Capacity and Charter Project Consultation.

The 25 colleges of Ontario's Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology have strategic directions built upon new programs services, accessible diverse learning options, state-of-the-art learning technology, innovative alliances with business and education, and inter-institutional resource sharing. Yet the implementation of these strategic directions must vary according to the students, regional communities, and markets being served. The colleges, which were founded in 1965, have always been connected directly to the world of work, but that world has changed dramatically in the intervening years. Only 44% of the colleges' students came directly from high school, and their average age is 26. Per student grants have decreased from over $5,000 per student to under $3,000, while tuition has increased 109%. As a result, there is a call for a new charter for the 21st century. The paper estimates that there will be a 21% enrollment increase (30,000 students). It asks: What will be the role of colleges in the new knowledge economy by 2010? What will students require to thrive in the knowledge economy? What changes are required? And What prevents/constrains the Colleges from reaching the goal? The paper suggests that these prompts be used to encourage discussion and written submissions. (NB)