Ten with Ken (Audio): Recent Episodes
Ken Steele
Ken Steele is Canada's most trusted higher ed monitor and futurist, and an in-demand campus and keynote speaker. He conceived and co-founded Academica Group in 2004, a market research firm focused on postsecondary education. Created and edited Canada's leading higher ed news daily, the Academica Top Ten, for its first decade of publication. Co-authored Canada's first book on Strategic Enrolment Intelligence. Curates the Eduvation IdeaBank, published an almost-weekly podcast "Ten with Ken," facilitates retreats and workshops, consults on institutional brand strategy, recruitment marketing, student services and strategic planning. This channel features his podcast, "Ten with Ken." (Originally produced with video, available on many platforms.)
Join Ken Steele for a romp through the best moments from more than 100 higher ed holiday greeting videos from around the world, selected from almost 500 collected so far this month!
Previous years' Holiday Special roundups appear in this Ten with Ken playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYWOlX6xOJpuo5nloz1Q6dA1&si=HjS4mv_AWOsB3s8F
Check out the full versions of these videos in the 2024 Holiday Special Shortlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYUiAu7gSf-ryKwS-3D7Xbkb&si=EYEUjxIn7UNmEr3U
Check out the full collection of 2024 videos in this even longer playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXt5R4g-ThAiZC0MwDc5m7h&si=LurOq2CCoiz8Wn6O
Marketing and communications professionals working in higher education are more conscious than most that they serve incredibly diverse audiences and stakeholders, and of the vital importance of equity and inclusion. (Today’s students can quickly become outspoken protestors in the face of what they perceive as injustice.)
This week, Ken Steele sits down with Matthew Tsang, co-founder of inclusive communications agency AndHumanity, to discuss what he calls “JEDI” principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. “Justice is at the forefront for us,” Matthew explains. His agency, and the cause of inclusive marketing, grew in prominence in the wake of George Floyd’s death in May 2020.
“Inclusive marketing is elevating underrepresented voices, not about including everyone all the time.” The key is to ensure that you’re not defaulting to the dominant culture - because GenZ and GenAlpha have heightened awareness of diversity, and greater expectations that marketers will represent it in their work with cultural competency. Communicators have a moral responsibility to contribute to improving society by not just avoiding stereotypes, but by incorporating counter-stereotypical messages.
Too many marketers fail at inclusion when they forget that people are intersectional, and effectively centre the dominant culture of a broader community. “We’re all complex human beings, and we can’t be checked off in a box.” The specialists at AndHumanity always encourage really deep storytelling with intersectional nuance, rather than reinforcing stereotypes or generalizations about a community.
It's also vitally important to include a broad diversity of people with lived experience in the writing and creative process: “Nothing about us without us.” This mistake causes some obvious, egregious mistakes – and it’s not sufficient to consult people, they need to feel psychologically safe expressing their feelings.
Marketers and communicators need to avoid a fear-based approach, simply focused on avoiding causing offense. “Is this safe to say? is a very check-boxy approach.” A fear-based approach most often results in “very diluted, boring, uninspirational work” that is inoffensive, yes, but also forgettable. Institutions should also focus on “going deep” into specific dates of significance, telling deep culturally-nuanced stories, rather than spreading their efforts wide at superficial recognition of a broad range of dates.
Matthew’s advice to anyone who wants to reinforce their intercultural competence is to deliberately follow 5-10 people on social media who have different lived experiences from you yourself, or who specialize in JEDI issues. Even when watching TV shows or movies, it can be valuable to watch content about protagonists with different dimensions of identity than yourself. “I don’t think it has to be difficult… but this is a good first step.”
Members of Eduvation’s MarCom, CMO, and Guild Circles are invited to attend a free workshop on inclusive marketing and communications for higher education, led by Matthew and the AndHumanity team, on October 24 2024. (If you’re not a member, you can sign up for a free trial at https://circles.eduvation.ca/landing/plans/232788 )
For more information about AndHumanity and their services, see https://andhumanity.co
#EDII #EDI #Diversity #InclusiveMarketing #Indigenization
In this episode of Ten with Ken, host Ken Steele sits down with Dorita Pentesco, Director of Marketing & Recruitment at Niagara College, and Carmen Serravalle, Vice-President Creative at STC Storytellers, to discuss the “refresh” launched this month of the 15-year-old Niagara College brand.
NC’s circular “blue button” logo was originally introduced in 2009, and was immediately embraced by staff and students – who suddenly started buying and wearing branded clothing. The unique shape lent itself to external signage, buttons, and even application to the butt end of beer kegs at the campus brewery. People on campus have a powerful affinity for the NC button, proudly embracing the “I am nc” slogan. Many on campus “bleed blue” – so any changes to the existing brand identity needed to be carefully considered.
There were, however, technical considerations like legibility at small sizes and by screen-reading software, and a desire to simplify the wordmark and render it in a more friendly, less corporate way. So STC rounded the corners of each letter individually, “taking the edges off” the former logo, subliminally shifting its impression. They also introduced more blues and greens to the NC colour palette, reflecting the waters and vineyards of the Niagara region. And introduced a new typeface, Work Sans, to add more “heft and confidence” to headlines and materials.
The most obvious addition to the NC brand universe are a series of hand-drawn circles, which reflect the logo but in a hand-crafted way that emphasize collegiality, friendliness, and even the hands-on learning experience for which NC is renowned. The circles are being used as an accent, to draw attention to parts of images, and make a great pattern for branded clothing and merchandise. The brand refresh also introduces a new tagline, “That’s ncLIFE,” which NC has started using “almost like a punctuation mark” to sum up the energy and student experience.
Consider joining Eduvation’s MarCom or CMO Circles, for access to other branding studies like this, and to engage directly with Dorita, Carmen, and other CdnPSE marketers from across the country. For more information, see http://eduvation.ca/cmo/
Check out STC Storytellers’ portfolio of work for other higher ed clients at https://www.stcstorytellers.com
#CdnPSE #branding #niagaracollege #nclife #hemkting #pseweb #TenWithKen
“Ten with Ken” returns for its 8th season with a special double episode distilling the best moments from literally hours of welcome back, orientation, move-in and kick-off videos, from more than 100 colleges and universities. Students overcome their anxieties and homesickness by celebrating, dancing, screaming and clinging to their stuffed animals and favourite comfort foods. They’re distracted by concerts, midway rides, marching bands, fireworks, confetti cannons, and so much more. Some schools play games too, staging their own versions of “Cash Cab,” “Undercover Boss,” or “Roommate Match.”
While the post-pandemic Class of 2028 is anxious, so too are campus administrators, still smarting from heated protests and campus occupations this spring. Their Fall welcome videos overtly urge tolerance for diverse viewpoints and a culture of respect on campus. Incoming first-years are asked to share words of advice for their future selves, while senior students and new graduates share their own advice for the incoming class of 2028. A sense of community is quickly established with matching t-shirts, massive logo formations on the football field, running the gauntlet and plunging in to the mud. From “BamaJam” to “GobblerFest,” campuses are working hard to amp up the enthusiasm of students returning to campus this month. (As so many student put it: “Whoooooo!”)
The 125 videos (and counting) considered or clipped in this special are listed in our complete Back-to-School 2024 YouTube playlist here.
In particular, Ken has chosen 10 “Ken’s Picks” as the best in class this Fall:
Duke University “Class of 2028 Class Photo Behind-the-Scenes”
Princeton University “Dear Students, Welcome Back to Princeton!”
University of Oregon “Duckflix: Quack Match”
University of Virginia “It’s Joyful. It’s Bittersweet. It’s Move-in Day.”
Michigan State University “Advice for Incoming Spartans”
University of Guelph “Welcome Back, Gryphons!”
College of William & Mary “Let’s Write a New Story: Move-in 2024”
University of Michigan “Welcome Back 2024: Movin’ through Campus”
Stevens Institute of Technology “Unpack the Quack: Welcome Class of 2028!”
Rochester Institute of Technology “The Wonderful Wizard of RIT” (definitely the best of the whole pack!)
Enjoy!
Once again, Ken Steele scoured the interwebs and collected more than 240 higher education holiday greeting videos (released as of December 21 2023). Setting aside the sermons, concerts, animated cards and talking heads, he shortlisted the best and presented them to a jury of marketing professionals in a 2-hour livestream on Eduvation Circles.
A series of episodes will bring you all the fun of Ken’s annual collection of higher ed holiday greeting videos - It’s the next best thing to being there!
In part 5, Ken looks at the best of 2023’s higher ed “Musical Performances,” from string quartets to marching bands!
Check out all the original, unedited videos in our 2023 Xmas Shortlist at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYW1ONjCEqJGB8xD7LKi1iSo&si=SDQJAZsTi1FaU3cU
Add YOUR vote to the ranking poll of “Musical Performance” videos at https://PollEv.com/ranking_polls/XtPhj0e2n4toXzNXpNacn/respond
See episodes of 10K first by joining Eduvation Circles, free, at https://circles.eduvation.ca
Once again, Ken Steele scoured the interwebs and collected more than 240 higher education holiday greeting videos (released as of December 21 2023). Setting aside the sermons, concerts, animated cards and talking heads, he shortlisted the best and presented them to a jury of marketing professionals in a 2-hour livestream on Eduvation Circles.
A series of episodes will bring you all the fun of Ken’s annual collection of higher ed holiday greeting videos - It’s the next best thing to being there!
In part 4, Ken looks at the best of 2023’s higher ed “Acts of Goodwill,” and other vids that tug at the heartstrings and share “All the Feels” of the season. Including a surprising new focus on “Finals Anxiety” and the stress students feel in December!
Check out all the original, unedited videos in our 2023 Xmas Shortlist at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYW1ONjCEqJGB8xD7LKi1iSo&si=SDQJAZsTi1FaU3cU
Add YOUR vote to the ranking poll of “Acts of Goodwill” and “Feels” videos at https://PollEv.com/ranking_polls/S0xhnRAwaoTnpFQzj9JZx/respond
See episodes of 10K first by joining Eduvation Circles, free, at https://circles.eduvation.ca
Once again, Ken Steele scoured the interwebs and collected more than 240 higher education holiday greeting videos (released as of December 21 2023). Setting aside the sermons, concerts, animated cards and talking heads, he shortlisted the best and presented them to a jury of marketing professionals in a 2-hour livestream on Eduvation Circles.
A series of episodes will bring you all the fun of Ken’s annual collection of higher ed holiday greeting videos - It’s the next best thing to being there!
In part 3, Ken looks at the best of 2023’s higher ed “Holiday Parodies,” including plenty of deans and presidents left “Home Alone” on campus, overexuberant illuminators getting ready for “Christmas Vacation,” and curling up to read “’Twas the Night Before” poems.
Check out all the original, unedited videos in our 2023 Xmas Shortlist at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYW1ONjCEqJGB8xD7LKi1iSo&si=SDQJAZsTi1FaU3cU
Add YOUR vote to the ranking poll of “Parody” and “Good Sport” videos at https://PollEv.com/ranking_polls/ulL2P9uOI95Sm7pvYxT47/respond
See episodes of 10K first by joining Eduvation Circles, free, at https://circles.eduvation.ca
Once again, Ken Steele scoured the interwebs and collected more than 240 higher education holiday greeting videos (released as of December 21 2023). Setting aside the sermons, concerts, animated cards and talking heads, he shortlisted the best and presented them to a jury of marketing professionals in a 2-hour livestream on Eduvation Circles.
A series of episodes will bring you all the fun of Ken’s annual collection of higher ed holiday greeting videos - It’s the next best thing to being there!
In part 2, Ken looks at the best of 2023’s “Holiday Shout-Outs,” “Holiday Hand-Offs,” “Holiday Trivia” and “Holiday Competitions.” From ugly sweater competitions to the dreaded “Beans of Judgement,” you’ll find the competitive spirit here!
Check out all the original, unedited videos in our 2023 Xmas Shortlist at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYW1ONjCEqJGB8xD7LKi1iSo&si=SDQJAZsTi1FaU3cU
Add YOUR vote to the ranking poll of “Holiday Shout-Out and Hand-Off” videos at https://PollEv.com/ranking_polls/tN3OgLZ84Wl8bxheEv350/respond
Add YOUR vote to the ranking poll of “Trivia” and “Competition” videos at https://PollEv.com/ranking_polls/fbAkFro7RcChB3fifIalg/respond
See episodes of 10K first by joining Eduvation Circles, free, at https://circles.eduvation.ca
Once again, Ken Steele scoured the interwebs and collected more than 240 higher education holiday greeting videos (released as of December 21 2023). Setting aside the sermons, concerts, animated cards and talking heads, he shortlisted the best and presented them to a jury of marketing professionals in a 2-hour livestream on Eduvation Circles.
A series of episodes will bring you all the fun of Ken’s annual collection of higher ed holiday greeting videos - It’s the next best thing to being there!
In part 1, Ken looks at a sprinkling of "Festive & Bright" campus events and tree lighting ceremonies, a dogpile of "Furry Pals", and a sleighful of "Mascots Spreading Cheer" across campus.
Check out all the original, unedited videos in our 2023 Xmas Shortlist at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYW1ONjCEqJGB8xD7LKi1iSo&si=SDQJAZsTi1FaU3cU
Add YOUR vote to the ranking poll of “Festive & Bright” videos at https://PollEv.com/ranking_polls/xxkzkh6pzy5Zj7uTpyVDV/respond
Add YOUR vote to the ranking poll of “Furry Pals” videos at https://PollEv.com/ranking_polls/HIlws6TE102ZqfYNS8TUE/respond
Add YOUR vote to the ranking poll of “Mascots” videos at https://PollEv.com/ranking_polls/EK2fGFaPoNztthzMZiFwK/respond
See episodes of 10K first by joining Eduvation Circles, free, at https://circles.eduvation.ca
Our 5-part series on Forward-Looking Facilities concludes with a look at the informal communal spaces on campus, in-between faculty offices and labs, or student dorms and classrooms. These so-called "Third Spaces" are home to some of the most valuable interactions between students, staff and faculty alike...
In Part 5, "Third Spaces," Ken describes the gradual evolution of higher ed campuses from "introverted" retreats to more extroverted "collision spaces," where informal and serendipitous interactions can spark revolutionary ideas and unexpected illumination. These learning commons and "linger spaces" need to be inviting and comfortable, offering reliable wifi and plentiful power to charge mobile devices. (Oh, and caffeine!) To truly foster a creative environment for innovative thinking, they will incorporate plenty of natural light, bright colours, glass walls and variety in seating arrangements.
Already, formal lectures and seminars can be conducted remotely, digital books and journals can be accessed online, and even museum collections are being digitized for VR use. The real, enduring value of our ivy-covered, brick and limestone campuses won’t be housing books or lectures, but hosting these unique "third spaces." Eventually, they may become the first - or perhaps the only - spaces on campus!
To see episodes of Ten with Ken when they're first released (a month or more before they appear here), join our FREE virtual community, Eduvation Circles! You'll find the complete catalog of episodes, slide decks, other resources, and conversations in a dedicated Ten with Ken area.
Our series on Forward-Looking Facilities continues with more detail on the ways that pedagogical change, and particularly the adoption of active learning, has transformed classroom time and classroom spaces on campuses.
In Part 4, "Active Learning," Ken looks at the way thousand-year-old transmission theories of education created the design of modern lecture theatres, while pedagogical research from UBC's Carl Weiman Institute has paved the way for new approaches. New classroom designs, from Oregon State University's "Phil Donahue" theatres-in-the-round to learning studios and SCALE-UP classrooms, have been appearing on PSE campuses for 30 years now, and their importance has only increased post-pandemic.
To see episodes of Ten with Ken when they're first released (a month or more before they appear here), join our FREE virtual community, Eduvation Circles! You'll find the complete catalog of episodes, slide decks, other resources, and conversations in a dedicated Ten with Ken area.
Our series on Forward-Looking Facilities continues with a look at post-pandemic adoption of online and blended learning delivery, and what 600,000 students tell us about their preferences for learning modality.
In Part 3, "Online & Blended Learning," Ken looks at the decade-long inevitability of adopting blended delivery approaches, which have demonstrably better learning outcomes for students, and can save institutions millions on classroom facilities and operating costs. Years ago, Napster and Netflix demonstrated that "everything that CAN be digital, WILL be," and now that libraries and lectures have made the leap, PSE institutions need to redefine their value proposition. Much more than merely "broadcasting knowledge," true value in the digital age comes from live interpersonal connections and interactions, personalized and immediate exchanges, mentoring and inspiration. Those are really the core advantages of traditional institutions over all the cheaper MOOCs and industry microcredentials out there, for the foreseeable future.
To see episodes of Ten with Ken when they're first released (a month or more before they appear here), join our FREE virtual community, Eduvation Circles! You'll find the complete catalog of episodes, slide decks, other resources, and conversations in a dedicated Ten with Ken area.
Our series on Forward-Looking Facilities continues with a closer look at the new work experience of staff and faculty, and how that will reshape work-life balance and the nature of work – on campus and off - in what is going to be a very fluid future.
In part 2, "The Fluid Future of Work," Ken looks at the fluidity and ambiguity facing PSE in the years ahead, employee appetites for remote and hybrid work, and the implications for office design and space. He emphasizes that mental wellness is a growing concern for students and staff alike, and that sleep deprivation is an often-overlooked issue. Finally, he shares advice for architects and designers: try not to close off options, keep things flexible, modular, and demountable.
To see episodes of Ten with Ken when they're first released (a month or more before they appear here), join our FREE virtual community, Eduvation Circles! You'll find the complete catalog of episodes, slide decks, other resources, and conversations in a dedicated Ten with Ken area.
Plus, watch for "The Fluid Future," a new Masterclass offering on Eduvation Circles - coming soon!
Season 7 of Ten with Ken opens with a 5-part series looking at Forward-Looking Facilities, and the ways that campus design and architecture have responded to the lessons learned during the pandemic.
In part 1, "The Post-Pandemic Campus," Ken reviews the turbulence and shifting context we've all learned to expect, and warns that the future will be even more fluid, thanks to climate change, extreme weather, zoonotic viruses and more. COVID19 thrust our society, and our institutions, a full decade into the future, forcing us to adopt technologies and remote approaches to work and learning, whether we were ready or not. Ken also showcases this video from Centennial College, "Learn Your New Way," which still gives him goosebumps after 100 viewings.
No matter how you slice it, "the college campus is no longer at the centre of the education universe" -- although more about that in upcoming episodes!
To see episodes of Ten with Ken when they’re first released (a month or more before they appear here), join our FREE virtual community, Eduvation Circles!
Ten with Ken returns from its pandemic hiatus, with a 5-part series on trends in campus architecture, classroom and office design, and so-called "third spaces" for serendipitous interaction.
Although eventually episodes will appear here too, they're already streaming NOW - exclusively on our free virtual community platform, Eduvation Circles. Join free today at http://circles.eduvation.ca
In pre-pandemic times, Ken Steele sits down on the Carleton University "Friendship Bench" with president and vice-chancellor (and neuropsychologist) Benoit-Antoine Bacon to talk frankly about his own journey to mental health, and his advice for students.
Mental health has been a significant concern on higher ed campuses for a decade or more. Anxiety and depression have been rising. In Fall 2019, the National College Health Assessment found 39% of students in moderate or serious psychological distress, 49% experiencing loneliness, and 27% reporting consistently high levels of stress for the preceding year. The COVID19 pandemic has exacerbated those feelings of loneliness, stress and distress.
But President Bacon emphasizes that mental health issues are not a new problem, although there’s a growing realization in our society of their prevalence and impact. “It’s really the new generation… that are leading the way. In many ways, we’re following their lead… because the young people are showing courage.”
He has been quite open about his own mental health journey, even at his presidential installation ceremony in 2018 ( https://youtu.be/zI_XuTexdPo ). His father was abusive, and Benoit himself spent 20 years in and out of depression. “I thought it was important to lead from a position of honesty… Talking openly and honestly about mental health issues, their symptoms and their causes, is the first step towards addressing them, both as an individual and as society.” Certainly students at Carleton appreciate their president’s willingness to speak openly about mental wellness.
“You don’t have to be bound by your past… The journey of healing is always continuing, it’s never ever done.” The worst scenario is to be someone who believes they don’t deserve to seek help or speak openly about the healing they need. “A live lived in trauma, by yourself, is a desperate life that you don’t want to live.”
Mental illness has multiple causes, genetic and epigenetic, and it doesn’t matter what form of trauma a person experiences, the issue is the self-perceptions and habits of thought that hold them back. “If you’re raised in a way that you’re worthless and that the world is dangerous, you’ll never have a fun day, ever!” People need to retrain their minds to perceive reality differently: “The world is both beautiful AND dangerous… We have more control than we think about whether the world is perceived as beautiful or dangerous.”
This part 1 of a series on mental health at Carleton. We’ll be back soon with:
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Suzanne Blanchard, VP Students & Enrolment, on Carleton’s holistic approach to mental wellness
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Rebecca Drodge, a recent graduate, on Carleton’s peer wellness programs
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Shannon Noonan, Special Projects Officer for Student Mental Health Engagement and Pet Therapy, about Carleton’s impressive therapy dog programs
Stay tuned! Or to be sure you don’t miss them, take a moment to subscribe, here or by email at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
A special thank-you again to Benoit, Suzanne, Rebecca, Shannon, and the Carleton University videographers who made this possible!
“Blended” approaches to teaching and learning (sometimes also called “hybrid”) combine in-class discussion and activities with a substantial proportion of online course delivery. Done well, blended courses can combine the best of online and on-campus pedagogy, improve student learning outcomes, provide flexibility for non-traditional students, and even save institutions on classroom space and operating costs. To really maximize flexibility for students, about a dozen institutions are pilot-testing “HyFlex” courses, which allow students to seamlessly shift between attending class in person, joining in synchronously online, or catching the class asynchronously later – and they can change their mind, fluidly, from day to day. HyFlex courses might just be the best way to ensure academic continuity in the face of campus disruptions, whether floods, wildfires, earthquakes, or even… global pandemics.
This week, Ken Steele sits down (via Zoom) with Dr Jenni Hayman, Chair of Teaching & Learning at Cambrian College (in Sudbury Ontario), to learn more.
The goal of HyFlex course design is to give students access to equivalent learning experiences, whether in-person, synchronous or asynchronous. There are “affordances” to each mode of delivery: in-person and synchronous learning provides immediacy, access to body language and conversational interaction. Asynchronous learning allows students to pace themselves, reflect more, and participate online if they are uncomfortable doing so in class. Giving students choices allows them to accommodate changing life needs, from work or childcare responsibilities to inclement weather or self-isolation. Choice also helps motivate adult learners, empowering them and engaging them more.
Hyflex learning design starts with learning outcomes, with thought to encouraging active learning and authentic assessment. Only then does the HyFlex teacher start to think about technology and delivery modes, and the different activities that can happen in different spaces. How live on-campus students interact with online students depends on the approach of the faculty member, who needs to juggle the needs of three audiences simultaneously. At a minimum, all the students will share an asynchronous LMS shell, and ideally the students will support each other and help each other learn. “Leveraging the learners is where the gold is,” Jenni observes.
The challenge for faculty developing and delivering effective HyFlex courses is (naturally) finding enough time for planning, for the technology learning curve, and for maximizing use of the LMS. Hyflex takes as least as much time and effort to plan as a fully asynchronous online course. Jenni is really appreciative of the Cambrian faculty members who have been partnering with the Teaching & Learning Innovation Hub, who are open-minded and eager experimenters with pedagogy like HyFlex.
HyFlex is still a relatively new delivery method. In addition to Cambrian, there are 8 US institutions pioneering HyFlex: Ohio State University, University of Denver (University College), University of Michigan, Montana State University Billings, San Francisco State University, University of St Thomas (Minnesota), and Peirce College (Philadelphia), and Delgado Community College (Louisiana). Internationally, HyFlex is also being used at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium.
At Cambrian, 3 of the 4 HyFlex programs are graduate certificates, which appeal both to working Canadians and to international students. (The former find distance learning more flexible, but immigration requirements demand that the latter study in-person on campus.)
For successful HyFlex delivery, institutions need to think through the learner experience and the experimental mode of teaching, and ensure that there are adequate supports and expertise in place to help faculty and students alike. The most important thing we are learning right now, Jenni observes, is “digital red-lining.” Many community college students do not have access at home to broadband internet or modern computers for effective online learning. Many programs and students at community college also need face-to-face, hands-on vocational learning opportunities. The students will need additional support, encouragement and care to be successful online.
Thank you to Cambrian's marketing office, for providing stock video footage to help illustrate this interview.
An even bigger thank you to University College at the University of Denver, for generously allowing us to use excerpts from their video, "Hyflex Lab at University College," to provide a really helpful look at a HyFlex class in action. (Unfortunately there would be no way to film a class on campus at the moment.) You can see their beautiful 2-minute video at https://youtu.be/zwTdscUPUHo
For the latest emerging trends and bright ideas shaping the future of higher education, subscribe to Ken’s free daily newsletter, the Eduvation Insider, at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
The fifth annual Ten with Ken Holiday Special continues our review of highlights from more than 500 college and university greeting videos released around the world last December. In part 3, “Festive & Fuzzy,” we turn to the cuddlier side of the season, with a look at campus mascots, puppy dogs, and classic movies.
Mascots appear often in holiday videos, as we saw in parts 1 and 2, including the University of Virginia’s Cavalier, Upper Iowa University’s Pete the Peacock, Wheaton College’s Roary the Lion, James Madison University’s Duke Dog, and Cape Breton University’s Caper. Mascots played Santa as well, such as JW the Mustang in Western University’s video. At Atlanta’s Emory University, it was not the official mascot, Swoop the Eagle, but the “spirit” of campus, Dooley the Biology Lab Skeleton, who played Santa. The best-in-class “Mascot as Santa” video, though, came from the University of Alabama: Big Al, the elephant, was rushing around campus dispensing gifts, when he needs to figure out how to cheer up a disappointed little girl.
Although cat videos (like my current fave, Owl Kitty) dominate the internet, when it comes to higher ed holiday videos, it’s all canines all the way! They make cameo appearances at tree-lighting ceremonies, music recitals, and even serve as a prop for presidents. An adorable golden retriever puppy warmed up the bonfire at Algoma University. Two malteses cheered up a fireside chat from Quinnipiac University president Judy Olian. At Duke University, president Vincent Price recited a poem to his golden doodle and labradoodle.
Dogs are also increasingly the stars of holiday videos. Teddy and Travis toured the College of Veterinary Medicine at Ohio State University. At North Carolina’s Meredith College, president Jo Allen’s dog Bachelor has starred in holiday greetings for years – delivering ornaments and candy canes, making a fitness resolution and hitting the treadmill. Last year, he took us on an aerial tour of campus, flying his WWI prop plane. Bachelor has earned a special lifetime achievement award for his contributions so far.
Landmark College president Peter Eden talked to the animals – by Facetime! And the campus therapy dogs texted each other. And speaking of therapy dogs, the theme of well-being has been increasing in holiday videos. The SAIT Student Association released several videos last year emphasizing support services. The Thompson Rivers University student life office produced a tongue-in-cheek video about winter wellness. And of course, plenty of videos focus on homesickness and loneliness.
Lonely mascots often find a happy ending. At the University of California Merced, Rufus the Bobcat felt neglected by busy students until he launched a campus feel-good initiative. At the University of Guelph, Gryph snuggled up to watch holiday videos with president Franco Vaccarino. At Scotland’s University of Stirling, the mascot Squirrel was deeply depressed until he was brought into a warm circle of friends to celebrate the holidays. “Be the Difference” was the best-in-class video of this type last year.
Often, lonely mascots parody classic Christmas movies like “Home Alone,” eating tons of ice cream and getting into trouble. Last year it was Penn State’s Nittany Lion, and the University of Alberta’s GUBA the golden bear. But we also saw the president of Regis University, Father John Fitzgibbons, recreating holiday classics like “Home Alone,” “Elf,” “Christmas Vacation” and even “Love Actually.” With even higher production standards, the John Chambers School of Business & Economics at West Virginia U produced a wonderful best-in-class collection of movie parodies. It was matched only by another outstanding parody of “Christmas Vacation” from the University of Tennessee – Martin, in which Chancellor Keith Carver performs superbly. Of course, the other popular holiday movie parody was “The Grinch,” from UK’s Newcastle & Stafford Colleges Group to Bellarmine University.
This episode contains clips from more than 500 higher ed holiday videos that Ken collected last year. You can find our full collection of 2018 videos on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXZ7unDyH9cDK-lwTwGul7B
And we’ve started collecting 2019 higher ed holiday videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXaztYot1vitgTZ5AHfAfJk
If you want to add one, please use this special link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXaztYot1vitgTZ5AHfAfJk&jct=Tm_lbyblL2ee4fhdD9En0aFVEu-NVg
After 3 parts and 40 minutes, we may have done what we can for this month. Ten with Ken will be back in January with more serious topics, from virtual reality in pedagogy, to student mental health and therapy dogs. To be sure you don’t miss a thing, be sure to subscribe at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
The “Ten with Ken” Holiday Special continues with part 2: Season’s Eatings!
Every year, baked goods and particularly gingerbread are prominent in higher ed holiday greeting videos. Often, we see students baking together, such as in a best-in-class vid from Wellesley College last year. More often than not, the bakers are joined by the school mascot, like Azul the Eagle at Florida Gulf Coast University. At Laurentian University, interim president Pierre Zundel made the rounds, spreading holiday cheer and deliciously empty calories around the campus library. At Cape Breton University, the cookies were a family recipe of mascot “the Caper”. At James Madison University, in Harrisburg Virginia, Duke the Dog likes to bake solo – but as a result, the cookies were shaped like dog treats!
Decorating gingerbread cookies is an event in and of itself. At William Paterson University, in New Jersey, president Helldobler hosted a cookie decorating party at his home. Stanford University included a life-sized gingerbread house in their holiday video – with decorations that looked good enough to eat! At Utah’s Dixie State University, president Biff Williams and his family get into a food fight while baking holiday cookies.
Gingerbread often sparks some friendly competition. At Boston University, students from Engineering and Fine Arts were pitted against each other to build the perfect gingerbread house, in an amusing best-in-class video. At the University of the Fraser Valley, culinary arts, indigenous visual art, and engineering push technology even further, creating an award-winning gingerbread house using a laser cutter. The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee shared some amusing examples of gingerbread construction fails in another best-in-class video. Several holiday videos included campfire singalongs, like those from Algoma University or Trent University, toasting marshmallows or even making s’mores – like at Wheaton College in Massachusetts.
Quite a few institutions released recipe-style baking videos, including “high altitude baking tips” from Colorado State University, and a 350-year-old meat pie recipe from Loughborough University. More metaphorically, the University of Waterloo Faculty of the Environment shared their own secrets for success.
Gathering to share a holiday meal is a powerful ritual, explored in videos from Colorado College, Tarleton State University, the University of Toronto Mississauga, and the University of Windsor. But perhaps the most moving holiday video depicting a campus meal came from the University of Aberdeen. It depicted a student, away from loved ones, baking tarts to contribute to a holiday feast on campus with her friends. The warmth of the group shines through the cold winter night, as they stroll through the Aberdeen campus, and join the tree-lighting ceremony. Definitely a best in class, this was one of the overall besthigher ed holiday videos last year.
This episode contains clips from more than 500 higher ed holiday videos that Ken collected last year. You can find our full collection of 2018 videos on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXZ7unDyH9cDK-lwTwGul7B
And we’ve started collecting 2019 higher ed holiday videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXaztYot1vitgTZ5AHfAfJk
If you want to add one, please use this special link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXaztYot1vitgTZ5AHfAfJk&jct=Tm_lbyblL2ee4fhdD9En0aFVEu-NVg
Ten with Ken will be back in a few more days with part 3 of our Holiday Special, “When the Fur Flies” - featuring parodies of classic films and Christmas carols, multiple mascots, and plenty of wagging puppy dog tails. To be sure you don’t miss it, be sure to subscribe at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Meanwhile, if you missed part 1, “Mid-Winter Magic,” you can catch it at https://youtu.be/NGWq5-4xWl0
This year’s “Ten with Ken” Holiday Special starts with part 1: Midwinter Magic!
In last year’s higher ed holiday videos, campus marketers were clearly anxious about doing a good job, such as at the Bryan School of Business & Economics at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Upper Iowa University, Chambers College of Business & Economics at West Virginia University, and Newcastle & Stafford College Group. Some campus leaders invite lots of input, such as at the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California. But president Ryan of the University of Virginia took matters into his own hands, in the best-in-class “presidential message” video.
As always, hundreds of videos were just animated greeting cards, but some stood out from UBC Okanagan, Otis College of Art & Design in Los Angeles, and the Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon University. The best-in-class “miniature campus” video came from New York’s Barnard College. We saw tree-trimming or tree-lighting ceremonies at Sweet Briar College, Mount Saint Vincent University, King’s University College, and DePaul University. Meadow Brook Hall at Oakland University was decked with all the trimmings, while Elon University released an hour-long “yule log” video (without a fireplace).
Many campuses are beautiful in winter, and snow sports featured in videos from Bishop’s University, McGill University, Western Carolina University, and Trent University. At the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management staged ice sculpting. But in the southern hemisphere, the holidays fall at the height of summer – so Santa visits the University of Western Australia wearing shorts and sandals!
One new trend in last year’s videos was giant snowglobes on campuses, including Grand Valley State University in Michigan the University of Leicester in England, and the University of La Verne.
Although it started two years back, the use of robots in holiday videos really accelerated last year. Some good examples came from the University of South Florida, the UCLA Robotics & Mechanisms Lab, Germany’s Forschungszentrum Informatic research centre, and perhaps even the Western University Archives.
Eschewing tradition, the Chancellor of Purdue University Indianapolis was sent on a scavenger hunt, while at Oklahoma State University, president Burns Hargis and his wife took on whitewater rafting. Chancellor Susan Koch of the University of Illinois Springfield became a cartoon and went snowboarding with the provost, while president Feridun Hamdullahpur of the University of Waterloo was turned into claymation in the best-in-class “animated president” video.
Animated presidents were just a new twist on the longstanding tradition of amusing videos from animation students, and last year we saw good examples from Sheridan College, Centennial College, and Emily Carr University of Art & Design. The best-in-class “animated greeting” video came from Scotland’s University of Stirling.
This episode contains clips from about 60 of the 500+ higher ed holiday videos that Ken collected last year. You can find our full collection of 2018 videos on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXZ7unDyH9cDK-lwTwGul7B
And we’ve started collecting 2019 higher ed holiday videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXaztYot1vitgTZ5AHfAfJk
If you want to add one, please use this special link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXaztYot1vitgTZ5AHfAfJk&jct=Tm_lbyblL2ee4fhdD9En0aFVEu-NVg
Ten with Ken will be back in a couple of days with part 2 of our Holiday Special, “Season’s Eatings” - featuring gingerbread, baking, smores, campus feasts and more. To be sure you don’t miss it, be sure to subscribe at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Meanwhile, you can watch last year’s Holiday Countdown at https://youtu.be/g1KhnHCqMqw
So-called “maker spaces” are proliferating in campus libraries, but truly effective ones require much more than a 3D printer and some shiny new toys. This week, Ken Steele chats with Kerry Harmer, the Maker Studio Specialist at Mount Royal University, about the potential connections between academic makerspaces and undergraduate curriculum and pedagogy. Makerspaces are creative spaces for thinking differently, Kerry explains, “a place for students to make a mess, to be creative, and a safe environment to get things wrong.”
