As institutions grapple with ways of attracting and retaining students who are underrepresented in higher education, more attention is being focused on the physical space. In this episode of It’sNotAcademic, we talk to Gary McCluskie, a principal with Diamond Schmitt Architects, a Toronto architecture firm.…

It’s an often heard complaint. University and college graduates lack the skills that employers seek. They don’t have what it takes to thrive in today’s rapidly changing workplace. To look at this issue, the Business Council of Canada brought together representatives from some of Canada’s largest companies and those from postsecondary institutions t…

Two years ago, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued 94 calls to action, or recommendations, urging all levels of government to implement policies to acknowledge and redress the harm caused by residential schools to Indigenous people. Several of the recommendations urged governments, schools and postsecondary institutions to incorpora…

Welcome to the latest episode of It’sNotAcademic: the podcast – education conversations from HEQCO. Enrolment rates at Canadian universities and colleges have gone up considerably over the past two decades. That’s the good news. But, for a whole host of reasons, not all students who enrol in a degree or diploma program successfully complete it. Pos…

Welcome to the latest episode of It’sNotAcademic: the podcast - education conversations from HEQCO. Last month, HEQCO invited experts from across Canada and the world to take part in a two-day workshop examining a big question: “How do you assess quality in higher education?” One of the participants was Hamish Coates, professor of higher education …

In anticipation of our Rethinking Access conference we have explored many dimensions of access on this podcast, but one area we have not yet discussed is the skilled trades. The trades are often left out of conversations about postsecondary education, despite the demand and opportunities that are available to students.Bobby Watt is a keynote speake…

It’sNotAcademic – The podcast: Episode four with Jay GosselinWelcome to the latest episode of ItsNotAcademic – the podcast, education conversations from HEQCO. The importance of mentorship and positive role models is often discussed in conversations around promoting access to higher education. Obviously these concepts are important, but why? What n…

Welcome to the latest episode of ItsNotAcademic: The podcast – education conversations from HEQCO.The Rethinking Access conference is taking place April 19 and 20 and one of the recurring themes that runs through the panel discussions is the role of early intervention programs and strategies. By the time they graduate from high school, many student…

We talk to Mehnaz Tabassum, student success advisor at Centennial College. In her current role at Centennial and previously at Pathways to Education, Mehnaz has worked to reduce barriers that can prevent students from moving on to postsecondary and succeeding while there. Hear Mehnaz talk about her experiences growing up and how they helped shape t…

It's Not Academic, the podcast - education conversations from HEQCO. In the first episode we speak with May Wong, Executive Director of the Omega Foundation.HEQCO