2017-20 Strategic Mandate Agreement: Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

Preamble

This Strategic Mandate Agreement between the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development and Sheridan College outlines the role the College currently performs in Ontario’s postsecondary education system and how it will build on its current strengths to achieve its vision and help drive system-wide objectives and government priorities.

The Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA):

• Identifies and explains the shared objectives and priorities between the Ontario government and the College
• Outlines current and future areas of program strength
• Supports the current vision, mission, and mandate of the College and established areas of strength within the context of the College’s governing legislation
• Describes the agreed-upon elements of the new College funding model, including:
  • a College’s enrolment plans and the initial midpoint levels of weighted funding units that will be funded in the corridor funding model during the period of this SMA; and
  • differentiation areas of focus including metrics, and targets
• Provides information on the financial sustainability of the institution; and
• Informs Ministry decision-making and enables Ministry to align its policies and processes to further support the College’s areas of strength

The term of the SMA is from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2020.

The agreement may be amended in the event of substantive policy or program changes that would significantly affect joint commitments made in the SMA (e.g., Major Capacity Expansion and Highly Skilled Workforce). Any such amendment would be mutually agreed to in writing, dated, and signed by both signatories.

Ontario’s vision for postsecondary education

Ontario’s colleges and universities will drive creativity, innovation, knowledge, skills development and community engagement through teaching and learning, applied research and service.

Ontario’s colleges and universities 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 economy.

Sheridan College Mandate, Mission and Vision

Institutional mandate, mission, and vision statements describe where an institution currently is and where it sees itself in the future.

Vision

To become Sheridan Polytechnic, a university celebrated as a global leader in career-focused, applied education.[1]

Mission

Sheridan delivers a premier, purposeful educational experience spanning a range of career-focused credentials that engage students in active learning, theory, applied research and creative activities to drive economic outcomes and foster social innovation.

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. The Ministry will not be approving any requests for capital funding or new program approvals, for example, through the SMA process.

Institutional aspirations

As a learning community, Sheridan’s overarching academic aspirations are to invigorate our enviable organizational character, maintain and intensify our pursuit of quality, and continue to develop, implement and deploy tools that promote individual and organizational accountability.

To those ends, Sheridan’s SMA focuses on three specific areas of distinction: our diverse program mix and degree offerings; our commitment to scholarship, research, and creative activities, and; our commitment to fostering access and student success through pathways and partnerships.

As codified in Sheridan’s new Academic Plan (2017-2022), our learning community is committed to the following academic priorities:

• To build community by embodying Sheridan’s unique character
• To advance quality teaching and deep learning through inclusive, learner-focused design and academic support services that embrace the diverse strengths of our students.
• To cement our commitment to polytechnic education by promoting and supporting scholarship, research and creative activities
• To fuel academic and career success by cultivating curiosity, a passion for growth and learning, perseverance, fun and a sense of purpose.
• To enhance the student experience through programs, services and space design
• To develop an operational culture of planning, accountability and continuous improvement

Within and across these priorities, we are focused on enhancing the student experience, teaching and learning excellence, our commitment to access and innovation and community engagement. Explicit in Sheridan’s character is a commitment to creativity. Creativity matters: it’s the precursor to innovation and it inspires — and is inspired by — collaboration. Sheridan will continue to focus on purposeful creativity and creative problem-solving to enhance creative leadership and innovation performance across the institution. We will fuel creativity through interdisciplinarity.

Implicit in these commitments is our focus on our Vision and Mission. Our approach will better serve students by continuing to offer an education consistent with the polytechnic model[2] that is characterized by the following features:

• a wide range of credentials that are skills-intensive and technology-based
• an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning opportunities, both inside and outside the classroom
• close ties with industry through participation on Professional Advisory Councils and by hiring professors with industry experience
• structured and supervised opportunities for students in advanced credentials to be directly involved in applied research activities, working on real-life problems
• pathways that enable students across the network to transfer from current enrolment in apprenticeships and diplomas to degree completion studies

We will continue to work with our colleagues at the Committee of Presidents and Colleges Ontario to further refine the conceptions of polytechnics in Ontario.

Creating new partnerships to advance educational innovation in brampton^[3]

In March 2017, Ryerson submitted an Expression of Interest to MAESD in relation to establishing a site at Brampton in consultation with Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. This collaboration will directly address societal and economic needs of the region, including the accommodation of demographic growth in Peel.

The proposed collaboration leverages the complementary interests and capabilities of Sheridan and Ryerson, and includes an emphasis on experiential learning, entrepreneurship, adult learning, and transfer pathways. For example, students will benefit from Ryerson’s experience with Zone learning and entrepreneurial education, as well as both institutions’ experience in providing co-operative education and internship programs. The site will also leverage the extensive industry partnerships of both institutions, including more than 300 Sheridan partners in Brampton.

Given the complementary strengths of each institution, Ryerson and Sheridan will explore collaboration in four areas: 1) transfer and pathways opportunities, 2) joint programs, 3) pooling of curriculum offerings where it enriches student learning and experience, and 4) an Innovation Hub that connects students to external organizations and companies in the region. The institutions will also seek to collaborate on the delivery of ancillary services to maximize inefficiencies that can be realized through the larger scale afforded by the total Ryerson and Sheridan students in Brampton.

