
small
group
tutoring
for
Degree,
Diploma
and
Certificate
programs.
We
assist
students
with
their
English,
Math,
General
Education
and
program
specific
subjects.
Students
can
analyze
their
learning
styles,
get
specific
help
in
their
specific
field
of
study
or
other
related
subjects,
and
learn
how
to
get
the
most
out
of
their
Seneca
degree.
Financial
Aid
services
assist
students
to
manage
the
financial
aspects
of
their
education
through
government
loans,
scholarships,
bursaries
and
a
work‐
study
program.
In
addition
to
the
residences
at
the
Newnham
and
King
Campuses
that
accommodate
over
1,300
Seneca
students,
there
is
an
internet‐based
off‐
campus
housing
registry
to
assist
students
who
are
commuting
to
Seneca.
See
2010‐2011
Full‐Time
Calendar
p.
29.
Students
have
the
opportunity
to
develop
leadership
and
teambuilding
skills
by
participating
in
the
Seneca
Student
Federation
Inc.
and
the
Seneca
Student
Athletics
Association.
The
athletic,
social
and
cultural
programming
organized
by
the
student
organizations
provide
students
with
a
holistic
educational
experience.
The
cultural
diversity
at
Seneca
provides
rich
experiences
for
students
to
learn
about
many
different
cultures
and
to
develop
awareness
and
tolerance
of
differences.
The
Student
Life
Centre
at
each
campus
provides
a
full
range
of
services
and
resources,
including
advocacy
and
advisement,
student
insurance,
legal
aid
clinic,
student
success
initiatives,
etc.
Numerous
opportunities
exist
for
Seneca
graduates
to
transfer
credits
to
Canadian
and
international
universities.
The
services
of
the
Degree
Transfer
Office
include
coordination
of
the
degree
transfer
guide
‐
http://www.senecac.on.ca/degreetransfer/guide/
student
advisement,
and
on‐campus
university
fairs.
Seneca
has
a
comprehensive
set
of
policies
and
procedures
to
ensure
the
safety
and
security
of
its
students
and
staff.
Given
the
size
and
complexity
of
17
Child
Care
the
organization,
the
potential
for
serious
incidents
is
significant,
but
in
reality
there
are
few
incidents
because
of
the
proactive
and
highly
effective
manner
in
which
issues
are
addressed.
Professional
and
dedicated
staff
provide
high
quality
child
care
to
infants,
toddlers,
preschool
and
kindergarten
aged
children
of
students
and
graduates.
Child
care
centres
are
located
on
the
Newnham
and
King
Campuses.
See
2010‐2011
Full‐Time
Calendar
page
29.
18
E. Faculty
Four-Year Enrolment Projection Plan and Staffing Implications
Enrolment
Projections
and
Staffing
Implications
Year
1
(2011)
2
(2012)
3
(2013)
4
(2014)
Cumulative
Full­time
Faculty
Equivalents
(F.T.E.)
Cumulative
Part­time
Faculty
Equivalents
(F.T.E.)
Ratio
of
FT
Students
to
FT
Faculty
Semester
Cumulative
Enrolment
Full­time
Fall
55
0
Winter
69
0
Summer
18
0
18:1
Fall
125
0
25:1
Winter
136
0
Summer
38
0
19:1
Fall
221
0
37:1
Winter
187
0
Summer
40
0
20:1
Fall
230
0
33:1
Winter
241
0
Summer
48
0
Cumulative
Enrolment
Part­time
18:1
3.8
5.4
6.3
7.1
15:1
23:1
32:1
30:1
24:1
Note:
See
worksheet
for
enrolment
projections
on
next
page
19
See “Policies” file for the College’s policies, guidelines and practices pertaining to Faculty and Staff.
20
F. Curriculum Vitae Release
“The College has on file and available for inspection, from all faculty and staff whose CVs are
included in this submission, signatures that attest to the truthfulness and completeness of the
information contained in their CV and agreeing to the inclusion of their curriculum vitae in any
documents/web sites associated with the submission, review, and final status of the program
application.”
21
Section 6: Credential Recognition
6. Credential Recognition
A. Introduction
Comprehensive consultations were undertaken to determine understanding of and support for
this proposed degree.
As described in more detail in Section 12, Economic Need, 230 employers from a variety of
sectors were contacted by phone to explain the nature of degree and solicit interest in
completing an online survey. Of those, 141 completed the survey with over 95% indicating
support for the inclusion of liberal arts courses in a degree program and over 90% agreeing that
someone in their field would likely hire an individual with a degree that combined vocational
courses with a liberal arts education.
Similarly, 308 current Seneca students completed an online survey with approximately 90%
supporting the importance of liberal studies courses in degree programs. Of those, 76%
indicated some level of interest in a program that allowed them to combine their diploma studies
with a degree in interdisciplinary studies.
In addition, 53 Seneca faculty from a wide range of programs completed a survey with 97%
agreeing that liberal arts courses are an important component in post-secondary studies and
79% agreeing an employer would be more likely to hire a Seneca graduate with an
interdisciplinary degree that combined vocational studies with a liberal arts education.
An Ad Hoc Advisory Committee was created using members of existing Seneca Program
Advisory Committees, individuals with a liberal arts background, and representatives from profit
and non-profit organizations to solicit feedback and support for the proposed degree. Members
indicated that they are in full support of this proposal and recognize the value and merit of the
degree.
Recognizing that some graduates of the BIS program would be interested in graduate studies,
several universities were contacted to solicit support for the proposed degree, particularly in
terms of admitting graduates to specific masters programs. Of those, Royal Roads University in
British Columbia indicated that students would be considered as candidates for their MA in
Interdisciplinary Studies, MA in Leadership, MA Professional Communication, and MA Business
Administration Executive & Human Resources Management.and the University of Guelph
indicated that students would be considered as candidates for their MA (Leadership). Letters of
support are forthcoming. We are awaiting decisions from two other Ontario universities and
another outside the province,
Letters of support for vocational programs are included with the submissions for those
programs.
1
Section 7: Regulation and
Accreditation
7. REGULATION AND ACCREDITATION STANDARD
Not applicable to this program.
Regulation and accreditation recognition is available in the previously approved degree
submissions for the vocational programs from which students may select courses as part of this
program.
Section 8: Program Evaluation
8. PROGRAM EVALUATION
Not applicable
Seneca College has previously submitted a program evaluation/review process that meets all of
the Board’s benchmarks.
Section 9: Nomenclature
9. NOMENCLATURE
The proposed title for this degree is Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS). The program is
a four-year bachelor’s degree, the subject of which is interdisciplinary studies. As indicated in
the Handbook for Ontario Colleges, colleges may use the terminology Bachelor of Subject.
In the university milieu, interdisciplinary studies degrees are comprised of courses from various
disciplines rather than one or two specific disciplines. An Interdisciplinary program seeks to
create new connections between areas of study, rearranging knowledge, thought, and
methodology into new configurations. The particular subject matter of an interdisciplinary
degree is considered less important than the fact that students develop innovative techniques
and analytical skills that help restructure traditional disciplines and modes of thinking.1
In the case of this proposed program, the word interdisciplinary in the title is meant to be
understood in two ways. First, with a combination of applied vocational studies and liberal arts
academic content, the degree is a unique blend of applied and theoretical knowledge, of
employment-directed intent and of breadth of understanding and appreciation for many of the
disciplines that comprise the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. The discipline of
the vocational field is combined with the multiple disciplines of the liberal arts.
Second, the approach within the liberal arts component is interdisciplinary, using a thematic
approach to demonstrate how sub-disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology,
history, economics, etc. contribute to our understanding of our selves, our society, our culture
and our world. Students will emerge with an understanding of these disciplines and the
connections between them, and how they can be interpreted through a thematic rather than a
discipline-specific approach.
