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Walter Benn Michaels has argued that higher education policies have been fashioned through a diversity fetish, rather than grappling with class inequities produced through neoliberal restructuring. When the author was asked the question of whether Benn Michael's analysis pertained to Canadian higher education, she found herself writing the present article within which she argues that pitting class against race is a liberalizing strategy that obfuscates how each ruling relation is interlocking and mutually constitutive. She then goes on to show how such interlocking dynamics productive of racialized and gendered class relations currently function within the Ontario postsecondary system through the production of "tieredness", otherwise termed "system differentiation" in policy papers published by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). Because the paper grew out of her response to Benn Michael's analysis, the author will summarize her take on his book, "How to Love Identity and Ignore Inequality," in order to illustrate certain dynamics affecting equity politics within the Canadian, and in particular, the Ontario higher education landscape. These dynamics do not concern the college sector unto itself, nor the university sector unto itself, but rather spans the entirety of the system. (Contains 3 endnotes.)

With the rapid increase in information freely and easily accessible on the web to those who have access to a computer and the internet, there seems to be a corresponding decrease in critical evaluation of the sources of this information. All sources are taken to be sources of information and seem to be uncritically considered to contain reliable, credible, and authoritative information, which is relevant to any topic. However, many sources contain disputed and disputable information slanted to support one ideological belief over another. People use sources in their research bibliographies that are concurrently used to support claims in their research papers that are not in fact plausible. Students, as citizens, need to be critically informed to make good decisions in a democratic society that depends on their reliable, credible and authoritative sources of information used in decision making. In this article, the author offers a set of testing conditions to determine how to critically separate the acceptable sources from the implausible ones.

This paper provides a brief historical account, and differences in philanthropy between Ontario's colleges and universities. Several theoretical concepts will be explored to explain donor motivation in Ontario's higher education sector. The final section of this paper explores non-traditional resource development strategies that Ontario colleges can consider to increase support.

For anyone in a leadership position, responsible for the performance of others, there is always an obvious concern with the quality of the work performed and the adherence to the mission, vision, values and culture of the organization. Traditional methods of assuring quality performance include some form of performance appraisal, giving feedback on staff members' performance as the key element of the process. Much attention has focussed on the manner in which feedback is given. In this paper, the authors propose that the most effective way to monitor and encourage high performance is not to "give" but instead to "elicit" feedback. The authors stress that by employing a coaching process, Cognitive Coaching[sm] for example, a leader is able to encourage and inspire staff to focus their skills and intellect on performing their duties with increasing levels of commitment and creativity.

Ontario's Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs) have established productive links with employers and the result is practical training that leads to rewarding work for graduates. This practical success is not being adequately recognized in a crucial debate that focuses on strategies for economic development. It is important for the CAATs to promote a greater awareness of the links between their programs and broader goals such as economic prosperity. In this paper, the authors discuss the current orientation of government economic strategies and its potential for supporting the CAATs. They argue that there are three measures of economic performance that are central to the role that CAATs play: (1) return on investment in education; (2) productivity; and (3) skill shortages. Using these measures, the CAATs can make a strong case for their role in the economic strategies. The authors also discuss the context of decision-making, measurement issues and opportunities for the colleges as they raise their profile.

This paper provides a perspective on post-secondary education systems in the countries of the former USSR with the objective of building potential linkages for North American Colleges with the higher education institutions in Eastern Europe. (Contains 3 tables.)

As a postsecondary educator with most of my experience teaching in colleges, but with some also in undergraduate and postgraduate studies both in Canada and the United States, I have been teaching politics and government for close to fifty years. That time has been spent not only undertaking empirical analyses of political behaviour and the normative analysis of political theory, but also in the practical activity of promoting understanding of what is frequently called "civic life". The authorities who develop broad educational goals seem to have it in mind that promoting ideas of good citizenship and suggesting ways in which this citizenship can be enacted should be among the several goals of faculty members involved in "general education." As we live in a liberal democracy, it follows that a good part of that mission should involve the both cognitive knowledge (how governments work, issues of policy development, elements of the political process, etc.) and what are sometimes called affective and behavioural traits--habits of attitude and action that encourage and exemplify good citizenship. Specifically, we are expected to teach something about democracy.

At the time of writing, the first community colleges in Ontario were preparing for transition to an accreditation model from an audit system. This paper revisits constructivist literature, arguing that a more pragmatic definition of constructivism effectively blends positivist and interactionist philosophies to achieve both student centred learning and predetermined outcomes. Relevant Ontario College Quality Assurance Service (OCQAS) and College Quality Assurance Process (CQAAP) standards and requirements are presented along with their implications for college policy and constructivist teaching methods. This paper provides practical suggestions for integrating both constructivist philosophies and policies translated from accreditation standards into instructional methods.

In 2013 the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities released Ontario's Differentiation Policy Framework for Postsecondary Education, for colleges and universities in the province. All 24 Ontario colleges responded to this Framework by presenting their Strategic Mandate Agreements (SMA). The Framework contrasts the original provincial mandate for the Ontario colleges, which was to provide accessible comprehensive institutions throughout the province. This paper examines, at a programmatic level, how this "Framework" affects Broadcasting Media programs in 13 out of the 24 colleges that offer this vocational discipline. The paper presents the vertical, inter-intra institutional, formal reputational hierarchy that exists amongst these programs. This paper argues that the Broadcasting Media programs are elite, differentiated, and diverse; their formal and informal hierarchical status creates deeper, intentional stratification, entrenching programs as positional goods with positional power competing for supremacy, regardless of the intent of the original mandate for the Ontario colleges. If the Strategic Mandate Agreements are executed by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, then this hierarchical, programmatic stratification will become further stratified and inaccessible. Although this paper focuses on one particular vocational discipline, the theoretical and research approaches have the potential to affect other programs within these comprehensive, community-based colleges.

