Having reached the mid-way point in the academic year, Loyalist College students, faculty and staff have completed various projects, exams and initiatives – and are preparing for Semester One of 2016. More than 20 programs will start this January. The College is still accepting applications for some programs, ranging from Biotechnology and Esthetics & Spa Management to Police Foundations and General Arts & Science.
As the College community reflects on what it has accomplished together in the last year, the most significant highlights are the progress and personal growth of Loyalist students, facilitated through the learning-centred focus which is the core of the Loyalist academic experience. The following 2015 milestones position the College well for continued advancements in 2016:
When it comes to grads getting jobs, Loyalist is the #1 College in Ontario
Provincial Key Performance Indicator (KPI) results released in April 2015 showed 89.3 percent of Loyalist’s most recent graduates found employment within six months of graduation compared to the provincial average of 84 percent. Other KPI results for Loyalist show strong satisfaction rates at levels greater than 80 percent for Graduate Satisfaction (83.8), Employer Satisfaction (83.9) and Student Satisfaction (80.5).
Board of Governors approved the College’s new Strategic Plan – Loyalist 2020
Loyalist 2020, available at loyalistcollege.com/2020 is the result of extensive discussion and development. It focuses on the three pillars of: Academic Excellence, Service and Systems Excellence and Sustainability and Capacity Building. The majority of the 2009-14 Strategic Plan goals have been met or exceeded. A summary of the achievements of the latter part of the 2009-14 Plan is included in the 2014-15 College Annual Report, available at loyalistcollege.com/annualreport.
The W. Garfield Weston Foundation committed $280,000 in additional funding
Given the Fellowship’s success in encouraging post-secondary students to enter and complete a skilled trades program, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation is providing an additional 30 post-secondary Fellowships for the 2015/16 term and 40 post-secondary Fellowships for the 2016/17 term. This brings the total support for The W. Garfield Weston Foundation Fellowship at Loyalist to $520,000, extending financial assistance for 130 skilled trades students. Those selected for a Fellowship receive up to $4,000 plus a tuition credit during their studies. The Fellowship program has doubled since it began as a three-year pilot project in 2013.
Loyalist received grant approval for applied research project with the Canadian Bioceutical Corporation
In November, Loyalist partnered with The Canadian Bioceutical Corporation on an applied research project to be developed within the College’s state-of-the-art Supercritical CO2 Extraction Laboratory, in the Sustainable Skills, Technology and Life Sciences Centre on campus. The research project seeks to determine the effectiveness of supercritical CO2 extraction to generate more efficient extraction of an active ingredient used in The Canadian Bioceutical Corporation’s Relieva™ product. The project, with a total value of $50,000, is made possible by an approved Voucher for Innovation and Productivity (VIP) grant from the Ontario Government through Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), an Engage grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and a contribution from The Canadian Bioceutical Corporation.
Loyalist received its first Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) award
Loyalist’s Manufacturing Engineering Technician program collaborated with the County Cider Company on an applied learning project. Students and faculty worked closely with the local cider producer to evaluate their machining operations and recommend process improvements to increase productivity and flexibility.
Loyalist introduced Tailored Achievement Plans for all incoming first-year students
With a goal of maximizing each student’s potential for success, Loyalist offered all incoming first-year students a Tailored Achievement Plan – a plan designed to inspire confidence, innovation and most importantly, preparation for the workplace. Based on the results of students’ responses to an online self-assessment survey, the College assessed students’ motivational strengths and needs, and recommended services and programs to meet them, creating a plan that is both realistic and achievable.
Loyalist introduced an Alumni Mentorship Program
The Alumni Mentorship Program helps students and recent grads to network by connecting them with a mentor in their industry who can offer guidance in navigating their studies and career. The cross-disciplinary initiative offers on-campus engagement activities as well as an online community where students and grads connect. Using a web-based platform from Loyalist’s partner Ten Thousand Coffees, students and grads create profiles and reach out to form new connections, meet for coffee or host group mentoring discussions. Conversations are in-person or via email, phone or video calls, allowing nationwide participation. Through networking, both students and grads benefit from new perspectives, skills and career opportunities. Visit the web page for more details.
Loyalist and Strathcona Energy Group partnered to host post-grad Entrepreneurial Studies – Business Launch
In October, Loyalist partnered with Strathcona Energy Group (SEG) to host the College’s Entrepreneurial Studies — Business Launch program in SEG’s new headquarters at 250 Sidney Street in Belleville. In September, Loyalist began the first intake of the new eight-month Ontario College Graduate Certificate program at the Canadian Hybrid Incubator Resource Platform (C.H.I.R.P.), part of an innovative economic development initiative for which the Canadian government recently awarded $350,000 in grant funding through the Eastern Ontario Development Program.
Nursing: Accreditation and graduate success
The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) Accreditation Bureau awarded a seven-year accreditation status to Loyalist College and the Brock-Loyalist Collaborative B.Sc.N. program. And in the fall, the Practical Nursing graduates who wrote the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam (CPNRE) were 100 percent successful.
Key 2016 dates:
- January start registration – until January 22
- 19th Annual Career Fair – February 3
- The Great Canadian Burger Competition – March 2
- Spring Open Houses – March 12 & April 23
- 48th Annual Convocation – June 9 & 10
About Loyalist College
Located on more than 200 acres in the beautiful Bay of Quinte region, Loyalist College is a close-knit community where students and their success come first. Internationally renowned for its enriched student learning and living experiences, Loyalist provides personalized attention in small classes, rewarding field placements and superior success services. To prepare students for in-demand careers, Loyalist offers 65 full-time programs; apprenticeships; and more than 500 online, distance and in-class courses, as well as opportunities for continuing education through more than 70 university transfer agreements. The College’s wide selection of advanced diplomas, diplomas and certificates aligns with market-driven disciplines including applied sciences, biosciences, building sciences, business and management studies, health sciences, human studies, justice studies, media, arts and design, and skills and technology. In Ontario, the College’s new Digital Media Centre and the LEED® Silver certified Sustainable Skills, Technology and Life Sciences Centre are training centres of choice for students, as well as College business and industry partners. For more information on the College’s Belleville and Bancroft campuses, visit loyalistcollege.com.
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Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Director, Marketing and Communications,
Loyalist College, klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca, 613-969-1913 ext. 2536