When compared to university programs using the same or related titles, similarities in approach
and content are found. Lakehead University offers a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (Honours) –
Interdisciplinary Studies in which students “study the strategies used in various disciplines of
science, social science, arts and humanities to identify and analyze problems” and “…apply
multidisciplinary strategies to address…complex problems in selected areas of science, social
science, art and humanities.”2 Like BIS students, Lakehead students select courses from a
range of disciplines such as Anthropology, English, History, Philosophy, and Psychology, and
may take six credits from a vocationally-related discipline like Business, Education, Forestry,
Gerontology, Kinesiology, Outdoor Recreation or Social Work.
Sir Wilfred Laurier offers, at its Brantford Campus, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) – Contemporary
Studies degree, a four-year twenty-course program that combines, “Interdisciplinary liberal arts
with applied professional and occupational studies to provide a strong foundation for both
employment and further studies.” The curriculum emphasizes the development of students’
specific knowledge skills including, “analytical skills; application of logic and reasoning to current
events and cultural issues; integration and synthesis of complex ideas in a multi-disciplinary
1
2
www.canadian‐universities.net www.mycoursecalendar.lakeheadca/pg618.html 1
context; research and information gathering skills; communication skills; awareness of social
issues; knowledge of the components of and key effects of mass communication on society”
and their transferable skills in “information-gathering and communication; thinking, planning and
organizing; and teamwork and management skills.”3 In addition to courses in contemporary
studies, students may take courses from discipline-based programs, which include Criminology,
Health Administration, Health Studies, and Journalism, or from programs such as
Administration, Children’s Education and Development, Indigenous Studies and Public
Relations, or minors in a selection of arts programs.
In both cases, the intent, like that of the BIS program is to combine vocational courses with
liberal arts studies to produce a well-rounded, employment-ready graduate.
3
www.lauriercc.ca/students/planning/major/contemporary‐studies 2
Section 10: Academic Freedom and
Integrity
10. ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND INTEGRITY STANDARD
Contained in the “Policies’ file are the College’s policies on academic freedom; its policies and
procedures pertaining to academic honesty; the mechanisms used to inform students and
faculty of the policies and practices pertaining to academic honesty; the intellectual property
policy; the policies pertaining to ethical research; the policies and procedures pertaining to
complying with copyright law, and those pertaining to copyright and intellectual property where
courses/programs are delivered online.
1
Section 11: Student Protection
11. STUDENT PROTECTION STANDARD
As an institution, Seneca is committed to upholding integrity and ethical conduct in its relation
with students. This commitment is reflected in the College’s organization, policy development,
mission and goals. The values and conduct reflected in this standard is in turn communicated to
students at Seneca through a variety of means. Information on all matters related to College
policies and their program of study is made available to students through the college calendar,
website, Academic Policy, Student Rights and Responsibilities (included in the Student
Handbook), and Subject Outlines. Please see the ‘Policies’ section for further information on the
College’s policies on student protection, and the mechanisms in place in inform students and
staff.
Seneca’s values include a commitment to accountability, effective and honest communication,
and the principles of fairness and equity. These values can be found in the College’s Strategic
Plan as well as the Student Handbook. The Seneca Full-Time calendar contains information
about each program offered by the College, including an overview of purpose, curriculum and
length. The calendar is available both in print and online. The College website also provides a
history of the organization and its governance and academic structure.
Further to the Calendar, website, and student handbook, Seneca’s Academic Policy document
provides students and staff with detailed information on the College’s dispute resolution policies,
and the procedure for making formal academic appeals. The Academic Policy also contains
Seneca’s Tuition Fee Policy, Withdrawals and Refunds Policy, and Student Dismissal Policy.
Seneca’s Student Protection Form outlines information on all matters related to College policies
and programs, as well as how this information is made available to students (please see below).
Further to this form, students sign a “Confirmation of Student’s Awareness of College Policies”
form. This form (please see below) allows students to confirm their awareness of the matters
listed on the Student Protection Form.
1
STUDENT PROTECTION FORM
Information on all matters related to College policies and programs (i.e. Elements a through r in
the table below) is made available to students through several publications:
 The College Web site: http://senecac.on.ca
 Academic Policy
 The Transfer Guide
 The College Calendar
 Subject Outlines – available in hard copy and/or on-line to all students enrolled in each
subject
How Students are informed
Element
a method of course delivery
Subject outlines
b academic honesty
Academic Policy
c admissions
The College Calendar and the College Web site
http://senecac.on.ca
d credit transfer arrangements with and The College Calendar, the Transfer Guide and
recognition by other institutions
the College Web site http://senecac.on.ca
e credit transfer arrangements for
The College Calendar, the Transfer Guide and
incoming students
the College Web site http://senecac.on.ca
f prior learning assessment
The College Calendar and the College Web site
http://senecac.on.ca
g entrance examinations
The College Calendar and the College Web site
http://senecac.on.ca
h dispute resolution
The College Calendar and the College Web site
http://senecac.on.ca
i grading
The College Calendar and the College Web site
http://senecac.on.ca
j intellectual property rights
The College Calendar, the College Web site
http://senecac.on.ca and Academic Policy
k ability of international students
The College Calendar and the College Web site
admitted to the program to meet
http://senecac.on.ca
program requirements for degree
completion
l payment of fees and charges
The College Calendar and the College Web site
http://senecac.on.ca
m scholarships and other financial
The College Calendar and the College Web site
assistance
http://senecac.on.ca
n student complaints and grievances
The College Calendar, the College Web site
http://senecac.on.ca and Academic Policy
o student dismissal
The College Calendar, the College Web site
http://senecac.on.ca and Academic Policy
p student support and services
The College Calendar and the College Web site
2
q
tuition
r
withdrawal and refunds
http://senecac.on.ca
The College Calendar, the College Web site
http://senecac.on.ca and Academic Policy
The College Calendar, the College Web site
http://senecac.on.ca and Academic Policy
3
CONFIRMATION OF STUDENT’S AWARENESS OF COLLEGE POLICIES
I hereby confirm that I am aware of the policies of Seneca College pertaining to the
matters listed above as stated in the resource documents indicated and verify that I have
been duly informed by Seneca College and attest to that fact by means of my signature
on this document.
Student Name (please print): ________________________________________
Student ID Number: _______________________________________________
Seneca College Program Name: _____________________________________
Date: ____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Student’s Signature
Office use:
□ 1 copy to student
□ 1 copy in student’s file
4
See “Policies” file for the College’s policies, guidelines and practices pertaining to student
protection.
5
Section 12: Economic Need
12. ECONOMIC NEED
In order to ascertain the need and/or demand for a program such as the proposed Bachelor of
Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS), research was conducted. Through a literature review of recent
reports and articles dealing with college student mobility and pathways, with graduate
employment statistics and with the growing interest from employers in graduates with a liberal
arts education; surveys sent to employers, students, Seneca alumni and faculty; and an
analysis of job postings for positions in the Greater Toronto area (GTA) to determine skill
requirements, we were able to conclude that there is a definitely a need for degrees in the GTA
and, specifically ones whose target market is college diploma graduates, and that there is a
great deal of interest in the degree being proposed, namely one that blends vocational and
liberal arts learning.
Student Demand
According to the Pathways from Ontario College Diploma to College Degree Project, “Several
data sources indicate that the desire to obtain both a diploma and a degree in Ontario’s
postsecondary system is significant.” Indeed, recent research1 confirms considerable movement
between the postsecondary sectors in Ontario. Results from the 2009 Colleges Ontario Student
Mobility report indicate:

Almost one-quarter of college applicants have identified preparation for university as a
major reason for applying to college. For Seneca, this percentage is even higher.