MRU’s Maker Studio is a bright, glass-walled space on the main floor of the Riddell Library & Learning Centre. (If you missed our episode on MRU’s new $110 million library, check it out: https://youtu.be/eSM-wyyxXVs ). The Maker Studio has 3D printers and scanners, laser cutters, 7 kinds of sewing machines, and a full suite of electronics and robotics from Little Bits to ADA Fruit, Raspberry Pi, Arduino and more. (For an inventory of equipment and software see https://library.mtroyal.ca/teaching/makerstudio/resources ).
Mount Royal’s Maker Studio is “completely barrier-free,” open to students, faculty, staff and the external community in Calgary, free of charge. Because material costs can cause users to second-guess themselves, all materials for 3D printing are offered completely free as part of the pilot year, to help build digital literacies and see how the technology gets used.
So why do Makerspaces so often wind up in campus libraries? Meagan Bowler, Dean of Libraries at MRU, explains that “a library collection is not just a collection of books. It can be a collection of software, of tools. It aligns with our mission to collect the things our users need to create new knowledge and get it out there into the world.” Moreover, Kerry Harmer emphasizes that locating new technologies centrally on a campus removes barriers, inspires interdisciplinary collaboration, and democratizes the technology. “There’s a real kind of magic and synergy, peer learning and self-directed learning” when students from across the university work beside each other in the space.
A big part of Kerry’s job is working with faculty across many disciplines to develop unexpected curriculum connections for their students and class projects. Science and technology faculty and students actually seem to be using the Maker Studio less than students in the Arts and elsewhere. So far, more than 24 courses from all faculties have done coursework in the Maker Studio, from Math, Child Studies, and Interior Design, to Social Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship classes. Makerspaces are increasingly part of the learning commons in primary and secondary schools, so it’s really important that MRU’s pre-service elementary school teachers get familiar with the technologies that will be in the K-12 curriculum they will teach. In addition to working one-on-one with faculty across the university, Kerry is developing a full-day faculty workshop to expose them to the design thinking process, and the resources of the Maker Studio. Then faculty can better consider how to incorporate making experiences into their curricula, and how to assess the learning that lies behind student creations.
Maker spaces are about much more than 3D printers, which “can only output as good as you put in.” The key, Kerry explains, is to understand that the learning in a makerspace “is not necessarily about the making; sometimes it’s about the thinking,” from problem definition and human-centred design to design thinking. The ideation process is similar, for a 3D print or a traditional essay: “The tools are just the output for the thinking that happens in the Maker Studio, which is creative, which is innovative… it’s about making change.”
Special thanks to Mount Royal University for hosting our visit and providing the videographers for this episode.
Next time, we’ll return to MRU to explore the 360° VR Immersion Studio in more depth. To be sure you don’t miss it, take a moment to subscribe at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host 10K at your campus, more information is available at http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/
For decades, college and university libraries have been continuously renovating their space and replacing technology. But what would a 21st-century library look like if you could build it from scratch, with a $100 million budget? Two years ago, Calgary’s Mount Royal University got the chance to do just that! This week, Ken Steele talks with MRU Provost Lesley Brown and Dean of Libraries Meagan Bowler about the Riddell Library & Learning Centre.
When it was announced that Mount Royal College would gain university status, the existing library was “woefully inadequate.” “We knew that we would have to build our collections, expand our services, and the information environment was changing in a rapid way,” Meagan explains.
The new $110 million facility opened in 2017 as the new centerpiece of the campus, and also houses MRU’s Department of Education, Student Learning Services, the Institute for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and the Academic Development Centre for faculty. The furnishings, architecture and zoning are designed to be progressively quieter from floor 1 through 4, and student spaces range from purely introverted study carrels and cozy benches for two, through lounge spaces and walking desks. But the 34 collaboration rooms have been the biggest hit, constantly booked up by students.
The MRU Library is a testament to active learning and emerging technologies. “We knew that students weren’t just consuming information,” Meagan explains. “They needed space and technology to engage with it, to mobilize it, to create it, to hack it up, to change it and to share it with other people.” The main floor “Ideas Lounge,” and a similar classroom, feature massive 6x3 screen touch-enabled visualization walls that allow groups to engage with multiple inputs simultaneously. The building also includes a VR Experience Lab, audio recording suites, and media production studios. In particular, we’ll focus on the 360-degree “Immersion Studio” and the “Maker Studio” in upcoming episodes.
The campus library is the “heart” of the university, explains Lesley, but also an “interstitial space” for exploring teaching practices, accessing and engaging with new information and technologies. MRU centralized these facilities to make them available across faculties and departments, and for interdisciplinary work. But an effective library needs more than space and resources, emphasizes Meagan: it also needs the expertise of talented librarians. “It’s a jungle out there in information-land,” she jests.
Special thanks to Mount Royal University for hosting our visit and providing the videographers for this episode.
In upcoming episodes, we’ll return to MRU to explore the Maker Studio and Immersion Studio in more depth. To be sure you don’t miss them, take a moment to subscribe at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host 10K at your campus, more information is available at http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/
Children are natural born scientists, with an insatiable curiosity and desire to experiment – but studies have demonstrated that somehow, through years of formal education, most teenagers lose their enthusiasm for science. By the time they are applying to college, less than a quarter say they remain very interested in science, which they consider “complicated” and “difficult” rather than “fun” or “inspiring.” (See the findings of the CFI’s “Canadian Youth Science Monitor” at https://www.innovation.ca/sites/default/files/news_items/Jun-7-2010-ipsos.pdf).
This week, Ken chats with Bonnie Schmidt, founder and president of Let’s Talk Science, about the importance of keeping young people engaged in STEM fields, and some recommendations for science teaching at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. She emphasizes that “what’s happening at K-12 is actually THE most important economic driver for this country.”
Since 1991, Let’s Talk Science has mobilized more than 26,000 college and university students to bring experiential, hands-on STEM activities to some 5 million elementary and secondary school students. LTS provides web tools, governance, resources, guidance and support for the student teams at no charge. “We love bringing science to life!” (For more information, check out http://letstalkscience.ca)
LTS has been leading Canada2067, an ambitious initiative examining international trends in STEM education, and mapping future directions for the next 50 years. (Check out their resources at https://canada2067.ca) Canada2067 brought together Grade 9/10 students, millennials, parents, teachers, industry and non-profit organization leaders, and policy makers across the country, and there was considerable agreement on some general principles, including:
RELEVANT: To keep students of any age engaged with course content, it has to be clearly relevant to their daily lives.
EXPERIENTIAL: Hands-on, group activities have been a key component of the Let’s Talk Science program for decades. (We explored the importance of experiential learning in this episode: https://youtu.be/DU1gRLZeEIo).
INTERDISCIPLINARY: Bonnie emphasizes that the best way to create relevance for students is to move towards “an interdisciplinary, issues-based” approach to teaching, addressing big global challenges from multiple perspectives. In Saskatchewan, for example, there are some interesting experiments in multidisciplinary senior-level science courses. But colleges and universities will need to accept those interdisciplinary credits, and higher ed instructors need to revisit the tradition of “teaching how we were taught.”
TEACHER PD: “We’re not investing enough in our teachers,” Bonnie laments, at any level of education. Teachers need resources, training, and time to develop lessons and share best practices.
PARENTS: “Parents are the #1 influencer of the students taking optional credits at high school,” and it’s crucial that parents urge their children to persist in STEM subjects even when they are challenging, to keep higher ed doors open. Parents also need to keep an open mind about non-traditional teaching approaches, such as experiential or inquiry-based learning.
“The world is undergoing such transformation right now,” Bonnie says, that we need to reconsider how we teach STEM in primary, secondary, and tertiary classrooms. Memorization is a far less important part of learning. We need accelerated ways to upskill and reskill displaced workers, and more pathways between universities and colleges. “We’re all recognizing that change is needed,” Bonnie says. “I have never actually seen the stars align with a desire to change in education at all levels that I’ve seen in Canada over the last 5 years.”
Bonnie Schmidt holds a PhD in Physiology from Western University, was identified as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, is a member of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She has chaired numerous national science education committees and task forces, and served on the board of governors of Ontario Tech University and the board of directors of the Ontario Genomics Institute.
Special thanks to Let’s Talk Science, who hosted Ken as keynote at the Digital Literacy Summit in Toronto in late January 2018, and provided the videographers for this interview.
Next time, 10K travels to Mount Royal University in Calgary, to check out the latest in makerspaces and immersive VR at the Riddell Library and Learning Centre. To be sure you don’t miss it, take a moment to subscribe at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host 10K at your campus, more information is available at http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/
This week, Ken gets a “taste” of social innovation at Simon Fraser University’s RADIUS incubator, speaking with co-director Shawn Smith and social entrepreneur Dylan Jones about their work. We learn how innovation requires bureaucratic flexibility, and Ken winds up at a loss for words with his mouth full of crickets!
For decades now, higher education has embraced the entrepreneurial incubator to promote the commercialization of software developers and research breakthroughs in engineering, chemistry and medicine. (10K covered the movement broadly in this episode on “Campus Incubators and Accelerators” https://youtu.be/kwMooswS_C8, and visited the University of Waterloo’s “Velocity Garage” https://youtu.be/lj1AnCfYRMk). But in recent years, a wave of incubators has begun appearing to support social enterprises, launched by a new generation of altruistic entrepreneurs and “changemakers,” focused on the so-called “triple bottom line.”
SFU’s Beedie School of Business established the RADIUS social innovation hub in 2013. (The name is an acronym for “Radical Ideas Useful to Society.”) Every year, RADIUS Fellows hosts emerging leaders in the social economy, and RADIUS ChangeLabs deliver extracurricular activities to SFU students. RADIUS’s Local Economic Development Lab (LEDlab) is working in Vancouver’s downtown eastside to build a more dynamic and inclusive economy (www.LEDLab.ca). They helped turn an informal group of wastepickers and recyclers into The Binners Project, with its own brand, marketing, and business model for R&D, cartsharing, and event services. (Learn more at www.binnersproject.org).
RADIUS Ventures delivers incubation support to startups at the business model validation stage, and acceleration support to growth-ready companies ready to attract venture capital. These social-purpose companies have potentially profitable business models, but also aim to improve society by addressing environmental sustainability, homelessness, and other social challenges. RADIUS “co-entrepreneurs” with the ventures, going deep and ensuring they provide a meaningful change in trajectory for the entrepreneur and the company.
One RADIUS venture was Zero Waste Market, Canada’s first package-free, zero-waste grocery store. (They changed their name literally days after this episode was completed, to Nada Grocery. Learn more at www.nadagrocery.com).
Another great example of a social enterprise incubated at RADIUS is Coast Protein, a sustainable energy bar and protein powder company (see www.coastprotein.com). Their products are all-natural, with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives, and very few ingredients – primarily Canadian-farmed cricket flour. Cricket protein is far more sustainable and nutritious than beef or chicken, explains CEO Ryan Jones: per pound of protein, cows take 13x more land, produce 100x more greenhouse gases, and require 2,000x more water. And instead of 30% protein by volume, crickets are 65% protein, while also being high in iron, calcium, and B12 – an essential vitamin often missing in vegetarian diets. It’s still “the wild west of crickets right now,” Ryan explains, and most of Coast Protein’s marketing budget goes to consumer education. People don’t realize that the insect protein market is already about $200 million annually in North America, and expected to grow to about $1.5 billion by 2023. Or that crickets taste like “burnt roasted almonds with a hint of roasted mushroom.”
Shawn observes that innovation can sometimes be challenging within a bureaucratic environment like a major public university. Entrepreneurs need to respect boundaries and structures, while remaining adaptive and responsive in an emergent space. RADIUS functions like a “skunkworks” at SFU, where risks can be taken, failures go quietly, and lessons can be learned. Academic innovators need their “pockets of innovation” to be protected from needless bureaucracy, and depend on “bridging innovators” in a wide range of departments, particularly in finance, to make their innovation work possible. Shawn emphasizes that SFU has a lot of these people, but that “they don’t always get the recognition they deserve.”
On the upside, though, a university setting provides a wealth of expertise and cutting-edge researchers in a wide range of disciplines, and an endless supply of enthusiastic students who deeply care about social issues and want to make the world a better place. Social incubators like RADIUS need to bring people together from disparate perspectives, to “bite off problems that people haven’t quite figured out yet,” and universities are an ideal setting in which to do that.
Shawn Smith is Director of Social Innovation at Simon Fraser University, co-founder and co-director of RADIUS, and an adjunct professor in the Beedie School of Business. He earned an MBA in social entrepreneurship from the University of Oxford in 2010, and has spent 12 years working in social impact organizations, including Impacto Quito, Global Agents for Change, and Education Generation.
Special thanks to Shawn Smith, Dylan Jones, and the SFU videographers who made this episode possible.
For more information about SFU’s RADIUS, please visit www.RadiusSFU.com.
Next week, Ken sits down with Bonnie Schmidt, founder of Let’s Talk Science, about how we can improve science education at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. To be sure you don’t miss it, take a moment to subscribe at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host 10K at your campus, more information is available at http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/
Despite its significant sticker price, higher education doesn’t often come with a guarantee. After all, what a student learns, and how they put their skills to work in the world, has more to do with their own effort than anything the institution can do. But in a world of labour market uncertainty and rising career anxiety, students and their parents are often looking for a “sure thing” -- high employment placement rates, impressive starting salaries, or a guaranteed return on investment.
For the past 10 years, one university in Canada has been offering students a literal guarantee that they will find career-related employment within six months of graduation: the University of Regina, in Saskatchewan. This week, Ken Steele sits down with president Vianne Timmons to discuss the “UR Guarantee,” a recruitment marketing tool that also drives student retention and career success.
Unlike many extended warranties, the UR Guarantee had to be offered free to all undergraduate students, to enhance accessibility rather than being an elite program for a select few who could afford it. From the moment a student signs up, they are assigned a mentor who helps them design a program to get engaged on campus, in clubs, sports, student government, etc., depending on their interests. To stay eligible for the Guarantee, students must access academic counselling and support services, take resume-writing and employment interview workshops, and attend networking events. They also have to volunteer, on campus and in the community – providing significant energy and enthusiasm to the University’s campus ambassador program. They must maintain a 70% GPA, and keep a daily log of their networking and job search activities. After all that, the University’s career services staff will work with new graduates for 6 months, to find them a job related to their field of study. If they are unsuccessful, they are welcome to return to campus and take up to 10 additional courses, tuition-free.
Obviously, the UR Guarantee is effective as a recruitment differentiator: students come from across North America, attracted by the prospect of guaranteed employment upon graduation. But the program is actually much more than a marketing gimmick: it ensures that students are aware of the support services and advising that they ought to be accessing on campus, and it even reduces any perceived stigma around using them, by effectively requiring it in order not to “void their warranty.”
The UR Guarantee was developed to address a key driver of student attrition: lack of engagement with extracurriculars and the support services that prepare students for transition to the world of work. The initiative was intended to increase student retention, success and satisfaction, and it works: students enrolled in the program are 8% more likely to persist, and they graduate more employable and career-ready.
The offer of free tuition doesn’t actually cost the University of Regina much at all: in 10 years offering the Guarantee, just 2 students have had to return to campus to take additional classes. But the University has had to invest significantly in additional support staff to meet the demand – paid for thanks to the increased persistence of more than 1,800 students enrolled in the Guarantee program.
In Canada, at least 2 other universities have launched similar programs in the wake of the UR Guarantee: Concordia University of Edmonton has a “Concordia Commitment” program, and Nipissing University offers “the Nipissing Promise.” Vianne would certainly encourage other institutional leaders to consider the approach as a powerful driver of student engagement.
You can read more about the UR Guarantee at https://www.uregina.ca/urguarantee/about/index.html
Vianne Timmons began her teaching career on the Babine First Nations Reserve in BC, and was appointed President & Vice-Chancellor of the University of Regina in 2008. She has helped advance Indigenization through dozens of initiatives, and two successive strategic plans. Vianne is one of 12 recipients of the national 2019 Indspire Award.
Shot on location at First Nations University, on the University of Regina campus, in October 2018, by campus videography staff – thank you again!
Next week, we visit RadIUS, the social innovation incubator at Simon Fraser University, and learn why we should all start eating bugs, for the good of our health and the planet. To be sure you don’t miss it, take a moment to subscribe at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host 10K at your campus, more information is available at http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/
This week, Ken Steele chats with Maureen Adamson, president of Fleming College, about how higher ed leaders can sustain a culture of innovation on campus, particularly by investing in our people.
“The most important thing” Maureen says, is to “give the gift of time” to front-line faculty and staff to reflect and innovate. “It can’t be someone in a back room trying to think something up.” We also need to invest in our people. “We want our faculty to be best in class; that requires investment and professional development.” It’s also important to bring in external perspectives for lectures and workshops, to help campus personnel “think outside the box” and “beyond our navel,” to be exposed to the many innovative ideas out there in higher ed around the world. “There’s a lot of fabulous stuff out there that is mind-blowing,” she observes.
Maureen has publicly committed that, even in times of serious budgetary pressure, “there will be no cuts to professional development at Fleming College.” Ken observes that it seems particularly appropriate for institutions committed to education, to also be committed to the continuing education of their people. “There is no evidence to say that cutting PD is helpful,” Maureen observes wryly.
From her career experience in the healthcare sector, Maureen has learned that research, whether pure or applied, requires some tolerance for mistakes. “We have to give people the opportunity to take a risk, and to make mistakes… That’s the only way we’re going to get to that point of innovation.” Between academic rigour and public-sector accountability, Ken points out, public colleges and universities experience a compound, cultural “double whammy” that discourages innovation and risk-taking, particularly at the levels of middle management and front-line staff and faculty. Maureen emphasizes that “it’s all about accountability,” and accountability frameworks need to allow front-line personnel to take some calculated risks. “These kinds of approaches are all hands on deck, and they’re very iterative.”
From her experience in government, Maureen knows first-hand that bureaucracy “is very risk averse.” Colleges are fortunate to be a few steps removed from that bureaucracy, and to have some latitude “to change things up.” Maureen believes we have to shift the centre of power to faculty in the classroom, and to the student experience itself. Finally, she observes, in a bureaucratic environment, even if people don’t want to hear it, “you always must speak truth to power… It allows you to sleep at night.”
Maureen Adamson is president of Sir Sandford Fleming College, in the region of Peterborough Ontario. She has 25 years of leadership experience in PSE, healthcare, government and the not-for-profit sector. She has previously served as President & CEO of the Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences and of Cystic Fibrosis Canada, as VP Corporate Services at Mohawk College, and as Deputy Minister of both Tourism, Culture and Sport and of the Status of Women for the government of Ontario.
A sincere thank-you to Fleming College for arranging the onsite videography for this episode.
Next week, Ken’s conversation with Maureen Adamson concludes with her thoughts on how to nurture a culture of innovation on campus by investing in our people. To be sure you don’t miss it, take a moment to subscribe at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host 10K at your campus, more information is available at http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/
This week, Ken Steele’s conversation continues with Maureen Adamson, president of Fleming College in Peterborough Ontario. Maureen was formerly Ontario’s Deputy Minister responsible for the Status of Women, so this week Ken asks her thoughts on gender equity and increasing diversity in higher education.
When it comes to equity of access and success of women in higher ed, “we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Maureen admits bluntly. We know that high-performing organizations require balanced boards of governors, and yet we still don’t see that in many industries. We need to start teaching young people about being leaders and volunteers in the community, and that leadership needs to start at PSE campuses. In particular, she says, “we need to debunk the theory that women don’t want to go into trades and technology because it’s dirty work. It’s not!” Fleming College will be focusing on cultivating interest in these critical areas for our future economy, at a very young age.
Maureen also emphasizes that the pay gap between women and men to this day remains “alarming.” (In Canada, it is often cited that women earn 87¢ for every dollar earned by men. In the US, women’s earning ratio has risen slowly from 61% in the 1960s to about 78% in 2013.) Maureen also observes that even at the highest levels, women serving on boards and as CEOs still don’t earn the same as men. “There’s a gap in the labour market, and this is one that colleges have a responsibility to fill.”
In higher education, although the number of female college and university presidents has been increasing, leadership in the sector remains male-dominated, but “we’re making strides,” Maureen observes. (A quick survey of Ontario college presidents finds 11 females and 14 males, or about 44% female.)
Campus student populations are becoming more and more diverse, as institutions recruit increasing numbers of international students, and encourage participation by under-represented groups like visible minorities, students with disabilities, and indigenous students. As colleges recruit more international students in particular, Maureen observes, we need to ensure those students are socially and academically integrated so that all students benefit from the richness of student diversity on campus. (A recent CBIE survey found that 74% of international students in Canada report some difficulty getting involved in campus life.)
“We have to make it front and centre to be an inclusive and diverse college and culture,” Maureen asserts. Especially in smaller communities, without widespread diversity in the population, colleges have to pursue international exchanges and partnerships to create a diverse experience for students. The global student today is “super-global,” Maureen explains, and colleges have to respond to that. Global perspectives are crucial to prepare our students to be global citizens, and employees or entrepreneurs who can be successful in a global economy. It has to be “front and centre” as a priority, Maureen insists. “It has to be accomplished through active participation. We can’t just sit around and say we’re going to be inclusive and diverse, but without action.”
Maureen Adamson is president of Sir Sandford Fleming College, in the region of Peterborough Ontario. She has 25 years of leadership experience in PSE, healthcare, government and the not-for-profit sector. She has previously served as President & CEO of the Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences and of Cystic Fibrosis Canada, as VP Corporate Services at Mohawk College, and as Deputy Minister of both Tourism, Culture and Sport and of the Status of Women for the government of Ontario.
A sincere thank-you to Fleming College for arranging the onsite videography for this episode.
Next week, Ken’s conversation with Maureen Adamson concludes with her thoughts on how to nurture a culture of innovation on campus by investing in our people. To be sure you don’t miss it, take a moment to subscribe at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host 10K at your campus, more information is available at http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/
This week, Ten with Ken visits Fleming College, in Peterborough Ontario, where Ken Steele and president Maureen Adamson discuss the labour market needs of the fourth industrial revolution, and the need to prepare college students with interdisciplinary programs and the so-called “soft skills” in demand by employers.
Some of the biggest challenges facing higher education institutions, aside from budget pressure and demographic shifts, are the rapidly-evolving labour market. Most elementary students today will work in jobs that don’t yet exist. Artificial intelligence and automation are widely projected to impact at least half of all human jobs over the next few decades, and already prototypes have been unveiled of semi-autonomous vehicles, bricklayers, drywallers, news anchors, and even master chefs. In the past few decades, the jobs that have increased most worldwide are not those that require STEM skills, but those that require people skills, communication and emotional intelligence.
Fleming College is helping prepare students for a changing world, Maureen explains, through interdisciplinary experiential programs at its Kawartha Trades & Technology Centre. In this new 87,000-square-foot facility, plumbers, carpenters, and electricians work together to build an entire house. Students gain “hard”, technical skills, but also those critical social and teamwork skills.
Multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and interprofessional training will become even more vital as “narrow” AI gets more and more capable of automating work within individual specialties. Ken shares Kai Fu Lee’s schema of AI’s impact on the labour market, which divides employment into 4 quadrants based on the level of creativity and strategic thinking required, and the level of “compassion” or social skills required. Lee predicts that routine, impersonal jobs will be fully automated within 5-10 years, while routine interpersonal tasks will require a partnership between an AI performing “back-end” tasks (like interpreting medical scans) and a human explaining those results to a patient. More creative, transdisciplinary work will require humans working in conjunction with AI tools for the foreseeable future. (Check out Kai Fu Lee’s TEDx talk, “How AI can save our humanity,” at https://youtu.be/ajGgd9Ld-Wc).
The fourth industrial revolution, caused by the impact of AI and automation on the labour market, means that today’s college graduates will desperately need the so-called “soft skills” like creative, strategic and transdisciplinary thinking, as well as interpersonal communication and empathy. “Not everything is technical,” Maureen emphasizes, which is why Fleming tries to integrate arts and humanities skills into many of its courses. Ken cites Scott Hartley’s argument (in the Fuzzy and the Techie) that “the antidote to technological irrelevance is to become MORE human, not less.”
Experiential, team-based collaborative learning models will help young people in particular become workforce-ready, and develop the interpersonal and workplace skills that many students no longer gain through part-time jobs. Maureen observes that “students need to learn how to learn,” and emphasizes the importance of the employer perspective on skills and competencies. (A 2015 Canadian survey by McKinsey found that 83% of educators, 44% of students, and just 34% of employers felt that today’s youth are being adequately prepared for the world of work.) “The more we can listen to our industry partners” about their needs, Maureen believes, the more colleges can “create programs in more of a design-thinking fashion.” For Fleming, and most colleges, “it’s going to be a culture shift” that will take significant time, as well as “investment in our people.”
A sincere thank-you to Fleming College for arranging the onsite videography for this episode.
Next week, Ken’s conversation with Maureen Adamson turns to diversity and equity in higher education, both in terms of gender parity and the integration of international students and perspectives. To be sure you don’t miss it, take a moment to subscribe at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host 10K at your campus, more information is available at http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/
The distinction between 2-year colleges and 4-year universities is becoming increasingly blurred, with the rise of polytechnics, collaborative and dual enrolment programs, postgrad certificates at university and applied degrees at colleges. (Sheridan College has not been coy about its ambitions to eventually become a university itself.) This week, Ken Steele’s conversation with Janet Morrison, president and vice-chancellor of Sheridan, concludes with an exploration of the differences and synergies between university and college.
Janet feels strongly that “this bifurcated lens on PSE in Ontario… really isn’t meeting the needs of learners today,” much less the needs of learners or the workforce of the future. “The system has to evolve” to ensure we are preparing students to be “agile, change-adept, resilient, independent, creative thinkers comfortable in a morphing space.”
Sheridan offers 26 four-year honours baccalaureate degree programs, with exceptional quality and university-equivalent rigor. All incorporate work-integrated learning, through co-op, placements, internships, capstone projects, and applied research – what a student called “the secret sauce” of a Sheridan education. Faculty members are actively engaged with industry, community, and NGOs to stay current. “What we’re doing is at the nexus of both a theoretical and a practical preparatory program, that positions students for work and life.”
Students already realize that they will be faced with an average of 11 career changes between ages 20 and 45; they will need skills and competencies to position them “as lifelong learners and adept, agile change-agents.” Higher ed will need to consider new approaches to credentialing and microcredentialing, to ease pathways for credit transfer between programs and institutions. At Sheridan, much attention is paid to pathways in, through, and out of the institution: fully one-quarter of Sheridan students arrive already having earned a university degree; there are 70 different pathways from Sheridan trades and certificate programs through degrees; and the Provost and Registrar often work with Sheridan grads to gain entry into graduate study. For 40 years, Sheridan has developed pathway agreements with universities in Canada and the US, but even graduates of Sheridan’s #1-ranked animation program still “don’t have unfettered access to graduate programming,” which suggests to Janet that the whole system needs “a rethink.” “If we expect students to navigate gray space… we have to do it too.” Janet also emphasizes the growing need to better develop global competency, and recognize the prior learning and life experience of international students.
Conversations about credit transfer, and a rethink of the PSE system, will be difficult and will demand courage and creativity. But Janet asserts, “if you position learning and learners at the centre, there’s far more alignment than you’d sometimes think.”
Dr Janet Morrison championed student success at York University for 17 years, ultimately as VP Students, before joining Sheridan College in 2016 as VP Academic, and 2 years later becoming Sheridan’s President. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in History and Education. (If you missed the previous parts of our conversation, see “Cultivating Creativity” at https://youtu.be/awH4WVFV-hcand “Mental Health & Student Success” at https://youtu.be/u3fHpn2Pt4A).
Every week, Ten with Ken shares innovations and bright ideas affecting higher education. To be sure you don’t miss it, be sure to subscribe! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Special thanks to Sheridan College for the onsite videography. (If you would like to host an onsite episode of Ten with Ken, please see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for more information.)
Colleges and universities are investing more and more resources into student retention and success initiatives, and student mental health has become an escalating crisis on many campuses. This week, Ken Steele sits down with Janet Morrison, president and vice-chancellor of Sheridan College, to discuss some lessons she has learned over 25 years as a champion of student success, in the university and college sectors.
There is a wealth of research into student success, and Janet believes in programming that is “evidence-based and theoretically informed.” Institutions now need to understand their own specific demographics, and pilot-test interventions. Janet emphasizes that “on many levels student success is a commentary on privilege,” and many students at commuter institutions (like York or Sheridan) have very different experiences than the faculty or administrators responsible for their education. Many students are working in excess of 26 hours a week, and commuting an average of 2 hours daily, while attending school full time, and potentially also juggling responsibilities for dependents and significant debt. We need to “co-define success” with learners, in ways much more holistic than mere grade-point averages. Janet emphasizes the crucial importance of “purpose”, because when things inevitably become challenging, “that sense of purpose is the pull, the energy, the fuel, the accelerant to help students make it to the next gatepost.” She is truly inspired by the perseverance and dedication of many students who have overcome incredible obstacles.
Institutions can help support student success by conducting research to identify the top ten obstacles to student learning, which will differ by campus and by student demographic. Students need a sense of academic culture, and particularly for first-generation students, a lot of that falls to academic advising staff. Students need a sense of connection with faculty, staff and peers, and student affairs staff can organize co-curricular records, and promote wellness. “This really is a team effort” with staff and faculty fostering a sense of purpose, connectivity, and resourcefulness in our students.
Negative mental health in particular has been a rising issue on campus in recent years, with a significant increase in demand for counselling services on campus. Janet observes “a multitude of causal contributors” to the trend, but sums it up as, basically “life is more complicated.” Socioeconomic demands and anxieties, among incoming and graduating students, drives considerable stress. “There are limits to what post-secondary institutions can do to support students, and those are difficult conversations to be having.” Sheridan is trying to cultivate a healthy campus for students, staff, faculty and guests, but it’s a “really big” challenge. Students pursuing creative vocations can be particularly vulnerable, perhaps because they are more sensitive and introspective, and certainly need to face ongoing critique of their work.
Janet emphasizes the importance of psychological resilience, and shares one student’s metaphor of the “Bobo doll”: the ability to bounce back from setbacks and difficulties. “Being mentally health is a foundational requisite to student success,” and institutions need to continually improve. The crisis, however, is visible everywhere in broader society, in secondary and even primary schools: “it truly is the challenge of our time.”
Dr Janet Morrison championed student success at York University for 17 years, ultimately as VP Students, before joining Sheridan College in 2016 as VP Academic, and 2 years later becoming Sheridan’s President. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in History and Education. (If you missed part 1 of our conversation on “Cultivating Creativity”, check it out here: https://youtu.be/awH4WVFV-hc).
Next week, this 3-part series with Janet concludes with a look at the converging solitudes of colleges and universities (or 2-year and 4-year colleges). So you don’t miss it, be sure to subscribe! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Special thanks to Sheridan College for the onsite videography. (If you would like to host an onsite episode of Ten with Ken, please see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for more information.)
Sheridan College, in the suburbs of Toronto, is world renowned for its creative programs, such as top-ranked illustration and animation degrees – and it has built its entire institutional brand on the slogan “Get Creative.” This week, Ken Steele sits down with Janet Morrison, Sheridan’s president and vice-chancellor, to discuss how higher ed can cultivate creativity, equipping students with crucial skills for the future, and preparing staff and faculty across campus to embrace innovation and change.
Janet begins by explaining that Sheridan’s commitment to creativity goes far beyond the obvious creative programs. Creativity relates to people, process, product and space. CEOs and thinktanks agree that creative thinking will be an essential skill for graduates in the new economy, and AI experts anticipate that more creative functions will be the last to be automated. Creativity can a valuable “inoculator” against constant change and disruption, and provides tools to deal with ambiguity and complex problems. “The only certainty is that things are changing.”
Post-secondary education is a transformative experience, both personally and socially, beyond the undeniable economic impact on graduate earnings. Higher education cultivates a sense of happiness, leading to more social engagement, political activity, and volunteerism. “PSE is a public service. It does good things for the public,” Janet asserts. “How we foster engagement, teach and mentor them to be active citizens in a democracy really matters, maybe moreso today than ever.”
At Sheridan, they believe that creativity can indeed be taught: “it is totally possible.” More than 3,000 students, 300 staff, and 100 external community members have taken courses or workshops in innovation and creative thinking at Sheridan. Janet says the workshops “have fuelled creative thinking and innovation in not just our programs but our service delivery.” Sheridan’s mission is being “fuelled and accelerated” through training and development in creativity.
Sheridan is proud of its three “creative campuses,” which Janet explains authentically reflect the institution’s values. “Space matters… We want people to experience creativity from the minute they’re on our properties.” Sheridan has installations at its Creative Campus Galleries that challenge students, faculty and staff to reflect and rethink. An annual “creative speakers” series has brought Ken Dryden, Roberta Jamieson and others to campus, to cultivate curiosity and allow people to see the world through a different lens.
Janet emphasizes the importance of listening, consultation and collaboration, and “capitalizing on the contributions that students, faculty and staff can make to move the institution forward.” She has led an Academic Planning and now also a Strategic Planning process at Sheridan that aim to be “the most open and engaged in Sheridan’s history.” If you hire the right people, she observes, “they’re opinionated, well-educated, with great experiences” and inevitably disagree at times about the direction of their learning community. “When people care about the place, they’re going to express those opinions with a level of enthusiasm.” The task of the campus leader is to sift and sort, triangulate the input from across campus, and find “not consensus but a level of alignment and mutual agreement.”
Dr Janet Morrison championed student success at York University for 17 years, ultimately as VP Students, before joining Sheridan College in 2016 as VP Academic, and 2 years later becoming Sheridan’s President. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in History and Education.
Next week, Ken’s conversation with Janet continues, with a look at Mental Health and Student Success. So you don’t miss it, be sure to subscribe! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Special thanks to Sheridan College for the onsite videography. (If you would like to host an onsite episode of Ten with Ken, please see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for more information.)
This week, Ken Steele continues his conversation with Larry Rosia, the president and CEO of Saskatchewan Polytechnic, about the fourth industrial revolution, workforce changes, rising interdisciplinarity, and the strengths of polytechnic education – particularly, their close connections to industry. “We like to say we have industry in our DNA,” Larry says.
The fourth industrial revolution, as the World Economic Forum calls it, is being driven by the rapid development and adoption of artificial intelligence, robotics and automation in the workforce. “The topic fascinates me… but it’s one of the topics that keeps me awake at night as well,” Larry observes wryly. “The economy is changing, and the jobs of tomorrow are going to be significantly different than the jobs of today. The trouble is that tomorrow is coming sooner than we think.” Sectors are being disrupted, skill requirements are changing, and as the world of work evolves, higher education has to keep pace. Moreover, education itself is going to be disrupted by emerging technologies: “it’s hard to believe that we’re immune.” Larry challenges people at Saskatchewan Polytechnic to “disrupt or be disrupted.”
