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

Elementary School Counsellors' Perceptions Of Their Current And Ideal Role With Parents And Families

This study sought to identify B.C. elementary school counsellor's perceptions of (a) their "current" interventions with families, (b) their "ideal" forms of family interventions and (c) barriers to working with families. A survey instrument was mailed to 327 elementary counsellors and returned by 249 (76.2%). To determine if the differences between "current" and "ideal" means were significant, two-tailed paired samples Wests were conducted. The results indicated that counsellors prefer to work with children individually (M = 1.37), consult with teachers (M = 1.50), more than doing parent consultation (M=1.86). Parent education, parent consultation and family consultation were reported as appropriate services offered by school districts. "Work Load" and "Work Schedule" were found to be the largest barriers to performing more family interventions.Cette étude cherchait à identifier les perceptions des conseillers scolaires de la Colombie- Britannique sur (a) leurs types d'interventions "actuelles" (b) leurs pratiques "idéales" d'interventions familiales et (c) les obstacles rencontrées en travaillant avec les familles. Un questionnaire a été posté à 327 conseillers en éducation à l'élémentaire et 249 l'ont retourné (76.2%). Pour déterminer si la différence des moyennes entre "actuelle" et "idéale" était significative, deux paires de tests t ont été conduits. Les résultats indiquaient que les conseillers préféraient travailler avec les enfants individuellement (M = 1.37) et de consulter les enseignants (M = 1.50), plutôt que de pratiquer la consultation avec les parents (M = 1.86). L'éducation des parents, la consultation des parents et la consultation familiale ont été présentées comme relevant plutôt de la commission scolaire. "La répartition du travail" et "les heures de travail" ont été signalées comme étant les obstacles les plus difficiles à surmonter pour la pratique visant l'intervention familiale

phenology and architecture traits in experimental gardens

Traits measured on Arabidopsis thaliana plants grown in outdoor experimental gardens (Ontario [ON], South Carolina [SC]) for one year. Original material collected from wild populations or stock centre seed; all grown for one generation in a common environment in Toronto. dbolt = days to bolding, dfl = days to first flower opening, rdiam = rosette leaf diameter at bolting, rlvs = rosette leaf count at bolting, height = primary stem height at harvest, branches = total number branches at harvest, totfruit = total full fruit count at harvest, survrepro = survival to reproduction (binary

Data from: Population climatic history predicts phenotypic responses in novel environments for Arabidopsis thaliana in North America

1. Premise of the study: Determining how species perform in novel climatic environments is essential for understanding responses to climate change, and evolutionary consequences of biological invasions. For the vast majority of species, the population characteristics that will predict performance and patterns of natural selection in novel locations in the wild remains limited. 2. Methods: We evaluated phenological, vegetative, architectural and fitness-related traits in experimental gardens in contrasting climates (ON and SC) in the North American non-native distribution of Arabidopsis thaliana. We assessed the effects of climatic distance, geographic distance, and genetic features of history on performance and patterns of natural selection in the novel garden settings. 3. Key results: We found plants had greater survivorship, flowered earlier, were larger, and produced more fruit in the south, and that genotype by environment interactions were significant between gardens. However, our analyses revealed similar patterns of natural selection between gardens in distinct climate zones. After accounting for genetic ancestry, we also detected that population climatic distance best predicted performance within gardens. 4. Conclusion: These data suggest that colonization success in novel, non-native environments is determined by a combination of climate and genetic history. When performance at novel sites was assessed with seed sources from geographically and genetically disparate established non-native populations, proximity to the garden alone was insufficient to predict performance. Our study highlights the need to evaluate seed sources from diverse origins to describe comprehensively phenotypic responses to novel environments, particularly for taxa where many source populations may contribute to colonization