The number of college students/graduates seeking access to an Ontario university has
more than doubled in the last eight years

In Ontario, nine percent of college graduates go on to pursue a university education.
For Seneca, this percentage is higher, as well.
This same report also examines the timing of the decision by college graduates who further their
education. University-bound graduates are most likely to make their decision during their
college program (42%).
Considerable data on the further education of college students is available through this report.
The most recent data show that 27% of the 2006-2007 college graduates were continuing their
education within six months of graduation. The largest proportion of college graduates returned
to their own college.
1
Colleges Ontario. Student Mobility within Ontario’s Postsecondary Sector. May 2009
1 Seneca surveys every student as they enter the college in the first semester of their program.
Among the twenty one questions on the background data questionnaire, respondents are asked
to identify their plans after graduation. The response categories include obtaining full time work,
enrolling in another college program, and enrolling in a degree at a university. The percentage
of students wanting to pursue a degree has been increasing each year such that in Fall 2009,
38.9% stated they would enrol in an applied degree or a degree at a university. The percentage
varies across the college but includes a wide array of programs in diverse fields such as Civil
Engineering Technology (53.0%), Child and Youth Worker (43.0%), Computer Engineering
Technology (41.0%), Fashion Business (28.0%), Police Foundations (27.5%), and Social
Service Worker (49.1%).
At the same time, the results from the annual Graduate Satisfaction Survey show that Seneca
College has the highest number of graduates enrolled at a university six months after
graduation; and, it has the highest percentage of all graduates. In 2009, 13.4% of all Seneca
graduates were enrolled in a degree program. The largest number of graduates attend York
University which according to their own institutional research show Seneca to be the largest
source of college transfer students.
This data supports the research done by the Seneca Degree and Credit Transfer Office. From
February 25, 2008 to February 25, 2009 the Degree Transfer Web site received 61,973 visits
with an average of 169 visits per day. This number represents a 32.5% increase from the
previous year, up from 46,764 visits. In addition, Seneca degrees have become increasingly
more popular as a degree of choice. In 2008, our students picked Seneca degrees as one of
their top five degree granting institutions as seen in the chart below:
2 The Top Universities Choices
(Source: Degree Transfer Student Database)
2007
2008
York University
York University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University
University of Toronto
University of Toronto
University of Western Ontario
University of Ottawa
University of Guelph
Seneca College
Seneca College
Griffith University (Australia)
Griffith University (Australia)
University of Guelph
Although no formal research has been undertaken at Seneca to ascertain the reasons for the
rise in the popularity of Seneca degrees, according to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and
Universities’ recently released report, Employment Profile: A Summary of the Employment
Experience of 2008–2009 College Graduates Six Months After Graduation, of the students who
continued their education on a full-time basis, 87% chose a program that was either very or
somewhat related to their previous college program.2 Most Seneca degrees have high affinity
diploma programs, from which students receive a generous amount of block credit when they
enrol in the degree. In this way, they are not required to repeat learning which has already
taken place, as they are in many university programs with less generous credit transfer
arrangements. There are no programs that our research has found, which will allow students
the amount of transfer credit from any diploma program as will the proposed Bachelor of
Interdisciplinary Studies degree. In fact, where there is little or no affinity between a diploma
and degree program, students must often begin again from Year One when they go on to
degree studies. The College believes that the arrangement proposed in the BIS degree will
make it very attractive to students from a variety of diploma programs, as has been
substantiated by the research undertaken as part of this proposal. In addition, as evidenced
below, the idea of combining a liberal arts education with a vocational program, either as part of
the degree program, or after completion of the diploma program, is very attractive to both
employers and current and past students. The belief is that it will be of equal interest to high
school graduates.
2
/www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/serials/eprofile08-09/profile09.pdf, p.234
3 Surveys
In order to determine the economic demand for the proposed BIS program, surveys were
conducted and data analysed to provide answers to the following questions:
1. Is there an economic need for an interdisciplinary degree?
2. What qualifications, learning outcomes and skills do employers need? And does the
curriculum of the proposed interdisciplinary degree answer the call?
3. Will graduates of an interdisciplinary degree find employment commensurate with their
skills, qualifications and experience?
4. Is there a student demand for an interdisciplinary degree?
5. What does the literature say about the labour market and a liberal arts education?
Four different surveys were developed and sent to the following groups: Seneca students,
Seneca graduates, Seneca faculty and employers in Seneca’s service area, namely the Greater
Toronto Area (GTA).
1) Student Survey In April and May of 2010, approximately 4700 students were sent a survey. The students were
registered in Seneca College’s Faculties of Applied Arts and Health Sciences, Business,
Applied Science and Engineering Technology, and Information Arts and Technology. Roughly
10%, or 466 students, responded to the survey.
A majority of Seneca students indicated belief in the importance of a liberal arts education in
addition to their area of specialization. For example, approximately 89% of the respondents
agreed (somewhat to strongly) that liberal studies courses were an important part of a
postsecondary educational experience. In addition, 91% of students agreed, again somewhat
to strongly, that in order to succeed in today's work environment Seneca graduates require a
well-rounded postsecondary program that includes subjects outside their vocational focus. Over
88% agreed that employers would be more likely to hire a Seneca graduate if they had an
interdisciplinary degree that combined vocational courses with a liberal arts education.
Finally, 71% agreed that they would or might continue their education in a program such as the
proposed BIS degree.
4 2) Employer Survey – Greater Toronto Area More than 230 companies, agencies and associations who operate in the Greater Toronto Area
(GTA) and who hire employees in Seneca College’s catchment area were contacted by
telephone and then sent an electronic survey. These contacts were representative of the
diverse economy of the economic region including public service agencies at the municipal,
provincial and federal levels, as well as sectors such as banking and finance, manufacturing,
publishing, and retail. Over 140 employers, or approximately 59% of those contacted, provided
valid responses to the survey. What is important to note from this survey is the wide range of
industries that were represented in the responses:
Software Technical Support/
Training/Internet/Telecommunication
8.3%
Marketing/Advertising Marketing
10.7%
Banking/Financial Services/ Business Consulting
19.8%
Art and Entertainment
12.4%
Tourism & Hospitality
4.1%
Law
9.9%
Police Services
4.1%
Fire Protection
9.1%
Public Sector
5.0%
Retail/Wholesale
9.1%
Other
7.4%
As the following data suggests, support for the proposed interdisciplinary degree exceeded our
expectations.
When asked if they believed that the combination of vocational skills and knowledge with a
liberal arts education would be beneficial, 95% indicated agreement (somewhat to strongly).
Their reasons for doing so included comments such as, “It [liberal arts] should be mandatory.
Without it they have no reservoir of knowledge from which to draw, to inform their ideas. The
lack hampers their ability to contribute original, brilliant, substantive ideas,” and “Graduates
have always needed a well-rounded post-secondary program. It makes for a broad-minded,
5 versatile individual,” and “Level of complexity is rising – you need to know how to think, how to
learn, how to question, how to use new and different things to spur your creativity.”3
When asked of the likelihood of hiring a BIS graduate, 89.5% said they would be likely to do so
with comments like the following: “I firmly believe we have a need for well informed, critical
thinkers with analytic skills. I believe this to be the product of a liberal arts education, and are
most competitive when combined with a specialized diploma.” “These studies give students an
edge that is apparent in the way they think and speak and it definitely impacts employment
opportunities.” “If you read the current research, employers are finding prospective employees
who have the knowledge and/or technical skills but often lack skills such as problem solving,
collaboration and analysis.”4
When asked to rank specific transferable skills, employers were very supportive of those with
which students would graduate from the proposed interdisciplinary studies degree. When asked
to indicate which skills would be critical to students’ success in today’s labour market, writing
skills was identified 89% of the time, team work 78%, presentations skills and research skills
77%, computer applications 71%, and ethical reasoning 64%.