For 15 years now, the category of polytechnic institution has been gaining visibility in Canada, and many innovative college and university programs are hybrids of the two traditional approaches. Polytechnics are “the third way,” Larry observes, with applied learning, applied research, and strong partnerships with business and industry. But all three types of PSE play a role in the higher ed ecosystem.
Work-integrated learning is crucial, and 75% of SaskPolytech programs have a WIL component. Students take classroom learning to the jobsite, but they also learn skills on the jobsite, including the soft skills that employers are looking for. Polytechnics offer degrees that universities don’t offer, where industry is demanding advanced skills. Every program area has advisory committees of industry leaders, who review the curriculum for currency, skills and competencies. A growing number of college and university graduates are pursuing postgraduate education at SaskPolytech, to get the applied experience they need to get a job.
Saskatchewan Polytechnic recently reorganized its programs around industry sectors, to send the message that they are “open for business” and provide a clear point of contact for employers, and potential applied research partners. “If you want to be good in business, you have to make it easy for customers to do business with you.” The restructuring aligned SaskPolytech’s programs with industry, and as a result gave new momentum to interdisciplinary programs.
Some students are already pursuing polytechnic education, not to gain a traditional credential, but to gain the skills and competencies they need in their current job, for a new career, or to start a new business themselves. Larry uses the analogy of a music playlist to describe the sort of personalized education that will be coming soon: students are bundling courses together to prepare for careers that we’re not even thinking about. Companies like Google and Amazon have stated openly that they are no longer hiring based on credentials, but are seeking skills and competencies. Higher ed institutions need to become more nimble, and unbundle traditional programs so that students can assemble their own career pathway. Larry doesn’t believe that credentials will entirely cease to matter anytime soon, but unbundled learning will be critical for lifelong upskilling and reskilling.
Dr Larry Rosia (@LarryRosia on Twitter) has a background in telecommunications engineering, and holds a PhD in academic leadership from the University of Calgary. For more than 35 years, he has worked in higher education as an instructor, program chair, marketing manager, and senior administrator. Larry served as Dean of the School of Construction at SAIT from 1999-2012, and has been President and CEO of Saskatchewan Polytechnic (formerly SIAST) since 2012. He authored a 2009 book, “The Successful College President: Strategies for Leading in a Complex Environment.” Larry also sits on the boards of many organizations including Polytechnics Canada, Skills Canada Saskatchewan, the Chair Academy International Leadership Board, the International Mineral Innovation Institute, and the Saskatchewan Post Secondary International Education Council.
We have plenty more to come this year, so be sure to subscribe! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Special thanks to Saskatchewan Polytechnic for arranging the onsite videography. If you would like to host an onsite episode of Ten with Ken, please see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for more information.
This week, Ken Steele “takes off” to Saskatoon to speak with Larry Rosia, the president and CEO of Saskatchewan Polytechnic, about his institution’s four pillars of internationalization. They sit down in SP’s pilot training flight simulator for a conversation.
Internationalization has been a top priority for many institutions in Canada. Reports from the World Economic Forum and the Conference Board of Canada emphasize the importance of cultural competency as a workforce skill for the future, and it’s especially important in a globally exporting province like Saskatchewan. In order to internationalize the whole institution, SP has a four-pillar strategy:
1) Faculty & Student Exchanges, sending representatives abroad to study, teach and engage in applied research and project work. Not everyone wants to travel abroad, and the institution can’t afford to send everyone abroad, though.
2) Incoming International Students, recruiting students from priority countries to diversify classrooms in Canada. “Having a different lens, a different perspective, a different culture lend their ideas to a problem is really interesting,” and helps to spark innovative thinking on campus. “The solutions to today’s problems and tomorrow’s problems are interdisciplinary and intercultural.”
3) International Applied Research Projects engage SP with partners abroad, and students from various locations can collaborate and innovate via technology on a shared project.
4) International Project Work, such as providing pilot training to meet a country’s needs.
Ultimately, internationalization is critical because Canada needs immigration to sustain its population, and our students need to learn how to work with diverse cultures. They will graduate and work with companies that do business internationally, and if they have global competencies they will be more attractive to future employers. Larry emphasizes that “Saskatchewan runs on Saskatchewan Polytechnic,” and that cultural diversity is one of its differentiators and strengths.
Dr Larry Rosia (@LarryRosia on Twitter) has a background in telecommunications engineering, and holds a PhD in academic leadership from the University of Calgary. For more than 35 years, he has worked in higher education as an instructor, program chair, marketing manager, and senior administrator. Larry served as Dean of the School of Construction at SAIT from 1999-2012, and has been President and CEO of Saskatchewan Polytechnic (formerly SIAST) since 2012. He authored a 2009 book, “The Successful College President: Strategies for Leading in a Complex Environment.” Larry also sits on the boards of many organizations including Polytechnics Canada, Skills Canada Saskatchewan, the Chair Academy International Leadership Board, the International Mineral Innovation Institute, and the Saskatchewan Post Secondary International Education Council.
Next week, Ken’s conversation with Larry Rosia continues. So you don’t miss it, be sure to subscribe! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Special thanks to Saskatchewan Polytechnic for arranging the onsite videography. If you would like to host an onsite episode of Ten with Ken, please see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for more information.
Ken’s conversation with Mark Frison, president of Assiniboine Community College in Brandon Manitoba, continues this week as they explore ways that higher ed leaders can empower and inspire their people to take ownership and take initiative, to propel innovation on campus. (If you missed the first part of this interview, about encouraging PSE participation on the prairies, see https://youtu.be/-vksdjuMt2k).
Mark suggests 3 concrete ways to nurture a culture of innovation on campus:
1) Make Initiative an Explicit Value
ACC has adopted organizational values that encourage all staff and faculty to “Be Passionate. Take Initiative. Deliver Results.” Specifically, the college values urge people to “challenge the status quo and take calculated risks without fear of failure.” Mark believes it is critical to state explicitly to the campus community that risk is inevitable when you innovate.
2) Invest in Talent through PD
ACC’s talent management action plan, instituted in 2011, has worked to increase its investment in professional development from 1.25% of payroll to almost 3%. Given the fiscal environment, colleges need to maximize the capabilities and training of all staff.
Ken observes that on most higher ed campuses, there is a disconnect between senior administrators who embrace innovation and seek transformative change, and front-line staff who are anxious about making mistakes, and focused on meeting the short-term objectives of their immediate supervisors. The further down the organizational hierarchy you go, Ken argues, “the more doing nothing is the safest course of action,” and he wonders how best to transmit the entrepreneurial mindset throughout the organization. But Mark also observes that front-line staff and faculty are actually the ones most likely to have innovative ideas about serving the student, and thinks the more immediate issue is how to translate ideas UP through the organization.
3) Formalize the Idea Generation Process
That's why ACC implemented a system of written “decision notes” for middle managers, encouraging them to describe new ideas in detail, and make their business case. Training middle managers to write these briefing notes has been “incredibly helpful at dislodging these ideas,” getting ideas onto the table and either moving them forward, or setting them aside.
Mark and Ken agree that there is a “double whammy” of risk aversion in a public-sector, academic institution. Committees tend to preserve the status quo, and often aren’t even empowered to make decisions. Ultimately, Mark emphasizes, “you do need individuals to feel that they can take risks.” In many colleges, Ken argues, there is a “learned helplessness” that discourages a sense of personal ownership of decisions or processes. Mark recalls a board member once asking him, “if you owned this thing, what would we be doing differently?” Thinking about your institution with a sense of ownership, and a willingness to take informed risk, engages everyone’s ideas and passions, and encourages an entrepreneurial campus culture.
Mark Frison was appointed President of Assiniboine Community College in August 2010, after serving 5 years as president of Great Plains College and Cypress Hills College in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. He holds a Masters of Industrial Relations from Queen’s University, and undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Business from Cape Breton University (UCCB at the time). He has served as Executive Director of the Association of Saskatchewan Regional Colleges, and on the board of Colleges & Institutes Canada.
Every week, 10K explores a world of higher ed innovation and bright ideas. So you don’t miss a thing, please be sure to subscribe! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Special thanks to Shaun Cameron for coordinating the onsite recording at ACC. If you would like to host an onsite episode of Ten with Ken, please see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for more information.
Ken Steele visits Assiniboine Community College, in Brandon Manitoba, to talk with president Mark Frison about their beautiful new North Hill Campus, encouraging enrolment in a region with the lowest PSE participation rate in the country, serving Indigenous populations, aligning programs with provincial immigration policy, and growing international enrolment 1,500%!
ACC’s North Hill Campus is taking shape on the pastoral grounds of the former Brandon Mental Health Centre, and is already home to the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts, the Len Evans Centre for Trades & Technology, and sustainable greenhouses. Over the next few decades, ACC will preserve historic buildings, construct new academic and athletic facilities, and perhaps even build student residences. It will make ACC unique among Canadian colleges.
Many of the innovations in marketing, programs and services at ACC have been driven by the recognition that much of rural Manitoba is underserved by higher ed institutions, and the province has the lowest PSE participation rate in the country. The province is highly centralized, with 85% of public spending on PSE concentrated in the city of Winnipeg. ACC’s 2013 plan set an ambitious target to double the number of graduates by 2025.
Another key constituency ACC serves are Indigenous peoples, and bridging the “prosperity gap” may be the biggest public policy challenge in Manitoba. About 15-22% of the students ACC enrols are Indigenous, and in a typical year the College runs programs on or near 20 First Nations communities.
The largest single change at ACC is the growth of international student enrolment: from 37 in 2013 to more than 500 in 2018! Early on, extremely low vacancy rates in Brandon meant that most international students wound up attending ACC’s small Winnipeg campus – but thankfully that has eased, and eventually campus residences may be the best solution. ACC’s international strategy is highly tied to provincial targets for immigration, and labour market needs – in fact, the need for immigration drives the strategy, not the desire for international tuition revenue (although moving to 5x domestic tuition has helped to make the programs sustainable). ACC also takes an integrated view of international enrolment, education of newcomers to Canada, and international development work.
Mark emphasizes that colleges and universities need to be “unapologetic” about doing all that they can to foster economic development, and coordinate their efforts at internationalization with their regional government’s immigration strategies.
Mark Frison was appointed President of Assiniboine Community College in August 2010, after serving 5 years as president of Great Plains College and Cypress Hills College in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. He holds a Masters of Industrial Relations from Queen’s University, and undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Business from Cape Breton University (UCCB at the time). He has served as Executive Director of the Association of Saskatchewan Regional Colleges, and on the board of Colleges & Institutes Canada.
Next week, Mark Frison shares several ways campus leaders can inspire their people to take ownership and take initiative. So you don’t miss it, be sure to subscribe! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Special thanks to Shaun Cameron for coordinating the onsite recording at ACC. If you would like to host an onsite episode of Ten with Ken, please see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for more information.
From the high tech sector to higher education, one leadership challenge is similar: how do you nurture a culture of innovation in a hierarchical environment? It’s probably tougher in the public sector, and especially in centuries-old academic institutions with bicameral, colleagial decision-making processes. But even entrepreneurial firms like Google or Adobe had to wrestle with similar challenges as they grew into tech giants. This week, Ken Steele continues his conversation with Jason Dewling, the president of LaSalle College Vancouver, who offers 5 ways that campus leaders can help encourage a culture of innovation.
1) Increase Risk Tolerance
To have the best ideas, you have to have a lot of ideas, which means some of them won’t work. More innovative higher ed institutions will increase their tolerance for risk, allow people to pioneer ideas, experiment, and accept that some future tweaking will be required.
2) Let the Best Ideas Win
Cultivate your people according to their talents and strengths, and allow open debate and experiment to let the best ideas win.
3) Get Beyond Silos
Develop cross-functional teams so people can learn from diverse perspectives and fresh ideas.
4) Seek Talent Beyond PSE
Leaders need to be deliberate in talent acquisition and development. Instead of rewarding seniority and promoting from within, Jason believes higher ed will be increasingly hiring from other sectors (other sectors of higher ed, but also the private sector) in academic and non-academic areas. (Janet Morrison is a good example, a former VP at York University who was recently hired as president of Sheridan College. We’ll share our interview with her in an upcoming episode. So you don’t miss it, be sure to subscribe! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/ )
Jason’s own background includes almost 2 decades of experience at public colleges in Alberta. He observes that the LCI Education Network includes 23 private for-profit institutions around the world, but it grew from the foundation of LaSalle College Montreal, part of the public PSE system in Quebec.
5) Structure for Flexibility
LaSalle’s unique advantage frees it from historical structures that traditionally slow down progress in higher ed, so they can be much more responsive and market-driven. Like industry in all sectors, higher ed institutions need to be change-ready and adaptable.
Dr. Jason Dewling was appointed President of LaSalle College Vancouver in August 2017. Prior to that, he had 17 years of experience at public colleges in Alberta, as VP Academic and Research at Olds College, Associate Dean and Instructor at Olds College. Jason holds an M.Div from Acadia University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Alberta.
Special thanks to the LaSalle College Vancouver Media Arts students and staff, who stayed late to help make us look and sound professional!
If you would like to host an onsite episode of Ten with Ken, see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/ for more information.
In the face of mounting budgetary pressure, colleges and universities are finding new collaborative approaches to achieve efficiency and economies of scale. Public institutions are sharing campuses and facilities, forming regional marketing groups, and even signing agreements to share course sections between different institutions using distance delivery. Some smaller colleges, particularly in the US, are merging with larger competitors, or finding financial strength in numbers through collaborative purchasing agencies. Some are joining global networks to provide corporate training to multinational clients, or share administrative infrastructure.
One such global network is the LCI Education Network, a global group of 24 institutions from Toronto to Melbourne, Barcelona, Morocco and Instanbul. It grew out of LaSalle College in Montreal, part of the public system in Quebec, and now includes some of the world’s leading fashion and design institutes.
This week, Ken Steele chats with the president of LaSalle College Vancouver, Jason Dewling, about the benefits of shared Finance and IT services, amortized across a global network. Global networks give small colleges access to world-class talent and systems, like Ellicom, an online learning team with 80+ experts in augmented and virtual reality. Ellicom produces online training programs for corporate clients including simulations and assessments, and LCI institutions can access its team to support online program delivery too. Looking ahead to the future of education, Jason emphasizes that we will need to find meaningful ways to integrate technology while retaining the fundamentally social nature of learning.
Dr. Jason Dewling was appointed President of LaSalle College Vancouver in August 2017. Prior to that, he had 17 years of experience at public colleges in Alberta, as VP Academic and Research at Olds College, Associate Dean and Instructor at Olds College. Jason holds an M.Div from Acadia University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Alberta.
Next week, our conversation with Jason continues as he shares 5 ways higher ed leaders can help nurture a culture of innovation, and ensure that “the best ideas win.” So you don’t miss it, be sure to subscribe! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Special thanks to the LaSalle College Vancouver Media Arts students and staff, who stayed late to help make us look and sound professional!
If you would like to host an onsite episode of Ten with Ken, see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for more information.
Faced with tuition caps and declining government grants, public colleges and universities are becoming more entrepreneurial and seeking alternative revenue streams, often by selling off surplus campus lands to developers, or leasing campus space for retail or residential development. Simon Fraser University, built in a conservation area atop Burnaby Mountain just a 30-minute drive from downtown Vancouver, took its unique geographic opportunity and turned it into an exercise in city-building, literally “moving mountains” to establish a complete, walkable and almost self-sufficient town adjacent to its campus.
In previous visits to campus, we learned about SFU’s community engagement strategy (https://youtu.be/EGWvfBqJEGs ) and the many ways in which the University uses its campuses in Vancouver, Surrey and Burnaby to build communities (https://youtu.be/dujezn6_afg ). This week, Ken Steele talks with SFU president Andrew Petter, and SFU Community Trust CEO Gordon Harris, about “UniverCity,” a development that is creating affordable housing for 10,000 people, adding two dozen shops and services for the campus community, generating a $90-million endowment for the institution, and exploring new frontiers in environmental and economic sustainability.
Built “in splendid isolation” atop Burnaby Mountain in 1965, SFU wanted to engage with community – but in this case, had to build its own community from scratch. The University negotiated with the municipality to transfer its zoning density from the entire mountain to a much smaller 65-acre parcel adjacent to campus, and built a suburban community with urban density, largely on lands formerly occupied by student parking lots. When fully complete, UniverCity will be home to almost 10,000 people, in apartment-style condos and stacked townhomes that meet the most ambitious environmental sustainability goals on the continent. UniverCity has won more than 30 national and international sustainability awards, including for its comprehensive stormwater management system. All developers aim to be 45% more energy efficient and 68% more water efficient than a typical code building, in order to quality for additional density. Many buildings have rainwater harvesting systems, solar arrays or geothermal heating. A new district energy system will use biomass to provide heat and hot water to two dozen buildings, in UniverCity and on the SFU campus. UniverCity’s $3 million Childcare Centre is the “greenest childcare on the planet,” and will soon have earned Living Building Challenge certification as a building that generates more energy than it uses, harvests more water than it uses, and is built from recycled and local materials. (It will be the first in Western Canada.)
UniverCity also strives for economic sustainability, creating affordable housing to help SFU attract faculty, staff, students and their families. (About half of the residents are affiliated with the University, and almost half have young children.) SFU leased some of the land to developers like VanCity at a 30% discount, so that residential units could be sold at a 20% discount in perpetuity (such as the "Verdant" townhomes). Standalone “green mortgages” amortize the cost of environmental upgrades separately from the purchase price of units. As urban planner Harris explains, “if it isn’t economic, it isn’t sustainable.”
UniverCity had to provide more than just housing to its residents: it needed to establish all the infrastructure of a small town, including restaurants, a grocery story, pharmacy, childcare centre, an elementary school, and soon a medical centre. Residents also have access to campus facilities next door, including fitness and aquatic centres, art gallery, library and bookstore – and in return, the campus community can access shops and services in UniverCity. Someday it may also have an active seniors facility, where alumni and others could move in retirement.
The community has added life and vitality to the SFU campus, as well as $15 million worth of new infrastructure, from a town square to the new heating facility and underground pipelines. Ultimately, the UniverCity endowment will support teaching and research at SFU “for the rest of time.”
Thanks again to Andrew Petter, Gordon Harris, and the SFU videographers who made this episode possible.
To learn more about UniverCity, visit http://univercity.ca, watch this beautiful documentary by France’s EchoLogis https://youtu.be/jDdSaGcQvQw, or read Gordon Harris’ new book, Building Community: Defining, Designing, Developing UniverCityhttps://living-future.org/product/building-community-book/
You can subscribe free to 10K by email or on any of a dozen channels: see http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/ for links.
And if you would like to host a 10K Site Visit at your campus, see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/ for further information!
Faced with tuition caps and declining government grants, public colleges and universities are becoming more entrepreneurial and seeking alternative revenue streams, often by selling off surplus campus lands to developers, or leasing campus space for retail or residential development. Simon Fraser University, built in a conservation area atop Burnaby Mountain just a 30-minute drive from downtown Vancouver, took its unique geographic opportunity and turned it into an exercise in city-building, literally “moving mountains” to establish a complete, walkable and almost self-sufficient town adjacent to its campus.
In previous visits to campus, we learned about SFU’s community engagement strategy (https://youtu.be/EGWvfBqJEGs ) and the many ways in which the University uses its campuses in Vancouver, Surrey and Burnaby to build communities (https://youtu.be/dujezn6_afg ). This week, Ken Steele talks with SFU president Andrew Petter, and SFU Community Trust CEO Gordon Harris, about “UniverCity,” a development that is creating affordable housing for 10,000 people, adding two dozen shops and services for the campus community, generating a $90-million endowment for the institution, and exploring new frontiers in environmental and economic sustainability.
Built “in splendid isolation” atop Burnaby Mountain in 1965, SFU wanted to engage with community – but in this case, had to build its own community from scratch. The University negotiated with the municipality to transfer its zoning density from the entire mountain to a much smaller 65-acre parcel adjacent to campus, and built a suburban community with urban density, largely on lands formerly occupied by student parking lots. When fully complete, UniverCity will be home to almost 10,000 people, in apartment-style condos and stacked townhomes that meet the most ambitious environmental sustainability goals on the continent. UniverCity has won more than 30 national and international sustainability awards, including for its comprehensive stormwater management system. All developers aim to be 45% more energy efficient and 68% more water efficient than a typical code building, in order to quality for additional density. Many buildings have rainwater harvesting systems, solar arrays or geothermal heating. A new district energy system will use biomass to provide heat and hot water to two dozen buildings, in UniverCity and on the SFU campus. UniverCity’s $3 million Childcare Centre is the “greenest childcare on the planet,” and will soon have earned Green Building Challenge certification as a building that generates more energy than it uses, harvests more water than it uses, and is built from recycled and local materials. (It will be the first in Western Canada.)
UniverCity also strives for economic sustainability, creating affordable housing to help SFU attract faculty, staff, students and their families. (About half of the residents are affiliated with the University, and almost half have young children.) SFU leased some of the land to developers like VanCity at a 30% discount, so that residential units could be sold at a 20% discount in perpetuity (such as the "Verdant" townhomes). Standalone “green mortgages” amortize the cost of environmental upgrades separately from the purchase price of units. As urban planner Harris explains, “if it isn’t economic, it isn’t sustainable.”
UniverCity had to provide more than just housing to its residents: it needed to establish all the infrastructure of a small town, including restaurants, a grocery story, pharmacy, childcare centre, an elementary school, and soon a medical centre. Residents also have access to campus facilities next door, including fitness and aquatic centres, art gallery, library and bookstore – and in return, the campus community can access shops and services in UniverCity. Someday it may also have an active seniors facility, where alumni and others could move in retirement.
The community has added life and vitality to the SFU campus, as well as $15 million worth of new infrastructure, from a town square to the new heating facility and underground pipelines. Ultimately, the UniverCity endowment will support teaching and research at SFU “for the rest of time.”
Thanks again to Andrew Petter, Gordon Harris, and the SFU videographers who made this episode possible.
To learn more about UniverCity, visit http://univercity.ca, watch this beautiful documentary by France’s EchoLogis https://youtu.be/jDdSaGcQvQw, or read Gordon Harris’ new book, Building Community: Defining, Designing, Developing UniverCityhttps://living-future.org/product/building-community-book/
You can subscribe free to 10K by email or on any of a dozen channels: see http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/ for links.
And if you would like to host a 10K Site Visit at your campus, see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/ for further information!
Ken Steele is back with his 4th annual Holiday Special, and this time he’s counting down the top ten higher ed holiday videos from last December, based on a rubric including production quality, acting, music, creativity and emotional impact.
The Holiday Top 10:
#10 – Elon University “Holiday Video” – A great sing-along video featuring 27 staff and student vocalists. https://youtu.be/0-pIVbnNxVM
#9 – The University of Virginia “Celebrating the Holidays” - Beautiful video of decking the lawn, baking cookies, and doing good deeds. (Featuring Holley Maher’s “This December.”) https://youtu.be/oS7rkgRjSvA
#8 – University of the Arts “Holiday Card” - Student musicians perform “Winter Wonderland” as we see artists, videographers and others. https://youtu.be/Q2tKXvdxW7o
#7 – Marquette University “Joy Is” - Freshman Ariana Madson performs “Joy to the World,” as we see students demonstrating the values of shaing, caring and kindness. https://youtu.be/OWOpJWCJCzI
#6 – University of North Texas “Building Mean Green Holiday Spirit” - More than 15,000 Lego bricks and painstaking stop-motion animation went into this recreation of 4 campus buildings. https://youtu.be/YFm-63zKa2g
The “Behind the Bricks” behind-the-scenes video may be even better – https://youtu.be/c06G0CLHutY
#5 – York University “Re-Connect this Holiday Season” - Student Olivia is heartbroken that her sister won’t make it home for the holidays, but gets a warm surprise after her exams. https://youtu.be/4KOYIhXz4JM
#4 – George Mason University “The Perfect Setting” - A diverse group of students brings together delicacies from all over the world to a shared holiday feast where they “pass the joy.” https://youtu.be/bPCezNjKuuw
#3 – Otago Polytechnic “Merry Christmas” - A senior executive “Christmas Squad” comes to the rescue as a group of students suffers through noodles for Christmas. https://youtu.be/u8dbPeBMCgA
#2 – Azusa Pacific University “Christmas Lights” - Students in residence reach out with a puzzling gift: light bulbs. But the lights awaken fond childhood memories of stringing Christmas lights, and ultimately build a community based on a gift of hope. https://youtu.be/IVKg2umsFMI
#1 – University of Connecticut “Warm Holiday Wishes” - uConn mascot husky Jonathan travels the campus with mistletoe, kissing students and staff. https://youtu.be/EhObu7AruiA
Also worth a watch is the uConn blooper video - https://youtu.be/_83vNKE8Ubk
We missed “Happy Holidays from all Huskies at Heart” back in 2015 - https://youtu.be/FU6caXxn8Kg
Honourable Mentions:
University of La Verne – https://youtu.be/rje5PQCEL3Q
Branksome Hall “Spread the Love” – https://youtu.be/SHzSjig3280
Branksome Hall ARLA music video – https://youtu.be/dKSYkNDarKA
University of Toronto Mississauga “Holiday Chemistry” – https://youtu.be/tPlMZADyHUg
Southern Connecticut State University - https://youtu.be/VWC4Xy12Zpg
Other Notable Examples:
Georgia Tech Police Dept - https://youtu.be/_iDJ6J896Uo
Casper College – https://youtu.be/a66WuBupuMk
Carroll University – https://youtu.be/vFVmrw4IhoY
Newscastle University – https://youtu.be/dBhKdSX-V9w
Towson University - https://youtu.be/PGM7HWBqikk
Our Playlists:
Excerpts also appear in this episode from previous 10K Holiday Specials. Check out 2 hours worth at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYWOlX6xOJpuo5nloz1Q6dA1
Videos highlighted in this episode are all contained in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXThZ6t3KKp2dMYNAVdmZJY
Check out the full 9-hour playlist of 208 videos from 2017 at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYVmGMsmXoJqATfMohQ5cEYb
We’re already compiling a list of 2018 higher ed holiday videos for next year’s Holiday Special! Add yours to our playlist using this special link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXZ7unDyH9cDK-lwTwGul7B&jct=FPMYWPTiiHTp94kpX6IzmfNKgQmYfA
We’ll be back in January 2019 with more site visits, interviews, and episodes about higher ed trends and innovations. To be sure you don’t miss a thing, subscribe today! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Happy Holidays!
Last week, Ken Steele sat down with Vianne Timmons, president of the University of Regina, to discuss why Indigenization matters to higher ed. (ICYMI see it at https://youtu.be/iLe1mxiT4rM).
This week, we turn from “why” to “how”, and look at dozens of ways that colleges and universities can better accommodate Indigenous students, integrate Indigenous ways of knowing and learning, and introduce all students to Indigenous perspectives. This episode highlights more than 40 examples of ways in which non-Indigenous faculty, staff and administrators can help to indigenize the campus.
The examples are drawn from “100 Ways to Indigenize and Decolonize Academic Programs and Courses,” a checklist developed for the UofR by Dr Shauneen Pete in 2015, when she was the University’s Executive Lead of Indigenization. You can find the full checklist at:
https://www.uregina.ca/president/assets/docs/president-docs/indigenization/indigenize-decolonize-university-courses.pdf
or read Dr Pete’s article in Aboriginal Policy Studies vol. 6, no. 1, 2016:
http://accle.ca/wp-content/uploads/Pete-100-Ways-of-Indigenizing-Decol.pdf
Because every Indigenous person and community have had very different experiences, it is important to work with elders, knowledge-keepers, and Indigenous staff and faculty to develop approaches for your own context. Without a doubt, we need to recruit more Indigenous staff, faculty, students, and graduate students. A big part of the challenge is to overcome financial and geographic barriers for prospective students in remote communities. Specialized cohort programs can encourage student success. Sessional hires can prioritize Indigenous candidates.
There are many small things that cumulatively can improve the campus experience for Indigenous students. We can recognize Indigenous names and symbols on campus, acknowledge traditional lands, display Indigenous symbols and art. We can honour Indigenous alumni, nominate Indigenous scholars for awards, and recognize Elders with gifts and honoraria. We also may need to revise criteria for faculty promotion, perhaps by recognizing relational capital.
We can also incorporate traditional celebrations and events on campus, from major annual pow-wows to traditional feasts, smudging, and round-dances. These events should engage all students, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, and can be considered at the departmental level.
Every campus needs a gathering place for Indigenous students, where they can feel comfortable in their culture and share joys and challenges with each other and with elders. We can ensure that signage and promotional materials recognize Indigenous students’ languages and contributions. “You must invest financially in supports for Indigenous students,” says Timmons.
We can create some courses designed specifically for Indigenous learners, and make others mandatory on “shared work” such as settler-Indigenous relations and reconciliation. Professional schools need to insert mandatory courses, and pursue Indigenous language programs like First Nations University’s Denee Teacher Education Program.
The biggest challenge for settlers is to recognize our biases. Many of us have been raised in a Eurocentric culture, and we take capitalism and the scientific method for granted. Whiteness isn’t neutral, and we can help overcome students’ limitations by naming the dominant worldview, and ensuring that alternative perspectives are visible. Administrators can ensure that workshops, release time and financial supports are available for faculty interested in Indigenizing their courses. Faculty can co-teach with Indigenous elders, alumni and community members. We can establish Aboriginal Advisory Circles within each Faculty. Instructors can move away from lecture and try a circle format in class, or land-based learning. Even nontraditional evaluation methods, like performance or artistic expression, could be considered.
Ultimately Indigenization can’t just be the job of Indigenous people: it will only have succeeded when everyone on campus understands and advances it. Indigenous faculty and staff are already burdened with much extra work, and Indigenous students cannot be expected to fill in gaps in the curriculum. All of us know how to learn, and need to commit time and energy to the topic. Indigenous history is being written, and Dr Pete’s checklist includes a helpful bibliography of sources. All faculty should consciously seek out Indigenous scholarship in their field, and every campus leader has a responsibility to learn more about Indigenizing the academy.
Vianne Timmons began her teaching career on the Babine First Nations Reserve in BC, and was appointed President of the University of Regina in 2008. She has helped advance Indigenization through dozens of initiatives, and two successive strategic plans. Vianne is one of 12 recipients of the national 2019 Indspire Award.
Shot on location at First Nations University, on the University of Regina campus, in October 2018, by campus videography staff – thank you again!
Next week, it’s the annual Ten with Ken Holiday Special! To be sure you don’t miss it, subscribe today! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host a 10K Site Visit at your campus, see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for further information!
In the wake of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and Canada’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission findings, higher ed is realizing just how much work lies ahead if it is to reconcile itself with Indigenous peoples, and indigenize the curriculum. Saskatchewan, where some projections say that 30% of the population will be Indigenous by the year 2045, is in many ways the epicentre of indigenization.
This week, Ken Steele talks with Vianne Timmons, President & Vice-Chancellor of the University of Regina, to better understand why Indigenization matters.
Vianne grew up in Labrador and is of Mi’kmaq heritage, but Ken is quite conscious of being a white settler of European ancestry. How can non-Indigenous people get over their reticence to talk about a challenging subject? Vianne reassures us that people appreciate genuine interest and a desire to learn, even if they make errors in protocol.
The University of Regina has been Indigenizing for 40 years. Vianne has an Executive Lead – Indigenization who reports directly to her office, and an Aboriginal Advisory Circle that provides feedback. “Shoulder to shoulder we work together to Indigenize our campus.” The latest UofR strategic plan, “peyak aski kikawinaw”, has Indigenization as a top priority.
First Nations University is a federated college of the University of Regina, independent administratively, but integrated academically. In 2009 there were unsubstantiated allegations of mismanagement that led the federal and provincial governments to suspend FNUC’s funding. Indigenous communities and students protested, and the University of Regina stepped up to assume administrative oversight of FNUC for five years until it regained its independence. Now FNUC is financially stable, with solid leadership and growing enrolment. The UofR was presented with an Eagle Staff as a symbol to thank them for their advocacy, but also to challenge them to continue being warriors for truth and reconciliation, and Indigenous education rights.
The UofR’s Aboriginal Advisory Circle defines Indigenization as “the transformation of the existing academy by including indigenous knowledges, voices, critiques, scholars, students and materials, as well as the establishment of physical and epistemic spaces that facilitate the ethical stewardship of a plurality of indigenous knowledges and practices so thoroughly as to constitute an essential element of the university. Indigenization is not limited to Indigenous people, but encompasses all students and faculty, for the benefit of our academic integrity and our social viability.” (See https://www.uregina.ca/strategic-plan/priorities/indigenization.html)
So to truly Indigenize, institutions need to include Indigenous peoples as students, faculty, and staff; include Indigenous scholarship and perspectives in curriculum; provide physical and symbolic spaces dedicated to Indigenous use; and re-think the foundations of the academy.
Indigenous peoples are the founding people of Canada, and institutions need to reflect their country – but Indigenization benefits ALL students. It provides them with a better appreciation of First Nations peoples, a more nuanced understanding of historical truth, and prepares them for a world in which indigenous peoples and settlers are truly reconciled. “There is so much that went unsaid in our past, that needs to be spoken in our future.”
Vianne Timmons began her teaching career on the Babine First Nations Reserve in BC, and was appointed President of the University of Regina in 2008. She has helped advance Indigenization through dozens of initiatives, and two successive strategic plans. Vianne is one of 12 recipients of the national 2019 Indspire Award.
Shot on location at First Nations University, on the University of Regina campus, in October 2018, by campus videography staff – thank you again!
Next week, Ken’s conversation with Vianne Timmons continues, as we explore “100 Ways to Indigenize Your Campus.” To be sure you don’t miss it, subscribe today! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host a 10K Site Visit at your campus, see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for further information!
This week, our conversation continues with Steve Robinson, interim President & Vice-Chancellor at Brandon University in Manitoba. We tackle one of the toughest questions for today’s higher ed leaders: how to encourage a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship on campus.
Many academics, Steve explains, regard the drive to innovation with a great deal of suspicion, as part of modern trends to neoliberalization and commercialization of the academy. But really, innovation means “thinking creatively, and finding solutions to new problems” – which is exactly what academics have always done in their own research. Now, universities and colleges are simply trying to apply some of that same creativity to the way we operate as institutions. Higher ed has the opportunity now to be intentional and strategic, “leading the way” rather than being driven by external forces when we have no choice.
Campus leaders need to reassure staff and faculty, dispel anxiety about innovation, and encourage innovators to step forward. Steve identifies 3 ways to incentivize innovation, starting with making funding available for new projects. The president’s office needs to send the signal throughout the institution that we are willing to consider new strategies, programming, processes and infrastructure – even when we may not be sure it will pay off. Incentive funds for innovation would be ideal, whether carved from existing budgets or raised through foundations and donors.