Shared objectives and priorities for differentiation

Student experience

This section captures institutional strengths in improving student experience, outcomes and success. This section recognizes institutions for measuring the broader learning environment, such as continuity of learning pathways; retention; student satisfaction; co-curricular activities and records; career preparedness; and student services and supports.

Institutional approach to improving student experience

Sheridan strives to ensure that students come first. From the design and delivery of its programs, to the services and supports that it offers, Sheridan creates an environment that responds to students’ individual needs, prepares them to contribute to their chosen fields of practice and readies them to participate in civic and community life.

Sheridan recognizes that student success is uniquely defined by each learner. Sheridan’s Student Success Model encompasses six dimensions:

• Identifying or discovering career and personal goals
• The development of the whole person
• An ignited passion for learning
• The mastering of skills and capabilities
• A student experience filled with incremental milestones and successes
• Academic and professional achievement

The student experience at Sheridan goes beyond the classroom to include both curricular and co-curricular spheres and is a product of how students engage with their peers, faculty and staff over the course of their studies.

Sheridan is committed to ensuring that students in all of its programs are provided with the supports they need to meet the challenges of postsecondary education and thrive in a competitive labour market. As part of a comprehensive support system, Sheridan will further develop a first-year experience strategy that accounts for the diversity of its students and the differences in lived experiences, perspectives and circumstances that inform their learning. Sheridan will also refine a pan-institutional and outcomes-based model of academic advising and enhance its focus on student mental wellness. These initiatives will complement the already robust programming Sheridan offers.

Examples of institutional initiatives

Focus on first-year transition to college programs and ongoing support of students:

Currently, 54% of Sheridan’s students are in their first year (per institutional research). In order to support this large cohort of students at this critical stage, Sheridan provides an evidence-informed First-Year Student Transition Program to facilitate the adjustment and success of all incoming students. The programming is supported by a first-year student essentials website, ongoing consultations with faculty who teach in the first year, dedicated staff teams for under-represented student populations (e.g., Indigenous, transgendered, Crown wards, refugees, students with disabilities, etc.), and ongoing assessment. Examples include:

• New student orientation days: Full days of academic, developmental and social programming specific to each academic program, with tailored programs for under-represented and high need students
• Mid-semester outreach campaign: Proactive communication and support for students who may be experiencing difficulties, grade point average concerns and uncertainty about career direction and their best fit in program of study
• New international student experience: In-country, pre-departure orientations for new students and their parents and a new app developed for Sheridan in 2016 called iCent to assist with cultural adjustment and foster effective transitions and integration

Dare to care: a campus culture that fosters caring and wellness:

• In response to the requirements of It’s Never Okay: An Action Plan to Stop Sexual Violence and Harassment, Sheridan created the Dare to Care campaign. In partnership with its Student Union, Sheridan launched Dare to Care in 2015. It has since evolved from a sexual assault/violence awareness campaign to Sheridan students’ mantra about empowerment, creating a culture of respect and caring for the wellness of others, themselves and the campus community. New co-curricular activities have launched and Sheridan is working to reduce stigma related to mental illness and disclosure of concerning behaviours
• Increased access to counselling services for students: As a result of Sheridan’s implementation of a brief solution-focused counselling model, typical wait times of two to three weeks for accessing counselling have dropped to one to two days. An accompanying intervention strategy allows a student in crisis to be immediately assessed by a counsellor, on a drop-in basis

Academic literacy:

Sheridan facilitates academic transitions to postsecondary education through the First-year Academic Skills Librarian, Subject Liaison Librarians, the Academic Integrity Facilitator, Student Ambassadors, and tutoring services. Library and Learning Services helps students develop academic literacy and continues to support students throughout their studies by preparing them with real-world skills for careers in the information economy.

• First-year Skills Program:This program includes the support of a First-year Academic Skills Librarian and multiple tools that include Quickstart Guides and Student Point-of-View Orientation Videos in multiple languages
• Research support for students: Sheridan’s library provides real-world library collections that mirror those adopted by industry and that are found in the workplace (e.g., Material ConneXions, Lynda.com, GDC Vault (gaming), Sound Ideas, WindowsWear.)
• Peer and staff tutoring is available in English, Math, Java and various subject areas. English as a second language conversation circles provide an opportunity for students to practise English-language skills

Commitment to online service excellence:

Sheridan continues to leverage the online student start-of-term survey to gain insight into students’ service experience at the beginning of their studies. In the 2016-17 academic year, 4,857 Sheridan students completed the survey (4,158 students completed the survey in the 2015-16 academic year and 4,286 students completed the survey in the 2014-15 academic year). This data was used to draft service level objectives, progress towards which is being actively tracked. Improvements to date have focused on: online add, swap and drop (of courses); online transfer credit application, advanced standing, and prior learning assessment; online transcript ordering and fulfillment service; online awards applications, and; e-communication and information services.

Metrics and targets

System-wide Metrics	2019-20 Target Range
Overall Student Satisfaction Rate	71-80%
Student Satisfaction with Services (Q39)	55-64%
Student Satisfaction with facilities (Q49)	67-76%

Institution-Specific Metrics	2019-20 Target Range
Student persistence from Term 1 to Term 2	83% – 93%

Innovation in teaching and learning excellence

This section focuses on innovative efforts including pedagogical approaches, program delivery and student services that contribute to a highly skilled workforce and ensure positive student outcomes.