With respect to employment, 89% indicated that their industry would be somewhat to very likely
to hire someone with an interdisciplinary studies degree that combined applied skills and
knowledge with a liberal arts education, and 86% agreed that an individual working in their
industry would have a greater chance of being promoted with such a degree.
When asked to rank the proposed program’s learning outcomes in terms of their importance to
employers, they selected as “extremely important” effective critical thinking and problem solving
skills (86%), work effectively and cooperatively as team members (86%), ability to apply
knowledge in real situations (81%), critically analyze and present ideas in a sustained and well
supported argument (77%), access, analyze and synthesize information from primary and
secondary sources (70%), and select and apply current workplace technology as appropriate to
a situation or problem (64%).
3
Employer Survey on Interdisciplinary Studies, Office of Research and Innovation, Seneca College, pp.
6-7.
4
Ibid. pp. 11-12.
6 3) Alumni Survey
Over 1,470 electronic surveys were sent to Seneca graduates from the Faculties of Applied Arts
and Health Sciences, Business, Applied Science and Engineering Technology, and Information
Arts and Technology. The total number of valid responses from the Alumni Survey was 73.
Approximately 90% of alumni agreed (somewhat to strongly) that liberal studies courses were
an important part of a student’s postsecondary educational experience and 92% agreed that
Seneca graduates require a well-rounded postsecondary program that includes subjects outside
their vocational focus to succeed in today's work environment.
Alumni were asked to identify which skills are critical to success in today’s labour market.
Writing skills were indicated 73% of the time, research skills 71%, presentation skills 64%,
teamwork 67%, ethical reasoning 54%, and computer applications 60%.
With respect to employment prospects, 84% of alumni agreed, somewhat to strongly, that
employers would be more likely to hire a Seneca graduate with an interdisciplinary degree, and
81% agreed that employers would be more likely to promote a Seneca graduate with an
interdisciplinary degree.
7 4) Faculty Survey
Over 240 Seneca faculty, who are currently teaching in the applied programs that will be linked
to the proposed Interdisciplinary Studies Degree, were sent a survey. Fifty-three professors, or
22%, responded to the survey.
When asked to comment on the value of liberal arts curriculum, 84% of the faculty agreed or
strongly agreed that liberal arts courses are an important part of a student’s postsecondary
educational experience.
With respect to breadth of education, 87% of faculty agreed or strongly agreed that
our graduates require a well-rounded postsecondary program that includes subjects outside
their vocational focus to succeed in today’s work environment.
In addition, 79% agreed (somewhat to strongly) that employers would be more likely to hire a
Seneca graduate if they had an interdisciplinary degree that combined applied knowledge with a
liberal arts education. Finally, 77% agreed that individuals working in their field would be more
likely to promote an individual with this type of interdisciplinary degree.
Labour Market Research
1. Job Postings Survey In April, May and June 2010, our researchers conducted a general review of 100 Internet job
postings. The research was conducted on sites such as Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada’s (HRSDC) National Job Bank, Workopolis.ca and Monster.ca. The
purpose of this research was to determine whether the skill sets and employee requirements
being asked for by Greater Toronto Area (GTA) employers would be satisfied by the learning
outcomes of the proposed interdisciplinary degree.
a. The Job Postings Samples One hundred job postings within the GTA were gathered and analyzed over the period of April
2010 to June 2010. The basic criteria for selecting the sample jobs were:
Experience levels:
Postings were selected if they indicated that they were entry level positions or required
no more than 2 years job experience;
Education levels:
Postings were selected if they required that job applicants hold a “bachelor degree”, a
“college/university credential”; or “some university”.
8 Relevant Fields of Employment and or Industries:
Job postings were selected if they related to Seneca’s current diploma programs
affiliated with the Faculties of Applied Arts and Health Sciences, Business, Applied
Science and Engineering Technology, and Information Arts and Technology in
employment sectors such as the following:













Law
Social services (helping professions)
Merchandising
Sales
Marketing
Fire protection
Security and Police Services
Media
Communications (corporate and government)
Teaching
Human Resources
Recruitment
Civil Service
We also looked for occupations from prospective employers such as:














Professional Associations
Academic Institutions (Administration)
Non-Profit Organizations
Consulting Agencies
Self-Employment
Publishers (Internet, Newspapers, Books, Magazines)
Financial Services
Insurance Providers
Media Services (Television, Radio, Newspapers, Internet)
Recruitment Agencies
Municipal Government
Provincial Government
Federal Government
Law Enforcement Agencies
9 b. Job Sample Survey Results The results of the job postings survey are shown in the three bar graph panels below. The job
skills are sorted from the most frequently required to the least frequently required. The first two
panels illustrate the required job skills in each sample of 50 jobs, while the third one shows the
combined categories of job skills for all 100 jobs.
10 The following chart is a combination of the two samples:
11 What is interesting to note is that the top five required skills were the same in each of the two
job samples: oral communication and working with others are the leading skills, closely followed
by reading, writing and computer use. More specifically, the overall results show that
o
o
o
o
o
Good oral communication was an essential requirement in 94% of the jobs;
Working with others was an essential requirement in 89% of the jobs;
Writing proficiency was an essential requirement in 88% of the jobs;
Reading was an essential requirement in 84% of the jobs;
Computer use was an essential requirement in 85% of the jobs.
Other requirements included job task planning and organizing in 63% of the postings, critical
thinking and problem solving skills in 61% of the postings. Numeracy is also high on the list,
explicitly required in 59% of the posted jobs. More than half of the jobs or 56% of the job
postings deemed decision-making and the ability to work independently to be important. The Job Postings Survey, the Seneca Interdisciplinary Degree Surveys and HRSDC’s
Nine Essential Skills
Our job postings survey results, as well as the results of our student, faculty, employer and
alumni surveys, seem to fall into line with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s
(HRSDC) own research. According to HRSDC, there are nine essential skills everyone needs
to survive in life and the world of work, and that employers consistently look for in employees.
Based on research conducted by HRSDC, as well as a number of agencies in Canada, the
United States, Australia and Great Britain, there are nine essential skills that people need for
work, learning and life. “These skills are used in nearly every occupation and throughout daily
life in different ways and at different levels of complexity.” 5 According to HRSDC, the nine
essential skills are









reading text,
document use,
numeracy,
writing,
oral communication,
working with others,
continuous learning,
thinking skills,
computer use.
HRSDC indicates that these nine skills serve as a foundation for other skills, help people adapt
to workplace change and help people evolve with their work. They also happen to be skills that
5
www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/essential_skills/general/understanding_es.shtml
12 are associated with the skills outlined in the learning outcomes of the proposed Bachelor of
Interdisciplinary Studies.
Graduate Employment Data
The MTCU report, Employment Profile: A Summary of the Employment Experience of 2008–
2009 College Graduates Six Months after Graduation, contains statistics on Graduates’
Employment Status by Length of Program. It is interesting to note that in three categories –
Applied Arts, Business and Technology – starting salaries for graduates from four-year
programs were consistently higher than graduates from one, two and three-year programs.
Overall, starting salaries ranged from an average of $30,531 for graduates of one-year
programs to an average of $39,038 for graduates of four-year programs.
