With the goal of supporting Humber’s vision of ‘excellence in polytechnic education,’ our activities focus on maximizing Humber’s opportunities to align with government priorities and access government programs. Through relationship building at the political and bureaucratic levels of government we aim to keep Humber fresh in the collective political mind. These external government relations activities ensure that we benefit from a clear understanding of governmental priorities. Keeping our ear to the ground at Queen’s Park and at the federal level can act as an ‘early warning system’ and alert the college to changes in policy and program approaches. In addition to ongoing contact with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) and other key provincial ministries, we liaise with organizations such as Colleges Ontario, Polytechnics Canada, the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance, the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO), as well as staff and elected representatives at the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government. Equally important is the internally-facing component of our work, which promotes information-sharing, dialogue, and alignment of key government relations messages within Humber. Our unit is available to provide advice and analysis related to government priorities and processes, and to support Humber interactions with all levels of government. We work with other departments on campus to maintain an integrated approach to government relations. We also maintain an up-to-date list of government contacts at all three levels. Please contact us for current mail/email addresses or phone numbers.

Government Relations at Humber

Government Relations J U L Y 2 0 1 1 N E W S L E T T E R

C O N T E N T S

• Introduction

• Report on Activities

• Focus on Issues

I N T H I S I S S U E

• Budget Highlights (p.3)

• Advancing University Educa-tion (COU) (p.5)

• A Changing Portrait of Inter-national Students (Statistics Canada) (p.5)

• Credit Transfer System (Colleges Ontario) (p.6)

• Ontario Online Institute (p.6)

• Student Engagement (HEQCO) (p.7)

• School Dropouts (C.D. Howe Institute) (p.8)

• First Generation PSE students (MESA Project) (p.8)

• Completion Behaviour of Apprentices (Statistics Can-ada) (p.9)

• Graduates with Learning Disabilities (HEQCO) (p.9)

C O N T A C T U S

Ruth MacKay, Director Planning & Government Relations Ext 4630 ruth.mackay@humber.ca

Jean Biers, Manager Planning & Government Relations Ext 5132 jean.biers@humber.ca

Find us in Planning & Development B302, North Campus

P A G E 2

This section of the newsletter

provides details of government

relations events and activities organized by

and/or participated in

by the unit.

Key Events and GR Activities JULY 2011

• On July 6 Humber was the recipient of $64.1 million from the Ontario government for a $91.5 million development project at its North Campus as part of Ontario’s ’Putting Students First’ program. The Learning Resource Commons and Student Services Centre will help Humber handle growth of more than 2,200 additional stu-dents. In attendance at this announcement were the Hon. John Milloy, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Dr. Shafiq Qaadri, MPP, Etobicoke North as well as several members from Humber’s Board of Governors.

MAY/JUNE 2011

• Organized the Canadian Club luncheon where the Hon. John Milloy, Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities revealed the Liberal’s platform on education for the 2011 Provincial elections in October.

• Organized a visit by Jeff Lennon, Director of Postsecondary Funding and Information Management at the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. During his visit, Mr. Lennon met with Humber’s leaders to tour Humber’s facilities and attend the Business School’s Convocation Ceremony in the afternoon.

• Hosted members of the U.S. Education Funders Strategy Group. With the aim to improve U.S. public education systems, three members of this group engaged in discussions with Humber’s leaders to gain an international perspective on policies and innovative practices driving student achievement. During their visit they has the opportunity to hear from a panel of students sharing their success stories, toured Humber’s facilities, visited classrooms and tasted the creations of Humber’s talented culinary students.

G O V E R N M E N T R E L A T I O N S

Humber College Capital Funding Announcement July 6, 2011 Left to Right: Hon. John Milloy, Minister of TCU Joan Homer, Vice-Chair, Humber Board of Governors Dr. Shafiq Qaadri, MPP, Etobicoke North John Davies, President, Humber College Bryan Tran, President, Humber Students Federation

Humber students, staff and administration gather to hear the Ontario government’s capital

funding announcement

P A G E 3 Key Events and GR Activities

G O V E R N M E N T R E L A T I O N S

MARCH/APRIL 2011

• Attended Ontario Budget 2010 pre-budget lock-up and reported back to executive team

• Attended an introductory session on the newly developed Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards (PMVA) hosted by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. These awards, to be launched in April 2011, celebrate Canadians who make a difference in their communities

• Attended the Ontario Colleges Institutional Research Committee meeting, reporting on the implementation of new methodology for uniform student retention reports

• Attended roundtable hosted by the C.D. Howe Institute and led by the Hon. John Milloy, Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, on the Path to Prosperity: Postsecondary Education and Labour Market Trends

• Attended the Academica Summit on SEM, Marketing & Leadership Strategies

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

• Attended the Colleges Ontario Symposium ‘Applied Innovation: Next Steps for Colleges’, with the keynote address delivered by the Hon. Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology). The symposium was also attended by Humber jour-nalism students who were offered the opportunity to report on the event

