Durham College is pleased to join other colleges and universities across the province in releasing draft agreements that are intended to help the provincial government transform the post-secondary education system in Ontario.

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) required every college and university in Ontario to submit an eight-page  ‘strategic mandate agreement’ by October 1 that is expected to demonstrate how an institution will innovate, differentiate and collaborate in putting students first, meeting the needs of the creative economy, and focusing on productivity, innovation, and sustainability. While review and approval of its submission are still pending, Durham College is publicly releasing its draft three-year agreement at this point.

The Durham College leadership team had discussions with more than 200 stakeholders in the preparation of the agreement, including approximately 80 current students and leadership from its two partner post-secondary institutions, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and Trent University. The consultations led to three ‘priority objectives’ being identified:

• Responsible, strategic growth;
• Dynamic partnerships; and
• Student-focused teaching and learning.

All documents are now being reviewed by MTCU Minister Glen Murray and the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). The agreements follow what has been a very active number of months in the Ontario post-secondary system. In late June, the provincial government released Strengthening Ontario’s Centres of Creativity, Innovation and Knowledge, a discussion paper on quality, innovation and productivity designed to make the university and college system stronger. A few short weeks later, MTCU launched a series of visioning sessions across the province, with representatives from all colleges, universities and other sector partners providing input. Durham College and UOIT co-hosted a session in mid-August. Following these exercises, the SMA process began.