Sault College is a satisfying place to be.
That according to Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Key Performance Indicators (KPI) numbers for the 2012-2013 academic year, which were released this week.
KPI numbers are based on student and employer responses to surveys.
Sault College placed second in Ontario last year in terms of overall student satisfaction, and College Vice-President Academic Leo Tiberi told the Sault College Board of Governors Thursday “this year I’m pleased to report we’re at 83.8 percent, again number two in all of Ontario. We’re very, very pleased with this result.”
Niagara College retained its number one status.
“The provincial average (among all 24 Ontario colleges surveyed) is 77.1 percent, so we’re exceeding that by a nice margin,” Tiberi said.
Sault College placed number one among Northern Ontario colleges, as well as number one in the small college category.
The survey consists of 80 questions, among which are four key questions, Tiberi explained.
Students were asked “overall, the program is giving you knowledge and skills that will be useful in your future career?”
To that, Sault College came in at 91.1 percent in terms of English-speaking Ontario colleges.
The second key question asked students to rate the “overall quality of learning experiences in this program.”
Sault College scored first place with 86.2 percent, the highest in Ontario.
A third key question asked students to rate the “quality of facilities and resources in the College.”
Sault College registered 79.4 percent, as number one in Northern Ontario and second province-wide.
“This is the one that has seen the most improvement over the last four or five years. With all the new buildings, all the renovations, all the improvements to the facilities, we have skyrocketed our number here,” Tiberi told the Board.
Speaking to SooToday.com, Tiberi said “our facilities were found wanting in the past, and our students deserve better. We lobbied and were successful in securing infrastructure dollars to build them the facilities they deserve, and that’s what we’re seeing now, students happier to be studying here in the proper facilities for them to learn in.”
Sault College President Dr. Ron Common projected that with the soon-to-open Health and Wellness Centre, the institution will achieve first place next year.
“We have improved over 10 percent in the past five years,” Common said.
Students were asked a fourth key question, rating the “overall quality of services.”
Sault College came in at number four in Ontario.
“Among 24 colleges, we range from one to four in these important categories,” Tiberi noted.
Other KPI numbers found Sault College scored an 84.5 percent for graduate employment rate.
Tiberi said “that is exceptional in view of the current economy, and in terms of what’s happening provincially, this is higher than last year,” noting Sault College’s graduate employment rate was slightly higher than the provincial average of 83 percent.
The College’s graduation rate is holding at 62 percent.
“We’re always between 60 and 64 percent, “ Tiberi said.
“This is where our current program mix has us.”
Graduate satisfaction was at 80.8 percent, above the provincial average, while employer satisfaction came in at 89.4 percent.
Tiberi said “we conducted a lot of focus groups with students by program area. With some of the programs, we drilled down into the data and we saw some of the gaps in terms of student satisfaction, and we spent a lot of time in focus groups before, during and after the survey. We’ve acted on their feedback, and it’s showing.”
Sault College currently has approximately 2,500 full time students, approximately 200 part-time students and 400 apprentices.
Tiberi told us “we have a great team committed to our strategic plan to put students first and to respond to market demands to make sure they’re ready for the jobs that are out there. We continue to look at the data, get the students feedback, and move forward.”
Student success, for some, comes with an intense stress level. With that comes the need for a focus on mental health for some students while pursuing a college diploma.
Sault College Vice-President of Human Resources and Student Services Janice Beatty, pointing to an Ontario government announcement last fall of $7 million in funding for student mental health programs at colleges and universities, reminded the Board Thursday that a working group from Sault College received $782,000 towards mental healthcare for its students.
Beatty said there are plans to renovate existing space within the College, which she said would serve as a “mental health hub,” allowing students access to psychological or psychiatric assistance, with hopes that aboriginal elders will also be on hand for the College’s considerable aboriginal student population.
Mental health issues for students, Beatty said, can range from anxiety over exams to more serious issues.
The $782,000 in funding received by Sault College from the province for student mental health issues, Sault College President Dr. Ron Common noted, was approximately one-eighth of the $7 million announced by the government last fall.
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