Even more important than money, administrators need to make it clear that they are willing to “go out on a limb a little” and experiment with new pedagogies, program collaborations with other institutions, and more – and assuming some risk, although still being careful stewards of public money. With most innovations, there is not absolute certainty of success from the beginning.
Finally, colleges and universities need to recognize the contributions made by innovators, even if only to learn from their failed experiments. Existing criteria for promotion and tenure need to be expanded.
Steve concludes by observing that “most innovation means discomfort for somebody,” but “the discomfort is worth feeling.”
Steve Robinson became interim President and Vice-Chancellor at Brandon University in August 2017, after serving two years as VP Academic and Provost, and several terms as Associate Dean of Arts, Acting Dean of Arts, and chair of the Philosophy department. Steve previously taught at the University of Guelph and University of Regina.
Shot on location at Brandon University in April 2018, by campus videography staff – thank you again!
We’ve tackled this topic multiple times in past episodes of 10K – check out the “Culture of Innovation” playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYUlDXmluj1Xm80dXc8GybtE
And there are more episodes to come! To be sure you don’t miss them, subscribe today! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host a 10K Site Visit at your campus, see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for further information!
This week, Ken Steele talks with Steve Robinson, interim President & Vice-Chancellor at Brandon University in Manitoba, about one of the most urgent changes facing higher ed in the next decade: indigenization.
Every university in Canada, particularly those in Western Canada, is faced with the challenge of accommodating Indigenous peoples and cultures on their campuses, and since institutions and local Indigenous communities vary widely, the solutions and innovations will be unique at each institution.
Campus leaders need to ensure they create an environment in which Indigenous people feel welcome, through visual symbols, dedicated spaces, practices and ceremonies that reflect and respect Indigenous cultures. But universities also need to reinvent traditional western decision-making processes and governance mechanisms in order to embrace Indigenous perspectives. Institutions need to bring more Indigenous peoples, elders and knowledge-keepers, to campus in order to participate in institutional governance, programs and student supports.
At Brandon University, there is a long history of Indigenous participation and service to Indigenous communities. Brandon is re-establishing its elders program. It holds a large, all-nations Pow-Wow at convocation every year. It has a beautiful Indigenous Peoples Centre, and is participating in the Brandon Friendship Centre’s campaign to erect symbolic teepees across the city, and on the campus. But Steve emphasizes that Brandon knows it is still fundamentally a western institution, and although it has made some progress, “we still have a long way to go.”
European colonial traditions permeate the culture and structure of the academy. So although universities have a critical role to play in Indigenous reconciliation, they are beginning to realize just how challenging it will be. What’s required, Steve explains, is not just more Indigenous student enrolment, or more Indigenous representation among faculty and staff; universities must find new ways to operate that incorporate, respect, and energize Indigenous culture and perspectives. Universities must “open up their administration, faculty and governance structures to the significant participation of its Indigenous communities,” and reach out to understand and meet the needs of Indigenous peoples.
Steve Robinson became interim President and Vice-Chancellor at Brandon University in August 2017, after serving two years as VP Academic and Provost, and several terms as Associate Dean of Arts, Acting Dean of Arts, and chair of the Philosophy department. Steve previously taught at the University of Guelph and University of Regina.
Shot on location at Brandon University in April 2018, by campus videography staff – thank you again!
#ICYMI, check out last year’s interview on “Serving Indigenous Students Better” with Nipissing University president Mike DeGagné: https://youtu.be/5mpQ4Cs59o8
In the months ahead, 10K will continue this discussion in interviews with Assiniboine Community College president Mark Frison, and University of Regina president Vianne Timmons. To be sure you don’t miss them, subscribe today! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host a 10K Site Visit at your campus, see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for further information!
This week, Ken Steele concludes his conversation with Paula Burns, President & CEO of Lethbridge College. In part 1, Paula described 3 notable innovations at Lethbridge College, in competency-based learning, stackable modular credentials, and the use of VR technology ( https://youtu.be/9-kxnnMA8nM). In part 2, she outlined 5 ways that institutions can prepare for evolving students and the labour market over the next decade (https://youtu.be/zSKoxZI7b_s).
This week, we explore the question of how higher ed leaders can nurture a culture of innovation on campus. Academic environments tend to be cautious and risk-averse, and truly experimenting with programs or pedagogy usually requires curiosity, creativity, collaboration and genuine courage.
Paula admits academic innovation can be challenging, but also presents immense opportunity. Campus leaders need to walk a fine line, respecting tradition and preserving the strengths of the past, while reassuring people that it is also safe to try new things.
Paula uses the metaphor of a marathon: there will always be some pace-setters leading the pack, and others bringing up the rear. The campus leader’s job is “to make sure that everybody is at least in the race.” Paula puts a lot of her own energy into supporting those who are trying to innovate, and believes you need to hire a broad team of visionary leaders to provide direction to the whole college.
Ken points out that research on innovation emphasizes the importance of personal passion in successful innovation, but that there are many obstacles to empowering front-line staff to advance their own ideas. At Lethbridge College, Paula explains that their people development strategy is about finding people’s passions and skills, and unleashing them to benefit the institution. But she also admits that most colleges have far more policies than they really need, and they definitely can be obstacles to innovation.
Paula recommends the “sandbox” model: establish clear parameters, within which staff and faculty can feel free to “play” creatively and innovate. The clear guidelines help to reduce the fear that can accompany experiment. Only when someone needs to step “outside the box” do they need to have a discussion about it. When extreme risk aversion causes us to overly control any environment (a college campus or a schoolyard playground), we inadvertently stifle creativity. Instead, we need to loosen up the rules, and provide a “loose play” structure in which staff and faculty can build and create.
10K will be returning to the question of campus innovation in many more episodes over the months ahead. To be sure you don’t miss them, subscribe today! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Paula Burns served as Provost & VP Academic at NAIT for 5 years before joining Lethbridge College as President & CEO 5 years ago. In addition to a decade of experience in senior administration, she holds a PhD in Education from Toronto’s OISE, and an executive MBA from Royal Roads University with a specialization in leadership.
Shot on location at Lethbridge College in May 2018, by campus videography staff – thank you again! (If you would like to host a 10K Site Visit at your campus, see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/ for further information.)
This week, Ken Steele continues his conversation with Paula Burns, President & CEO of Lethbridge College, about 5 key ways higher education should be preparing for the decade ahead.
(Last week, Paula described 3 notable innovations in competency-based learning, stackable modular credentials, and the use of VR technology: https://youtu.be/9-kxnnMA8nM)
- Be Flexible to Reskill Working Students
Students not only need Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) but, Paula argues, will increasingly need “Integrated Work Learning,” allowing working adults to return to college for short periods of upskilling and reskilling while continuing to work. Institutions need to respond with flexible learning and delivery models, to accommodate more and more part-time learners.
- Be Nimble to Keep Up with Tech
Higher ed can’t afford to take months or years to develop programs for new technologies like Virtual Reality, when industry needs our graduates yesterday.
- Go Beyond Technical Skills
There is worldwide recognition that the skills of the future will be people skills, communication, critical thinking and collaboration skills – so colleges have to ensure that they go beyond the technical aspects of our programs, to prepare our students for the evolving economy.
- Be Open to Collaborations
Colleges and universities need to innovate as a system overall. Collaboration and potentially mergers and integration will be the way of the future, says Paula. “Institutions can’t all continue to do the same thing and think that we’re going to be sustainable.” Technologies should allow global collaboration on research and teaching alike. although “we talk lots about collaboration, but the system is still set up for competition.”
- Stay Focused on Areas of Excellence
Institutions should try to integrate their traditional full-time academic programs, continuing education and research or applied research labs into a centre of excellence that can reinforce each other. Every college or university might focus on 3 or 4 key areas of strength, to differentiate and focus each institution’s resources on its real strengths.
Paula concludes by observing that the broader world is pushing higher ed to innovate. We can be leaders in our communities, partner to innovate, we just have to “step out of our own box and be part of a wider whole.”
Next week, Ken’s conversation with Paula concludes with some ideas for nurturing a culture of innovation on campus, thinking about lessons learned from the marathon running course and the playground sandbox. To be sure you don’t miss it, subscribe today! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Paula Burns served as Provost & VP Academic at NAIT for 5 years before joining Lethbridge College as President & CEO 5 years ago. In addition to a decade of experience in senior administration, she holds a PhD in Education from Toronto’s OISE, and an executive MBA from Royal Roads University with a specialization in leadership.
Shot on location at Lethbridge College in May 2018, by campus videography staff – thank you again! (If you would like to host a 10K Site Visit at your campus, see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for further information.)
This week, Ken Steele talks with Paula Burns, President & CEO of Lethbridge College, about 3 notable innovations in programming, pedagogy and applied research at her institution: competency-based learning, stackable modular credentials, and the use of virtual reality technology.
Don’t let its location in small-town Alberta fool you – Lethbridge Collegeis a born innovator, and the frontier mindset seems to spark plenty of innovation. It opened in 1957 as the first publicly-funded community college in Canada, currently enrols more than 5,000 students and 1,900 online learners, and has been named one of the country’s top 50 research colleges. (For more info, visit https://lethbridgecollege.ca)
Police Cadet CBE:
In partnership with the police forces for Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and the Blood Tribe, Lethbridge College has introduced competency-based cadet training. Formerly, graduates of the Justice Studies programs had to repeat training on the job in order to satisfy national police board competency requirements, but the College redesigned the program to align with and test those competencies, so students are field-ready upon graduation.
Modular Agricultural Credentials:
Lethbridge College has also been thinking outside the box when it comes to delivering its programs for non-traditional students. For example, it converted the Agriculture Business Risk Management certificate program into a series of one-month modules that students can begin at any time, and take in any order – providing unprecedented flexibility to part-time working students. Moreover, the certificate is “stackable” – leading directly into the College’s own Agricultural Enterprise Management Diploma program, or even a degree program at the University of Lethbridge.
Virtual Reality for Research & Teaching:
In October 2017, Lethbridge College opened a beautiful new 170,000 sq ft Trades Technologies Renewal and Innovation building, including 7,000 sq ft of interdisciplinary multipurpose “innovation space.” Paula describes the current uses, including an irrigation research study and a virtual reality lab being used for research and several programs on campus. Lethbridge College uses VR for its Wind Turbine Technician program, and Interior Design students used VR for their final capstone projects, designing a house for a local industry competition. Lethbridge students also organized “Merging Realities” in April 2018, the world’s first full-day conference aboutVR conducted entirely inVR, which will now become an annual event. (For more info see https://lethbridgecollege.ca/news/announcement/overwhelming-success-lethbridge-colleges-virtual-reality-conference-prompts-plans)
Paula Burnsserved as Provost & VP Academic at NAIT for 5 years before joining Lethbridge College as President & CEO 5 years ago. In addition to a decade of experience in senior administration, she holds a PhD in Education from Toronto’s OISE, and an executive MBA from Royal Roads University with a specialization in leadership.
Shot on location at Lethbridge College in May 2018, by campus videography staff – thank you again!
Next week, Ken’s conversation with Paula continues with a look forward to the challenges and opportunities that will shape the next ten years of higher ed. To be sure you don’t miss it, subscribe today! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And if you would like to host a 10K Site Visit at your campus, see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for further information!
Simon Fraser University is committed to community engagement, so much so that its campus master plan and infrastructure is focused on building communities, in Vancouver, Surrey, and on Burnaby Mountain. SFU is literally setting its vision in stone!
Last week 10K looked at how SFU’s Engagement Strategy has been socialized across the institution, reinforcing efforts at community-based research, cultural engagement, public events and even April Fool’s videos. (ICYMI, check out “Embracing Engagement at SFU” - https://youtu.be/EGWvfBqJEGs ).
In this episode, we look at SFU’s “concrete” commitment to engagement, manifested in its campus infrastructure:
Science Plaza
Although SFU has no Astronomy department, it has constructed the Trottier Observatory on its Burnaby Mountain campus. Several times a month, hundreds of people from the community gather for “Starry Nights” stargazing, and the Science Courtyard incorporates architectural elements to convey a love for science. Ken speaks with Howard Trottier, SFU Physics professor, and founder of the Starry Nights program.
SFU Surrey
SFU opened a major campus in suburban Surrey’s city centre, which is driving the development of a major metropolitan centre from scratch. The main building, designed by Bing Thom, brings together a university, a shopping centre, and an office tower in a mixed-use concept sometimes called “Vancouverism” – and that mixed-use concept is a good metaphor for SFU’s vision of the “Engaged University.” Ken speaks with SFU president Andrew Petter, and VP External Joanne Curry, who for 12 years led the development of the Surrey campus.
Downtown Vancouver
SFU also has the largest presence in downtown Vancouver, including the Segal Graduate School of Business, the RADIUS social innovation incubator, the Harbour Centre, and the Centre for Dialogue. Ken speaks with Shauna Sylvester, the director of the Centre for Dialogue, about the beautiful purpose-built facility and its unique Asia-Pacific Hall.
SFU Woodsworth’s
In the heart of Vancouver’s downtown eastside, SFU constructed a new School for Contemporary Arts in a former landmark, Woodsworth’s Department Store. The development was a vision of Michael Stevenson, former SFU president, to revitalize a troubled region of social and political tension, and built community relationships through music, culture and the arts. Ken speaks with Howard Jang, then the director of the SFU Woodsworth’s Cultural Unit, and Am Johal, the director of SFU’s VanCity Office of Community Engagement.
SFU UniverCity
The most remarkable example of SFU’s community-building is the 65-acre UniverCity development atop Burnaby Mountain, adjacent to its main campus. While the university had a land grant over much of the mountain, they asked the municipality to compress the density of that land grant to a much smaller area. The result is a small town that will ultimately be home to 10,000 people, and some of the world’s most sustainable architecture and community infrastructure. Ken speaks with Gordon Harris, CEO of the SFU Community Trust, which manages the UniverCity development.
10K will revisit SFU’s UniverCity project, the RADIUS incubator, the Science Plaza, the Centre for Dialogue and more in future episodes. To be sure you don’t miss them, please take a moment now to subscribe! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
And stay tuned for some bloopers at the end of this episode!
At BC’s Simon Fraser University, “the Engaged University,” the slogan is much more than mere marketing; it’s the focus for the institution’s planning framework. (Although yes, it also helps differentiate the university’s brand.) SFU president Andrew Petter invited Ken Steele for a campus site visit late last year, and this is the first of many episodes that will be the result.
Since the brand launched in 2012, SFU’s Engagement Strategy has articulated how the institution will make a strategic priority of engagement:
Engaging Students through active and experiential learning, community service learning, co-ops and business incubators.
Engaging Research by partnering with people and organizations in the community and worldwide for mutual benefit.
Engaging Communities beyond mere philanthropy. SFU doesn’t just provide value, but gains value in the process.
See “SFU: Engaging the World” at https://youtu.be/QeHcNcdAglo
What’s most striking about the SFU vision is how it has been thoroughly socialized across all of its campuses, from Burnaby to Surrey and downtown Vancouver. Ken heard about engagement loud and clear when he spoke with Howard Jang (then the Director of SFU Woodward’s Cultural Unit), Joy Johnson (VP Research & International), Shawn Smith (Co-Director of RADIUS SFU social innovation lab and venture incubator), Sarah Lubik (Director of Entrepreneurship & Innovation), Shauna Sylvester (Director, SFU Centre for Dialogue), and Am Johal (Director of SFU’s VanCity Office of Community Engagement). More from these interviews will appear in future episodes!
SFU students even put the theme to music in this official anthem, created for SFU’s 50th anniversary: https://youtu.be/L1AfIcsDNxU
The vision has taken root across the campus because the commitment to engagement has been “part of the DNA” of the institution for decades. It was not a top-down strategy, but it has helped to focus and motivate faculty and staff efforts -- and as it has started to shape hiring decisions, the momentum for engagement continues to build.
One of SFU’s signature engagement programs is the Public Square, which organizes speakers and events that can be shared, both online and through mass media partnerships, to engage the broader public in dialogue. https://youtu.be/sxVGSFchR2c
SFU also clearly invests the resources necessary to produce top-quality video content for use in the classroom and for the public. And SFU’s commitment to engaging the public includes developing some of the best higher ed April Fool’s videos in the world. (See our episode on “Higher Ed Hijinks” at https://youtu.be/I2v4DnFX_Oo ).
Next week, we’ll look at some even more “concrete” ways in which SFU contributes to community-building, investing in physical infrastructure to engage and even create communities. To be sure you don’t miss it, subscribe today!
And if you would like to host a 10K Site Visit at your campus, see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/ for further information!
Ken Steele returns to the Brand Chemistry™ lab to round up 10 recent examples of colleges and universities that have focused their brands on a single word. It can be a real challenge to get campus-wide consensus, but there’s a growing trend to quite literally “own a word” in the higher ed marketplace.
1) UC System – “Public”
The University of California system launched an online and OOH campaign in 2014 playing with the word “public” to emphasize the value of their research to Californians, and the world.
2) American U – “Wonk”
There are plenty of “policy wonks” in Washington DC, but in 2010 AU extended the idea to all sorts of disciplines, asking “What kind of wonk are you?” (See an extended 10K segment at https://youtu.be/IQJ27h9CtFg).
3) NSCC – “Strive”
Nova Scotia Community College launched a powerful, aspirational, and emotional campaign in 2016 emphasizing the challenges their students overcome, and their hopes for the future. https://youtu.be/P3ZkHOyqi_I).
4) uLethbridge – “Shine”
Southern Alberta gets tons of sunshine, so the University of Lethbridge’s shield highlights the sun and their motto “Fiat Lux” the illumination provided by education. And their latest campaign, launched in 2015, spotlights their talented students, faculty and alumni, who “shine.” https://youtu.be/lN4ojnM4WrE
5) uWindsor – “Promise”
Many branding agencies will tell you that you need to articulate a brand promise, but Ontario’s University of Windsor made “Promise” their brand promise! https://youtu.be/Zi8oumjX-dM
6) Keyano – “Power”
Keyano College, in Fort McMurray Alberta, serves the labour needs of the Athabasca Oil Sands, and plays a critical role in the global energy sector. So they built a catchy, bold position using superhero capes and the slogan, “You’ve got the power!”
7) BCIT – “Complex”
Likewise, the British Columbia Institute of Technology wanted to empower its students and prospective students by preparing them for a complex world. https://youtu.be/nCmrk3CCArE
8) Brescia – “Bold”
Brescia University College is a Catholic, women-only institution affiliated with Western University, in London Ontario. In 2009 they launched a new brand to highlight a key benefit of a single-gender learning environment: more confident, outspoken students. So they focused on the word “Bold.” https://youtu.be/TDqmcIgOMks
9) Maryville – “Brave”
Almost a decade later, another Catholic (and originally women’s) college in Missouri launched a new online brand based on a very similar word: “Brave.” https://mistress.agency/work/maryville-university-lets-be-brave-together-ad-campaign/
(See an extended 10K segment discussing “The Bold and the Brave” at https://youtu.be/UKHQjuUPKG0)
10) uWyoming – “Cowboys”
The most recent, and controversial, of these “One-Word Wonders” came from the University of Wyoming – an institution steeped in generations of cowboy symbolism. Their new slogan, “The World Needs More Cowboys,” launched in August 2018 and sparked some immediate criticism for potentially reinforcing sexist and racist stereotypes. But the whole point of the campaign was to redefine the word cowboy and emphasize the diversity of “Cowboys” at uWyo. https://youtu.be/EbJXn_he_sg
(See an extended 10K segment on the Wyoming Cowboys brand at https://youtu.be/W6JweEAeX7s)
We’ve been looking at marketing slogans and brand campaigns, but to truly deliver on your brand promise, the institution must “live the brand”, incorporating it into strategic planning, budgeting, hiring and more. Next time, we’re going to visit a campus that has done just that, literally “moving mountains” to embody its brand!
To be sure you don’t miss it, take a moment now to subscribe! Or sign up for our free email newsletter at http://www.eduvation.ca/subscribe
College and university marketers have to work hard to gather research and build campus consensus around a new brand position. Although the goal is to develop a distinctive position, the reality is that many higher ed branding projects result in some awfully similar creative executions.
Next week, we’ll round up ten recent examples of “One-Word Wonders” – higher ed brands that try to “own a word” in the marketplace. But in this teaser episode, we’ll look at two of them that wind up looking awfully similar.
Brescia University College, affiliated with Western University in London Ontario, is Canada’s only women’s university. In 2009, they launched a new brand position that focused on a key benefit of a single-gender learning environment: young women become more confident and outspoken. Thus “Brescia Bold” was born.
Brescia Bold Teaser (Sept 2017) - https://youtu.be/TDqmcIgOMks
Almost a decade later, a Catholic university in St Louis Missouri, Maryville University (which perhaps coincidentally was also founded as a women’s college back in 1872, although it went coed in 1968) developed a new brand campaign for its online programs, offered in partnership with Pearson. The campaign focused on the bravery of adult students going back to study, and the creative hinged on another “b” word, “Brave”: “Let’s Be Brave Together,” “The Future Belongs to the Brave,” etc.
Maryville University campaign - https://mistress.agency/work/maryville-university-lets-be-brave-together-ad-campaign/
Brescia and Maryville, about 500 miles apart, were both founded as Catholic women’s colleges (although each has adapted and evolved since then). Yet in trying to convey the quality of their students, they arrived at very similar words: “Bold” and “Brave.”
Later this week, Ten with Ken will examine 10 examples of similar “One-Word Wonders” in a full-length episode. To be sure you don’t miss it, take a moment now to subscribe!
Sure, your brand needs to “own a word” in the minds of your customers. But what if some think it’s an insult?
Ken Steele has been a higher ed brand consultant for decades, working with hundreds of institutions across North America. He’s seen plenty of “one-word wonders” – college or university brands that focus on a single word. But no doubt, one of his favourites came from American University, in Washington DC, back in 2010.
“Capitalizing” on their location in Washington DC, AU built their brand position around the idea that their students, faculty and alumni are “wonks”. Not just policy wonks or journalism wonks, but all kinds of wonks. The result was a fun, memorable brand with “legs.”
We feature excerpts from a documentary on the AU Brand, “Get to Know Wonk,” from October 2011. (The original source is no longer available online.)
Another AU branding documentary, appears on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/60581638
We also use an excerpt from AU’s 30 sec commercial, “All the Wonks are Talking”: https://youtu.be/GVzH0v78iYE
Whenever an institution tries to distill its identity into a single word, it runs the risk of upsetting campus stakeholders who see it as a gross oversimplification. But in recent years, there have been more and more of these “one-word wonders” in higher ed branding! Next week, Ten with Ken will examine 10 recent examples in a full-length episode.
To be sure you don’t miss it, take a moment now to subscribe! And if you agree (or disagree) with Ken’s verdict, please comment or like this video!
When maverick university marketers create a brilliant brand, but campus stakeholders feel uncomfortable about potential sexist or racist implications, what do you do?
In the “Wild West” of higher ed branding, the University of Wyoming charged ahead with its new slogan, “The World Needs More Cowboys” – and noted higher ed brand strategist Ken Steele thinks they were right to do so.
The $1.5 million campaign, launched in July 2018, was based on months of solid research that showed the word “cowboy” offered a real opportunity to differentiate uWyo from its competitors. As president Laurie Nichols emphasizes, the brand campaign “redefines what it means to be a cowboy in this day and age” by juxtaposing the word, with its white male settler connotations, with images of diverse students, faculty, researchers and alumni.
Objections from faculty and others are an “undeserved rough ride”. This campaign is bold, memorable, and aspirational. The marketers knew they were “bucking” political correctness, since they built in plenty of explanation in the original brand video.
For the full University of Wyoming brand video, “The World Needs More Cowboys,” see https://youtu.be/EbJXn_he_sg
Whenever an institution tries to distill its identity into a single word, it runs the risk of upsetting campus stakeholders who see it as a gross oversimplification. But in recent years, there have been more and more of these “one-word wonders” in higher ed branding! Next week, Ten with Ken will examine 10 recent examples in a full-length episode.
To be sure you don’t miss it, take a moment now to subscribe! And if you agree (or disagree) with Ken’s verdict, please comment or like this video!
As Ten with Kenbegins its FIFTH season, we’re adopting some online video best practices and streamlined processes that we think will be big improvements!
1. New Brand!
We’re using a compressed, 4-second “bumper” more suitable to shorter videos, and showcasing 10K’s first real logo. The icon, simultaneously a stylized “K” and the symbol for “forward-looking video,” nicely sums up what we’re all about.
2. Colour Coding
You’ll see that logo in at least 5 different colours, to identify the topic of each episode and make it easier to browse our channel, which now has more than 100 videos!
- Blue – Marketing & Branding
- Green – Teaching & Learning
- Purple – Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Orange – Interviews & Campus Visits
- Red – Social Media
3. Every Friday
Instead of being “almost weekly,” we’re now going to aim to publish new episodes every Friday morning. It’s going to be a real challenge, but it will help people find us if we can be consistent.
4. Shorter Episodes
It’s going to help us publish weekly if we vary the format, from 2 and 3 minute videos all the way up to 10 minute episodes. Instead of comprehensive looks at particular topics, which usually take weeks of research, we’re going to try episodes based on a list of 10 things, or a selection of 10 slides already in Ken’s master deck – which has more than 7,000 to choose from now!
5. Campus Visits
For years we’ve attended the Ontario Universities’ Fair, and gathered enough footage to keep us busy for months! The problem is that it skewed our coverage towards 4-year universities based in Ontario, while Ken actually spends half his time on 2-year college campuses across Canada, and increasingly in the US as well. This year, we’ve started a new approach, shooting interviews and facilities tours while Ken is already on campus to deliver a lecture or facilitate a workshop or retreat. So far, Simon Fraser University, Brandon University, Lethbridge College, and LaSalle College Vancouver have all generously provided the expertise and talent of their staff or student videographers to assist Ken on campus.
If you’d like us to interview someone on your campus, or feature an innovative program or new facility, you just need to find an excuse to bring Ken to campus! Check out some options at http://eduvation.ca/services/campus-pd-presentations/
To be sure you don’t miss future episodes, join more than 13,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/.
And please “Like” or comment on this video to get the conversation going. What do you think of our proposed improvements, and what else would you suggest?
In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
Thomas Dunk taught at Concordia, McMaster, and Toronto before entering administration, as Dean at Lakehead and Brock Universities, and most recently as interim Provost of Brock (2016-18). His sociology research focuses on the intersection of environmental controversies and regional economic transformations.
In this special bonus episode, Ken asks Tom to answer 3 key questions about higher ed innovation.
Innovations at Brock?
Brock University is particularly proud of its investments in expanding experiential learning opportunities, from Canada’s fifth-largest co-op program to service learning and work-integrated learning in every program, on six different continents. Brock’s senate has approved a co-curricular map that records community engagement, leadership and personal growth activities in ten categories. Brock has a “BOOST” program that offers an alternative to academic suspension for struggling students, allowing them to take 3 courses and skills development training to get back on track. Brock is also innovating in flexible delivery, like its “Supercourses”, which compress 3-month courses into just 2 weeks. Brock also has a long history of offering transdisciplinary programs, like Cold Climate Oenology & Viticulture, Child & Youth Studies, and Sport Management.
The Decade Ahead?
Tom predicts continued growth in post-graduate diplomas and flexible delivery, and the integration of humanities and social sciences with the STEM disciplines (what is often called “STEAM”). People with highly technical skills will need “soft skills” to manage a complex, globalized and multicultural world. Growing political awareness has led to a resurgence of interest in Political Science, too.
Culture of Innovation?
Tom observes that bicameral governance by senate and board has its strengths, but requires the two to work together, share information and build trust. Ultimately trust is critical, or people retreat into themselves and become very conservative, rather than innovative. Insecurity does not breed courage, and people need to feel comfortable to risk experiment or entrepreneurial activity. We also need to encourage students, faculty and staff to undertake international experiences to broaden their worldview and bring back fresh new perspectives and ideas to the campus. Higher ed innovation requires funding, and sometimes what looks like resistance is not so much ideological as resource limitations. Every year our institutions bring in young students, faculty and staff with fresh ideas who promise to continue to innovate, push boundaries and make the world a better place.
Watch for a new-look Ten with Ken starting this fall, with more concise, faster-paced episodes on narrower topics. To be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
When Mike DeGagné was appointed President of Nipissing University in 2013, he became one of the first Aboriginal university leaders in the country. He had 25 years of public sector leadership experience in federal government departments and non-profits focused on Indigenous affairs, and has published and spoken internationally on Aboriginal reconciliation and healing.
In this special bonus episode, Ken asks Mike to answer 3 key questions about higher ed innovation.
Innovations at Nipissing?
Mike observes that Nipissing has long been innovative in developing flexible program delivery to meet the needs of students, from the summer Aboriginal Teachers Certification Program to one of the first Concurrent Education degrees in Canada. The majority of Nipissing’s students get experiential and work-integrated learning because so many of the programs are applied, such as Teaching, Nursing, and Social Work. Nipissing also has extensive partnerships with colleges and associations to meet learner needs.
The Decade Ahead?
Mike predicts that government and PSEs will start providing more secondary and tertiary education options in remote Aboriginal communities, and that universities will need to be more flexible in offering bridging programs to Indigenous students who have not been exposed to university-level courses in high school. He observes that northern institutions have the opportunity to partner more, and expects microcredentials and short-term programs to grow in popularity, particularly in the North. It is a critical task to help Canadians understand why Indigenous issues are important, and curricula at all levels will continue to be more nuanced and detailed in its exploration of Aboriginal history and society.
Culture of Innovation?
Mike agrees that universities are among the oldest institutions in the world, and have a deep reverence for tradition which limits their ability to be nimble, or launch new programs quickly. He believes the best way to challenge those traditions is collegiality: shared governance structures, discussions about efficiency, and market research can provide common goals for everyone on campus. But while market research may indicate demand for new programs, Mike emphasizes the need to balance student trends with traditional humanities programs that are critical for an educated populace.
Watch for more interviews soon, or to be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
Celia Ross began teaching French Literature at Algoma in 1982, became Dean in 1997, and served as President from 1998 until 2010 – 12 busy years in which Algoma gained its independence from Laurentian University, and signed the Covenant with Shingwauk Education Trust. When her successor resigned in 2016, the board of governors appointed Celia Acting President until a search could be completed. (Asima Vezina, formerly the board chair, was appointed President in October 2017).
In this special bonus episode, Ken asks Celia to answer 3 key questions about higher ed innovation.
Innovations at Algoma?
Algoma University is particularly noteworthy for its partnerships with First Nations peoples. The University is in a former Indian Residential School building, but is working to change the paradigm of education from colonial to a “two-way dialogue.” As a small university, Algoma demonstrates the continuing value of small undergraduate seminars from first year onward – although now it utilizes videoconferencing and other technologies to create small groups across a wide geography. Algoma’s Institute for Community-Based Research gives students research and volunteer experience, and even leads to paid internships. Again, the philosophy is one of collaboration, in which the communities grow their own solutions.
The Decade Ahead?
In a world of rapidly advancing automation and globalization, Celia predicts that university students will be increasingly international, and seek ever-narrower specializations. At the same time, with coming labour market disruptions, Celia anticipates that students will turn to their educations to bring meaning to their lives, resulting in a renaissance of interest in Philosophy, Religious Studies, the Humanities and Fine Arts. She also sees exciting developments in First Nations education coming thanks to Ontario’s funding of the Aboriginal Institutes Consortium. Universities will need to ensure that a diverse range of students feels comfortable on our campuses, and that all our students come to understand other cultures and histories. We need to be forerunners in the fight against ignorance and racism. Over the next decade, universities will increasingly partner with colleges, industry and other communities: “the days of the ivory tower are gone.”
Culture of Innovation?
Celia observes that it can be challenging to nurture a culture of innovation on campus. We need to value the innovators on campus, no matter how difficult or demanding they may seem. Leaders need to make time to discuss the big ideas, either in a strategic plan consultation process or during an off-site strategic retreat. Especially for isolated institutions, it is very important to bring in external speakers to spark new ideas. Our students are being encouraged to think innovatively, and you can see them becoming the leaders of tomorrow.
Watch for more interviews soon, or to be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
At the time, Brian Stevenson was finishing his term as President & Vice-Chancellor at Lakehead University. (Moira McPherson replaced him as interim President in January 2018). Brian’s extensive higher ed administrative experience includes founding the Canadian Studies program at ITAM in Mexico, serving as AVP International at uAlberta, Provost at uWinnipeg, and most recently President at Lakehead (2010-17). In this special bonus episode, Ken asks Brian to answer 3 key questions about higher ed innovation.
Innovations at Lakehead?
Brian starts by describing Lakehead’s new “Student Central,” a brand-new one-stop student services office that aims to help students focus on academic studies instead of bureaucratic paperwork. He then observes that Lakehead has been a leader in Indigenous higher ed for decades, from Canada’s first Vice-Provost Aboriginal Initiatives and Truth & Reconciliation Chair, to mandatory Indigenous courses and extensive support services for Indigenous students. Lakehead’s “Achievement Program” reaches out to students starting in grade 4, bringing them to campus and setting aside scholarship funds for them. Lakehead has immersive telepresence technology connecting its two campuses in Thunder Bay and Orillia, allowing professors to co-teach students on both campuses. And Lakehead has extensive partnerships with Confederation College and Georgian College, to create seamless collaborative programs that offer students “the best of both worlds.”
The Decade Ahead?
Over the next ten years, Brian predicts that higher ed will make more effective use of technology for distance education, offer more experiential and work-integrated learning opportunities, and increasingly make use of technology and active learning pedagogies in the classroom. Key to encouraging faculty to adopt effective approaches will be the expansion of campus centres, like Lakehead’s new Teaching & Learning Commons. Universities will also work to promote entrepreneurship, not just among business students but across the campus, through programs like Lakehead’s Entrepreneurship Certificate. Brian also emphasizes that internationalization will be critical for universities, not just to recruit students and generate revenue, but more importantly to expose local students to global experience, other languages, and global citizenship.
Culture of Innovation?
Brian believes that universities are “hotbeds of innovation,” because they are not only disseminators of knowledge but also creators of knowledge, through innovative research. First and foremost, to nurture a culture of innovation, higher ed leaders need to LISTEN to students, faculty and staff across campus: ultimately the sustainable innovations won’t come from senior administration, but will arise from those working on the front lines. Leaders also need to promote strategic partnerships, with other educational institutions, the private sector, non-profits, municipalities, and international organizations and institutions. Universities are social agents for positive change, Brian says, primarily because of those external partnerships.
Watch for more interviews soon, or to be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
Leo Groarke holds a PhD in Philosophy from Western, and has experience as Provost at the University of Windsor, and founding Principal of the Wilfrid Laurier campus in Brantford. Since 2014, he has served as President & Vice-Chancellor of Trent University. In this special bonus episode, Ken asks Leo to answer 3 key questions about higher ed innovation.
Innovations at Trent?
Leo observes that Trent is proudly focused on the undergraduate experience, and is starting to return to its roots of federated colleges, modelled after Oxford and Cambridge. Trent is revitalizing humanities programs by offering a wide range of double degrees, and has partnered with Swansea University in Wales to offer an international Law and Arts dual degree. The renowned Bata Library is currently undergoing a $20-million renovation, and will remove half of its print collection to make room for an entrepreneurship centre, research and active learning classrooms. And finally, Trent is developing an 85-acre research park focused on environmental science and green industry. The park will generate revenue, advance research, and offer students experiential learning opportunities.
