Funded Research

Working Title: ABC (Aligning and Building Curriculum) Knowledge Exchange Network *
Project Leader: Janice MacMillan (Durham College)
Project Coordinators: Diane Bloor and Karen Hodgins
Description: A group of six colleges have been working together to support faculty as they design, review and revise curriculum at both the program and course level. In fall 2008 this group launched an ABC Curriculum Resource Project, developing a website to house a variety of curriculum resources, tools, and web links that are useful to ABC participants as they engage in curriculum work. They will now collaborate towards an ABC Knowledge Exchange Network which will be hosted by Durham College. The Network will engage faculty and curriculum developers in knowledge sharing and investigate the requirements, methods and tools to support the development of the Network, and develop a plan to extend the test across the province.
Value: $35,000

Working Title: Aboriginal Self-Identification & Student Data in Ontario's PSE System: Challenges & Opportunities
Principal Investigator(s): Canadian Council on Learning (Lead Researcher: Stephanie Oldford)
Description: This report will examine current data collection tools and methods, with a focus on the role of self-identification. A literature review will be conducted to examine the issue of indigenous self-identification, and the preferred data collection methodology in various contexts. The report will provide background information to inform the development of a comprehensive policy for Aboriginal self-identification and on possible means of improving Ontario’s data collection on Aboriginal participation in higher education.
Value: $22,500 

Working Title: A Collaboratory for Exemplary Teaching in Mathematics *
Project Leaders: J. Paul Balog, George Brown College (on behalf of Ontario College Mathematics Association) and Paul Wraight, Durham College (on behalf of Ontario colleges Heads of Mathematics)         
Description: George Brown will lead a consortium of colleges that will prototype and evaluate the technological and social infrastructures to support teaching practitioners and practitioner-researchers in the professional mathematics community.  This collaboratory will use network technologies to support the geographically dispersed activities of the community for knowledge discovery, adaptation and mobilization.  They will disseminate exemplary practices, adaptable resources and research findings and link practitioners together for knowledge exchange and data sharing. The long term goal is to engage faculty in collaborative initiatives and enhance student learning in Mathematics.
Value: $60,000

Working Title: The Communications Adjunct Model: An Innovative Approach to Language and Literacy Remediation for Adult Learners
Principal Investigator(s):  George Brown College
Description:  This project evaluates the impact of a specially designed curriculum for developing communications and other ‘soft’ skills for students enrolled in the practical nursing program at George Brown College between Fall 2008 and Spring 2010.  The researchers plan to assess the impact of the newly developed curriculum by performing pre- and post-test comparisons.
Value:  $169,880 

Working Title: Course Redesign in Developmental Mathematics*
Project Lead and Learning Expert: Eleanor Pierre, EJP Communications
Institutions: Conestoga, George Brown, Georgian, Humber, Mohawk, Niagara and Seneca College
Description: Faculty on the project team will work on redesigning a course at their own college, with a shared team focus. As course redesigns are implemented and evaluated in subsequent terms, they will continue to share their results to support further course redesign.
Value: $85,000

Working Title: Degree Articulation and Student Choice: Examination of Decisions Patterns Among College Students
Principal Investigator(s): Seneca College (Lead Researchers: Henry Decock and Dan Lang)
Description: This research project will investigate the nature, timing and prevalence of Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT) student decisions to pursue degree articulation programs.  It will examine actual student demand for degree articulation programs, particularly related to timing, geography and academic programming, based on college entrance surveys and focus groups following a cohort of students.
Value: $173,000

Working Title:  Determinants of University Retention
Principal Investigator(s):  Glenn Craney, York University
Description:  A study that examines the feasibility of building a model for measuring retention in Ontario universities, and assesses the efficacy of this model in relation to other retention models such as CSRDE and FastTrack.  The model will be developed and piloted at York University. 
Value:  $16,080

Working Title: Discovering the Benefits of a First Year Experience Program for Under-Represented Students
Principal Investigator(s): Lakehead University (Lead Researcher: Kerrie-Lee Clarke)
Description: Using a combination of qualitative interview data and quantitative student data, this research will assess the effectiveness of Lakehead University’s Gateway program to provide access to university for under-represented students, and to improve the educational experiences and academic outcomes of these students once enrolled. This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $39,441