This section captures institutional strengths in delivering high-quality learning experiences, such as experiential, entrepreneurial, personalized and digital learning, to prepare students for rewarding careers. It includes recognition of student competencies that improve employability.

It begins to identify indicators of quality that are currently available and within an institution’s control.

Institutional approach to innovation in teaching and learning excellence

Academic quality is the cornerstone of Sheridan’s commitment to excellence. That commitment rests on the strengths of Sheridan’s outstanding faculty and academic support teams. They bring to their work an enviable capacity to design innovative, learner-centered programs and pedagogies that embrace diversity. This is substantiated by retention, satisfaction and graduation data. Sheridan will continue to leverage technologies to enhance learning, accessibility and inclusivity for its students and focus program and curriculum design around principles that prepare students for success beyond Sheridan.

Sheridan will bolster its investments in faculty development. It will also further leverage technologies that enhance learning and deliver on its commitment to accessibility and inclusivity. Sheridan will ensure that every student has access to experiential education through activities such as work-integrated learning and capstone projects.

Explicit in Sheridan’s character is a commitment to creativity. Sheridan will continue to focus on purposeful creativity and creative problem-solving to enhance creative leadership and innovation performance across the institution. It will fuel creativity through interdisciplinarity.

Examples of institutional initiatives

Enhancement of the student learning experience through work-integrated learning (WIL):

• Student access to WIL: Providing students with access to WIL programming enables quality student learning experiences and preparedness for employment after graduation, which contribute to a highly skilled workforce. Sheridan works to ensure programs and academic pathways exist for students to access WIL opportunities
• Industry partners involved in WIL: Relationships with employers and community partners in industry are critical to the success of WIL programs, graduates and local economies. Sheridan strives to ensure its relationships with employers are mutually beneficial and productive, with many opportunities for students to contribute to and learn within the workplace

Faculty development:

• Reflection on teaching practices:Continued innovations and excellence in teaching and learning practices require opportunities for professors to reflect on their experiences in the classroom and on the design of the curriculum. Examples of mechanisms used to incorporate reflective opportunities are the course evaluation framework, formative faculty assessment and real-time teaching feedback

• Programming in teaching and learning:Sheridan strongly encourages faculty to participate in scholarly programming where they reflect on and continue to build their teaching practice through shared experiences, subject matter experts and project-based learning. Examples include the Teaching and Learning Academy, Faculty Development Learning Hub, Teaching and Learning Conference Scholarship Fund, Sheridan Creates Conference and Peer Coaching
• Technology-enhanced learning:Digital Enhancement Projects provide opportunities for faculty to explore, innovate and create new ways and approaches to integrate digital tools into their teaching practice. Additionally, online resources and digital learning consultations provide support throughout the academic year

Quality in academic programming:

• Maintaining quality and currency in academic programs: Mechanisms and quality assurance processes are a part of Sheridan’s institutional culture and help to routinely ensure that programs are monitored and evaluated in order to continuously enhance quality and currency

Metrics and targets

System-wide Metrics	2019-20 Target	2019-20 Target Range
Graduation Rate		65-73%
Number of students enrolled in an experiential learning program (WIL)	7,646
Total number of registrations in ministry-funded courses offered in eLearning formats (2016 baseline: 5,667)		4,570-5,950
Total number of ministry-funded courses offered in eLearning formats (2016 baseline: 515)		337-541
Total number of ministry-funded programs offered in eLearning formats (2016 baseline: 119)		100-125
Retention rates (Yr1 to Yr2)		70.5% - 83.3%
Retention rates (Yr2 to Yr3)		84.4% - 94.5%
Student satisfaction rate (overall)		71% - 80%
Student satisfaction with knowledge and skills		81% - 91%
Student satisfaction with learning experience		75% - 85%

Institution-Specific Metrics	2019-20 Target Range
Total faculty registrations in Centre for Teaching and Learning activities	503-755

Access and equity

This section recognizes institutions for their efforts in improving postsecondary education equity and access. Institutions play an important role in providing equitable and inclusive environments that make it possible for students from diverse communities to thrive and succeed.

Institutions will also be recognized for creating equitable access opportunities that can include multiple entrance pathways and flexible policies and programming, with the focus on students who, without interventions and support, would not otherwise participate in postsecondary education. Examples include outreach to marginalized youth, transition, bridging and access programs for adults with atypical education histories and who did not meet admissions requirements.

Institutional approach to improving access and equity

Sheridan recognizes that age, culture, lived experiences, sexual orientation or gender identification, academic experience and ability are important factors in the academic and personal growth of its students.

With this in mind, Sheridan is committed to providing accessible and supportive admissions and entry processes, tailored transitional programs and support services and ongoing enhancements to inclusive and accessible learning environments.

An important component of Sheridan’s commitment to improving access and equity is the Centre for Equity and Inclusion (CEI). The CEI is responsible for diversity and inclusion initiatives as well as human rights and harassment programs and services that support all members of the Sheridan community (employees, students, visitors). A key function of the Centre includes fostering equitable and inclusive environments throughout Sheridan.