The Decade Ahead?
Leo predicts Internationalization will be very significant for Canadian universities over the next 5-10 years, and not just for revenue but to build global understanding. Likewise Indigenization will be a big priority, although Trent has been working at this since the 1970s when it launched Canada’s first Indigenous Studies programs. Trent’s Indigenous Environmental Science program, in particular, tries to marry the Eurocentric, scientific perspective with Indigenous ways of knowing. Leo dismisses MOOCs as overhyped, having had marginal effect on most university programs, but he notes the growing emphasis on applied learning and work experience: the Ontario government wants 100% of undergraduates to get experiential learning opportunities. But Leo cautions that universities also play an important role as places for reflection. The decade ahead will be “tough times for universities,” thanks to pressure on demographics and government funding, but “necessity is the mother of invention” and universities are good at recreating themselves in useful ways.
Culture of Innovation?
Ken suggests that academic culture tends to reinforce “zero fault tolerance,” which can make it difficult to encourage innovation or entrepreneurial approaches. Leo agrees that universities don’t tolerate mistakes well, and that in itself is a mistake: even failed experiments can lead to crucial insights that move knowledge forward. Universities put too much emphasis on grades for admission, attracting students who have never experienced failure, and are unwilling to take risks. Even researchers tend to be cautious in order to attract funding and pass peer review: the system is stacked against radical disruptive ideas. Higher ed leaders need to support innovators on campus, provide them with budget and moral support. When you have creative people, there is a great deal of opportunity for universities launching innovative new programs.
Watch for more interviews soon, or to be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
Janice O’Farrell is the Associate Vice-President Enrolment Management at Carleton University, and has 24 years of experience in higher education. In this special bonus episode, Ken asks Janice to answer 3 key questions about higher ed innovation.
Innovations at Carleton?
Janice starts with several examples of Carleton’s commitment to community engagement and community-based learning opportunities for students, bringing the classroom to the community. This year, Carleton held 75 “Campus to Community Days” in which students went out to serve local agencies, and students and faculty went abroad on the “Alternative Spring Break” program to construct a school in central America, and work on water conservation efforts in Alberta. Carleton is also considered a Canadian leader for its Residence Curriculum programs, which help students develop self-awareness and positive relationship skills. And Carleton has been developing new programs to meet industry needs, like the Bachelor of Media Production and Design, which combines creative writing with technical skills. Carleton also has several collaborative programs with Algonquin College, like the Bachelor of IT in Photonics and the BIT in Information Resource Management. Students are simultaneously admitted to both the university and the college, take courses at both institutions, and graduate in 4 years with a degree and an advanced diploma. Even more innovative is Carleton’s partnership with dot-com company Shopify, in which Comp Sci students work full-time for 4 years, take courses onsite at the company, and earn $160,000 in salary, tuition, and perks. Carleton has also developed its “Degree Audit” to a 3-colour scorecard to help students determine if they are on-track to graduation.
The Decade Ahead?
Janice predicts greater emphasis on preparing students to address societal challenges like mental health, homelessness and poverty, and more opportunities to bring the classroom into the real world, through partnerships with industry and community service learning opportunities. She expects we will continue to see more diverse program delivery methods and program lengths, stacked and laddered credentials, and more transfer options between college and university and vice-versa. Collaborative degree programs are a great opportunity for colleges and universities to play together nicely “in the same sandbox.”
Culture of Innovation?
Janice believes that universities are drivers of change in science and society, but “not necessarily for ourselves.” To nurture a culture of innovation on campus, leadership needs a compelling vision, needs to be open and transparent, and needs to engage the campus community. There must be an allowance to try new things, to take some risks, and to think outside the box – and there also have to be adequate resources available. Since 2012, the “Carleton Leader” program has brought together faculty and admin staff from “the sidelines, the front lines, and the cutting edge” to work together for 6 months on a “wicked” problem like student engagement or the value of a university degree. Janice believes the cross-campus representation on those task forces provide the key benefit to drive innovative ideas. She concludes by observing that this is an exciting time for universities, and that we need to embrace the opportunity to do new things creatively, rather than being fearful of change.
Watch for more interviews soon, or to be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
Benoit-Antoine Bacon holds a PhD in neuropsychology, and has 14 years of experience in university administration at Bishop’s University (2004-2013), Concordia University Montreal (2013-16), and Queen’s University (2016-18). After this interview, he was appointed President and Vice-Chancellor of Carleton University, effective July 1 2018.
Ken had a wide-ranging, hour-long discussion with Benoit, which has been edited down to just 11 minutes in this special bonus episode, to focus on 3 key questions about higher ed innovation.
Innovations at Queen’s?
Benoit starts with Queen’s new $100-million Innovation & Wellness Centre, which will combine centralized student health and wellness supports, and custom-designed entrepreneurship and innovation space. He also points to a brand new mental health initiative to “embed” counselors in faculty and residence offices. Queen’s has also been investing $1 million+ every year in new active learning classrooms, like those in Ellis Hall, and is finding them in great demand and having significant impact on student learning. There is also international attention on Queen’s “Major Maps,” which outline extracurricular and experiential opportunities to enhance every undergraduate degree, and potential career outcomes.
The Decade Ahead?
Benoit emphasizes that the convergence of geopolitical, technological and societal pressures will make the next ten years absolutely critical, and identifies 4 things that will be key. In an increasingly global and diverse world, universities have a central role in fostering inclusion and helping people live together. Curricula, hiring, and even university symbols need to be reconsidered in a diverse and inclusive environment – not just to be nice, but because institutional success depends on attracting and retaining the world’s best talent. Universities also have to decide whether they will be local or global in their focus. The NYU “transnational” model is impressive but likely unique. Universities also need to take a fully-integrated, strategic approach to digital technologies, often appointing an academic CIO or a Vice-Provost Digital Planning. Research will continue to become more and more interdisciplinary in order to address the world’s big challenges and issues. But Benoit believes the biggest disruption over the next 10 years will be a shift toward measuring student learning outcomes and skills instead of traditional inputs.
Culture of Innovation?
Benoit believes senior leaders need to avoid blocking innovation, instead creating a culture of “saying yes.” In fact, risk-aversion might be the greatest risk that universities run today, so leaders need to shift to a culture of intelligent, measured risk-taking. Benoit says that “everything starts with hiring” for innovation instead of the status quo, from the top on down. Benoit concludes that there are many things you can do to shift institutional culture quicker than people might think.
Watch for more interviews soon, or to be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
Sara Diamond has worked in higher education for 3 decades, at BC’s Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Alberta’s Banff Centre, and Ontario’s OCAD University, where she has been President since 2005. In this special bonus episode, edited to 10 minutes, Ken asks Sara 3 key questions about higher ed innovation.
Innovations at OCAD?
Sara proudly points to OCADU’s new Academic Plan, which brings together STEAM+D – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (or Medicine) with Art and Design in a powerful interdisciplinary combination. All OCAD students will be provided with basic programming skills so they can be “digital citizens.” OCADU also has a strong focus on Indigenous knowledge, culture and creativity, and “decolonization” is OCAD’s first guiding principle. OCAD has diversified its curriculum and built a cosmopolitan campus, with international students from around the world. And OCAD is opening several new buildings, including the waterfront Campus for the Connected World, and the Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers, both of which will focus on new experiential and work-integrated learning opportunities for students. OCAD’s business incubator for recent graduates, the Imagination Catalyst, has a very high success rate launching new ventures. And OCAD is partnering with UOIT to bring together design and hard science for STEAM+D.
The Decade Ahead?
Over the next decade, Sara predicts a world of continuous learning in which universities offer increasingly flexible degrees, badges and stackable microcredentials, as well as flexible timetables for working and entrepreneurial students. Digital delivery will intensify, but the “sociality” of learning will continue to bring students together in one place to learn. She also anticipates some really dynamic “international aggregates of institutions” offering students trans-national learning experiences and credentials. And Sara projects ongoing and increasing investment in “blue-sky” investigator-driven research, and the increasing importance of artificial intelligence in the “expressive economy.”
Culture of Innovation?
Sara emphasizes that university leaders must support the integration of research and teaching, and maintain curricular openness to new learning. They must be “militant proponents of diversity”, be highly collaborative across campus, and also reinforce the “porosity” of the university, building partnerships with industry and external organizations to help build their communities. Ultimately, Sara observes, university research can help solve the world’s big problems, so long as we stay “at the coal face” of the real world.
Watch for more interviews soon, or to be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
Pierre Zundel has served as a university leader for almost a decade, first as President of the University of Sudbury (2009-2016), then as Provost and VP Academic at Laurentian University (2016-17), and since August 2017 as Laurentian’s Interim President. In this special bonus episode, edited to 8 minutes, Ken asks Pierre 3 key questions about higher ed innovation.
Innovations at Laurentian?
First and foremost, Laurentian has been a leader in introducing Indigenous content across the curriculum, has more than 25 indigenous faculty members, and a spectacular new Indigenous Sharing & Learning Centre. Laurentian has recently completed an ambitious renovation of more than 60 classrooms and labs, and created a new Welcome Centre to integrate student services. Laurentian excels at developing college pathways and partnerships, particularly with Cambrian College and Collège Boréal in Sudbury.
The Decade Ahead?
Over the next decade, Pierre predicts that all Canadian universities will be working to figure out the part they can play in reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Moreover, universities will become more “porous,” with more community and industry connections, more work-integrated learning and co-op education – particularly in programs like the Arts, where co-op has been uncommon in the past. Pierre anticipates growth in student mental health programs, open textbooks, blended delivery, just-in-time tutoring, and predictive analytics based on “big data” to launch early interventions and student supports.
Culture of Innovation?
Pierre identifies 3 things campus leaders can do to foster a culture of innovation. 1) Firstly, leaders can showcase good innovative ideas or good attempts, whether successful or not. 2) Secondly, they can run interference, helping to create space for innovation by preventing resistance from shutting it down early. 3) And thirdly, leaders have to make it possible to fail, so that we learn from failed attempts instead of focusing on laying blame.
Pierre emphasizes that universities may be “as conservative as cats” but they are also hugely creative places!
Watch for more interviews soon, or to be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
Catherine Newell Kelly was appointed Registrar at the University of Waterloo just a month before this interview, after serving for two decades as Director of Waterloo’s Centre for Extended Learning, as well as stints as Executive Director of eCampus Ontario and President of CAUCE and OCULL. In this special bonus episode, edited to 7 minutes, Ken asks Cathy 3 key questions.
Innovations at Waterloo?
Cathy emphasizes Waterloo’s liberal intellectual property policies, and its roots in co-operative education, and its co-op program has grown to be the largest in Canada, with students earning $253 million a year. Waterloo is pushing the envelope to make experiential learning more flexible, like the EDGE experiential learning certificate program for non-co-op students. Waterloo’s Velocity is the largest free start-up incubator in the world. After 50 years in online learning, Waterloo is exploring Labster and Riipen to bring laboratory and co-op work experiences to online students.
The Decade Ahead?
Cathy predicts that university-business partnerships will become much more important, with the government’s emphasis on work-integrated learning. Transformative research, which changes what we know, will grow, and interdisciplinarity will continue to drive research and teaching. Universities will also need to enhance the flexibility of program delivery and structure for adult learners and working students.
Culture of Innovation?
Cathy believes that senior leadership has to foster a culture of entrepreneurship on campus, in which students, staff and faculty feel safe enough to take strategic risks.
Watch for more interviews soon, or to be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
Alan Wildeman has served as the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Windsor for a full decade. (He was appointed in July 2008 and recently announced his retirement for the end of June 2018.) In this special bonus episode, edited to 7 minutes, Ken asks Alan 3 key questions.
Innovations at Windsor?
Alan points to his university’s community engagement and new downtown facilities in heritage buildings. Innovative cross-border collaborative degrees with the University of Detroit-Mercy, such as the dual juris doctor (law degree) and Visual Arts – Architecture pathways. And the Sexual Assault Bystander Initiative, piloted last year, which will be rolled out to every incoming first-year student by Fall 2018.
The Decade Ahead?
Alan predicts steadily increasing interdisciplinarity, such as between computing and automotive engineering, or environmental science and the social sciences. He also observes that the steadily growing diversity of Canada and of its campuses, particularly the University of Windsor, will become a major engine of innovation in academe and the economy.
Culture of Innovation?
Alan observes that university leaders don’t have all the answers, but need to set the conditions and context for creative people to unleash their own potential for innovation. For example, Windsor’s SPF50 Strategic Priorities Fund is allowing them to hire 50 tenure-track faculty in priority areas, injecting fresh ideas and new diversity among the faculty. Windsor has also put in place a $1 million curriculum reform and development fund, to conduct market research, develop new courses and interdisciplinary programs.
Watch for more interviews soon, or to be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Ken Steele interviews 12 university presidents and senior administrators about the innovations most likely to transform higher education over the coming decade, for a series called "Towards 2028."
In this episode, we discuss active learning pedagogies and classrooms, online and blended delivery, immersive telepresence, virtual reality and augmented reality, and the centrality of libraries to an institution-wide strategic approach to IT planning. We hear about pilot projects at the University of Waterloo testing Labster, a VR simulation of a chemistry lab, and Riipen, an online clearinghouse of work experience opportunities for students.
The annual Ten with Ken Holiday Special “wraps up” its survey of more than 200 college and university holiday greeting videos from around the world, with examples from Austria to Australia, New Zealand to New England!
This week in Part 3, we look at dramatic presentations for comic or heartwarming effect, from parodies of classic movies to political satire, feel-good messages about community, gifts of cheer, and acts of charity. To overcome the weaknesses of amateur acting ability, we see holiday mannequin challenges, mascots and puppies, and the self-deprecation of ugly holiday sweaters.
In particular, we acknowledge some "best in class" videos from last Christmas:
Situation Comedy: The Stockton University (New Jersey) “ITS Holiday Card” stages a tongue-in-cheek sit-com featuring the evil genius behind “elf on the shelf.” https://youtu.be/PlpcOcFtOu8
Holiday Mannequin Challenges: The University of Glasgow (Scotland) stages an elaborate mannequin challenge across several floors and several buildings, all in a single take. https://youtu.be/cA5qew3K310
Feel-Good Messages: The University of Waterloo Faculty of Environment launches a “challenge” to faculty and staff, with a sentimental twist ending worthy of Dr Seuss’ Grinch. https://youtu.be/40rZpjU2Jtg
Holiday Sentiments: Central Penn College’s heartwarming video based on a poem composed by one of its professors, “We Are Season’s Greetings.” https://youtu.be/kmFtkgqLuYI
Acts of Charity: George Mason University (in Virginia) produced “Mason Spreads the Joy,” last year’s best-produced and best-acted video about students buying and sharing toys with underprivileged children. https://youtu.be/sHGDXHCGqrQ
Honorable mentions to:
Tucker Garborg, a film student at NYU, for his satirical ballad, “Christmas in College”. (Definitely worth a look!) https://youtu.be/6VhGCxWhtxI
Bow Valley College’s new certificates in Egg-Nog Mixology and Regifting – complete with a website to generate the certificate! https://youtu.be/O651Dc3Eh8Q
Griffith University’s School of Government and International Relations for professor John Kane’s musical number, “A Very Trumpy Christmas.” https://youtu.be/1CQx4kxw4PI
University of Utah Health Care, “Holiday Greeting” year-in-review mannequin challenge. https://youtu.be/JAVZyugLbBs
To find the full list of 2016 Youtube videos reviewed for this episode, check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYW50HvU2lrHm_DURpmz8jqk
We've also started assembling a list of 2017 videos for next year's special, at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYVmGMsmXoJqATfMohQ5cEYb
If you have a video to ADD, use this link and you can add it yourself!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYVmGMsmXoJqATfMohQ5cEYb&jct=MSL7F_rVRIvGlRjnrkq5ZNy_vdTZ-Q
We’ll be back in the new year with more interviews with university leaders from the Ontario Universities’ Fair, and several episodes based on our excursion to Simon Fraser University!
To be sure you don’t miss them, please subscribe to our channel! www.TenWithKen.com
All best wishes for a peaceful holiday, and a happy and prosperous new year!
Yours, Ken
The annual Ten with Ken Holiday Special continues its survey of more than 200 college and university holiday greeting videos from around the world, with examples from Austria to Australia, New Zealand to New England!
This week in Part 2 (of 3), we look at Holiday Shout-Outs, Cute Kids, Parody Carols, Singalongs, Carpool Karaoke, and the talented student choirs and bands that contribute to some beautiful, peaceful greetings. In particular, we acknowledge some "best in class" videos from last Christmas:
Multicultural Shout-Outs: The University of La Verne (in California) encourages us all to “Celebrate Together” despite our superficial differences in a moving message of peace. https://youtu.be/runZqiJrr8I
Holiday Games: Pueblo Community College (in Colorado) asked pairs of staff to play the “Naughty or Nice” game, in which they are surprised by sweet or decidedly sour jelly beans. Part 1 - https://youtu.be/cnUznSZ7F-Q Part 2 - https://youtu.be/gclNjAaxKvw
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas: Western Kentucky University produced an amusing vignette about its president encountering a mysterious visitor in red. https://youtu.be/51epgzybMo0
Childlike Spirit: West Virginia University presents “Chaos on the Set!” thanks to a bunch of little helpers. https://youtu.be/T_a7umQkjEs
Holiday Singalongs: Elon University (in North Carolina) produced a very polished, uplifting a capella version of several favourite carols, using voices from across campus. https://youtu.be/Bx9b9P1fTes
Carpool Karaoke: Pennsylvania’s Juniata College released a series of 7 separate videos of staff and senior administrators carpooling with President Troha, and singing along to holiday classics. https://youtu.be/0TK4oRq3p_g
Parody Carols: Coastal Carolina University (in South Carolina) produced a slick, well choreographed adaptation of “Deck the Halls”. https://youtu.be/66j1LlAMgaQ
Moving Songs: United World College USA Montezuma (in New Mexico) released a holiday video produced by its international students, and featuring the music of Kaamya Sharma and Iqbaal Ramadhan. https://youtu.be/CkMnMyapGXY
To find the full list of 2016 Youtube videos reviewed for this episode, check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYW50HvU2lrHm_DURpmz8jqk
We've also started assembling a list of 2017 videos for next year's special, at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYVmGMsmXoJqATfMohQ5cEYb
This is just part 2 – next time we’ll look at some comic and sentimental storytelling videos, and much more! To be sure you don’t miss it, subscribe to our channel! www.TenWithKen.com
The annual Ten with Ken Holiday Special begins its survey of more than 200 college and university holiday greeting videos from around the world, with examples from Austria to Australia, New Zealand to New England!
This week in Part 1 (of 3), Ken looks at examples ranging from snowy campuses to snowball fights, decorating students to decorated students, lights on campus to majestic feasts, gingerbread doctors to gingerbread campuses, and more! In particular, he acknowledges some "best in class" videos from last Christmas:
Holiday Lights on Campus: Loyola University (Chicago) “Merry Christmas” portrays a beautiful campus at night. https://youtu.be/8fgj2oOtwDc
Decorating: Humber College (Ontario), “Interior Decorating at Winter Festival of Lights” combines student talents, work placements and even employer testimonials! https://youtu.be/quRG7gmCES8
Showcasing Talents: Southeast Missouri State University, “Happy Holidays” shows us a group of academic deans deciding to make a holiday video based on “So You Think You Can Dance”! https://youtu.be/W3n95aJcXhc
Holiday Feasts: George Brown College (Toronto), “Happy Holidays” shows us traditional family recipes created by culinary arts students from around the world. https://youtu.be/8f2gd6x-Ifk
Gingerbread: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, “Happy Holidays from Chancellor Carol L Foit” beautifully portrays the creation of a scale model cupola that looks good enough to eat! https://youtu.be/bvIuwA3i7p4
To find the full list of 2016 Youtube videos reviewed for this episode, check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYW50HvU2lrHm_DURpmz8jqk
We've also started assembling a list of 2017 videos for next year's special, at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYVmGMsmXoJqATfMohQ5cEYb
This is just part 1 – next time we’ll look at the musical talents of student choirs and bands, some “Holiday Shout-Out” videos, and much more! To be sure you don’t miss it, subscribe to our channel! www.TenWithKen.com
“Ten with Ken” continues from the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair. In part 3 of a 3-part series, Ken Steele talks to a dozen Ontario university leaders about creating the environment on-campus in which creative thinking, entrepreneurship and innovation mindset can flourish. In discussion, these senior administrators identified 10 key ways to help foster an environment more amenable to innovation, including ideas about people, special initiatives, organizational values and culture.
Part 1 explored ways to foster meaningful dialogue on campus, and to listen to campus stakeholders, including front-line staff and particularly students. (See part 1 at https://youtu.be/Ttb-6rj_fb0 )
“Ten with Ken” continues from the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair. In part 3 of a 3-part series, Ken Steele talks to a dozen Ontario university leaders about creating the environment on-campus in which creative thinking, entrepreneurship and innovation mindset can flourish. In discussion, these senior administrators identified 10 key ways to help foster an environment more amenable to innovation, including ideas about people, special initiatives, organizational values and culture.
Part 1 explored ways to foster meaningful dialogue on campus, and to listen to campus stakeholders, including front-line staff and particularly students. (See part 1 at https://youtu.be/Ttb-6rj_fb0 )
Part 2 continued by looking at 4 more important ways to foster an innovation culture, including seeking diverse and international perspectives, promoting openness and trust, recognizing and sharing innovative practices, and helping to clear the path for innovators, running interference against the forces of resistance on campus. (See part 2 at https://youtu.be/Qi4gtUAdxMw )
In this episode, we hear the final 4 recommendations, which are in many ways the most significant for senior campus administrators:
7) Promote strategic partnerships.
Several leaders emphasized the importance of “porosity” and connection with external communities, organizations, private sector companies and other kinds of educational institutions in order to bring innovative new perspectives and fast-track innovation on campus.
8) Use budget levers to support innovation.
Sometimes it comes down to money, to provide appropriate new spaces, resources, faculty release time, incentives, and promotion of innovative new ideas. But leaders need to be cautious what they incentivize, and of course it can be difficult to shift budget away from traditional departments and programs.
9) Hire for innovation.
In many ways, it all comes down to hiring, and senior administrators have a crucial responsibility to hire VPs, Deans, and others for status quo or for change. Finding the resources to hire more young faculty members, and hiring for diverse perspectives, are crucial ways to nurture innovation.
10) Accept some risk of failure.
Academic culture has a thousand-year tradition of excellence and perfectionism. In many ways the whole system is designed to reject or suppress radical change, and that very risk aversion may be the biggest challenge going forward. To promote experimentation and innovation on campus, leaders have to reduce the stigma of failure, stop assigning blame, and promote measured, informed risk-taking. Out-of-the-box thinkers often stumble in the early stages, but will wind up making the most significant contributions to their fields over a whole career.
We will continue this discussion in an upcoming episode from the campus of Simon Fraser University.
Special thanks to the university spokespeople who took time with us at the OUF. Their insights are reduced to sound bytes in this “essay” episode, but we will soon be releasing their individual interviews as standalone “bonus” episodes:
Algoma University – Acting President Celia Ross
Brock University – Provost Thomas Dunk
Carleton University – VP Enrollment Management Janice O’Farrell
Lakehead University – President Brian Stevenson
Laurentian University – Interim President Pierre Zundel
Nipissing University – President Mike DeGagné
OCAD University – President Sara Diamond
Queen’s University – Provost Benoit-Antoine Bacon
Trent University – President Leo Groarke
University of Waterloo – President Feridun Hamdullahpur (previously released)
University of Waterloo – Registrar Cathy Newell-Kelly
University of Windsor – President Alan Wildeman
Thanks also to my patient videographer, John Matthias, and to Deanna Underwood and the organizers of the OUF for allowing us to keep coming back!
“Ten with Ken” continues from the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair. In part 2 of a 3-part series, Ken Steele talks to a dozen Ontario university leaders about creating the environment on-campus in which creative thinking, entrepreneurship and innovation mindset can flourish. In discussion, these senior administrators identified 10 key ways to help foster an environment more amenable to innovation, including ideas about people, special initiatives, organizational values and culture.
Part 1 explored ways to foster meaningful dialogue on campus, and to listen to campus stakeholders, including front-line staff and particularly students. (See part 1 at https://youtu.be/Ttb-6rj_fb0 )
In this episode, we hear the next 4 recommendations:
3) Seek diverse global perspectives.
Many leaders emphasize that diverse perspectives, and international experiences, help to prompt new ideas and out-of-the-box thinking. We should be “militant proponents of diversity”, and should encourage staff, faculty and students to travel abroad.
4) Foster openness, transparency and trust.
“Insecurity does not breed courage.” Staff and faculty need a level of trust, often born of collegiality, for them to be open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. In particular, the university board and senate need strong channels of communication and cooperation.
5) Recognize and share innovative practices.
Innovation often occurs at the periphery, in pilot projects or experimental institutes. Leaders need to “showcase” innovators, even when their efforts have not been successful. Centres for Teaching and Learning offer best practices and the exchange of ideas among faculty. With luck, good ideas and an openness to change will become contagious.
6) Clear the path for innovators.
Senior leadership can’t push a top-down innovation agenda, but they can help prevent the institution from “pushing back” against new ideas. Policies need change. Resisters need reassurance. Innovators need authority. Senior admin can “run interference” like a football running back. Often innovators are difficult people for others to deal with, and leaders need to disarm the forces of resistance and negotiate a truce on campus.
Those are the first 6 ideas – but there are 4 more! Stay tuned for part 3, or subscribe to ensure you don’t miss it. http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Special thanks to the university spokespeople who took time with us at the OUF. Their insights are reduced to sound bytes in this “essay” episode, but we will soon be releasing their individual interviews as standalone “bonus” episodes:
Algoma University – Acting President Celia Ross
Brock University – Provost Thomas Dunk
Carleton University – VP Enrollment Management Janice O’Farrell
Lakehead University – President Brian Stevenson
Laurentian University – Interim President Pierre Zundel
Nipissing University – President Mike DeGagné
OCAD University – President Sara Diamond
Queen’s University – Provost Benoit-Antoine Bacon
Trent University – President Leo Groarke
University of Waterloo – President Feridun Hamdullahpur (previously released)
University of Waterloo – Registrar Cathy Newell-Kelly
University of Windsor – President Alan Wildeman
Thanks also to my patient videographer, John Matthias, and to Deanna Underwood and the organizers of the OUF for allowing us to keep coming back!
Ten with Ken hits the road again to attend the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, the largest PSE consumer show in North America. This year we spoke with a dozen university presidents and their designates about the latest innovations on their campuses, trends they see emerging over the next decade, and in particular, about how college or university leaders can nurture a culture of innovation on campus.
In part 1 of a 3-part series, Ken Steele talks to a dozen Ontario university leaders about creating the environment on-campus in which creative thinking, entrepreneurship and innovation mindset can flourish. Higher ed has a thousand-year tradition of being thoughtful, cautious, and somewhat perfectionist in its pursuit of excellence. As a result, universities in particular have minimal tolerance for risk, financial or otherwise. In discussion, these senior administrators identified 10 key ways to help foster an environment more amenable to innovation, including ideas about people, special initiatives, organizational values and culture.
In this episode, we hear them discuss the first 2 recommendations:
1) Foster meaningful dialogue on campus.
Make room to discuss the big ideas, trends and potential innovative approaches. Hold off-site retreats to get people away from the everyday realities, or bring in external speakers to talk about emerging trends. (Ken is a big fan of this idea, naturally!) We hear about Carleton University’s “Leaders Program,” that brings together faculty and admin personnel to work collaboratively on solutions to “wicked” problems.
2) Listen to campus stakeholders.
Leaders must be careful to ensure they do not assume they have all the answers. Lasting, significant innovation almost always arises from the front lines, and senior administration’s role is to seek out those ideas wherever they might be. It’s vital to hear from diverse voices on campus, and especially to listen to students! Hearing from diverse perspectives, debating new and radical ideas, is in many ways core to the mandate of even the most traditional university.
Those are the first 2 ideas – but there are 8 more! Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3, or subscribe to ensure you don’t miss them. http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Special thanks to the university spokespeople who took time with us at the OUF. Their insights are reduced to sound bytes in this “essay” episode, but we will soon be releasing their individual interviews as standalone “bonus” episodes:
Algoma University – Acting President Celia Ross
Brock University – Provost Thomas Dunk
Carleton University – VP Enrollment Management Janice O’Farrell
Lakehead University – President Brian Stevenson
Laurentian University – Interim President Pierre Zundel
Nipissing University – President Mike DeGagné
OCAD University – President Sara Diamond
Queen’s University – Provost Benoit-Antoine Bacon
Trent University – President Leo Groarke
University of Waterloo – President Feridun Hamdullahpur (previously released)
University of Waterloo – Registrar Cathy Newell-Kelly
University of Windsor – President Alan Wildeman
Thanks also to my patient videographer, John Matthias, and to Deanna Underwood and the organizers of the OUF for allowing us to keep coming back!
In a 12-minute episode that sums up 7,000 slides and 20 years of research, Ken provides a fast-paced overview of the full spectrum of innovation occurring in higher education around the world.
In response to the 9 key forces for change, institutions are seeking efficiencies and new markets, including online and international students. They are collaborating and seeking alternative revenue streams. They have reinforced student services and mental health supports. Built new campus facilities to support new approaches to teaching and learning. Partnered with industry and explored the possibility of new evaluation systems and credentials. And academic programs have evolved, been launched, and been retired.
Ten with Ken continues to explore some of the more interesting and thought-provoking experiments and findings across this whole spectrum. Check out scores of episodes on our YouTube channel, or at www.TenWithKen.com
Ken Steele's conference keynotes, campus presentations, retreats and workshops help institutions grapple with the pressures they face, competitor strategies, and the best course for their own future directions.
Catch the video at https://youtu.be/ysl0t4gU5CY
Ken Steele returns for season 3 of “Ten with Ken”.
He has analyzed almost 7,000 data points over 20 years of trends and experiments, and consolidated them into a single graphic that sums up the whole spectrum of higher ed innovation. This week, we take a quick look at the 9 forces for change affecting colleges and universities worldwide. Politics, Funding, and declining Demographics are forcing institutions to adapt, and making them more alert to evolving needs and expectations among traditional students. Students are becoming more Digital, Social, and Anxious, and are particularly Careerist. Industry and employers are increasingly helping to shape programs, curriculum and credentials at colleges and universities alike. And to a lesser extent, breakthroughs of Science are starting to inform new approaches to teaching and learning on campus.
Clips this episode:
Simon Fraser University, “SFU Launches New Texting-Free Walking Zones”
https://youtu.be/U0UqHM6qOFg
SAIT Polytechnic, “Walk-a-bot”
[Video removed from YouTube]
Malardalen University College, “Fighting Spirit”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiD9PmtQ61I&feature=youtu.be
Next week we look at the full spectrum of ways in which colleges and universities are innovating in response to these 9 forces for change. Subscribe now to be sure you don’t miss it, at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Ken Steele completes his review of 12 higher ed rebrands in the past 2 years that sparked a backlash from campus stakeholders and alumni.
In part 1, we looked at half a dozen new visual identities that caused outrage, either because they were too crazy creative or deadly dull. https://youtu.be/khrMeE_hngs
But there were also some competent rebrands that nonetheless met remarkable opposition, often because stakeholders were too emotionally attached to what they had before:
Western Sydney University (Australia):
When its name changed from “The University of Western Sydney” in 2015, WSU also abandoned its 13-year-old logo, which featured a “bluebird” icon. Although the former logo felt pretty cool and corporate, students nonetheless had become emotionally attached to the bluebird, and launched a #SaveTheBlueBird campaign on Twitter. The new identity was more contemporary, and pretty conventional: a deep red shield with the letter “W”. Comedian Aamer Rahman mocked the expenditure for student audiences, but the administration stuck with the new look.
Aamer Rahman - https://youtu.be/5Bg90nkRL3c
Penn State University (PA):
When one of the largest universities in the world changes its visual identity, plenty of people take notice! Penn State, with almost 100,000 students on more than 20 campuses, had been using the same brand identity for 30 years when it finally launched a rebrand in 2015. The new look was much cleaner, focusing the shield on just the head of the “Nittany Lion” shrine, and using a modern slab-serif typeface. The illustration was fairly realistic, of the stone shrine itself – but as a result the lion’s eyes seemed blank, unblinking, almost zombie-like. Football fans were relentless in attacking it, and a petition on change.org attracted about 4,000 signatures – but remember, that’s just 4% of Penn State’s enrolment. They rightly stayed the course.
Berklee College of Music (MA):
Berklee’s former logo was barely a logo at all: simple type in the corner of a red block. It didn’t reproduce well at small sizes, and in 2015 Berklee unveiled a rebrand that focused on the single word, “Berklee”, with a new icon (the “natural” notation). 500 students signed a petition objecting to the new identity, and particularly the loss of the word “College” – about 10% of the institution’s enrolment. The administration ignored the minority opinion.
University of Leicester (UK):
The former shield, in use for 20 years, was an awful orange colour, with intricate details and a Latin motto, and used a very dated typeface for the wordmark. Anything would have been an improvement, and although some students objected, the new identity features more sophisticated typography and understated colours.
Linköping University (Sweden):
Since its founding in 1975, Linköping (pron. “Lingschoping”) has used a variation of its official seal as its visual identity. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, LU hired Stockhold design firm Futurniture (who yes, does some work for IKEA) to develop a radically new brand. The result was a bright blue block containing bold initials, “li.u” – much to the chagrin of almost 5,000 students, who expected something more conventional. Even though the students collected alternatives and held a poll on their Facebook page, the administration stuck with the bold new look.
Wheaton College (MA):
This private liberal arts college near Boston is almost 200 years old, so students and alumni were naturally shocked when it unveiled an industrial-looking new identity in early 2017. The look does little to convey the desired brand attributes (forward-looking, inclusive, personal). It’s cold, impersonal, and reflects a design aesthetic from the 1970s. A change.org petition attracted 1,200 signatures – 75% of the school’s enrolment! Unfortunately, the administration is stubbornly planning to launch this ugly new identity in August 2017.
Wright State University (OH):
After 20 years, WSU revised their cherished logo featuring the Wright brothers and their biplane. The designers tried to simplify it, moving to some sans-serif type, eliminating the shadows, and darkened the colours – so far, so good. But they also eliminated the figure of Wilbur Wright, and added some inexplicable swooshes that made it look like the plane was tumbling out of control. And from then on, the rebrand tumbled out of control too. Despite spending a reported $250,000 on the graphic design alone, administration abandoned the rebrand and stuck with their former logo.
So to sum up: you can’t please everybody when it comes to a university rebrand. You can expect 20-30% of your stakeholders to express displeasure. If it’s less than 10%, you’re doing really well! If it’s more than 70%, you should probably reconsider the design.