Working Title: The Effectiveness of the Peer-Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) Program on Student Academic Success at Carleton University
Principal Investigator(s): Carleton University (Lead Researcher: Dragana Polovina-Vukovic)
Description:  This project will evaluate the effectiveness of the Peer-Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) program at Carleton University.  PASS is a peer-led form of academic assistance where students registered in ‘high-risk’ courses (those with above average dropout/fail/withdraw rates) study together under the guidance of a course facilitator, discussing course materials, developing organizational tools, and cooperatively preparing for exams.  Qualitative research methods will be used to study the impact of PASS on the academic success rates of student-participants and the academic careers of the student-facilitators.  In addition, focus groups and surveys will be used to generate qualitative data on students’, facilitators’ and faculty members’ perceptions of PASS, its effects and ways of gaining more support.  This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $28,313

Working Title:  Emotional Intelligence Interventions to Increase Student Success
Principal Investigator(s):  Sir Sanford Fleming College (Lead Researchers: Barbara Bond and Rose Manser)
Description:  The research explores whether emotional intelligence can be increased in new students by modifying a required first semester Career Essentials course to include curriculum related to improving emotional and social competencies. Additionally, the research will measure the effect of the modified course on academic success and completion rates.
Value: $79,458

Working Title: Employment Follow-up: Success of Graduates with Learning Disabilities from Ontario’s Colleges & Universities
Principal Investigator(s): Cambrian College (Lead Researcher: Alana Holmes)
Description: A project that will add Ontario-specific research to the (US-dominated) body of literature on employment outcomes of student with learning disabilities.  A survey will be designed and administered to former PSE students (graduates and non-completers) with learning disabilities (LD) who received a formal psychological assessment from one of Ontario’s two LD assessment centres while enrolled.  The survey will ask respondents about their current employment status and their level of job satisfaction, and about issues related to the use of job accommodation. 
Value: $228,068

Working Title: Enhanced Learning Opportunities for Adults in Ontario
Principal Investigator(s): Canadian Policy Research Networks (Lead Researcher: Larry Orton)
Description: This project, HEQCO’s first on adult education, will consist of an overview of national and Ontario data on adult literacy, a review of recent literature on determinants of literacy and the connections between literacy and individual and societal outcomes. It will also examine the current organization and structure of the adult learning system in Ontario.
Value: $32,100

Working Title: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Ontario Post-Secondary Student Services on Academic Engagement of Recent Adult Immigrant Students
Principal Investigator(s): York University (Lead Researcher: Lillie Lum)
Description: This multi-institutional project will evaluate the effectiveness of student services in meeting the unique need of Recent Adult Immigrant Students (RAIS) within post-secondary institutions, the usage of student services by RAIS, the cost-effectiveness of these services and whether these services are actually engaging RAIS and promoting academic success. This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $108,395

Working Title: The Experience and Findings of an Ontario College’s Initial Administration of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)
Principal Investigator(s): Humber College (Lead Researchers: Pamela Hanft and Carlo Mandarino)
Description: This two phase qualitative study will describe and evaluate participation in CCSSE at Humber.  Phase 1 will be divided into 2 parts.  The first part examines the administrative experience and outlines the human resources involved in the execution of the survey, whereas the second part will focus on the students’ experience with it.  Phase 2 of this study will assess the degree to which CCSSE, a U.S. based survey, performs similarly within the Ontario context.  It will also explore correlations between the five major CCSSE benchmarks and several traditional measures of quality and student success such as G.P.A. and persistence.
Value: $48,363

Working Title: Exploring PSE Outcomes of High-Risk Applicants
Principal Investigator(s): Academica Group Inc.
Description: Academica will explore University and College Applicant Study (UCAS) data collected from several years to profile applicants from selected high-risk groups. A follow-up online survey will be conducted to determine PSE outcomes and factors contributing to PSE completion/incompletion.  Academica will work with HEQCO to develop this survey instrument, using existing questions when available (YITS, NSSE, etc.) and new questions when appropriate.
Value: $44,900

Working Title: Faculty Engagement in Teaching Development Activities
Principal Investigator(s): University of Guelph (Lead Researcher: Frederick Evers)
Description: A project that will employ a 'mixed methods' approach to better understand faculty engagement in educational development at Ontario universities.  A large component of this research will focus on faculty members' engagement in curriculum design, which includes course, departmental and program development.
Value: $91,097

