Ontario postsecondary system must increase productivity to maintain quality

While Ontario’s colleges and universities are already quite productive, constrained resources and increased demand mean the system must increase productivity to maintain quality, according to a preliminary report by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). The report, The Productivity of the Ontario Public Postsecondary System, was initiated at the request of the provincial government to […]

Work-Integrated Learning and Postsecondary Graduates: The Perspective of Ontario Employers

Research Summary: New HEQCO survey: Employers want graduates with relevant work experience One of the first things employers look for when hiring graduates of Ontario’s colleges and universities is relevant work experience, according to a new study from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). The lesson for students: from summer jobs to volunteering, […]

Performance Indicators For The Public Postsecondary System In Ontario, A Consultation Paper Prepared by HEQCO

The purpose of this Consultation Paper is to seek your comments, feedback, and advice on a HEQCO-led project to develop a set of performance indicators to monitor, evaluate, and improve Ontario’s public postsecondary system. For clarity, this project is designed to allow HEQCO to better fulfill its legislated mandate to provide an evaluation of the […]

Changing Times, Changing Places: The Global Evolution of the Bachelor’s Degree and the Implications for Ontario

Research Summary: Global trends in bachelor’s degree: What can Ontario learn? The time-honoured bachelor’s degree has undergone some serious tinkering if not transformation over the last decade, driven by enrolment growth, constrained funding, demands for increased student mobility and greater alignment with the labour market. Some countries have shifted from three-year to four-year degrees while […]

International Approaches to Secondary Education

Research Summary: Improving Canadian high school education: No single recipe but think system-wide What can Canada learn from other countries with high secondary school graduation rates? A new report commissioned by the  Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario  suggests that while a system-wide approach to change appears to be key, there is no one recipe […]

@ Issue Paper No. 6 Tuition Fee Policy Options for Ontario

Executive Summary:Access and Financial Sustainability Key Challenges for New Tuition Policy Framework Although Ontario enjoys the highest postsecondary participation rates in Canada, financial and non-financial barriers are preventing some students from pursuing college or university, according to a report by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO).  In addition to improving access for groups […]

@ Issue Paper No. 5 Student Engagement as a Quality Measure in the Ontario Postsecondary Education System: What We Have Learned About Measures of Student Engagement​​​​

Student Engagement Surveys Forge Pathways to Quality Improvement But Can Mislead when Used for Competitive Rankings  Student engagement surveys are helping colleges and universities, and the postsecondary system overall, be more responsive to the learning needs of students. Designed in part to measure the time, effort and interest student invest in their education, the dominant […]

The Transfer Experience of Ontario College Graduates who Further their Education

Research Summary:  More College Graduates Continuing Their Education in Pursuit of Increased Earnings and Career Advancement An increasing number of college graduates are returning to school to continue their education, not due to lack of employment options, but in pursuit of higher earnings, interesting and challenging career opportunities and enhanced status. A new report co-authored […]

Shifting the Retention Rates to Retention Risk

Research Summary: Early identification of dropout risks could improve postsecondary retention rates The dropout rate in Ontario’s colleges and universities could be reduced by identifying students early in their postsecondary career who might be at risk – long before they actually leave. A recent study conducted by two researchers at York University for the Higher […]