Sheridan is committed to truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Sheridan’s commitments to past, present and future Indigenous students rest on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, and on the Colleges and Institutes Canada Indigenous Education Protocol. Over the next seven years, in collaboration with its Indigenous Education Council, Sheridan will commit resources to design and implement a variety of curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities to embed Indigenous knowledge and values into the fabric of its community. Specifically, Sheridan and the Indigenous Education Council will work together to:

• Understand the historical legacy of residential schools
• Identify and eliminate systemic barriers
• Continue to build a culturally responsive college
• Build relationships with Indigenous communities
• Respect Indigenous knowledge; and
• Advocate for sustainable funding for Indigenous programming

Examples of institutional initiatives

Supportive and inclusive admissions and entry:

• Sheridan provides admissions and entry processes that facilitate access for qualified students across target groups including, but not limited to: mature applicants, newcomers to Canada, and Indigenous learners
• Sheridan’s commitment to support students as they search for the right program of study begins at the prospect stage and continues throughout the student lifecycle. Sheridan has developed career planning tools to assist its students in narrowing their program options
• Sheridan provides processes, tools and assistance to support multiple entrance points and pathways to acknowledge prior academic learning and/or experience
• In addition to the enhanced supports provided by the Ontario government through its Student Assistance Program, Sheridan provides financial assistance supports to students through emergency tuition payment plans, counselling and targeted financial supports dedicated to under-represented groups (Indigenous, Crown wards, students with disabilities) and a work study program

Supportive and inclusive student transition:

• Sheridan is committed to understanding the characteristics and challenges of each unique sub-population and responding with tailored programming and supports that complement pan-institutional initiatives, including:
• STEPS: A multi-day transition program for students with disabilities focused on facilitating the transition to postsecondary education and providing strategies for success
• The Centre for Indigenous Learning and Support focuses on enhancing the relationship with Indigenous students and communities by providing programs and support services including advising, counselling, financial aid and regular access to elders

Inclusive and supportive learning environments:

• Sheridan is committed to making learning accessible through technology, curriculum design, pedagogy and faculty development
• Sheridan’s Office of Accessible Learning coordinates teams to provide ongoing expertise to students and faculties regarding the accommodation of students with disabilities
• Sheridan uses AODA-compliant technological infrastructure (e.g., Desire 2 Learn Learning Management System) and addresses broader equity initiatives through a number of initiatives (e.g., gender-inclusive washroom signage, real time-captioning at ceremonies such as convocation)
• The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) provides educational support for post-probationary faculty in teaching a diverse community of learners. CTL develops and distributes resources and materials, best practices summaries and workshops /seminars related to the design of inclusive, learner-focused pedagogy
• The Teaching and Learning Academy, developed and facilitated by CTL, delivers mandatory teacher training for new faculty hires. The curriculum addresses accessibility within the classroom and models the use of AODA-compliant materials and universal design for learning (UDL) principles in its facilitations. It purposefully weaves UDL and inclusion as a common thread throughout. Other sessions focus on adult learning, Indigenous ways of knowing, inter-cultural competence and multi-lingual learning. Technological applications that support best practices are integrated throughout

Metrics and targets

System-wide Metrics	2019-20 Expected Value Range
Number of students with disabilities enrolled	1,982-2,597
Proportion of students with disabilities enrolled	12-19%
Overall student with disabilities satisfaction rates	74% - 84%
Overall graduate satisfaction rates for students with disabilities	67% - 72%
Employment rates for students with disabilities	67% -80%
Number of first-generation students enrolled	3,670-5,485
Proportion of first-generation students enrolled	26-36%
Number of Indigenous students enrolled	250-300
Proportion of Indigenous students enrolled	1.5-2.0%
Overall student satisfaction rates for Indigenous students	70% - 80%
Overall graduate satisfaction rates for Indigenous students	75% - 85%
Employment rates for Indigenous students	70% - 80%
Number of French-language students enrolled	115-194
Proportion of French-language students enrolled	0.86-1.05%
OSAP recipients as a proportion of all eligible students	60-70%
Percentage of university graduates enrolled in college programs	13-15%
Percentage of college graduates enrolled in university programs	2-3%

Institution-Specific Metrics	2019-20 Target Range
Total Number of Pathways Into Sheridan Degree Programs	71-77

Applied research excellence and impact

This section captures institutional strengths in producing high-quality applied research that further raises Ontario’s profile as a globally recognized research and innovation hub.

Applied research projects create or improve products, services and processes. College applied research gives industry firms access to the skills and competencies of faculty and students, facilities and equipment and markets and networks through the colleges’ connections to local business and communities.

Institutional approach to applied research excellence and impact

Sheridan’s institutional approach to applied research excellence and impact is based on a well-established culture of scholarship, research and creative activities (SRCA), which is inclusive, broad, and engages Sheridan’s students, staff, professors and the communities it serves. Sheridan’s primary objectives are to deliver compelling value to students, provide exceptional professional growth opportunities for faculty and deliver substantial economic and social benefits for the province.

SRCA at Sheridan is viewed within Ernest Boyer’s theoretical framework, which includes four domains (discovery, application, integration, teaching and learning). To further support engagement in SRCA activities throughout Sheridan and the wider community, the Institute for Creativity facilitates co-curricular collaborations, incubates interdisciplinary scholarship and research and advances public and creative activities.

