STORY BY ALEXA MENARD
The requirements for a school to become a university are high – and Sheridan plans to meet all of them in the next two years.
Sheridan’s president, Jeff Zabudsky, armed with a quick smile and a few well placed jokes, brought the town hall meeting to order on Tuesday, March 31 in the Marquee at Trafalgar Campus.
The main purpose of the meeting was to inform the community about Sheridan’s plans to become a university and make sure that all staff members and students knew exactly what steps they plan to take to meet that goal.
Mary Preece, Vice President and Provost of Sheridan College, took over the meeting to explain exactly how a school becomes a university, and the benefits and risks that come with applying to the AUCC (Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada).
“Membership is critical because it allows … our graduates to be recognized by member of the club; the 97 universities across Canada,” Preece said.
If Sheridan becomes a university, it is more likely that graduates will be able to get into other university programs in other provinces and territories.
Sheridan is not currently recognized by the AUCC, making it harder for students to apply and get accepted into other programs across the country.
If the student is a graduate of a school that is a university and recognized by the AUCC, the chances of them being considered to get into a post-degree program are very high compared to a student who has graduated from a college.
However, if a school isn’t accepted into the AUCC, they must wait another three years before re-applying.
So the Board has a plan.
“What we are doing this year, we’re going to put in all the paper work that address the criteria to apply to the AUCC, but internally,” Preece said. “We have organized and prepared for a review team that would be parallel to the AUCC review team.”
After almost 40 years as a college, Sheridan is determined to become a university that can better service its students and the community.
Concerns about the college’s transition were addressed at this town hall meeting, and seemed to reassure that the main focus of Sheridan was still the well-being of its students.
“There are two ways in this country that you can become a university. One, you can have provincial legislation that says, ‘You are now a university’, but I believe that most universities would believe that it’s important to be acknowledged as such by your peers,” Zabudsky said.
All additional information about Sheridan College’s transformation into a university can be found at: http://journey.sheridancollege.ca/?p=qa
More information about the AUCC can be found at: http://www.aucc.ca