Last Tuesday, the Trafalgar campus hosted the first President’s College Council Town Hall meeting of 2017.
Dr. Mary Preece began the meeting by introducing the members of Executive present, including Dr. Janet Morrison, Sheridan’s new Provost and Vice President, Academic, and Karam Daljit, currently serving as Interim Vice President, Financial Services.
Mary highlighted some happy developments so far in 2017:
- The winter 2017 term began with the opening of two new buildings – the B-wing at the Hazel McCallion Campus, and the A-wing at the Davis Campus.
- The A-wing’s general purpose classrooms are now in use, and the building will house our skilled trades and apprenticeship programs beginning this fall.
- The Honourable Deb Matthews, Deputy Premier and Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, visited Sheridan on the morning of January 17th to help kick off Sheridan’s 50th anniversary year.
- Minister Matthews’ visit was part of her year-long tour of Ontario colleges as the college system also turns 50 this year.
- Later that day, Sheridan also hosted the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, who spoke at a similar event for students.
Mary then provided updates on a number of institutional initiatives:
Announcement about a university presence in Brampton by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development
Minister Matthews made the official announcement that the Province would open the call for proposals on January 18th to establish a university presence in Brampton and Milton, with the Province committing a total of up to $180 million for both projects. Mary explained that the proposals must be led by established Ontario universities. As such, Sheridan will be a willing participant as a partner institution for any proposal that makes financial and strategic sense for Sheridan. Proposals are encouraged to be creative and may involve an international partner. More information will be shared with the community after the proposals are announced publicly. Proposals are due March 6th.
New Year’s Letter to the Community
Mary provided some insight into what she has learned during her first two months as Sheridan’s President and Vice Chancellor, particularly around how our journey fits within the future of the college sector in Ontario.
Over the course of the past several months, she has encountered some resistance and an absence of information about Sheridan’s journey among the postsecondary community. She also learned that several Ontario colleges are trying to bridge the gap between the college and university educational experience by seeking to formally create a third sector: polytechnic education.
She explained that the characteristics of polytechnic institutions, including polytechnic universities, are closely aligned with Sheridan’s existing strengths: a large number of degrees, substantial applied research and experiential learning, a wide variety of credential offerings including apprenticeships, diplomas, degrees, and certificates. Sheridan and several Ontario colleges already fit this description.
Mary reflected on the lessons she has learned from past professional experience (as she referenced in her New Year’s letter to the community) and emphasized the importance of moving forward in the company of fellow institutions, not alone. She is confident that being part of a movement toward formal polytechnic status in Ontario is in the best interest of our students and our institution.
She also clarified that this not a change in direction, but simply another leg of our journey. We will continue to move forward with our application to Universities Canada in order to gain formal recognition for the quality of our programs, and the many items we have put in place to support the high standard of the university model and those set by the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB). The discussion pertaining to our participation in the potential Ontario polytechnics sector and how that might affect the university nomenclature will continue.
Seeking Community Input
Mary invited the community to share their ideas with her about Sheridan’s growth and continuous improvement path, particularly in light of the challenges that will continue to be faced the by college sector in the coming years. She referenced a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers that examines the Ontario college sector’s fiscal sustainability going forward. The report was commissioned by Colleges Ontario.
Several thoughts came forward, including improving our support for indigenous students, creating stronger bonds with our Provincial government, supporting more faculty-led applied research that integrates with industry, and enhancing our educational offerings for newcomers to Canada and those who need to upgrade their skills in the face of a rapidly changing workplace that’s often disrupted by advancements in technology.
Mary reminded attendees that she’ll be holding a series of informal, small “coffee chats” in the coming months at each campus where there will be further opportunities to ask questions and provide input. She reiterated that her job is to keep people in the loop and that Sheridan has everything to gain when people share knowledge and collaborate.