Sheridan’s strength in applied research is based on its commitment to integrating research that is aligned with industry and government agencies into programs throughout the institution. Sheridan does this through a variety of mechanisms, including:

• Sheridan’s five established research centres are funded by partner resources and government investment including, but not limited to, the Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science; the Ontario Centres of Excellence; the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and; the Canada Foundation for Innovation. The centres have been created in areas of strategic importance (advanced manufacturing and design, elder research, mobile innovation, screen industries and music theatre) and they help to raise Ontario’s profile as a globally recognized research and innovation hub
• Capstone courses and other curriculum-based activities which directly engage Sheridan students
• Contractual agreements to create or improve products, services or processes for individual companies or to tackle social and economic development challenges on behalf of industry associations, solopreneurs or community stakeholders

Sheridan will advance its commitment to SRCA by actively encouraging and supporting faculty and student involvement. This will include further embedding SRCA across its curriculum, enhancing and tracking its community/industry connections, engaging more visibly with the outside scholarly community and creating a new framework that effectively balances the teaching, SRCA and service work done by faculty.

Examples of institutional initiatives

Research projects through research centres:

• Sheridan’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies partners with global industry leaders such as Siemens and Hatch, as well as numerous startups and SMEs such as Keizus Inc., for which it created an advanced functional prototype using 3D printing
• Sheridan’s Centre for Elder Research has partnered with companies and community organizations such as Jibestream to develop digital wayfinding platforms — including the ones at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The Centre also completed a study of the ways in which older adults perceive choice and independence for Revera Living
• The Centre for Mobile Innovation has partnered with industry leaders like Microsoft, Apple and IBM to tackle problems in healthcare, and SOTI, a global leader in mobile device management, to develop accurate mobile-based asset tracking solutions for indoor environments
• Sheridan’s Screen Industries Research and Training (SIRT) Centre has conducted multi-year projects with global leaders Christie Digital and AMD, as well as over ten projects for SMEs focused on virtual and augmented reality in 2016/2017
• Based on an environmental scan of music theatre programs in Canada, The Canadian Music Theatre Project (CMTP) is Canada’s first incubator and permanent headquarters housed at a postsecondary institution that is dedicated to the development of new musicals. The hit Broadway musical Come From Away was one of the first musicals incubated at Sheridan. Its students were the first to perform the musical in workshops held at Sheridan

Research projects through faculties and programs:

• The School of Applied Chemical and Environmental Sciences has worked with a range of companies including a major manufacturer of private-label and store-brand personal care products that helped the company resolve quality assurance throughput issues
• Researchers from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences have leveraged creative problem solving with grounded social science research in the Community Ideas Factory, a multi-year, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council-funded project that impacts diverse community agencies, local regional government staff and end-users of community services

Curriculum-based research projects:

• Faculties and programs throughout Sheridan engage in curriculum-based research with industry and community partners. Examples include:
• Architectural Technology students worked with industrial partners such as the Toronto chocolatier Chocosol and community partners such as the Small Arms Society to create environmentally and socially responsible renovation proposals for their buildings
• Craft and Design (Furniture) Program students have designed and made furniture in collaboration with the residents and staff of shelters and facilities serving marginalized communities.
• Game Design students have provided project research for a variety of organizations, including the Higher Education Council of Ontario, Holland-Bloorview Hospital, and the York Regional Police.
• Advertising and Marketing Communications – Management students worked with AWAKE Chocolate and REKO Pizzelle cookies to help them build awareness among their key millennial target market

Library supports for SRCA and applied research:

• Within Sheridan’s Scholars and Creators Hub, the Scholarly Engagement and Applied Research Librarian assists faculty and students in the dissemination and discoverability of research and creative works through traditional and open access publishing methods
• SOURCE,an institutional repository, showcases Sheridan’s scholarship, research and creative activities and facilitates collaboration with scholars and creators around the world by making works available and discoverable via the Internet

Schlegel innovation leader in arts and aging at sheridan:

• This three-year appointment at Sheridan, which is jointly funded by Sheridan’s Centre for Elder Research and the Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging, focuses on the relationship between the arts and later life, specifically the role of the arts in promoting health and building on individual strengths

Metrics and targets

System-wide Metrics	2019-20 Target
Number of externally funded applied research projects (2016-17 baseline: 67)	89
Number of partnerships / collaborations with community / industry firms (2016-17 baseline: 340)	394

Institution-Specific Metrics	2019-20 Target
Number of faculty and staff engaged in applied research	154

Innovation, economic development and community engagement

This section recognizes the unique role institutions play in contributing to their communities and to economic development, as well as to building dynamic partnerships with business, industry, community members and other colleges and universities. It focuses on regional clusters, customized training, entrepreneurial activities, jobs, community revitalization efforts, international collaborations, students, partnerships with Aboriginal Institutes and a program mix that meets needs locally, regionally and beyond.

Institutional approach to innovation, economic development and community engagement

At Sheridan, incubating innovation, fueling economic development and nurturing community engagement happen through its commitment to creativity, collaboration, experiential learning, and a strong sense of shared purpose with its industrial and civic partners.

To incubate innovation, Sheridan begins with the premise that creativity is the precursor to innovation; it’s the idea engine that allows people to find solutions when knowledge runs out. Sheridan has adopted a unique approach to embedding creative problem solving into its curriculum and applied learning opportunities to challenge students to re-imagine ideas, experiment, collaborate, take risks and build a resourceful, resilient and flexible mind.

To draw upon knowledge and make room for collaboration, all of Sheridan’s full-time programs have Professional Advisory Councils (PAC), whose members are drawn from relevant industries and have the requisite experience and expertise to ensure its curricula are current with industry requirements and trends. To foster collaboration even further afield, Sheridan has formal agreements with institutions such as Chengdu University of Information Technology (CUIT), based in Sichuan, China. Outside of academia, an MOU with the Professional Sales Association and the corporate giants Siemens and Hatch Engineering ignite an integrated, team approach to innovation by creating new opportunities to deliver programs and share expertise.

