Transcript All You Have to do is Ask - University of Saskatchewan

Small Changes,
Big Impact
Transforming Orientation at
Seneca College
Presented by: Amy Gaukel, Manager: First Year Student Experience
NODA Region 7 Conference
March 23-25, 2007
Session Agenda
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Overview of Higher Ed in Ontario
Ontario College System
Seneca College
Orientation at Seneca
The Process of Change
Change Can Happen
Where We Go From Here
Sources & Acknowledgements
Higher Ed in Ontario
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19 universities, 24 colleges of applied arts
and technology, agricultural colleges,
colleges of health sciences and of art, a
military college, privately funded degreegranting institutions, registered private
career colleges, and apprenticeships
Post-secondary education is the
responsibility of the Ministry of Training,
Colleges & Universities
The Ontario College System
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24 Colleges of Applied Arts & Technology
Ontario college system was created 40 years ago by
the provincial government
They receive public funding from the Ontario
government
The College Compensation and Appointments
Council appoints the external members to college
boards of governors and acts as the bargaining
agent for college management in collective
bargaining
Most have multiple campuses (over 100 campuses in
ON) and have 2-3 intakes/year
The Ontario College System:
End Products
Colleges in Ontario Offer:
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1 year certificates
2 or 3 year diplomas
Apprenticeships & certification programs for skilled
trades
4 year applied degrees
Unique partner programs with universities that lead to a
degree and may result in both a degree and a diploma
Province-wide, there are over 1000 program offerings
The Ontario College System:
Learner Demographics
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In 2004-05 academic year:
 158,418 distinct applicants
 182,682 funded full-time equivalent enrollment
F/T college enrollment increased by 67% from 1989-2004
Average age of applicant: 22.7
25% of surveyed applicants (in 2005) had household income of
less than $29,999 (15% under $20,000); the Ontario population (in
2001) had only 16% of households earning less than $30,000
Parents of applicants and attendees are more likely to have
graduated high school and less likely to have attained a postsecondary credential when compared to a comparative age
group in Ontario
The Ontario College System:
Learner Demographics
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36% of college students have had previous postsecondary education, 16% of whom previously
attained a college or university credential
18% of surveyed applicants (in 2005) were not born
in Canada and 11% were 1st generation Canadians
26% of students (in 2005) did not speak English or
French as their first language
41% of high school students pursuing PSE went
directly to college (in 2005)
Seneca College
of Applied Arts & Technology
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Mission: To contribute to Canadian society by
being a transformational leader in providing
students with career-related education and training
8 campuses located throughout the GTA
Canada’s largest college with over 100,000 students
(over 17, 000 f/t and 90,000 p/t)
Canada’s largest enrollment of international
students with over 75 countries represented in our
student population
Students can choose from more than 260 careers
Seneca College
of Applied Arts & Technology
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More than 70 transfer
agreements with
universities throughout
the world (including
Australia, Canada,
England, South Africa,
USA)
The Seneca community
embodies the cultural
mosaic of Toronto
Orientation@Seneca...
(up to Fall 2006)
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1 day of Orientation per program held the week prior to the start
of class, with variety of workshops, academic session, campus
tours, etc
Varied from campus-to-campus
Invitation to Orientation looked like a corporate memo
No real social element to the program
Lack of ‘important people’ in attendance
“Academic Orientation” takes place with specific faculty areas
Email to register for the day
No cohesive planning group involving all campuses
“Frosh Week” is run by the SSF the first week of class, separate
from Residence Orientation and from “Welcome Week” run by
Student Services
The Process of Change
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Step 1: observe Orientation events on a variety of
campuses
Step 2: think critically about what we’re offering
Step 3: Get feedback from students and from the
staff involved in organizing the program
Step 4: Write a report detailing observations &
recommendations for future program development
Step 5: Review budget and how you’re spending
your money
Step 6: Begin the process of change
The Process of Change:
Review & Meet with Team
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Don’t just have boring meetings… feed them (to
thank them for all their hard work) and make them
think and have fun while doing it!
Get creative with how you ask them to think about
Orientation:
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Mind mapping
Ask thought-provoking questions
Get them to write down their answers
Create a philosophy and goal statement together
Provide a meeting challenge
The Process of Change:
Ask and Ye Shall Receive (or sometimes, just
change it!)
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Free Hot Chocolate!
President, VPs, Deans & Chairs helping serve
hot chocolate and pizza!
Orientation Volunteer position created (job
description, application, day of training, tshirts, certificates)
Website (with online registration!)
New Invitations (that show happy students)
Change Can Happen!
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By adding small elements of change to different
areas of the program, we noticed big changes in the
Winter Orientation
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Theme!
OVs (more student involvement)
Lanyards
Ice Breakers
Welcome Sessions were fun!
Visible presence of “important people”
New content: “How to Support the Student in Your Life”
workshop
Hot Chocolate!
More consistency across campuses
Please Join Us
ORIENTATION 2007
G.O.A.L.S.
Get Oriented In Academics
and Life At Seneca
April 28, 2007
There are still challenges…
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Attendance: there are many barriers in getting
students here and keeping them for the day
Budget
Spreading resources thinly across campuses over a
short period of time
Line-ups!
How do we create social opportunities that students
will attend? How do we meet the needs of very
different groups of students (i.e. traditional entry
from high school, mature, single parent,
international, etc.)
Lessons to keep in mind
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Never stop thinking critically about what you’re
doing and who you’re (not) reaching
Make meetings meaningful and timely
Communication is key (among organizers &
partners)
Ask! You never know what can happen unless you
go for it!
Keep Orientation fresh by adding new elements to
your program and keep it student-friendly
Talk with colleagues at other institutions on a
regular basis
Acknowledgements & Sources
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“Overviews of Education in Ontario.” EducationCanada:
http://www.educationcanada.cmec.ca/EN/Prov/ON.php
“Post-Secondary Education in Ontario.” Canadian Information Centre for
International Credentials:
http://www.cicic.ca/en/page.aspx?sortcode=2.20.24.27.31.32
“About Ontario Colleges.” Ministry of Training Colleges & Universities:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/postsec/college.html
2006 Environmental Scan. Association of Colleges of Applied Arts &
Technology of Ontario, Toronto, ON. May 2006. www.acaato.on.ca
“Seneca College: An Overview. A World of Opportunity”
http://www.senecac.on.ca/cms/about/overview.jsp
People who have helped me immensely with this project & event:
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Student Life Coordinators: Paul Cadoo, Iscenty Benjamin, Shanna MacInnes,
Sheryl Minnett, Glenna Thomas
Frank Summers-Young, Web designer
Monisa Cheung, Manager, Enrolment Planning, Statistics & Convocation