The Importance of a Robust Credit Transfer Policy: National and International Trends

2. Harvey Weingarten President Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario

3. The importance of a robust credit transfer policy: national and international trendsStudent Pathways in Higher education conferencetoronto, sutton place hotel Harvey P. Weingarten President Higher education quality council of Ontario January 26 2012 Informing the Future of Higher Education

4. THE WORLD HAS CHANGED!! Informing the Future of Higher Education

5. questions • Why is a robust credit transfer policy important? • How robust is Ontario’s current credit transfer system? • What steps would improve Ontario’s credit transfer system? Informing the Future of Higher Education

6. Is transfer cost effective? “Improved student mobility and post-secondary pathways will result in reduced costs for learners, institutions and governments…” Transferability and Post-Secondary Pathways. Association of Canadian Community Colleges, April 2011. Informing the Future of Higher Education

7. Cost savings of transfer to student • A modelling exercise to estimate impact of increasing the average amount of credit recognition from about 40% to 65%. • Average benefit to each student about $26,000. • Substantial annual benefit to Ontario economy and GDP. The Financial benefits of enhanced college credential and credit recognition in Ontario. Centre for Spatial Economics. Ontario, 2009. Informing the Future of Higher Education

8. can governments save money with a better transfer credit system? • University System of Ohio: In 2010-11, about 43,000 students transferred from less to more expensive institutions saving about $37M. Also, about 12,500 students transferred some credit taken in lower cost institutions to more expensive institutions, saving another about $9M. But it depends on how the postsecondary system is designed and the existence of lower cost programs and/or institutions! YES! Informing the Future of Higher Education

9. Other benefits of a robust credit transfer system • Fairness and equity. • Encourages the participation of lifelong learners. • Effective strategy for increasing participation of under-represented groups. • Minimizes the “embarrassment factor”. • 2011 alliance between Colleges Ontario and the Institutes of Technology Ireland • 2 years at a CAAT + 2 years at an IOTI = degree, in select programs. Informing the Future of Higher Education

10. Ontario’s credit transfer system • Minister William Davis: “…no able and qualified student should be prevented from going on from a College of Applied Arts and Technology to a university”. • College University Consortium Council (Ontario College University Transfer Guide), 1996. • Ontario College-University Degree Completion “Port Hope” Accord, 1999. • Rae Report, 2005. • Ontario’s Credit Transfer Initiative, 2010. • More than 300 existing transfer agreements of various types: bilateral; multilateral; block transfer; degree completion; laddering; collaborative programs) • Students navigate the system and express general satisfaction in surveys but with numerous anecdotes of dis-satisfaction. • Students and institutions are pushing the system well beyond current policies. Informing the Future of Higher Education

11. Ontario’s current Credit transfer system • 20% of CAAT applicants indicate a desire for degree preparation; 33% indicate that the degree is the ultimate credential sought. • 9% of college graduates pursue university, the great majority stay in Ontario. • 17% of college students have university experience. • Average transfer student receives about ½ university credit for a college credential. • York & Ryerson account for about 38% of all transfers. Student mobility between Ontario’s colleges and universities. Colleges Ontario, May 2009. Informing the Future of Higher Education

12. Drivers of change • Low transfer rates compared to other provinces. • Desire to “bend the cost curve”, increase system productivity and increase efficiency of operations. • Institutional aspirations coupled with institutional financial sustainability imperatives. • Labour markets. • NOTE: If student dis-satisfaction was enough to motivate change, we would have improved the system already. Informing the Future of Higher Education

13. What inhibits the development of more robust credit transfer? • University’s “defence” of their academic standards. • Degree of autonomy in Ontario’s university sector. • Ambivalence in colleges. • Lack of funding incentives. • etc etc etc Informing the Future of Higher Education

14. Steps for improvement • A renewed policy statement for colleges from government. • Aligning the transfer credit solution to differentiation and institutional mandate agreements. • A focus on students, not on institutions. • Acknowledgement that transfer does not graduate inferior students. • Losing the “F” word [“fair”]. • Consistency, disclosure, current and reliable information. • Recognition that institutions, not governments, set academic standards. • Start with the GTA. • Take lessons form the successes, not the failures.1 • The game changer – link to learning outcomes! 1 A. Boggs & D. Trick . Making college-university cooperation work. HEQCO, 2009. Informing the Future of Higher Education

15. Thanks for listeningwww.heqco.ca Informing the Future of Higher Education