Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing) - Postsecondary ...

C. Progress Towards Achieving Board Ends and College Strategic Directions
C.2 Student Success (Policy A-35) (cont’d)
While the College has had a centralized electronic timetabling system in place for a number
of years, a priority over the next year will be the acquisition and implementation of a major
upgrade to that system. A detailed implementation and training plan will be developed to
ensure a smooth transition. The new software upgrade will improve the College’s ability to
effectively timetable its spaces to optimize timetable development activities, maximize
utilization of academic space and the quality of student timetables. This project has been
identified as a SEM priority.
Information Technology Services will work with academic areas to complete deployment of a
system to track and support clinical placements within academic programs. Currently
Cooperative Education staff and students use the Orbis software product to provide support
and communications. This product will be extended for use with clinical placements taking
place in various academic programs.
A review of the College’s initial deployment of Smartboards was recently completed and will
be used to inform future investment and deployment. The College installed 11 Smartboards
a year ago as a pilot to undertake assessment of the technology itself, nature and extent of
training required for staff, level of technical support needed, optimum room configurations,
possibility of connectivity to video display units, etc. Taking into account the findings of the
report on the pilot implementation, the College has taken steps to acquire and install a
further 15 units, with the potential to add others subject to available capacity. Over time, it
can be anticipated that the need for this type of technology in all general purpose learning
spaces will become a “standard” not unlike overhead projectors of the past.
As part of another College pilot recommended by the Strategic Enrolment Management
Teaching and Learning Methods Team (TLM), Facilities Management, in collaboration with
Information Technology Services, will enhance existing student study, lounge and cafeteria
spaces to enable students to collaborate and learn with classmates and faculty
anywhere/anytime. Enhancements will include a variety of fixed/flexible/mobile furnishings -
from counters with bar stools to couches to tables and chairs, connectivity for data (hard
wired and Wi-Fi) and electrical power for devices as well as display screens will allow
students to meet informally, share ideas, collaborate in pairs, small groups or on their own.
As part of a College pilot, Facilities Management, in collaboration with Academic Services
and Information Technology Services, will investigate, develop and create two flexible,
technology enhanced learning environments to support collaborative student focused
learning on a trial basis. These non-traditional (non-timetabled) learning spaces will be
“sandboxes” for faculty to try new equipment and delivery methods in a flexible environment
that will allow students to learn in a variety of formats from small groups to traditional
lectures. Furniture will be mobile to ease reconfiguration on the fly. Technology will allow
faculty and students to display work on one or more display screens throughout the room.
As a result of a continued increase in donor funded programs and new Government
initiatives, the amount of financial assistance provided by the Awards and Scholarships
Office has increased significantly over the past several years. The Awards and
Scholarships Office will be increasing its capacity to address what can be expected to be
another year of increasing donor funding.
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