In addition, the percentage of college graduates in the labour force was higher for graduates of
four-year programs in the same three areas. The percentage of graduates working in a full-time
position related to their studies was highest for graduates of four-year programs in Business
(91% employed) and Health (100% employed). Overall, the average of graduates in full-time
employment ranged from 60% for graduates of one-year certificate programs to 69.5% for
graduates of four-year programs.6
Degree Demand
Provincial government data also shows the expected demand for degrees in the GTA. The
Colleges Ontario position paper “Expanding degree opportunities to meet the demands of the
new economy”7 cites MTCU and university data which show the need for anywhere from 46,000
to 86,000 new spaces for undergraduate education. Evidence indicates that the growing
immigrant population will be in demand for degrees; as well, middle and low income earners will
be unable to afford post-secondary education outside of the region. Toronto universities will be
unable to meet this burgeoning demand and colleges will be needed to help fill the void.
Conclusion
The general findings of our research, including our surveys and our review of the literature, are
that an education that includes the liberal arts has many tangible and intangible benefits. We
can also conclude that there is an increased demand from college graduates for degree
programs, and specifically for programs that credit the learning that took place during the
student’s diploma studies; that college graduates from four-year programs have a higher rate of
full-time employment related to their studies and higher starting salaries, and that there is
interest from both employers and students for the type of learning being proposed in the BIS
program, for the unique approach of blending vocational and liberal arts education.
6
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/serials/eprofile08-09/profile09.pdf, p.20.
August, 2009 - http://www.collegesontario.org/policy-positions/positionpapers/expanding_degree_opportunities_2009.pdf
7
13 Our research and a review of the comments made by students, employers, alumni and faculty
leave us to conclude that our proposed interdisciplinary degree will be and do many things.
Among others
1.
2.
3.
4.
it will be flexible;
it will be practical;
it will expose students to the breadth of the liberal arts;
it will provide students with skills that are valued by employers such as communication
skills, critical reasoning skills and scientific methodology;
5. and, finally, it will be in demand.
14 Section 13: Duplication
13. DUPLICATION
The applicant has on file and available on request the research undertaken to complete this
section.
The applicant was unable to find any programs similar to the proposed Bachelor of
Interdisciplinary degree in the Ontario college system.
The proposed Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree is unique in Ontario in its
blending of applied vocational knowledge with an interdisciplinary approach to those disciplines
associated with a liberal arts education. Five university programs with similar approaches to
interdisciplinary studies and transferable skills were found: Ryerson University’s BA in Arts and
Contemporary Studies; Brock’s BA (Hon) in Liberal Arts; Lakehead University’s HBASc in
Interdisciplinary Studies; Laurier University’s BA (Hon) in Contemporary Studies; and Carleton
University’s BA (Hon) in Directed Interdisciplinary Studies. Several of these programs provide
students with the opportunity for some vocational studies.
Of the five comparator programs, Ryerson is closest to the proposed BIS program with its core
humanities and social science courses, breadth requirement and the option for students to take
courses from a vocational discipline. Brock, Laurier and Lakehead also allow students to take
some vocational courses if they choose. Carleton’s program is interdisciplinary by virtue of
permitting students to create their own program of study, organized around a theme, with
courses from any Carleton Faculty and discipline that relate to the theme.
There are three main differences between these five degrees and the proposed BIS program.
First, none of these programs match the depth and breadth of the vocational component of the
BIS program as expressed in Learning Outcomes #1 – 3. Second, none of the comparator
programs offers a co-op work experience. Third, none provide the degree completion
opportunity of the BIS program, which will allow graduates from a two year college diploma
block credit equivalent to three semesters of the degree and to graduates from three year
programs, the equivalent of two years’ credit.
1
Institution: Ryerson University
Program Name and Credential:
-Arts and Contemporary Studies
- Bachelor of Arts
Program Description:
Ryerson’s four-year Arts and Contemporary Studies program, like Seneca’s proposed BIS
program, combines “an education in the humanities with theoretical approaches and practical
skills to deal with relevant contemporary issues.” 1 The program’s core humanities and social
sciences courses focus on both providing content and on developing students’ transferable
skills, and are combined with subject-based options, interdisciplinary options and minors to
“create leaders with constructive, creative and fresh insights” who, “informed by a deep
understanding of the ideas that shaped the world of today…will be poised to shape the world of
tomorrow.”2
ACS graduates have found employment in “creative industries, intercultural relations, events
planning and organization, international sales, policy development in the arts, career
consultancy, art and cultural advocacy, scientific technical writing, non-profit organizations,
consumer advocacy, arts sales and marketing, policy analysis, public relations, service delivery
in a multicultural environment, communications, cultural and entertainment criticism, equity
advising in human resources, counseling and advertising.”3 Many graduates have gone on to
further education, in law and education, or to graduate school.
Similarities and Differences:
Goals and Outcomes: The two programs are similar in their aim to graduate students attuned
and skilled to work in today’s fact-paced, global economy. Both are concerned with developing
graduates who communicate effectively, analyze, draw conclusions, solve problems, work
effectively in teams, make ethical decisions, possess effective numeracy and computer literacy
skills, and are engaged in life-long learning. Both programs provide students with research
skills.
1
www.ryerson.ca/artsandcontemporarystudies/prospective_students 2
Ibid. 3
www.ryerson.ca/artsandcontemporarystudies/prospective_students/program_overview 2
Programs and Courses/Required Courses: Both programs are interdisciplinary in nature. Both
combine required and elective courses. The majority of Ryerson’s choices for a major reside in
disciplines traditionally associated with the liberal arts, while several of the choices for a minor
are from vocationally-related disciplines.
Like the proposed BIS program’s nine-credit Humanities and nine-credit Social Science
courses, the ACS program has a required set of five contemporary studies courses entitled
Ideas that Shaped the World, an overview of thinkers from antiquity to present. These courses
form the basis of the program upon which students develop the necessary “creative attitudes
and vital skills” 4to pursue their specific areas of interest. Similar to the BIS requirement for
three communications courses, ACS students must take one academic research and writing
course and one critical thinking course. Where BIS students will take two mathematics courses
and an introductory science course, ACS students take Introduction to Research and Statistics.
BIS students will take one full year research methodology course and complete a nine-credit
applied research project; ACS students take Research Design and Qualitative Methods and
complete one of the following courses: Senior Group Project; Senior Seminar; or Research
Course. ACS students must take twelve courses from a list of professional options: English,
French, History, Culture Studies, Diversity and Equity, Global Studies, and Inquiry and
Invention. They must also take seven electives to complete a minor in one of the following:
English, Finance, Information Systems, Information Technology Management, Law, Human
Resources Management, Non-profit and Voluntary Sector Management, Marketing, Criminal
Justice, Politics, Psychology, Public Administration, and Sociology. Some of the ACS choices
resemble, but do not have the depth of, the fifteen required vocational courses in the BIS
program’s vocational streams.
ACS students must take six breadth courses, three from each of the lower and upper level
option lists, like the BIS program’s similar requirement for eight Liberal Studies Options (LSOs)
-- one half at the lower level and one half at the upper level.
The BIS program includes a mandatory 14-week co-op work placement while the ACS program
has no similar component.
Although many similarities were found, the two programs are different in their approach to the
vocational component. Ryerson’s program lacks Seneca’s focus on applied and vocational
4
Ibid. 3
studies with both a theoretical and hands-on component. Students interested in BIS would not
be attracted to the ACS program.
Most importantly, the BIS program offers a degree completion opportunity which will allow
graduates from a two year college diploma to three semesters of the degree and graduates from
three year programs the equivalent of two years’ credit.