Postsecondary teacher, Howard Doughty, has been teaching politics and government for close to fifty years. That time has been spent not only working with the empirical analysis of political behaviour and the normative analysis of political theory, but also in the practical activity of promoting understanding of what is frequently called civic life. In line with current standards and educational goals for faculty members involved in "general education," Doughty asserts a good part of that mission should involve the both cognitive knowledge (how governments work, issues of policy development, elements of the political process, etc.) and what are sometimes called "affective" and "behavioural" traits--habits of attitude and action that encourage good citizenship. More specifically, these educators are expected to teach something about democracy. Herein, Doughty discusses the historical controversy that follows the concept of democracy in theory and in practice. Next, he highlights four primary concerns about the current state of democracy and electoral system. Doughty goes on to explore briefly one set of criticisms of contemporary democratic politics as they are practiced in the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom. A description of the First-Past-the-Post (FPP) electoral system and its overall flaws are then discussed. Three cases are then presented to illustrate why some people regard FPP as an unfair and even an undemocratic way to elect presidents, prime ministers and legislators of various descriptions. Doughty concludes with several arguments demonstrating why FPP should be replaced with the Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system.

This paper discusses the idea that for Ontario's colleges to meet the intentions and legal requirements of their original mandates, they will need to consider extending the scope of their advancement departments to implement key components of both the Total Resource Development Model (Worth, 2002, ascited by Barrette, 2013) and the Strategic Philanthropy Model (Porter and Kramer, 2002). The first section of this paper will provide a brief history of the purpose and development of the college system in Ontario with particular emphasis on their legal mandate. The next section of this paper then briefly reviews college student demographics and outlines the crucial relationship between the learner and resource needs. A review of the current college funding system is also presented with the author's forecast for future needs, outlining the tense relationship between public and private funding. The final section of the paper explores a model called The Giving Matrix, in which the author attempts to explore the relationship between altruistic philanthropy versus financial contributions and their social/economic impacts. This is an endeavor to provide a deeper understanding of how colleges can organize their advancement departments to better attract Strategic Philanthropy dollars.

This paper calls for a reexamination of the kind of transferable business communication skills that new graduates require as they enter the workforce. Market needs are studied as the focal point for developing relevant exercises to train towards workplace communication competence. The arguments presented in this study are based on an investigation of the communication skills that a sample of Canadian companies in British Colombia deem necessary for new employees. Findings shed light on the importance of bridging the gap between the kind of training offered in business communication skills courses and what the job market expects of new graduates.

Throughout the College academic world there has always been a need for marrying the didactic classroom material with the applied learning and experiential approach. At George Brown College we stated boldly a commitment to ensure that every student would experience a quality field experience in our strategic path for vision 2020. In order to provide a student with a quality experience we needed to undertake a process that identified quality, currency and authenticity in our offerings. This paper speaks to the necessary quality framework that continues to be refined in our quest of delivering on the George Brown College promise with respect to experiential and work integrated learning.

Studio-based degrees in fine arts and design are not often written about in higher education literature. Ten years ago, urban theorist Richard Florida coined the term the "creative class" as individuals who "do a wide variety of work in a wide variety of industries -- from technology to entertainment, journalism to finance, highend manufacturing to the arts....they share a common ethos that values creativity, individuality, difference, and merit" (Florida, 2002, para. 8). According to Florida the creative class helps build economic development; therefore, our cities should be nurtured to be more inviting to these types of individuals. This emphasis on culture and creativity is at the foundation of art and design education. Groys (2009) argues that art education is complicated and subjective; it ultimately has no rules and that "teaching art means teaching life" (as cited in Madoff, 2009, p. 27). If that is the case, how does one measure quality in a field that is viewed as so subjective? How does one define and value art and design education? One's notion of good art and design can be vastly different from another's, and both views may come from experts in the field. This paper is written first, to give context to art and design education specifically in the higher education institutions that specialize in these areas -- the independent art and design schools. In Canada there are four such institutions, which the author has not found written about in relation to one another. These institutions are: the Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver, the Alberta College of Art + Design in Calgary, OCAD University in Toronto, and NSCAD University (Nova Scotia College of Art & Design) in Halifax. There are abundant reports discussing the issues of colleges and universities in Canada, and although these art and design schools are now part of the college and university environment, they are quite unique in their mandates, in their learning environments and teaching delivery, and most definitely in their curriculum. The second purpose for this paper is to compare quality measures in Canada and the U.S. and how this relates to schools of art and design. The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) is an American body that accredits art and design schools and programs. Canada does not have such an organization but one school in Canada, the Alberta College of Art + Design (ACAD) decided to attain substantial equivalency status by NASAD in 2009. Finally the third part of this paper will discuss whether accreditation matters for Canadian art and design schools. How does recognition from NASAD impact the type of education a student receives from ACAD in comparison to the three other independent art and design schools in Canada?

