2020-2025 Strategic Mandate Agreement: Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology
Read the agreement between Ontario and Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology to understand its unique role in the province's post-secondary education system.
This Strategic Mandate Agreement between the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and Algonquin College is a key component of the Ontario government’s accountability framework for the postsecondary education system.
The Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA):
outlines provincial government objectives and priority areas for the postsecondary education system
describes the elements of Ontario’s performance-based funding mechanism, including the college’s annual performance-based funding notional allocation for the five-year 2020 to 2025 Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA3) period
establishes the corridor midpoint that will form the basis of enrolment-related funding over the five-year SMA3 period
supports transparency and accountability objectives
establishes allowable performance targets for 10 metrics upon which institutional performance will be assessed
This SMA is for the fiscal period from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2025.
Ontario’s objectives
SMAs are bilateral agreements between the ministry and the province’s publicly-assisted colleges and universities and are a key component of the Ontario government’s accountability framework for the postsecondary education system. This cycle of agreements is focused on promoting accountability through transparency and a focus on performance outcomes. The following objectives underline SMA3:
increasing trust and accountability through transparency and improved performance outcomes in Ontario’s postsecondary education system
reducing red tape by striking an appropriate balance between accountability and reporting through streamlined processes and a reduced number of metrics
incentivizing colleges and universities to redirect resources and invest in initiatives that result in positive economic outcomes
encouraging alignment of postsecondary education with labour market outcomes
incentivizing differentiation and specialization to support increased efficiencies
Institutional profile
The ministry recognizes the importance of supporting a differentiated system, and recognizing institutional specializations, as a means of enhancing efficiencies in the postsecondary education sector.
The institutional profile is intended to describe how the college’s institutional mission and strategic goals support the priority areas of the Ontario government, as identified in this agreement. Institutions may also wish to include narrative related to the post-COVID-19 context for the institution.
Performance-based funding
Notional annual allocation
For the SMA3 cycle, Algonquin College’s annual allocation of performance-based funding has been calculated by the ministry in accordance with the college funding model and Ontario’s Performance-based Funding Technical Manual. Algonquin College’s notional allocations will not be impacted by previous year performance, and will follow a graduated activation plan as follows:
Year
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25
Differentiation Envelope
$29,251,358
$41,269,191
$53,652,787
$65,612,122
$71,591,789
Performance-based Grant
N/A
N/A
N/A
$11,118,274
TBD
Notes:
Due to COVID-19 performance-based funding was delayed for 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2022–23.
The planned system-wide proportion tied to funding (that is, Performance-based Grant) will be at 10% of system-wide total operating funding in Year 4 (2023–24) and 25% in Year 5 (2024–25).
Prior to Year 4 (2023–24), the Performance-based Grant was capped at the system-average annual proportion determined for the Differentiation Envelope and residual funding above that cap remained part of the Differentiation Envelope.
The Differentiation Envelope has continued to grow steadily towards the established initial level of 60% by Year 5 (2024–25).
In Year 4 (2023–24), the 55% of operating funding assigned to the Differentiation Envelope is inclusive of the activated Performance-based Grant.
Notional allocation represents the Performance-based Grant portion.
The notional allocations presented above are based on 2021–22 operating grant totals.
Institutional weighting strategy
The performance-based funding mechanism in this SMA enables institutions to assign metric weightings to reflect institutional strengths and differentiated roles in the postsecondary education system. Assigned metric weightings will impact performance-based funding on a metric-by-metric basis per the table below. Metric details are described in the following section.
