C. COLLABORATIVE PLANNING

C. COLLABORATIVE PLANNING

NWC remains a leader in collaboration within our sector working closely with postsecondary partners, community groups and industry to maximize resources. From provincial program planning to the sharing of professional costs and resources, NWC drives partnerships to ensure accountability for provincial funds.

The Management of North West understands that system reductions are necessary. By actively participating and leading various discussions at CEO Council, SAO and SBO Committees, and other such working groups, we continually seek opportunities for improvement (i.e. brokerage, international, pathways, etc.) Through the SAO, SBO and HR committees and CEO council, work continues around collaboration and regional efficiencies as part of the task force initiatives that were introduced in 2018.

Below is an overview of system collaboration initiatives as specific to NWC. well as initiatives

Systemic Collaboration – During Phase 1, 2, and 3 of COVID-19 State of Emergency

The seven regional colleges have made considerable progress in building strong collaborations over the 2019-2020 fiscal year. This included the re-creation of the Association of Saskatchewan Regional Colleges (ASRC), increased cooperation at CEO Council and continued collaboration at the SAO, SBO and HR tables. It also Involved working closely on our responses to COVID-19. In the 2020-2021 fiscal year we envision these collaborations will focus increasingly on strategic issues that are germane to our colleges, employers and communities. a) Collaboration under the auspices of the ASRC will continue in 2020-21. Key areas of focus include Board Chairs reviewing shared leadership options as it pertains to the long-term structure of the regional college system, CEOs strengthening relationships with the Ministries of Advanced Education and Immigration and Career Training, and the entire Saskatchewan postsecondary sector (regional colleges, Sask Poly, DTI, SIIT and universities) continuing to improve communications, collegiality and cooperation. b) CEO Council and the SAO, SBO and HR committees will align their activities more closely this year, with an emphasis on identifying strategic objectives that impact or are impacted by each group. This is of particular

c)

d) relevance as the regional college system continues to coalesce and develop common approaches and solutions to common opportunities and challenges, including those introduced or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This will include continuing to monitor and report progress on the Regional Colleges Task Force and developing strategic initiatives to extend its impact. This will also include establishing the role of colleges in the development, implementation and delivery of micro-credentials for students within our communities. Blended learning will be the norm in the future and regional colleges envision being leaders in developing and delivering curriculum that is intellectually rigorous, experientially robust and work-place relevant, and that meets the needs of students and employers. They will explore opportunities to brand blended learning for the regional college system and develop common approaches and tools to creating and delivering curriculum where possible. The regional colleges will focus on collaborative information technology initiatives this year: i)

ii)

iii) The Regional Colleges’ Information Technology Committee (RCITC), established in 2019-20 by the seven colleges, will provide strategic and operational guidance on the colleges’ IT infrastructure, with the goal of ensuring optimal performance at a reasonable cost that reflects the integrity of the vision, mission, and value statements of the Colleges. The regional colleges expended a lot of effort in 2019-20 developing an Enterprise Resource Planning model applicable to the college system. A “Request for Proposals” document was prepared. With current uncertainty about the issuing of the RFP and potentially addressing the need for an ERP in a different manner, the regional colleges will collaborate with each other and the Ministry of Advanced Education to identify and work towards selecting a solution. With the rapid move to online instruction in March, 2019 resulting from the COVID-19 lockdown, it has become apparent that regional colleges need to strengthen their pedagogy and tools to meet the demands of online learning. They will collaborate on identifying potential technology solutions, making recommendations regarding the best path to take either as individual colleges or as a system.

e)

f) The role of International engagement in the regional college system will be examined in the coming year. Colleges that are Designated Learning Institutions will support those seeking this designation and will share best practices to support them as they develop programs. Colleges conducted bargaining with the union on their own in 2019-20 for the first time. Collaboration will continue this year as the system deals with the impact of COVID-19 on human resources, and the implementation the CBA.

SIIT – Meadow Lake Programming

NWC collaborates with SIIT in Meadow Lake by sharing our campus including classrooms, office, computer lab and shop space. SIIT students also have access to the College residence. The College often provides the safety programming for these students. In addition, senior leadership continues to participate in the SIIT Industrial Career Centre Steering committees in North Battleford and Meadow Lake to facilitate regional program planning and avoid duplication.

MLTC contract in collaboration with Northlands College

NWC is the main educational partner with Meadow Lake Tribal Council which has reserve communities in both NWC and Northlands College regions. NWC is contracted as the lead delivery institution on many Tribal Council educational initiatives and collaborates with Northlands College when the delivery is located in their geography.

Provincial leadership

Further to the above, NWC President & CEO has been actively involved with taking a sector-wide approach that builds on the need and expectation of collaboration: a) He is the Co-Chair of ASRC, and taking on a leadership role to ensure this organization remains focused on working towards a single vision and voice for the college system. b) As the Co-Chair of ASRC, he has been able to ensure that the College voice and position is well articulated and presented in sector calls led by the Ministry of Advanced Education since we have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

c)

d)

e)

f)

g)

h)

i) As chair of CEO council, he has also arranged for weekly conversations with the Ministry of ICT and CEO’s in a similar manner as in item “b” above. As the Chair of CEO Council, he has ensured increased and more frequent contact and strategic conversations occur with all CEOs in the College sector. These have been necessary to ensure the above items occur effectively, efficiently, and accurately. As a result of the above, he has led the creation of college sector-wide subcommittees for the purposes of ensuring colleges are working forward as a singular system as we address major issues. Two such examples include: i)

Created a Pandemic Response Team to establish scenarios for consideration as we prepare for and adjust for the impacts of COVID19. This was a 12-member team with representation of each of the seven colleges at the CEO, SAO, SBO, and HRO levels.

ii) Created a working group to work directly with the Ministry of Advanced

Education and Sask Poly with respect to the brokerage model. As the Chair of CEO Council, he has increased the frequency and involvement with our respective SAO, SBO and HRO subcommittees to ensure these committees will be operating with a more strategic focus, and in line with the strategic direction as expected by ASRC and CEO Council. He has advocated for over a year for the regional colleges to have a voice and official seat on the Saskatchewan Transfer Credit and Learner Pathway Council. The College sector finally has a seat on this council, and as Chair of CEO Council, is the College representative on this council. As a member on this Council, Jay is Co-Chair of the Partnership task force team which is going to strategically focus on partnership engagement and collaboration as it pertains to the vision and direction of this council. He has also been appointed to the Saskatchewan Higher Education Quality Assurance Board (SHEQAB). Locally, Jay has been actively engaging with community partners, as well as our local school boards to improve awareness of pathway opportunities that are available to students progressing from the secondary sector to employment, college, apprenticeship or university.