Front (left to right): Chris Shearer, Hewlett Foundation James Applegate, Lumina Foundation Nick Donohue, Nellie Mae Education Foundation Back (left to right): Louis Lizotte, Ministry of Education Pam Hanft, VP Academic Rick Embree, VP Planning & Development Julie Castle, Chief Advancement Officer John Davies, President, Humber College

Student panel showcasing Humber’s success stories Left to Right: Lin Zhang, Catia Martins, Denise Giacomelli, Harverinder Gill

Hon. Gary Goodyear at the Applied Innovation symposium hosted by College Ontario

President John Davies speaking at the Colleges Ontario ‘Applied Innovation’ Symposium

P A G E 4

2011 FEDERAL BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS On 22 March 2011, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty introduced the Federal Government’s 2011 budget. Within this budget are several items directed at colleges and universities. Research and Commercialization

• “Colleges play an important role in advancing Canada’s innovation capacity. They can help accelerate the transfer of new knowledge created at post-secondary institutions by applying it to business needs”

• $80 million in new funding over three years through the Industrial Research Assistance Program to help small and medium-sized businesses accelerate their adoption of key in-formation and communications technologies through collaborative projects with colleges.

• 30 new Industrial Research Chairs at colleges with $3 million in 2011-12 and $5 million a year on a permanent basis starting in 2012-13

• $12 million over five years, starting in 2011-12 through the Idea to Innovation program to support joint college-university commercialization projects

Education and Training

• $60 million over the next three years to promote increased student enrolment in key dis-ciplines related to the digital economy, such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics

• $10 million over two years to develop and implement an international education strategy • Enhancing and expanding eligibility for Canada Student Loans and Grants for part-time

and full-time post-secondary students with an investment of over $34 million a year once fully implemented

• Encourage skills certification by making all occupations, trade and professional examini-ation fees eligible for tax relief

• $20,000 loan forgiveness for nurse practitioners and nurses working in underserviced rural and northern communities

• Creation of a Helmets to Hardhats program. This initiative will connect releasing Cana-dian Forces members and veterans with career opportunities in the construction industry.

2011 PROVINCIAL BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS On 29 March 2011, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan introduced the Provincial Government’s 2011 budget. Postsecondary Education and Training

• $64 million in 2011-12, growing to $309 million in 2013-14 to support over 60,000 addi-tional students by 2015-16

• An additional $44 million over three years for literacy and basic skills programs • An additional $22.5 million for Summer Jobs Strategy, including targeted resources for

youth in high-needs neighbourhoods, to help over 100,000 students access jobs and ser-vices this summer. This brings the total funding to nearly $100 million for this program

• Engage with colleges and universities to create new multi-year accountability agreements that ensure sustainable growth

• The government’s Open Ontario plan will work to: • Raise Ontario’s postsecondary attainment to 70 percent • Improve postsecondary access though a new credit transfer system • Create the Ontario Online Institute • Increase international enrolment by 50% while maintaining spaces for Ontario

students

Focus On Issues - Government Budgets This section of the newsletter

highlights topics related

to postsecondary education that are particularly

relevant or timely.

P A G E 5

Advancing University Education for the Benefit of Ontarians (Council of Ontario Universities, January 2011) The submission prepared by the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) for the provincial gov-ernment describes a vision for building upon higher education systems to ensure the prov-ince has a globally competitive and educated workforce. The paper outlines the provincial need to promote a better educated workforce through the introduction of more advanced degrees to benefit Ontario’s prosperity. The main commitment strives to meet the Premier’s goal to have 70% of the population achieve some level of postsecondary education. Future recommendations (based on recent achievements) include: planning and funding to support the growth of student enrolment, focus on quality; and expanded learning opportunities through online education and credit transfers. The 49% increase in university applicants re-veals the increased value of higher education in society. The report is available online at: http://www.cou.on.ca/Issues-Resources/Student-Resources/Government-Submissions/PDFs/COU-2011-Provincial-Pre-Budget-Submission-FINAL.aspx The Transfer Experience of Ontario College Graduates who Further their Educa-tion: An Analysis of Ontario’s College Graduate Satisfaction Survey (HEQCO, March 2011) This paper looks at college graduate mobility between college and university as measured by the KPI Graduate Satisfaction Survey. By looking at the demographics of college graduates and their transfer experiences, it was found that the most commonly cited reason for con-tinuing their education was “more opportunities for career advancement”. The paper groups its findings into five categories: Reasons and Sources of Information; Importance of Looking at Program level – Scope of Analysis; Transfer Experience; Degrees at College and Redefin-ing Transfer; and Calculating Transfer. The authors believe that by improving Graduate Sat-isfaction Survey questions and monitoring responses, government policy directive will be guided appropriately to enhance student transfers, particularly from college to university. The entire paper can be found online at: http://www.heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/TransferExperienceofOntarioCollegeGraduates.pdf A Changing Portrait of International Students in Canadian Universities (Statistics Canada, February 2011) The article discusses significant trends in relation to international students in Canadian uni-versities through: composition, age and gender characteristics, region of origins, regions of destinations, and changes in field of study. The article uses data from the Postsecondary Stu-dent Information System to draw conclusions based upon the international student body and presence in Canadian universities over the 1992 to 2008 period of study. The overall compo-sition of international students has become younger and consequently more focused on en-rolling at a bachelor’s level versus programs at the doctorate level. The largest source for international students stands out at 52.7% originating from Asia. In addition, the largest des-tination is observed in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, with British Columbia on the rise. The entire article can be found online at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-004-x/2010006/article/11405-eng.htm