Institutional assigned metric weightings and notional performance-based funding allocations
Metric
2020–21 weighting max. 35% min. 10%
2020–21 notional funding allocation
2021–22 weighting max. 30% min. 5%
2021–22 notional funding allocation
2022–23 weighting max. 25% min. 5%
2022–23 notional funding allocation
2023–24 weighting max. 25% min. 5%
2023–24 notional funding allocation
2024–25 weighting max. 25% min. 5%
2024–25 notional funding allocation
1. Graduate employment rate in a related field
10%
$2,746,551
5%
$1,934,838
5%
$2,501,612
10%
$1,111,827
10%
TBD
2. Institutional strength and focus
35%
$9,612,927
20%
$7,739,350
15%
$7,504,835
15%
$1,667,741
15%
TBD
3. Graduation rate
10%
$2,746,551
15%
$5,804,513
10%
$5,003,223
10%
$1,111,827
10%
TBD
4. Community and local impact of student enrolment
35%
$9,612,927
20%
$7,739,350
15%
$7,504,835
5%
$555,914
5%
TBD
5. Economic impact (institution-specific)
10%
$2,746,551
20%
$7,739,350
15%
$7,504,835
15%
$1,667,741
15%
TBD
6. Graduate employment earnings
N/A
N/A
5%
$1,934,838
5%
$2,501,612
10%
$1,111,827
10%
TBD
7. Experiential learning
N/A
N/A
10%
$3,869,675
15%
$7,504,835
5%
$555,914
5%
TBD
8. Revenue attracted from private sector sources
N/A
N/A
5%
$1,934,838
5%
$2,501,612
15%
$1,667,741
15%
TBD
9. Apprenticeship-related (institution-specific)
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
10%
$5,003,223
10%
$1,111,827
10%
TBD
10. Skills and competencies
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
5%
$2,501,612
5%
$555,914
5%
TBD
Notes:
Colleges and universities have the opportunity to re-weight their metrics every year as part of the Annual Evaluation process throughout the SMA3 period. For metrics activated later than Year 1, a year shown in brackets indicates the first year of data available.
The planned system-wide proportion tied to funding (that is, Performance-based Grant) will be at 10% of system-wide total operating funding in Year 4 (2023–24) and 25% in Year 5 (2024–25).
Priority areas and performance metrics
Summary
To support improved performance in key areas aligned with the Ontario government’s priorities and objectives, the allowable performance targets will be set against metrics that measure institutions’ effectiveness in addressing the evolving needs of the labour market, enhancing the skills and competencies of our students, and supporting a postsecondary education system that strengthens Ontario’s economic competitiveness.
The combination of established targets and assigned metric weightings will be used for institutional assessment of performance through the SMA3 Annual Evaluation process
Skills and job outcomes
This priority area seeks to measure and evaluate the college’s role in supporting student and graduate outcomes and alignment with Ontario’s economy. Metrics measure institutional commitment to areas of strength and specialization; students’ preparation with the skills essential for employment; experiential learning opportunities; graduation; and positive labour–market outcomes for graduates, through the following performance indicators:
graduate employment rate in a related field
institutional strength and focus
graduation rate
graduate employment earnings
experiential learning
skills and competencies
Economic and community impact
This priority area seeks to measure and evaluate the college’s role in supporting Ontario’s economy. Metrics measure funding from private sector sources; the positive economic impact on local economies brought by students at an institution; and the differentiated ways institutions demonstrate economic impact, through the following performance indicators:
community and local impact of student enrolment
economic impact (institution-specific)
revenue attracted from private sector sources
apprenticeship-related (institution-specific)
Productivity, accountability and transparency
Through further engagement with the sector on metric refinement, a decision was made to remove this reporting and data collection requirement for institutions for the duration of the SMA3 period, to reduce reporting burden and duplication with other government initiatives.
Skills and job outcomes
Performance metrics: narrative
Metrics will be initiated over three years as new data is collected and validated. For 2020–21, allowable performance targets are calculated using historical data as per the Performance-based Funding Technical Manual.
For the remainder of the SMA3 cycle, allowable performance targets will be calculated annually as per the Performance-based Funding Technical Manual using the most recent historical data available for Algonquin College and included as part of the SMA3 Annual Evaluation process for performance-based funding. See appendix for details regarding historical data and annual allowable performance targets.
For the skills and competencies metric being initiated for performance-based funding in 2022–23, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities will apply a ‘participation weighting’ of 5% of annual performance-based funding notional allocations for all institutions. Institutional targets will not be set for this metric in SMA3. Participation will be validated and included as part of the SMA3 Annual Evaluation process for performance-based funding.
