2014-17 Strategic Mandate Agreement: Collège Boréal d'arts appliqués et de technologie

Ontario’s Vision for Postsecondary Education

Ontario’s colleges and universities will drive creativity, innovation, knowledge, and community engagement through teaching and research. They will put students first by providing the best possible learning experience for all qualified learners in an affordable and financially sustainable way, ensuring high quality and globally competitive outcomes for students and Ontario’s creative economy.

Collège Boréal Vision/Mandate

Collège Boréal has a dual mandate: to be a postsecondary college institution and a vital community development organization. Collège Boréal is a hub of education, innovation, culture, and community serving a diverse francophone clientele: Franco-Ontarians, French immersion students, immigrants, French-speaking First Nations and Métis persons, and international students, among others. Its purpose is to produce a highly skilled bilingual workforce that is active in French-speaking communities and contributes to the economic, social, and cultural vitality of the province and country.

The following statements are part of the College’s 2010-15 Strategic Plan:

Vision

To foster knowledge and stimulate culture.

Mission

Collège Boréal provides a high-calibre personalized education to a diverse clientele and practises community leadership to foster the sustainable development of the francophone community of Ontario.

Focus areas

Access
Quality
Community vitality

Values

Humanism
Excellence
Inclusion

Structuring effects

The promotion and transmission of the French language and intercultural skills
Financial and organizational viability
An environmental shift
Innovation

Preamble

This Strategic Mandate Agreement between the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (the Ministry) and Collège Boréal d’arts appliqués et de technologie (the College) outlines the role the College currently performs in the postsecondary education system and how it will build on its current strengths to achieve its vision and help drive system-wide objectives articulated by the Ministry’s Differentiation Policy Framework.

The Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA):

• Identifies the College’s existing institutional strengths;
• Supports the current vision, mission, and mandate of the College within the context of the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act, 2002, and outlines how the College’s priorities align with Ontario’s vision and Differentiation Policy Framework; and
• Informs Ministry decision making through greater alignment of Ministry policies and processes to further support and guide the College’s areas of strength.

The term of the SMA is from April 1, 2014, to March 31, 2017. The SMA proposal submitted by the College to the Ministry has been used to inform the SMA and is appended to the agreement.

The agreement may be amended in the event of substantive policy or program changes that would significantly affect commitments made in the SMA. Any such amendment would be mutually agreed to in writing, dated, and signed by both signatories.

Collège Boréal Key Areas of Differentiation

In addition to respecting the legal provisions of the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act, 2002, Collège Boréal’s key areas of differentiation support the main objective of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ Policy Framework for French-Language Postsecondary Education and Training (PAL), which are:

• to promote the sustainability of francophone culture in the province;
• to improve economic and employment opportunities for Ontario residents.

Collège Boréal is also a designated postsecondary institution under the French Language Services Act (FLSA).

In 2013-14, Collège Boréal offered 85 postsecondary education and training programs, of which 45 are the sole French alternative in Ontario.

Collège Boréal forms the largest French-language postsecondary education network in Ontario. It provides an institutional presence in 37 centres across 27 communities through its network and the use of various blended learning modalities such as videoconferencing and online learning. These centres serve as francophone hubs in the communities they serve, from Hearst to Windsor and from Sudbury to Toronto, and contribute to the economic growth of small communities, particularly those in Northern Ontario.

Collège Boréal offers a range of programs and services in French that give francophone students access to postsecondary studies in their language and that meet the changing needs of local, provincial, national, and international markets.

Collège Boréal offers unique French-language programs, including health care studies.

The following programs represent the College’s strengths:

• Medical Radiation
• Ultrasonography
• Funeral Services
• Veterinary Care

Alignment with the Differentiation Policy Framework

The following outlines areas of strength agreed upon by the College and the Ministry, and the alignment of these areas of strength with the Ministry’s Differentiation Policy Framework.

1. Jobs, innovation, and economic development

   This component highlights institutions’ collaborative work with employers, community partners, and regions, or at a global level, to establish their role in fostering social and economic development, and serving the needs of the economy and labour market.

