- Student: $50
- General Public
- Early Bird: $250 (until June 30)
- Regular: $325 (July 1 - October 17)
- Late: $350 (As of October 18)
Group discounts are available for groups of 10 or more, please contact conference@heqco.net for details.
Cancellation Policy: Refunds are available until October 24 for the value of the ticket less a $50 administration fee.
View Agenda
HEQCO’s tenth conference, ReimaginEd: Shaping the Future of Ontario PSE comes at a time of challenge and change for the postsecondary sector. The emergence of artificial intelligence, changing student demographics, financial constraints and a shifting labour market are just some of the factors impacting Ontario’s colleges and universities. ReimaginEd offers the opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the sector to think creatively about the purpose, design and goals of the system and collaborate on how best to adapt moving forward.
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For more information, contact:
Dorinne Ah-Kam
conference@heqco.net
514-603-6192
Agenda
November 7, 2025 - Agenda is still in development
| Registration and Breakfast
| Welcome and Opening Remarks
| Keynote Address
The conference keynote will be delivered by Dr. Pamela Palmater, a globally recognized public speaker and trainer whose compelling voice ignites a fire for social justice and inspires us all to join the collective journey towards reconciliation with Indigenous communities.
| Morning Refreshment Break
| Session 1A — New Beginnings: Supporting Newcomers' Educational and Career Success in Ontario
In this moderated panel, attendees will learn about and consider the value of programs that support newcomers as they transition to postsecondary education and the labour market. Program administrators from postsecondary institutions, school boards and organizations who offer programming to support newcomers will highlight the need for and impact of these programs.
| Session 1B — Eyes on the Horizon: Higher Ed's Future Beyond the Storm
In this mini keynote session, higher ed futurist Ken Steele will share a long-range view from the crow’s nest to explore implications and opportunities for institutions and the sector in the years ahead. With the goal of weathering the storm and emerging into a more promising future, Ken’s talk will provide an overview of current and emerging challenges facing higher ed in Ontario and across Canada. Attendees will be encouraged to challenge assumptions and adopt more nimble operating principles, like modularity, permeability and collaboration.
| 1C — Data-informed Decision Making: Learning from Institutional Researchers
Institutional researchers play a critical role in supporting institutional planning and decision making. In this moderated panel, speakers will describe and demonstrate their work, and attendees will discover the latest techniques and tools used to collect and analyze data.
| Session 1D — Building Workforce Ready Grads: Insights from Employers
What skills and attributes are employers looking for in new hires? In this moderated panel, attendees will hear from employer groups about the hiring, management and development of new graduates in the workplace. Panelists will discuss the required skills, expectations and value that recent postsecondary grads bring into the workforce.
| 2A — Connected Communities: Innovative Collaborations Between Indigenous Communities and Ontario PSE Institutions and School Boards
Postsecondary institutions and school boards across Ontario are partnering with Indigenous communities in a wide range of ways. This roundtable discussion will give attendees insight into a sample of innovative and successful partnerships, and the opportunity to learn about the best practices of developing, nurturing and maintaining these relationships over time.
| 2B — Accountability in Institutional Use of AI
How are postsecondary institutions using artificial intelligence in their day-to-day operations and how do they navigate issues of ethics, consent, privacy and efficiency? Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with AI leaders from Ontario’s higher ed sector in a fireside chat to discuss the challenges and opportunities of this rapidly expanding technology.
| 2C — Community Perspectives: Local Impacts of College Program Closures
Ontario colleges were designed to offer local training options and support local economies. In this moderated panel, speakers will discuss how communities are affected by Ontario college program closures and staff layoffs. Attendees will learn about the social, cultural and economic benefits of college–community partnerships.
| 2D — Balancing Act: Prioritizing Student Success, System Sustainability and Efficiency
How can community organizations and agencies prioritize student wellbeing and success during this time of financial pressure? From K through PSE, community organizations and provincial agencies are navigating the challenge of balancing student success with sectoral efficiency. Attendees to this moderated panel will learn about innovative, student-centered initiatives from across the education sector.
November 7, 2025 - Agenda is still in development
| Lunch
| 3A — Access for All: A Showcase of Campus Support Initiatives
How are Ontario colleges and universities supporting the well being and success of students? This fast-paced, interactive community café will showcase student-support initiatives related to addiction recovery, neurodiversity, mental health struggles and more! Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about a range of innovative approaches and receive practical advice from program representatives.
| 3B — Thinking Outside the Box: Creative Considerations of Efficiency
Now is the time for innovative ideas and creative solutions. By highlighting three very different problems facing Ontario postsecondary education, this case study session will challenge attendees to think broadly about maximizing institutional efficiency while meeting the needs of learners. Speakers will describe their innovative research and initiatives that challenge and expand how we understand PSE efficiency.
| 3C — Reflecting on Labour Market Alignment and the Goals of Ontario's PSE System
What is labour market alignment in postsecondary? What role should it play in how the postsecondary system operates? In this fireside chat, Ontario higher ed experts will consider these and other relevant questions about the connection between the goals of the postsecondary education sector and the needs of the labour market.
| 3D — Linking Data to Understand Learner Pathways: Creative Approaches and Practices
Better data can lead to better information and better policy. With increased access and the ability to link national data sets, Ontario-based higher ed researchers are using increasingly sophisticated approaches to explore the labour market outcomes of PSE grads. In this moderated panel, researchers will describe the research methods and best practices used when conducting this type of research. Attendees will learn about how to optimize labour market research, and how it benefits the sector overall.
| Afternoon Refreshment Break
| Afternoon Plenary
| Closing Remarks
Keynote – Dr. Pamela Palmater
Dr. Pamela Palmater is a Mi’kmaw lawyer, professor, author, and social justice activist from Ugpi’ganjig (Eel River Bar First Nation). She has 4 university degrees, including a doctorate in law from Dalhousie University specializing in Indigenous law. She currently holds the position of full professor and chair in Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Pam was one of the spokespeople and public educators for the Idle No More movement and advocates alongside other movements focusing on social justice and human rights. She is frequently called as a legal expert before parliamentary, senate and United Nations committees dealing with laws and policies impacting Indigenous peoples and is considered one of Canada’s Top 25 Influential Movers and Shakers by the Financial Post.