Graduate employment rate in a related field Definition: proportion of graduates employed full-time in a field related or partially related to their program six months after graduation Source: College Graduate Outcomes Survey, Ministry of Colleges and Universities
Metric initiated: 2020–21
Institutional strength and focus Name: Health and Wellness; Engineering and Technology; Management, Administration and Leadership Definition: enrolment (full-time headcount, domestic and international) in an institution’s program area(s) of focus Source: Provided by institutions, validated by College Statistical Enrolment Report (CSER), Ministry of Colleges and Universities
Metric initiated: 2020–21
Graduation rate Definition: percentage of full-time students (domestic and international), who entered a program of instruction in a particular enrolment reporting period and graduated within a specific period of time (200% program completion timeframe for diploma and certificate programs and 175% for degrees) Source: Graduate Rate Submission Process, College Graduation Rate Tool
Metric initiated: 2020–21
Graduate employment earnings Definition: median employment earnings of college graduates in a given calendar year, two years after graduation Source: Educational and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform, Statistics Canada
Metric initiated: 2021–22
Experiential learning Definition: number and proportion of graduates in programs, who participated in at least one course with required Experiential Learning component(s) Source: Ministry of Colleges and University’s Graduate Record File Data; File attached to College Graduate Outcomes Survey
Metric initiated: 2021–22
Skills and competencies
Name: Job Skills and Competencies Preparedness Definition: Percentage of Algonquin College graduates who were satisfied / very satisfied with their educational preparation in the area of job related skills and competencies, including oral and written communication, comprehension, math and computer skills, critical thinking and problem solving as examples (complete list of skills is included in the narrative below) Source: College Graduate Outcomes and Employer Satisfaction Survey
Metric initiated: 2022–23
Economic and community impact
Performance metrics: narrative
Metrics will be initiated over three years as new data is collected and validated. For 2020–21, allowable performance targets are calculated using historical data as per the Performance–based Funding Technical Manual.
For the remainder of the SMA3 cycle, allowable performance targets will be calculated annually as per the Performance–based Funding Technical Manual using the most recent historical data available for Algonquin College and included as part of the SMA3 Annual Evaluation process for performance–based funding. See appendix for details regarding historical data and annual allowable performance targets.
Community and local impact of student enrolment Definition: institutional enrolment share in the population of the city (cities) or town (towns) in which the institution is located Source: College Statistical Enrolment Report (CSER), Ministry of Colleges and Universities, Census Data, Statistics Canada
Metric initiated: 2020–21
Economic impact (institution-specific) Name: Algonquin College Student Co-op Placements Definition: The number of student co-op placements during the academic year Source: Algonquin College Co-op Office placement report
Metric initiated: 2020–21
Revenue attracted from private sector sources Definition: total revenue attracted from private sector and not-for-profit sources Source: College Financial Information System
Metric initiated: 2021–22
Apprenticeship-related (institution-specific) Name: Algonquin College Skilled Trades Programming Graduates Definition: Number of graduates from Algonquin College Skilled Trades Programs Source: Algonquin College Student Information System
Metric initiated: 2022–23
Productivity, accountability and transparency
Through further engagement with the sector on metric refinement, a decision was made to remove this reporting and data collection requirement for institutions for the duration of the SMA3 period, to reduce reporting burden and duplication with other government initiatives.
Enrolment profile
In addition to the performance-based funding outlined in sections above, institutions will receive enrolment-related funding through a funded corridor ‘midpoint’ to provide funding predictability to institutions.
Corridor midpoint
For funding purposes 23,048.36 Weighted Funding Units (WFUs) will be the corridor midpoint value for the five-year period from 2020–25 for Algonquin College. Enrolment-related funding will be will distributed consistent with this level of enrolment and subject to the policies contained within the Ontario College Funding Formula Reform Technical Manual, May 2017, Version 1.1.
Note: Midpoints were established using the average of funding-eligible enrolment from 2015–16, 2016–17, and 2017–18.
Projected funding-eligible enrolment
Note: Tables report on full-time headcounts from the fall term.
Below is Algonquin College’s projection of funding-eligible full-time headcount as of July 13, 2020.