Working Title: The High Education – Low Wage Paradox: An Examination of the Labour Market for Postsecondary Graduates in Canada
Principal Investigator(s): Statistics Canada
Description: A quantitative research project that will use Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) data to investigate why Canadian workers with postsecondary credentials earn incomes less than the national median.  In the first part of the project the target population will be described and its characteristics analyzed and compared to those of highly-educated workers in higher income brackets.  In the second part, income trends of the target population will be analyzed through time. 
Value: $39,707

Working Title: An Inventory of Language Skills Assessment & Upgrading at Ontario Colleges
Principal Investigator(s): Fanshawe College (Lead Researchers: Roger Fisher and Whitney Hoth)
Description: A need exists to identify and discuss best practices in language skills acquisition at Ontario colleges as there is, to date, neither a consistent data gathering process nor a quality framework to guide development of a provincial literacy strategy.  By gathering quantitative and qualitative data describing current practices, this project will compile a comprehensive, detailed inventory of the instruments, resources, and practices currently employed to address literacy needs of incoming students at Ontario colleges.
Value: $30,000

Working Title: Identifying Trends and Supports for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Transitioning into Postsecondary Education
Principal Investigator(s): Cambrian College and the Northern Ontario Assessment and Resource Centre (Lead Researcher: Susan Alcorn Mackay)
Description: A project that aims to provide Ontario colleges and universities with information on how many students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to expect in coming years and advice about how best to accommodate them.  The researchers will estimate the number of expected applicants with ASD by interviewing special educators at the secondary level about the current number of ASD students in the school system and the proportion intending to pursue higher education.  Advice on accommodating students with ASD will be based on an inventory of best practices garnered from interviews with ASD students, their parents, and appropriate secondary school personnel. 
Value: $44,320

Working Title: The Impact of Mental Health Problems in the Community College Student Population
Principal Investigator(s): Cambrian College (Lead Researcher: Maria Kostakos)
Description:  An Ontario-wide study on mental health issues in postsecondary education.  Phase one of this study will look at the number of students currently being treated for mental health issues on campus, their demographic characteristics, and the types and severity of mental health issues that students are presenting themselves with.  It will also explore the ways in which mental health issues affect academic performance, and the types of accommodations and strategies currently being used to lessen the adverse effects.  Phase two of this study involves designing and administering a survey to a representative sample of PSE students across Ontario in order to determine how prevalent mental health issues are in the student population at large.  This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $38,815

Working Title: Impact of "Sheltered" ESL Support Programming on Academic Performance and Student Engagement
Principal Investigator(s): Ontario College of Art & Design (Lead Researchers: Rebecca Smollett, Christina Halliday, Richard Smith and Catherine Black)
Description: A study that examines the educational experience of the first cohort in a “sheltered” first-year block program for non-native speakers of English. The goal is to determine whether the benefits to students, particularly in terms of student engagement, outweigh the possible detrimental effects on participants due to isolating them from the general student population. This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $40,641

Working Title:  Implementing Engagement Improvements through Targeted Interventions – Phase 1 and 2
Principal Investigator(s):  Chris Conway, Queen’s University
Description:  A multi-institutional research project that tests various approaches for enhancing undergraduate student engagement.  A series of interventions related to teaching methods and student services are being conducted at eleven Ontario universities during the 2008-09 academic year.  Outcomes are being evaluated against the findings of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).
Value: $263,782

Working Title: Information Literacy Competency Standards for Students: a Measure of the Effectiveness of Information Literacy Initiatives in Higher Education
Principal Investigator(s): Georgian College of Applied Arts and Laurentian@Georgian (Lead Researcher: Michele Beaudoin)
Description: A mixed-methods longitudinal research study that will measure the effectiveness of information literacy (IL) initiatives delivered to students in college diploma, college applied degree, university/college and university undergraduate programs at Georgian College and partnering institutions.  Data will derive primarily from self-assessment surveys delivered to student participants both before and at three points after IL interventions and from semi-structured faculty interviews on student’s progress in achieving IL competency standards. This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $153,157