The two programs would not compete with each other.
4
Institution: Lakehead University
Program Name and Credential:
-Interdisciplinary Studies
-Bachelor of Arts and Science, Honours
Program Description:
Lakehead’s Interdisciplinary Studies program believes that a multidisciplinary education is the
answer to questions like “How do we prepare for a future that we can’t see? How do we
prepare for careers that don’t yet have a name? How do we acquire the knowledge, judgment
and skills that will be required of us over the full span of our lives?”5 Stemming from the roots of
the multidisciplinary, or liberal arts and sciences, education of the middle ages that identified the
skills an “informed citizen would need;…skills in grammar, rhetoric, and logic… and… skills in
arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music….”,6 the IS program believes that today’s wellrounded education includes those and further disciplines that have been added over the last
600 hundred years to form the core of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
The IS program is geared to students who are interested in a variety of disciplines at the
undergraduate level, particularly those who plan to go on to further professional studies in areas
like law, education, business or the health professions and is “ideal for students who have broad
career interests and aptitudes.”7
Lakehead provides a number of options under the HBASc umbrella; its Interdisciplinary Studies
major offers the closest comparator to the proposed BIS program.
Similarities and Differences:
Goals and Outcomes: The Interdisciplinary Studies program believes that a broad-based liberal
arts education will prepare students well for a variety of careers, and especially for further
professional studies. This goal is similar to that of the BIS program except that BIS, students
5
www.mycoursecalendar.lakeheadu.ca/pg618.html 6
Ibid. 7
Ibid. 5
will have or will focus on one vocational area and prepare for a specific type of employment.
Similar to the BIS program, the IS program students will acquire transferable skills such as
communication, critical/analytical thing and problem-solving and the ability to analyze issues
and problems from multiple points of view.
Program and Courses/Required Courses: The IS program has two required courses in first year:
Foundations of Inquiry and Application of Inquiry. Similar to the BIS program’s Learning
Outcomes 7 and 8, in the first course, students “study the strategies used in various disciplines
of science, social science, arts and humanities to identify and analyze problems”8 and in the
second, “students will apply multidisciplinary strategies to address … complex problems in
selected areas of science, social science, arts and humanities.”9 Over the four years of the
program, students must take at least five courses in their first and second area of specialization
and five electives. Similar to the BIS research stream, in fourth year, IS students must take
Inquiry 4010, Honours Seminar, in which they study and use research methodologies to explore
complex topics and develop a proposal for a multi- or interdisciplinary research project that will
be carried out in the second required course, Inquiry 4020, Honours Research.
Students can choose one or both specializations from Area I, which includes courses from 15
disciplines ranging from Anthropology to Women’s Studies, or from Area II, which includes six
further disciplines like Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science and Physics. The five electives
may be additional courses from either Area I or II, or may come from Area III, six vocationallyrelated disciplines: Business, Education, Forestry, Gerontology, Kinesiology, Outdoor
Recreation or Social Work.
While both BIS and IS are interdisciplinary in nature and approach, in the IS program students
have more choice and may explore one liberal arts discipline in more depth than BIS students.
The BIS program ensures that the graduates obtain a core set of knowledge by requiring the
completion of 12 credits from each of communications, math/science, humanities, and social
science categories. The IS program does not have any required communication courses, and
students take mathematics and science only if they choose. Both programs teach research
methodology and require a major project in fourth year. The IS students do not take a
vocational stream unless they choose courses from Area III. However, these six courses will
8
Ibid. p.161 9
Ibid. 6
not give students the depth of knowledge that BIS students will acquire in their vocational
stream.
The program does not include a co-op work experience. Most importantly, the BIS program
offers a degree completion opportunity that will allow graduates from a two year diploma block
credit equivalent to three semesters of the degree and to graduates from three year programs
the equivalent of two years’ credit.
Although there are certain similarities between the two programs, on close examination one can
conclude that they would not compete with each other.
7
Institution: Sir Wilfred Laurier University, Brantford Campus
Program Name and Credential:
-Contemporary Studies
-Bachelor of Arts, Honours
Program Description:
The Brantford Campus of WLU provides students “with an educational alternative to standard
university programming. Interdisciplinary liberal arts are combined with applied professional
and occupational programs to provide a strong foundation for both employment and further
studies.”10 The four-year Honours BA in Contemporary Studies is a twenty-credit program “that
allows for advanced and in-depth interdisciplinary study” and is “designed to promote a broad
understanding of the skills and knowledge needed to understand contemporary issues and
concerns.”11 The curriculum emphasizes the development of students’ specific knowledge skills
including “analytical skills; application of logic and reasoning to current events and cultural
issues; integration and synthesis of complex ideas in a multi-disciplinary context; research and
information gathering skills; communication skills; awareness of social issues; knowledge of the
components of and key effects of mass communication on society; application of the scientific
method to cultural and historic inquiry; and ability to apply past experiences to current and future
events”, and their transferable skills in “information-gathering and communication; thinking,
planning and organizing; and teamwork and management skills.”12
The program consists of 11 required credits of which four are in mandatory contemporary
studies courses, four are professional options from programs available at the Brantford Campus
such as Administration; Children’s Education and Development; Indigenous Studies;
International Development; Media Studies; and the Environment and Society, or the four credits
may come from a list of Other Discipline Courses, which range from mathematics to public
speaking. There are three additional Contemporary Studies required courses chosen from a list
including titles such as Regional Landscapes in Context, Indigenous People in a Contemporary
10
www.wlu.ca/calendars/section.php?cal 11
www.wlu.ca/calendars/department.php?cal 12
www.laurierc.ca/careers/planning/major/contemporary‐studies 8
World, or Social and Political Thought. The remainder of the program consists of elective
courses providing students with the opportunity to be exposed to an array of disciplines as
varied as world politics, social psychology, Canadian fiction, popular culture and music.
Alternatively, the remaining nine courses may be taken from one of the vocational programs
offered at the Campus such as Journalism, Criminology, Health Studies or Health
Administration or from a liberal arts discipline such as English, Geography, Psychology or
History thus allowing students to pursue one discipline or program in depth.
The program prepares students for a range of careers as varied as Public Relations Officer,
Media Consultant, Event Planner or Marketing Specialist or for further academic studies in
contemporary studies, public administration, fundraising, education, or journalism to name a
few.
Research conducted by a Seneca librarian revealed that of the graduates interviewed at
Convocation, 44% go on to further education, 51% enter the work force or are seeking full-time
employment, and the remainder are engaged in ‘other’ activities such as travelling. This
research also found that WLU graduates had found employment with, for example, the
following:

community-based not-for-profit organizations

education (school boards and universities)

government (municipal, provincial, federal)

financial services (banks, insurance companies)

conservation authorities

police forces

retail
Similarities and Differences:
Goals and Outcomes: Like students in the BIS degree, CS students are prepared to function in
and contribute to the world of the 21st century, both in terms of work skills and as informed
citizens. Both programs have a focus on developing students’ transferable skills, and research
and information-gathering skills are an important component of each program. The goals of the
9
Contemporary Studies program are similar to several of the learning outcomes of the BIS
program, specifically the ones dealing with transferable skills and with the use of an
interdisciplinary approach to the content of the liberal arts and to solving complex problems.
Programs and Courses/Required Courses: The approach of the CS degree is interdisciplinary
as reflected in both the courses and the program as a whole. In this sense, it is similar to one of
the BIS degree’s goals. The BIS curriculum includes more specific course requirements than
does the CS program. The BIS program ensures that the graduates obtain a core set of
knowledge by requiring the completion of 12 credits from each of communications,
math/science, humanities and social science categories. Similar to the importance the BIS
degree places on developing students’ transferable skills through interdisciplinary studies, CS
students must take CT220, Contemporary Studies Methodology, where the focus is on “critical
reading, writing and problem-solving skills as a way of establishing knowledge claims in an
interdisciplinary context.”13 There are no specific communications or mathematics courses;
however, such courses are available as possible choices. Students must take CT221, Applied
Scientific Reasoning, a skills-based course intended to improve students’ scientific literacy and
to introduce the concepts necessary to understand statistical probability. Similar to the BIS
program’s Humanities and Social Science courses, CS students must take courses like CT121,
The World in the 21st Century, which examines some of the major themes in contemporary
thought, and can choose among other courses such as of CT225, The Individual in the
Community; CT327, Understanding Pop Culture; or CT345, Applied Democracy. The research
component of the BIS program is comparable to the CS requirement of CT330, Independent
Studies, where students will chose a topic, meet one-on-one with their advisors and may
produce an “extended conventional essay”; however, CS students have the option of producing
instead a “series of shorter essays, reports, short stories, video documentaries or other creative
means of assessment…..”14
Many of the option areas available to CS students are similar to the vocational component of the
BIS degree, where students in both cases are taking specific vocationally-related courses.
However, CS students have alternate choices which allow them to delve more deeply into one
of the disciplines traditionally associated with the liberal arts.
13
www.wlu.ca/calendars/course.php?c 14
Ibid. 10
The Contemporary Studies program does not include a co-op work experience.
Although Laurier students can study one vocational area in depth, the focus of the courses
appears to be theoretical with little emphasis on applied learning. In addition, the fields
available to these students, like journalism, criminology, and health administration are programs
different from those available to most diploma graduates or the vocational streams that will be
offered through the BIs program.
Most importantly, the BIS program offers a degree completion opportunity that will allow
graduates from a two year diploma block credit equivalent to three semesters of the degree and
to graduates from three year programs the equivalent of two years’ credit.
These two programs would not compete with each other.
11
Institution: Brock University
Program and Credential:
-Liberal Arts
-Bachelor of Arts, Honours
Program and Description:
Brock’s Centre for Liberal Arts offers an “opportunity for learning and discovery across
traditional disciplinary boundaries. Students are encouraged to make connections between
fields of learning and expression ranging from the natural and social sciences and the
humanities, including religious and literary studies, and the fine and performing arts.”15 The
program is grounded in the tradition of an integrated liberal arts education. Students study “the
great works of human reason and imagination … to better understand – and challenge – our
own complex world by uncovering the often hidden assumptions that have shaped it.”
There are similarities and differences in the goals of the two programs. Where the BIS program
provides education in a specific vocation combined with the breadth of a liberal arts education
and transferable skills, the Liberal Arts program is “meant to educate students, not to train them
for any specific job.” It believes that it is preparing students for leadership positions by providing
graduates with certain skills: “the capacity for independent thought and critical analysis;
effectiveness in written and oral argument; and, above all, the ability to face what is new
complex, and unfamiliar.”16
Graduates have become “successful businessmen and women, administrators, teachers,
university educators and lawyers.”17
Similarities and Differences:
15
www.brocku.ca/webcal/2009/undergrad/libe.html 16
Ibid. 17
Ibid. 12
Goals and Outcomes: Like the proposed BIS program, the LART program believes in providing
students with a broad education, but, in this case, in order to prepare them for further study in
professional areas such as law or multi-disciplinary graduate studies. Similar to the proposed
BIS program, the Liberal Arts program “seeks to develop the skills of inquiry, analysis, and
argument….”18
Program and Courses/Required Courses: There are several versions of the Liberal Arts
program and, depending on which one is chosen, curricula vary from prescribed to open choice.
All students in the program must take 6.5 LART courses (some prescribed, some choice), one
course in a language other than English, one social science course and one science course.
One version of the program is the Great Books/Liberal Arts program where small groups of
students come together twice a week with professors from a variety of fields – mathematics,
English, history, biology, politics – to discuss what students have read that week for class.
Other required courses “develop skills of logical analysis and persuasion, investigate the
relationship between thought and language, consider the nature of poetic and musical
expression, foster a critical understanding of the use of statistical arguments and study
Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry.” The BIS program ensures that the graduates obtain a
core set of knowledge by requiring the completion of 12 credits from each of communications,
math/science, humanities and social science categories.
Students may choose the Liberal Arts/Business program designed to “provide students with the
skills and knowledge demanded for successful leadership in business….” The program’s
course of study involves required liberal arts courses and business courses in areas such as
accounting, economics, management, finance, marketing, organizational behaviour and
operations. Unlike the BIS program, which prepares students for a specific occupation, Liberal
Arts/Business graduates will possess generic business skills that will lead to careers in
“business leadership and policy making, lifelong learning, social issue management or the
management of creative organizations.”
Other versions of this program allow students to combine Liberal Arts with a variety of majors
including Mathematics, Physics, Science and the more traditional liberal arts disciplines of
English and history.
The Liberal Arts program does not include a co-op work experience
18
www.brock.ca/great_books/great_books_overview.html 13
Students attracted to the BIS program would not be interested in the Liberal Arts program with
its primarily academic focus. The two programs would not compete with each other.
Most importantly, the BIS program offers a degree completion opportunity that will allow
graduates from a two year diploma block credit equivalent to three semesters of the degree and
to graduates from three year programs the equivalent of two years’ credit.
14
Institution: Carleton University
Program Name and Credential:
-Directed Interdisciplinary Studies
-Bachelor of Arts, Honours
Program Description:
The Directed Interdisciplinary Studies (DIS) program at Carleton is designed for students who
wish to work on “…a unique degree, tailored specifically for [their] interests….”19 It allows
students to “propose an area of study drawn from a pre-selected list of courses or create a
customized plan of study in an area of interest.”20 Students may combine courses drawn from
various disciplines in order to study a particular theme.
Through the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, students are given a structure to work across
departments, schools and institutes at Carleton, making use of the wealth of expertise and
resources available across the campus. With the advice of the program coordinator, students
design a program of study that reflects their “passions, abilities and goals”21 in areas as diverse
as Asian studies, community development and medieval studies. This plan of study is
submitted to and must be approved by the DIS committee.
Future employment opportunities or further academic study flow from the student’s program of
study. Graduates of the program have found employment as entrepreneurs running their own
business, with government or international development agencies, with trade organizations and
unions, or as consultants. Others have gone on to further academic studies in traditional
disciplines, interdisciplinary fields, or in professional programs such as law or teaching.
Similarities and Differences:
Goals and Outcomes: The DIS program is highly individualized and, as such, not tied to one set
of goals. The program information states that graduates will “have an edge when applying for
jobs, the skills to compete in a specialty or to enter graduate programs, and the understanding
19
www2.carleton.ca/admissions/programs/directed_interdisciplinary_studies_2 20
Ibid. 21
Ibid. 15
of how to realize your dreams.”22 Like the BIS program, the DIS program will, by the nature of
the courses chosen and through specific requirements, provide students with the breadth and
depth of knowledge of a degree program, with well developed communication, analytical and
research skills, and with a disciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to solving complex
problems.
