From the Registrar | Academic Newsletter | Seneca Polytechnic

by Sharon Kinasz, Registrar

in the December 2019 issue

It has been a busy term and we are well on our way to preparing for the winter intake.

Domestic enrolment across the system continues to be a challenge but we have expanded our section capacities in programs where we have an abundance of qualified applicants and have extending our marketing efforts to encourage more students to consider starting a program in January.

Our international enrolment continues to be strong. We have increased our targets to offset the domestic decline, and we are encouraged by the diversity in applicants we have been able to attract. To date, we have confirmed applicants from over 125 different countries. Registration in our ELI program is also strong, so there should be a steady flow of applicants making their way to post-secondary programs in the near future.

Just a quick update on the outcome of our optional fee process that was launched for the fall term. Overall, only 5 percent of the students chose to opt out of the non-essential fees that were established for the fall intake. There were varied responses across the college system with some colleges having up to a 60 percent of their students opt out of the designated non-essential fees. As some of you may have heard, the court challenge launched by the national student federation against the province was decided in the student’s favour. At this point, there has been no direction on next steps from the Province so we do intent to proceed with the same process of allowing students to opt out of the designated non-essential fees for the winter term. More to come…

Transfer credit applications are currently being processed by the Registrar’s Office. Over the past year, a joint project was conducted between the Registrar’s Office and the Degree and Credit Transfer Office to create a more streamlined online application and submission process. Efforts are underway through our Records team to enhance the online capabilities and we are also investigating the possibility of assessing transfer credits at the point of admission. As we complete the various phases, we can provide a more detailed overview of the process.

Another outcome of the automation process review is the creation of several new online forms, which will allow students to obtain required verifications completely online without a visit to the Registrar’s Office.

The online registration process worked very well for the fall term and a meeting was held to gather feedback from students and all the academic areas. Everyone agreed the process worked well, so essentially the same process will be implemented for the winter intake. Assigned support rooms for students to receive in-person help will only be offered during open enrollment (December 4 and 5); during the first week of classes, students can be directed to the Registrar’s Offices on their campus for support.

Always happy to have your feedback! Happy Holidays.

View the December 2019 issue of the Academic Newsletter.