Examining Academic Performance Among Pathway and Non-Pathway Health Sciences Students

Pathway programs providing opportunities for students to more efficiently earn university degrees and college diplomas are proliferating in Canada and internationally. In Ontario, Canada, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and Durham College (DC) have jointly provided pathway programs for over a decade. These programs, in fields including science, health sciences (allied health sciences, kinesiology, nursing), social science and humanities (legal studies, criminology, commerce), nuclear power, and education (adult education, early childhood studies), facilitate inter-institutional transitions, and enable college graduates to obtain a 4-year (honours) university degree with as little as two additional years of study. This paper provides a quantitative, comparative analysis of the academic performance of pathway students (college-to- university transfer students) and their non-pathway, traditional counterparts (students who enter university directly from secondary school) enrolled in UOIT’s Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) and Bachelor of Allied Health Sciences (BAHSc) programs, and the collaborative UOIT-DC Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program. Results indicate that pathway students in these health sciences and nursing programs generally outperformed their traditional classmates in overall academic achievement; such results supporting the conclusion that college diploma programs in these areas tend to provide adequate preparation for successful pathway program completion

Exploring Student and Advisor Experiences in a College-University Pathway Program: A Study of the Bachelor of Commerce Pathway

Currently, there is great interest across Ontario in the expansion of pathway programs between colleges and universities. Through strategic partnerships, two Ontario-based postsecondary institutions (a college and a university) have developed innovative and effective pathway programs that facilitate the transition of students between institutions for the completion of degrees, diplomas, and certificates. These programs support the training of highly qualified, market-ready graduates. This paper reports on a mixed-methods study of the successes and challenges of a particular Ontario college and university pathway program, with a focus on the Bachelor of Commerce Pathway program. Preliminary results indicate that pathway students were more academically successful than their traditional university student counterparts but did experience a number of challenges in transitioning from college into university. Principal challenges included inefficient communication between program administrators, academic advisors, and students; lack of orientation activities for pathway students; lack of college student preparedness in communication and critical thinking skills; and difficulties experienced by college students integrating into the social-cultural life of the university.  Il existe présentement un grand intérêt partout en Ontario pour l’expansion de programmes de transfert entre collèges et universités. Grâce à des partenariats stratégiques, deux établissements postsecondaires localisés en Ontario (un collège et une université) ont créé des programmes de transferts innovateurs et efficaces qui facilitent la transition des élèves entre les établissements pour l’obtention de diplômes et de certificats. Ces programmes soutiennent la formation de diplômés hautement qualifiés, prêts pour le marché du travail. Le présent article présente une étude de méthodes mixtes portant sur les succès et les défis d’un programme de transfert particulier entre une université et un collège de l’Ontario, en misant particulièrement sur le programme de transfert du baccalauréat en commerce. Les résultats préliminaires indiquent que les étudiants du programme de transfert obtenaient de meilleurs résultats scolaires que leurs homologues aux études universitaires traditionnelles, mais qu’ils ont dû surmonter quelques défis pendant la transition du collège à l’université. Parmi les principaux défis, on trouve une communication inefficace entre les administrateurs de programmes, les conseillers pédagogiques et les étudiants; un manque d’activités d’orientation pour les étudiants des programmes de transfert; un manque de préparation en matière de communication et de pensée critique chez les collégiens; et des difficultés pour les collégiens à intégrer la vie sociale et culturelle de l’université