Focus On Issues - Government Priorities

P A G E 6

Colleges applaud credit transfer system (Colleges Ontario, January 2011) The announcement of a credit transfer system will provide cost and time saving initiatives for postsecondary students looking to transfer between college and university. With a shift in traditional education, students are often involved in a variety of institutions and educational paths. The credit transfer system would help stu-dents efficiently transfer with credit exemptions, thus saving time and speeding the transfer process. The report is available online at: www.collegesontario.org/news/news-releases/2011/colleges_applaud_credit_transfer_system.html Ontario Online Institute (MTCU, April 2011) As part of the Open Ontario plan the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) is working to create the Ontario Online Institute. All colleges and universities offer online learning, with 10,000 online courses and over 800 online programs and distance learning opportunities. This project will bring together these institutions to increase postsecondary online learning opportunities. In February 2011 the MTCU appointed Maxim Jean-Louis to prepare recommendations for how to implement the Online Institute. Mr. Jean-Louis’ report is available online at: http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/pepg/publications/ooi_may2011.pdf Humber Launches Bachelor of Journalism Degree (Polytechnics Canada, January 2011) The article discusses the launch of Humber College’s new Bachelor of Journalism degree beginning in September 2011. The new program will focus on digital media and the skills involved in finding employment within the ever changing field of journalism. The introduction of the degree within Humber will give students a well-rounded undergraduate degree and ensure they are fully equipped for the job market. The degree will cover a wide range of topics from various mediums such as audio, video, and social media to the creation of compelling stories. Students will further enhance their knowledge through an internship between third and fourth year. The article is available online at: http://www.polytechnicscanada.ca/news/humber-launches-bachelor-journalism-degree-2011-jan-21 Ontario Progress Report 2011—Education (Ontario Government, July 2011) In July the Ontario government released its 2011 Progress Report, highlighting the provinces achievements in postsecondary education (PSE). Ontario’s students are ranked among the best in the world, have higher tests scores, and are graduating and going on to university, college, or an apprenticeship at higher rates than ever before. Ontario's PSE completion rate among adults, which sits at 64%, is higher than any OECD country, is 20 percentage points higher than the US and twice as high as the UK. In particular, colleges increased their rates from 57% to 64%. The progress report states that about 120,000 apprentices are learning a trade today, almost 60,000 more than in 2002-03. The report is available online at: http://www.ontario.ca/ontprodconsume/groups/content/@onca/@initiatives/@progress/documents/document/ont06_026087.pdf

Focus On Issues - Quality & Student Success

P A G E 7

Student Engagement as a Quality Measure in the Ontario Postsecondary Education System (HEQCO, March 2011) Analyzing four separate research projects pertaining to NSSE, FSSE, BCSSE and CCSSE surveys, this pa-per asks how valid and reliable these surveys are as predictive learning outcomes, whether they are ac-countable for policy makers monitoring institutional performance, and if they can be used to guide insti-tutional management and planning. The author concludes that the majority of engagement variation among colleges can be accounted for by program mix, institutional characteristics, and student compo-sition. As such, student engagement surveys should not be used as comparative measures but rather as a source from which to identify areas for quality improvement based on each institution’s missions and goals. The entire paper can be found online at: http://www.heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AtIssueStudentEngagement.pdf Shifting from retention rates to retention risk: an alternative approach for managing institu-tional student retention performance (HEQCO, December 2010) The HEQCO report focuses on studying key factors responsible for retention risk versus retention rates. Key aspects include early identification, pilot projects, and statistical identification models. The shift in focus is important to proactively increase retention through early intervention. The process of accurately assessing patterns in retention rates is not without difficulty as the models fail to account for institutional differences and conflicting student backgrounds. The key to success in this model is tailoring focus at individual institutions by studying relevant historical data. The entire report is available online at: http://www.heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/RetentionReportENG.pdf Work-Integrated Learning in Ontario’s Postsecondary Sector (HEQCO, January 2011) The research report details the inclusion of work/learn opportunities in Postsecondary Institutions to match labour market demand. The focus includes defining ways to improve the programs, ensuring rele-vance is maintained, and introducing the program to more institutions. The study suggests expansion of work-integrated learning into further programs, widening the scope of students, and focusing on more incentives for employers to participate. Benefits from the programs include career exploration, future employment opportunities, and industry networking. The entire report is available at: http://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/WIL1E.pdf

P A G E 8

School Dropouts: Who are they and what can be done? (C.D. Howe Institute, January 2011) This publication focuses on the retention of specific at-risk groups among high-school students. These specific groups at risk include males, some groups of immigrants, those living in rural areas, and Abo-riginals. Each of these at-risk groups exhibit increased high-school dropout rates in comparison to the Cana-dian average. Recommendations are made to address the core problems for retention through five key sug-gestions aimed at the most vulnerable groups: targeting early childhood programs; using sports to engage those at risk; focusing on Aboriginal education; improving cultural enrichment of the curriculum; and placing importance on measuring education outcomes. The report is available online at: http://www.cdhowe.org/pdf/ebrief_109.pdf First Generation Post-Secondary Education Students (MESA Project, 2010) As part of the Longitudinal Survey of Low Income Students (L-SLIS) and the MESA Project for measuring the effectiveness of student aid, research was done to assess the behaviour of first generation students [students whose parents have never attended post-secondary education (PSE)]. Findings revealed that first generation students are relatively equal to non-first generation students with respect to attending PSE, aca-demic success, and graduation levels. The entire report is available at: http://mesa-project.org/pub/pdf/First_Generation_02_24_10-1.pdf Assessment of Debt Load and Financial Barriers Affecting Students with Disabilities in Canadian Postsecondary Education- Ontario Report (HEQCO, January 2011) The report discusses both the financial and educational burdens carried by students with disabilities during their enrolment at Ontario Postsecondary Institutions. Burdens include: longer time to complete education and resulting increased costs, difficulty finding employment, and overall trouble balancing the demands of work and school. The study was conducted through student interviews and an on-line survey through Statis-tics Canada. The study hopes to raise awareness of the implications for students with disabilities and adjust government financial aid programs accordingly. The entire report can be found online at: http://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/FinBarENG.pdf Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Equal Access to Higher Education (OUSA, February 2011) This report looks at the underrepresentation of particular groups of students, namely low-income, aboriginal, first generation, rural and northern, and students with dependents. These students face a variety of com-plex barriers to postsecondary education, broadly categorized as financial, informational and motivational. The report lists six student recommendations to raise the participation rates of these underrepresented groups: early outreach programs; outreach in primary and secondary schools; pathway mobility; financial assistance; online access; and institutional supports and transformation. The entire report can be found online at: http://www.ousa.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Breaking-Barriers.pdf

Focus On Issues - Underrepresented Groups

P A G E 9

The Completion Behaviour of Registered Apprentices: Who Continues, Who Quits, and Who Completes Programs? (Statistics Canada, March 2011) The article investigates the large proportion of registered apprentice students who have enrolled and not completed their programs. The study uses results based upon the 2007 National Apprenticeship Survey (NAS), and reveals that divorced or single individuals, low education levels prior to apprentice-ship, having an activity limitation, being a visible minority or Aboriginal student negatively related to completion. Positive contributing factors for graduating stem from personal lifestyle situations, trade group, type of technical training, and having a journeyperson present. Further research is needed to uncover differences in apprenticeship programs between trades and provinces in order to improve com-pletion rates. The entire report is available online at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2011333-eng.pdf From Postsecondary Application to the Labour Market: The Pathways of Under-represented Groups (HEQCO, December 2010) According to the research report, under-represented groups are less likely to attend postsecondary education (PSE) immediately after graduating from secondary education. Influences such as work, fam-ily and financial constraints are reasons for delaying enrolment or withdrawing before graduation. The report focuses on five categories of under-represented students: Applicants not offered admission to PSE, Applicants declining an offer to PSE, Early leavers, Current students, and Graduates. The entire report can be found online: http://www.heqco.ca/sitecollectiondocuments/pse_eng.pdf Employment Experience of Ontario’s Postsecondary Graduates with Learning Disabilities (HEQCO, March 2011) This study collected survey data from 20 Ontario colleges and universities to examine the employment success, job satisfaction, use of employment transition services, and job setting implications of student graduates with a learning disability (LD). This study concluded that students with LD are obtaining sat-isfying employment, even after limited use of career and employment transition services on campus prior to graduation. Unfortunately, their job performance is being impacted by their LD, likely compli-cated by the fact that most are weary to disclose their disability to employers due to fear of judgement and embarrassment. The entire report can be found online: http://www.heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/LD_ENG.pdf