Opportunities for collaboration and experiential learning, which help to spur innovation, are further made possible through the involvement of the Regional Innovation Centres (HalTech and RIC Centre) and Economic Development Offices.

Sheridan’s sense of shared purpose with its community can be felt in the way that its physical spaces contribute to urban revitalization and developing a sense of place. Sheridan’s first building at the Hazel McCallion Campus was honoured with two urban design awards by the City of Mississauga. Sheridan’s new building complements the City’s heritage and identity as a rapidly growing city, as well as its vision for a dense, vibrant and mixed-use downtown core. Recent public art installations at Sheridan’s Brampton and Oakville campuses bring stimulating and challenging artwork to the community to enrich the on-campus experience, spark dialogue and enhance the aesthetic quality of public spaces.

Sheridan recognizes that its core emphasis on developing student talent and creativity provides it with the capacity and a responsibility to nurture talent, innovation and entrepreneurship in the broader community. Based on this approach, Sheridan — in collaboration with Ryerson University and the City of Mississauga — is currently participating as a founding partner in the establishment of an entrepreneurship innovation centre in Mississauga. This new innovation centre will extend the vibrant innovation ecosystem established at Sheridan’s Hazel McCallion Campus, combining the energy of student entrepreneurs, local start-ups and established businesses to create a home for Mississauga entrepreneurs and innovators building technology-supported, high growth potential ventures.

Examples of institutional initiatives

Through a partnership involving the City of Brampton and Brampton Public Library, Sheridan is bringing the emerging concept of maker education to Brampton. Sheridan has combined its technology expertise and equipment with the City of Brampton’s commercialization resources and the Brampton Library’s youth programming and community outreach capabilities. MakerSpace Brampton acts as a community innovation hub. Every week, there are technology demonstrations and hands-on workshops that reach a wide audience, from young preschoolers to seniors in the community. This resource allows visitors of all ages to experiment with some of today’s most advanced technologies through play, experimentation and guided workshops. It also presents a new paradigm for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Attendance has grown from 812 visitors to more than 8,000 per year since its inception in 2014.

Other partnerships with social service agencies help to remove barriers to postsecondary education and make a difference in underprivileged communities. Home Suite Hope, Halton Region, the Oakville Community Foundation and Sheridan together offer the Homeward Bound Halton initiative, which provides full, wrap-around supports of affordable housing, free child care and fully funded educational opportunities to low-income, single mothers to help them break the cycle of poverty.

Sheridan has organized two cybersecurity summits at its Hazel McCallion Campus in Mississauga. These featured experts from industry (such as the Chief Technology Officers of Microsoft Canada and Scalar Decisions), as well as faculty from Sheridan’s Information Systems Security degree to discuss what steps can be taken to prevent, manage and contain associated risks. The campus also hosted an event, co-sponsored with the City of Mississauga and the University of Toronto Mississauga’s ICUBE, called Code and the City Open Data Idea Jam. This event welcomed over 80 developers, designers, mappers and information analysts to share ideas on how Mississauga could gain greater awareness and engagement with the community in a digital environment.

Sheridan’s partnership with the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) provides its students with learning opportunities that promote mutual respect and acceptance, embrace diversity and acknowledge Canada’s rich cultural character. The partnership creates a rare opportunity for applied learning in introductory, elective courses in the humanities such as Canada in the Making: Exploring Canadian History. Students synthesize existing research and media to create posters that spotlight the contributions of Black Canadians and that are displayed during Black History Month at Oakville Town Hall. CCAH members and supporters are also invited to Sheridan to attend its Film for Thought documentary screenings. Sheridan has also served as host for CCAH’s Youth Leadership in Action program, which invites students aged 12-18 to use various art forms to explore the topics of cultural identity, conflict resolution, time management and goal setting.

Metrics and targets

System-wide Metrics	2019-20 Target	2019-20 Target Range
Number of active Program Advisory Committees (PACs)	74
Number of employers engaged in PACs		800-900
Graduate employment rates		77%-87%
Employer satisfaction rates		88% - 99%
Proportion of Graduates employed full-time		54%-66%
Proportion of Graduates employed full-time in a related job		38%-44%

Institution-Specific Metrics	2019-20 Target Range
Number of new programs in development (2016-17 baseline: 12)	5-10

Enrolment strategy, program direction, sustainability and partnerships

Enrolment strategy and program direction

Enrolment plan

The purpose of this section is to identify institutional enrolment plans and aspirations. The enrolment projections are based on Sheridan’s plans and assumptions for the coming years.

As stated in the College Funding Formula Technical Manual, the introductory corridor midpoint in 2019-20 will be calculated based on the “three-year average, two-year slip”, the average of three years of enrolment two years prior to the funding year.