Despite the fact that both the Canadian and American intercollegiate athletic leagues are highly competitive, there are significant differences between the two intercollegiate athletic systems, which may produce different experiences for student-athletes enrolled in each system. The differences between the two systems are related to the fundamental triad of issues which affect postsecondary education as a whole: access, quality, and funding. In the context of intercollegiate athletics and for the purposes of this paper, the author refers to access as the admission of student-athletes to institutions, quality as measures and outcomes related to student-athletes' athletic and academic performance, as well as their personal development within intercollegiate athletics programming, and funding as the methods and resources institutions use to finance their athletic programs. This paper discusses these differences in access, quality, and funding between the intercollegiate athletics system governed by the largest organization of American intercollegiate athletics, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the intercollegiate athletics system governed by the Canadian organization called Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).

The report entitled, "OECD Economic Surveys: Canada 2012," offers an exceptionally rigorous, in-depth, well-informed and well-documented review of policy and performance of Canada's economy and postsecondary system. The report is divided into three parts. The first part contains an overview of the Canadian economy, a summary of the rest of the report and recommendations. The second part (Chapter 1) deals with innovation, and the third part (Chapter 2) is about higher education in Canada. For Canadian higher education practitioners, policy-makers, and researchers, this document shows them how others with a more detached, international perspective view higher education in Canada. People who are interested in Canadian higher education will benefit from studying and discussing the observations, conclusions and recommendations in this report. In this article, the author mentions without elaboration two complex issues that he thought were handled extremely well in the report; then he identifies a huge question that is left after reading the report. He concludes with comments on a feature of Canadian higher education that seems to stand out in international comparisons and gives rise to questions about both data and policy.

The term "Centre of Excellence" is increasingly used by Ontario's colleges with the expectation of portraying a superior level of proficiency, expertise, or investment in a particular academic discipline or program cluster. This paper proposes that the term Centre of Excellence should have a clearer definition so that when one of Ontario's colleges uses it, the reader will have a better sense of its meaning by initiating a discussion as to how this definition might be framed from a measurement perspective. Creating a Centre of Excellence in a college in Ontario can be an important method of enhancing reputation since it differentiates a college from other colleges and universities in its catchment area. As such, it is an important strategic asset. The purpose of this paper is to broaden the discussion about the casual and possible over trivialization of the use of the term "Centre of Excellence" by forwarding measures and categories of measures that will help determine whether such a condition has developed or is emerging.

Douglas Coupland, a prolific author/artist/lecturer and now prognosticator, is in the forefront of the arts movement in both Canada and the US. His works, starting with his breakout novel "Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture," have consistently worked as a bellwether of current perspectives and values, both noting our cultural milestones and influencing future trends. In books, such as "Microserfs" and "JPod," he sensitively involves the reader in the world of the technologically wired, showing the paradox of the resultant isolation and alternative community that evolves within the computer industry. Each novel, artwork, or article shows a different side of Coupland, explores new topics, yet reiterates his belief in the randomness of behaviour, or at least humanity's inability to control the excesses. Nonetheless, he consistently leaves the reader with a paradoxical sense of hope that there is a future, perhaps even one that is superior to what people dream. "Beware the Ides of Coupland" is a look at his current work and his 2010 CBC Massey Lecture series, which he presents as a "novel in five hours" about the future. Linking this to his previous apocalyptic theme, presented by Coupland in "Girlfriend in a Coma and JPod," he gives cultural clues that inform the present day sociological perspective. In this article, the author talks about Coupland's perspective on the future and what it means to the people.

Innovation should be about procedures and methods. Little thought is given to proximate, much less ultimate aims. In this article, the authors invite educators to take a break and explore the educational enterprise to which they devote their life's work. They discuss two bits of excerpted writing, both over half a century old. One comes from Jack Kenney, a high school English teacher whose career in Port Colborne and Collingwood, Ontario spanned the years from 1938 to 1974. The other was composed for the September, 1957 issue of the "Royal Bank of Canada Monthly Letter" by James Muir, then Chairman of the Board and President of that venerable financial institution. The first gives advice to students about to enter high school. The second offers counsel to those concerned with even higher education. They argue that education is in trouble if it is not "both" fun "and" practical. They then offer some observations on Jack Kenney's mantra, "The only object is intellect", for reflection.

North Americans have had a lengthy and often one-sided relationship with Great Britain. Long after the waning of the British Empire and the apex of Britain's exercise of global political and economic hegemony, its cultural influence remains strong. Beyond the commercial successes in the box office and the bookstore, there is a much more immersive, even fetishistic and nostalgic, preoccupation with British culture, texts, and worldview within North American society, as well as other parts of the world. Described as anglophilia, or "Masterpiece Theatre Culture," its presence in North America is not wide, but its influence on those who exercise and maintain the traditionally dominant ideology has been significant, especially within the realms of economic and political power and academia. Anglophilia can be characterized by its adoration of the class system in Britain, in particular, the upper classes and their values. It is a form of leisure which is both consumptive and performative. As an antimodernist tendency it creates nostalgia for an English past, typically a genteel one.