Working Title: Labour market outcomes on Ontario’s Postsecondary Graduates (RFP-013)
Principal Investigator(s): Canadian Council on Learning (Lead Researcher: Tracy Lavin)
Description: This project will examine the issue of alignment between Ontario’s postsecondary outputs and labour market demands by focussing on two questions. One, is Ontario’s postsecondary sector graduating students at various levels of educational attainment in numbers appropriate to suit the demands of the labour market? And, is Ontario’s postsecondary sector graduating students with appropriate skills and knowledge to suit these demands? The issue of alignment will be examined from a credentialist perspective by looking for differences in employment and job satisfaction across levels of educational attainment and from a human capital perspective by looking for differences in employment and skill utilization across fields of study.
Value: $24,990

Working Title: The labour market outcomes of Ontario’s postsecondary graduates: Evidence from the 2005 cohort of National Graduates Survey (RFP-013)
Principal Investigator(s): David Walters
Description: This project will examine the changes and challenges facing postsecondary graduates of various fields of study and program type in Ontario.  The implications of the evolving “knowledge-based” economy on the school-to-work transition of recent graduates will also be explored and more specifically, it will identify challenges faced by recent graduates in Ontario. The main source of data will be Statistics Canada’s 2005 National Graduates Survey.
Value: $20,180.80

Working Title: Learning Skills Enhancement Strategy
Principal Investigator(s): Brock University (Lead Researcher: Jill Brindle)
Description: This study will evaluate a comprehensive programme of supplementary non-credit skills training interventions offered at Brock University to targeted undergraduate populations, including “first generation” students.  Researchers intend to determine whether students who voluntarily participate in these interventions differ markedly from non-participants in terms of (a) their socio-economic, demographic and pre-Brock academic background; (b) their academic performance at Brock, both overall and in specific subject areas; and (c) their retention rates, going into both 2nd and 3rd years.  This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $97,940

Working Title: Longitudinal Analysis of the Impact of an Introductory University Course (UNIV1011: University Life & Learning) on Academic Retention and Success
Principal Investigator(s): Nipissing University (Lead Researcher: Al Carfagnini)
Description: The aim of this study is to critically evaluate UNIV 1011, an optional 3-credit course developed by Nipissing University to assist ‘at risk’ first-year students in honing the skills required to be successful in their university careers.  The evaluation will be based primarily on a quasi-experimental research design in which grades, retention data and results from a standardized skills assessment test will be used to compare the academic success rates of the test and control groups. This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $71,600

Working Title:  Measures of Success: A Study of University Performance Indicators and Common Dataset Development in Canada
Principal Investigator(s):  Christine Johns, University of Calgary
Description:  A project that identifies and assesses the current use and role of university Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in Ontario and across Canada.
Value:  $18,000

Working Title: National NSSE Data Consortium – Project Lead Researcher
Principal Investigator(s): Chris Conway
Description: This project involves the assembly of a multi-institution record-level augmented NSSE response file to permit a number of descriptive and explanatory/multivariate analyses to address research questions that cannot be dealt with  through the use of single-institution, institutionally grouped, or summary response data. These questions are critical to advancing the interpretation of NSSE results and their application to university engagement strategy and public policy development.
Value: $39,500

Working Title:  Pathways and Outcomes of Postsecondary Education: What Can We Learn From National Graduate Survey Data?
Principal Investigator(s):  Herb O’Heron, Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
Description:  A feasibility study that determines whether information in the National Graduate Survey might be used to compare and evaluate earnings profiles for college and university graduates based on the pathways taken through postsecondary education.
Value:  $6,500

Working Title: Pilot Study of Collaborative Research and Knowledge Mobilization to achieve undergraduate degree-level expectations*
Principal Investigator(s): University of Guelph (Dr. Ruediger Mueller), University of Toronto (Dr. Suzanne Stephenson), University of Toronto at Mississauga (Dr. Pascal Michelucci) and Wilfrid Laurier University (Dr. Mercedes Rowinski-Geurts)
Description: Faculty from participating departments of Languages and Literatures from Ontario universities will work collaboratively with educational researchers and instructional design experts, to adapt and apply leading-edge knowledge about the development, demonstration and documentation of student capability in undergraduate degree-level expectations. The focus of the participating departments and faculty will be developments in their departmental programs to address their university’s commitment to the Council of Ontario Universities’ Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations.
Value: $40,000

Working Title: Post-High School Pathways of Immigrant Youth
Principal Investigator(s): Robert Sweet, Paul Anicef, Rob Brown and David Walters
Description:  This study will examine native-born and immigrant youths’ access to and participation in postsecondary education by linking administrative data from the Toronto District School Board to administrative data from the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) and the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS).  The progress of Ontario youth will be tracked from high school through to application and potentially acceptance by an Ontario university and/or college. 
Value: $42,350

