Update from Atlantic Canada

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2009

St. John’s, NL – Atlantic Canada’s universities and community colleges have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allowing  greater collaboration among institutions and improving completion times,  enabling students to have a more seamless educational experience in attaining their post-secondary credentials. This MOU demonstrates institutional commitment to maximizing learning experiences of students so they do not have to repeat post-secondary experiences.

The Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) and the Atlantic Provinces Community College Consortium (APCCC) and their member institutions have endorsed the MOU encouraging transfer agreements between and among public universities and community colleges in Atlantic Canada.  The MOU is a commitment to ensure students receive maximum benefits from post-secondary education.

The MOU also recognizes that member institutions are responsible for overall evaluation and programming and will make these decisions based upon their institutional standards. The MOU further recognizes that academic integrity is paramount for all institutions and must be protected and preserved.

“Post- secondary institutions in Atlantic Canada recognize that today’s learners enter post- secondary education at many different points in their lives”, said Dr. Joan McArthur-Blair, President, Nova Scotia Community College and Chair, APCCC. “They want flexible delivery options, and they are increasingly more likely to switch programs or seek out multiple credentials to enhance their career paths. This MOU is one example of how institutions in Atlantic Canada are working to better serve these learners and enhance their pathways.”

Dr. Colin Dodds, President, Saint Mary’s University and Chair of the AAU, indicated that the MOU is but one example of the increasing collaboration and cooperation among universities and community colleges.  “We are seeing an increase in college and university collaboration in a wide variety of areas from program development and delivery to joint research initiatives and shared resources. It benefits students, our faculty and staff, and the communities we serve”, said Dodds.

Both the AAU and the APCCC recognized the participation of Atlantic ministers of education and training at the MOU announcement. The support of the Ministers’ further solidifies the strong working relationship between universities and colleges with the four provincial governments.

The AAU represents the interests of universities across the region, ensuring public visibility for the important role they play in preparing future leaders of our communities, in path- breaking research and innovation, and in contributing to the economic prosperity of life in AtlanticCanada.

The APCCC is an inter-provincial organization supporting collaboration, coordination, and sharing of resources among the Atlantic community colleges. Community colleges in Atlantic Canada operate in 50 campus locations throughout the region and serve approximately 75,000 full and part-time students.

The MOU can be found online at www.atlanticuniversities.ca  and at www.apccc.ca .