In the early 1980s, it was not sub-prime mortgages and toxic assets, bank failures and factory closures that crowded the pages of the business section of the daily newspapers. It was something called "stagflation," a noxious combination of inflationary pressures on currency and stagnating levels of production. Still, the effects were roughly similar, and the growth of unemployment was almost identical. Politicians called upon both academic economists and the leaders of business and industry to come up with a plan to solve the crisis, just as leaders are doing today. In the midst of the emergency, however, something else happened. The bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada came out with a bold document. Excise the references to God, Jesus and the Gospels and one would find a rather radical economic manifesto. Keep them, and one will read a test of faith, hope and charity. The Bishops proposed that the interests of labour be put ahead of the interests of capital, that the dignity of work supersede the quest for technology, that economic justice be recognized as the overarching social goal and that the "preferential option" be for "the poor, the afflicted and the oppressed" be exercised in all actions. In short, these high-ranking members of the largest religious denomination in Canada spoke eloquently about making the economy about morality and not money. In time, prosperity of a sort returned. Whether the recovery was a predictable consequence of the business cycle or won on the backs of the poor, the working and the middle classes through draconian cut-backs in social services and other efficiencies is a matter of debate. What is clear, however, is that the counsel of the clergy was totally ignored. The author does not reclaim this document and disseminate it as a cure-all. In some ways, he thinks its diagnosis and recommended therapies are utterly naive. He also does not endorse its religious premises. However, he thinks that the Bishops were on to something important, and he thinks teachers would do themselves and their students no permanent harm if they were to consider the ethical context for whatever they teach since, in one way or another, the various global tensions--ecological, ideological and economic--cannot forever be ignored and, as teachers, they surely have some responsibility to raise the truly important questions. In this article, the author presents the document and his views.

There is no question that a thorough knowledge and understanding of the gross architecture of the human body underlies sound medical practice and, therefore, comprises an early curricular goal. Thus, the exploration of palpable human anatomy in the dissection laboratory addresses the pivotal goal of establishing a comprehension of the three dimensional relationships underlying clinical applications and practice. To accomplish this objective, the 2 more obvious pedagogical issues revolve around content and process: "What anatomical facts does every competent practitioner need to know?" and "What instructional or educational method(s) will likely succeed in attaining the desired learning objectives?" The teaching of human anatomy is at the forefront of pedagogical change, and students are being academically prepared in a very modern and diverse environment. The art of computer simulations, and gaming with respect to the study of anatomy is expanding on a growth curve that is record setting. Anatomy training through dissection is being questioned. The author however does not believe that the practice of cadaveric dissection will ever become completely extinct, particularly in some specialty disciplines such as surgery. The author points to a need for more anatomical exploration through cadaveric dissection that is paramount in those areas as students progress through their specialties.

In this article, the author discusses the problems facing Ontario's community colleges' faculty as educators whose "craft" is to teach. The author contends that the problems educators face haven't really been the focus of the three constituencies that have dominated the conversations about the colleges: (1) college management; (2) the Federal and Provincial government; and (3) OPSEU. College managements have been focused on demonstrating that public funds have been expended in an accountable fashion, that the various consumers--students, parents, employers--are satisfied, and that future funding can be secured in order that the institutions remain robust. The Federal and Provincial governments has been focused on securing public favour for the investments they have made in the Ontario college system, and OPSEU has been focused on securing the best employment terms and conditions it can for its membership. The author is not taking issue here with the priorities of these constituencies, but merely observing that given these priorities, there has been inadequate attention paid to the "craft" that defines one's profession and qualifies him/her to be called professor: education. (Contains 1 note.)

Canada employs a decentralized model of leadership responsible for the development and delivery of education and training. When compared to other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Canada ranks near the top in academic credentials earned, however performs near the bottom of the same list in numeracy and literacy skills. The goal of this paper is to examine the validity of describing education obtained in Canada as a 'Canadian' education. While a definitive response did not present itself, the investigation does reveal opportunity for further research involving curriculum development, educational standards, and funding related barriers to the delivery of post-secondary education.

In this paper, the authors reflect on a two-year journey to indigenize the program they have taught in at a community college in Ontario. These efforts necessitated their own education in Indigenous history and perspectives, as well as contemplation of the impact of colonialism on their own teaching. This reflection was combined with much consultation with the First Peoples Indigenous Centre at Durham College and research of other post-secondary efforts to indigenize curricula as part of a broader effort to implement some of the recommendations arising out of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The work completed during this project also included a student focus group, educational workshops for non-Indigenous faculty and the creation of internal media assets featuring Indigenous themes. As well, this work led to the creation of a new compulsory course on Indigenous perspectives in contemporary media that has been added to the college's Broadcasting program. At the end of this project, the authors stress moral imperative of continuing this work to educate future generations of media professionals on the value of Indigenous culture and the importance of understanding the historical wrongs endured by Indigenous peoples.

This article presents three transcripts of the speeches delivered by panelists Gregory G. Gaydos, Philip H. King, and Howard A. Doughty at the the Fifth Annual Hawai'i International Conference on Education last January 2007. The main purpose of their panel discussion was to look at the trends in higher education through the lens of years of teaching experience. In his speech, Professor Doughty treated historical, political and economic contexts of higher education. Dr. Gaydos discussed the challenge to free inquiry posed by political correctness in the classroom. Dr. King spoke to issues of quality and rigor in teaching and in teachers' expectations of student performance.

What has been called "degree recognition" has become the subject of considerable attention in Canadian higher education within the past decade. While concerns similar to those that are being voiced today have arisen occasionally in the past, the scale of this phenomenon today is unprecedented historically. In response to the increased demand for degrees that began in the late twentieth century, a great number of diverse types of institutions and organizations have sought the authority to award degrees; and governments in four provinces have decided that it is in the public interest to allow some of these new providers to offer degree programs in Canada, thus ending the monopoly on degree granting formerly held by the publicly funded universities. These new providers include: (1) public colleges and institutes; (2) private postsecondary institutions; (3) corporate universities in both the private and public sector; (4) virtual universities; (5) transnational degree programs; and (6) special mission institutions such as aboriginal colleges. In this article, the author attempts to clarify the term degree recognition. He identifies and contrasts four possible meanings or uses of the term, as he believes that different contributors to the discourse on degree recognition often are using the term in different ways. Then he discusses two values that he thinks underlie major differences of opinion regarding the recognition of many degrees.