Credential
2020–21
2021–22
2022–23
2023–24
2024–25
Ontario College Certificate
2,064
2,064
2,064
2,120
2,120
Ontario College Diploma/Advanced Diploma
11,875
11,875
11,875
12,200
12,200
Ontario College Graduate Certificate
711
711
711
730
730
Baccalaureate Degree in Applied Area of Study
584
584
584
600
600
Total
15,233
15,233
15,233
15,650
15,650
Credential
2020–21
2021–22
2022–23
2023–24
2024–25
All other funding activity in full–time equivalent; Part–time,Tuition short
1,560
1,560
1,560
1,560
1,560
Projected international enrolment
Below is Algonquin College’s projection of funding-ineligible international full-time headcount at college-operated campuses as of July 13, 2020.
Credential
2020–21
2021–22
2022–23
2023–24
2024–25
Ontario College Certificate
195
248
302
355
373
Ontario College Diploma/Advanced Diploma
1,718
2,189
2,659
3,130
3,287
Ontario College Graduate Certificate
397
506
614
723
760
Baccalaureate Degree in Applied Area of Study
55
71
86
101
107
Total
2,365
3,013
3,661
4,309
4,527
Appendix: historical data, targets and results
The following table will be refreshed annually by the ministry to display results from SMA3 Annual Evaluation process and update Allowable Performance Targets (APT) for the current year. The SMA3 Annual Evaluation will occur every year in the Fall-Winter and the updated appendix will be made publicly available the following Spring. Please note that fields with a hyphen indicate where data will be populated in later years of SMA3.
It should be noted that historical data reflects pre-COVID-19 context. Actual values achieved during the SMA3 period may include COVID-19 pandemic impacts.
Algonquin College - SMA3 performance Note: “2020–21 Actual” refers to the year in which the evaluation takes and not necessarily the data from that year.
Metric
2016–17 Historical data
2017–18 Historical data
2018–19 Historical data
2020–21 Allowable performance target
2020–21 Actual performance
2021‑22 Allowable performance target
2021–22 Actual performance
2022–23 Allowable performance target
2022–23 Actual performance
2023–24 Allowable performance target
2023–24 Actual performance
2024–25 Allowable performance target
2024-25 Actual performance
1. Graduate employment rate in a related field
71.76%
73.85%
76.89%
73.58%
78.14%
75.32%
77.94%
76.88%
78.77%
77.50%
-
-
-
2. Institutional strength and focus
48.13%
49.38%
49.55%
49.52%
51.34%
49.51%
51.70%
49.50%
51.40%
49.50%
-
-
-
3. Graduation rate
66.87%
67.26%
67.92%
67.06%
67.58%
67.25%
68.03%
67.50%
68.34%
67.30%
-
-
-
4. Community and local impact of student enrolment
3.94%
4.10%
4.17%
4.02%
4.22%
4.15%
3.88%
3.95%
3.47%
3.81%
-
-
-
5. Economic impact (institution–specific)
974
1,273
1,505
1,119.99
1,380
1,310.56
1,468.00
1,426
1,625
1,444
-
-
-
6. Graduate employment earnings
$32,986
$34,679
$37,928
N/A
N/A
$34,216
$39,782
$36,514
$40,370
$38,677
-
-
-
7. Experiential learning
67.31% (2017-18)
66.32% (2018-19)
63.54% (2019-20)
N/A
N/A
64.82%
61.79%
63.35%
57.94%
60.01%
-
-
-
8. Revenue attracted from private sector sources
$7,041,775 (2017-18)
$7,818,633 (2018-19)
$7,927,989 (2019-20)
N/A
$7,607,332
$7,226,561
$7,607,332
$7,679,161
$8,171,454
$7,751,737
-
-
-
9. Apprenticeship–related (institution–specific)
1,219 (2019–20)
1,358 (2020–21)
1,564 (2021–22)
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
1,265
1,564
1,317
-
-
-
10. Skills and competencies
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
-
-
-
Notes:
For metrics activated later than Year 1, the year in brackets indicates the first year of data available.
Skills and Competencies is a participation metric activated based on data collection and reporting rather than target setting. Data are required and will be posted in SMA3 Year 4 (2023-24) and Year 5 (2024-25).