   1. Areas of institutional strength

      Collège Boréal fosters employment, innovation, and economic development by focusing on the following areas aligned with its institutional strengths:

      Partnerships and collaborations

      • Collège Boréal distinguishes itself through the breadth of its network of business and community partners, which includes VALE, Glencore, Milson, Contact North, school boards, and cultural centres.
      • Collège Boréal is a member of several national organizations, including the Consortium national de développement de ressources pédagogiques en français au collégial (CNDRPFC, which fosters the development of French-language pedagogical resources for colleges), the Réseau des cégeps et des collèges francophones du Canada (RCCFC, a network of French-language colleges and cégeps), the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS, a national francophone consortium on health care education), and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), among others.
      • Representatives of the College are present at various issue tables, including at the Workforce Planning for Sudbury & Manitoulin (WPSM) board and the Far Northeast Training Board (FNETB).
      • The College is developing and implementing education programs to meet the needs of the existing and future workforce in the North:
        • The College developed training programs in AZ Truck Driving and Heavy Equipment Operation to meet a specific need for skilled labour identified by the mining industry;
        • The College is adapting these two training programs in the Timmins area to better meet the needs of the forest industry;
        • The College actively participates in local activities (Women in Trades) and at the provincial level (Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada) in order to promote trades at Collège Boréal.

      Employment services

      Collège Boréal offers Employment Ontario services in 27 communities to help Ontarians find employment.

      • It provides resources, services and personalized advice to help individuals assess their skills and experience in order to find work or embark on vocational training.
      • It organizes workplace internships to help workers remain employed by improving their skills and qualifications.
      • It also helps employers hire individuals who possess the skills they are seeking.

      Applied research

      With funding from research agencies such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Ontario Centres of Excellence, the College continues to expand its applied research activities with new collaborations between the private and public sectors.

      • These partnerships are firmly rooted in the communities served by the College and are actively supported by students and faculty.
      • Their growth is driven by the expertise, talent, and facilities of Collège Boréal, which are highly regarded in a variety of sectors including the environment, mining, health, and business.

   2. Additional comments

      2012-13 Ministry data confirms that Collège Boréal ranks fifth among colleges for the employment rate of its graduates employed full-time in a job related to their field of study (51.6%). The Ministry also notes that at 85.7%, Boréal’s employer satisfaction rate is significantly below the provincial average of 93.4%.

      Institutional strategies

      Collège Boréal will communicate with recent graduates and employers to explain the importance of performance indicator surveys that seek to raise employer satisfaction rates.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metricsfootnote 1[1]
      Number of partnerships and collaborations with businesses in communities served by the College Number of employers who would recommend hiring a graduate of the College	Graduate employment rates Employer satisfaction rates Number of graduates employed full-time in a related job

2. Teaching and learning

   This component captures institutional strengths in program delivery methods that expand learning options for students, and improve their learning experience and career preparedness. This may include, but is not limited to, experiential learning, online learning, entrepreneurial learning, work-integrated learning, and international exchange opportunities.

   1. Areas of institutional strength

      Collège Boréal uses a variety of program delivery methods in the following areas of specialization:

      Blended learning

      Collège Boréal adapts its delivery of courses, programs, and teaching methods to offer students a flexible and technology-supported learning experience to promote the acquisition of necessary skills to meet labour market demands.

      Its technology-supported pedagogical model is designed to give students core skills that are also adaptive, entrepreneurial, practical, and above all, transferable.

      This skills-based blended learning model includes modular learning that allows students to begin their instruction at any time.

      It also employs a variety of technological tools for delivering program and course materials, including:

      • Videoconferences;
      • Webinars;
      • A virtual desktop through which students can access specialized software, allowing them to collaborate remotely (e.g., at home, at work, or in the classroom) using multiple devices (e.g., notebook computers, smartphones, tablets).

      This technology is available on all Collège Boréal campuses and is used in the following programs:

      • Early Childhood Education
      • Personal Support Worker
      • Social Services Technician

      Collège Boréal also employs technology to provide students with assessments, feedback, and additional resources to ensure that the subjects being taught are fully assimilated.

      In addition, Collège Boréal is a member of the Centre d’appui virtuel à l’apprentissage (CAVA). CAVA is a Canada-wide consortium of 11 French-language colleges that provides an online portal of resources and educational tools for students enrolled in a French- language college program in Canada.

      Experiential learning

      Collège Boréal students will acquire the necessary knowledge in their fields and develop the professional skills and attitudes they will need to succeed in a number of industry sectors through hands-on experience in the College’s laboratories and through practical internships with its training partners.

      This mode of learning is supported by:

      • An underground mine for the Mining Engineering Technician, Civil Engineering Technician, and Construction Engineering Technology programs;
      • A 2,100 acre experimental forest for the natural resources and environmental programs;
      • Productive partnerships with players in the film and television industry such as Hideaway Pictures, Productions Carte Blanche, Northern Ontario Film Studios, Northern Ontario Motion Picture Culture and Industry Development Corporation, Science Nord, and others;
      • A simulation centre of excellence used by students enrolled in the College’s School of Health Sciences;
      • Living laboratories, including a dental hygiene clinic, a massage therapy clinic, a hair and beauty salon; and
      • The Pied du Rocher restaurant.

      In addition, Collège Boréal offers 74 internships in more than 64 programs, including those offered with partners in the film and television industry.

      Support for teaching

      The Centre d’appui au personnel (CAP, staff support centre) offers support services for instructors to help them keep abreast of new and alternative approaches to teaching and learning.

      Support for learning

      The College’s Services d’appui à l’apprentissage (SAA, learning support services) offer a range of individualized services that promote students’ academic, personal, and professional success.

      The SAA’s mandate is to:

      • Support students in developing their full potential by offering high-quality services adapted to their needs;
      • Offer counselling and health services that promote the well-being of individuals and align with the work of academic advisors, in order to help students achieve academic and personal success.

      SAA employs a multidisciplinary approach, the "Circle of Care", to better serve its clientele.

   2. Additional comments

      The Ministry notes that in 2012-13, Collège Boréal had the highest graduation rate (79.1%) by a wide margin, ranking first among colleges in Ontario. The Ministry also notes that the Collège has an overall student satisfaction rate of 83.4% and ranks third among colleges in Ontario.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      Number of new partnerships with access to modules, lesson plans, and teaching materials Number of activities offered in blended learning mode in existing programs New courses or programs offered in blended learning mode	Student Satisfaction Survey results Graduation rates Retention rates Number of students enrolled in a co-op program at institution Number of online course registrants, programs, and courses at institution

3. Student population

   This component recognizes the unique institutional missions that improve access, retention, and success for underrepresented groups (Aboriginal, first generation, students with disabilities) and francophones. This component also highlights other important student groups that institutions serve that link to their institutional strength. This may include, but is not limited to, international students, mature students, or indirect entrants.

   1. Areas of institutional strength

      Collège Boréal is working to improve access for underrepresented groups and boost their success.

      Francophone students, francophiles, and immigrants

      As a French-language college, Collège Boréal seeks to serve the plurality of francophone communities in the province.

      Under its contribution agreement with Citizenship and Immigration Canada, it offers a range of programs and settlement services to newcomers.

      These services fall under two main components:

      • Orientation and referrals (community connections, jobs)
      • Language training

      Collège Boréal is attracting more and more students from French immersion schools through targeted recruitment activities.

      First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students

      Located in the heart of the College’s main campus in Sudbury, the Louis-Riel Centre provides Métis and Aboriginal students with a vast array of services that allow students to create and maintain relationships, foster sensitivity, promote the richness of their cultural heritage, and facilitate their academic success.

      Support for the success of Aboriginal students also includes:

      • The College’s participation in a partnership agreement with five other colleges to address the mental health needs of First Nation students;
      • A memorandum of understanding signed by the College with the Métis Nation of Ontario, which led to the development of an academic course on Métis culture that encourages the College’s students, staff and entire community to take part in Aboriginal cultural activities.

      First-generation students

      The College provides personalized service to qualifying first-generation students to ensure that they take advantage of all available campus services and resources and to help them access financial assistance.

   2. Additional comments

      • Collège Boréal has one of the highest numbers of first-generation students (37.2%) and is ranked sixth among Ontario colleges in this regard.
      • Collège Boréal has one of the highest numbers of students with special needs (25.4%) and is ranked fourth among Ontario colleges in this regard.

      Institutional strategies

      • The College intends to boost its school liaison activities with French-language school boards in Ontario.
      • The College intends to continue its recruitment activities in Ontario and elsewhere.
      • The College intends to continue its efforts to recruit students from English-language schools that offer immersion programs.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      Graduation rate of students who self-identify as First Nation, Métis, Inuit, francophone immigrants, etc. Number of students who are continuing their postsecondary education after completing a literacy program	Number and proportion of Aboriginal, first-generation, students with disabilities, and francophone students at an institution Number and proportion of international students enrolled in Ontario (as reported in annual institutional enrolment reporting) Proportion of an institution’s enrolment that receives OSAP

4. Program offerings

   This component articulates the breadth of programming, enrolment, and credentials offered, along with program areas of institutional strength/specialization, including any vocationally oriented mandates. This component also recognizes institutions that provide bilingual and/or French-language programming for students.

   1. Areas of institutional strength

      Current program areas of strength include:

      • Administration
      • Health
      • Community Services
      • Technology
      • Skilled Trades

      Proposed program areas for growth include:

      • Administration
      • Health
      • Community Services
      • Technology
      • Skilled Trades

   2. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      Number of new programs offered by year Number of enrolments resulting from increased access to programs	Proportion of enrolment at colleges by occupational cluster and by credential Institution’s system share of enrolment by occupational cluster and by credential Number of apprentices in each trade

5. Institutional collaboration to support student mobility

   This component profiles partnerships between institutions that ensure students have access to a continuum of learning opportunities in a coordinated system. This may include, but is not limited to, credit transfer pathways and collaborative or joint programs between or within sectors.

   1. Areas of institutional strength

      Collège Boréal focuses on improving collaboration, pathways, and student mobility through:

      • A variety of collaborations with other colleges and universities in Ontario and other provinces, offering 27 articulations with 9 universities and access to 21 academic programs, including:
        • A partnership between Laurentian University, Collège Boréal, and La Cité that has resulted in some 20 articulation agreements between La Cité’s and Collège Boréal’s Business Administration programs (commerce/accounting) and Laurentian University’s Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree, which will be offered online;
        • The three institutions are also considering the possibility of reciprocal (bidirectional) transfers, including a credit transfer pathway from Laurentian University’s honours bachelor’s degree to Collège Boréal’s and La Cité’s Human Resources program, which would enable university graduates to take part in hands-on training.
      • A collaboration agreement with English-language colleges (Confederation, Northern, and Fleming), for the sharing and joint development of programs, including joint planning in the areas of recruitment and improvements to learning support services;
      • A partnership agreement with five other colleges to address the mental health needs of First Nation students.
      • Numerous partnerships with French-language school boards, including:
        • An agreement with the École secondaire de Hanmer regarding trades;
        • A joint offering in literacy in North Bay.
        • A dual-credit course offering in northern and central southwestern Ontario.
        • An Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program offering (OYAP);
        • Certifications under the Special High Skills Major program.

   2. Additional comments

      In 2012-13, 19 graduates of Collège Boréal went on to university studies.

      Institutional strategies

      • Develop pathways and articulations between the College’s programs and university programs; for example, a pathway between the College’s Practical Nursing program and Laurentian University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
      • Collège Boréal, in partnership with other postsecondary institutions, is working on developing program pathway projects that allow students to transfer from a diploma to a degree program. Several program pathway projects have already been approved by the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) including the following:

      York University, Glendon College

      • Reciprocal transfer between Stage Management (Boréal) and Drama Studies (Glendon)

      La Cité

      • Reciprocal transfers between the Culinary Management (Boréal) and Hotel and Restaurant Management (La Cité) programs
      • Reciprocal transfers between the Occupational and the Physical Therapy Assistant (La Cité) and Massage Therapy (Boréal) programs
      • Reciprocal transfers between the Social Services Work, Social Gerontology Work, Business Administration (La Cité) and the Funeral Services (Boréal) programs
      • Reciprocal transfers between the Paramedic (Boréal) and the Advanced Paramedics (La Cité) programs
      • Reciprocal transfer between the Civil Engineering Technology – Construction (La Cité) and the Construction Technician in Mining and Civil Engineering (Boréal) programs

      Saint Paul University and La Cité

      • Transfers from the Police Foundations, Social Services Work, and Paralegal (La Cité and Boréal) programs to the Human Relations and Spirituality, Group Intervention and Leadership, and Ethics and Social Communication (Saint Paul) programs

      Laurentian University and La Cité

      • Transfer from Business Administration – Commerce/Accounting (La Cité and Boréal) to the Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) (Laurentian)

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      Number of new articulation agreements and pathways per year with colleges and universities in Ontario, throughout Canada, and abroad	Number of college and university pathways and/or articulation agreements (college-college, college-university, university-college) Number of transfer applicants and registrants Number of college graduates enrolled in university programs

Aspirations

The Ministry recognizes the importance of supporting institutions to evolve and acknowledges the strategic aspirations of its postsecondary education institutions; the SMA is not intended to capture all decisions and issues in the postsecondary education system, as many will be addressed through the Ministry’s policies and standard processes.

Collège Boréal aspires to carry out several major projects, including:

• Establishing and expanding a Francophone Centre for Screening, Assessment, and Training relating to learning disabilities;
• Creating a Trades Centre in central southwestern Ontario in collaboration with La Cité;
• Creating a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Toronto;
• Reducing the gap between the number of French-language postsecondary programs available in northern and central southwestern Ontario compared to the number of English-language postsecondary programs;
• Offering a new Peace and Conflict program in Toronto, in partnership with Sault College – a program under the Community Services area that falls under its institutional strengths.

Central Southwest

Given the proposed increase in the number of programs for central southwestern Ontario and the anticipated number of enrolments, the College is exploring potential sites to house its operations in Toronto in anticipation of the end of its lease at 1 Yonge Street on August 30, 2020.

Collège Boréal wishes to adapt existing programs and develop new programs specifically for francophones and francophiles in the Greater Toronto Area and in the Central Southwest – including in the skilled trades – in collaboration with its college and university partners, such as York University’s Glendon College and La Cité.

Collège Boréal will also explore other possibilities to increase its capacity to provide education programs for this clientele through partnerships with other educational institutions, community members, and industry stakeholders. The College also wishes to diversify its modes of delivery to include distance education.

Collège d’Alfred

Collège Boréal is participating in the development and delivery of new programs and training at Collège d’Alfred in several fields, such as agricultural technology.

• It will develop an action plan in collaboration with its partners, including the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, the Conseil communautaire du Collège d’Alfred, the University of Guelph, and La Cité.
• In addition to offering the Veterinary Technician and Agricultural Technology programs, the College would like to develop new programs in related fields.

Enrolment Growth

The strategic enrolment and planning exercise is in the context of a public commitment in the 2011 Budget to increase postsecondary education enrolment by 60,000 additional students over 2010–11 levels. This government has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to ensuring access to postsecondary education for all qualified students.

Collège Boréal’s planned enrolment forecast as expressed in this baseline eligible enrolment scenario is considered reasonable and in line with Ministry expectations, based on the current and projected demographic and fiscal environments.

Baseline Projected Eligible Full-Time Headcounts

Financial Sustainability

The Ministry and the College recognize that financial sustainability and accountability are critical to achieving institutional mandates and realizing Ontario’s vision for the postsecondary education system. To this end, it is agreed that:

• It is the responsibility of the governing board and Senior Administrators of the College to identify, track, and address financial pressures and sustainability issues. At the same time, the Ministry has a financial stewardship role. The Ministry and the College agree to work collaboratively to achieve the common goal of financial sustainability, and to ensure that Ontarians have access to a full range of affordable, high-quality postsecondary education options, now and in the future; and
• The College remains accountable to the Ministry with respect to effective and efficient use of resources to maximize the value and impact of investments made in the postsecondary education system.

The Ministry and the College agree to use the following metrics to assess the financial health and sustainability of the institution:

1. Annual Surplus/Deficit
2. Accumulated Surplus/Deficit
3. Net Assets to Expense Ratio
4. Debt Servicing Ratio
5. Quick Ratio
6. Debt to Asset Ratio
7. Net Income to Revenue Ratio

Ministry/Government Commitments

Over time, the Ministry commits to align many of its policy, process, and funding levers with the Differentiation Policy Framework and SMAs in order to support the strengths of institutions and implement differentiation. To this end, the Ministry will:

• Engage with both the college and university sectors around potential changes to the funding formula, beginning with the university sector in 2014-15;
• Update the college and university program funding approval process to improve transparency and align with institutional strengths as outlined in the SMAs;
• Streamline reporting requirements across Ministry business lines with the goals of
  1. creating greater consistency of reporting requirements across separate initiatives,
  2. increasing automation of reporting processes, and
  3. reducing the amount of data required from institutions without compromising accountability.
  In the interim, the Multi-Year Accountability Report Backs will be adjusted and used as the annual reporting mechanism for metrics set out in the SMAs;
• Consult on the definition, development, and utilization of metrics;
• Undertake a review of Ontario’s credential options; and
• Continue the work of the Nursing Tripartite Committee.

The Ministry and the College are committed to continuing to work together to:

• Support student access, quality, and success;
• Drive creativity, innovation, knowledge, and community engagement through teaching and research;
• Increase the competitiveness of Ontario’s postsecondary education system;
• Focus the strengths of Ontario’s institutions; and
• Maintain a financially sustainable postsecondary education system.