Domestic projected funding eligible enrolment

Projected eligible full-time head count

Level	Actuals 2015-16	Actuals 2016-17	Projected 2017-18	Projected 2018-19	Projected 2019-20
Ontario College Certificate	1,506	1,297	1,528	1,549	1,549
Ontario College Diploma/Advanced Diploma	8,773	8,168	7,683	7,485	6,527
Ontario College Graduate Certificate	332	344	399	405	405
Baccalaureate Degree in Applied Area of Study	3,484	4,060	4,627	4,867	5,538
All other funding activity in full-time equivalent (FTE); Part-time, Tuition short, Prior Learning and Assessment Recognition (PLAR)	1,267	1,277	1,267	1,267	1,267

International projected funding-eligible enrolment

Projected eligible full-time head count

Level	Actuals 2015-16	Actuals 2016-17	Projected 2017-18	Projected 2018-19	Projected 2019-20
Ontario College Certificate	222	269	284	276	289
Ontario College Diploma/Advanced Diploma	3,262	3,696	4,350	4,183	4,355
Ontario College Graduate Certificate	166	175	214	204	228
Baccalaureate Degree in Applied Area of Study	278	427	536	592	677

International strategy and collaboration

Over the past decade, Sheridan has embraced a commitment to internationalization, as evidenced by a 1,000% growth in its international student cohort since 2008. Over the duration of this SMA, Sheridan’s strategy is one of moderate growth and diversification.

Currently, 72% of Sheridan’s international students are from India and enrolment is highly concentrated in technology and business diploma programs at the Davis Campus in Brampton. Sheridan’s target is to grow total international enrolment by 22% from 2015-16 to by 2020-21, by focusing on attracting students from other countries of origin and admitting them to different program and credential areas on its other two campuses. Risk of declines in international enrolment are also being addressed by providing support services to international students, such as pre-departure orientations in India and China for incoming students and their parents and on-site services in Sheridan’s International Centre that help meet the personal as well as academic needs of students.

Under Sheridan’s strategic enrolment management process, the Enrolment Planning Committee, in conjunction with the academic faculties, the Office of the Registrar and the International Department, develop the international student enrolment plan. Once the enrolment plan is finalized it is presented for approval to the President’s Executive Council.

Sheridan will further align its success in international student recruitment with a holistic integration of international people, perspectives, knowledge and networks. Addressing enrolment management, international student services, education abroad and faculty development, Sheridan’s internationalization strategic process will assess, affirm and integrate the potential of international members within its learning community.

Strategic areas of program strength and expansion

Program areas of strength

1. Animation
2. Business
3. Computer Science
4. Digital Media
5. Design
6. Engineering Technology
7. Visual and Performing Arts
8. Healthy Communities

Program areas of expansion

1. Business
2. Computer Science
3. Digital Media and Design
4. Engineering Technology
5. Healthy Communities

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship training is an integral component of polytechnic education[4] and Sheridan’s commitment to offering learners a diverse range of credentials with options to move between them to tailor their journey of learning.

Sheridan’s $40 million investment in its new Skilled Trades Centre (STC) is evidence of its ongoing commitment to apprenticeship. The building features 130,000 square feet of workshops, classrooms, facilities, machinery and equipment for Sheridan’s pre-trades and apprenticeship programs.

Sheridan is committed to attracting apprentices from underrepresented groups, including women, newcomers to Canada, people with disabilities, and Indigenous people. To that end, Sheridan is increasing partnerships with Northern Ontario Indigenous communities through existing relationships in the Sheridan School of Architectural Technology. Sheridan has also located its new STC building in Brampton, one of Canada’s most ethnically diverse communities.

Financial sustainability

The Ministry and Sheridan 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 Board of Governors 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.

The College remains accountable to the Ministry with respect to effective and efficient use of provincial government resources and student resources covered by policy directives of the Ministry, or decisions impacting upon these, to maximize the value and impact of investments made in the postsecondary education system.

System-wide Metrics	Benchmark	2015-16 Actuals	2016-17 Actuals	2017-18 Projections*
Annual Surplus (Deficit)	>0	$15,744,293	$21,323,213	$4,934,070
Accumulated Surplus (Deficit)	>0	$117,982,210	$139,305,423	$144,239,494
Net Income to Revenue Ratio	>1.5%	4.99%	6.37%	1.42%
Net Assets to Expense Ratio	>60%	86.63%	95.33%	89.90%
Quick Ratio	>1	1.40	2.74	3.20
Debt Servicing Ratio	<3%	0.84%	0.79%	1.30%
Total Debt to Assets Ratio	<35%	29.53%	17.25%	23.05%

*Sheridan’s 2017-18 projections are based on an updated enrolment projection that demonstrates an increase in tuition fee revenue, coupled with several cost saving exercises.

Institutional collaborations and partnerships

Sheridan values lifelong learning and believes that intellectual and imaginative growth continues throughout the lifespan. This commitment is reflected in its career-focused programs, its partnerships with other postsecondary institutions, initiatives that promote efficiency through shared services, and the myriad pathway opportunities it has developed.

Going forward, to help prospective, transfer and current students leverage their education and experiential background and ensure the timely completion of credentials, Sheridan will work purposefully to increase the utilization of its many pathways by making them more effective and efficient.