Check out other Ten with Ken episodes about Branding at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYWtpFIkmuPeZ1h2SDI5LI5Y
Ken Steele starts reviewing the 12 higher ed rebrands of the past 2 years that caused outrage and opposition among faculty, students and alumni. Odds of a backlash are 10% overall, 20% at universities (4-year colleges), 0% at community colleges -- and 50% at arts institutes!
This week, 5 disastrous rebrands that pretty much deserved what they got. 3 of them were overly ambitious, taking bold and daring approaches:
Loughborough University (UK):
A well-ranked public research university founded in 1909, that launched a hot pink octagon "LU" logo in 2015. (Yikes!) A protest petition gathered 13,000 signatures -- 76% of the school's enrolment! The administration backed down and 5 months later unveiled a much more conventional coat of arms approach.
Loughborough U Year in Review - https://youtu.be/TDfVHTtcl7g
How to Make the LU Logo on Photoshop - https://youtu.be/4IZSAl4giQ4
Emerson College (MA):
This liberal arts college focuses on communications, media and arts programs. In April 2016 Emerson proudly unveiled a preliminary new identity that featured a large, hand-drawn purple "e". A student leaked a photo on social media, and sparked immediate protest of the "glorified scribble" that looked like "a breast cancer ribbon." Lee Pelton, the college president, compared misperceptions to the presidential primaries. But a year later, Emerson is still using its former logo.
Emerson Reacts to New School Logo - https://youtu.be/VkT8E3Opciw
Ravensbourne College (UK):
In 2010, this arts institute launched a radical new identity that shattered the word "Ravensbourne" into 3 fragments, based on the anodized aluminum tiles that covered its new purpose-built building. Students protested, but the logo stayed for 6 years. Finally, in June 2016, Ravensbourne unveiled a much more professional logo, using a flexible "container" for student art. (Like the 2011 brand identity for OCAD University.) The latest Ravensbourne logo sparked some mockery, but the designers embraced the satire.
Ravensbourne Brand Film - https://vimeo.com/168322138
Other redesigns are so uninspired they spark well-deserved opposition, too.
IE University (Spain):
The Instituto de Empresa ("Business School") is an open university teaching business programs across Spain. The original monogram and olive branch had become streamlined to the point of absurdity, so in 2016 the institution launched a new, totally bland logo. Students complained that it lowered the reputation of their institution, but the new identity continues to be used.
We are IE: Reinventing Higher Education - https://youtu.be/pFGIMstrOk0
Quinnipiac University (CT):
When this institution abandoned its elegant small-caps wordmark for a funky, 1970s-style logo, students protested the lack of a capital on "university." The "capitalize this!" campaign got media attention across North America, accusing the university of making a grammatical error in its new identity. After months of protest, the administration backed down and revised the logo, to include the word "University" in all caps. (They pretended the student protest had no effect).
Q30 #THAT 9/13/16 - https://youtu.be/9AIxjxVo9Jo
Whenever a university opts for a less-formal brand identity, it's likely to spark outrage. All the more reason that your concept needs to be creative, your typography professional, and your design polished.
Next time: we'll look at 7 brand redesigns that sparked a backlash whether they deserved it or not!
Based on our recent global survey of more than 100 higher ed brand identity redesigns over the past 2 years, Ken Steele counts down the 10 best rebrandings – those that are professional, memorable, balanced and well-designed, AND that didn’t spark a backlash from faculty, students or alumni.
In Part 1 last week, we looked at #10-6 - https://youtu.be/bkrxAD0AbbE
Now, the countdown continues:
#5: East Stroudsburg University, Pennsylvania
Plenty of higher ed brand identities feature mountains, but ESU pulled off a slick rebrand that continues to emphasize its location near the Delaware Water Gap in the Pocono mountains. In 2017, ESU replaced a 24-year-old logo with a new one using a ceremonial banner shape. The ESU Warriors finally got a polished new mascot too, a Spartanesque warrior in the same banner shape.
The New ESU - https://youtu.be/kzpNCsaSsYE
#4: Colorado College
Colorado College, ranked the best private college in the state by Forbes magazine, is particularly notable for its setting near the base of Pikes Peak, and its revolutionary "block plan". (Students take a single course at a time, for 3.5 weeks, before moving on to the next "block".) In early 2016, CC unveiled a striking new identity that replaced a 20-year-old calligraphic logo. The new logo integrated circles (for Cs and representing the campus community) and triangles (suggesting mountains), within square blocks (for the unique pedagogical approach).
Colorado College - A New Look, A Unified Voice - https://youtu.be/iXz_Mlj2J6c
There were also a couple of "runners-up" that featured mountains: California's Feather River College, and BC's College of the Rockies. Both were massive improvements, and show creative promise, but somehow came up just a little short.
#3: SAIT Polytechnic, Calgary
After 18 years, SAIT finally jettisoned their swooshy, "Jetsons"-like identity for a bold new brand that is a breath of fresh air! It added 3 new colours to the traditional red and blue, and created a 3D spherical icon, "the Catalyst," as an "activator of change."
SAIT's New Brand Revealed - https://youtu.be/KpV9QBi5JaE
SAIT Unveils Centennial Art Sculpture - https://youtu.be/hJmZi1Ysg34
#2: University of Suffolk, UK
University Campus Suffolk got independent university title in May 2016, adopting the new name "University of Suffolk", and launching a new visual identity by Only. The simple black square represents a shield of sorts, with a yellow triangle in the corner pointing to its location in the southeast of England. 45-degree angles create a sense of momentum throughout marketing materials.
uSuffolk - An Introduction - https://youtu.be/zAGy2eY-3ZU
#1: Capilano University, BC
Since it gained university status in 2008, Capilano has revamped its visual identity twice. First they abandoned a stack of blue books for carved blue letters that evoked indigenous tradition. In 2016, they unveiled a much more dynamic, colourful identity that masterfully combines traditional academic shield and eagle feathers in the Coast Salish indigenous tradition.
Capilano University Brand Refresh - https://youtu.be/4b7hnLBCYiU
Alberta's Northern Lakes College likewise leveraged the traditional symbol of the eagle in their new identity, a runner-up for this episode.
Finally, honourable mention goes to Minneapolis' Augsburg College, for an extremely subtle rebranding unrolling this fall as Augsburg University. Alumnus Samuel Gross showed great attention to detail and significantly improved upon the former wordmark.
Augsburg University logo - https://youtu.be/DlNBv1l0Oa4
Check out Top 10 Identity Trends for a review of overall higher ed branding trends in the past 2 years – https://youtu.be/8lD3PUQLBnw
Based on our recent global survey of more than 100 higher ed brand identity redesigns over the past 2 years, Ken Steele counts down the 10 best rebrandings – those that are professional, memorable, balanced and well-designed, AND that didn’t spark a backlash from faculty, students or alumni.
#10: Saint Louis University, Missouri
Design firm Olson of Minneapolis created a streamlined new logo using a vastly simplified coat of arms and an “ownable” fleur de lis. The branding system includes specs for consistent iconography, a variety of wallpapers, and a wide range of subbrands – including a new logo for Billken Athletics.
This is SLU - https://youtu.be/CYMBLYkEsPQ
About SLU’s New Logos - https://youtu.be/oc1tCyzm0_c
What is a Billiken? - https://youtu.be/xmaxVk8lakY
#9: Belmont Abbey College, North Carolina
Another Catholic college redesigned their steeple-focused identity with the help of Rickabaugh Graphics in Ohio. The result is a dynamic shield emblem with fresher typography and a slightly brighter crimson, and a new mark for Crusaders Athletics.
#8: Augusta University, Georgia
In 2012, Augusta State University merged with Georgia Health Sciences to create Georgia Regents University – and then, apparently after a lawsuit from Regents University in Virginia, it changed its name again in 2015 to Augusta University. The new identity features a slick illustration of a colonial belltower (which doesn’t actually exist) that is simultaneously clearly a letter “A”.
Augusta University Identity in Depth – https://youtu.be/CIBKWkF9DMY
#7: Stanislaus State University, California
It was known by far too many different names: CSU Stanislaus, CSUS, California State Stanislaus, Stanislaus State, Stan State, and even “Turkey Tech.” But with the help of the Jeffrey Scott Agency in Fresno, Stan State unveiled a snazzy new “split shield” logo system in 2015 that standardized its name. Departments and individuals can now choose from “CSU Stanislaus” or “Stanislaus State” logos, and even “Stan State” is officially endorsed for internal audiences.
#6: Maricopa Community Colleges, Arizona
The 10 colleges in Maricopa County had startlingly different brand identities, but in 2015 the Maricopa System unveiled “One Maricopa,” a new unifying logo system that would create consistent subbrands for each campus, while retaining their former colours and visuals. It was a masterful effort at compromise… but so far, there’s little sign that the colleges have actually adopted the new branding system.
That’s the first half of our round-up of the world’s top ten recent rebrands. Next time, we’ll complete the countdown with the top five!
Subscribe so you don’t miss it, or check out Top 10 Identity Trends for a review of overall higher ed branding trends in the past 2 years – https://youtu.be/8lD3PUQLBnw
Based on his global study of more than 100 higher education brand identity redesigns over the past 24 months, Ken Steele offers up these tongue-in-cheek samples of utterly conventional, unobjectionable logo designs following the latest trends. If your new identity had to be approved by 100 branding committees, this is what it would look like, for each of 4 categories of institution:
Community College
Religious College
Public University
Arts Institute
Check out the top ten trends in brand identities in this 13-minute summary: https://youtu.be/8lD3PUQLBnw
Brand strategist Ken Steele sums up the results of his global survey of 105 higher ed brand identity redesigns completed over the past 24 months, from May 2015 until May 2017. Examples from the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia -- and ultimately, there are 10 clear trends.
We identify the most popular recent colours, shapes, and imagery for universities, community colleges, religious colleges, and arts institutes, and we look more closely at several examples:
Emily Carr University of Art + Design
University of Georgia
Oregon State University
University of Nebraska
SUNY Buffalo
University of Kentucky
University of New Mexico
Bradley University
University of Detroit Mercy
Tennessee Tech
Upper Iowa University
Michigan Technological University
Maricopa Community College System
Tel Aviv University
University of Findlay
Winston-Salem State University
Augusta University
Otis College of Art and Design
Manor College
Emmanuel College
Wycliffe College
The King's University
Calvin College
Whitworth University
Emmaus Bible College
Dominican College
College of Saint Elizabeth
Feather River College
College of the Rockies
East Stroudsburg University
Sierra College
Northern Michigan University
Allegany College of Maryland
University of Greenwich
We also look at several logo approaches that seem to be falling OUT of favour, from circular seals and blocks of colour to explicitly religious imagery. And self-confessed "typography geek" Ken also spends a few minutes discussing trends in typeface selection among the four different categories of institution.
Videos excerpted:
uFindlay - https://youtu.be/ax_cUVMhMnI
Winston Salem State U - https://youtu.be/fu0K1_VfKHs
Otis College - https://youtu.be/3e5taaIV028
Coming up: we'll develop 4 "committee-proof" logos, look in depth at the top ten rebrands of the past 2 years, and look at 12 branding misfires that caused campus outrage.
While the "Ten with Ken" team was at the University of Waterloo to profile the Velocity incubator, we sat down with President & Vice-Chancellor Feridun Hamdullahpur to discuss the overall innovation ecosystem at what has been ranked Canada's #1 most innovative university for the past 25 years.
UWaterloo started off in the 1950s as a revolutionary idea - an Engineering-focused university created by local industrialists. From the beginning it focused on co-operative work-integrated learning, and to this day co-op experiences prepare UW students and faculty to think more innovatively. The institution has been building momentum for decades, attracting more and more innovative faculty and students.
Dr Hamdullahpur emphasizes the importance of outward connections with the world -- international, applied research, industry connections, co-op, research commercialization, and entrepreneurship. Innovation doesn't come from turning inward, retreating into the library or the lab, but from interacting with the world outside the university.
Some of UW's advantage has sprung from its creator-owned intellectual property policies. UW could benefit in the short term by taking a percentage of new discoveries and startup companies, but Dr Hamdullahpur believes UW, and the country, benefit more from allowing creators to retain complete ownership of their ideas.
Many colleges and universities want to know how to nurture a more innovative or entrepreneurial culture. Dr Hamdullahpur admits that it is a huge advantage for an institution to have been born that way, but suggests that it is possible to grow later. It cannot be partway, however: it must penetrate all aspects of operations. He also firmly believes that if institutions do NOT embrace innovation, they will become "insignificant" in another 15-20 years.
Dr Hamdullahpur is very proud of Waterloo's reputation and track record, which only makes him more determined to ensure the institution continues striving to stay on top.
Check out out site visit to the University of Waterloo's Velocity incubator to learn more, and hear from some of the student entrepreneurs who have recently founded startup companies on the strength of their co-op experiences. https://youtu.be/lj1AnCfYRMk
Ten with Ken recently went onsite at the University of Waterloo, to learn more about the world's largest free business incubator, Velocity. For the episode, we spoke to 4 young entrepreneurs, including Ian Tao, Founder and CEO of Sesame. This is our complete interview with him.
Sesame provides competency-based assessment software to primary, secondary and tertiary educators (licensed on a per-student basis). It allows instructors to upload visual, video and text records of a student's acquired skills and competencies, such as in nursing labs or performing arts courses where narrative text and a summative grade are insufficient. As more and more college and university programs gravitate towards competency-based assessment, tools like Sesame will be required.
For more information about Sesame, visit: https://sesamehq.com
Ten with Ken recently went onsite at the University of Waterloo, to learn more about the world's largest free business incubator, Velocity. For the episode, we spoke to 4 young entrepreneurs, including Rachel Thompson, Founder of Marlena Books. This is our complete interview with her.
Marlena Books is a social company producing reading material for individuals with Alzheimer's and Dementia, to improve their quality of life and their dignity. Currently they have 5 hardcover print books, but they are also developing e-books and hope to add 5 more titles each year.
For more information about Marlena Books, visit: http://www.marlenabooks.com
Ten with Ken recently went onsite at the University of Waterloo, to learn more about the world's largest free business incubator, Velocity. For the episode, we spoke to 4 young entrepreneurs, including Steven ten Holder, CEO of Acorn Cryotech. This is our complete interview with him.
Acorn Cryo sends collection kits to individuals who want to cryogenically preserve their own young cells, for use in medical breakthroughs in the future. Young cells will be much more resilient for use in various stem cell therapies, or even to grow new organs for implantation.
For more information about Acorn Cryotech, please visit: http://acorncryotech.com
Ten with Ken recently went onsite at the University of Waterloo, to learn more about the world's largest free business incubator, Velocity. For the episode, we spoke to 4 young entrepreneurs, including Daniel MacKenzie, the Chief Technology Officer at HealthIM. This is our complete interview with him.
HealthIM has built upon PhD research to create a software tool for front-line police officers to record details of a mental health crisis and share that information quickly with other community partners, such as hospitals and mental health professionals. The company is in field with full-paying customers, police forces in Southern Ontario.
For more information about HealthIM, please visit: https://healthim.com
Ten with Ken goes onsite at the University of Waterloo, home to the world's largest free business incubator, Velocity. The program's facilities include a campus Residence, Science facility, Start lounge, and the downtown Garage. In this extended episode, director Jay Shah gives us a tour of the Velocity Garage, explains the 3-stage model of business incubation, and introduces us to some exciting new companies:
Maluuba, an artificial intelligence company recently acquired by Microsoft.
Innovative Protein Technologies, which makes FrostArmour spray foam to protect crops from frost damage.
Alchemy, which is creating nanotechnology films to protect windshields from impact damage.
Vitameter, whose desktop device provides realtime analysis of the vitamins in your blood.
Qidni Labs, which is developing an implantable artificial kidney, which could make dialysis obsolete.
We learn about the tight connection between Velocity and Waterloo's longstanding co-op program, and the critical importance of mentorship and peer community as supports for startups. We hear about the funding model for Velocity, which charges companies no rent and takes no equity. (The Start-Up Pledge encourages companies to give back when they make it big.) Jay tells us what brought him back to Velocity after he sold BufferBox to Google: the exciting promise of major breakthroughs based on hard science.
We also got the chance to interview 4 dynamic young entrepreneurs:
Daniel MacKenzie, CTO of Health IM, which has produced software to help police officers record details of mental health crises and share them with community partners. (Full interview at https://youtu.be/GZUkzEOwjv4 ).
Ian Tao, Founder and CEO of Sesame, which provides competency-based assessment software to primary, secondary, and tertiary education. (Full interview at https://youtu.be/rwc4Pd5es6I ).
Rachel Thompson, Founder of Marlena Books, which publishes titles specifically designed for individuals with Alzheimer's and dementia. (Full interview at https://youtu.be/T5dbA0C5610 ).
Steven ten Holder, CEO of Acorn Cryotech, which preserves your young cells so you can use them for life-changing medical procedures in the future. (Full interview at https://youtu.be/WAuS8ly2zD8 ).
3 of these CEOs never even contemplated entrepreneurship until they were immersed in the innovation culture at the University of Waterloo. They were surrounded by entrepreneurial role models, had the opportunity to work in startups as co-op students, and gained the confidence to launch their own ventures.
Next week, Ken sits down with President & Vice-Chancellor Feridun Hamdullahpur, to discuss the broader innovation ecosystem at the University of Waterloo, and to explore just what other institutions might have to do to nurture entrepreneurialism on their own campuses.
In this special double-episode, Ken shares hilarious highlights from last year’s April Fool’s Day around the world. If you’re curious, looking for laughs, or seeking inspiration for your own pranks this April, check out the collection!
Some colleges and universities put real energy into prank media releases, hoax videos, or absurd webpages each April First. Last year, in “Ten Kinds of April Foolery,” we inventoried the basic categories, from minor name changes or new mascots to outrageous infrastructure announcements or bizarre new program offerings. We also analyzed the typical structure: begin with something almost reasonable, build credibility with authoritative sound bytes, pile on the absurdities and puns, and finally (often) deflate the whole hoax. Check out last year’s special at https://youtu.be/v-dSiWr3KHM
On April 1 2016, we carefully monitored thousands of higher ed news releases and video feeds, and here are some of the highlights we found. (This summary doesn’t do the jokes justice at all – watch the episode!)
Thompson Rivers University tweeted that they were dropping the “S” from their name.
Ohio State University’s colours were being renamed “ruby and porpoise.”
The University of Oregon announced an incredible upgrade to their playing field.
SAIT Polytechnic almost unveiled their new visual identity. (But not quite.)
Bryn Mawr College launched a replacement for campus email, Bananagrams.
Biola University Math professor Matthew Weathers got into a tussle with his videotaped self.
Sheridan College announced a new Bachelor of Modern Media Consumption degree.
Lethbridge College unveiled the Canadian Centre for Excellence and Innovation in Northern Hemisphere Coffee Bean Cultivation.
Simon Fraser University released the new Canadian taste sensation, Poutine Lattes.
Animals:
Kwantlen Polytechnic University announced a partnership between their Farrier program and campus security.
SAIT Polytechnic became an official “Kitty Campus.”
Duke University added a squirrel video to their homepage.
The University of Nottingham built an urban gym for tubby squirrels.
York University’s Glendon Campus announced a new Wildlife Communications program.
Canadian Mennonite University launched a new major in Equestrian Studies.
Acadia University announced that livestock would return to the campus farm.
Iowa’s Luther College added sheep and goats to its grounds crew.
University of Victoria announced mixed results for their interactive petting zoo in the campus library.
Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast created dragon eggs.
Oakland University brought grizzly bear cubs to campus.
The Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum announced a one-day tribble breeding program.
Campus Infrastructure:
The University of Saskatchewan held a lottery for a luxury loft on campus.
Durham College got an interdimensional portal.
Langara College’s demolished its famous rock to make room for a park bench.
West Virginia University replaced stone staircases with weatherproof escalators.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison installed pneumatic tubes to bypass elevators.
MacEwan University installed magical staircases.
The University of Glasgow installed a “helter-skelter” inside its historic clock tower.
Oakland University was repurposing miles of underground tunnels.
Dalhousie University announced “Dal-Kea” furniture.
The CERN LHC uncovered music inside the Higgs Boson.
Library & Archives Canada acquired the journals of Wolverine.
Oberlin College replaced student pics with preschoolers.
The University of Rochester went full-on Harry Potter.
Fanshawe College’s library was closing to become a movie theatre and Starbucks.
Best of Show:
The government demanded UK universities rent out underused space to AirBnB guests.
The “Fortunate 500” ranked world universities at completely random.
The University of Florida and Florida State University announced a merger, in the tiny town of Perry.
Virginia Commonwealth University launched their “Tats, not SATs” program, requiring tattoos for admission and graduation.
To watch the originals of any of the videos excerpted in this webcast (at least, those that are still on YouTube), check out our playlist at https://youtu.be/v-dSiWr3KHM?list=PLodJ8ParJmYXiHt5dDGxr-7Vf3-ob87Ko
Last episode, Ken's 10th annual "Year in Review" continued with a look at some of the bigger PR headaches afflicting North American colleges and universities, with a focus on cultural insensitivity and its consequences. (Think Mount St Mary's, Missouri, Yale, Ithaca, and Harvard.) Check out Part I: Budgets & Bunnies at: https://youtu.be/1fnN8QOFrWs
This week, he profiles 2 major PR migraines in more detail, which occurred at UBC and the University of Toronto. Both attracted international media attention, hundreds of articles and blogs, millions of views and outrage on both sides.
At the University of Toronto, Psychology prof Jordan Peterson ignited a firestorm by insisting that, should a gender non-binary student ever ask him to use non-standard pronouns like "ze" or "zir" or even singular "they," he would refuse. He went on to repeat himself ever more loudly, aggressively, and insistently. Opponents called him transphobic and insensitive to human dignity. He called them biology-deniers and left-wing social justice warriors. The debate continues well into 2017.
Video clips:
Jordan Peterson on why pronouns aren’t about respect. Davie Addison. https://youtu.be/EXvU8DEbyAw
Jordan Peterson speaks at University of Toronto protest. Genuinewitty https://youtu.be/HAlPjMiaKdw
Genders, Rights and Freedom of Speech. TVO’s Agenda with Steve Paikin. https://youtu.be/kasiov0ytEc
University of Toronto Free Speech Debate. Jordan B Peterson. https://youtu.be/68NHUV5me7Q
At UBC, the Galloway Affair was unquestionably the heavyweight champion headache of the year. It started in November 2015, when the university temporarily suspended the head of its creative writing department, bestselling novelist Steven Galloway. The official announcement of “serious allegations” made thinly-veiled references to campus “safety,” and advised “counseling” for anyone affected. Throughout 2016 there were media exposés, and the rumour mill generated tales of bullying, sexual harassment, threats, and more. UBC appointed a former BC Supreme Court Justice to lead an impartial investigation. After 5 months, her report dismissed all but one complaint against Galloway, but still resulted in his termination for a “record of misconduct that resulted in an irreparable breach of trust.” Major donors withheld funds, renowned authors like Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje called for another investigation, and witnesses for the complainant objected that the process had been unfair. A grievance from the UBC Faculty Association is heading into arbitration shortly.
Video clip:
http://globalnews.ca/video/2351577/ubc-creative-writing-program-head-suspended
Watch the video for all the details! More great content is coming up next week - please subscribe or follow on any of a dozen platforms so you don't miss it! http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
This week, we start our annual look at college and university PR challenges and controversies with politically incorrect remarks, budget crises, workplace bullying, racial tensions and presidential resignations, across North America. 2016 Higher Ed Headaches, part I: Budgets & Bunnies!
Bad luck, bad decisions, and even poor choice of words can derail an academic presidency. Last year started with president Simon Newman at Maryland’s Mount St Mary’s University. In January he made international headlines for his colourful metaphor to describe his approach to improve student retention statistics: drown the bunnies! He then demoted the Provost, fired two faculty members, and was beset with protests, AAUP objections, and an investigation by accreditors. After weeks of chaos, he resigned.
CBS Baltimore news: https://youtu.be/mUjkVwJ-RCs
Kevin Nagel resigned as president of Keyano College in Alberta, after plunging oil prices took a toll on the region’s economy, and the college budget. (Even before the wildfire.)
Cape Breton University’s board dismissed president David Wheeler over his attempts to avert a faculty strike (without involving the board negotiating committee).
Brock University announced a “mutual decision” not to proceed with the appointment of its new president, just 3 days before she was to take office. The national media reported on an investigation into her department at Ryerson, based on anonymous allegations of a “toxic workplace.”
Cultural insensitivity and political incorrectness can be capital offenses on campus. Racial microaggressions have roiled many US college campuses in recent years.
The University of Missouri was rocked by hunger strikes, a faculty walkout, and a tent city in the crowd – but made international headlines when the football team went on strike. Within weeks, system president Tim Woolfe and the Chancellor both resigned. Undergraduate recruitment suffered immediately, with new students dropping 24% in a single year.
USA Today – Resignation - https://youtu.be/0DCgJZ7_oEE
KMBC News – Enrolment decline - https://youtu.be/3eaRzGsFo-A
Black Lives Matter protestors at Ithaca College in New York held a walkout in solidarity with Mizzou, and 72% of students and faculty voted no confidence in president Tom Rochon. In January he announced that he would step down – in 19 months!
Ithacan Online – Walkout - https://youtu.be/OV-wKIK68Ac
Ithacan Online – Interview - https://youtu.be/V5WBn0yGbdU
ICTV NewsWatch - Interview – https://youtu.be/ENCSxvwxl3E
Microaggressions weren’t always fatal to presidents; sometimes it was just the figure-heads who rolled. At Georgetown University in Washington DC, protests against 2 buildings named for former presidents who had arranged the sale of slaves to fund the institution eventually led to them being renamed. Harvard University Law School agreed to drop its official shield, which commemorated a wealthy slaveowner donor.
Yale University was less easily convinced that it needed to change the name of Calhoun College. In April 2016 they insisted the name would not change. But after a year of protests and bad publicity, Yale finally relented in February 2017.
WTNH News – April 2016 - https://youtu.be/_r99qrgHWEg
WTNH News – Feb 2017 - https://youtu.be/FiIGOHGct8A https://youtu.be/Q818EHSlEuY
In Canada, protests over racial insensitivities are more proactive than reactive. At Wilfrid Laurier University, protesters managed to derail a project that would install statues on campus of all 22 former prime ministers. They insisted it was insensitive to First Nations and minority groups.
That’s part I of 2016 Headaches. Next week, we’ll look at 2 of the biggest PR migraines of the year. They caught the public imagination because they involved sex and gender. Next time: Pronouns and Poets. Stay tuned!
Ken Steele is Canada's foremost higher ed strategist, speaker and facilitator, and for more than a decade he has presented hundreds of keynotes, campus presentations and workshops across North America, every year.
In this brief video, he introduces himself, and the long and winding road that brought him to a unique vantage point on higher education.
For more information about Ken's campus presentations, please visit http://eduvation.ca/services/campus-pd-presentations/
For virtual keynotes, delivered remotely at much lower cost, visit http://eduvation.ca/services/virtual-keynotes/
For committee workshops, see http://eduvation.ca/services/workshops/
Ken Steele is Canada's foremost higher ed strategist, speaker and facilitator, and for more than a decade he has presented hundreds of keynotes, campus presentations and workshops across North America.
In this brief video, he describes how a combination of rich media, mini-keynotes, audience interaction, group discussion, and real-time polls keeps some of the toughest audiences engaged: college and university professors, front-line staff, senior administrators and governing boards.
For more information about Ken's campus presentations, please visit http://eduvation.ca/services/campus-pd-presentations/
For virtual keynotes, delivered remotely at much lower cost, visit http://eduvation.ca/services/virtual-keynotes/
For committee workshops, see http://eduvation.ca/services/workshops/
Ken Steele is Canada's foremost higher ed strategist, speaker and facilitator, and for more than a decade he has presented hundreds of keynotes, campus presentations and workshops across North America.
In this brief video, he describes the goals of campus presentations, workshops and PD sessions, to create widespread shared understanding of emerging trends and best practices, and to open eyes and minds to potential innovations in higher education.
For more information about Ken's campus presentations, please visit http://eduvation.ca/services/campus-pd-presentations/
For virtual keynotes, delivered remotely at much lower cost, visit http://eduvation.ca/services/virtual-keynotes/
For committee workshops, see http://eduvation.ca/services/workshops/
Ken Steele's 10th annual higher ed "year in review" continues with part 3, a look at the fall – and rise – of for-profit fortunes in 2016.
In the previous two episodes, we looked at the proliferation of free college tuition policies across North America, the rise of anti-intellectualism and protectionism, and some of the implications for international education. (If you missed them, check out part 1 at https://youtu.be/CZ6nuznRV_I , and part 2 at https://youtu.be/AWuE7EhoejI ).
6) FOR-PROFITS
For decades now, massive for-profit schools like the University of Phoenix and Kaplan University have been rewriting the rules of higher education, and transforming the landscape. Last year was their annus horribilis, but also likely marks a turning point to much better times ahead.
For 8 years, the Obama administration aggressively prosecuted for-profit colleges and universities for deceptive marketing, fraudulent enrolments, and high rates of student loan defaults. Collectively, they were receiving more than $20 billion in student loans and $4 billion in Pell Grants, so the Government Accountability Office investigated thoroughly. The GAO’s undercover agents caught recruiters on hidden camera, encouraging students to lie on their loan applications. Major online universities like Phoenix were apparently targeting homeless shelters, and encouraging students with little chance of academic success to apply for substantial financial aid. There was a Senate hearing into For-Profit School recruitment practices, and new, tougher regulations.
Between 2011 and 2015, for-profit universities saw declines of 30% or more in enrolment. Over 5 years, the University of Phoenix alone lost a quarter-million students, and laid off about a thousand employees. Its parent company, Apollo Group, retreated from Canada, closing Meritus University in Fredericton after just a couple of years, in order to concentrate on defending the home front.
Obama’s so-called “gainful employment” legislation, finalized in 2014, aimed to keep student loan payments below 8% of a graduate’s total earnings, and would revoke financial aid eligibility for institutions that graduated students with unmanageable debt levels. Corinthian Colleges faced legal challenges by state and federal agencies, and finally declared it was closing more than 100 campuses in April 2015, including Everest College and CDI Institutes in Canada. In August 2016, ITT Technical Institute lost its accreditation, and it declared bankruptcy within a month, closing 130 campuses and laying off 8,000 employees. In September 2016, Washington revoked the accreditation of ACICS, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, after 105 years. ACICS accredited hundreds of for-profit and distance-ed colleges and universities. And just last week, in the final days of the Obama administration, it was announced that more than 800 programs failed the Department of Education’s “gainful employment” standards, and therefore risked losing student aid eligibility – 98% of them at for-profit institutions.
But it seems pretty likely that 2016 marks the nadir of fortune for America’s for-profit colleges and universities. President-elect Trump hasn’t articulated his higher education policies, but it seems obvious that the founder of Trump University will have sympathies with other for-profits. After five years using the “university” label without accreditation, the courts forced a name change, but Trump University was closing by that time anyway. The president-elect has made it clear that he is a strong supporter of school choice and charter schools, promising to repurpose about a third of the federal education budget. It seems likely that the Trump administration will deregulate the for-profit sector, or at least relax enforcement of existing regulations. Analysts predict that he may grant a reprieve to ACICS. In the past, Trump has declared that he would completely eliminate the federal Department of Education – possibly eliminating the National Center for Education Statistics and the Pell Grant program as well. Anything his administration does to reduce or relax the federal government’s power over financial aid accreditation will remove the “teeth” from federal legislation like Title Nine, which protects gender equity in athletics and on campus. And Trump has indicated strong support for competency-based degrees, which will likely continue to gain momentum during his term.
Trump’s nominee for Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, is a reformer of elementary and secondary schools, a strong believer in charter schools, school choice, and voucher systems. She is likely to promote privatization, performance-based government funding, and legislation to further reduce the power of faculty and staff unions. She has been a supporter of religious schools and free speech on campus, and an opponent of political correctness, affirmative action, and same-sex marriage.
Decades of growth in for-profit higher ed were largely undone under two terms of Obama’s administration. Whether you think that’s a good thing or not, the Trump administration is poised to reverse much of the regulation and enforcement that has held back the multinational expansion of for-profit colleges and universities. In Canada and around the world, we need to prepare ourselves for a resurgence of corporate players in higher education. A major shift in the landscape lies ahead.
Excerpts:
Dan Rather Reports – https://youtu.be/Pa1DxUWMsEU
Frontline 2010 – https://youtu.be/08_AuakqdXs
Frontline 2016 - https://youtu.be/Cew6EutvAjE
Fox 5 Atlanta - https://youtu.be/2vhFcKIhm4Y
GAO - https://youtu.be/9PbevtrhEKM
MSNBC - https://youtu.be/JUaMFVDV9PQ
NBC - https://youtu.be/S1XUwbtMxfE
Corinthian hearings - https://youtu.be/tkKmjyuoKyY
Betsy Devos highlights - https://youtu.be/Mc2n9uacQq4
Trump’s school choice proposal - http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/donald-trump-school-choice-proposal-227915
Next time, we’ll look back at campus challenges and controversies of 2016, in our annual review of higher ed headaches!
(Stay tuned until after the closing credits for some bloopers!)
Ken Steele's 10th annual higher ed "year in review" continues with part 2, a look back at populism, protectionism and post-truth in 2016. (Check out part 1 at https://youtu.be/CZ6nuznRV_I ).
There were some significant, and even terrifying, political events last year:
3) POST-TRUTH
Oxford Dictionaries have declared “post-truth” the word of 2016. It was used 200 times more than any year previous, mostly because of the US election and UK referendum. Thanks to social media, deliberate misinformation and the layoff of journalists and editors, many people no longer know what to believe. Russian hackers and trolls waged cyberwarfare last year to influence elections and destabilize NATO. Propaganda and “fake news” has proliferated. George Orwell’s dystopian vision (from his novel 1984) was set just a few decades too early.
Britain, we heard last year, has “had enough of experts.”
https://youtu.be/GGgiGtJk7MA
Widespread support for Brexit, Donald Trump, Rob Ford and “Boaty McBoatface” exemplifies the anti-intellectualism that is rampant. Universities will be popular targets in this “post-truth” era. President-elect Trump has said emphatically how he "loves the poorly-educated": https://youtu.be/Vpdt7omPoa0
4) NATIONALISM
Across Europe and the US, populist movements have spread anxiety about immigration and led to tougher border enforcement, racist hate crimes, and plenty of xenophobic rhetoric. (From “poisoned skittles” to “extreme vetting.”) Trump campaigned for president on a platform of literally building a wall: https://youtu.be/ZGSAhNZnisk
It is estimated that Brexit will cost UK universities £3.7 billion, and 34,000 jobs. It also led to a 36% decline in international student interest.
A survey conducted prior to the US election found that 60% of international students would be less inclined to study in the US under a Trump presidency. On election night, 200,000 Americans tried to access the Citizenship & Immigration Canada website simultaneously, crashing it for 10 hours. The next day, American Google searches and web hits to Canadian colleges and universities tripled or quintupled!
The US brand for international student recruitment has shifted, and Canada, Australia and New Zealand may be well positioned to gain market share over the coming years.