Working Title: Postsecondary Education and the Labour Market in Ontario (RFP-013)
Principal Investigator(s): Torben Drewes
Description: This project will examine the labour market outcomes of PSE graduates in Ontario using the National Graduates Survey. It will investigate whether there is evidence of a general over-supply of university and/or college graduates, as well as if the fields of study among graduates line up with labour market needs. Labour market outcomes by field of study will inform us about the relative demands in the labour market for different skill sets and the ability to observe enrolment patterns through time will indicate whether or not students and institutions are responding to changing skill requirements.
Value: $24,857.00

Working Title: Professional Program Tuition Fee Deregulation and Issues of Access in Ontario
Principal Investigator(s): Educational Policy Institute
Description:  A project that looks at the effects of tuition fee deregulation on access to professional programs at Ontario universities.  The report will trace the recent history of government and institutional policy related to student assistance, tuition policy, and deregulation, both in Ontario and abroad.  It will compare and contrast the ways in which institutions have responded to tuition deregulation, with a particular focus on affordability issues.  Lastly, it will make recommendations about ways in which current data gaps could be filled in order to increase institutions’ future capacity to monitor access and affordability. 
Value: $24,000

Working Title: Promising Practices in Aboriginal Retention and Outreach Programs
Principal Investigator(s): R. A. Malatest and Associates
Description: While the majority of recent research published on Aboriginal education has focused on the barriers faced by Aboriginal students, this project is intended to identify promising practices that Ontario's colleges and universities are employing to recruit, support and retain these students.  The report will provide institutions with innovative ideas about how to improve their own practices and will inform public policies designed to improve the educational attainment of Ontario's Aboriginal populations. 
Value: $80,000

Working Title: Prototype Knowledge Exchange Platform*
Project Lead and Learning Expert: Valerie Lopes, Seneca College
Co-Chairs: Dawn Mercer, Seneca College and Jeff Trzeciak, McMaster University
Description: A Research Support Team from Seneca College will identify and test potential delivery options for a Prototype Knowledge Exchange Platform, to be available for initial use in fall 2009. They will also support members of the Steering Team in their trial usage and identify tradeoffs involved with various platform options. The Steering Team, which represents a range of expertise and perspectives amongst potential stakeholders, will help guide the development of this prototype technology platform by considering longer term issues to support knowledge mobilization for exemplary teaching and learning.
Value: $83,000

Working Title: PSE Funding Research Project: Revisiting Ontario College and University Data
Principal Investigator(s): Snowdon & Associates Inc.
Description:  A study on postsecondary educational finance that will provide a dependable estimate of inflation-adjusted revenue per FTE student in Ontario’s PSE sector over an extended period of time.  The study will illustrate the ways in which inflation, institutional accounting and reporting changes affect this estimate. It will also examine the factors influencing changes in institutional income and the impacts of postsecondary financing mechanisms and strategies on institutional actions. 
Value: $39,000

Working Title: Skills Objectives of the Peer Helper Program at the University of Guelph: Longitudinal Analysis
Principal Investigator(s): University of Guelph (Lead Researcher: Frederick Evers)
Description: The aims of this project are, first, to develop an instrument that will objectively measure the skills and attributes that university graduates need to have in order to succeed in the workplace; and, second, to use the instrument to determine whether the University of Guelph’s Peer Helper Program contributes to developing these skills in its ‘peer helpers.’  This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $72,300

Working Title: Statistical Variances in Student Financial Aid: Is Less More?
Principal Investigator(s): Brock University (Lead Researcher: Mary Poulin)
Description: The premise of this project is that existing institutional student financial aid applications are time-consuming, overwhelming documents that may actually deter certain types of students from applying for aid – especially those who feel embarrassed about disclosing intimate details about the financial status of their family.  This research will look at ways of simplifying and streamlining the application process, to the benefit of both student applicants and institutional administrators.  The objective is to create a financial aid application form which asks applicants fewer questions yet produces assessment results that are every bit as accurate as the longer forms currently in use.  Such a form could be used to assess aid applicants at PSE institutions throughout Ontario. This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $109,250