Pathways

Sheridan offers a range of opportunities for students to tailor their learning and mix of credentials to best suit their individual needs:

• In 2015-16, 623 students at Sheridan transferred from certificate, diploma or advanced diploma programs into degrees, with a further 470 students doing so in the fall of 2016
• Sheridan continues to promote student mobility and pathway opportunities through a number of collaborative partnerships with other postsecondary institutions across Canada and internationally
• Collaborative or Joint Programs with Sheridan and 3 Ontario Universities:
• Art and Art History (Honours Bachelor of Arts) with University of Toronto Mississauga
• Bachelor of Computing and Network Communications (Honours) – Internet Communications Technology with Brock University
• Communication, Culture, Information & Technology (CCIT) with University of Toronto Mississauga
• Theatre and Drama Studies with University of Toronto Mississauga
• York University and Sheridan Joint Program in Design (YSDN)

Promoting efficiency and shared services

Sheridan continues to participate in various programs that encourage sharing best practices and learning internally, and amongst the college and university communities:

• Conducted research and presented to the Ontario Council Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) - To identify student success in utilizing pathways, Sheridan conducted a survey of diploma and advanced diploma students. The results of the data were presented at the ONCAT Pathways Annual Conference
• Online advanced standing application – Based on a survey of Ontario College Registrars, Sheridan was the first college to introduce an online advanced standing application system. Since its inception, Sheridan has added numerous enhancements to its online transfer credit and PLAR services. These enhancements provide students an enriched user experience and simultaneously generate time efficiency in processing student requests for credit transfer. Currently, there are over 48,000 course equivalencies rules from external institutions that exist in Sheridan’s transfer credit system, the ‘Course Equivalency Database’ (available if required) with new rules being created daily
• Credit transfer check - Sheridan has created an online tool that will allow prospects, applicants and students to view credit transfers for courses completed at another Ontario postsecondary institution
• System-wide pathways (pathways with other colleges within Ontario)

• A listing of all of these agreements can be found on the provincial ca site
• Heads of Business Pathways Ontario System – Level Transfer Agreements for Ontario Colleges Heads of Business
• Heads of Community Service Pathways Ontario System – Level Transfer Agreements for Ontario Colleges Heads of Community Services

• OntarioLearn - Sheridan is a participant in this formal consortium of colleges that are working to provide relevant online learning to all Ontarians, by sharing both the development and delivery of online courses and programs. This model is particularly valuable for mature, part-time students who are not able to leave their local community and who are most comfortable taking a course or program offered through their familiar, local college

Ministry/government commitments

• The SMA2 process has focused on implementing the first stages of the new funding model and demonstrating the ongoing commitment by all colleges and universities to student success. Future growth will only be funded through negotiated changes to an institution’s funded enrolment corridor

• Through the SMA2 cycle, the ministry will continue to work closely with institutions to ensure all dimensions of the funding model are implemented.

• In a memo to colleges and universities dated March 7, 2017, the ministry committed to using the SMA2 (2017-20) process as a transitional phase to commence the collaborative and joint development of performance metrics and targets, tied to funding, for SMA3 (2020-23). The ministry reiterates this commitment and reaffirms that metrics and targets included in SMA2 are not tied to funding at this time and are a beginning point for further discussions with the sector prior to their application in SMA3. Colleges and universities will have the opportunity to reset and realign metrics prior to the application of metrics in SMA3. The ministry will also engage other stakeholders as part of discussions on a broad metrics strategy

• The ministry commits to establishing a joint working group with each of the sectors and to begin detailed discussions in fall 2017 on metrics/targets and to seek input on the performance measurement methodology for SMA3

• Colleges, universities and the ministry all benefit from processes that are transparent and non-duplicative. The ministry commits to work with colleges and universities to continue to streamline processes and seek opportunities to further reduce red tape (in part through increased access to other tools), including reducing or eliminating duplicated reporting requirements

• Through SMA2 discussions, the ministry has heard concerns about the challenges of delivering breadth in programming for Francophone and Francophile students, including the cost and funding of such delivery. Starting in fall 2017, the ministry commits to consulting institutions who have a formal mandate for bilingual and/or French-language delivery to review the delivery of French-Language programming and consider these concerns

• In 2016, an extension of the existing tuition policy framework was announced to support a major reform in OSAP. The ministry will engage with both the college and university sectors around the next tuition policy framework, including examining the issue of tuition anomalies in certain professional programs as a result of past changes to tuition policy, and, for colleges, examining tuition levels relative to competitive college tuition frameworks in Canada

• In recent years and during the SMA process, there has been an increased interest in the creation of a new polytechnic designation in the Ontario postsecondary education system. Starting in fall 2017, the ministry commits to undertake a review that examines whether improved benefits for students and employers are sufficient to make such a change. The ministry commits to working collaboratively with institutions across the sectors on this review

• The ministry acknowledges a request by Ontario’s colleges to explore how to support more flexible delivery of programming, including reviewing part-time funding levels. The ministry commits to working collaboratively with colleges to review this issue, including identifying implications for credentials

• The ministry commits to continue to work collaboratively with colleges to review the eligibility criteria and allocation method for the Small, Northern and Rural Grant to help target funding to best meet sustainability challenges

[1] The ministry acknowledges Sheridan College’s request for a polytechnic designation. The ministry will be undertaking a review of this issue and has noted Sheridan College’s position.

[2] The ministry acknowledges Sheridan College’s request for a polytechnic designation. The ministry will be undertaking a review of this issue and has noted Sheridan College’s position.

[3] While requests for capital project funding are outside the scope of the SMA process, the ministry acknowledges Sheridan’s aspiration with respect to the major capacity expansion bid process for Brampton and Milton.

[4] The ministry acknowledges Sheridan College’s request for a polytechnic designation. The ministry will be undertaking a review of this issue and has noted Sheridan College’s position.

2014-17 Strategic Mandate Agreement: Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning