Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario releases new research paper on college-university collaboration in Ontario

Toronto, February 13, 2009– The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) today released a new research paper, Making College-University Cooperation Work: Ontario in a National and International Context.  Written by Andrew Boggs and David Trick, this paper suggests that a new way of looking at college-university cooperation is needed.  Instead of asking: “why don’t institutions cooperate more?”, we should ask: “of the various ways to satisfy the demands of students, why do some institutions choose to partner with others rather than to expand their own capacity?”

 “Examining the design of Ontario’s postsecondary system is a key component of HEQCO’s mandate,” said Dr. Ken Norrie, vice-president of research for the Council.  “Ontario’s higher education system will play an important role in positioning Ontario for economic recovery. College-university collaboration is a potential tool in expanding student opportunities, increasing access to higher education, and coping with enrolment demand. This paper is a first step in understanding the various types of inter-institutional cooperation and how the system might benefit from their use.”

 Making College-University Cooperation Work finds that there are many examples of successful and innovative institutional collaborations in Ontario. There are some trends that can be discerned from existing arrangements.  Much of the success of these partnerships has depended on the partners’ ability to overcome significant hurdles and to develop and execute an agreed plan. Government capital funding has provided an essential incentive in some cases. Collaborations have several purposes: some are primarily intended to offer opportunities for college students to complete a university degree, while the primary purpose of others is to offer innovative programming or to improve geographic access to university degrees.

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About the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario

The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario is an arm’s-length agency of the Government of Ontario dedicated to ensuring the continued improvement of the postsecondary education system.  The Council was created through the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario Act, 2005. It is mandated to conduct research, evaluate the postsecondary education system, and provide policy recommendations to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities with a view to enhance the quality, access, and accountability of Ontario’s higher education system.

 For further information, please contact:

Ainsley Matthews
Events and Communications Coordinator
Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario
(416) 212 5248
amatthews@heqco.ca

 www.heqco.ca