University staff members play a key role in the college articulation process. They implement articulation agreements and shepherd college transfer students through the academic and cultural changes encountered at university. Based on in-depth interviews with university staff, the paper describes five major themes including: transfer credits--the student as comparison shopper and negotiator; cultural norms and expectations of university versus college; student identities and decision strategies; transitioning to the university environment; and establishing internal and external administrative networks for managing college transfers. Recommendations for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the transfer process as well as the satisfaction and performance of college transfer students are identified. Researchers examining college transfer experiences have indicated that our understanding of the college transfer process is enhanced by exploring an institution-centred focus in addition to a student-centered focus (Cjeda, Rewey, & Kaylor, 1998; Townsend, McNerny, & Arnold, 1993). Recent research suggests that university staff are key partners in helping college transfer students manage the transition from the college system to the university system and can play an important role in student retention and program completion (Poisel & Stinard, 2005). College transfer students rely on university staff to help them understand policies and procedures regarding college transfer credits, on-line registrations, course timetabling, and for general information and support following admission. At a strategic level, university staff play a central role in the implementation of the programs and policies outlined in articulation agreements between universities and college. The current paper seeks to enhance our understanding of the university staff side of the college transfer process. This paper presents a case study of the experiences and perceptions of staff employed at a university campus where, despite a fairly recent involvement with college-university articulations, the number of college transfer students has grown to represent approximately 30% of the study body. This paper has two primary objectives. First, it describes the experiences and perceptions of the university staff who implement articulation agreements on behalf of their institution and who advise, process, counsel, and support college transfer students as they negotiate their transfer from college to university. Second, based on the analysis of these staff perceptions and experiences, the paper provides recommendations designed to enhance the college transfer experiences for university staff and transfer students.

The number of articulation agreements between Canadian colleges and universities has been increasing steadily since the early 2000s. Though various implications of these agreements have been discussed, missing are the students' grounded transfer experiences. This paper discusses the academic and social experiences of college transfer students at a Southern Ontario university. Using multiple methods, this paper identifies the following issues regarding the college transfer experience: transfer shock; expectations about university life; the social aspects of the college transfer experience; and student concerns about college transfer credits. Student-based recommendations for the development and assessment of college transfer processes are also presented. Across Canada, community colleges and university relationships are structured according to two arrangements. British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec pioneered the development postsecondary systems in which direct university and college collaboration have been encouraged. Subsequently, the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have also developed stronger links between colleges and universities (Stanyon, 2003). In Ontario, the community colleges and universities have traditionally maintained relatively separate roles with community colleges being established to fulfill the demand for technical training while universities have provided career-oriented preparation for professions and knowledge-based occupations (Beach, Boadway & McInnis, 2005, p.10). However, Ontario has recently moved in the direction of the latter provinces in initiating formal articulation links between university and college programs (Stanyon, 2003). In Ontario, a growing number of college students are now pursuing post-graduate studies at universities. In 2004, over 4100 Ontario college graduates enrolled in university studies within six months of completing their college studies (ACAATO, 2005). In addition, a recent study indicates that over 20% of Ontario college students intend to pursue university and/or further college studies (ACAATO, 2005). According to the Ontario College University Transfer Guide, these students currently have 217 transfer agreements from which to choose (OCUTG, 2006). 173 of these agreements are bilateral (versus multilateral or direct entry articulation categories). The most common type of articulation agreement in Ontario is the degree completion arrangement (N = 156) in which "[a]college(s) and at least one university negotiate an articulation agreement whereby graduates of a diploma program receive specified transfer credit for a completed diploma program toward a degree and then complete a specified number of additional credits at the university in order to qualify for the baccalaureate degree" (OCUTG, 2006). The success of these college-university articulation arrangements depends, in part, on an understanding of the experiences, challenges and motivations of students who transfer from one type of institution to another, as well as the experiences of staff who oversee the implementation of the articulation agreements. This paper is one in a series of two papers which focuses on the college transfer experience from the student's perspective; the companion paper describes the experiences of university staff. Relatively well-established research in the United States has identified a range of student and institutional issues related to the transfer experience. Some of the issues include the effects of transfer upon student grades commonly known as "transfer shock" and "transfer ecstasy" (Carlan & Byxbe, 2000; Cjeda, 1997; Fredrickson, 1998; Glass & Harrington, 2002; Laanan, 2001; Rhine, Milligan & Nelson, 2000), student withdrawal rates (Minear, 1998 in D.S. Peterman, 2002; Van Middlesworth, Carpenter-Davis & McCool, 2002), student perceptions of the cultural differences between college and university (Davies & Dickmann, 1998) and institutional remedies to enhance the success of transfer students (Rhine, Milligan & Nelson, 2000). The importance of understanding the factors and processes that contribute to the experiences of college transfer students has important implications for the retention, graduation and overall success of students. While there are statistical analyses and reports detailing the mobility of students from college to university (ACAATO, 2005), their grade patterns, graduation rates and withdrawals (Chan, 1995), we know very little about the qualitative experiences of college transfer students, particularly in a Canadian context. This paper presents the results of a case study that analyzes the academic adjustment and social activities of college transfer students at a medium-sized university campus in Southern Ontario where college transfers constitute approximately 20 percent of the student population. The goals of this paper are threefold. First, it attempts to identify whether the "transfer shock" phenomenon is evident among students at this university institution. If transfer shock is evident, then a finer-grained analysis is performed to examine if the phenomenon is specific to certain academic programs. Second, the paper explores the perceptions and experiences of college transfer students to better understand the ways in which university and college experiences are similar and the ways in which they are different, and the implications of these similarities and differences for a successful transfer experience. Finally, the paper identifies the difficulties, if any, faced by college transfer students and subsequently proposes recommendations for established and prospective transfer arrangements in other postsecondary contexts. (Contains 2 tables.)

In this essay the author discusses the effects of globalization on Canadian community colleges. She applies contemporary social theories culled from the fields of feminism, geography and political science to understand one hidden manifestation of globalization in community colleges: involvement in global civil society via participation in international development projects. She begins by discussing the history of community colleges, highlighting their flexible missions, as a way of understanding how they have changed within the current socio-economic climate. She then presents evidence of community colleges participating in international development projects, and provides an analysis of what participation might signify on the broader social level. She ends with a call to understand more about these somewhat overlooked activities in order to ensure that they are carried out effectively whilst keeping in mind the needs of both "local" communities.

This article discusses the recommendations of the Postsecondary Review Panel's Final Report--"Ontario: A Leader in Learning." The Postsecondary Review was announced by the government in the Ontario Budget 2004 to "review the design and funding of Ontario's postsecondary education system and recommend innovative ways in which its institutions can provide the best education to students and support Ontario's prosperity". The purpose of this paper is multi-fold. First, this paper will set the context for the decision to commission Rae to conduct a study and provide recommendations. Second, this paper will provide a summary of the Rae Review process. Third, a summary of what the Rae Review Panel heard will be presented. Fourth, the position and politics of the approach to the Rae process will be discussed. Fifth and finally, the findings and recommendations of the Rae Report will be summarized and a critical review will be presented.

The field of Postcolonial Studies is one of the academic fashions that has arisen in an attempt to amend or replace radical theories of social power since the alleged discrediting of Marxism. The Canadian case is more ambiguous. Postcolonialism, already an essentially contested concept, is especially conflicted where Canada is concerned. Canada has certainly had a colonial past, with parts of its territory having been claimed by one European power or another since Giovanni Caboto (alias Jean Cabot, a.k.a. John Cabot) landed in Newfoundland in 1497. Canada, however, is unlike countries such as Peru, Congo, Iraq, India, and Malaysia whose indigenous populations were politically repressed and economically exploited during long periods of alien cultural domination. As Cynthia Sugars (2004) has pointed out, like other "settler-invaded cultures," the application of postcolonial methodology is problematic because of Canada's "location within the industrialized West [and] because of its treatment of its aboriginal peoples and other minorities. [So], questions proliferate: Is Canada postcolonial? Who in Canada is postcolonial? Are some Canadians more postcolonial than others?" Elements of this story have cropped up in the work of the widely respected US sociologist, Seymour Martin Lipset. The genuine and original "Canadian identity," Lipset says, is "the result of a victorious counterrevolution, and in a sense must justify its raison d'etre by emphasizing the virtues of being separate from the United States."

It has been said that the difference between a dialect and a language is that a language has an international border and a flag. But that is not entirely true. Canada has a border, a flag, and two major languages, somewhat in the fashion of Belgium. Unlike Belgium, where they call the local varieties of French and Dutch "Walloon" and "Flemish," respectively, Canadians have not come up with new names for their languages to make them seem more their own. Although the major languages of Canada may have some differences from the languages of the United Kingdom and of France, in most polite circles the languages are known simply as English and French. The importance of the French and English conflict and coexistence is so pervasive that the Canadian census provides data on bilingualism only in terms of French and English. This article does not deal directly with Francophone/Anglophone issues, although it cannot ignore them completely. The author's focus is on the description and reputation of Canadian English in the scholarly, popular, and Internet sources that deal with the variety of English spoken in Canada, the native language of nearly two-thirds of the population.

The corpus of existing curricular practices relating to the applied degree provides some opportunity to re-visit the Mission of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATS) and transcend local and situated boundaries to consider the relatedness of what members of CAATS do well, what new activities they should be considering and how they face the challenges. The search for a comprehensive understanding of the applied degree has long eluded administrators, academics and policy makers. The inadequacy of any sustained analysis of the conditions and consequences of the applied degree is not due to the often attributed phlegmatic unwillingness of mainstream thinking to grapple with fundamental implications, financial or otherwise, but rather to a perniciously cemented resistance to any knowledge that challenges the privileged ethos of institutionalized hierarchies of power. Acknowledging the intellectual limits of orthodox thinking, a more critical analysis however seeks to make sense of the often ignored relationship between colleges and universities from various vantage points notably the pedagogy of praxis, dialectics of discipline and the primacy of partnerships. The author talks about the applied degree as the pedagogy of praxis, dialectics of discipline and the primacy of partnerships. The author offers some measures which suggest that Colleges would do well to work together in a host of different College and University partnerships according to aspects of the dominant ideologies that have been well buried in institutional practices. (Contains 3 figures.)

The number of international students seeking educational opportunities at Ontario colleges of applied arts and technology (CAATs) has grown at an unprecedented rate in the past 10 years. It appears that as the number of the international college students has increased, colleges have also been relying more heavily on educational agents to recruit such students. To explore this assertion, the author examined institutional data provided by an Ontario college of applied arts and technology. The findings show that the proportion of international students who use an agent has indeed risen dramatically in recent years. The paper also identifies and examines various factors contributing to CAATs' increasing use of educational agents.

