BY NICOLE CLARK
Conestoga College plans to be at the forefront of the government’s major review of engineering degrees in colleges and universities.
Though there is still a long road ahead, Conestoga College president John Tibbits said the change is a go; Conestoga will be furthering its trek into the developing world of engineering-based programs.
The review looks at which colleges and universities may offer the degrees and which may not.
Conestoga currently is the only college in Canada with two engineering degrees that are accredited.
“They’re trying to do it so it’s not just a piece of paper; that it’s accredited,” said Mike Dinning, vice-president of student affairs, at the Sept. 19 college council meeting.
Building systems engineering and computer science are among the possible new programs to be added.
“It will be an opportunity for us, but it will also be an opportunity for others as well,” said Tibbits.
In other business, Conestoga has seen an increase in student enrolment from last year. As of Sept. 16 there were just under 7,000 confirmed and paid students in first year with the largest growth in engineering and IT programs. This ties into Conestoga’s plans of growth in those areas.
The recently implemented $500 tuition deposit has played a big role in the confirmation of future students and their commitment to attend.
Council members were told international student enrolment increased by 65 per cent. This included a dramatic increase in those entering the English language studies and post-secondary international programs.
Changes to the Feb. 1, 2017 acceptance letters were also discussed during the meeting. The letters will now include an exact layout of fees, including the program cost, grants, loans and the total the student will owe.
Due to this change, students will now be required to apply for any government loans during the time they apply for their programs of choice in order for it to be laid out in the acceptance letter.
What is Journalism?