5) SAUDI
In international education, several other major shifts in 2016 focused on Saudi Arabia. Plummeting oil prices have impacted the Kingdom’s budget, and inevitably the King Abdullah Scholarship program, which has sent more than 200,000 students abroad. Enrolments in US language schools showed the first drop, but overall Saudi students in the US have declined 20%. Universities not ranked in the world’s top 200 can expect Saudi enrolments to drop to virtually zero. And in Ontario, we saw significant controversy last year over gender segregated college campuses operated in Saudi Arabia by Niagara and Algonquin College, sparked by the premier’s declaration that they are “unacceptable.” In the end the controversy dissipated, but the lasting effect came from financial troubles. Algonquin College announced that, after losing about $1.5 million on its Saudi campus, it was pulling out.
Next time, in part 3, we'll look at the pivot in the fortunes of for-profit higher education, triggered by the US election. The policy positions of president-elect Trump and his proposed Education Secretary will pave the way for some interesting years ahead!
Stay tuned until after the closing credits for some bloopers!
Ken Steele's 10th annual higher ed "year in review" looks back at 2016 and sums up the major news and trends shaping the postsecondary landscape in just 6 words.
In part 1, he reviews the many tragedies of 2016, from the loss of famous celebrities and great thinkers to Zika and Brangelina. 2016 was a year that left many feeling adrift, and the surge towards populism gave us Brexit, Trump, and Boaty McBoatface.
Plenty of trends we identified in previous years continued in 2016, from gender equity and sexual assault protocols to political correctness, indigenous content and "peak campus". But in this episode, we look at a major disaster and an emerging trend that defined the year that was:
1) FIRE!
The biggest news story in Canada was unquestionably the Fort MacMurray wildfire, which swept through 1.5 million acres in northern Alberta. It caused the emergency evacuation of all 88,000 residents in town, destroyed 2,400 homes, and caused about $9 billion in damage. Keyano College was fortunate, in that its campuses escaped structural damage, but smoke remediation still cost about $15 million. Canada is still feeling the economic and labour market impacts of the disaster.
2) FREE!
Momentum towards free tuition programs has been building across North America for several years. In 2014, the "Tennessee Promise" offered students 2 years of community college for zero tuition. In 2015, President Obama proposed a $60 billion "American College Promise" program, and Minnesota and Oregon approved plans of their own. In 2016, Kentucky followed suit, and Bernie Sanders pushed for free university tuition as well.
Obama - https://youtu.be/nFWhzdQcwnk
Sanders - https://youtu.be/c4I2dbTxpqU
In Canada, Quebec CÉGEPs have been offering free tuition for 50 years now, but in 2016 Ontario and New Brunswick launched new programs. The Canadian Federation of Students published a report calling for "education justice," and calculating that it would cost the federal government $10.2 billion. CFS staged a day of protest in early November.
Charlatan - https://youtu.be/5PUQ3L8zBQI
Next time, in part 2, we'll look at the global shift towards populism, protectionism, and a post-truth distrust of intellectuals. The trends pose major challenges, and some opportunities, to higher education.
Stay tuned until after the closing credits for some bloopers!
This week, Ken completes his 3-part review of higher ed branding in 2015 with a look at “New Names & Nicknames,” from DMZ to uVic! (Part 1 was “Cautionary Tales & Cautious Rebrandings” https://youtu.be/m2LF3rGiMLc . Part 2 was “Bold New Brands of 2015” https://youtu.be/pxmRfUfzZ5o .)
Without a doubt, institutions are loathe to lose decades of brand equity and recognition by changing their names. Generally it occurs only when the institution’s mandate has changed significantly, such as when a college gains university status, or an institute becomes a polytechnic. (Most recently it was SIAST becoming Saskatchewan Polytechnic.)
For years we’ve also seen a pretty widespread trend toward dropping adjectives like “regional” and “community” from college names, and minimizing or eliminating the use of the word “college” itself.
Last spring, Saskatchewan’s Southeast Regional College launched a bright new brand identity without the word “Regional.”
The AUCC rechristened itself “Universities Canada” last year, launching a “dynamic” new visual identity using a diamond rather than a square, to symbolize convergence, such as at a crossroads, a town square, or a university quad. https://youtu.be/cYeXSlzYIsw
Last year we also saw Fanshawe College announce the Don Smith School of Building Technology, UBC name the Peter A. Allard School of Law, and Wilfrid Laurier University rename the Laziridis School of Business & Economics.
Higher ed more often shortens names than changing them completely, such as when Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone adopted the official name “DMZ” last spring.
Ryerson University itself launched a refreshed visual identity last summer, featuring fresh new colours, a slightly modernized typeface, and a bit of “out of the box” symbolism. The positioning strategy emphasizes 5 key differentiators from other Toronto institutions, and we look at two quick brand videos to see it in action. In keeping with our “nicknames” topic, Ryerson also revealed two abbreviated logos for use in informal situations, and social media.
Q&A with Sheldon Levy: https://youtu.be/i3Y7Ln2slyc
Mind & Action: https://youtu.be/INllQ597-1U
Last February, the University of Victoria finally embraced the nickname, “uVic,” by which they have been affectionately known for years. The dynamic new brand includes refreshed colours, a new wordmark, and new graphic elements including a wavy “connective thread” and some playful birds, martlets, drawn from the coat of arms. https://youtu.be/gsARvoBJCoU
One of the challenges to adopting a shorter name for marketing purposes is opposition from internal and external stakeholders. I think perhaps uVic learned from the example set by Western University back in 2012. Critics thought the name geographically inaccurate, although frankly there are dozens of “Northwesterns” and “Southwesterns” in the eastern US. The new identity solved many technical issues, and introduced an elegant system of sub-brands that is the nicest I have seen anywhere.
So we’ve seen colleges and universities use several strategies to pave the way for a new name or brand. UCFV adopted an acronym, Malaspina a memorable icon, CBU stripped away all semblance of a logo, and uVic made it clear that the old logo will continue in widespread use.
The real work of rebranding an academic community isn’t creative work at all; the most challenging aspects are consultation, research, consensus building, and easing the campus into a new identity. Too many top-tier ad agencies have underestimated this challenge, or badly mishandled it. It’s the aspect of higher ed brand strategy that I think is most exciting, and it’s the reason I developed my proprietary Brand Chemistry™ model. www.BrandChemistry.ca
And this week’s #ICYMI: a new recruitment theme from Dalhousie University, “Find what drives you.” Nicely addresses concerns about an intellectually-challenging student experience. https://youtu.be/2ysWuPN62og
Coming up next time: a surprise episode! Watch for it later in March, or subscribe to our free email newsletter now for exclusive early access. http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Last week, Ken shared some classic cautionary tales of higher ed brand misfires, and we looked at some particularly cautious new brands from Canadian colleges and universities, perhaps in response. (Last week: https://youtu.be/m2LF3rGiMLc ) This week, we look at the flipside: provocative brands and campaigns that deliberately court controversy.
Aggressive Competition:
We start with some examples of pretty aggressive “poaching” campaigns for student recruitment in other institutions’ backyards:
York University led the way with their “question every angle” campaign, and notably a subway station domination strategy at the doorstep of the University of Toronto.
Memorial University of Newfoundland has bought up bus shelters along routes to major undergraduate university campuses across Canada, to promote their Grad Studies “on the edge.”
The University of Saskatchewan has advertised on Calgary transit, dissing Edmonton as a study destination.
And St Mary’s University has bought billboards across the street from Cape Breton University, encouraging students to go to Halifax for the right education.
Going Negative:
Even more controversial campaigns in recent years have mocked major competitors:
Lakehead University took on Yale and then-president George Bush in their 2006 recruitment campaign, “Yale Shmale.”
Algoma University mocked the fictional “Colossal U” in their 2008 recruitment campaign. But spending your marketing budget establishing name recognition for an imaginary competitor seems too clever by half.
Sex Sells:
Much simpler are the higher ed campaigns that appeal directly to the teenage libido:
Education New Zealand urged Asian students to “Get further away from your parents” in a short-lived 2007 campaign with pretty racy ads.
Algoma University’s 2009 campaign, “Plan your escape,” likewise encouraged Toronto students to get 681 kms away from their parents.
Ohio’s Oberlin College got explicit with their 2011 microsite, “WhyTheF*ckShouldIChooseOberlin.com”, and got 1.5 million pageviews in their first few months as a reward.
In 2015, though, the Université de Moncton outclassed them all with a sexy ad that garnered $300,000 in media headlines, and moreover boosted out-of-province student enrolment by 66%!
https://youtu.be/hSwSIALZZqE
Just Plain Bold:
But a brand campaign can be bold without being controversial, or explicit. In 2015, Calgary’s Bow Valley College launched a great new slogan, “Success Rises,” and a social justice fundraiser to boot, “1,000 Women Rising.” It’s memorable, emotional, and nicely done. https://youtu.be/bjAwQsfykC0 https://youtu.be/qLFYfxUDJcw
But of course, good ideas attract imitators quickly, and BVC’s “Rise” was picked up less than a year later by the massive University of Phoenix, which has just launched its new brand platform, “We Rise.” https://youtu.be/N98RB1LK12o
A Bold Athletic Brand:
Finally in this episode, Ken shares a gritty, powerful new brand and campaign for Stingers Athletics at Montreal’s Concordia University. You don’t want to miss it, just #ICYMI!
https://youtu.be/n_vQv05ZpZs
Next week, we’ll wrap up our review of 2015 with a look back at some new names and nicknames in Canadian higher ed branding.
Brand Consulting:
Don’t forget that Ken Steele is available to conduct higher ed brand audits, competitive audits, and campus Brand Chemistry™ workshops and presentations. Check out www.BrandChemistry.ca for more information.
For the next few episodes, Ken Steele returns to the Brand Chemistry™ Lab to analyze recent trends in higher ed brand identities and marketing campaigns. This week, we look at some notable brand mis-steps that have become cautionary tales for campus marketers, and the inevitable result: some very cautious, gradual rebrandings that don’t risk passionate opposition from traditional-minded stakeholders like students, faculty, and alumni.
Particularly for smaller, remote institutions experiencing the early effects of declining demographics, it’s critical to develop the visibility a strong brand can support. In recent years, many higher ed institutions have hired top-notch ad agencies to develop their visual identities and marketing campaigns, but there are definite risks to that approach. Branding an academic community is significantly more political a process than branding a consumer product like beer or fast food. Presidents don’t have the authority of corporate CEOs, faculty aren’t as compliant as typical employees, and students are a complete wild card. Not only does the process demand patience and plenty of consultation, but it also demands a marketer’s “A” game; a campus full of brilliant critical thinkers will quickly find any fault possible.
Cautionary Tales:
In Fredericton New Brunswick, St Thomas University’s student union discovered what happens when a design for your orientation week program is actually plagiarized from a broadway musical.
The University of Dayton, in Ohio, launched a new brand for its Flyers athletics, which was promptly criticized by students for appearing to promote venereal disease instead.
The University of California system attempted to launch a new, modern icon to unite the ten campuses in the UC system. But stakeholders objected to the ugly graphic, which suggested nothing so much as a flushing toilet.
And the University of Waterloo undertook an extensive strategic rebranding process in 2008, only to be sideswiped at the last moment when the proposed logo was leaked online.
Cautious Rebrandings:
In part because of these prominent brand debacles, many college and university rebrandings in recent years have been extraordinarily cautious and traditional.
Brandon University, in Manitoba, launched a new visual identity based on their traditional coat of arms in late 2014. Although it dropped the Greek motto, and streamlined the crest to focus on the shield, it retained the colour scheme and didn’t stir up opposition. The new look, sans serif typeface, and bold chevron create a much more contemporary and professional identity, without alienating traditionalists.
The Université du Québec en Outaouais redesigned its visual identity last year. Although the new UQO acronym is a starting departure in colour and typeface from the previous logo, both were pretty cold and corporate, and the change is unlikely to generate much passion one way or the other. The new marketing campaign, “Être plus près, aller plus loin” (be closer, go further) is a pretty common tagline for a regional institution speaking to local students.
The University of Ottawa launched a new brand identity in late 2014 that also followed a university marketing convention, in urging students to “Defy the Conventional.” But the new campaign, featuring bright neon colours and cartoon-like illustrations, is a notably creative variation on the theme. https://youtu.be/fhEcDhTDt3I
Finally, a different sort of caution is evident in the gradual “unbranding” of Cape Breton University. In late 2014, CBU announced a new brand that used only a “temporary wordmark” set in the most boring typeface possible, and the single bold word “Happen.” The brand concept looks intriguing, although the creative executions haven’t really appeared yet. In fact, CBU deliberately went a full year without a logo, perhaps to help minimize opposition from those who might have been fierce defenders of the previous visual identity. The new logo for CBU is expected imminently, but this “slow-motion” rebranding process is yet another way to cope with passionate stakeholders attached to the status quo.
Next week, we’ll look at some examples of intentionally provocative brands and campaigns, deliberately courting controversy. It happens more often than you might think, and the results can be striking.
Just #ICYMI, check out Mount St Vincent University’s new recruitment campaign, featuring 15-second ads using thousands of dominos as a metaphor for the student’s path. https://youtu.be/yQ0oVRMXcBo
Ken Steele is available to consult on institutional brand strategy, deliver presentations or facilitate workshops about institutional differentiation and recruitment marketing. For more information http://eduvation.ca/brand/
For early access to upcoming episodes, subscribe to Ken’s free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Last week, Ken Steele looked back at some major PR headaches sparked by students and faculty, from white student unions to a blogging board member. https://youtu.be/qn0ylCsR9Jw
But some of the biggest media relations migraines of all start at the top, with board chairs and presidents.
At Western University, president Amit Chakma’s double pay made headlines in 2015, but he had done nothing wrong in accepting a contract with administrative leave. The bigger issue was that the board committee normally responsible for negotiating such contracts was bypassed, and the board chair, Chirag Shah, seemed responsible. A task force made 22 recommendations for governance reform at Western, and Shah stepped off the board at the end of his term last November.
The year’s biggest PR headache, though, was the abrupt resignation of UBC president Arvind Gupta, only a year into his term. The board hired a passionate reformer with a bold agenda. Gupta didn’t have the usual university administration experience, but instead had founded Mitacs, a fairly small nonprofit. From the beginning, Gupta made it clear he wanted to make UBC more relevant to the needs of society, and he knew that driving change would make some people uneasy.
The abrupt departure of a president, after significant executive changes and barely concealed friction with the board chair, would have been bad enough for the media relations people tasked with managing the situation. But then, business professor Jennifer Berdahl wrote a blog suggesting that Gupta lost a “masculinity contest.”
The blog itself might have gone unnoticed amid a storm of speculation, if not that board chair Montalbano took exception. He felt “hurt” that accusations of racism and sexism were being hurled by a professor he knew personally. And so, one fateful day, he called her to discuss the blog directly. Montalbano claimed he was extraordinarily careful, throughout the call, to confirm that Berdahl felt comfortable discussing the blog, and that she did not feel her academic freedom was being threatened or compromised.
But a few days later, Berdahl either changed her mind or found her voice, and a new blog railed against Montalbano’s attempt to intimidate her and suppress her right to academic free speech. She went to the media, and claimed he threatened to discuss the “trouble she was causing” with her dean. Ultimately a fact-finding investigation agreed with Berdahl, and Montalbano stepped down from the UBC board in August.
Global News interview with Arvind Gupta: http://globalnews.ca/news/2484938/watch-one-on-one-with-former-ubc-president-arvind-gupta/
Global News interview with John Montalbano:
http://globalnews.ca/video/2173090/extended-ubc-board-chair-john-montalbano
CBC interview with Jennifer Berdahl:
http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2673915157
Some of the biggest dysfunctions on college and university campuses occur when outsiders attempt to push an agenda without truly appreciating the subtleties of academic politics. It’s vitally important to recognize that universities aren’t so much hierarchies, as loose democracies.
Even after someone is fired, the media migraine can continue. Last year, former president Ralph Weeks sued Medicine Hat College for wrongful dismissal in 2013, and Ilene Busch-Vishniac sued the University of Saskatchewan too.
Scandals and controversies can explode in the media like a reputational bomb. There’s no point attempting to bury an inconvenient truth on campus, because it will always surface, and when it comes to light the damage will be even worse. It’s always preferable to identify potentially explosive issues early, be proactive in treating them, and transparent in reporting them to the campus community. Best to find the bomb and defuse it, than have it go off unexpectedly and take everyone by surprise.
BTW, Ken Steele is available to facilitate workshops or present at conferences and on campuses about PR headaches and how to manage media relations in a crisis. More information at http://eduvation.ca/pr-headaches-how-to-treat-them/
#ICYMI, this week we feature an excerpt from UNB Fredericton’s “dog’s eye view of campus” featuring Lucy. https://youtu.be/aaxJwxOKrQk
For exclusive preview access, a week early, to future episodes of "Ten with Ken", be sure to subscribe to Eduvation's "in the loop" email newsletter, at http://www.eduvation.ca/subscribe/
This week, Ken Steele looks back at some of the biggest PR headaches afflicting Canadian colleges and universities in the past year, looking for common causes and some lessons we can learn about crisis communications.
Academia may well be the most challenging environment in which to manage messaging, with opinionated faculty, unrestrained students, and concerned parents, alumni, and taxpayers in the community.
Without a doubt, many PR headaches are caused by the students, intentionally or not. In previous episodes we’ve looked at sexist behavior in social media and during orientation, but Dalhousie’s School of Dentistry struggled with the biggest PR headache of 2015, when 13 male students posted sexist, misogynistic remarks to a supposedly private Facebook group. Protests, suspensions, a task force – in all, it cost the school about $650,000. And the underlying culture of sexism should have been addressed years earlier.
CBC’s “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” parody commercial – https://youtu.be/RtffrcWeMf0
Last year the University of Toronto had to ramp up campus security in the wake of a series of online threats posted by an anonymous user named “Kill Feminists.” The University of Ottawa coped with the fallout of the alleged sex assault by male hockey players, and a $6 million class action lawsuit. Several universities tore down posters for “White Students Unions.” 2 Montréal CÉGEPs had to cope with more than a dozen students leaving Canada to join Jihad.
But of course, students aren’t the only creative, intelligent and outspoken people on your campus. Last year we saw plenty of PR headaches caused by faculty members, too.
In the UK there was Nobel-prize-winning biochemist Tim Hunt, and his ill-advised attempt at humour about the distraction of women scientists in the lab. (His botched apology made things far worse, and cost him his job.) In Ontario it was St Lawrence College business professor Rick Coupland, who was fired for violent homophobic comments last summer.
At Carleton University, biology professor Root Gorelick has caused a stir with his blog, commenting on his experiences as a member of the university board of governors. He sees himself as elected by faculty, with an obligation to his constituents, but the rest of the board and the administration are concerned about the ways in which his blogs do not always agree with the official minutes. He is accused of attacking the personal integrity of fellow board members. Carleton has put in place a new code of conduct for board members, making it clear that governors must not criticize decisions once they have been made. Several campus groups are concerned that Gorelick may be removed for his refusal to sign this “gag order.”
It seems pretty clear that when students or faculty behave badly, the institution needs to condemn their actions swiftly and unambiguously, suspend the perpetrators, start a thorough investigation, and possibly a restorative justice process. The institution may have to address the problem, through enhanced campus security, harassment policies, or codes of conduct. Sometimes swift action will lead to accusations of overreaction, such as at Ottawa and Dalhousie, where potentially innocent students are considered guilty by association. But these responses seemed to be the most popular approach in 2015.
Next time we’ll look at some of the most serious higher ed headaches of all. And as the metaphor might suggest, they often start at the top, with presidents and board chairs.
Meanwhile you might like to check out our review of the biggest higher ed headaches of 2014 - https://youtu.be/TJaZsXv68s4
Ken Steele is available to facilitate workshops or present at conferences and on campuses about PR headaches and how to manage media relations in a crisis. More information at http://eduvation.ca/pr-headaches-how-to-treat-them/
#ICYMI, check out ASAP Science’s a capella parody of Taylor Swift’s hit song, which they called “Science Style” - https://youtu.be/sWwd5vks9n8
For exclusive preview access, a week early, to future episodes of "Ten with Ken", be sure to subscribe to Eduvation's "in the loop" email newsletter, at http://www.eduvation.ca/subscribe/
This week, Ken Steele completes his countdown of the ten biggest trends impacting North American higher education in 2015, with the top 4: from political correctness and personal safety to major demographic shifts.
If you missed part 1, check it out first: https://youtu.be/bziLQbNEXcI
4) Indigenous Content:
Even before the recommendations of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, institutions began announcing new mandatory indigenous content in their curricula. Students at the University of Winnipeg proposed mandatory courses in indigenous history or culture. Lakehead University announced that it would introduce indigenous perspectives into courses across all faculties. UBC’s Sauder School of Business and the UBC Okanagan School of Nursing both announced that they would be integrating Aboriginal content. The new president at the University of Saskatchewan declared that he would make indigenization his top priority. And the Law Faculties at UBC and Lakehead had both established mandatory courses in Aboriginal Law and intercultural training.
3) Zero Tolerance:
Last year we saw significant mainstream attention being paid to microaggressions on campus, and ongoing debate about trigger warnings for the curriculum. Faculty, most of whom are Baby Boomers or Gen Xers, are alarmed by the rising tide of political correctness and its potential to undermine academic freedom and free speech on campus. Generation Y students, on the other hand, take free speech for granted, but in a social media era have learned to retaliate against even the subtlest prejudice with a firestorm of outrage. Last year, several top comedians declared that they would no longer perform on campuses because students just couldn’t take a joke. A controversial prof at Laurentian asked his students to sign a waiver acknowledging coarse language in his lectures. Universities introduced microaggression training in their faculty orientations, collective agreements, and more. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms ranked Canadian universities and gave 15 universities and 26 student unions grades of “F”.
2) Sex Assault Protocols:
Although long-term trends in the incidences of sex assault on campus are debated, we saw an immense public spotlight focused on the issue last year. First there was the fallout of a discredited campus rape story published (and then retracted) by Rolling Stone magazine. The release of The Hunting Ground, a full-length documentary about Ivy League schools covering up rape to protect their brands. A Columbia student carrying a mattress with her everywhere on campus, including to her graduation. Task force recommendations at the University of Ottawa, in the wake of a sex assault that resulted in the suspension of its men’s hockey team. Rape allegations at Royal Military College. And then there was the CBC’s ranking of colleges and universities based on sex assaults reported in the previous 5 years. Across the country, presidents announced task forces and new policies and protocols, student unions and mental health services launched awareness campaigns and bystander intervention programs. There are even smartphone apps designed to secure affirmative sexual consent in the heat of the moment.
Full official trailer for The Hunting Ground: https://youtu.be/GBNHGi36nlM
Full ad for Alberta’s #IBelieveYou: https://youtu.be/VruBjg_dc2Q
1) Peak Campus:
Most significant of all, last year there was just no denying that enrolment was plateauing or declining at many campuses across North America. In the US, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported that college enrolment declined in 2015 for the third straight year, particularly at 2-year community colleges and for-profit institutions. The University of Phoenix had lost half of its students between 2010 and 2015, a whopping 250,000! The Council of Ontario Universities reported declines of about 5% in applicants province-wide over 2 years – and more remote institutions like the University of Windsor or Lakehead saw drops of up to 19%. The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission reported a 1% decline in enrolment after 4 consecutive years of growth, and smaller campuses in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were particularly hard hit.
Check out Ken’s white paper, Peak Campus, for more detail:
http://eduvation.ca/2013/09/peak-campus/
Next time we’ll round up the top higher ed headaches of 2015. For exclusive preview access, a week early, to future episodes of "Ten with Ken", be sure to subscribe to Eduvation's "in the loop" email newsletter, at http://www.eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Canada's most trusted higher ed monitor, Ken Steele, counts down the ten biggest trends impacting North American higher education in 2015, from equity and politics to new technologies and new business models.
Intro:
2015 was a rough year, from terrorist attacks in France and extreme weather in Texas and California, to the Volkswagen emissions scandal and the surprising rise of Donald Trump. But we also saw the launch of the Apple Watch, the Lexus hoverboard, and Nike self-lacing shoes. And there was a profound leftward shift in Canadian politics, from Rachel Notley's NDP in Alberta to Dwight Ball's Liberals in Newfoundland, and of course the second prime minister Trudeau. But there was also no shortage of developments directly affecting higher education. Some we have covered in previous episodes of this podcast, and others will deserve more attention soon. Here are Ken’s picks for the top ten.
10) Gender Equity:
From pay equity settlements and campaigns to encourage female enrolment in Engineering, to sexism in social media, and in nominations for the Science and Engineering Hall of Fame, gender can't be ignored when we look back at 2015.
Dedicated episode at https://youtu.be/-mm5gjGZEUU
Full OUSA “Bachelorette Degree” video at https://youtu.be/NtIGkB9R32Y
9) Open Textbooks:
Electronic textbooks are being explored, particularly at Olds and Algonquin colleges, but last year we saw real momentum building for open texts – free, online, peer-reviewed textbooks. California, BC, and Manitoba have committed funding to so-called “Textbook Zero” programs, which can reduce student attrition by 10%. And the US Congress is again considering the Affordable College Textbook Act, to encourage the development and adoption of open text alternatives.
Dedicated episode at https://youtu.be/FNLaLr94ppg
8) Contingent Faculty:
Last year the “new faculty majority,” untenured part-time sessional instructors, joined fast-food workers on the picket line in the US to fight for a $15 minimum wage. While the situation in Canada is somewhat better, striking sessionals at York University still made national headlines.
Dedicated episode at https://youtu.be/Kyld_inHp1Y
7) Drones:
Consumer drones hit the mainstream last year, about 4.3 million of them worldwide. They’re being used to patrol college entrance exams in China, and have entered the curriculum for programs in journalism, video, agriculture and firefighting, among others. But drones really took over last year in PSE marketing departments, with everybody featuring aerial footage in their videos.
MIT Drone Admissions video at https://youtu.be/zjw9-E3_GbM
6) Academic Journals:
A study published last year found that as much as 70% of scholarly output in some disciplines is in the hands of just 5 multinational publishing companies, and since publication determines tenure, promotion, research grants and university rankings, these corporations are the de facto “power brokers” of higher ed. They are posting better profit margins than Apple, and institutions from McGill to Harvard are finding they can no longer afford to subscribe to scholarly journals. Last year we saw editors and editorial boards quit in protest over pay-to-play peer review, extortionate subscription rates, and extensive peer review fraud.
5) Double-Dipping:
Last year there was also a groundswell of protest against generous executive pensions and administrative leave, allowing university presidents in particular to “double-dip” and get paid double their salary, or their salary in addition to pension in retirement. Western University president Amit Chakma took the brunt of the outrage, but other cases included Michael Goldbloom at Bishop’s, Arvind Gupta at UBC, Heather Munroe-Blum at McGill, Tom Traves at Dalhousie, and Sean Riley at StFX. When a scarcity mentality sets in, people start looking for scapegoats, and presidents are tempting targets.
Next time, we’ll finish this countdown with the 4 biggest trends affecting higher ed last year, from political correctness to major demographic shifts.
For exclusive preview access, a week early, to future episodes of "Ten with Ken", be sure to subscribe to Eduvation's "in the loop" email newsletter, at http://www.eduvation.ca/subscribe/
Governments invest in higher education hoping to see short-term economic benefits in the form of job creation, knowledge mobilization, and increasingly, the launch of entrepreneurial new start-up businesses. In this week’s episode, Ken Steele provides a quick overview of college and university research commercialization, from the first research parks to the latest business incubators and accelerators.
In many ways, academic culture is antithetical to entrepreneurship. Scholars and scientists are often perfectionists, conducting exhaustive research, consulting their peers for input and consensus, and avoiding career-limiting risks. Academic culture is centred around credibility, caution, and certainty. Successful entrepreneurs, on the other hand, are often shameless self-promoters, confident or even arrogant, first to market regardless of quality control, and frequently keeping trade secrets from their competitors.
Many question whether modern schools are the right environment in which to nurture entrepreneurs or innovators.
Typically, higher ed researchers transfer intellectual property to the private sector for commercialization. Last year, UBC licensed a potential treatment for drug-resistant prostate cancer to Roche Pharmaceuticals for more than $120 million.
Corporations have been partnering with research universities since the 1950s, in research parks like the Stanford Research Park, established in 1951. By the 1970s, it was home to some leading high-tech research facilities, like Xerox PARC, and it is often credited with being the spark that created Silicon Valley. Google itself was a spinoff of the research of 2 Stanford grad students, and Stanford still holds some lucrative Google patents today.
The largest university research park today is the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, collocated to serve Duke University, UNC, and NC State. 50,000 employees and 10,000 contractors work at RTP for major corporations including IBM, Cisco, and GlaxoSmithKline.
But today, R&D is no longer the exclusive domain of major multinationals. A student or two with a good idea can take their business global in mere months, as Mark Zuckerberg did in 2004 when he launched Facebook from a Harvard dorm room. That’s probably what inspired the University of Waterloo to establish a “dormcubator,” the Velocity Residence, and 5 other branches of the incubator program including the Velocity Garage, the Foundry, Velocity Science, and more.
uWaterloo Velocity video: https://youtu.be/vEbKt6Ho9z0
As North American employment is increasingly shifting towards startups and freelancing, business incubators have been multiplying. In the US alone, there are more than a thousand. California’s Y Combinator has funded more than 1,000 companies now worth $65 billion, and admission to their program is more competitive than Harvard or Yale.
UBI Global, headquartered in Sweden, looked at more than 1,200 university accelerators and incubators to arrive at its ranking of the top incubators of 2015. First place went to England’s SetSquared Partnership, a collaboration between the universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey. With 6 sites at the 5 research-intensive universities, SetSquared has helped more than a thousand companies raise over £1 billion, and create 9,000 jobs. The #2 incubator in the world is the Innovation Incubation Center at Chaoyang University of Technology in Taiwan.
The top university incubator in North America, #3 in the world, is the DMZ at Ryerson University. The DMZ has launched more than 180 companies, creating more than 1,000 jobs, and attracting $70 million in seed funding. Politicians and the business community praise the DMZ for creating better quality jobs, and harnessing the innovative capacity of the nation. Ryerson has launched other incubation zones, including the Fashion Zone, Design Fabrication Zone, ZoneStartups India, the Transmedia Zone, the Legal Innovation Zone, and the Social Ventures Zone.
Ryerson DMZ video: https://youtu.be/IGncBRPg1TI
As we mentioned previously, colleges and universities are emphasizing experiential learning opportunities, and incubators are just one high-profile approach. Some academics question whether higher education should really be in the business of incubating businesses, but as more and more students graduate into a freelance and innovation economy, business incubators make sense as an extension of campus career services and research commercialization. If we want to prepare our students for successful futures and meaningful citizenship, they are going to require an entrepreneurial mindset.
Increasingly careerist students, at colleges and universities alike, are attracted to work-integrated learning opportunities. This week, Ken continues his series on innovations in teaching and learning with a closer look at Experiential Learning.
Colleges like Sault College have been promoting hands-on learning opportunities for years, like their Field Camp for outdoor recreation students. https://youtu.be/gCfa_LFTRHQ
Calgary’s SAIT Polytechnic emphasizes the value of real-world, career-focused education in their “Get Real” commercials. https://youtu.be/9cOUKB6nfic
Algonquin College nicely shows how a daycare, flight deck, kichen, and construction site are all “my classroom.” https://youtu.be/AXnbZhIoU64
Universities Canada reports than more than 50% of undergrad students at Canadian universities now get some form of experiential learning opportunity – although this could be as simple as a few labs, or as intense as a co-op work term or study abroad experience.
The so-called “Maker movement” is taking hold on hundreds of campuses across North America. At the University of Southern California, the Iovine & Young Academy (named for the two Beats Electronics co-founders) offers space for problem-based learning, 3D printing, rapid prototyping and more. Even smaller institutions, like BC’s Douglas College, have opened MakerSpaces, sometimes in prominent public locations.
New YouTube CreatorSpaces are opening around the world, recently at Ryerson University. Workshops are open to creators with at least 1,000 channel subscribers. (We could really use your help getting to 1,000 – have you subscribed to this channel yet?)
It’s telling that a recent survey of graduating college and university students found that the 3 most important “academic activities,” in their opinion, were internships, co-ops, and work experiences.
Colleges have been experimenting with creating on-campus work opportunities like the student-managed farm at Lakeland College in Vermilion Alberta, the oldest and largest in the world. Or the campus hotel and conference centre at Olds College. Or the “Learning Enterprises” established at Niagara College, which give hundreds of students work experience and often generate a million-dollar surplus for the college to boot! At St Lawrence College, the on-campus ad agency “Spark” gives marketing students experience, and also creates videos, video games, and other digital resources for college instructors.
But we may just be streaming kids into career-directed education too young. Since 1935, Raisbeck Aviation High School, just outside Seattle, has focused students on careers in aviation from grade 9 onward. NAIT and the Edmonton School Boards have announced a new “Collegiate for Science, Technology & Trades” high school to open adjacent to the NAIT campus. Calgary’s West Island College, an independent high school, offers several “Institute” programs focused on careers in Business, Health, and Engineering.
It’s no wonder, either, that as students place more and more emphasis on work experiences, many are opting to take a “gap year” off from school to pursue employment instead. Uncollege.org is capitalizing on this movement, offering students a self-directed gap year complete with travel, mentors, and internship for just $16,000. It’s like university, but without the classes or the grades.
Finally, just #ICYMI, we highlight a “Strive” video from Nova Scotia Community College that focuses on one student’s experiential learning journey in the Therapeutic Recreation program. https://youtu.be/ilcPb8CzuzE
Next time, we’ll take a look at one specific form of experiential learning that seems to be in ascendance: campus incubators and accelerators. To get exclusive early access to upcoming episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter at www.Eduvation.ca/subscribe
Passive learning methods like lectures, readings and demonstrations remain the mainstay in higher ed, but research tells us that active learning approaches can have much more lasting impact on student learning outcomes.
From small group discussions and project-based learning to experiential field schools and peer teaching, in this episode Ken sums up some compelling evidence from UBC, Queen's, and Guelph that seem to demonstrate that students learn significantly more from deliberate practice and enquiry-based learning than from lecture. Students who collaboratively observe a video of a tutoring session - not a lecture - learn better. Those who made mistakes and were then corrected learned 60% more than those who were guided straight to the correct answer. There are lasting benefits to enquiry-based learning seminars, particularly for "B" students.
Queen's has opened Ellis Hall, a new facility featuring active learning classrooms. https://youtu.be/bJDCgeaK44E
80% of Generation Z prefer to study with friends, and 40% will do so on Skype if not in person. That social orientation of students may be driving the creation of learning commons and social space on campuses from St Mary's U to the U of Calgary.
Small adjustments to the lecture theatre can improve student engagement. George Brown College's new learning studios allow classes to shift from lecture to group discussions and back. Iowa State U has installed seats that swivel 240 degrees in double-wide rows that allow for group work. Oregon State U opened the new Learning Innovation Center last fall, including 2 "in the round" lecture halls that hold 600 students, all within 15 feet of the instructor. Active learning classrooms date back at least 20 years, to the SCALE-UP classrooms at North Carolina State U. Students sit in clusters of 9, and students learn better 88% of the time (particularly female students). The model has been emulated at hundreds of campuses.