Since their creation, community colleges have had a mandate to be responsive to their communities, often through relationships with local business. As globalization and technological advancements increase pressure on small businesses (SMEs), the role of colleges in helping these SMEs to innovate in order to survive becomes clearer. Relationships between colleges and SMEs, however, are often balked by a number of barriers as perceived by individuals within the college system. This paper begins to examine the relationship between these entities through a series of interviews with individuals within the Manitoba community college system. An analysis of these conversations reveals seven distinct categories of perceived barriers.

Engaging in an online course has traditionally been perceived to be a lonely experience, with students busy viewing video lectures, working on problem sets and interacting intermittently with others using asynchronous technologies. More recently, over the past 6-7 years, online courses have become recognized as viable delivery vehicles for online courses in Higher Education because they have made traditional pedagogical strategies available to large audiences through a heavy reliance primarily on asynchronous technologies. In contrast to this direction this paper outlines an approach to a fully online program that attempts to build community using a broad sampling of both synchronous and asynchronous technologies. The case study reported here is derived from a series of qualitatively analyzed discussions conducted by various stakeholders in the program. The major findings point to a reconceptualization of the way social and cognitive presence can play out in online learning.

This paper presents an overview and discussion of a course based remediation model developed to enhance student learning and increased retention based on literature. This model focuses on course structure and course delivery in a compressed semester format. A comparative analysis was applied to a pilot study of students enrolled in a course utilizing the remediation model to evaluate its effectiveness. "Retention is probably the single most important issue facing education professionals at the post­-secondary level, regardless of the type of school they are in… And it is not just an issue for individual schools--it is an issue for society as a whole as well" (Isaac, 2008, p.2).

Higher Education is in a time of immense change. Colleges and Universities are under greater pressure to demonstrate their value while experiencing increasing levels of economic constraints, changing accountability structures, and pressure to demonstrate excellence in teaching and learning/student outcomes. Technology, elearning and massification have fundamentally changed how faculty teach and interact with students. For administrators, defining and measuring teaching excellence in the new era will be progressively complex and elusive. The purpose of this paper is to examine higher education literature to explore frameworks/definitions and methods to define and measure teaching excellence and to investigate the usefulness of these performance measurement tools.

Increasing student retention is complex and no one single intervention can independently solve the student success problem; however, academic advising has been cited more prominently in student success literature as a central feature in a comprehensive strategy to improve student persistence, especially on college campuses. This paper explores current literature on academic advising, its relationship with student success, and the current state of the literature in Canada. Findings include that there is very little research showing the direct effect of academic advising on student success, and that only on rare occasion does this research employ rigorous analytical and design methods. It is also argued that the organization and practice of academic advising in Canada is still in its infancy. Implications for future research and practice are also presented.

This paper explores commonly expressed classroom experiences and needs of adult students who are participating in higher education primarily for career-related reasons while having other major responsibilities and roles. I will identify factors that affect their classroom experiences and needs and discuss implications for supporting their development in the classroom. I will argue that adults often have different classroom experiences and needs than full-time traditional students who enroll immediately after high school and who do not have other major responsibilities and roles that compete with their studies and involvement in on-campus activities and interactions outside the classroom. I will argue that these experiences and needs are not because of a deficiency, but are often related to the nature of their on-campus experience and their career-related roles and goals.

This paper examines the internationalization of postsecondary education in Australia and Canada. The author discusses the contextual similarities and differences between the two countries, the shifting rationale "from aid to trade" behind Australia's internationalization attempts and some of the reasons for Australia's success. Australia's experiences offer Canada important lessons in the areas of immigration policies, quality assurance, student safety, support for international students, mobility opportunities for domestic students and internationalization of the curriculum at home. The author also discusses challenges that both countries will face as they attempt to maintain or enhance their internationalization efforts in the future.

This paper compares and contrasts higher education in Canada and Greece. An overview of the systems in place is followed by an analysis centred on the triad of funding, access and quality. Similarities and differences are highlighted, and the current challenges and issues faced by both nations will be examined, especially in terms of world competitiveness and the pressures of globalization. I conclude that Canada currently has postsecondary systems in place that make it more competitive in world markets than Greece has at the moment.

College faculty teaching in the health professions work within a unionized, neoliberal system designed to produce competent graduates trained to work in the health care hierarchy. The workers trained include community care assistants, two levels of nurses (practical nurses and baccalaureate nurses, the latter in collaboration with university nursing programs), personal support workers, medical laboratory technologists, paramedics, pharmacy technicians, dental hygienists and assistants, massage therapists, and so on. Academic freedom, a concept held close to the hearts of their university counterparts, is not a term uttered with frequency nor an implicit understanding of many college faculty. This paper explores this phenomenon, examining the conditions under which Canada's health professionals teach and construct health care curricula in public colleges. Interviews with faculty were undertaken by the first author as part of a master's thesis and in a separate project by the second author as part of a larger national study of college faculty (with Diane Meaghan). Interviews with health professional faculty mainly in Ontario explored relationships between faculty and college administration, as well as faculty perceptions of other organizations such as licensing boards influencing the daily work of constructing and teaching health care curricula. The results indicate that college faculty do have concerns regarding academic freedom, with their frustrations and fears expressed in terms of a divide between faculty and local college administration. These concerns are seen as sometimes challenging their ability to ensure the quality of graduates, as well as compromising their rights as faculty and their commitments to their profession and to their own professionalism. More specifically, faculty worried about curtailment of their freedom to design curricula and have access to appropriate resources; and to set grading standards, and in some cases, grades, in the face of relentless "student success" policies. We conclude with speculation about the future of college "academic freedom" as some colleges and programs strengthen their links with universities.

