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ALGONQUIN COLLEGEInternational StrategyINTERIM DRAFT | v2B | April 6, 2018Prepared by Ascribe Marketing Communications Inc.2018–2022 International Strategic PlanSubtitle related to chosen strategic directionENABLING ALGONQUIN COLLEGE’S 2017–2022 STRATEGIC PLANCONTENTS TOC \o "1-2" \h \z GROWING STRATEGICALLY, LEADING WHERE WE EXCEL PAGEREF _Toc498513208 \h 1THE WORLD TURNS: TRENDS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES PAGEREF _Toc498513209 \h 2CURRENT STATE: INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AT ALGONQUIN COLLEGE TODAY PAGEREF _Toc498513210 \h 4AIM OF THIS STRATEGIC PLAN PAGEREF _Toc498513211 \h 7THE PLAYING TO SUCCEED FRAMEWORK PAGEREF _Toc498513212 \h 9THE STRATEGY IN DETAIL PAGEREF _Toc498513213 \h 10MEASURES OF SUCCESS PAGEREF _Toc498513214 \h 11APPENDICES PAGEREF _Toc498513215 \h 12“International enrolments in Ontario have increased over 160% since 2009.... If current trends continue, international students will account for approximately 20% of all postsecondary students in Ontario by 2022.”Developing Ontario’s International Postsecondary Education StrategyMinistry of Advanced Education and Skills Development“Insert a quote from an Algonquin College student about international education and the opportunity it affords”To be sourced.GROWING STRATEGICALLY, LEADING WHERE WE EXCELA lotMuch has changed since Algonquin College rolled out its first-ever international strategy in 2014. The College has begun to execute on a new five-year strategic plan and is redefiningredefine its approach to learner-driven education. The provincial government is developing its own international education strategy to strengthen Ontario’s position on the world stage. More countries than ever before are seeking to attract international learners to their institutions. And students themselves have increasingly high hopes — and expectations — for their postsecondary education experience.Many iWhen students come to Canada and succeed, domestic learners, faculty and staff are enriched by the exchange and our country’s brand of postsecondary education excellence is reinforced. International students are nternational students recognize keenly aware that they are preparing for a place in the global economy. Beyond obtaining valuable credentials and job-ready skills, many study abroad to gain Part of the reason they study abroad is for the exposure to other countries, other cultures and other ways of doing business. This exchange benefits Canadian and international students alike, as well as faculty and staff, and contributes to Canada’s worldwide brand of postsecondary education excellence.Within Algonquin College, international education touches nearly every goal of the 2017–2022 Strategic Plan: —?to be learner-driven, lead in quality and innovation, be sustainable and provide an exceptional place to work. That strategy has spawned other strategic initiatives, such as the development of a learner-driven plan, that could also have an impact on the College’s international activities going forward, for example by introducing changes to the application process that have to be reconciled with governmental study-permit rules.Taking all of this into account, the College set out to refresh its international strategy, identifying where opportunities align best with its strengths and resources — and what barriers might need addressing to seize those opportunities.[INFOGRAPHIC: Showing the College’s strategic context, with the Strategic Plan at the top, components like the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy and Learner-Driven Plan rolling out of it, the Language Institute vision as a complementary/dependent consideration, and the International Strategy in relation to all of these. The external context — immigration laws and regulations, for example, or the provincial international strategy — could also be included to show the scope and complexity of the international environment.][SIDEBAR]Impact beyond educationInternational education plays a role in supporting governmental immigration aims. Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen announced Canada’s first multi-year immigration plan on November 1, 2017 with increasing targets for immigration every year until 2020. The plan will see nearly a million new permanent residents settle in Canada over the period, more than 300,000 per year. International education can contribute to this process, both directly and through related offerings such as student settlement services.Algonquin College has seen its greatest rise in international enrolments from India, up 225% between 2013–2014 and 2016–2017.THE WORLD TURNS: TRENDS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIESCanada is currently the world’s seventh7th most popular destination for international students, with a reputation for providing high-calibre technical–vocational postsecondary education. Between 2008 and 2015, international enrolments climbed by 92% across the country. At Algonquin College, the increase has been even more significant: 209% in that same period.Most international students come to Canada from China (33%), India (12%), South Korea (5.8%), France (5.7%) and Saudi Arabia (4%). Algonquin College’s international draw is largely the same, with the exception of attracting more students from Vietnam than from France.The proportions of these enrolments are shifting. The College has seen a massive jump in numbers of students from India, and more modest but still significant growth in enrolments from Vietnam and China. Enrolments from Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, have fallen with the elimination of sponsorships for its students to study abroad.Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1. Top five sources of international students for Algonquin CollegeCOMPETITION IS INTENSIFYINGAustralia, New Zealand, the UK and U.S. are well established attractors of international students, although the current political climate in the U.S. has caused international enrolments there to drop. A November 2017 article in the New York Times reported that 45% of campuses across the United States saw lower international enrolments in fall 2017. While this may have contributed to some increase in enrolments in Canada, institutions here are now also competing with players in other countries. As China’s universities rise in the world rankings, that country is looking to draw more English-speaking students — and faculty, as well. Japan is making similar moves, and smaller countries like Malaysia and Ireland are ramping up efforts to bring international learners to their shores.INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION IS A TWO-WAY STREETWhile students from other countries tend to see themselves as preparing for the global economy, Canadian students seem to think more locally about their opportunities. Today just 2.3% of Canadian university students study abroad (college students aren’t even tracked), compared to 30% of Germans and 50% of Australians. If promoting and facilitating greater international mobility among students (and faculty) is to become a priority for Canada, institutions like Algonquin College will require new and increased resources to deliver, especially as the biggest barrier for Canadian students going abroad is financial. In 2016-17, just 207 Algonquin College students and 19 faculty took part in College-sanctioned international activities, with only 86 students and 10 employees receiving funding support through the international education fund. 93% of international students said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their experience at Algonquin College.International Student Barometer Autumn 2016CURRENT STATE: INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AT ALGONQUIN COLLEGE TODAYA wide range of programs and activities make up the College’s international offering. At the highest level, these fall into two categories: onshore activities carried out at, or originating from, our Canadian campuses; and offshore activities conducted abroad.The College’s onshore activities include delivery of its core postsecondary education (PSE) programs, English as a Second Language (ESL) training, contract training and student and faculty exchanges. Its offshore activities include many of the same offerings delivered abroad as well as involvements in campuses and partnerships overseas.ONSHORE AT ALGONQUIN: A CROSS-COLLEGE ENDEAVOUROnshore, the College’s international offerings are delivered and supported by a variety of College units, from schools like the School of Business and the School of Technology and Trades to the Language Institute and Student Services. The Language Institute plays a significant role, offering year-round language training and testing to new Canadians, international students and individuals looking to acquire proficiency in a second language. It also offers English for Academic Purposes, French and other international languages, and provides language testing services as well as certification in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (TESLFL). [INFOGRAPHIC OR CHART SHOWING PROGRAM CONCENTRATIONS:]PROGRAM CONCENTRATIONS WINTER 2017% of total international student enrolmentSchool of Technology and Trades: 37%School of Business: 32%Hospitality and Tourism: 14%Arts & Media Design: 9%Health, Public Safety/Community Studies: 7%With nearly 70% of international students concentrated in two schools, there is room to extend international involvements.OFFSHORE ACTIVITIESOffshore, Algonquin College has arrangements with three institutions for licensed program delivery: Algonquin College Kuwait, Manav Rachna International University in India, and the Hotel Education Centre in Montenegro. Algonquin College Kuwait continues to grow its enrolments. At its total capacity of 4,000 students, it has the potential to deliver a net contribution of $1 million to the College. The Hotel Education Centre provides opportunities for Canadian hospitality students to study abroad. As of [DATE], the College’s campus in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, ceased operations.MANAGING GROWTHSince the launch of its original international strategy in 2014, Algonquin College has seen a rapid increase in onshore international student enrolment. This has been accompanied by rising demand for international student services, and for complementary training and support for staff and faculty. This growth is projected to continue, with the College expecting international enrolments to rise between 10% and 20% over the next five years, compared to between 1% and 3% percent for domestic enrolments.In response, Algonquin has intensified its international activities, including short-term faculty training and student programs, supporting student and faculty mobility abroad, building the institutional capacity of offshore partners and delivering programs abroad. The question now is where to focus — and that question has many dimensions. For example:PROGRAMSShould the College expand profitable onshore training programs such as Teaching English as a Second Language (which have the added benefit of converting international educators from other countries into Algonquin brand ambassadors when they return home)?Should onshore training like English as a Second Language offer more direct pathways into the College’s postsecondary programs?DELIVERYHow much of the College’s international offerings need to be face-to-face and how much online, understanding there are government regulations that inform the answer and many international students want a face-to-face experience as a pathway to immigration into Canada?CAPACITYShould the College offer more of its highly popular short-term onshore programs, even though finding space can be a challenge?Should the College seek to maximize capacity at its Kuwait campus by drawing students from elsewhere in the Middle East and Asia?What proportion of College enrolments should international account for? Is there a “sweet spot”?How much room does the College have to grow in Canada? Is there a ceiling?The College must consider which opportunities best align with its overall strategic goals, the expectations of government and industry, and the College’s own strengths, capacity and resources.INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION IN PRACTICESHORT-TERM PROGRAMS BUILD LONG-TERM DEMANDAlgonquin College has had great success with short-term international programs like the eight-week Niels Brock liberal arts and business program offered to students from Denmark and the Educafin six-week English and Leadership program for students from Mexico. Both have seen steady increases in participation over the years. Yet with that success have come challenges around finding classroom space, scheduling, and providing accommodation and supports to students during the summer. This refreshed international strategy considers how to ensure the College can leverage positive achievements like these over the long term.