UBC's Sauder School of Business recently opened a Flexible Learning Lab. https://youtu.be/LA4Sqb4jrlw
Next week: Experiential Learning. Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode! www.eduvation.ca/subscribe
Just #ICYMI, check out Red River College's new commercial, featuring plenty of active learning: https://youtu.be/giUez0f-N2g
For more than a thousand years, students have been gathering in lecture halls to listen to the "sage on the stage." But shorter attention spans, new technologies, and empirical testing of learning outcomes have led us to question the tried and true historical "transmission" model of education. In this episode, Ken Steele gives a brief lecture on "the Death of Lecture."
Check out how familiar a 14th-century lecture hall at the Universite di Bologne looks.
Former Quest University president David Helfand explains how the human brain is wired for two-way communication - and the lecture is the opposite of that. https://youtu.be/-J8PcPC7l5U
fMRI studies have demonstrated the impact of curiosity on the brain's ability to soak up new information.
Gen Y and Z have significantly decreased attention spans. They don't have the patience for a 60-minute lecture, and the Columbia University TEDx organizers worry that they don't have the focus for a 16-minute TED talk either. https://youtu.be/wRwPoR707UI
Hundreds of studies have demonstrated that students in lecture classes are 1.5x as likely to fail the course. The lecture is actually "toxic" to student learning, but large first-year lectures subsidize upper-year seminars and graduate studies.
In the past century, most of the innovation in undergraduate teaching and learning has amounted to little more than scaling an outmoded industrial model of education, designed to graduate students into the industrial economy of the 1930s. We need to re-engineering our approach for the 21st century.
Instructors often underuse the active learning methodologies, to rely on passive methods like lecture and demonstrations. Next time, we'll take a closer look at active learning in the classroom.
#ICYMI, Trinity Western University has a dynamic new commercial - and out of 90 seconds, just 1.5 show students in a lecture hall. Seems like a wise idea! https://youtu.be/INPUwp2Fz3k
For exclusive early access to upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Eduvation newsletter! www.eduvation.ca/subscribe
This year, we distill the best moments from 76 holiday greeting videos that were published by colleges and universities across Canada in December 2015, and select a few as “Best in Class” for their categories. Please “take twenty” with us, and enjoy!
If you’re creating your own holiday greeting video, be sure to animate your logo with snowflakes and sleighbells. Your task is to convey best wishes on behalf of the campus community, most often featuring the president as spokesperson.
A snowy Canadian winter is a natural, non-denominational symbol of winter break, and so many holiday greeting videos feature footage of campus wrapped in a blanket of snow. Perhaps last year was particularly green, since quite a few videos faked the snow – from Royal Roads to Western (which got Best in Class for this category.)
The simplest way to incorporate the many voices on campus is to feature a collage of photographs, either taken throughout the year, or staged using holiday props. More popular is the “Holiday Shout-Out”, a compilation of many staff and students sharing their holiday wishes, often in a range of languages and reflecting a variety of traditions. (Humber College gets Best in Class for this category, although there are plenty of other great examples. VIU deserves honorable mention for involving their “Extreme Science” team. uWindsor produced a very slick multilingual video, but Queen’s ultimately got Best in Class for the sheer range of voices and their enthusiasm.)
A variation on the “shout-out” is the “on-the-street Q&A”, and again there are plenty of great examples. Many ask students and staff what the holidays mean to them, or what they are looking forward to about the holidays. (SFU gets Best in Class for this category, for a polished and energetic video asking staff and students about their gift to the world.)
Many institutions showcase the skills and talents of their students and alumni in their holiday greetings. Sheridan has a tradition of animated videos, and Mohawk of very polished musical greetings. Last year we saw alumni talents featured by NSCC, ECUAD, Ryerson, and Georgian as well. (We awarded Mohawk Best in Class for their musical videos, and even behind-the-scenes video.) Special mention goes to MSVU's recruiters, who clowned around while demonstrating their gift-wrapping skills.
We saw tree-trimming parties at King’s and CBU, among others, but uVic took it to a new level with their best-in-class approach to symbolic ornaments and student sound bytes. A close runner-up was George Brown, which created a strong example as well. Santa Claus made an appearance at Douglas, posing for photos with all the good little girls and boys. At Niagara, gifts were delivered by Basil, the greenhouse cat.
Brock staged a "parking miracle". A staffer named Lori played Secret Santa at Durham, while Lassonde tackled intergenerational peace and understanding with a defense of Millennials. UNB created an emotional thank-you from scholarship recipients to donors. But our favourite in this category was a wordless music video from uLeth, featuring gorgeous cinematography and Tyrone Wells’ song “Christmas at Home.” (Unfortunately UofL has just recently deleted their upload.)
Some institutions promote professional, accomplished singers of Christmas Carols, while many publish videos of enthusiastic amateurs. Some try to stay in key, while others focus on having fun. NSCC shared a sign language caroling performance. Waterloo's Faculty of Environment rewrote “Winter Wonderland” with a “green” focus.
Algoma staff participated in a collective reading of “The Grinch”. Bow Valley “put a bow on it.” Fleming produced their own version of Jimmy Fallon’s “Thank You Notes.” RDC parodied “The Night Before Christmas.” Definitely Best in Class for the parody category, however, was a version of the “12 Days of Christmas” by the Film & Video students at CNA. (Of course I can’t resist including uMich Engineering's Star Wars parody, “The Holiday Jedi Rap.”)
You can watch the original, unedited versions of these holiday videos in our 2015 Holiday Videos playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYULq5f-_JsusgbW1V8BNfSd
On behalf of everyone here at Eduvation, and from my family to yours, I want to wish you a truly peaceful holiday season, and a happy and prosperous 2017!
We’re already assembling a YouTube playlist of 2016 holiday videos, so please add yours here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYW50HvU2lrHm_DURpmz8jqk&jct=HCQjNaZ4OsE7aqyhuMM-_4ox4oMGcg
(We’ll summarize them for next year’s holiday special.)
In this week's Ten with Ken, we sum up some recent higher ed social media trends and memes, from the #MannequinChallenge to MUN's reality TV webcast, "The New Class," and much more!
#MannequinChallenge:
After the Pokémon Go craze of July and August, the next viral sensation to hit the inter webs was the #MannequinChallenge. It was apparently started by high school students in Jacksonville FLA in early October. Within a month it was being replicated by college football teams, NFL teams, leading political candidates, pop music stars and the US First Lady. The first Canadian PSE campus to upload a #MannequinChallenge video to their official YouTube channel appears to be La Cité Collègiale. Their culinary students were featured in a video on Nov 9. MSVU students jumped on the bandwagon a day later. A Collège Boréal student association video followed a week later. But by far the biggest, most ambitious #MannequinChallenge we've seen involved 750 staff and students at Brock University.
The #Mannequin videos we featured in this episode are collected in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYVSWaOnbWUbXGGD62QwQMp_
Let us know if there was another we should have seen, by commenting below!
#TBT:
St Lawrence College released a series of short alumni profiles in early November, explicitly leveraging the "Throwback Thursday" meme. We've made a playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYVWsDOh51Y0uMEYa4Rl2DSo
Global Oil Thigh:
Queen's University Advancement collected clips of alumni worldwide participating in a rendition of the school's gaelic fight song, the "Oil Thigh." Although low-res and uneven in quality, it does convey the school spirit of alumni, as a small celebration of Queen's 175th anniversary. https://youtu.be/DorpBgaxujU
MUN's "The New Class":
Memorial University of Newfoundland launched a really interesting experiment in student blogging: a weekly web series produced by and starring students. "The New Class" follows the experiences of 10 new students at MUN, from mental health challenges to exhilaration about the weather, outsized characters to more mundane accounts of school strengths. Check out the episodes here: https://youtu.be/vkDLQ-UFvEY?list=PLzixCJnFSSVgTTSLou7kxKLvC4HJoOICj
Cute Kids:
As part of their 50th anniversary communications program, Ontario's Colleges released a video this month featuring adorable kids talking about the future, their career plans, and their (limited) understandings of what college offers. https://youtu.be/Ja967dYPVvg
Women are Powerful:
Mount St Vincent University released a 2-min video this month to thank Hillary Clinton for her efforts on the campaign trail and in particular her concession speech empowering young women. It connected to MSVU's history as a women's college (from 1873-1967) and the honorary degree it awarded to a much younger Hillary Clinton in 1995. https://youtu.be/7VTKWBGKDyA
So in addition to our April Fool's special https://youtu.be/v-dSiWr3KHM and our Back to School episode https://youtu.be/Ci3YPzohbLM , this rounds out our coverage of social media this year.
Aside, of course, from our upcoming annual Holiday Special! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss it, here on YouTube, or on iTunes, or by email (for exclusive early access) at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
This week, Ken talks to leaders from 14 Ontario universities about the latest new construction and renovations on campus, and extrapolates some major trends in campus construction, which reflect institutional priorities and new trends in student services.
Major Facelifts:
Laurentian University has just completed a $34 M campus renewal program, renovating 9 buildings and virtually every classroom. The University of Windsor has closed campus roads to traffic, and replaced parking lots and dilapidated buildings with green space, pedestrian pathways and outdoor furniture. OCAD University is undertaking the renewal and expansion of 150,000 sq ft at its downtown “Creative City Campus”.
Downtown Satellites:
The University of Windsor has renovated the Windsor Armouries to house its School of Creative Arts and Music faculties, the former Greyhound Bus Depot to hold its Film program, and the former Windsor Star building to house the Centre for Professional and Executive Education and the Social Work program. OCAD will be opening an extension campus in the Waterfront “City of the Arts”, and will be opening the Mirvish-Gehry Centre for Visual Art & Art History.
Extroverted Social Space:
Western University has added significant capacity for student social and study space, in residences, academic and administrative buildings. Ryerson University has opened its new remarkable new Student Learning Centre, “the library of the future,” with distinct layouts and environments on each floor. Lakehead and Trent are breaking ground on new Student Centres. Queen’s has added two new residences, Brant House and Smith House. Lakehead has opened a new residence and cafeteria building in Orillia. Laurentian has a new Great Hall.
Student Services:
Lakehead and Laurentian are building new one-stop centres. Queen’s is integrating all of its student wellness services in one location, in the former Phys Ed building. OCAD is building a new Indigenous Cultural Centre. Laurentian is just finishing a new Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre. Lakehead has created a new international Students Centre.
Libraries:
Algoma University has just completed renovations to its library. OCAD is expanding its library three-fold, to create a new “Library of the Future” with collaborative space. Trent is hoping to do a major retrofit of the Bata Library, an iconic but 50-year-old building.
Flexible Classrooms:
Algoma is planning to renovate its main building to create a more student-centred campus. Laurentian has retrofitted virtually all of its Sudbury classrooms with half a dozen LCD displays, flexible seating and tables. Western is renovating its oldest building, University College, to make it more modern, and experimental new active learning spaces have proven very popular with faculty and students.
Entrepreneurial Spaces:
Many campuses are building space on campus for incubators, accelerators, makerspaces and research parks. Western has its Propel accelerator. Queen’s is building a new Innovation incubator for the faculty of Engineering. Ryerson has the Launch Zone in its new SLC. UOIT is constructing a new $100 M Centre for Advanced Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Trent is developing a new 100-acre Research & Innovation Park to focus on Clean Tech. Brock University has just received federal funding to create a new innovation centre.
STEM Space:
Brock opened its Cairns Building two years ago, with 271 state-of-the-art labs. uWindsor has a new Engineering building. Carleton is building a new Health Sciences building. Laurentian has its new $20 M Vale Living with Lakes Centre. UOIT has broken ground on a new Infomatics Research building, to open Fall 2017. uOttawa has built the Advanced Research Complex, including the largest Photonics centre in Ontario and Canada’s only accelerated mass spectrometer, and is about to start building a new STEM centre. Western is building a new 100,000 sq ft Engineering building.
Professional Faculties:
Lakehead has just completed renovating the former Port Arthur Collegiate for its new Faculty of Law. Brock is building a $22 M addition to its Goodman School of Business. Laurentian has completed its new $45 M MacEwan School of Architecture.
Overall, these campus construction trends reflect some long-term program trends, and new emphasis on student services.
Ryerson Student Learning Centre - https://youtu.be/5PfR-IEM96M
uWindsor Engineering Building - https://youtu.be/Dr2ec7dNd7I
uWindsor Downtown Campuses - https://youtu.be/KrF7F7NWaB4
uWindsor Campus Time Lapse - https://youtu.be/dsFYTabpOwI
This week, Ken Steele speaks with 10 university presidents and 2 senior administrators about the ways in which universities are evolving to meet the needs of 21st Century Learners.
While it's certainly fair to argue that the core principles of a university education are timeless, in general university programs, services and campuses are evolving in a time of labour market uncertainty, interdisciplinarity, active learning classrooms, experiential and work-integrated learning, and new technology. Institutions are trying to be responsive to student expectations, employer demands, and government requirements. Preparing today's students for careers can also involve entrepreneurial training, since 40% of jobs are projected to be freelance by 2020.
Interviewed for this episode:
Algoma U:
Craig Chamberlin, President & Vice-Chancellor
Brock U:
Brian Hutchings, Acting President
Carleton U:
Suzanne Blanchard, Vice-President, Students & Enrolment
Lakehead U:
Brian Stevenson, President & Vice-Chancellor
Laurentian U:
Dominic Giroux, President & Vice-Chancellor
Nipissing U:
Mike DeGagné, President & Vice-Chancellor
OCADU:
Sara Diamond, President & Vice-Chancellor
UOIT:
Tim McTiernan, President & Vice-Chancellor
uOttawa:
Steve Perry, Dean of Science
Queen’s U:
Stuart Pinchin, Executive Director, Undergraduate Admissions & Recruitment
Ryerson U:
Mohamed Lachemi, President & Vice-Chancellor
Trent U:
Leo Groarke, President & Vice-Chancellor
Western U:
Amit Chakma, President & Vice-Chancellor
uWindsor:
Alan Wildeman, President & Vice-Chancellor
Thank you to all who agreed to be interviewed! And our apologies to those we missed because of time constraints. (We had just 1.5 days onsite this year.)
Recent episodes have examined the top reasons why people love attending the OUF, and new booths and recruitment marketing tactics, and Advice on Choosing a Program. Next week: Trends in campus construction projects.
For exclusive early access, subscribe to our free email newsletter at www.eduvation.ca/subscribe
Ken Steele sums up recent trends in new university programs, from interdisciplinary degrees to college-university collaborations, based on Ontario-wide data and on interviews with university presidents and recruiters at the 2016 Ontario Universities' Fair.
North American youth are increasingly focusing on STEM subjects and the traditionally high-paying professions, from accounting and law to medicine and engineering. Many universities are launching new programs at the undergraduate and graduate level to appeal to these students, and even partnering with international law schools when they don't have one of their own.
Increasingly research is being directed towards interdisciplinary subject areas, and interdisciplinary programs are on the rise, from broad-spectrum human, animal, plant and planet health, to programs combining business and the humanities, or entrepreneurship and biomedical engineering.
Many universities also report that programs related to sports and kinesiology, social work or child and youth studies are popular.
Particularly intriguing is the number of new college-university collaborative programs launched in the past three years. Ken sums up some examples from Brock, York, Laurier, McMaster, Carleton and Queen's to illustrate the pattern: typically, students can earn a university bachelors degree plus a college diploma or advanced diploma, and usually save a year or two in the process.
Colleges Ontario "Kindergarten" commercial:
https://youtu.be/Bq1erNvHQ0k
Interviewed for this episode:
Brock U:
Brian Hutchings, Acting President
James Mandigo, Vice-Provost, Enrolment Management & International
Carol Merriam, Interim Dean, Faculty of Humanities (2015)
Carleton U:
Suzanne Blanchard, Vice-President, Students & Enrolment
Lakehead U:
Brian Stevenson, President & Vice-Chancellor
Laurentian U:
Dominic Giroux, President & Vice-Chancellor
Nipissing U:
Mike DeGagné, President & Vice-Chancellor
OCADU:
Sara Diamond, President & Vice-Chancellor
UOIT:
Tim McTiernan, President & Vice-Chancellor
Queen’s U:
Stuart Pinchin, Executive Director, Undergraduate Admissions & Recruitment
Ryerson U:
Mohamed Lachemi, President & Vice-Chancellor
Trent U:
Leo Groarke, President & Vice-Chancellor
Western U:
Lori Gribbon, Associate Registrar, Admissions & Recruitment
Wilfrid Laurier U:
Craig Chipps, Manager of Recruitment & Admissions (2015)
uWindsor:
Alan Wildeman, President & Vice-Chancellor
Thank you to all who agreed to be interviewed! And our apologies to those we missed because of time constraints. (We had just 1.5 days onsite this year.)
Recent episodes have examined the top reasons why people love attending the OUF, and new booths and recruitment marketing tactics. Next week: How universities are evolving to serve the needs of the 21st century learner.
For exclusive early access, subscribe to our free email newsletter at www.eduvation.ca/subscribe
Ken Steele went to the Ontario Universities' Fair, in September 2016, and asked 45 experts for their best advice for young people trying to choose between universities. And these are people who ought to know: 11 university presidents, 9 recruiters and admissions professionals, and 25 current undergraduate students.
In the end, there was consensus on 8 key pieces of advice you should keep in mind:
1) Take Your TIme
2) Do Your Homework
3) Ask Questions
4) Visit Campuses
5) Look Further Afield
6) Find a Comfortable Fit
7) There are No Bad Choices
8) Ultimately, It's Up to You
Interviewed for this episode:
Algoma U:
Craig Chamberlin, President & Vice-Chancellor
Brad Lloyd, Admissions Advisor
Anna Stilin, Student Ambassador
Brock U:
Brian Hutchings, Acting President
James Mandigo, Vice-Provost, Enrolment Management & International
Carleton U:
Suzanne Blanchard, Vice-President, Students & Enrolment
Lakehead U:
Brian Stevenson, President & Vice-Chancellor
Adriel Martin, Student Ambassador
Kelsey Agnew, Student Ambassador
Laurentian U:
Dominic Giroux, President & Vice-Chancellor
Abegail Villaruel, Student Ambassador
Alexander Mayhew, Student Ambassador
Nipissing U:
Mike DeGagné, President & Vice-Chancellor
Victoria Bass, Student Ambassador
Deanna Jackett, Student Ambassador
Jordan Andrews, President, Nipissing University Student Union
OCADU:
Sara Diamond, President & Vice-Chancellor
UOIT:
Tim McTiernan, President & Vice-Chancellor
Happy Inibhunu, Student Ambassador
Alykhan Sumar, Student Ambassador
Devon McGrath, Student Ambassador
uOttawa:
Steve Perry, Dean of Science
Karen D’Souza, Student Ambassador
Chantal Breton, Student Ambassador
Queen’s U:
Stuart Pinchin, Executive Director, Undergraduate Admissions & Recruitment
Laura Wyatt, Intern, Undergraduate Admissions & Recruitment
Maura Mackenzie, Recruitment Representative
Ryerson U:
Mohamed Lachemi, President & Vice-Chancellor
Trent U:
Leo Groarke, President & Vice-Chancellor
Dexter Fichuk, Student Ambassador
Gytha Chapman, Student Ambassador
Western U:
Amit Chakma, President & Vice-Chancellor
Lori Gribbon, Associate Registrar, Admissions & Recruitment
Haley Everitt, Senior Campus Tour Guide
Maher Alazzam, Campus Tour Guide
Michael Maximino, Senior Campus Tour Guide
King’s UC:
Brandon Csendes, Admissions & Liaison Officer
Paul Wilton, Admissions & Liaison Officer
Wilfrid Laurier U:
Ty Ackerman, Student Ambassador
Jordan Baechler, Student Ambassador
Urbashi Das, Campus Ambassador Coordinator
uWindsor:
Alan Wildeman, President & Vice-Chancellor
John-Michael Lemaire, Student Ambassador
Abrial Cooke, Student Ambassador
OUAC:
Deanna Underwood, Manager of Communications
Thank you to all who agreed to be interviewed! And our apologies to those we missed because of time constraints. (We had just 1.5 days onsite this year.)
Recent episodes have examined the top reasons why people love attending the OUF, and new booths and recruitment marketing tactics, and Advice on Choosing a Program. Next week: Hot New Programs at Ontario Universities.
For exclusive early access, subscribe to our free email newsletter at www.eduvation.ca/subscribe
Ken Steele went to the Ontario Universities' Fair, in September 2016, and asked 45 experts for their best advice for young people trying to choose a program or field of study after high school. And these are people who ought to know: 11 university presidents, 9 recruiters and admissions professionals, and 25 current undergraduate students.
In the end, there was consensus on 7 key pieces of advice you should keep in mind, if you're trying to make a decision about your post-secondary path:
1) Don't Panic!
2) Start Early
3) Follow Your Passion
4) It's OK Not to Know Yet
5) Don't Limit Yourself
6) Keep an Open Mind
7) University will Expand Your Horizons
Interviewed for this episode:
Algoma U:
Craig Chamberlin, President & Vice-Chancellor
Brad Lloyd, Admissions Advisor
Anna Stilin, Student Ambassador
Brock U:
Brian Hutchings, Acting President
James Mandigo, Vice-Provost, Enrolment Management & International
Carleton U:
Suzanne Blanchard, Vice-President, Students & Enrolment
Lakehead U:
Brian Stevenson, President & Vice-Chancellor
Adriel Martin, Student Ambassador
Kelsey Agnew, Student Ambassador
Laurentian U:
Dominic Giroux, President & Vice-Chancellor
Abegail Villaruel, Student Ambassador
Alexander Mayhew, Student Ambassador
Nipissing U:
Mike DeGagné, President & Vice-Chancellor
Victoria Bass, Student Ambassador
Deanna Jackett, Student Ambassador
Jordan Andrews, President, Nipissing University Student Union
OCADU:
Sara Diamond, President & Vice-Chancellor
UOIT:
Tim McTiernan, President & Vice-Chancellor
Happy Inibhunu, Student Ambassador
Alykhan Sumar, Student Ambassador
Devon McGrath, Student Ambassador
uOttawa:
Steve Perry, Dean of Science
Karen D’Souza, Student Ambassador
Chantal Breton, Student Ambassador
Queen’s U:
Stuart Pinchin, Executive Director, Undergraduate Admissions & Recruitment
Laura Wyatt, Intern, Undergraduate Admissions & Recruitment
Maura Mackenzie, Recruitment Representative
Ryerson U:
Mohamed Lachemi, President & Vice-Chancellor
Trent U:
Leo Groarke, President & Vice-Chancellor
Dexter Fichuk, Student Ambassador
Gytha Chapman, Student Ambassador
Western U:
Amit Chakma, President & Vice-Chancellor
Haley Everitt, Senior Campus Tour Guide
Maher Alazzam, Campus Tour Guide
Michael Maximino, Senior Campus Tour Guide
King’s UC:
Brandon Csendes, Admissions & Liaison Officer
Paul Wilton, Admissions & Liaison Officer
Wilfrid Laurier U:
Ty Ackerman, Student Ambassador
Jordan Baechler, Student Ambassador
Urbashi Das, Campus Ambassador Coordinator
uWindsor:
Alan Wildeman, President & Vice-Chancellor
John-Michael Lemaire, Student Ambassador
Abrial Cooke, Student Ambassador
OUAC:
Deanna Underwood, Manager of Communications
Thank you to all who agreed to be interviewed! And our apologies to those we missed because of time constraints. (We had just 1.5 days onsite this year.)
Recent episodes have examined the top reasons why people love attending the OUF, and new booths and recruitment marketing tactics. Next week: Advice on Choosing a University.
For exclusive early access, subscribe to our free email newsletter at www.eduvation.ca/subscribe
In the second episode from the 2016 Ontario Universities' Fair, Ken Steele surveys the exhibit floor and interviews university representatives to summarize what's new in student recruitment marketing this fall. (See the first, "Why Go to the OUF?" at https://youtu.be/CyXKcQ7fsac ). This podcast includes some flashback photos, video and even some unused interviews from previous years' OUFs, from 2006 to the present.
Data Collection: The underlying goal for student recruitment offices at the Fair is to collect contact information for as many prospective students as possible. As Deanna Underwood of OUAC explains, in previous years that meant that prospective students had to enter their contact information in 21 different ways, on paper, iPad, laptop or computer, at all the various booths. That also tended to mean that many universities offered prize incentives to collect data. Last year we interviewed Craig Chipps of Wilfrid Laurier about the branded hoodies they were giving away; Deanna MacQuarrie of uGuelph about their prizes ranging up to an iPhone 6; and both York's Jock Phippen and Carleton's Jean Mullan about their draws for free tuition.
All this repetitive data entry seemed pointless for students, and after years of discussion, this year finally introduced centralized data collection: the OUF Passport. Prospective students were encouraged to register online in advance, and thousands did so. Many more registered at the computer terminals in the OUF lobby, or on their smartphones with the assistance of staff at the university booths. By day two, universities were collecting more contacts than in previous years. In place of all the various contests of previous years, this year COU had a "money booth" for students.
Exhibit Booths: Ontario universities are investing six figures in spacious, professional booths, so they use them for years, with minor updates. (This year, Laurentian added more bilingual signage, Laurier added a new photo collage, and Windsor added its new tagline, "Promise.")
This year, considerable floorspace in the exhibits was freed up from the various desks and kiosks that were so critical for data collection. Many universities rearranged their booths to allow much more space for conversation. New booth layouts for Nipissing, Carleton and Brock focused on kiosks for each major faculty or program, where prospective students could speak with recruiters, faculty or current student ambassadors. Brock wanted to emphasize the transdisciplinary opportunities for students. Carleton wanted to leverage more technology, like video screens and an interactive robot, to engage students and tell its story. McMaster’s new booth adds many backlit images of campus and animated video screens, but unlike the open-concept designs, Mac’s booth seems to create corners and cubbies for small conversations to occur.
Western's Lori Gribbon took time to describe their brand-new exhibit, which utilizes the maximum 12-foot height, plenty of backlit graphics and video screens to convey a sense of the beautiful campus. They analyzed the previous booth, and modified the layout to optimize traffic flow. A new “student experience” corner focuses students on co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, from athletics to residence.
Virtual Reality: Last year, we reported that UOIT was pioneering the use of 3D (VR) campus tours using beta versions of Oculus Rift headsets. https://youtu.be/7YVIz2RMXCg Now that 3D video is supported on YouTube and Facebook, and easily available on most smartphones, the cost has come down and more universities are creating VR tours. Western shot dozens of 360° videos of campus, from residence rooms, classrooms and labs to outdoor orientation events. The videos are available on the Western welcome page, on Facebook and Twitter, and Western ambassadors had branded iCardboard viewers for prospective students and parents to take a look. uWindsor likewise had branded cardboard viewers for students. Lakehead was using plastic HooDoo viewers, which fasten to your head with velcro. Laurentian's Jean-Paul Rains showed us their ViewMaster brand viewers, using an app designed by Laurentian CompSci students. He explained that the initiative was very cost effective, using a tiny $500 Ricoh Theta S camera, $30 headsets, and $500 smartphones.
Travel Incentives: Algoma U has started offering all-expense-paid visits to its campus in Sault Ste Marie, for interested prospective students. President Craig Chamberlin says they provide transportation, housing and meals, and tour potential students around campus to meet their future faculty members and attend classes.
In the next episode, we’ll ask people at the OUF for their advice for high school students contemplating their post-secondary futures.
Remember, subscribe to our free email newsletter to get exclusive early access to upcoming episodes. www.eduvation.ca/subscribe
Ken Steele goes on location at the largest PSE exhibition in North America, the Ontario Universities' Fair in Toronto. Over 2 days he interviewed 11 presidents, 9 front-line staff and 25 student ambassadors.
This week, we find out what they like best about the OUF, and why they recommend prospective students attend. It should be interesting to anyone who has ever attended the fair, or is considering it!
Algoma U:
Craig Chamberlin, President & Vice-Chancellor
Brad Lloyd, Admissions Advisor
Anna Stilin, Student Ambassador
Brock U:
Brian Hutchings, Acting President
James Mandigo, Vice-Provost, Enrolment Management & International
Carleton U:
Suzanne Blanchard, Vice-President, Students & Enrolment
Lakehead U:
Brian Stevenson, President & Vice-Chancellor
Adriel Martin, Student Ambassador
Kelsey Agnew, Student Ambassador
Laurentian U:
Dominic Giroux, President & Vice-Chancellor
Abegail Villaruel, Student Ambassador
Alexander Mayhew, Student Ambassador
Nipissing U:
Mike DeGagné, President & Vice-Chancellor
Victoria Bass, Student Ambassador
Deanna Jackett, Student Ambassador
Jordan Andrews, President, Nipissing University Student Union
OCADU:
Sara Diamond, President & Vice-Chancellor
UOIT:
Tim McTiernan, President & Vice-Chancellor
Happy Inibhunu, Student Ambassador
Alykhan Sumar, Student Ambassador
Devon McGrath, Student Ambassador
uOttawa:
Steve Perry, Dean of Science
Karen D’Souza, Student Ambassador
Chantal Breton, Student Ambassador
Queen’s U:
Stuart Pinchin, Executive Director, Undergraduate Admissions & Recruitment
Laura Wyatt, Intern, Undergraduate Admissions & Recruitment
Maura Mackenzie, Recruitment Representative
Ryerson U:
Mohamed Lachemi, President & Vice-Chancellor
Trent U:
Leo Groarke, President & Vice-Chancellor
Dexter Fichuk, Student Ambassador
Gytha Chapman, Student Ambassador
Western U:
Amit Chakma, President & Vice-Chancellor
Lori Gribbon, Associate Registrar, Admissions & Recruitment
Haley Everitt, Senior Campus Tour Guide
Maher Alazzam, Campus Tour Guide
Michael Maximino, Senior Campus Tour Guide
King’s UC:
Brandon Csendes, Admissions & Liaison Officer
Paul Wilton, Admissions & Liaison Officer
Wilfrid Laurier U:
Ty Ackerman, Student Ambassador
Jordan Baechler, Student Ambassador
Urbashi Das, Campus Ambassador Coordinator
uWindsor:
Alan Wildeman, President & Vice-Chancellor
John-Michael Lemaire, Student Ambassador
Abrial Cooke, Student Ambassador
OUAC:
Deanna Underwood, Manager of Communications
Thank you to all who agreed to be interviewed! And our apologies to those we missed because of time constraints. (We had just 1.5 days onsite this year.) Also apologies to those who will be at the Ontario College Information Fair next month - unfortunately Ken's travel schedule prevents him from attending this year.
Watch for upcoming episodes about new booths and marketing tactics, advice for prospective students, how universities are evolving to serve the needs of 21st century learners, and much more. For exclusive early access, subscribe to our free email newsletter at www.eduvation.ca/subscribe
Meanwhile check out these past episodes about college and university fairs:
Overview - 2015 OUF - https://youtu.be/hD0dDn2iP3Q
Hot New Programs - 2015 OUF - https://youtu.be/O5c1OrH73RQ
Bringing the Campus to the 2015 OUF - https://youtu.be/7YVIz2RMXCg
The 2013 Ontario College Information Fair - https://youtu.be/jYO2JlqCQWI
The 2013 OUF - https://youtu.be/jyyMXXIMjYs
This week, Ken reviews this fall’s back-to-school college and university videos, from presidential welcomes to o-week excitement, from bubble gum records to Pokémon Go!
We looked at “O-Week Winners & Sinners” in a previous episode. https://youtu.be/imr8-zMyEDg This time, we’re focused on more official videos:
UPEI provided vital orientation information in their video. https://youtu.be/xzzWt_xswSY
Trinity Western University recaps the excitement of move-in day. https://youtu.be/jMm7Mw1FqNI
Ryerson University organized more than 1200 students, staff and faculty to “pop” the Guiness world record for bubble gum blowing. https://youtu.be/AgI0arSkyLI
But back-to-school videos also tackle “heavier” issues. In a previous episode we looked at campus and dorm room safety videos. https://youtu.be/NRPY2RSSfK8?t=2m1s
Respect and sexual consent campaigns are also widespread at this time of year, and for good reason: The first few weeks of school are when the vast majority of sexual assaults occur.
In an effort to keep things gender-neutral, this fall the Sexual Assault Resource Centre at Montreal’s Concordia University enlisted some unusual spokesfruit to explain sexual consent. https://youtu.be/zzuTjVwlcgo
Just as we’ve seen holiday greeting videos proliferating in December, it’s no surprise to see presidential “welcome back” videos in September. Most just capture a president’s welcome to new students, although others are specifically directed at staff and faculty, and some manage to incorporate some quirky humour, like this from St Lawrence College president Glenn Vollebregt: https://youtu.be/i2jSZd9wjYM
And then there is Pokémon Go, perhaps the viral sensation of the summer. Within weeks the new augmented reality game attracted more than 21 million active daily users in the US alone – more than Candy Crush or even Twitter! Old fogeys took delight in mocking the distracted gamers, but some Pokemon players “poked” fun at themselves: https://youtu.be/go-UKdfStHg
Colleges and universities quickly discovered that their campuses were popular locations for Pokemon hunting. If you take a left turn at Albuquerque, you’ll find plenty of Pokemon players at the University of New Mexico: https://youtu.be/m8siqgCkjB0
Many institutions quickly leveraged Pokemon to get students exploring more of the campus, like Wright State University in Ohio: https://youtu.be/Md1JgRxTQBU
Johnson County Community College, in Kansas, mapped their Pokestops and gyms: https://youtu.be/z9VO5le86gc
BCIT organized a real-life scavenger hunt they called Pokemon Go Day, to bring students, staff and their families to campus: https://youtu.be/DgGsiF85SWs
(If you haven’t already discussed ways to incorporate Pokemon Go into your next student recruitment cycle, your competitors have!)
At a time when public health experts are worried about the impact of a sedentary gaming lifestyle on North American young people, fans of Pokemon Go were quick to emphasize the exercise component of the game.
Campus student life and mental health professionals are hopeful that augmented reality games like Pokemon Go may create a stronger sense of community, particularly for introverts.
Naturally, school mascots were among the first to get into the Pokemon craze, like Duke the Lion at Florida’s Warner University: https://youtu.be/SxO-gFa-Jlo
This summer, some students were already starting to worry that their obsession with the game might be interfering with their studies, but at least one professor at UC Berkeley is playing along, and considering using Pokémon lures during his office hours. https://youtu.be/XZsudfgZ7iQ
In fact, within weeks Fresno City College announced a new Pokemon credit course in Phys Ed. https://youtu.be/ZtIpE9Yuy-8
Perhaps my favourite back-to-school video this year comes from the Student Union at Dalhousie University. They welcomed students back to campus with a rousing 3-minute music video, a tribute to their school colours, “Black and Gold.” https://youtu.be/QkeYEa9jKto
Don’t forget to subscribe to my free email newsletter, to get exclusive early access to upcoming episodes! www.eduvation.ca/subscribe