Program and Courses/Course Requirements: Students in the DIS program create their plans of
study by choosing courses in combinations not available to students in traditional disciplinebased programs. DIS students have the advantage of acquiring an interdisciplinary education in
an extensive range of subjects because of the many departments at Carleton from which to
choose courses. Students must only meet the University’s breadth requirement of 4.5 credits
with one course taken from each of four broad areas, such as ones that address “the temporal
dimension of human societies, analyzing times before the current era, and societies other than
our own”, or ones that address “the artefacts of the imagination, in literature and other forms,
that addresses the life of the imagination and the culture.”23 Where the BIS program has a
required science course, in the DIS program one of the required breadth courses must be from
an area “that addresses the understanding of social and/or natural processes, and the way in
which that understanding is obtained in science and Social Science.”24 Similar to the BIS
learning outcome related to promoting ethical and socially responsible decision-making, one of
the DIS breadth courses must be in an area “that addresses matters of values, ethics and social
responsibility.”25
The BIS program ensures that the graduates obtain a core set of knowledge by requiring the
completion of 12 credits from each of communications, math/science, humanities and social
science categories.
22
Ibid. 23
www.carleton.ca/calendars/ugrad/current/programs/directedinterdisciplinarystudies.html 24
Ibid. 25
Ibid. 16
The final half-credit must come from DIST3901, Themes in Interdisciplinary Inquiry, an
“examination of topics of interest to a number of disciplines, along with various methods and
styles of thought used to study them.”26
In contrast to the DIS program, the BIS program has more required courses, only allowing
students to explore a subject or range of subjects in their choice of LSOs.
Where the BIS
program has fifteen credits devoted to research methodology and a research project, DIS
students are required to take one course, DIST 4908, Honours Project, in which a project or
thesis is produced. The BIS students are required to take a full year course in research
methodology in preparation for their Applied research Project. The DIS program has no required
communications or mathematics courses. The DIS program does not have a vocational
component.
The DIS program does not include a co-op work experience.
The DIS program has an interdisciplinary approach to those disciplines that are traditionally
associated with the liberal arts. There is no vocational component to this program. The BIS
program would not compete with the DIS program.
Most importantly, the BIS program offers a degree completion opportunity that will allow
graduates from a two year diploma block credit equivalent to three semesters of the degree and
to graduates from three year programs the equivalent of two years’ credit.
26
www.carleton.ca/calendars/ugrad/current/courses/DIST/3901.html 17
Other Canadian/American Programs:
There are a number of liberal arts and interdisciplinary degree programs at universities across
Canada. Programs may be interdisciplinary thematic approaches such as women’s studies or
international studies or have individualized study plans similar to Carleton’s program. One
example is Vancouver Island University’s Bachelor of Liberal Studies which “draws its rich
content from the humanities, arts and sciences, and treats it in a way which brings out the
connections between different disciplines.”27 At VIU, students take courses such as LBST 111,
Ways of Knowing, a “team-taught interdisciplinary learning community integrating important
works in the Western tradition with fundamental skills for work and play.” 28 VIU’s program
resembles the proposed BIS program with its core interdisciplinary humanities and social
science courses, its emphasis on the development of transferable skills, and its requirement for
a major research project; however, there is no vocational component to this degree.
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, offers a Bachelor of Arts and Science program, which
has a curriculum made of up inter-and disciplinary courses. For example, in first year, students
take a course entitled Development of Western Thought, a science or mathematics course, and
a course chosen from a number of disciplines in the Humanities, Languages or Social Sciences.
Similar courses are taken in second year. In third and fourth year, students choose an area of
specialization that will prepare them for work or further academic study. Students can take
courses from either the Arts or the Sciences.29
Athabasca University offers a three-year Bachelor of General Studies which “allows students
the freedom to develop their own intellectual and academic interests.”30 Students develop and
submit a Program Plan, in which 42 of the 90 credits must be from the Humanities, Sciences
and Social Sciences and the other 48 from either the same areas or from a vocational program
in Applied Studies or Business and Administration Studies.
27
www.viu.ca/calendar/UniversityDegreeCompletion/bamajorsminors/liberalstudies.asp 28
www.viu.ca/calendar/courses/LBST.ASPX?crs=#LBST430 29
www.unb.ca/fredricton/arts/undergrad/bas/index.html 30
www.athabascau.ca/calendar/page03_07.html 18
A search of programs in the United States revealed degrees like Boston University’s Bachelor of
Liberal Studies/Science in Interdisciplinary Studies This program is similar to the proposed BIS
program in that students take mandatory courses in English, mathematics, computer science,
natural science, literature, history, philosophy, and four additional credits in Humanities, Social
Sciences or Natural Sciences. In addition to these courses, students have “the opportunity to
pursue a course of study developed around a unifying theme, problem or issue.”31 They must
choose ten upper level courses from across various departments and programs that relate to
their interdisciplinary study topic. There is no vocational component to this program.
At the University of Virginia, students can pursue an Interdisciplinary major program that allows
them to design an individualized program of study rather that a regular department major. This
program closely resembles the Carleton University DIS program.
Many American universities have transfer policies in place to allow students to move between
two and four-year colleges, including from community college programs similar to those in the
CAAT system. This system is most clearly articulated in the State of Washington where
programs described as “upside-down” degrees exist. The “upside-down” degree is used to
mean that the degree’s Major has been completed in a two year community college, or lower
level, and that the General Education component, or upper level courses, would be taught at a
state or private university in the final two years. The degree is upside-down because in a
traditional degree, the general education, or foundational, courses are taken in the first two
years and a major in the last two. Here, the major has been completed, and it is the breadth
and transferable skills that are the focus of the final two years. Students receive block credit for
their community college diploma and can complete a Bachelor’s degree in one year or an
Honours degree in two.32
At Whitworth College in Washington, students are allowed to transfer between 60 – 64 credits
and are admitted into their junior year: “The upside-down aspect simply refers to the fact that
you have completed your major area of study (in gerontology, for example) at the community
college and can now complete general education and upper division requirements necessary for
a four-year bachelor’s degree without having to start all over again.”33
31
www.bu.edu/met/programs/undergraduate/interdisciplinary‐studies/ 32
www.ezinearticles.com/?What‐in‐the‐heck‐is‐an‐Upside‐Down‐Degree? 33
www.whitworth.edu/Academic/Department/AdultDegree/BachelorLiberalStudies.htm#upsidedown 19
A second example was found at Washington’s Evergreen College. At Evergreen, students who
have completed “focused, skills-based work in freshman and sophomore years… will broaden
[their] studies – completing more expansive and comprehensive work during [their] junior and
senior year.”34
The “upside down” degree, or what some more recent literature is calling the inverted degree, is
one version of a growing body of applied degrees in the United States. Townsend, Bragg, and
Ruud (2008) defined the applied baccalaureate as “a bachelor’s degree designed to incorporate
applied associate courses and degrees once considered as ‘terminal’ of not-baccalaureate level
while providing students with the higher-order thinking skills and technical knowledge and skills
so desired in today’s job market”35. The impetus for the expansion of applied baccalaureate
degrees stems from four forces:
1.
The growth of transfer from community colleges to traditional degree granting
institutions;
2.
An increasing emphasis on access to higher education for adult learners,
particularly those currently in the workplace;
3.
An interest in improving the degree attainment rates; and,
4.
A need to improve and educate the workforce for a changing economy.
The definition and reasons for growth of applied baccalaureate degrees matches the intent of
our Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies. The unique combination of vocational and liberal arts
curriculum develops skills that are valued in the workplace and enhances the opportunities in
the evolving economy. By enabling graduates currently in the workforce to enroll in upper
semesters, and by granting reasonable advanced standing credits for previous post-secondary
accomplishments, the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies provides a needed and desirable
route for degree attainment. It addresses the growing demand for further education, particularly
within the greater Toronto area where the predictions for degree attainment outstrip all other
parts of the province.
34
www.evergreen.edu/admissions/UpsideDown.html 35
http://occrl.ed.uiuc.edu/Projects/lumina/AppBaccInventory.pdf 20