“Pull quote.”AttributionAttributionAIM OF THIS STRATEGIC PLANSTRATEGYInternational education touches every part of Algonquin College, from marketing and the Registrar’s Office to programs and Ancillary Services. This strategy reflects that scope by taking an integrated, holistic approach to answering two interrelated questions: 1) how can we best provide compelling, competitive international education offerings; and 2) how do we build the necessary internal capacity to support them?Algonquin College must be mindful of its core mandate to produce graduates who will work in and sustain the local economy. International education can — and does — support this by [NEED SOME EXAMPLES OF TIE-IN TO MANDATE].Ensuring financial and operational sustainability is also critical. This may require more holistic thinking than the College’s current performance measurement approaches allow. For example, it can be a cost to Ancillary Services to support international students attending summer courses, but that expense may be offset by the tuition revenues generated. There may be situations when certain services could serve as “loss leaders” to obtain greater gains in other areas.KEY CONSIDERATIONSInternational education can take many forms beyond full-time onshore enrolments. The College needs flexibility and agility to seize on opportunities that align with its strategic goals — scaling capacity up and down with demand. At the same time, enrolment management and other processes may need to be adjusted so programs have clearer, more advance notice of the numbers of international students they will be expected to support in a given term.From the student perspective, pathways matter. Learners want to know where they can go once they have completed their initial course or program. Providing them with abundant avenues for achieving their educational goals would be a strong attractor for the College. It is important to remember that the international student experience extends beyond the classroom. While there are limits to the reach and responsibilities of the College, as a differentiator, it needs to provide services and supports that make students feel welcome, safe and secure. Algonquin College has unique strengths and a demonstrated commitment to serving international students: for example, by being one of the only institutions with Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors on staff who are certified to offer immigration advice. This strategy considers those strengths and how best to leverage them going forward.[SIDEBAR:]Perspective from the Board of GovernorsAt its March 2017 retreat, Algonquin College’s Board of Governors discussed the topic of international education. Their direction helped shape this strategy, which the Board of Governors feels should:Be clear about the College’s reasons for pursuing international educationAlign with the full capabilities of the College, not just the International divisionBe based on data gathered about the College’s own experience with international education, knowledge of best practices and awareness of competitorsConsider a broad range of possibilities and potential students“Pull quote.”AttributionAttributionTHE PLAYING TO SUCCEED FRAMEWORK“Strategy is a set of choices that enable an organization to win with its customers and against its competition.”The International Strategy Advisory Committee used Algonquin College’s Playing to Succeed framework — adapted from the “Playing to Win” framework developed by A.G. Lafley, Roger Martin and Jennifer Riel to identify strategic options and define the key ingredients for success. The five questions are:What is our winning aspiration? The strategic vision.Where will we play? Geographic and market segments; channels and stages.How will we succeed? What will make the College stand out and succeed.What capabilities must we have? Prerequisites for implementation.What management systems do we need? Infrastructure to sustain and support implementation.Taken together, these form an interconnected cascade:“Pull quote.”AttributionAttributionTHE STRATEGY IN DETAILA description of the final, chosen International Strategy cascade and its components. NOTE: This section will contain reflections from the Day One Placemat findings, as they inform the strategic discussion. It will also refer to the other Playing to Succeed placemats prepared by the internal groups that will be included in the appendices. “Pull quote.”AttributionAttributionMEASURES OF SUCCESSHow the College will know the International Strategy has succeeded.APPENDICESADVISORY COMMITTEEDirector, International (Ernest Mulvey)Manager, Marketing and Recruitment (Nadia Ramseier)Manager, International Student Integration (Anna Choudhury)Manager, Projects and Partnerships (Christine Peachey)Representative from Language Institute (Silvia Garcia)Representative from Business (Dave Donaldson)Representative from Media (Robyn Heaton)Representative from Hospitality (Altaf Sovani)Representative from Register (Krista Pearson)Representative from Student Services (Ben Bridgstock)Representative from Ancillary Services (Brent Brownlee)WORKING GROUPErnest MulveyCarolyn LepageSarah Aikin-AyreRebecca Volk ................
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