This paper identifies and examines major issues and implications of the proposal to substantially increase the number of applied baccalaureate degrees offered by Ontario's Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology, including increasing four-year applied degree offerings and introducing three-year applied degrees. Currently, provincial legislation limits the number of degree programs colleges may offer, along with the degree type and length. I argue that although substantially increasing degree offerings would meet important economic, labour market, and access needs, there are a number of issues and implications related to quality and recognition, differentiation and mandate, and access and demand that need to be explored and addressed in greater detail. These issues and implications will be identified and examined in light of the legislated function of colleges within Ontario's postsecondary system, recent college and student participation in these degree programs, and the demand for applied baccalaureate degrees in Ontario.

Increases in the frequency of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within the postsecondary education system are now beginning to surface. Through a review of the literature this paper will focus on the persistence, retention and successful completion of autistics in the postsecondary education (PSE) sector. The author found no concrete statistics for the prevalence of autism, however the Autism Society of Canada conservatively estimates that 1 in every 200 children in Canada have been diagnosed with autism (Wood, 2013, p. 1). Currently the approximate graduation rate is 20% for the autistic population in the postsecondary sector, which is extremely low (MacKenzie, 2014, 3m 14s). An investigation into the causes of low persistence and retention is needed to determine the necessary actions to increase graduation rates for this particular population. "Recent reviews of outcomes have indicated that individuals with ASD experience low rates of college completion, employment, independent living, and life-long friendships on graduation." (Wehman, Schall, Carr, Targett, West & Cifu, 2014, p. 32) Using the triad of accessibility, funding, and quality is a useful tool, however these aspects are all interrelated, and when one aspect of the triad is affected the other two are also affected. These students are an available market that has many talents to contribute to the postsecondary education sector and society. This author concludes that increasing the persistence, retention, and graduation rates for ASD students provides society with well-educated, employable, and productive contributors. All members of society should have the opportunity to be supported in achieving their potential. Making the initial investments in the ASD community will decrease the need for long term social service funding. This population has valuable contributions to make to the academic arena. By honing their talents and focusing on their interest, these individuals will excel in the global market and assist in supporting and developing their societies.

Applied Research (AR) in Canadian community colleges is driven by a mandate, via the collective voice of Colleges and Institutes Canada--a national voluntary membership association of publicly supported colleges and related institutions--to address issues of interest to industry, government, and/or community. AR is supported through significant federal and provincial level funding mechanisms as well as funding from the private sector. Performance measurement tools have largely been developed by government agencies such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), which are external to the colleges that engage in AR. This paper presents an overview of AR in Canadian community colleges and institutes and provides recommendations for the development of sustainable performance measurement frameworks for AR in Canadian community colleges and institutes.

The number of students on university and college campuses that are struggling with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and psychosis across North America is rising (Gallagher, 2008). This intensification of students' psychological needs has become a mental health crisis. The age at which many mental disorders manifest themselves is between 18 and 24, which coincides directly with the average age of student enrollment in higher education (Kessler et al., 2005). Adolescent suicide rates have tripled over the past 60 years, making suicide the second leading cause of death for that age group (Vastag, 2001). Studies conducted by the American College Health Association (2005) suggest that 12 to 18 percent of college students are being treated for a mental disorder. Canadian statistics mirror the tragic rate of mental disorders in American university students. Studies have also shown that there are more students seeking psychological care than in previous decades (Watkins, Hunt, & Eisenberg, 2011). The mental health crisis faced by North American institutions of higher education is relevant to institutional funding challenges, as the crisis is creating a growing need for financial and human resources to address this serious problem. Counselling centres in post-secondary educational institutions have difficulty meeting the growing needs of students as they are underfunded and understaffed. Resources are required to increase staffing, improve training, and increase physical space on campus for counselling centres (Kadison & DiGeronimo, 2004). There is evidence to support the reality of the mental health crisis, and the serious challenge it poses for post-secondary educational institutions. What are the factors behind this crisis? This paper identifies six factors that recent research has implicated as contributing to the mental health crisis: academic pressure, financial burden, increased accessibility of higher education, increased female to male student ratio, increased use of technology, and dramatic change in the lifestyle of university and college students. All of these factors play an important role in the mental health crisis.

This paper considers the history of Québec's higher education system and the reforms that have contributed to the role of education in the province. Québec's education system has repeatedly been a site for social and political transformation; most recently, reevaluation of education's role in the province has revealed a tension between ideologically opposed conceptions of higher education as a private good or as a public service. The continuing debate about education has been especially fierce in Québec and raises questions of access, funding, quality, and educational philosophies applicable to contemporary education systems throughout Canada and across the globe.

The emergence of a research university model in Canada has increased significantly over the past few decades. From institutions that focused primarily on education, universities are striving to become large, research-focused centres. These changes have brought increased prestige to universities, greater graduate education, and more funding options. However, with increased research intensity come potentially detrimental effects on undergraduate education, added stress on faculty, and significantly-increased facility costs. In Ontario, differentiation of higher education is becoming limited, impacting student access. This paper examines the literature to understand the positive and negative impacts of Canadian universities' expanded focus on research and development.