Working Title: Student Support Services Associated with College-University Collaborative Outcomes
Principal Investigator(s): Durham College (Lead Researcher: Deborah Tsagris)
Description:  This study will evaluate the extent to which two programs for Learning Disabled students at Durham College/UOIT are improving student-participants’ academic performance, levels of engagement, retention and graduation rates.  The study is based on a quasi-experimental, longitudinal research design in which quantitative student data, as well as qualitative data derived from focus groups and interviews will form the basis of the analysis. This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $230,723

Working Title:  Student Success Strategy: From Pilot to Implementation
Principal Investigator(s):  George Brown College (Lead Researchers: Marjorie McColm and Nancy Miyagi)
Description:  The project evaluates the impact of a variety of student success interventions to test, identify and document effective strategies to improve student success and enhance the transition to the labour force or further education. 
Value:  $263,534

Working Title: A Study of Academic Advisement in the Partners' Program: A Student Service Project to Increase University Access
Principal Investigator(s): Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology (Lead Researcher: Linda Saari)
Description: This is a study of the input, implementation and impact of focused and targeted academic student advising to determine how such support helps ‘conditionally admissible’ students gain admission to university and progress through their first year.  This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $99,858

Working Title: The Supplemental Merit Scholarship Study: A Field Experiment to Test the Effectiveness of Merit Aid for Students Receiving Need-Based Aid
Principal Investigator(s): University of Toronto (Lead Researcher: Philip Oreopoulos)
Description: This project will study the impact of supplemental merit scholarships on academic performance and retention at one Ontario university.  Six hundred first- and second-year students on (or eligible for) financial aid will be randomly-selected to participate.  For each course that each participant takes, they will receive $100 for achieving a grade point average of 70% and $20 for every additional percentage point that they score above this.  In addition to testing the effect of financial incentives, researchers will also be looking to see whether peer advising helps participants to successfully transition to university life.
Value: $746,372

Working Title:  The Transformation of Ontario's Postsecondary Education System
Principal Investigator(s):  David Trick, Ian Clark, Greg Moran, Michael Skolnik
Description: This project examines and analyzes emerging and future challenges to Ontario’s university and college sectors. The research takes a different perspective on the most pressing issues facing the sector, as well as providing advice on how the system might respond to these challenges. The manuscript is to be published by the McGill Queens University Press.
Value:  $56,000

Working Title: University Access, Engagement, Retention & Success of Under-Represented Populations
Principal Investigator(s): Ryerson University (Lead Researcher: Heather Lane Vetere)
Description: Ryerson University has a number of programs designed to facilitate access for under-represented students and to improve the engagement, retention and success of these students once enrolled.  This project will involve conducting a thorough analysis of the impact of these programs through a series of in-depth interviews and focus groups. Detailed information about who participates and how their experiences in these programs have helped them succeed in higher education will be assessed. This project is part of a larger group of funded research (HEQCO-RFP-006: The Role of Student Services in Promoting Educational Quality) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of specific student services projects or programs in supporting access, retention and quality.
Value: $50,500

Working Title:  The University Transfer Experience of Ontario College Graduates
Principal Investigator(s):  Henry Decock and the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario
Description:  Using the MTCU’s 2006-07 Graduate Satisfaction/ Outcomes Survey, the transfer experience of the 2006-07 college graduates who resumed their education by enrolling at a university within six months of graduating from their college program will be analyzed.  This was the first year that data set the included a series of new questions for graduates enrolled in full time education.
Value:  $20,000 (plus HEQCO in-kind)

Working Title:  Who Doesn’t Go To College?
Principal Investigator(s):  Colleges Ontario (Alan King, Queen’s University, commissioned as principal investigator)
Description:  A research study that identifies the demographic, educational, financial and other characteristics of young people in Ontario who do not pursue postsecondary education directly or shortly after leaving secondary school.
Value: $75,000 (HEQCO contribution)
Total project:  $265,000 (other funding partners include Colleges Ontario, Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities)

Working Title: Working Towards a Comprehensive Picture of Engagement: A Gap Analysis of BCSSE, NSSE, and FSSE
Principal Investigator(s): University of Guelph (Lead Researcher: Kelly Parkinson)
Description: A pilot project that will use data from three different engagement surveys conducted at the University of Guelph to determine whether entering students' expectations of university differ from their actual experiences, and whether students' expectations differ from those of faculty members. 
Value: $75,000